Chapter 1 - Chapter 1

Translator: Nox

Chapter 1Chapter 1

Hello. My name is Reina. I’m a maid working in the grand mansion of House Julius, and my family consists of one person: my grandmother, whom I love more than anyone else in the world. As for anything special, I have a hobby of scrapbooking gazettes, and my dream for the future is to one day live quietly by the seaside, just the two of us, my grandmother and me. No dreams of a husband or children, you ask? Oh, I almost forgot to mention this. I’m married. It’s a fact I sometimes forget myself. Five years ago, I got married to a certain knight in place of our precious young lady. With that person due back in just a few days, the entire mansion is on high alert, so I’ve been reminded of it more often lately. * * Dawn at three a.m. The maids’ attic in the Marquis Julius mansion. Reina, sprawled on the top bunk of a bunk bed against the wall, carefully unfolded a gazette, mindful not to disturb the other sleeping maids. Rustle… The dim flicker of candlelight from the wall danced over the letters. 【 Triumphal General Sir Arthur Enters Pontel Viscounty 】 【 Pontel Citizens Scattering Flowers for the Triumphal Army’s Entry 】 【 Julius Territory Just Around the Corner. Reunion with Fiancée Lady Christina, Parted Five Years Ago, Soon to Happen? 】 【 Julius Territory in Festival Mood Awaiting Triumphal Army 】 【 Julius Marquis Sees Benefits from Son-in-Law. New Elector Power Map ― Marchioness Holds Her Tongue 】 【 Special Feature, ‘Sir Arthur of the Century’ ― House Julius’s Live-in Son-in-Law and Heir 】 【 Crown Prince Kyle Has Recovered His Health 】 Reina rubbed her tired eyes and read through the new gazettes once more. Then, with a proud smile, she neatly organized three scrapbooks in the order she liked. 【 Crown Prince Kyle Recovers Health 】 went under the black cover. 【 Special Feature, ‘Sir Arthur of the Century’ 】 joined the other special features under the blue cover. The rest were sorted by publication date under the gray cover. Some pages from slower gazettes needed rearranging. Her hands moved deftly through punching holes with an awl and threading string in the right spots. A final puff to blow away paper scraps. Having quickly bound the gazettes into three scrapbooks, Reina looked down at them with satisfaction.

Older gazettes had required cutting out unnecessary parts and pasting them onto paper, but the recent ones were filled almost entirely with the content Reina wanted, so no trimming was needed. What Reina wanted wasn’t anything special. It was the same news the entire empire craved right now. Stories of Supreme Commander Sir Arthur, returning victorious, and the triumphal army he led. People were so eager for news of Sir Arthur that no gazette from the temple had ever sold out like this since publication began.

“The Crown Prince’s story is just a tiny blurb in the corner. No illustration either.”

“The Crown Prince? That guy’s still alive?”

Evidently, some other maids besides Reina were still awake, as whispers drifted from the far end of the dorm. Those maids must have bought this gazette too. Fearing they’d stop talking if they noticed she was awake, Reina held her breath even quieter. Her spot in the corner of the attic, lined with over a dozen bunk beds, was luckily inconspicuous for times like this.

“You’ve changed. You used to cry when His Highness the Crown Prince went off to war.”

“That’s ancient history. Five years ago. Who cares about the Crown Prince these days? That hothouse flower of a young master… If it weren’t for Sir Arthur, he might not have survived.”

Peeking into the darkness, Reina saw two maids huddled in their corner, peering at a gazette together by the faint, wavering candlelight at the window, just like her. A stifled giggle echoed.

“Hey! Look at this illustration. They put way too much bias into drawing Sir Arthur, don’t you think? He’s like three meters tall.”

Reina barely suppressed a laugh with a small ‘Ahem,’ disguising it as a cough, then carefully stowed her scrapbook in a file box and hid it under the bed. Pretending to know nothing, she burrowed into bed, pulled up the covers, and listened to their voices.

“Oh my! Look at this. Is it real?”

