Chapter 30
Ailesia was both the savior of the grand ducal family and Eleonora’s teacher.
The Dowager Duchess was someone who ought to express her gratitude—but at the same time, she was also someone who had every reason to rigorously evaluate Ailesia’s abilities.
After all, the Dowager Duchess herself was an exceptional mage, one who would rank second to none within the Empire. No matter how thoroughly Ailesia had proven her skills, her way of judging things would inevitably be different.
It’s about time.
The clock hands on the wall pointed precisely to eight o’clock.
At that moment, a faint golden glow suddenly began to spread from the center of the room.
Pop!
As the light swelled into the shape of people and then vanished, figures appeared—people who absolutely should not have been here.
Two of them.
“Y-Young Lady? Lady Milenov?!”
“Grandma Inge!”
Eleonora clung tightly to her waist. Startled, Madam Herman reflexively stroked Eleonora’s head, her expression frozen in disbelief.
“My goodness. Teacher, what in the world is going on?”
“It’s about time Elly went to bed. One should sleep comfortably, after all.”
“And His Grace the Grand Duke, and the others…?”
“They’ll return to the camp around sunrise tomorrow. I do feel a little bad that only we get this luxury, but it can’t be helped.”
Ailesia lightly swung her staff, spreading a gentle flow of mana throughout the entire mansion. Thanks to Madam Herman’s prior precautions, there was no sign of anyone about, except on the first floor.
“First, Elly should get washed. It’d be nice to have a cup of warm tea as well.”
“I’ll prepare it immediately.”
“Won’t it be difficult for you alone, Head Maid? Is there a maid you trust?”
“A maid I trust…”
Madam Herman was curious how Ailesia had appeared in the room by breaking through a spatial distortion barrier, but that question was trivial compared to the situation at hand.
Everything about this had to remain strictly confidential. Reaching that conclusion, Madam Herman swiftly sorted through candidates in her mind.
“At times like this, there’s no one better than Hilda.”
“Hilda? The maid who prepared tea last time?”
“Yes. She’s a child who will become a lady’s maid once she comes of age. For now, she’s in something like a probationary period.”
“Aren’t the duties of a maid and a lady’s maid completely different?”
Ailesia asked in genuine confusion. Starting out as an apprentice lady’s maid would make sense—but why go through this roundabout route?
“She needs to thoroughly understand the work of maids in order to give proper instructions and empathize with their hardships. That is my educational philosophy.”
Did a lady’s maid really need to concern herself with things like that? Ailesia didn’t quite understand, but she decided to respect Madam Herman’s approach.
“Then I’ll go call Hilda.”
“That won’t be necessary. Do you have any idea where Hilda might be right now?”
“Her working hours are over, so she should be studying in her own quarters. She has a private room.”
Most maids shared rooms with one or two others. The fact that Hilda had her own room made it clear she wasn’t an ordinary maid. She was likely the daughter of some noble family.
“The servants’ quarters would be… here.”
Ailesia snapped her fingers, and a large mirror suddenly appeared. Madam Herman’s eyes widened at the sight.
“Lady Milenov?”
“Teacher’s using magic! Wow!”
Eleonora, who had been quietly holding onto Madam Herman’s skirt, sparkled with excitement. Having already seen this many times in the forest, she seemed to be enjoying it wholeheartedly.
“This person—her, right?”
“Y-Yes, that’s correct.”
Madam Herman nodded. Just as she said, the woman in the mirror was seated at a desk, deeply engrossed in reading.
“Sorry about this, but it can’t be helped.”
With a wave of her hand, Ailesia put the mirror away, then lightly tapped the floor with the tip of her staff.
“…Huh?”
Her confusion at the sudden change in surroundings lasted only a moment. The blue-haired woman had no time to react before a small, adorable missile crashed into her.
“Sister Hilda!”
“Y-Young Lady?!”
Eleonora had left for the grand ducal castle that very morning—why was she here now?
Collapsed onto the floor, Hilda hugged Eleonora to her chest and stared blankly around the room.
“I’m sorry, Hilda. Something urgent came up.”
