280 - New Maids and Basilia's Jewelry Box
After Stina was captured and her maid committed suicide, the staff at the detached palace was reorganized. It seems those who had contact with the Second Prince and his surrounding nobles were identified through investigations using the Silver-White Knights and the dogs' noses. It's a bit disappointing that not a single person could be charged with a clear crime. It sounds nice to say they weren't punished without clear evidence, but in this case, it meant keeping suspicious people at a distance and taking away their jobs. Those who lost their positions just because their supplier was friendly with a noble friend of the Second Prince are surely complete victims.
...Well, having fewer people around is more relaxing for me personally, you know?
At the Grenore residence, Salisa is coming to help now, but basically the only servants were Tabitha and Bart. I understand that's far too few people, but having multiple kitchen maids besides two cooks like at the detached palace seems excessive. Not just the number of cooks prepared at the detached palace either, since Felicia is currently staying there, there's also her personal chef, making it even more.
And it wasn't just the number of cooks. The detached palace has laundry maids, house maids, gardeners and their assistants, truly a lot of people. I suppose the more people working at the detached palace, the higher the possibility that suspicious individuals might be mixed in, but more than that, as someone who's shy around strangers, it's a tough environment for me. In that sense, having fewer faces I can't remember is a bit of a relief.
"I heard that capable people were gathered at the detached palace."
"That person's methods are difficult to guard against. They approach with clever words, and people end up being poisoned without realizing it."
When Alfred pointed out that the same was true for me, I couldn't deny it. In the sense of having administered poison, I had indeed put poisoned sugar into Jasper's tea. At that time, under the pretext of replenishing his sugar, I added sugar (poison) as a prank. I had no awareness at all that I was putting poison in from the start.
"Someone who personally worships you wouldn't listen to that person's words... but the people at the detached palace are ones we gathered. They're capable, but they have openings."
"...You mean I haven't become their master properly, don't you."
If there was a perfect relationship of trust between master and servant, it seems there would be no room for poison to enter from outside. Even if someone incited them for the master's sake, they wouldn't swallow others' words whole.
"I need to become a proper lady and win the hearts of the servants."
"Speaking of which, I did mention lending you a maid. Since the staff has decreased with this commotion, I'll bring one next time I come."
Some days after that remark, the maid Alfred brought was a woman who truly worked hard. With half the lady's maids gone and the detached palace staff significantly reduced, the workplace must have a lot of work and be tough, but a maid named Solana works cheerfully, spinning around every day with a smile. According to her, "Unlike Alfred-sama, Lady Christina doesn't make unreasonable demands, so this is a dream workplace." When I told her I planned to return to Grenore eventually, she clung to me with tears and snot, crying "Please take me with you when that happens too!!" What kind of unreasonable demands does Alfred usually make of her?
...Wait, could it be that the Alfred-sama from Solana's perspective is basically the 'me' part?
Alfred acts sensibly in public, but in private he's a prince like a typhoon. If that's the workplace she has to follow, Solana must definitely have a hard lot in life.
...Yeah, I wouldn't want to be a maid at Alfred-sama's residence either. I'd absolutely get an ulcer from the stress.
Around the time I started getting used to hardworking Solana, Basilia came to the detached palace.
"Welcome, Basilia-sama."
I tried greeting her at the entrance hall today, acting like a proper lady, but the moment Basilia saw me, she flushed with anger. The Black Dog (Oscar) and black shiba (Kokumaro) reacted to Basilia as she stomped closer, but seeming scared of the dogs, she only flinched a little before grabbing my shoulders.
"I heard you were ill and came to visit you, so why are you welcoming me!? You should be resting, shouldn't you!?"
"Nyaaaaaaahhh!?"
Shaken back and forth by Basilia, I felt like I'd get dizzy instead. But I understood the reason for Basilia's anger. It was exactly as she said. She was worried that I, who she thought was ill, had come to greet her at the entrance hall.
"Hya wa!?"
The Black Dog slipped between my and Basilia's legs. From the reactions of those around us, he seemed to understand that Basilia wasn't harming me, so he didn't forcibly pull her away, but it was dramatically effective on Basilia. She let go of my shoulders that she'd been shaking and moved behind me, using me as a shield against the Black Dog.
