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

<Episode 61>

 

“So many? You said there was no one like that earlier.”

“There were just so many people that came to mind that I lied without realizing it. I’m sorry.”

 

That was a cute lie.

Well, since Malcolm was down, she must’ve been nervous. I moved past the lie. Only a maid could understand another maid’s feelings.

 

“So who comes to mind?”

Lenya glanced at Rue, who sat by the window, and answered meekly.

“Mainly treasure hunters… err, a few spies and aristocrats. Master just sold some information though! Nothing too big, just some blueprints and maps.”

 

Yeah well, they were not just some ordinary blueprints if he had the blueprint of the Imperial Treasury.

 

“However, until now, there has been no threat to the master since his client has been protecting him…”

“Have you ever done business with the swordmaster-, no, the Guild Clone?”

“Oh, how did you know?”

 

I ignored her question and asked again.

“Has he sold information about Dian Cecht’s relics?”

“No, there have been requests before, but… he turned them all down.”

 

Leaving Lenya, who’d begin to shed tears out of distress alone, I began to slowly organize my complicated thoughts.

 

The <Clone> Assassins had infiltrated the manor to kidnap Malcolm.

 

<Clone> was an underground organization formed by the swordmaster. Therefore, the kidnapping of Malcolm couldn’t have been planned without the will of the swordmaster.

 

‘He’s ultimately after Dian Cecht’s relic.’

 

At first, I was confused as to why the swordmaster hadn’t yet put his hands on the relic displayed at Jansen Exhibition Hall. I’d assumed he was waiting for a good time to strike, but that wasn’t the case.

 

The swordmaster’s family was the guardian for the royal treasury.

Therefore, he must’ve known that the artifact at the exhibition hall was a fake.

 

‘He can’t easily touch Imperial Property, so he was probably keeping an eye on it for now and then steal it later.’

Furthermore, according to Lenya’s words, wasn’t <Clone> protecting Malcolm until now?

This sudden change of attitude meant…

 

“Lenya, the Willow Grove Vault. Do the knights of Berkeley-Gratten enter and leave it everyday?”

“Huh? Yes. Inside, there is a separate security system, and the Berkeley-Gratten’s knights regularly check in on a rotation.”

“When was the last time you think they did it?”

 

Lenya, who was racking her head, nodded quickly.

“It was yesterday. Well, around the dawn of this morning, to be exact.”

 

The rough outline of what the Swordmaster was planning formed in my head.

 

“Lenya, these assassins are from Clone.”

“C-Clone? T-that can’t be true… Clone protects us..”

“Not anymore. Clone is the hidden pack of hounds the swordmaster keeps in his arsenal. And the Swordmaster is after Dian Cecht’s relics.”

“…what?”

“Dian Cecht’s diary will be stolen within a few hours. Ah, it also might have arrived at the Swordmaster’s house already.”

“…….”

“He must’ve intended to frame Grandpa Malcolm for the theft. Of course, my presence prevented that.”

 

Malcolm was an Intel dealer who sold confidential blueprints and maps.

Therefore, it was only natural that he would be suspected if a treasure disappeared from the tricky layers of the Imperial Treasury Vault.

 

Given his close relationship with <Clone>, it was undoubtedly certain that Malcolm would be implicated and used as scapegoat in this incident, to be discarded.

 

 And in the end, the stolen diary would never be found. That would be the end of the matter.. Leña quickly grasped the cause and effect. 

 

“What despicable…!”

Lenya, with her eyes tightly closed and breathing heavily, looked at me with a pained expression. 

 

Then suddenly, she knelt before me and bowed her head.

 

“M-Miss Daisy! I’m begging you! P-Please check if the relic is still in the Vault, and if it is, please retrieve it!”

 

 Suddenly? 

 

“The relics of Dian Cecht were not meant to be circulated around like this. That item… the Lord has always longed for the moment of its return…” 

 

Well, that was the plan from the beginning. 

 

“If he were to discover that it was stolen, he might faint for eternity this time! Even in the heavens, he would have no face to meet Dian Cecht, and he would suffer from terrible anguish!”

 

To meet Dian Cecht?

‘Oh my.’

 

It was finally time to delve into the relationship between Malcolm and Dian Cecht.

“Well, Lenya, to my ears, it sounds like Dian Cecht and Grandpa Malcolm were acquaintances.”

“What? Of course they were. Dian Cecht was the Calepa of our Rogue.”

 

What?

