033 - Torenia: A Talented Maid (7)
In the late afternoon...
Several people ran into their respective rooms, appearing to have fallen into their world, busy enjoying their leisure time after being fatigued from completing dozens of different chores all day.
Despite this, the corridor, which was entirely built of wood, felt serene due to the crowd, which was already accustomed to the castle servants' ears.
After a long day, Faerie was finally able to relax in a room provided for the servants who worked in the huge and spacious castle owned by a wealthy, famous, and strong noble family named Marquess Berdandy.
Faerie scrutinized the intricacies of the furniture, which was entirely constructed of wood, such as the bed, wardrobe, table, and chair.
She should have felt more at ease in a room that wasn't too large or too cramped like this one because she used to live in a room like this as a kid in her original world.
But for some reason, even just standing in a room that was almost precisely the same size as the bathtub in her, well, Princess Faerie's mansion, she felt claustrophobic.
'How terrifying my adaptability is!' Faerie hugged her arms, which gave her goosebumps.
"I just can't get used to such luxury...." Faerie grumbled to herself before looking at the purple maid uniform on the bed.
'It's almost like I'm cosplaying....'
Head maid Mary had prepared a special uniform for Marquess Berdandy's maids. She directed Faerie to put on this purple maid tomorrow.
"...Well, because I'm returning to the mansion at night, all I need to do is wear this uniform from morning till early evening."
Faerie noticed that the sun seemed to be disappearing from the sky and that the sky was rapidly turning pitch black owing to the disappearance of the light source.
"Time is running out. I have to return soon...."
Faerie's plan, which only wanted to be a maid for a day because her objective was to see the knight who had graciously picked up her brooch, was compelled to extend the period of her disguise as a maid even though the body she possessed had the status of a Royal Princess.
Why?
Because the 'knight' she sought was not to be found in Marquess Berdandy's castle.
"To be more specific, the knights here undertake direct inspections at the end of each month to determine whether or not the reports given by each city leader in the western border region are authentic or not."
With that, Faerie knew why she had been able to meet the knight of the Marquess Berdandy family while in Sunset City.
'They're doing a thorough inspection....'
Although Faerie was upset that they went for an inspection, she was relieved that she wouldn't be meeting Liam Berdandy.
Faerie lay down on a bed that wasn't as soft as the bed at her mansion.
Uncomfortable.
Just thinking about it made Faerie grunt involuntarily.
"Why, then, did I not recall this setting from the novel? Faerie you idiot! Haaaaa...!" Faerie scolded herself for a long time before sighing, as though she knew that getting furious wouldn't make the knights return any faster.
Faerie closed her eyes and attempted to console herself by saying anything.
"Well, because I met the knight from the Marquess family in the farthest town, which is the closest town to the Western border, that implies their inspection should have been completed and they are now on their way home."
Faerie nodded, agreeing with herself. She jumped out of bed and walked over to the wooden wardrobe.
When Faerie opened the wooden wardrobe, it was empty, and she had no intention of filling it.
She is more concentrated now that she has a giant mirror attached to the wooden wardrobe.
Before touching the mirror to return to the mansion where Princess Faerie was hiding, Faerie turned around and placed the small, gray crystal stone on the wooden doorknob of the small room that Faerie was now occupying.
After Faerie's injection of the power containing her
Therefore, even though she was in a far-off mansion on an island in the middle of nowhere, Faerie could realize if there was a knock on the door of the maid's room or an unexpected attempt to open the door.
Faerie did the same with her mansion's original room.
Rabbit, who has an unusually high level of intelligence for a small animal, is now in charge of a round, gray crystal stone that is the same color as her eyes.
That way, if the three maids in the mansion went looking for her, the rabbit in her room would be able to tell her through the gray crystal.
"Although this ability is incredibly cunning and useful, I already feel exhausted if I have to move here and there again and again," Faerie grumbled as she glanced at the gray crystal stone perfectly stuck to the doorknob.
She got the idea from Melanie, Meila, and Mona's necklaces, which had the same capability as her, only the necklace had the power of Princess Faerie's mother.
Queen Randell, the mother of Princess Faerie. Someone who is also a supreme fairy's descendent.
How similar are Princess Faerie and the Queen?
Faerie clicked her tongue. She didn't want to think about the tiresome mother-daughter relationship.
She swiftly returned her sight to the mirror and placed her palm on it without hesitation.
'A mansion on an island in the middle of nowhere... There are two high mountains. The surroundings are dense forests with several cliffs. Then... Chef Mona's food...' Faerie's thoughts were occupied with the delectable dinner provided by her exclusive chef. Faerie began drooling without even realizing it.
"See you later, Torenia," Faerie said briefly to this small room before entirely vanishing, leaving the room empty.
***
The next morning...