...So she was fine just a moment ago because she was caught up in her anger.
Once she calmed down, she really was afraid of dogs after all. She peered out from behind me, watching the Black Dog's movements warily.
"...Come to think of it, I didn't invite you today, but you were allowed into the royal castle?"
"My older sister asked Felicia-sama for me. She said something about having a favor from the other day repaid."
"A favor from the other day?"
I tilted my head, wondering what that could mean, when Solana quietly whispered to me as she placed a cup in front of me. Apparently, the favor from Felicia was about the last tea party with Basilia, when I had unknowingly given Basilia a poisoned cake as a gift. While I was asleep after Aaron made me drink an antidote, Felicia and Aaron had apparently handled it. Felicia, who noticed the poison, sent a messenger to Basilia's house and retrieved the cake that had been given as a gift.
...Shestin-sama, good job.
Shestin, who noticed something wrong with the cake early on, had taken it from Basilia, so Basilia hadn't ingested any poison. I heard they made her drink an antidote just in case anyway, but seeing her so energetic, I was relieved.
Saying that garden tea parties were getting chilly now, I guided Basilia to a room with a good view of the garden. I couldn't prepare an elaborate setup like the previous tea party, but since tea sweets were always prepared as my snacks, I could handle sudden guests. Basilia occasionally glanced toward the door, as if worried about the Black Dog, and looked down at the black shiba by my feet. Since the other day, I've been keeping the dogs by my side whenever I eat or drink, so it might be a little unsettling for Basilia.
"I still hadn't thanked you for the ribbon, had I? Today I came to give you this."
"Wow, it's cute..."
What Basilia gave me as a thank-you for the bobbin lace was a jewelry box. And not just any jewelry box. It was made to resemble the cake I made at the previous tea party. The sides decorated with cookies were covered in soft fabric, and even the top decorated with sweets and fruit, and the cat made from Norakamu, were all reproduced.
"You even recreated the sponge cake inside."
When I opened the lid, I could see the fabric lining inside. It was carefully made in a white and pink mosaic pattern, and just so cute.
I immediately started thinking about what to put in it, when Basilia turned away and muttered a word.
"It matches mine, you know."
She was looking away with a tsun attitude to hide her embarrassment, but this must have been an important point that Basilia just had to assert. Feeling my cheeks soften at how cute she was, I honestly thanked her.
Since I'd received such a lovely jewelry box, I decided to put my treasures inside it. There wasn't a single jewel in it even though it was a jewelry box, but treasures are treasures, so that should be fine.
...I'll put away the ribbon Aurelia-san gave me and Leonardo-san's sketch.
I stored the neatly rolled ribbon and the paper with the sketch, then pondered over the still-spacious jewelry box. Since it was a precious jewelry box, I wanted to put something in it, but I couldn't think of any treasures beyond these two. Since it's a jewelry box, I should put jewelry in it. I do have hair ornaments and other accessories that Leonardo bought for me, but somehow they don't feel special enough to put away in this cute little jewelry box. I want to keep only top-tier treasures in this jewelry box.
...Well, whatever. Treasures aren't something you force yourself to decide on, right?
Next, I looked around the room, thinking about where to put this jewelry box. Since it's so cute, I want it somewhere I can see it right away, but its contents are my precious treasures. I also feel like hiding it somewhere no one would find it, so it doesn't get stolen by thieves.
...H-how troubling.
It is troubling, but it's a fun kind of trouble. If I were in my room in Grenore, I'd hide it in the shadow of the giant bear stuffed toy, but there's no Jinbei at the detached palace. As I was even enjoying the trouble of thinking about what to do, I heard a knock and Nadine's voice.
"Lady Christina, I've come to introduce the new maid who will be joining the detached palace."
"Yeees~"
I reflexively replied in a drawl, then immediately straightened my back. When I hesitantly looked at Hermine, who was currently attending me as a maid, she had a look that said she wanted to say something.
...I failed. A lady never lets her guard down, no matter when or where!
I've let my guard down and failed several times, but it's hard to make it stick. Still, since I'd already responded, I turned my gaze from Hermine back to the door and straightened my posture.
