Vol 2. Chapter 118: Which time?

Even on a long holiday, Mirexia’s life remained as tight as at the Academy. At this hour on a normal day, she would still be in her own bedchamber handling state affairs; even her leisure time was spent reading books on increasing Spirit Soul control and magical power.

Taking a stroll through the palace with a maid like today—aimless and purposeless—was something the old her would absolutely never do. Pure waste of time.

To be honest, Mirexia had long formed a habit: before finishing her work, even going for a cup of tea made her feel miserable, as if she were squandering time, as if a great stone were pressing on her chest and nothing could flow smoothly.

Yet today, that feeling was unexpectedly absent. Simply having this considerate pink-haired maid follow behind her gave her a groundless sense of satisfaction and fullness. She didn’t feel it was a waste of time at all, and she regained a long-lost sense of ease and relaxation, as if the great stone had been lifted from her body; even the tips of her brows loosened without her noticing.

Previously she had been showing Vanessa around, helping her get familiar with the palace. After all, though Vanessa had been here before, the Camella palace was too vast; in the past she had not even seen the tip of the iceberg.

To be honest, this was a novel experience for Vanessa as well—not only touring the magnificent palace of Camella and hearing Mirexia tell the historical stories of these buildings, but also the feeling of walking the palace in this maid outfit as Mirexia’s “temporary maid.”

After the two decided to go back and eat breakfast first, they returned to the bedchambers.

“Your Highness, Mirexia.” As always waiting at the door, the Royal Steward lifted his eyes and saw the two entering through the great hall doors. His gaze fell on Vanessa, and a flicker of odd color passed through his eyes.

“Steward, this is a newly recruited palace maid. She’ll be interning at my side for the day,” Mirexia stated with perfect seriousness.

“I see. So that’s how it is.” The Royal Steward nodded, hands behind his back, and held his tongue.

A newly recruited maid of the palace—how could he, the royal steward, not know her? How could he not know? The roster was in his hands.

If a maid appeared in the palace whom even he did not recognize, that would be a very big problem.

Yet that maid followed at Her Highness Mirexia’s side, and Her Highness Mirexia even claimed she would have her intern by her side for a day.

It was true that maids selected by the palace had a probationary period—but since when did probationary maids directly follow the Princess??

Of course Mirexia knew this couldn’t be hidden from the Royal Steward, and she hadn’t intended to hide it. From childhood to now, apart from her own father, the one who had cared for her the most was this Royal Steward; calling him half a father to her was no exaggeration.

What she said was to tell the Royal Steward that she knew what she was doing.

The Royal Bedchambers were not a place just anyone could enter, but since permission had been granted by a member of the royal family, the Royal Steward naturally would not say more.

Even so, for Her Highness’s safety, he still had to notify His Majesty the King.

“Steward, please inform the Royal Chef to prepare breakfast for two.”

“As you command, Your Highness.” After seeing the two enter the dining room of the bedchambers, the Royal Steward sent word to the Royal Chef while heading to another section of the bedchambers to find King Friane V.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty. Your humble servant has no wish to disturb you,” the Royal Steward bowed and saluted King Friane V.

“Heh. I know. If it weren’t important, you wouldn’t come to me. Speak.” King Friane V was unconcerned.

“Your Majesty, just now Her Highness the Princess brought back a—mm—a maid I did not find familiar, and declared that said maid would intern at her side for the day. What do you think?”

“Oh? That child Mirexia brought an unfamiliar maid back to the bedchambers? That’s a first.” King Friane V set down his book. “Describe the maid’s distinguishing features to me.”

“The maid has pink hair, ice-blue eyes, a fine figure—very beautiful. Judging by her bearing, I keep feeling she’s not a maid, and...”

“And what?” King Friane V asked.

“And I don’t know if it’s my illusion, but I felt a trace of familiarity from that maid,” the Royal Steward voiced his thought. “Of course, the odds are high I’m just getting senile and imagining it. The feeling flashed and vanished; after that I couldn’t sense it again. I’m also certain I’ve never seen that pink-haired young lady before.”

