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

<Episode 84>

 

“It seems that Miss Daisy needs to become a little more difficult. Easy women lack charm, after all. Admittedly, I am a splendid Count, but you mustn’t fall for me recklessly.”

“You’re Rue.”

“Rue? I’m not sure who you’re talking about. A lover? If you’re mistaking me for him, he must be an extraordinarily handsome man. What an honor.”

“Stop pretending…”

“Anyway, the important thing is…”

 

His long and elegant hand reached out in front of me and gently pinched the tip of my nose.

“You must remember the words of this Count. Miss Daisy has eaten a heart crystal. I don’t know where she found it or who fed it to her, but you must remember… Ah.”

 

And then, I swiftly bit down on that cheeky finger.

His golden eyes stared blankly at his fingertips, or more precisely, at his index finger trapped between my front teeth.

 

The corners of Count Serenier’s mouth drew a deeper and more languid curve.

“Oh dear. Our Miss Daisy must be a dog. But even if you’re a dog, you shouldn’t bite people’s hands.”

 

I warned him by nibbling on his finger again.

“You’re Rue.”

“Hmm. It feels strange when your tongue touches me.”

 

As I let go with a startle, a refreshing laughter echoed in the underground.

“So, about the heart?”

“I don’t need it.”

“Is that so? What a pity.”

With a gentle voice, he brushed back his bangs and turned his back.

 

“Well, we’d better go now. This place has a bad scent. You might get a stomachache if you stay too long.”

 

Having transformed into a beast, Count Serenier snapped at my collar and threw me on his back. I screamed at the top of my lungs from the back of the beast who was running up the stairs like the wind.

 

“Stop this ridiculous play!”

“As expected, it’s kind of cute.”

 

Before I knew it, the rain had stopped.

 

Returning to the courtyard where we had met, he gently placed me back on the ground and swayed his long tail as he turned his body away from me.

 

“Now, go to your room. This count is busy and must attend to other matters.”

“What? That’s nonsense.”

 

I leaped onto his back like a cicada, sticking tightly to him.

Even though I intentionally exerted force, the quadruped beast didn’t budge and only turned its head to look at me.

 

“Where are you going? After leaving Westwinterre so suddenly like that, where do you plan to go this time?”

“The noble Count Serenier has no idea what the maid, Miss Daisy, is talking about.”

“Is it so amusing to trick me?”

 

The golden eyes stared at my face intently. Somehow, I felt a positive vibe from them and it made me feel flustered.

It was when I tightly grasped the fur of the beast, ready to run away. As my field of vision elevated, my body floated into the air.

Instead of the rough warmth coming from the fur, I felt a comforting heat emanating from a solid body embracing me.

 

Count Serenier, who gently held my legs and embraced me, whispered softly.

“Don’t you need the relics of Dian Cecht?”

 

Dian Cecht.

It felt like a very important word, but strangely, I couldn’t concentrate on it at all. My heartbeats, which seemed to swallow my brain, only added to the confusion.

 

“To obtain the relics, you must reach Rogue. The third relic is hidden there. I’m telling you this just in case. Perhaps you can secretly steal it.”

 

He laughed heartily again.

While laughing alone and raising his shoulders, he bid me farewell by gently pressing his nose against my cheek.

 

“Good night.”

And then Count Serenier disappeared into the darkness.

‘…what is it?’

What was that?

What on earth was that?

What just happened?

 

Why couldn’t I say anything and just let him go? Why was I stupidly standing there, just looking at his back?

 

‘…No, I shouldn’t think too much about this. Let’s go back. Let’s go back and get some sleep.’

 

Despite my resolution, that day, I only managed to fall asleep after the sun had risen.

A night where I could get a few hours of sleep between my restlessness.

 

In the early afternoon, everyone gathered in one place.

I don’t know where everyone had been or what they were doing. I woke up late and missed lunchtime, so I did some light stretching and exercising.

 

However, there was one thing I instantly realized when I saw Jean and Andert’s faces. 

‘They both came after exercising.’

 

It was clear from their fresh expressions, whether they knew it or not. They were swordsmen to the bone. Amidst Yeager’s boring news delivery of the Northern continent, a tall man in riding attire confidently entered the reception room. 

 

He was the lord of this castle, Count Serenier.

“Good afternoon, my friends. How was your day at Serenier Castle?”

“Of course, it was very enjoyable, my lord. The castle is so big that even if we spent the whole day exploring, we couldn’t see it all. Today, we plan to explore the city and visit the Belvoa manor in the evening…”

 

And then, the lengthy exchange of greetings began from Yeager. He was a businessman through and through.

 

While casually sipping tea, Count Serenier proposed horseback riding to us.

“The grass must have grown quite a bit after last night’s rain. It’s a perfect day to offer a fresh meal to our lovely horse friends. Will you all join me?”

 

No one refused, and we all left the reception room together.

I glared at the back of Count Serenier’s head as I followed from a distance, but he never turned his head. It was as if he was deliberately ignoring me.

 

It made me angry.

