VOLUME 3: Chapter 2 - The Classic Unpleasant Noble Lady
“It seems that the King imposed a gag order about you. Well, you have a such good position.”
“……”
“I’m not bothered about the Hero’s marriage proposal since she is just a maid.”
“……”
Right now, I am being talked down by a nobleman’s daughter at the corridor of the castle with full of sarcasm.
“You are attracting attention and receiving special treatment because you are the fiancée of the Hero. It’s not that you have become great or special, but it is because of the royal family and the Hero.”
I don’t remember feeling good or thinking I was special at all──I was dying to retort, but it is frustrating to be unable to do that because the other person is an Earl’s daughter.
I have no choice but to grieve when I unfortunately met this person.
This woman, dressed in a lilac dress and holding a red fan in her hand, is the only daughter of the Earl of Estoire, Lavinia-sama. In addition, she has always been extravagantly praised to have the beauty of her mother, Yuzuri, who was once extolled as a flower in the social circle. As a result──she grew into a selfish young lady.
Lavinia-sama is proud of her beauty, but there are people who are more beautiful than her…… Yes, they are Louise-sama and her elder sister Mariage-sama. She landed third place. The newspaper called “Schwarze Weekly” publishes a questionnaire to the public once a year asking, “Who is the most beautiful woman in our kingdom?", but the first and second place would always go to the princesses, and Lavinia-sama always lands third place.
Lavinia-sama was very dissatisfied with this and was hostile to the princesses. Of course, they are royalty so she wouldn’t attack them face-to-face, but she would say sarcastic words with a humble demeanor and would even slander them.
Since Louise-sama is a magnanimous person, she gently avoids her sarcasm and does not deal with her, but we, the princess’s maids, were indignant. Everyone says she is worthless. That is, if we remove her beauty, nothing significant remains of her.
By the way, because Lavinia-sama is like that, her reaction when the princess was kidnapped by the Demon King was──one can imagine it. The first princess, Mariage-sama, was already married to the neighboring kingdom, Albatro, at that time, thus she was not in this kingdom. Therefore, Louise-sama is her only real rival. She no longer had a rival when the princess was kidnapped. So yes, she was in a blatantly good mood. While the castle is grieving, Lavinia-sama, who visited the castle under the guise of comforting the queen, smiled from beginning to end.
“Well, it was probably because the princess was too beautiful. Some demons collect beautiful things from the human world. The princess must have been noticed by that kind of demon. Oh, beauty is really a sin. I also have to be careful.”
That’s what she said. Also . . .
“I’m sorry to say this be, but it may be better to give up the rescue of the princess. She may already have become a prey to the demons. It think it is better for Their Majesties and the others to accept it.”
Said by some noble lady who also visited the castle with her──probably one of her entourage. When I heard that, I thought the blood in my body would boil.
But there was a karma. Their statements quickly spread throughout the castle, and the royal family and the Prime Minister were displeased by her.
They probably intended to talk secretly among themselves. However, there were a lot of maids who came in and out of the reception room where they were. The people who work in the castle adore the royal family, so they couldn’t forgive their harsh words. They immediately complained to their superiors. Word travelled fast and it eventually reached the ears of the Prime Minister.
She was give a light punishment. I think it would not have been improper if she was put in prison for blasphemy. However, due to the desperate plea of the Earl of Estoire, that was all that was needed. What a really doting parent…… I think it could have served a lesson for her a little if she was put in prison. That was what I thought at that time, but now, I thought of it more strongly.
By the way, the reason why Lavinia-sama, who should have been banned from entering the castle indefinitely, is in the castle right now is in fact because the princess has returned safely and was about to get married so she was pardoned. So I thought, why did she go to the castle right away? Well, because her entourage avoided her after bringing disappointment to the royal family and the Prime Minister, she probably wanted to take action to recover her honor as soon as possible.
As expected, she didn’t speak ill of the princess this time. However, it seems that her personality haven’t changed even though she was punished and lost some of her friends. Lavinia-sama’s eyes that says, “I’m glad I returned successfully,” didn’t look happy at all.
Not only was she successful, she was also regretful in front of the princess who was engaged to Rufus-sama, a powerful prince. Since such a person and the princess were engaged, it is something enviable and covetable for Lavinia-sama. However, those thoughts should not be expressed. If she does that, she’ll be banned from the castle again.
That’s why Lavinia-sama decided to hit another person. That’s right, the maid who was proposed to by the Hero Greed-sama──in short, me.
The other day, when Lavinia-sama came to the princess’s room to congratulate her, she eyed me with contempt, so I had a very bad feeling. Sure enough, as soon as I met her earlier . . .
“I wonder why the Hero liked such a person, even though her appearance is mediocre and her status is low.”
She said sarcastically. After that, she continued her streams of insults.
“How on earth are you able to hook up with the Hero? And with that poor body of yours.”
While saying that, she stared at my chest. Grrrrr, hers was bigger!
