Scene 024# The Royal Court
*
“Wh-What?!”
When Wendy opened her eyes, it was already dusk.
Oh no!
What about today’s work!?
She had never overslept like this before!?
Internally screaming, Wendy hurriedly threw off her pajamas.
There was no time.
Or rather, she wasn’t sure if she had any time left to begin with….
Wendy paused as she was about to put on her maid uniform.
Unwittingly, she almost put on the regular maid uniform she had worn until recently.
Instead, she picked up the exclusive maid uniform hanging next to it.
Exclusive maid.
A servant who serves closest to a noble and receives high treatment.
Just a while ago, Wendy was the youngest maid in this mansion.
Her sudden rise to becoming an exclusive maid was nothing short of a meteoric rise.
Therefore, Wendy expected there to be a lot of talk about it.
An exclusive maid is a high position that allows commanding other servants in the mansion.
Since Wendy climbed to that position, surpassing her seniors, it was natural for there to be some noise.
And Wendy’s expectation was correct.
Indeed, there was… a lot of talk.
-“So that’s it. Wendy, you’ve become our scapegoat, haven’t you?”
-“Nye? Scape…goat?”
-“Wendy, if it’s tough, make sure to tell us. Okay? We’re all on your side.”
-“Nye? Nye… Thank you all…?”
-“Sniff… Our poor Wendy, how can we bear this….”
-“Uh, sister?”
After getting dressed, Wendy dashed out of her room.
She sprinted down the long corridor of the Luelberta mansion with all her might.
Thinking about it, it was a series of unbelievable events.
She became the exclusive maid of the Count.
She was accepted into the empire’s top magic school.
She discovered she was of hero’s lineage.
She learned that even the notorious Count… had his good sides.
It was like a dream.
So, had she become complacent?
Yesterday, after taking the exam and overwhelmed by sleepiness, she couldn’t stay awake.
She had collapsed as soon as she arrived at the mansion last night.
She didn’t expect to fall into such a deep sleep.
Wendy ran.
Being late as the Count’s exclusive maid was unacceptable.
She couldn’t face the Count like this.
Wendy stopped at the Count’s office.
It was also her workplace.
She caught her breath and knocked on the door.
“Ex-excuse me!”
As she energetically opened the door and entered, the room was empty.
It was 5 PM.
It should be the time when the Count was in his office.
Wendy was about to rush out when she ran into a senior maid at the door.
“Julie sister?”
“Wendy?”
“Where is the Count…?”
“Oh? Uh… he should be at the training ground….”
“Th-thank you!”
Wendy ran off.
Julie’s words, “Wait, Wendy, you today…,” couldn’t reach her.
The sun was almost set by the time she left the mansion.
She had to hurry.
Wendy took off her cumbersome shoes.
Being from the countryside, she was accustomed to being barefoot.
She continued to run.
Until she could see a figure in the distance on the training ground.
The figure eventually took on the shape of a portly man.
It was her master, Tristan Luelberta.
He was standing at one end of the training ground, wiping off sweat.
As Wendy stopped in front of him, she bowed her head and spoke.
“Haah… My, my lord… I’m s-sorry for being late….”
“Wendy.”
“I, I overslept… I’m so sorry….”
“Wendy.”
“I’m your ex-exclusive maid and… Haah… this is unbecoming of me….”
“Lift your head and listen to me, you foolish girl.”
Only then did Wendy cautiously lift her head.
There, Tristan was looking down at her.
And with an expression that seemed to say the girl in front of him was the most foolish in the world, he spoke.
“You had a day off today.”
“…Nye??”
*
In the dimly lit audience chamber.
The girl sitting on the central throne was receiving an unexpected visitor.
“It’s been a while. Mondri.”
“Yes. Your Majesty.”
The old man kneeling before her was Mondri Cremont, the chancellor of Meikahel University.
“So… what brings you here at this late hour?”
The audience chamber was illuminated by magic-lit lamps.
Bright lamps on the ceiling shone on her face.
Mondri slowly raised his head.
The girl sitting on the throne was wearing a mask.
It was none other than a silver deer.
The girl wearing the silver deer mask crossed her legs seductively.
The Empress of the Empire, Lucy Meikahel, awaited Mondri’s answer.
Eventually, the words that came from Mondri’s mouth were enough to intrigue her.
“A hero has appeared.”
“Oh… But wasn’t that merely a legend?”
“I too thought it was just a legend until now… but it seems to be true.”
“On what basis?”
Lucy looked at Mondri with a piercing gaze.
“I saw it myself. That person using all attributes of magic.”
“All attributes of magic… If that’s true, then that person can only be considered a hero.”
Lucy leaned her chin on the throne, seemingly lost in thought.
“Indeed… the appearance of a hero was a signal that this world was in danger.”
“That’s correct. The Demon King might have been resurrected.”
The Demon King.
Like the hero, he was also a being only mentioned in legends.
Lucy sighed.
“… So peace can’t last forever, can it?”
Thanks to being an island, the Meikahel Empire had enjoyed peace for a long time.
Perhaps it was because they had been immersed in peace for so long.
Lucy never imagined that the Demon King would resurrect during her reign.
“Where is the hero now?”
“With Count Luelberta.”
The moment she heard that name, Lucy’s brow twitched.
But since she was wearing a mask, no one noticed.
“Luelberta… you mean Count Tristan?”
“Yes. The hero is his servant.”
“What…?”
A hero… a servant of a noble family?
What kind of story was this?
As Lucy tilted her head in confusion, Mondri provided additional explanation.
“It seems the hero was unaware of being a hero until recently. Thus, she has been working as a servant in the count’s household until she realized it.”
“She realized it late.”
“Yes… but Count Luelberta already knew his servant was a hero.”
Mondri didn’t hide his hostility towards Count Tristan.
Lucy asked him.
“So, the count intentionally hid it… is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes.”
“Why? There’s no reason for that.”
“I don’t know the details. But with Luelberta… there must be some ulterior motive.”
Luelberta…
Lucy mulled over the name.
Perhaps the most powerful name in the empire.
Especially his vast wealth had long surpassed the royal treasury.
Previous emperors feared Luelberta’s power and tried to appease or check it
, but all failed.
Thus, the royal authority had been declining with each generation.
Perhaps more concerning to Lucy than the fact that a hero appeared was the name Luelberta.
Luelberta must not be allowed to run rampant any longer….
Lucy made that resolution.
“I understand. Thank you, Mondri. But don’t speculate needlessly. I don’t want to cause confusion among the empire’s citizens with baseless speculation.”
“Understood… Thank you for seeing me at this late hour. I shall take my leave now.”
“Hmm,”
After confirming Mondri’s departure, Lucy muttered softly.
“Marco.”
“Yes.”
The response came from a deep male voice.
A huge figure emerged from behind the throne.
Lucy commanded the figure that appeared.
“Check it out for me. Whether Mondri’s words are true. And if you judge that the count harbors other intentions, then…”
Lucy removed her mask.
And with a cold gaze, she looked out the audience chamber window.
Specifically, at the Luelberta mansion, as vast as the royal palace itself.
Staring at its irreverent size, as if directly challenging the authority of the royal court.
“Show him what the royal authority truly means.”
Thanks for the chapter 😁