 

“The five relics of Dian Cecht were kind of like a memento he left behind to his cherished disciples. To remember him by, even if the owner of that Diary closed his eyes for eternity a long time ago…”

“Dian Cecht was the Calepa of Rogue?”

 

The back of my head felt tinglish, wasn’t this… wasn’t this a bit suspicious? 

 

“Yes? Ah, yes…” Lenya stole a worried glance at Rue. She had an anxious expression, as if she’d made a slip of the tongue. 

 

Turning Lenya’s face towards me, I asked, “Lenya, when you say that the relics were left behind to Dian Cecht’s disciples, do you meant that the former Viscount Weatherwoods was Dian Cecht’s disciple?”

 

“You… didn’t know? I-I thought you would naturally be aware…” 

Naturally? How would a maid who’d just taken up the job three months ago naturally know this?

 

I was sure that the head maid wasn’t aware of this either.

Afterall, she’d almost fainted when she’d found out the master she’d been striving to follow was a magic tool!

 

“Then, Lenya,”

I tried to calm down my excitement and asked her.

“Who are Dian Cecht’s other disciples?”

“Ah. The other disciples…”

“Stop.”

 

Lenya’s complexion turned pale when Rue interrupted.

You damned Calepa, wielding your authority at a time like this.

 

It would be much easier to find the remaining three relics if I just knew who the other disciples were. I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

 

“There’s no reason to stop. Keep talking.”

“A-ah, but w-what Daisy is asking is a secret, I can’t divulge it so easily…”

“A secret? Why is there a secret between us? Take a closer look, Lenya. I am the benefactor that is willing to listen to your master’s lifetime wish. Is it such a great secret that you can’t reveal it even before me?”

“I-I really can’t… can’t… can’t!”

 

Lenya’s lips, which had been close to opening, shut tightly as if glued together.

It was the work of Rue’s magic.

“What do you want?”

 

When I glared at him, Rue shrugged indifferently.

“Even as I am, as the Calepa of Rogue, I can’t just sit by as secrets of the church are revealed.”

 

They were words that could make someone’s jaw drop because of their ridiculousness. I disliked how he’d been silently observing all this time and only intervened just now as if he’d been waiting.

 

“Just tell me a little, won’t you?” 

Rue, who’d been gently sweeping his chin, asked with a slightly serious expression.

“Are you curious?”

“Yes.”

 

He smiled happily.

“If you’re curious, 500 gold coins.”

Was this con man crazy? 

 

“Where would I get 500 gold? Do you think such a big amount can be dug up from the ground? I won’t be able to earn that much after working 100 years as a maid!”

 

 “Oh, how unfortunate. Not being able to earn 500 gold even after working for 100 years.”

I couldn’t say anything in response to his genuinely pitying expression. Looking at me like that, Rue spoke.

 

“It’s one o’clock in the morning.”

“…….”

“Summer mornings fly by. If you don’t want to move after the sun rises, it’s best to act right now. This might be your only chance to retrieve Dian Cecht’s Diary. Don’t you think so?”

Although he had the ability of seeming like a snake with his slippery words, Rue’s words were true. 

 

Whether or not the swordmaster had made the first move, today was the optimal opportunity to steal the relic.

 

‘I’ll ask about Dian Cecht when I return.’

If we wanted to move, we had to do it now. And naturally, there was no need for much contemplation.

 

 “Lenya, lend me some clothes that are easy to move in. Preferably in dark colors while you’re at it. It would be better if they were warm since the forest in the early morning can be chilly. Oh, and if you have a scarf, that would be great too.”

“I don’t know if we have it, but I’ll look!”

 

This wasn’t theft. It was just retrieval. The thieves were the Imperial family, not me.

The Imperial family were the weirdos that kept other people’s diary in their vault. Thieves should be scolded, that was all.

It was when I was in front of the mirror, trying to hide my face and fiddling with a hat. 

‘What’s that?’

 

I was wondering why Rue was rummaging around his clothes, but then he pulled out gems from inside his pants’ pocket. And they weren’t just ordinary gems.

 

‘…magical artifacts?’

 

Judging by the strange aura emanating from them, it was clear that they weren’t ordinary magic tools. Most of them were earring-shaped artifacts, and there were also a couple of ring-shaped artifacts, indicating that they were items that Rue personally wore. 

 

‘You’d been keeping those precious items crammed into your pants pocket like loose change?’

 

In a moment of crisis, I would search Rue’s pockets. I obtained valuable information.