“Pink hair, ice-blue eyes? You’re sure they were ice-blue?”

“I did not missee, Your Majesty. The young lady’s eye color was indeed ice-blue,” the Royal Steward affirmed again and again.

“Oh. If Mirexia herself wanted to bring her back, then it’s perfectly normal.” King Friane V suddenly smiled, then, looking entirely unworried, picked his book back up.

“Your Majesty, what do you mean?” The Royal Steward didn’t quite catch it. He had followed King Friane V for decades; master and servant were of one mind and usually a hint was enough, but this time he found himself a bit confused.

He realized he hadn’t managed to read King Friane V’s intent.

“Haha, Mr. Steward, are you worried for that child Mirexia’s safety? If so, you may return,” King Friane V waved a hand.

“This...” The Royal Steward hesitated. His feelings for Mirexia ran very deep; he had watched her grow up and had seen all of her troubles.

He practically treated Mirexia as his own daughter; therefore, when it came to her safety, he tended to think more.

“Set your mind at ease. The maid brought back to the bedchambers by that child Mirexia—she knows what she’s doing. She’s grown up, after all.”

“And I am certain that pink-haired maid will not endanger Mirexia, nor anyone in the palace.”

“You needn’t worry about them. Besides—are you quite sure you aren’t misremembering, Steward?” King Friane V gave him a thoughtful look. “That pink-haired maid—are you sure she isn’t a rostered maid of our palace?”

“If I recall, our palace just recruited another batch of maids. That maid should be one of them,” King Friane V said with conviction.

“...Yes, Your Majesty. My apologies. I must be getting old. Now that you mention it, I recall that maid is indeed among the palace’s recent recruits—and she is greatly trusted and favored by Her Highness,” the Royal Steward instantly understood King Friane V’s meaning and nodded.

“In that case, there’s nothing to worry about. Moreover, it’s not something worth drawing attention to—the fewer people who know, the better,” King Friane V added off-handedly.

“I understand. I obey, Your Majesty.” The Royal Steward took the hint and withdrew from King Friane V’s room.

“...Could it really be?” After the Royal Steward left, King Friane V’s face showed hesitation. He muttered to himself, then after a long silence shook his head.

If things weren’t as he was thinking, then it would all be a coincidence—but the probability of that was very small.

His notion was bizarre and impossible; saying it aloud would make people wonder if their king had gone mad—yet it was, unexpectedly, very reasonable.

The reason he could even think along these lines was because their family counted, in a sense, as the “entrusted guardian family” of the last Saintess of Dawn, Sophia Facilis, and they knew many inside details.

Most importantly, last night he had seen Vinny receive a response from the notebook Saintess Elusha left behind. That meant the child Vinny had gained the recognition of the Dawn Goddess and Saintess Elusha.

Consider it: could a child who received the recognition of the Goddess and the Saintess be someone of depraved character??

Therefore, King Friane V—who in any case did not interfere in his daughter’s romances—was very much in favor of and supportive of his daughter being together with Vinny.

In fact, last night King Friane V had already been wondering what changes might occur in Vinny after absorbing the Saintess’s notebook. Then this matter arose the next day; it was hard not to connect the two.

If so, everything aligned.

But if it really were so, that child Mirexia was indeed hiding an earth-shaking secret.

Elsewhere, in the dining room of the bedchambers with Mirexia and Vanessa.

Vanessa stood demure and virtuous behind Mirexia, while Mirexia sat in the seat of honor.

To be honest, the scene gave Mirexia a strong sense of déjà vu; she didn’t know if she was overthinking it.

“[Virtue +50.]”

“[Current Virtue: 7204.]”

Hm? Why did Virtue pop again??

Vanessa tilted her head.

Previously, when Virtue popped she’d more or less been teasing on purpose, and there had been traces to follow.

As expected, Mirexia’s Virtue-popping mechanism was something she simply could not figure out. Could it be that Mirexia was truly the only heroine who could rack up Virtue just by being placed there without moving??

“Vanessa, you sit as well.”