I suddenly had a grudge against Lavinia-sama’s magnificentl swollen chest. The princess and Lavinia-sama are both endowed with beauty and ample bosom. Ugh. I’m sure Greed-sama likes small breasts! [T/N: HAHAHAHAHA! You go, girl!]
What would be her reaction had I said that?
However I am just a maid and I can’t answer back, and she might take the joke seriously so it’s better if I hold my tongue.
Besides, if I say that, I am actually admitting that I have small breasts. Mine is normal! The princess, the queen, and my fellow maid B, Belinda, are so big that hers (Lavinia) look relatively small!
……That’s what I believe.
“Is there something wrong with the Hero? A woman like me who has good looks and social status is more suitable. I guess even though he is a hero, he is still a commoner. His eyes cannot discern.”
I felt my insides simmer. Still, I have no choice but to keep silent. If I, a princess’s maid, let myself be provoked, Lavinia-sama might use it as an excuse to attack the princess.
……But it is permissible to leave her quickly, right?
Lavinia-sama carried on her sarcastic tirades, and aiming for that moment she stopped to take a breath, I said.
“Are you finished? Since I still have a job to do, please excuse me.”
Then I bowed without waiting for her reply and started walking quickly.
“Hey, I’m not yet finished…… What was that?! You’re just a maid, so why are you so rude!?”
I did not listen to Lavinia-sama who shouted behind my back.
I turned at the corner of the corridor, and after confirming that Lavinia-sama was not chasing me, I took a deep breath.
Apparently, she went somewhere where she can vent her anger. If possible, I wish she would never show up until the princess departs for Elusion, but . . . it’s impossible.
According to the Head Maid, Mariage-sama, who went to the neighboring kingdom Albatro after marriage, is planning to return home with her husband, the Crown Prince. Naturally, a welcoming ball will be held for them. I don’t think Lavinia-sama will miss the opportunity to show off her beauty that she is proud of.
I pressed my forehead against the window glass in the hallway and sighed. The coldness of the glass seems to calm my edgy heart to some extent. I’ll keep doing this until this irritation subsides. If I go back like this, the princess will be worried.
……No, I’m fine. Lavinia-sama is not the only one who says cutting remarks. Some of the noble ladies who visit the castle say the same thing as Lavinia-sama. Although they did not said clearly, such sarcastic remarks are daily occurrence. That’s why I am not riled up anymore. I just think, Oh, again? My maid career of six years. I am not boasting, but I have stoicism.
……But it is unforgivable to look down upon Greed-sama who fought with his life at stake.
Sometimes, there are people who scorned him because he is just a commoner. Also, there are high-ranking nobles. Such people take it for granted that they are being protected by the Hero. That it is only natural for him to defeat the Demon King and save the princess because he is a hero. In spite of that, they continue to butter up the Hero.
Greed-sama doesn’t seem to care, but I can’t tolerate that. By all rights, I don’t think it is his duty to help strangers just because he is the hero. The hero’s role is to defeat the Demon King. Just knowing the past of Greed-sama who by the twist of fate became the “Hero” makes me feel uncomfortable.
Aaaahhh, when I remembered the situation earlier, blood came rushing to my head again! To cool my head, I stuck my head to the window glass.
Better yet, I should just open the window and be hit by the garden air! With that in mind, it was when I touched to open the window frame. What I noticed was Lavinia-sama walking in the courtyard below.
There is no doubt, with that the light purple dress and the light brown curly hair. Probably, she is on her way home. They are heading towards the eastern wing where the carriage is waiting. My anger won’t subside when I see that somewhat elegant manner of walking. I don’t think it’s because I can almost see the word “ill-humor” on her back.
And although it is far from Lavinia-sama, I also saw the figure of Alfred-sama, the second prince of the kingdom, in the same courtyard. But he is not alone. Along with him are several ministers and civil officials, as well as escort soldiers. They seem to be welcoming an elderly man who came down from a magnificent carriage with the coat of arms of the neighboring kingdom Albatro.
It seems that Prince Alfred is welcoming him in person, apparently as a guest of honor. They slowly began to walk towards the main tower as they guided the man, who appears to be an important figure in the neighboring kingdom.
I think it was almost at the same time that Lavinia-sama noticed them.
No matter how mob-faced and weak his presence is, he is still the second prince. Perhaps wanting to say hello and to coquette, she turned her back from the eastern wing and headed towards them.
Lavinia-sama got closer and closer to Alfred-sama. And when she opened her mouth about to speak──
Lavinia-sama’s body jerked forward as if she had stumbled upon something. Lavinia-sama then tried to balance her hands in a hurry, but her legs did not move as if they were sewn on the ground. Naturally, she could not do anything about her leaning body──Lavinia-sama fell to the ground. Of course, face down.
Lavinia-sama was lying on the ground in a “banzai” position. And Alfred-sama and his company were stunned by what happened in front of them. Even I, who was by the window of the third floor, was gaping. But that was not the end.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew only near Lavinia-sama──and Lavinia-sama’s dress that lay on the ground turned inside out. It went “plop” up to her waist. And what emerged from underneath the flipped dress was a lace pannier with dazzling whiteness.
