The Peaceful Life of a Maid Who Hides Her Power and Enjoys It

<Episode 121>

 

Is that so?

The maid’s warning was plausible, but I could only understand it with my head and could not care about it with my heart.

 

In short, she meant I should be careful because rumours about an affair between me and Raphael might arise…

 

‘That’s a bit much.’

I had a hard time imagining it.

 

First of all, I didn’t want to deceive Raphael for the rest of my life. I couldn’t bring myself to continue lying to him.

In fact, this was one of the most important issues that must be dealt with during the Hunting Festival.

 

‘How should I reveal to Raphael that I’m Andert?’

Oh, my head. I haven’t thought of any solutions yet,  but I already had a headache.

 

“Head maid, there’s something I’ve been troubled about lately.”

“Don’t change the subject, my lord. We were discussing marriage.”

“In that case, you should pay even more attention to what I’m saying. Raphael might propose to me, you know.”

“…Pardon?”

 

I explained the general situation to the maid who had a surprised look in her eyes. It was a story about how a thoughtless remark I made during my time as Andert could come back to haunt me.

 

Perhaps the subject was quite interesting, since even the assassin-butler forgot about his duties and stood next to the maid while listening. And then he raised one arm.

 

“Do you have a question?”

“Yes. Is this person you keep mentioning, Andert, the same person known as the Hero of The Magic War and Raphael’s sword?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“…Does that mean that you and Andert Fager are the same person?”

 

“Yes.”

 

The expressionless face of the assassin-butler finally cracked.

 

For the first time, a sigh escaped his lips, breaking the stoic look he always maintained.

 

“So, that’s why you were able to beat me up like a dog! My, Butler Danahan’s, questions have been finally answered. There must have been a good reason for you to handle our former master, who was like a monster, so effortlessly.”

 

Well, if you’re convinced right away, it’s a good thing.

 

“It’s a secret.”

 

“I’m not in a position to go blabbering to anyone.”

“I heard your life goal is to escape Midwinterre and find freedom.”

“Being a butler feels like my calling. Every time I polish the silverware, I feel a sense of peace in my heart that I’ve never experienced before.”

“Is it because of Rue?”

 

As soon as Rue’s name was mentioned, he averted my gaze and looked at the ground, pretending not to hear.

 

What could have happened between them that would render the assassin-butler speechless?

 

The Rue I knew was unusual in many ways, but fundamentally a deeply caring and kind person, which made it hard for me to imagine what it could be.

 

The assassin-butler spoke up again.

 

“Just get married. The other party is one of the most powerful people in Penrotta.”

“Are your ears clogged? I plan to reveal that I am Andert. Whether our friendship continues or not, from the moment he knows I’m Andert, I cannot be a woman to Raphael anymore.”

 

The Head Maid skillfully backed up my words.

 

“And you, master, also don’t wish to be seen as a woman by him. You’re trying to reveal your identity so as to not cause deeper misunderstandings and wounds, right?”

“That’s right, exactly.”

 

The assassin-butler, with a serious expression, swept his chin and asked a slightly different question.

 

“Is it really true that Duke Zenail doesn’t know the master’s true identity?”

“It is true.”

 

With my affirmation, the assassin-butler nodded firmly.

 

“Think carefully, Master. Has Duke Zenail never shown any signs of doubting you? He is a man similar to the swordmaster. Don’t underestimate him by assuming he is the same as the Raphael you remember from four years ago. He has become stronger, more capable, and adept in politics. He can easily hide his expressions and thoughts.”

 

It was a perspective completely different from the head maid’s. Moreover, when I considered his former occupation as an assassin, it didn’t feel like it was excessive suspicion.

 

Did Raphael simply accept my claim of being Andert’s sister?

No.

 

“…Yesterday’s incident wasn’t an act afterall.”

“It would be difficult even for me to stage such a realistic performance, little brother. Did you really demand my cooperation without trusting me?”

“I left room for doubt just in case.”

 

What was it that he doubted about me back then?

My identity as Andert’s sister? Or…

 

“Yeah, Daisy. You need to be more cautious.”

A familiar voice pierced through my deep thoughts.

 

When I instinctively stood up and turned my head, I saw a man sitting in a chair by the window, where the late autumn sunlight was streaming in.