“I can’t. As a maid, I must first attend to my master at table—that’s only natural, isn’t it?”

Soon, several maids arrived with trays in hand. Their eyes all swept once over Vanessa, then they saluted and withdrew.

Seeing this, Vanessa tied the napkin for Mirexia from behind; only then did she come to her seat and begin eating.

Mirexia, half-absent, watched Vanessa’s dining posture—generous and elegant; the distinct grace engraved in her soul and bones was brought to the utmost by her. Even just looking on was a delight to the eyes.

It was the complete opposite of Vinny’s big, careless way of eating.

“Your Highness, have you finished?” Vanessa lifted a napkin and lightly wiped the corner of her mouth, then looked over with a gentle, helpless sigh. She picked up another napkin and gently dabbed Mirexia’s lips.

“Your Highness, you mustn’t let your mind wander when eating, all right? Otherwise there’s a chance you’ll end up with a painted face.”

“...”

“[Virtue +80.]”

“[Current Virtue: 7284.]”

“Sorry.” Mirexia accepted the napkin from Vanessa’s hand—and in so doing, their hands touched.

Mirexia’s etiquette was normally flawless, but today she truly had been a bit inattentive at table.

“Why apologize to me? As a maid, isn’t serving Your Highness Mirexia what I should do?” Vanessa said with a smiling gaze.

Elsewhere.

“Sir Dale, if you have any instructions, just say the word.” Karin waited at Shicodale’s side, respectful.

“Um, I’m already full.” Looking at the desserts and ice cream on the table, Shicodale spoke softly.

“Truly? Are these after-meal sweets not to your taste? Don’t be shy—you are our honored guest. If you have any request, just tell us,” Karin said respectfully.

“Um... I’d like to go see classmate Vinny. May I?” Shicodale asked.

“My apologies. Before coming, Her Highness already explained the reason to you, so I won’t repeat it. I ask your understanding,” Karin said with formal gravity. “Rest assured, Sir Vinny will not have any problems.”

“...All right, I understand.”

“Eh, eh? Miss Karin, what brings you here today?” Just then, the maids who had delivered food to the bedchambers saw Karin and exclaimed in surprise. “By the way, how is it that Her Highness’s personal maid today is a beautiful pink-haired girl we’ve never seen before?”

“This is by order of Her Highness.” Karin found it strange as well, and wondered if she’d been dismissed and fried. But she did not show it outwardly.

Her Highness Mirexia must have her own deep reason for doing this.

A pink-haired maid??

Shicodale tilted his head.

Still, the palace’s personnel arrangements had nothing to do with her, so she didn’t pay it any mind.

After the meal, Vanessa and Mirexia left the dining room and came to Mirexia’s usual place of work: a room on the second floor of the bedchambers with a balcony.

“Your Highness, are you going to handle state affairs?” Vanessa did not take the initiative to offer help. After all, those were internal affairs of the Kingdom of Camella; it would certainly be improper for her to handle them.

“Vanessa, do you still remember that one time at the Academy?”

“Which time does Your Highness mean?” Vanessa asked with a smiling squint.

“Of course the time we handled documents together.” She hadn’t meant to go there, but the moment Vanessa said that, Mirexia couldn’t help recalling a certain time, and the tips of her ears reddened.

“[Virtue +100.]”

“[Current Virtue: 7384.]”

This Virtue was popping without any sign of stopping.

“Which ‘handling documents’ was that~?” Vanessa kept smiling as she asked. “Was it in the Student Council, or in Your Highness’s dorm...”

“Of course it was in the Student Council.” Mirexia cut in, a touch hurried.

“Oh, I see. I wonder why Your Highness suddenly brought it up?” Vanessa tilted her head.

“Could you... help me the way you did that time?”

“Oh? And this ‘help’—which time do you mean?” Vanessa asked on purpose.

“O-of course the Student Council time.” Mirexia pressed her lips together, forcing down her shame. “Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“Okay, okay~ That’s true—after all, Your Highness is a proper person. Still, your reaction seems a bit excessive,” Vanessa said with a smiling squint.