Chapter: 22
They laughed heartily.
“A wise choice. Ah, now that I look closely, that’s a familiar face. Aren’t you Lord Balboa’s granddaughter?”
The platinum-blonde girl answered shyly,
“Yes. I am Ayabel of House Balboa.”
“So that’s why Lord Balboa treasures his granddaughter so much.”
Every retainer immediately understood why Baron Balboa had sent his precious granddaughter to serve as an attendant.
He’s aiming for the position of Crown Princess.
As if to prove it, Ayabel’s cheeks flushed red whenever she stole a glance at Luciano.
At Ayabel’s signal, the attendants began serving the tea.
Ain watched the young attendant place a teacup in front of him while giving him a subtle, flirtatious look, and his face twisted with boredom.
So pretending to be insane doesn’t help at all.
Even though he was known as the Mad Prince, there were still countless girls desperate to become involved with him somehow.
There were even women who deliberately tripped and fell in front of him several times a day.
Compared to them…
What on earth is that girl doing?
Yustea.
She was the girl who had helped form the alliance between the two princes at the military camp.
Hadn’t she wanted to become an attendant badly enough to strike such a dangerous deal with Brother Luciano?
He had assumed she wanted to catch the attention of Esgarott’s powerful nobles.
Thinking that, he took a sip of tea.
Then—
“…!”
Ain stared into his teacup in shock.
He wasn’t the only one.
The retainers who drank the tea widened their eyes in disbelief.
The instant the tea entered their mouths, an incredibly rich aroma rushed through their noses.
Many teas with powerful fragrances were unpleasant, almost like drinking perfume.
But this tea wasn’t like that.
Its fragrance was deep and gentle.
The retainers nearly forgot their manners and gaped.
The aroma is one thing, but this taste…!
Tea with a strong scent was usually bitter.
Yet this one wasn’t bitter at all.
Instead, it carried a delicate sweetness and a rich, savory finish.
One of the retainers looked at Ayabel.
“Is this really Moonlight?”
“…Is there a problem?”
Ayabel asked nervously.
The retainer hurriedly waved his hand.
“Not at all. I simply find it hard to believe that a tea commoners drink could be this exceptional.”
“Is it because of the quality of the leaves? Or the brewing method?”
The retainers looked at Ayabel with obvious curiosity.
Startled, she glanced at Yustea before answering,
“I suppose the tea leaves were of excellent quality… and we brewed them with great care…”
“Really? What method did you use?”
“Well…”
“This is easily one of the finest teas I’ve ever tasted. I’d very much like to know the secret.”
Cold sweat formed on Ayabel’s forehead.
The other attendants also fidgeted awkwardly.
The retainers found it strange that Ayabel couldn’t answer.
At that moment, Luciano spoke.
“The one who prepared the tea was someone else.”
“…What?”
One of the retainers looked confused.
Luciano set down his teacup and looked directly at Yustea.
“Weren’t you the one who prepared the Moonlight tea?”
Everyone’s eyes immediately turned toward Yustea.
She gave a small bow.
“Yes.”
A retainer asked curiously,
“I don’t recognize you. Who are you?”
“I am Yustea of San Miguel.”
Yustea?
Then she’s the one who was expelled from House Andres…?
One retainer looked at her in surprise, but another quietly elbowed him.
Yustea had become an attendant because of Luciano’s influence.
No one was about to bring up her disgrace in front of Luciano.
The retainers returned to the original topic.
“If this tea were truly this remarkable, it would already have received a Royal Warrant and every noble would be drinking it. So why has no one heard of it?”
“Because the processing method has been misunderstood.”
“The processing method? Explain.”
“Until now, Moonlight has been processed like ordinary black tea—wilting, rolling, fermentation, and drying.”
“And?”
“But to properly enjoy Moonlight, the rolling process must be omitted.”
Rolling was the step where tea leaves were rubbed to encourage oxidation.
During that process, the leaves were crushed and their cells destroyed.
“If you skip the rolling step, this is what you get.”
Yustea placed the teapot in the center of the table and lifted the lid.
“Oh…”
“Magnificent…”
Inside the teapot, the blossoms had opened into perfect circles, as though tiny moons were floating upon the tea.
It was beautiful.
“How fitting for a tea called Moonlight.”
“It’s not only the appearance. The New Moon Flower, which is Moonlight’s main ingredient, releases more bitterness from its stamens the more it’s rubbed.”
“And that’s enough to create such a difference in flavor?”
“There’s another important step.”
“What would that be?”
“To truly enjoy Moonlight, the petals must first be soaked in ice water for a long time. Then they have to be gently massaged without damaging their shape.”
Luciano looked down at Yustea’s hands.
They were bright red.
She might even have frostbite.
The other retainers—and even Ain—had also noticed her hands.