Faerie, who had just woken up in her fancy room, had to run out of the mirror and hurriedly change into a purple maid uniform when she heard a knock on the wooden door, was shocked by something unexpected.
"P-Pardon?" Faerie blinked her eyes open in surprise as if she had misheard the sentence.
The head maid Mary smiled contentedly at Faerie, who had already changed into a maid outfit.
"I repeated," Mary said, looking at Faerie, who still looked beautiful despite being dressed in a lowly maid uniform, "you will be serving as Young Miss Leslie's personal maid."
Faerie, who had carefully listened to her, questioned, "why me? Isn't Miss Leslie returning to the academy next month?"
After all, just yesterday, the head maid and head chef were fighting over her to continue their prestigious positions. So Faerie expected her day as a maid to be exhausting because she had to do two jobs at once.
But she was instantly promoted to a personal maid? What the hell is this dreadful job-level selection?
Even though Faerie was relieved that being a noble lady's personal maid kept her out of manual labor. However, if the noble lady Faerie was to serve as the younger sister of the novel's main male character's friend, Faerie would have to refuse as much as she could.
'Especially if she can discover and divulge my identity at any time,' Faerie feared.
"Miss, you are truly questioning why Miss Leslie picked you now?" Mary lifted her eyebrows as if shocked by Faerie's reactions, who were unhappy with the interest of Leslie, the daughter's owner of this large, grand castle.
Instead of responding, Faerie smiled sweetly while slowly shaking her head.
It was to cover her uneasiness because the head maid continued addressing her 'Miss' even though she was currently a maid.
'Did Leslie and the head maid already know who I was?' Faerie yelled in her heart, frustrated.
'But if they already know, why would they appoint a Princess to serve the Marquess' daughter?! Why didn't they inform the first Imperial Prince of the presence of a Princess?!'
Faerie paused in her thoughts. It was because she had guessed it.
"Don't tell me Leslie intends to keep me at her side so I can't flee until her older brother Liam Berdandy arrives?!"
'Nooooooo!'
'I have to depart as soon as I have my God's Blessing back!'
Mary abruptly spoke something in a quiet but serious tone, as if she didn't notice the terror, anxiety, and rage mounting in Faerie's mind.
"Miss Leslie has always enjoyed differentiating people based on their color. Red, blue, yellow, green, purple, orange, and gray. I felt it was a cute habit and chose to ignore it."
Faerie, who was shouting in her mind, came to a halt.
'Color?' Mary's words were quickly understood by Faerie's brain.
'Is she referring to Leslie's abilities? Is this a warning? Did she already know who I was?' Faerie's thinking became increasingly jumbled, yet she maintained her cool demeanor in front of the head maid.
Mary continued while closing her eyes as if she were recalling. "After growing up, Young Miss was never like that, and I don't know what her life was like at the academy."
"But one day, Young Miss talked a color she never spoke again," Mary smiled, her wrinkles visible.
"Does Miss Torenia know what color it is?" Mary questioned, her stern tone returning.
Faerie asked, tilting her head innocently. "What color is it?"
While Faerie's mind yelled. 'What color? How can I know what color Leslie mentioned?!'
Mary smiled briefly and uttered one word.
"White."
Faerie squinted her eyes as she got a strange sensation as she heard the word 'white' being mentioned. Her heart was racing nonstop.
'It's strange, why am I suddenly this way?' Faerie stroked her chest, which was still pounding.
It feels if she closed her eyes for a second, she felt as if an unseen hand was attempting to pull her somewhere.
'Ugh.'
"Miss Torenia, what's the matter?" Mary was concerned when she saw Faerie suddenly stroking her chest.
Faerie immediately reasoned and moved her hand from her chest to her stomach. "I appear hungry, hahaha!"
"It's breakfast time, after all. Come with me to Young Miss Leslie's breakfast."
"But I haven't--"
"Miss Torenia." Mary, who had already turned around and was about to go to the kitchen, came to a halt.
"You will have a lot of spare time if you serve Young Miss Leslie."
"Miss Leslie is constantly in her study room or at the library. This means you just need to serve Young Miss Leslie at mealtimes."
"Particularly the day after tomorrow, when the knights return from inspection. Miss Leslie will be going out less and less." Mary spoke at length, which changed Faerie's expression dramatically.
Not because Leslie enjoys hiding herself up in the library. Not because of Leslie's strained connection with her brother.
But Mary informed Faerie that the knights will return from inspection the day after tomorrow.
"I'll do it!" Faerie enthusiastically raised her hand.
She was no longer afraid of being discovered by Leslie, the sister of a close friend of the main character of the novel.
It was because she had promised to do anything to retrieve her 'God's Blessing' as quickly as possible.
'Only till tomorrow! I'm able to wait until the following day!' Faerie thought boldly.