Chapter 38 is translated and now in TLC/editing.

Author’s Note: This is the direct continuation of Alisa’s first POV chapter.

---

After Mistress Lilianne had shut herself inside her room, I learned that His Highness had broken off his engagement with her.

Everybody in the estate, not just me, was shocked by the news. In front of His Highness, Mistress Lilianne had put on a show of being sweet and gentle. It seemed that she was trying to win his favour. By no means did it seem that His Highness bared any ill will toward Mistress Lilianne. So, to suddenly break off their engagement…

I was worried about what would happen next, but in the week after that incident, Mistress Lilianne did not set foot outside her room. Even still, I didn’t know when she might come out or when she might call for me, so I remained on constant standby outside her door.

I also harboured a genuine concern for the Mistress’s wellbeing. For Mistress Lilianne, who always behaved with such reckless abandon, to have shut herself in her room for such a long time…

Today, I also waited outside without expecting to be called on, but then the door suddenly opened.

“Ah…”

“You, standing around outside of someone’s room like that, what might I ask are you doing…?”

Mistress Lilianne, who had left her room for the first time in a week, looked to be in quite a bad mood. Hearing her icy voice filled me with both a sense of relief that my Mistress had returned, and an inevitable anxiety about the sharp reprimands sure to follow. Not being able to look at her directly, my eyes wandered, and Mistress Lilianne sighed deeply.

Being yelled at was a common occurrence, but I could count on one hand the number of times I’d been sighed at. When I heard it, my mind went blank. I started wondering whether I had disappointed her in some way, and…

“Umm… I am terribly sorry, Mistress.”

…I offered that and awaited Mistress Lilianne’s words. Would I be met with scorn? Or would she yell at me? Or, perhaps…

“Don’t mind it. I just got a little worked up. Sorry about that.”

Those were…words of forgiveness. There was no mistaking it—my actions had been forgiven. Unable to believe what I’d heard, I quickly brought my face up to look her in the eyes. Mistress Lilianne, on the receiving end of my gaze, took a step back.

She walks and talks like Mistress Lilianne, but…

“Mistress!”

“Wha, what is it?”

“Are you feeling unwell?! Did you eat something strange?! Please wait here, rest assured I’ll go and bring the doctor immediately! So, please, let us quickly return to your room!”

This absolutely won’t do. I must put Mistress Lilianne back to bed and retrieve the doctor at once! The worry must have driven her mad! Don’t worry, Mistress Lilianne, I’ll return with the doctor immediately!

“Hold up. What are you talking about?”

I tried to get Mistress Lilianne to somehow agree to go back to bed, but she repeatedly insisted that she was fine. In the end, I was overruled. My worry did not disappear, but I yielded to my Mistress’s will. As long as I was watching over her, I could quickly rush to her side if something happened.

After that, Mistress Lilianne tried to take off somewhere, but I couldn’t overlook it anymore, so I called out to stop her. The reason was simple. She…stunk a little bit. Of course, it couldn’t be helped. She hadn’t come out of her room for a week.

And so, I awaited Mistress Lilianne’s response.

“If you knew all along then tell me sooner!”

I was suddenly yelled at. Perhaps I should have said something sooner. I lowered my head and apologised for making her angry. Having failed her again, I started shaking in fear imagining what Mistress Lilianne would do to me. However, Mistress Lilianne’s words went against my expectations.

“That’s not it. Those words weren’t actually directed at you. So, don’t be so scared, okay…”

Those were such kind words. I was the only other person in sight. I think, seeing me shaking in fear, she must have been trying to calm me down.

After that, my Mistress asked me whether she smelled. It was difficult to respond honestly to such a direct question… Saying, yes, you stink would be far too disrespectful. However, lying also wasn’t an option. It would not do to have her face the inevitable humiliation were she to face others like this. Resigning myself, I nodded.

“Sorry, but could you prepare the bath for me?”

Again, I was caught off-guard my Mistress Lilianne’s words. My Mistress was actually making a request to a maid like myself. Normally, without a doubt, she would have commanded me to.

And then, Mistress Lilianne asked me what my name was. It was unfortunate, but it seemed she had forgotten about me. After I responded, she then asked me about my age as well. Just to be clear, I had already answered both of these questions during our first meeting.

“I shall make you into my personal maid. Alright?”

I was so surprised, I ended up not saying anything. Right now, I was already working as Mistress Lilianne’s personal maid. I was sad that she had forgotten me entirely, but at the same time, happy that Mistress Lilianne herself wanted to establish me as her personal maid. That happiness overpowered the sadness I felt at being forgotten, and being so overwhelmed by that emotion, I couldn’t say a word.

Like that, Mistress Lilianne went for a bath while I remained dumbfounded.

After she had finished her bath, Mistress Lilianne declared that she was going to the garden. Honestly, the way Mistress Lilianne had been acting lately was very strange. Whether she’s changing for the better or not, it was still incredibly strange. Leaving her alone like this wasn’t a good idea, so I requested that I go along with her.

It seems that Mistress Lilia has taken an interest in the maid’s flowerbeds. On our way there, one thing was constantly on my mind. That is, my flowerbed wasn’t something that I could show her.

My job involves catering to all of Mistress Lilia’s needs. This means that if I make even a small mistake, a merciless reprimanding will quickly follow. Because of that, I must take a great deal of care in everything I do. And so, I’m slower at getting my work done than the other maids. The senior maids know why I work slowly, and so they told me not to worry. However, that doesn’t excuse me for being slower.

And so, my primary duties end up taking so much time that I have no time left to take care of my flowerbed. In the end, I never touched the flowerbed, but my seniors have been taking care of it in my place, making sure that weeds don’t sprout. Hence, there were no blooming flowers in my flowerbed. You wouldn’t know what to say when you saw it.

“Alisa. Where is your flowerbed?”

“My flowerbed, you say? It’s much too boring. It’s better if you don’t…”

“Never mind that, just take me there already.”

“Uuu…As you wish…”

My desperate plea was quickly overturned. In resignation, I led Mistress Lilianne to my empty flowerbed. When she saw it, she was dumbfounded. Her eyes narrowed and she looked at me in displeasure. That gaze inspired a great deal of fear within me, so I quickly averted my eyes.

And then, the Mistress asked for an explanation as to why my flowerbed was in this state. I answered her without a single lie. Of course, I didn’t straight out say that, because of my job looking after Mistress Lilianne, I had no time left over for anything else.

“Well then, do you have any intention of planting something?”

“No…I can’t say that I do…”

“Is that so.”

Mistress Lilianne sunk into silence, seemingly turning something over in her mind. The wave of silence brought along with it a great sense of unease, but I couldn’t say anything, so I simply awaited her next words.

 

---

Author’s Note: It seems like it won’t end after all…
For the moment, Alisa’s POV chapters are planned to finish when Lilia heads back to school. How long that will take, I can’t say.

---

<Previous Chapter | JAONNN! | Next Chapter>