“After handling them carefully so none of the fragrance escapes, they are dried once more. That’s how this flavor is achieved.”
The retainers smiled warmly.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“For those who devote themselves to caring for the people in this harsh northern land, this much effort is hardly worth mentioning. I don’t deserve praise for it.”
Satisfied smiles spread across every retainer’s face.
“She’s not only talented but thoughtful as well.”
“It’s fortunate we have such a clever attendant.”
Their laughter was filled with affection.
The way they looked at Yustea had become remarkably gentle.
“But if you were the one who prepared the tea, why didn’t you explain it yourself?”
Ayabel’s hand twitched.
One of the attendant girls hurriedly spoke.
“W-Well, that’s because—”
“Was I asking you?”
Ain shot her a sideways glance.
Her face immediately turned pale.
The retainer nodded and looked back at Yustea.
“What happened?”
“Those were simply the roles we were assigned.”
“That must have felt unfair.”
“Not at all. Dividing responsibilities helps prevent mistakes while serving Their Highnesses.”
“Haha, and you’re generous as well.”
Everyone there knew the other attendants had excluded Yustea.
Watching her defend them even after they had stolen the credit impressed the retainers.
Of course…
Adults always give high marks for this kind of mature attitude.
It was exactly what she had intended.
“In contrast, you girls are disappointing.”
One retainer looked coldly at the attendants.
Their faces turned ashen.
Ain chuckled as he looked at Luciano.
She really was an interesting girl.
In a single moment, she’d completely captivated every one of the retainers.
On the way back to the attendants’ quarters, the girls sniffled as they cried.
“Baron Cubas said he was disappointed in us. I don’t know what to do…”
“What are we going to do…?”
They looked as though the world had ended.
But inwardly, I tilted my head.
I don’t think they were scolded badly enough to cry like this.
Back when I did manual labor, I’d been yelled at far worse.
People screamed at me.
Called me every insult imaginable.
When I worked on a tuna fishing boat, profanity was practically the default language.
I’d even gotten punched a dozen times in a single day.
Then again, nobles probably aren’t used to being scolded.
The atmosphere remained tense even after everyone returned to the attendants’ dormitory.
…And every single one of them was glaring at me.
Yeah… those stares are pretty intense.
Just as I was thinking that, someone set a plate of food on the otherwise empty table where I was sitting.
Right across from me.
“You’ve become public enemy number one.”
It was a tall girl with long, wavy red hair.
“I’m Asta of House Syntes. Baron Syntes is my father.”
“Oh, I’m—”
“The Miscellaneous Chores Girl?”
“I’m Yustea of San Miguel.”
“So you didn’t know? That’s what everyone’s calling you.”
Asta placed a sheet of parchment on the table.
Looking closer, it was the attendants’ duty roster.
My name was listed there.
And my assignments were…
Miscellaneous chores.
Miscellaneous chores.
Miscellaneous chores.
And more miscellaneous chores.
Every task had been arranged so I’d never come into contact with the princes.
They had even assigned me work normally done by the maids.
“They rewrote the roster right after everyone returned from serving tea. Looks like you’ve earned a tremendous amount of hatred.”
“I guess so. But… is it really okay for you to sit here?”
She was sitting across from the most hated person in the room to eat lunch.
Seeing the look on my face, Asta answered casually,
“I’m a loner too.”
I tilted my head.
That didn’t seem right.
Her name was included in every prestigious assignment that let attendants interact with the princes.
“So you’re not exactly an unwilling outcast.”
“You’re quick.”
Mm.
Just as I thought.
Asta was simply choosing to distance herself from everyone else.
Scooping up a spoonful of potage, I said,
“Your father is one of the Three Elders, isn’t he? No one would dare ostracize the only daughter of someone like that.”
Ayabel, my roommate, was the same.
She was also the granddaughter of one of the Three Elders.
That alone gave her tremendous influence among the attendants.
There was no way anyone would isolate the daughter of Baron Syntes, the elder most trusted by the Duke.
Asta glanced at me.
“I can change your work assignments.”
“…?”
“Don’t look so surprised. I don’t want anything in return. Since the new assignments benefit me, I’d be profiting from your mistreatment. I hate that sort of thing.”
“…?”
“I said I don’t want anything. Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I actually like miscellaneous chores.”
They were much more advantageous for me.
If I stayed attached to the princes, I wouldn’t be able to secretly approach the Duke.
“…You actually like preparing the places the princes will visit in advance?”
“I especially like that!”
If I wandered all over the castle doing that work, I might run into the Duke.
Asta stared at me in complete disbelief.
I simply grinned.
Since I was already at it, I got straight to work.
My real objective was exploring the castle, but I still carried out every assigned task diligently.
I inspected the roads the carriages would travel to make sure there were no bumps.