 

With his legs crossed and a book leisurely in his hand, he smiled when our eyes met.

 

“You’re not as meticulous as you think you are.”

“Rue!”

“This tomato soup-colored dress suits you well. It reminds me of the tin can that used to roll around on the floor of your house.”

“What do you mean tomato-colored?”

 

I could hear the maid’s grumbling in the background, but I didn’t feel the slightest bit offended.

 

Perhaps it was because he mentioned the ‘tin that used to roll around on the floor of your house.’  During the time we spent together on Queen Island, one of the few tasks assigned to Rue was emptying the rainwater from that tin can.

 

After gulping down the tea left behind by the assassin-butler (he slipped away as soon as I called out Rue’s name), I moved to the seat across from Rue.

 

“Did you arrive just now?”

The handsome man with blue hair shrugged his shoulders lightly.

 

“As you can see.”

“I’m sorry we moved first without informing you. Raphael was trying to keep me trapped in the Zenail Castle, going on about my physical condition. If I hadn’t moved then, it would have been cumbersome to return to Midwinterre.”

 

Listening quietly to my words, he chuckled, poking the corner of the book with his round fingernails.

 

“Precautions, as expected.”

 

It seemed like he was referring to Raphael.

 

“Don’t mind it. It’s good to be cautious. I actually quite like your proactiveness. It’s much better than being indecisive and getting tangled up in things.”

 

“Hmm. Still, it was terrible to leave without saying anything.”

“Was it? Well, of course, you’re the first human to treat me like a dog.”

“A dog?”

 

That thing about dogs again. Well, he always treated me like a pet, so it served him right. He should feel something similar too.

Rue looked into my eyes and made a faint sneer as if he could read my mind.

 

“Well, isn’t that exciting in its own way?”

“…You didn’t just read my thoughts, did you?”

“I can see them even without that.”

“How? Is it magic?”

“No, it’s the power of old age.”

 

Was this a 179-years-old joke?

The maid, who had been listening quietly, asked me with a slightly bewildered voice.

 

“Master, did Mr. Rue also stay with you at Zenail Castle?”

Rue answered on my behalf.

 

“Don’t worry. I stayed as Morian Serenier, not as the blue-haired chef.”

 

The maid, looking at him with a complex gaze, took a deep breath.

 

“In that case, I have one question, Mr. Rue. Are you still Mr. Rue, the gardener and chef of the Weatherwoods family, or are you now Morian Serenier, who will assist the master in social activities?”

 

One of Rue’s eyebrows twitched slightly. The straightforward question from the head maid seemed unexpected.

 

But soon, he leaned back comfortably in his chair and had an amused expression.

 

“Well, well. This is quite soft and comfortable, isn’t it? Looks like we have some decent chairs now. To answer your question, I won’t be going around as Morian anymore. The reason I moved around in that clumsy form was solely to keep Daisy out of trouble.”

 

The maid slowly nodded her head.

 

“No matter how often I’ve done it, I don’t prefer to act as a woman. Plus, It’s quite inconvenient to utilize magic in a transformed state.”

 

According to theory, the overlapping of magic was impossible. Nevertheless, it seemed like Rue could still complicatedly overlap magic, since he was a demi-god.

 

‘So he’s throwing away Morian’s identity completely. Then what identity does he plan to use to go around with me from now on?’

 

You said we’d go everywhere together. Do you plan to steal Jean’s position as my aide?

“Let’s continue the conversation we were having. We don’t have much time.”

 

As if waiting for that, the head maid opened her mouth again.

 

“Marriage. We were talking about marriage, Master.”

Oh my- how could you say it so openly?

 

I peeped at Rue.

 

‘….’

 

Contrary to my expectations, Rue showed no reaction to the word ‘marriage.’ He didn’t participate in the conversation or even show the slightest interest. It made me feel like a fool for being so preoccupied thinking about him.

 

‘Maybe I was mistaken in thinking he would care…’

 

While it was clear that Rue would support me in whatever decision I made, instead of feeling grateful, I felt a little disheartened.

 

I looked at the maid with a sigh.

 

“There’s something more important before that. The matter of how to reveal the truth to Raphael.”

 

Raphael.

 

Rue reacted a little differently to the word than before. He closed the book that he had been focusing on for a while.