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

Part 2 – Episode 22

19 years old human rug Deschamps stood at the biggest crossroads of her life.

With her hand on her chin, lying on the floor (a pose that was entirely unreflective of her will, forced upon her), she looked up at the poster on the wall with a complex heart.

‘Even when I look at it again, he’s such a handsome guy.’

Although it was an old black and white photo, and one couldn’t know the vivid colors of that era, just looking at it made the man’s cool smile and neat voice seem to echo in her ears.

The hero Andert Fager, called the Emperor’s Sword, was Deschamps first love.

And it wasn’t just her.

Boys and girls of her age group, including Deschamps, grew up listening to the tales of the heroes of the Magic Alliance since they were young.

Perhaps that’s why, every time they heard the names Raphael Zenail, Duke Berkeley-Gratten, Princess Natasha, Count Rosebell and so on, they would get nostalgic of the old times they used to listen to those stories.

It was nostalgia for a first love from her adolescence, for someone she had never met.

Therefore, when she saw the intruder’s face, she was greatly shocked.

Because he looked exactly like Andert Fager in the photo.

It was unbelievable.

‘What a refreshing shade of green those eyes are!’

But there was something that didn’t make even more sense.

‘How can a face weathered by the world’s hardships be so beautiful!’

The feelings from when she trembled intensely when she saw Andert Fager’s face in the daily newspaper ten years ago seemed about to come back to life.

She sang the national anthem in her mind for a full hour to calm this tremor, but it didn’t help much.

‘Hoo…… Ha…… Hoo…… Ha……’.

Alright.

Now that she’d barely managed to grab a hold of her spiraling mind, it was time to be faithful to the role given to her.

She turned her head slightly to confirm the intruder’s face. Indeed, it was a face that was strikingly handsome… No, it was the face of someone lost in deep thought, questioning, ‘Is my anger truly justified?’

The intruder, who had been stroking his chin, soon lowered his head to meet her gaze. Ha, if only he had smiled just once…

“Where is the guild master now?”

“He’s gone to attend the Penrotta Guilds General Assembly being held in Brisher.”

“Brisher? When will he be back?”

“He left this morning, so you’ll have to wait a week.”

The intruder, who had been silently observing her, slowly rose to his feet, apparently concluding that Deschamps no longer posed any threat to him.

No, wait! Sit on me more!

But thanks to this, she was able to stand up and shake off her clothes, gaining a divine opportunity to observe the intruder’s appearance even more closely.

In times of turmoil.

After ‘that incident’, this place, the Gray Spear Guild, began to make a name for itself as a latecomer among the countless guilds that sprang up one after another.

The roles given to her in the guild were only two.

To protect this building.

And to wait for one person.

“Who is that person, Master?”

“The true owner of this guild.”

The true owner? Did that mean Mr. Grayspear was the false owner?

“When will that person come?”

“I don’t know. They might come as soon as tomorrow, or they might never come. So, you must always guard this place for the day that they might arrive, whenever that may be.”

It sounded romantic at first glance, but upon deeper thought, it meant that the true owner was missing.

She wondered who this master was, but she didn’t ask.

In an era where people who called themselves warriors outnumbered the pebbles underfoot, opportunities to earn money by taking the easy route in such a promising job did not come easily. It was best to just shut up and do as you’re told.

But still…

“How will I know if the person is the one the guild master is waiting for?”

“Andert Fager.”

“…Huh?”

“The person you must wait for is Andert Fager. However, remember that she is a woman with brown hair, green eyes, about 170cm tall, and an unpredictable character. The chances are higher that she will appear in this form, so don’t forget. It wouldn’t hurt to write it down somewhere.”

“Excuse me, Guild Master.”

“By the way, the information I just gave you is also top secret within the guild, so I forbid you from spreading it outside. Let’s swear an oath.”

“But isn’t that illegal?”

Even if the identity of the real owner might be part of the false owner’s delusion.

…Or so she had been convinced for the past six months. To think it was true. Hooray!

‘But… as expected, it’s strange.’

If this man was the real Andert Fager, how could he be alive?

Everyone in the world knew that the hero of the era sacrificed himself and perished together in the annihilation of the terrible mass murderer Mephisto.

There was a small period of time when people were making a fuss that he had returned.

After a long back-and-forth, with no conclusion, it was dismissed as a baseless rumor deliberately spread by the royal family to cover up the leaked news of the emperor’s incurable disease.

‘For now, I have no choice but to follow the guild master’s orders and move to determine whether he is real or not, right?’

Please, let this man be the real Andert Fager, not a fake but the real thing. Please, God.

Deschamps, following the guild master’s constant reminder, executed the ‘Real Andert Fager Distinguishing Plan’.

First and foremost.

“Open the book with the yellow spine on the third shelf from the top of the maple bookshelf. There should be a photo on the first page. Show it to the person and ask.”

“This person is our guild’s vice-master. Do you know who this is?”

Mr Andert’s eyebrows twisted unpleasantly.

“Vice-master? This brat knew everything and still didn’t bother to explain?”

From the mumbling, it seemed that he had met him recently, which suggested he knew him more than she did.

He knows Gavroche Berkeley-Gratten – Check.

Second.

“Show the photos in the frames one by one and ask.”

“These three here are the core forces of our guild, and except for Guild Master Grayspear, they are all on long-term external missions. Among these three, the unofficial guild elder is……”

“I can’t believe Grandpa Malcolm was chosen as the guild elder. Hmm. Rue, did you decide on that ranking? Are you planning to suck the old man dry until he dies?”

Meeeow.

Pass.

Now for the final test.

Deschamps, swallowing her dry saliva in front of the man who was undoubtedly Andert Fager himself, no matter how she looked at him, held the emergency contact network on the desk with shaking hands.

‘Whew.’

She was trembling like crazy.

This magic tool was a privilege and shackle given to guilds that possessed the silver lion emblem. According to imperial law, if it was activated for personal reasons, one could face up to 10 years in prison, and if the intent was malicious, it could even lead to a trial at the Imperial High Court.

But the guild master swore to take responsibility for all repercussions.

Deschamps activated the emergency contact network.

Doo-oo.

After a ringtone that felt like a year-long, someone on the other side of the magic tool responded.

<What’s the matter?>

Deschamps did not know who the owner of this voice was. However, the guild master had said this:

“Check if they show a considerable amount of bewilderment or panic unlike before as soon as they hear the voice, and if they seem ready to flee at first glance.”

Look at that gaze. It was hesitant and dazed, then plunged into bitter agony, and even glanced at the window in a moment of absent-mindedness.

Was there any need for further confirmation?

Deschamps cut off the emergency contact network without hesitation.

There was no mistake.

This person was indeed the master the guild master had been waiting for so long!

Deschamps, having calmed her rough breathing, placed her right hand on her left chest and bowed with awe.

“I have waited for you for a long time, real master. Please come with me to Brisher. I will escort you to the guild master myself!”

Facing the noticeably colder light-green eyes, Deschamps felt a chill, and barely managed to suppress her wildly beating heart before adding,

“Master Grayspear is waiting. Please return to the guild and lift the curse that has befallen it!”

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Deschamps is a french name that means ‘from the fields’