“Goodness. It’s about our young lady, but how come we knew nothing?”

Reina could perfectly picture which part they were reading. She’d read it over ten times already and had it memorized. 【 Shock! Julius Marquis’s Daughter and Sir Arthur Already Formally Married Five Years Ago with Imperial Approval, But Parties Kept It Secret… 】 【 Young Nobles Who Pined for Lady Christina Express Disappointment… 】 【 One Certain Earl’s Heir Takes to His Bed in Shock… 】

“Formally married? Does that mean they slept together?”

“Wow… No way? We would’ve known if that happened. Eyes are everywhere in this marquis’s mansion!”

“It says they did it in secret. Tomorrow, let’s ask around if anyone knows about this.”

Even in hushed tones, the maids’ excited voices carried. Reina quietly pulled the bedsheet up over her mouth. No one here could tell them the story they were so curious about. Except for her…

“……”

It was a simple situation. Five years ago, Marquis Julius, desperate to become an Elector, sold his daughter to gain the imperial family’s trust. The partner was the emperor’s illegitimate son, despised in high society. For the haughty young lady raised in Julius, it was a bolt from the blue she never imagined. Noble society valued reputation and honor above all, and an illegitimate child was anything but honorable. At the time, the imperial family was silent on his bloodline, so it wasn’t even officially acknowledged that imperial blood ran in his veins. He was just a lowborn rumor-monger who might be the emperor’s bastard. Marriage to him? His bloodline was uncertain, but the humiliation his tarnished honor would bring to the marquis’s daughter was guaranteed. The Marchioness threw a fit, refusing to send her precious only daughter into such a match. But Marquis Julius ignored all family opposition and declared:

「He has to head straight to the battlefield anyway, so we’ll have a quiet wedding for now. Once His Majesty acknowledges his bloodline and his reputation recovers in society, we can announce the marriage later!」

「Social gatherings are all banned due to the war, so as long as we don’t blab, no one will know!」

「The imperial family has agreed to that much consideration.」

Why on earth? Why did the marquis’s daughter have to marry him at all costs? Marriage isn’t something you just whisper ‘Let’s say we’re married’ and nod along. Even a ordinary noble girl would’ve caused a scandal, let alone this young lady who never meekly wore even uncomfortable shoes. Naturally, she threw a massive tantrum, refusing to marry… And in the end… Reina, who was around the same age as the other maids and occasionally called quite the beauty, was quietly summoned… And that’s how it happened. Reina blinked silently under the covers, staring up at the ceiling—or rather, the rotten slats of the upper bunk.

“…What kind of person is he, I wonder? Sir Arthur…”

Whispers of curiosity came from over there. They’d probably poke around all the maids tomorrow, but they likely wouldn’t ask her. Due to circumstances that made it hard to open up, Reina was something of an outsider among the maids. Well, even if they did ask, she probably couldn’t answer… —Thud!

“Maids, assemble!”

The door burst open, and Head Maid Mrs. Hurst’s voice boomed through the maids’ quarters. Maids who had been fast asleep or whispering among themselves groaned as they dragged themselves up. It was nothing new. The entire mansion had been in a frenzy like this day after day. Including Reina, all the maids, weary from the midnight summons interrupting their scant sleep, shook awake those still abed and swiftly slipped out, grabbing their maid uniforms with practiced efficiency. * * *

“Who’s in charge of cleaning here?”

The Marchioness peered at a faint smudge on the staircase railing and asked. One maid stepped forward from the line of servants, her face pale, bowing in shame. Without sparing the maid a glance, the Marchioness flung open the window curtains and asked:

“And here?”

An unlucky bird must have flown into the window and died, leaving feathers and a bit of blood. Another maid swallowed silently and stepped forward, bowing her head. More maids and servants were called out one by one. No one hesitated. Everyone knew showing any sign of reluctance meant a bad outcome.