“Head Maid? Lady Milenov too? What is going on?”
“I’ll explain later. For now, please wash Elly and help her change her clothes.”
Still dazed, Hilda stood up at Ailesia’s words. Understanding the situation could wait—what she needed to do right now was clear.
“Understood. Young Lady, this way please.”
“Okaaay!”
While Hilda attended to Eleonora, Madam Herman personally prepared tea in the kitchen on the first floor and brought it back to the room.
“Didn’t anyone find it strange?”
“There aren’t any servants bold enough to ask me something like that directly, hoho.”
So this was the authority of a head maid.
Indeed, it wasn’t some extraordinary event—no subordinate would dare voice suspicions openly.
Of course, rumors would still spread quietly.
That was part of the plan, actually.
Not only the room, but Eleonora’s private bathroom would inevitably show signs of use. No matter how thoroughly things were cleaned, sharp-eyed maids would notice sooner or later.
Once or twice might pass—but if this kept happening, someone would surely grow curious enough to tail Madam Herman.
They might even sneak around nearby to spy.
Someone going in and out of Elly’s room even though she left for the grand ducal castle? There’d definitely be a report.
Just because some of the retainers had been purged didn’t mean all spies had been rooted out. There was a strong possibility that someone remained—someone even Baron Beiton hadn’t identified.
The worst-case scenario was a traitor hidden within the Tiger Knight Order. If even one or two of them moved with intent, it would only be a matter of time before Eleonora was put in danger.
The moment you relax, thinking the hunt is over—that’s when it’s most dangerous.
So she had no choice but to set double and triple traps, determined not to leave behind even a speck of dust.
She’d originally planned this to spare Eleonora unnecessary hardship—but now that things had come to this, she intended to use every advantage available.
“Please, have some tea, Teacher. It helps with a good night’s sleep.”
Pulled out of her thoughts, Ailesia brightened as Madam Herman offered her a well-brewed cup. Her throat had been dry, so she accepted it gladly.
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
“Since things have turned out this way, it would be best to tell you in advance. Hilda is a child I’ve marked as a candidate for head maid.”
“…Pardon?”
“I personally teach her whenever I can. That’s also why I have her do maid work directly. A head maid must know everything about the servants. Of course, this is a secret from everyone else.”
She looked to be around Termion’s age—yet she was already being groomed that far ahead? And why tell me this?
Sensing Ailesia’s confusion, Madam Herman lowered her head slightly and continued.
“If you stay with the young lady, Teacher, you’ll likely encounter Hilda often. It’s the small wish of an old woman that you look upon her favorably.”
“…So this is a request, then?”
So she, too, was simply a teacher who cherished her student dearly. Realizing that made Ailesia feel unexpectedly pleased.
With a playful smile, she lifted her empty teacup.
“One more cup, and I’ll look upon her as fondly as I do Elly—second only to her.”
“Hoho, as much as you like.”
Chatting quietly with Madam Herman, time passed quickly. Before long, Eleonora returned to the sofa, her face fresh and fluffy.
“Teacher!”
“My goodness, you’re all pretty now.”
“Because I’m Teacher’s student!”
Hilda watched the two of them with a subtle, proud expression. Seeing this, Madam Herman let out a soft laugh and beckoned her over.
“You’ve worked hard, Hilda. Sit down and have a cup of tea before you go. Teacher, may I ask you to escort Hilda back to her room as well?”
“Of course. This is our first proper conversation, isn’t it? The tea last time was lovely.”
“Thank you.”
As she spoke, Hilda glanced around nervously. Madam Herman eased her worries with a gentle voice.
“Teacher already knows about you, so you can relax.”
“Yes, Head Maid.”
Lightly holding one side of her skirt, Hilda placed a hand over her chest and bowed. It was flawless etiquette, worthy of a noble lady.
“I formally greet you. I am Hildegard Porthen, eldest daughter of Baron Porthen.”
The moment she heard Hilda’s real name, Ailesia nearly cried out loud.
It was a name that hadn’t even appeared at this point in the original story.
Why are you showing up here?
