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

<Episode 86>

 

While the bald old man was causing a commotion, Jean approached me cautiously and whispered.

 

“Senior. Just now, it felt like an intense heat, as hot as a flame, appeared and disappeared in an instant. How did you do that?”

 

This?

“The Devil’s Ironing Technique.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a technique borrowed from ironing.”

 

Looking at me with a blank face, Jean soon nodded with an enlightened expression.

 

“Oh! I see. I understand what you mean now. I think I understand why you advised me to focus on household chores. You’re amazing, senior. I respect you.”

 

I think you’ve got something completely wrong.

However, I decided to keep my mouth shut because she seemed to have gained some of the enlightenment she was hoping for.

 

“What, what is this…?”

At that moment, a deep exclamation of confusion could be heard.

Curious about what was happening, I turned my head…

 

“C-Count Serenier! Have you gone insane? How could you pour manure on me?”

Why was there horse manure sitting conspicuously on Marquis’ Medeis’ head?

More precisely, it was the horse manure that Mont had personally dug up on the Count’s order.

 

“This…?”

A relaxed voice addressed the bewildered Marquis Medeis.

 

“Are you feeling a bit refreshed now? Hmm. It looks like your missing hair has grown back under that manure on your head, isn’t that nice?”

“Count Serenier, have you really lost your mind? How dare you support that crazy maid and…”

 

Marquis Medesis turned halfway and looked towards the young noblemen standing unsteadily behind him. Marquis Medeis bared his teeth to them. The old man with a weathered face, pale and trembling, shouted at them.

 

“You all! You saw with your own eyes how Count Serenier treated me, right? He pretended to treat me nicely in the start, but this insolent… trash who doesn’t know his place! Today, I will…”

 

“Mont.”

At some point, Mont had positioned himself behind Count Serenier and approached Marquis Medeis.

Mont firmly put on his leather gloves and swung his hand.

 

Crack.

The old man screamed, not only from the impact on his right cheek but also from his entire face turning blue.

“How dare you, whose face…!”

Crack.

“Count Serenier! What on earth do you think you’re doing! Stop this immediately!”

Crack.

“Cease this!”

Crack.

“Please, stop…”

Crack.

“…..”

Crack.

….

 

“Ah, it’s finally quiet now. Right, Mont?”

Mont threw his gloves, now dirty with manure, onto the ground.

 

“Yes.”

At that moment, when everyone fell silent again,

Count Serenier looked down at Marquis Medeis, whose swollen head resembled a waterlogged mushroom, and gently parted his lips.

 

“Marquis.”

 

“…”

 

“Do you know why I choose to remain silent? It’s because the Calepa ordered me to do so.”

My ears perked up.

I was curious about whether Count Serenier was a real person, an identity Rue was simply borrowing, or just a fictional persona he used.

 

“Well, the Calepa… he’s also the reason you’re so eager to catch my eye. Since I’m the Calepa’s hound.”

 

The air around us grew even colder. It seemed like he’d hit the mark..

“What is Calepa’s hound?”

 

Mont was slightly taken aback by my whispered question but obediently provided an answer.

 

“It refers to someone who has been appointed by Calepa and the king himself, granting them access to the outskirts of Calepa, the sanctuary,  and the royal palace, as well as the authority to deal with criminals individually. They are called hounds because they spend most of their time abroad, handling renegades.”

 

So that’s why it’s difficult to meet him.

 

“I’ve heard that even the king’s relatives find it hard to obtain access to the royal palace. It must be a position with considerable authority.”

 

It was also a suitable position for a Calepa to utilize.

Count Serenier, who slowly brushed back his bangs, murmured softly.

 

“Thanks to you, my good mood is totally ruined. It’s been a while since I’d felt that way. Should I say thank you?”

 

“…”

 

“The Marquis seems to have no answer.”

 

“…”

 

“Moreover, you look very tired today. Your face is swollen, and you even have wounds. You get exhausted easily when you’re old, don’t you? Isn’t that right, Mont?”

“I will prepare a carriage for Marquis Medesis to return to his townhouse comfortably.”

 

When Mont made a light gesture, the attendants who had been silently waiting suddenly appeared. Although they’d ignored the order to fetch water, this time they rushed forward and began to take Marquis Medeis, covered in shit, away.

 

The chocolate-covered strawberry squealed through gritted teeth.