“It’s supposed to rain today. We’d better lay down some sacks here. If the ground turns muddy and ruts form, the carriages will bounce.”
I checked the walking routes for any branches that might snag someone’s clothes.
“This part of the vine-covered fence is sticking out. It should be trimmed.”
I even inspected the monsters guarding the castle walls.
“The chain on that griffin should be checked. The joint looks unstable.”
Afterward, I reported every problem to the appropriate departments.
…I only reported them.
Nobody actually listened.
“Isn’t that the girl from House Andres…?”
“Oh, the witch who supposedly tried to poison her half-brother.”
“She was expelled from her family, yet she still walks around shamelessly…”
Those kinds of reactions were the norm.
Well, I was used to it.
It didn’t really hurt anymore.
It was just becoming inconvenient.
I crouched in the Camellia Garden, the princes’ scheduled walking route, picking up stones.
I’d already told the gardeners about them, but they’d completely ignored me.
The walk is getting close. I can’t just leave them.
If one of the princes tripped over a stone, the blame would undoubtedly fall on me.
The attendants who already hated me would seize the chance to have me expelled.
That would be a problem.
So I remained crouched there for quite some time, collecting every stone I could find into a sack.
After wandering around the garden for a while…
Hm?
I stopped in front of a camellia tree.
“Something’s wrong.”
Its flowers and leaves had all withered, littering the ground around it.
Was it diseased?
No…
It looked more like it had a fever.
Does Esgarott really maintain its gardens like this?
A few pebbles lying around was understandable.
They were no bigger than fingernails.
Even after cleaning them up, a strong wind could scatter more.
But a garden tree itself withering?
That was another matter entirely.
A gardener could lose his job over something like this.
…And it would create problems for me too.
“The princes can’t see a tree like this during their walk. Maybe I should transplant it.”
“If you transplant a tree with a fever, it’ll die.”
“But if this tree stays here, I’ll be the one who dies—”
I froze mid-mutter and looked behind me.
A group of people was approaching.
The elderly man leading them was tall despite his age, standing with perfect posture.
A sharp jawline.
Long, narrow eyes containing indescribably imposing violet irises.
A high nose and elegantly shaped lips.
I’d never seen such a strikingly handsome old man before.
Who could he be?
Then I looked at the people behind him.
They were wearing Esgarott’s black military-style jackets…
Black jackets?
The symbol of high-ranking officials.
Someone who can command people like that could only be…
I immediately dropped to one knee.
“Yustea of San Miguel greets the Father of the Estate.”
It was the Duke.
The moment I realized the elderly man was the Duke of Esgarott, only one thought crossed my mind.
Becoming an attendant was totally worth it!
I’d met the Duke on my very first day.
I’d been fully prepared to work my way through the butler, then the retainers, then the Duchess before finally reaching him.
Though he doesn’t resemble Danju as much as I expected.
Aside from both being unbelievably handsome, they had almost nothing in common.
Danju gave off the impression that he would never let anyone get close.
The Duke looked like the kind of man who could manipulate everyone around him with a mere flick of his fingers.
As I was thinking that, hearty laughter sounded above my head.
“You introduced yourself incorrectly.”
“…Pardon?”
“Wouldn’t it be more accurate to say you’re the Andres rat that sneaked into my estate?”
“…!”
In an instant, it felt as though all the blood had drained from my body.
I took back what I’d thought about them having nothing in common.
The overwhelming pressure behind even a single sentence…
That was exactly the same.
“Raise your head.”
Swallowing nervously, I slowly looked up.
The Duke smiled as he carefully examined me.
“You look just like your father.”
Every word he spoke felt like a noose tightening around my neck.
It wasn’t only his overwhelming presence.
It was what he was saying.
House Esgarott and House Andres had been enemies for generations.
My biological father, in particular, had been obsessed with opposing Esgarott.
I swallowed hard.
“It is true that my biological father abandoned me. I will never do anything that would bring harm to Esgarott.”
“And why should I believe that?”
“If there is any proof you desire, I will do whatever it takes.”
“Would you tell me where that viper of Andres hides his treasure vault? It would have to be something worth risking your life for…”
“The old address is Imperial Territory District 51, 19-23. Under the new address system it’s Bataus District B7, Building 2311. In Bellaus coordinates it’s BA37-2-1—!”
“Even if I knew the coordinates, strong security would still—”
“It’s guarded by eleven elite soldiers. Beyond them are a holy barrier, a demonic barrier, and then another holy barrier. The security code for the first holy barrier is RA21G1342—!”
“So there must not be anything particularly valuable inside…”
“The treasures stored there include Edel’s Declaration, the Demon Armor, the Camora Diamond, and a total of one hundred and seven holy artifact-class magic items…!”
I rattled everything off without stopping, reciting information I’d learned from the game.
The Duke fell silent.