“Oh, for your information, I have another guest over today. It’s a neighbor who heard the rumor that I had returned. I quietly came back without anyone knowing. It’s a shame someone made a fuss.”

“Ha, haha. That’s alright. Whoever it was must have been a light-lipped friend.”

 

It seemed like Yeager had been talking.

 

“For your convenience, we have decided to provide special language interpreter devices to our guests today. There shouldn’t be any problem with communication.”

His favor quickly resolved one of my questions.

‘So it was indeed because of my earring that I was able to understand their language.’

 

While everyone changed into riding attire prepared by the Count, I followed behind in my regular clothes.

 

The reason was simple. I had no intention of riding a horse.

I planned to quietly walk through the forest and organize my upcoming plan.

 

‘He said the relics of Dian Cecht are in Rogue.’

There were about four days left until we returned to Midwinterre. I had to enter Rogue at least by the day after tomorrow.

 

Fortunately, I had one trick up my sleeve, a gift from Malcolm.

When we arrived in front of the lodge, five or six unfamiliar men were waiting for us.

 

“Count Serenier. Thank you for making time for us, even though we came so suddenly.”

“Haha, Count! How long has it been? This friend of mine has been bothering me for years, saying he wants to meet the Count! That’s why I took the liberty of coming here and bothering you. Please treat us kindly.”

 

They turned their heads towards us for the first time in a long while, while laughing and greeting Count Serenier.

 

“Oh, these are the Count’s…”

“People from the Penrotta Empire? And quite a lot of them.”

 

Representing the group, the two men introduced themselves casually.

“I am Viscount Quan. This elderly gentleman here is Marquis Medeis. And over here…”

“Ah, Count Serenier. It’s been almost three years since your last return, hasn’t it? Have you heard the story? It’s about the princess…”

 

The introductions ended very briefly.

From their nonchalant expressions, it seemed like our presence didn’t matter to them at all.

Their attention was once again focused on Count Serenier.

 

“Ahem! Hemhem!”

Yeager, who forcibly raised the corners of his mouth, cleared his throat loudly.

“Pleased to meet you. Marquis Medeis, Viscount Quan. I am Yeager Panula.”

“Ah, is that so? Nice to meet you.”

 

While Viscount Quan responded quietly, Marquis Medeis casually turned his head towards Count Serenier again.

 

Yeager cleared his throat even louder.

 

“Hemhem!”

Marquis Medeis glared at Yeager with a furrowed brow.

“If your throat hurts, go inside and rest. My eardrums might fall off.”

 

That face emitted an unmistakable air of annoyance.

‘He’s openly disrespecting us.’

 

I had experienced this countless times in the magic war.

Unlike Raphael, the proud successor of a noble family, who was a hero even in the Northern region, I, who came from a humble background from the rural countryside, often faced discrimination even during the time I was revered as a hero.

 

Was it because a mere commoner swordsman like me got the attention of both the swordmaster and Count Rosebell?

 

I used to get in a lot of quarrels with hot-blooded young noblemen.

 

“Who does this unworthy country bumpkin think he is, giving orders! Go and lick your superior’s boots!”

 

Now, it was a story of the past.

‘I beat up so many of those guys.’

 

Fortunately, as the war dragged on and the importance of talent became apparent, discrimination based on social status within the military gradually diminished.

 

That’s when I realized.

 

Whether it’s discrimination or whatever, that nonsense just exists when everyone’s certain to survive.

 

With an unwavering expression, the resolute Yeager laughed even louder.

 

“Haha, I apologize. Since you’ve done so already, let me introduce our side. This is Viscount Desherro Contana. He is one of the heroes of our Penrotta Empire. And also, the aide of Duke! Raphael! Zenail!

“…Raphael Zenail? You mean the hero?”

“And this is Miss Jean Berkeley…. No, this is Miss Jean. She was the heir of Duke! Jurian! Berkeley-Gratten. The sword of the Empire.”

“Berkeley-Gratten? The swordmaster?”

 

The gaze of the Marquis, who had openly looked down on us, changed upon hearing this.

Raphael and the swordmaster’s fame seemed to be widespread even in the Northern Continent.

 

“And finally, this is Miss Daisy.”

Everyone’s gaze turned towards me.

The men’s gazes felt especially piercing. It was uncomfortably different from the looks I received in the Allied Forces.

 

“Ahem.”

Viscount Quan lightly cleared his throat and approached me with a sly smile.

Ugh. I lowered my head, but the strong scent of his perfume made it difficult to breathe.

 

“I’ve been watching you closely since earlier. Lady, may I ask which family you come from?”

I am not a lady.

“A maid.”

“….”

“I am that.”

“…A maid? Did you say a maid?”

 

Viscount Quan burst into a loud fake laughter and scanned me from head to toe.

An overtly disdainful smirk settled on his cheek.

 

“Ahh, so in Penrotta, they even introduce the hired help? How novel. Although considering it’s a low-class culture, we have to be understanding, don’t we?”

 

—

 

Daisy is so right. Things like social class distinctions only matter if you’re alive. In death we are all the same.

on a side note, they’re so cute aaa