The pannier, which had lacy repeats, was turned inside out by the wind again and as a result──the butt wrapped in Lavinia-sama’s white drawers and her bare feet extending from it were exposed to the fullest. In front of Alfred-sama, the guest from the neighboring kingdom, ministers, civil officers and some soldiers.
The air in the courtyard froze for a moment. Lavinia-sama, who seems to have knocked her face, remained prone because of the pain, and doesn’t seem to be aware of what was happening.
Perhaps Alfred-sama is the one who is the most confused at that moment. When a woman falls down, a gentleman should prop her up. However, it would be inappropriate to touch a woman who is exposing her underwear. It is also impossible to restore the dress that has been turned inside out. The same is true for the soldiers and officials around Alfred-sama. Even from the third floor, I could clearly see that everyone was baffled, averting their eyes and fidgeting.
Err…… what to do? I wonder if that represents everyone’s thoughts. I wish there are at least some women in the courtyard, but unfortunately all of them are men. Even so, perhaps thinking that she shouldn’t stay in such state forever in front of the guest, Alfred-sama called out to Lavinia-sama, seemingly afraid.
Maybe he said, “Are you okay?” or something. When Lavinia-sama raised her head in response──it seems that it finally dawned in her. After all, the hem of her dress, which should hide her lower legs, was hanging over her head.
“Kyaaaaaaaa!!”
It echoed throughout the courtyard──on the other hand, when Lavinia-sama shrieked so much that I could hear it clearly through the window, I jerked as if I had forgotten my distress. And as soon as she confirmed after looking around that she was getting a lot of attention, she screamed, “Nooooo!” and ran towards the carriage.
It was amazingly fast for a woman. Running in a dress is a shameful act, but I wonder if it is good etiquette now. Arranging her skirt after jumping into the carriage, she screamed hysterically at the coachman.
“Go! Hurry up and go!”
Then, the carriage of the Earl of Estoire left the castle with the high-pitched sound of its wheels echoing. All that was left behind were the men with confused expression. I’m sure they didn’t know how to react to the immodest appearance of the third-ranked beauty of this country. Perhaps they were thinking if they should laugh, sympathize, or think that they saw something good.
It was the guest who broke through that awkward atmosphere. He called out to Alfred-sama. On the other hand, Alfred-sama nodded as if he was relieved. Then they slowly started walking towards the main tower. The ministers, civil officials, and the soldiers also walked to catch up to them.
As expected, he is someone of great position. He just closed his eyes at this blunder and ignored it.
I forgot to close my gaping mouth as I witnessed the series of events from inside the building, so when I saw Alfred-sama and his company started walking, I finally closed my mouth──and burst out laughing at the next moment.
I can’t stand it, even though I thought I shouldn’t laugh at the misery of others. The white drawers was burned in my mind and I can’t forget it. I kept giggling, holding my mouth in my hand.
I think this time, it is a far more painful punishment for Lavinia-sama than being under house arrest or being banned from entering the castle. After all, what happened was utterly hilarious and thus, would be spread around. The immodest appearance in front of the Prince and the guest must be the most painful thing for Lavinia-sama, who has an excessive pride.
I feel sorry for her. But I can’t also help but feel relieved at the thought of not being able to see her inside the castle for a while. The misfortune of others tastes like honey, right? [T/N: People get pleasure from someone’s misfortune] Hehehe. Even so, the image of her drawers……!
When I finally stopped laughing and wiped the tears that had accumulated on the corners of my eyes, I raised my face and said to the empty space.
“Uhh, thank you very much. Thanks to you, I am somewhat gratified.”
Needless to say, the unfortunate event that happened to Lavinia-sama was done by the spirits. Even if her dress is light-weight, the wind that turned her dress inside out did not blow at the right time.
Dresses are quite heavy because they are made of many layers of cloth and lace. Especially those flared dresses. Even if the wind would blow a little, it will not turn inside out. Moreover, it is impossible for a gust of wind to blow only around Lavinia-sama.
Rather than those cutting remarks she made about me──I think they were angry with the insults against Greed-sama and punished Lavinia-sama. The spirits love Greed-sama. It was kind of overkill, but I would like to applaud them for a job well done. Thanks to them, I don’t think I’ll be able to meet Lavinia-sama until out trip to Elusion.
The wind seemed to pat my cheeks in response to my gratitude. Once, twice. And maybe it’s in my mind, but I heard a bubbly giggling voice? I’m the only one in the hallway, though. I didn’t see anyone else. For the first time in my life, I felt the presence of the spirits.
Their existence that is only known to exist. However, I would never see their existence. Yet, I certainly felt them.
I smiled unknowingly. The irritation I felt after encountering Lavinia-sama disappeared completely, and what remained were somehow fun and warm feelings.
“Let’s go back to the princess’s room,” I said toward the empty space and started walking with light steps.
But I didn’t forget to retort inside.
Sure enough, the spirits are close by, watching my actions.
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