...Huh? But would Nadine be the one to bring a new maid?
At the detached palace, maids are more like servants in status. If a new lady's maid had joined, they might bring her for an introduction, but they wouldn't normally bring a maid. Servants seem like they're hired without notice and fired without notice.
Something's strange, I thought, staring at the door, and when I saw the person who entered the room following Nadine, my mind went blank. Just moments ago my thoughts had been occupied with where to put the jewelry box, but I left that jewelry box on the desk and ran over to the new maid.
"Kalisa!"
The cat named 'young lady' slipped right off me, and I hugged Kalisa. When I hugged her with all my might out of joy, I heard Hermine clear her throat behind me.
"Lady Christina."
"The 'young lady' mode has been forcefully terminated! I'm currently recharging my Kalisa levels. Please wait until the charging is complete."
"Tina-san."
"It's useless to get angry! I'm not moving from here until I've fully charged my Kalisa levels!"
I talked back to Hermine with the momentum of the moment, but since her angry face was still scary, I pressed my face into Kalisa's chest to hide. I think I haven't had enough hugs lately. It's a component that I don't particularly lack when Leonardo is around, but it's been nearly two months without a hug. At the Grenore residence, I could somewhat deceive the loneliness by leaning my back against the bear stuffed toy, but that's still inferior to the real thing. Alfred and Felicia do spoil me, but they're not family, so there were no hugs.
Sensing that Hermine was backing off with a look of being let down, I snuggled against Kalisa in relief. I heard a slightly exasperated sigh from above, but Kalisa gently patted my head.
"...I'll be in your care, young lady."
"Yes! Take care of me!"
I was about to thoroughly enjoy Kalisa in search of human warmth, but I heard some small laughter. Wondering what it was, I lifted my face a little from Kalisa's body and looked toward the sound, where there were two familiar faces.
"Elke-chan and Petrona-chan? Why are you at the detached palace...?"
At the sight of my two friends who should be in Grenore, I doubted my own sanity. Whether it was a hallucination from being too giddy over Kalisa's appearance, or a hallucination from loneliness due to lack of hugs, either way, there was no way the two of them would be in the capital.
"...It was Alf-sama's arrangement. So that you wouldn't be lonely in the capital... Alf-sama hired the two of them as maids."
It seems Kalisa's arrival was later than scheduled because she was teaching Elke and Petrona the work of a maid. Apparently, they had wanted to send Mirshe too, but the difference in education time between the two young ladies (even if commoners) and Mirshe was too great. While Elke and the others could be sent out as maids at the detached palace with just a bit of guidance, if they wanted to bring Mirshe into the detached palace, they would need to retrain all her manners and behavior. More likely than not, I'd be back in Grenore before Mirshe's education as a maid was complete.
"From today, we'll be working as maids attending Lady Tina. I am Elke."
"I am Petrona. I'll do my utmost to support Lady Tina, so please don't hesitate to ask anything of me."
Elke and Petrona bowed to me with a beautiful noble-appropriate curtsy. I was happy that my friends had come all the way from Grenore, but I felt reluctant to treat them as maids.
"You two are my friends. I... don't want to lose my friends."
Feeling sad at Elke and Petrona clearly drawing the line between master and servant, I threw a tantrum. I never knew until this very moment that I was a child who would throw such selfish tantrums. When shopping as a young lady and merchant, or when Leonardo asked if I wanted to buy Mirshe, I'd been able to make judgments I thought were correct.
...Even though it's a perfectly natural attitude when they're going to be near me as maids... I don't like it somehow.
Unable to acknowledge the two of them as servants, I pursed my lips tightly. As I desperately thought about what to say to get our original relationship back, Elke and Petrona exchanged glances and gently took my hand. There was a brief pause as their gazes rose slightly, seeking some kind of permission from Kalisa.
"Tina-chan, we'll only be serving you as maids while you're in the capital."
"When you go back to Grenore, we'll be friends again like before."
Oh, of course when you call us to the residence as merchants, it'll be young lady and merchant though, they added with wry smiles. It seems the two of them have already finished drawing the line between master and servant in their minds. They repeated that it was only while in the capital, and gently stroked my hand.
Will fix typos and errors at a later date.