“The king will not forgive you!”

“…The king?”

 

“That’s right! Do you think with the Great Calepa on your back, you can abuse your power and use politics? Do you think the king will turn a blind eye to you? I will definitely inform the king about what happened today…”

“Forgiveness.”

Count Serenier, who was sweeping his chin with a troubled expression, soon smiled brightly.

 

“I’m also curious whether he will forgive me or not. Shall we go see him right away?”

“What?”

“Open the door, Mont.”

 

“Yes.”

 

What’s going on? You said you had access to the palace, so were we really heading towards the palace?

 

Mon pulled out a leather case from the inside pocket of his jacket, which looked valuable at a glance, confusing me. Carefully taken out from the case were a golden key and a lock, shining with a rainbow-colored gem attached to it, emitting a radiant glow.

 

As Mon walked towards the stable, he suddenly stopped and turned to his owner.

“Is it okay to use this door?”

“Is there a closer door nearby?”

“No, there isn’t. Well then…”

 

Clank.

The golden lock dangled on the wooden gap.

Mon inserted the golden key into the lock and turned it, performing actions that seemed as crude and clumsy as playing with a doll.

 

But soon, beyond the opened door…

“Well, stop dawdling and let’s go inside, Lord Medeis. Shouldn’t you go complain to the king with snot and tears?”

 

They weren’t just words. A beautiful garden that seemed fit for paradise, not horses, stood before us beyond the gate. 

Yes, it was a garden.

 

The vast summer garden of the Astrosa Kingdom.

The land of rose vines spread beneath the hazy gray sky.

 

“Mont? Help Viscount Quan come and support Marquis Medeis. It’ll stench, but bear it for a bit.”

“Yes, understood.”

 

While Mont and Quan dragged the shouting Marquis Medeis along, I quickly approached behind Count Serenier and whispered, 

“Will it be okay?”

 

He looked down at me and laughed as he brushed off a leaf that had been flicked onto my head by the whip.

“Who? Marquis Medeis? His face is swollen, but he won’t die.”

I wasn’t asking about that old man’s condition.

Thinking he meant he was fine, I announced something to my companions.

 

“I’ll go with them from here. The rest of you stay in the castle.”

 

After all, it was something related to me.

Although I trusted Count Serenier’s grandeur, as outsiders, we didn’t know what would happen.

 

If a problem arises, it would be only right for me to take responsibility.

Ignoring my words, Yeager, who had been pretending to be uninterested in the situation, hurriedly approached. 

 

“Are you saying you’ll go alone? That cannot be, Miss Daisy. I will protect Miss Daisy…”

“I’ll join them, Mr. Yeager, so stay in the castle.”

 

Desherro stopped the excited Yeager.

Wait, who said you could follow?

 

“The Viscount?”

“It would be much better for me to follow than Mr. Yeager. In many ways.”

“…Although it worries me, the Viscount’s words seem right.”

 

With a disappointed face, Yeager stepped back, and Desherro spoke to me.

“Miss Daisy is an imperial citizen. As a noble of Penrotta and representative of Lord Raphael, if I am by her side, we will be able to prepare for any situation.”

 

Looks like I came across a boulder while trying to remove a pebble from my path.

‘I should have just taken Yeager with me. Of all people, it had to be someone inconvenient.’

 

However, his argument was so valid that I could only nod in agreement.

That’s how we stepped into the doorway.

The summer garden.

 

There could be no more fitting description for the garden of the Astrosa Royal Palace.

The garden, brimming with the scent of summer, was filled with rose-covered trellises in circular patterns.

 

The dense, overpowering fragrance of red roses made my head dizzy.

Everyone, except Count Serenier, walked with tense expressions on their faces.

 

Amidst the deepening silence, my sanity, which had been far away, returned.

‘To come to the palace for such a thing.’

 

I was going through all sort of absurd things in life.

While I was lost in a subtle sense of skepticism, Count Serenier shortened his stride and approached me.

 

“Miss Daisy. May I ask you a question?”

It was sudden, but I had no reason not to listen, so I nodded slightly.

“What do you think of me?”

 

“What do you mean?”

“Hmm. It would be nice to give you an option. Do you think it would be more terrible to be my child, or my lover?”

“Me?”

“Yes, Miss Daisy.”

 

What nonsense was this?