Chapter 9: A New Beginning

The sun had just begun to illuminate the mansion when Leonhardt woke up. He stretched lazily and looked toward the corner where Saya was sleeping on an improvised futon. She seemed peaceful, her breathing was steady, but her presence still felt strange in the room.

It had only been a day since she became his maid, and although his family had accepted her, there was still a long way to go.

Leonhardt got up and dressed quickly. Then, he approached Saya and gently shook her.

—Hey, wake up.

Saya blinked several times before opening her eyes.

—Mmm?

—It's time to start the day.

She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes.

—Right... I have a job now.

Leonhardt smiled.

—Don't worry, no one expects you to be perfect on the first day.

Saya nodded with a faint smile.

First Day of Work

Saya's first task was to help with cleaning. Elizabeth had decided that it was best for her to get used to basic tasks before taking on greater responsibilities.

Under the supervision of another maid, Saya began sweeping the hallways. At first, her movements were clumsy, but little by little, she improved.

As she worked, she noticed that some of the servants looked at her with distrust. They said nothing, but the atmosphere was tense.

Leonhardt walked past her at one point and whispered:

—Don't worry about them. Just give it time.

Saya nodded but still felt uncomfortable.

Freya, watching from a distance, frowned.

—What's so strange about her? —she murmured to herself.

When Saya finished her task, she headed to the kitchen to help with breakfast. There, she met the head cook, a robust woman with a stern but fair attitude.

—If you're going to be here, you better be useful —she said, handing her a knife—. Start by cutting these vegetables.

Saya nodded and started working. At first, she was slow, but after a few minutes, she found a steady rhythm.

Leonhardt passed by the kitchen and saw her in action. He smiled to himself.

—Looks like she's adapting.

Training and Competition

After breakfast, Leonhardt headed to the courtyard for his morning training with his father. He grabbed his practice sword and took his usual stance.

Garet watched him with crossed arms.

—You've improved, but you still have a long way to go. Today, we'll do something different.

Leonhardt blinked.

—Different how?

Garet smirked with amusement.

—You'll have an opponent.

Leonhardt frowned.

—Who?

At that moment, Freya appeared, holding a practice sword.

—Hello.

Leonhardt's jaw dropped.

—Since when do you train with swords?

Freya grinned proudly.

—I've always wanted to be stronger. I asked for training.

Garet chuckled.

—You've both improved a lot, so I want to see who's more prepared.

Leonhardt sighed.

—I don't have a choice, do I?

—No —his father replied.

The two positioned themselves in front of each other. Freya took a firm stance and smiled confidently.

—Don't underestimate me, Leonhardt.

—I never would —he replied with a smile.

The fight began.

Freya attacked first, launching quick and precise strikes. Leonhardt was surprised by her speed and had to step back several times to dodge.

"She's gotten faster..."

Leonhardt blocked an attack and countered, but Freya easily dodged.

Saya watched from a distance, impressed.

—She's strong…

The duel continued for several minutes, with both exchanging blows. In the end, Freya managed to tap Leonhardt's shoulder with her sword.

Garet raised an eyebrow.

—Looks like the winner is Freya.

Leonhardt sighed and smiled.

—Well played.

Freya grinned proudly.

—Told you.

Saya, though impressed, felt a slight discomfort. She didn't understand why, but something inside her didn't like seeing Freya so close to Leonhardt.

A Small Misunderstanding

That afternoon, Saya was helping clean the library when she heard Freya's voice in the hallway.

—Leonhardt, we should train together more often.

—Yeah, that'd be good. You're really fast.

—Right? I've worked really hard.

Saya frowned.

"Why does this bother me…?"

Without realizing it, she gripped the cloth tightly.

A few minutes later, Freya entered the library and saw her.

—Oh, Saya.

Saya turned slowly.

—Hello.

Freya noticed her serious expression and tilted her head.

—Is something wrong?

Saya hesitated before answering.

—You and Leonhardt… get along really well.

Freya blinked, then laughed.

—Of course, we do!

Saya lowered her gaze.

—Just friends?

Freya looked confused before bursting into laughter.

—What? Of course!

Saya watched her in silence.

Freya crossed her arms.

—He's like a brother to me. I've never seen him any other way.

Saya felt a strange sense of relief upon hearing that.

—I see…

Freya looked at her curiously.

—Why do you ask?

Saya quickly shook her head.

—No reason. Just curious.

Freya stared at her for a few seconds before smirking mischievously.

—Uh-huh… sure.

Saya felt her face heat up and quickly returned to her work.

Freya watched her with amusement before leaving the library.