“……”

The marble floor visible to Reina, head bowed, was so clean it reflected faces. No matter how vast the marquis’s mansion, after over two hundred maids had been hounded into a deep clean for more than a month, it would be stranger if it weren’t spotless. Still, such faint smudges happened several times a day from servants hauling luggage, and birds crashing into windows couldn’t be prevented. Even so, everyone put on maximum shame to avoid offending madam. Showing this obedient attitude usually ended things without major bloodshed. Even the youngest maids, who once trembled at madam’s wrath, had grown relatively composed after a month of relentless torment. Everyone knew the issue wasn’t the cleaning. No matter how sparkling the mansion, the in-laws wouldn’t suddenly view the spendthrift family of five years favorably. The maids knew full well it was just the Marchioness venting her peak stress. Anyone could see that House Julius had neglected Sir Arthur and the conscripts for the past five years, so the Marchioness was hysterical with worry over his return.

“I’m not paying your wages to see this mess.”

The Marchioness swept past Reina.

“……”

Relieved just a fraction at escaping her gaze. Footsteps approached briskly, and the Marchioness whirled, striking the maid right beside Reina with her fan.

“……!”

The struck maid staggered into Reina’s shoulder. Reina held her breath.

“Dozing?”

The unsteady maid bowed frantically.

“N-no, madam.”

“No?”

Smack. The Marchioness struck the maid’s cheek with the fan again.

“Am I seeing things, then?”

The delicate fan splintered and shredded in an instant. Tension rippled through the servants. Reina stiffened. Had the maid beside her really dozed? She didn’t know. Hadn’t noticed. The only certainty was that this trajectory led nowhere good.

“Reina Astalin.”

No sooner had she steeled herself than her name was called.

“Yes, madam.”

Reina tensed as she answered. But what followed was unexpected.

“You’re off-duty starting today.”

Reina’s eyes widened.

“……Pardon?”

The maids beside her were shocked too; some forgot to bow and stared at her in surprise. Ah… Could it be? Reina instantly suspected the reason for being called “off-duty” at this timing. But feigning ignorance, she hurriedly bowed her head and awaited further words. The reason she’d guessed was a secret known only to the marquis’s family and the head maid.

“Olga.”

“Yes, madam.”

Having summoned the head maid, the Marchioness nodded toward Reina as if delegating the orders, then turned away. Mrs. Hurst continued in madam’s stead.

“Lady Christina has named you as her body servant. Follow me; she’ll tell you your duties.”

Reina hid her bewilderment, clasped her hands politely, and bowed.

“Yes, ma’am.”

The hollow-eyed maids turned weary faces away from her. Reina gave a bitter inward smile. …Being a noble lady’s body servant would be preferable under normal circumstances. What they were doing now was backbreaking labor with no proper sleep, yet no one envied Reina for being excused to attend the young lady. It spoke volumes about the young lady’s reputation among the maids. * * *

Following the head maid up to Lady Christina’s room, Reina fidgeted anxiously with her fingers buried in her apron.

‘Lady Christina’s body servant… Probably not…’

Watching the head maid’s back ahead, Reina thought.

‘…He’s almost due back, isn’t he?’

Putting together the gazette reports, Sir Arthur and the triumphal army had arrived in neighboring Pontel Viscounty two days ago. An army typically stayed in a village five to seven days. From Pontel to Julius Territory was a three-day ride on horseback, so factoring in the army’s pace, about a week. Meaning Sir Arthur would arrive here, in Julius Territory, as early as ten days from now. Once he did, Lady Christina would have to step up as his bride, so they couldn’t have me hanging around nearby, right? Knock. Seeing the head maid lightly tap Lady Christina’s bedroom door, Reina straightened up.

“Young lady. I’ve brought Reina.”

“Come in.”

The head maid opened the door and nodded her inside. Reina entered, bowing deeply.

“Young lady. You sum—”

Thwack! An ashtray flew and struck her head, rolling across the floor. Drip. Blood trickled from her head. —―――― *Elector: Seven electors who possess the right to elect and be elected as emperor. They are the most honorable high nobles.