CHAPTER 24………………………………………….
As soon as she arrived in the room, the hero strode toward her as if he had been waiting. Zhenya stiffened, her body going rigid.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Zhenya, who had been rolling her eyes while trying to assess the situation, nodded at the question. Physically, at least, she was fine.
Even so, the hero examined her from head to toe, incredibly thoroughly.
It wasn’t that she thought he would accuse her of lying or change his words, but she hadn’t expected him to be this proactive either, and it left her slightly flustered.
Only after confirming that she didn’t have a single scratch did the hero pull out a chair at the table for her.
“I prepared it the way you always drink it.”
Almost absentmindedly, Zhenya sat down and stared blankly at the tea on the table, warm steam rising from it. Awkwardly, she took a sip.
The tea was the perfect temperature, exactly to her taste. Setting the cup down, she glanced at the hero.
When their eyes met, he asked gently, his eyes curving beautifully.
“Does it suit your palate?”
“…Yes.”
She swallowed the thought that he might as well be in charge of tea from now on. Instead, she wondered how to bring up what had happened with Eligos—when the hero spoke first.
“First… as you suspected, I am indeed the hero people speak of.”
So, introductions first? Not a bad start.
“Because of my unusual constitution, I was entrusted to the temple. The Saint gave me my name and my mission. I was raised by her, and afterward, as you know, I lived as the hero.”
It was a simplified explanation, but neat and clear.
“…May I ask how you ended up here alone?”
“…There was an accident.”
It didn’t seem like he intended to explain further. Perhaps it was too long a story to tell in detail.
“Then what do you plan to do from now on?”
“…….”
Or maybe he simply didn’t trust her enough yet.
But how am I supposed to help if I don’t know the plan?
Was he here to defeat the Demon King alone? Or had he been separated from his companions because of that “accident”? Was he in contact with them? Would they come looking for him soon?
Questions overflowed in her mind.
But trust couldn’t be forced. And besides…
“Today, the butler called me aside and warned me.”
“A warning?”
“He said that if I keep living as I have been, there won’t be any problems. Honestly, it was far too vague.”
Zhenya exhaled before continuing.
“What I mean is… the butler might not even know you’re here.”
She thought speaking her anxiety aloud would make her feel better, but instead, the trembling only grew. Her heart pounded as she bit the inside of her cheek—only for a puzzled response to come back.
“If he knew I was here, the castle wouldn’t be this quiet. And you wouldn’t have returned unharmed, either.”
It was cold, but objectively true—at least on the surface.
But she wasn’t just an ordinary maid. It wasn’t something to dismiss with only a little suspicion…
What am I even thinking?
Zhenya quickly shook her head, casting the thought away. And just like the hero had, she forced herself to look at reality calmly.
“…Right. If I had truly been suspected, I wouldn’t be safe like this.”
Once she整理ed it that way, her mind seemed to cool. Maybe she had panicked on her own for nothing.
“Still, being prepared isn’t a bad thing.”
Setting aside personal feelings, there was only one precaution they could take.
“Just in case… don’t tell me your plans from now on.”
So that even if Eligos noticed something and captured her, the hero’s plans wouldn’t be compromised.
And, conveniently, bringing it up first might also earn his trust.
“Until we find a better method, it’s probably best to keep living as we have been.”
When she looked at him for agreement, he gave a small nod.
For a first proper conversation, it wasn’t bad. Though she still hadn’t learned what she truly needed to know.
Leaning back in her chair, Zhenya asked,
“So… what’s your name?”
She didn’t know how long they’d be together, but she couldn’t call him “Hero” forever.
The hero’s face—smiling, but slightly mechanical—shifted with clear emotion. Seeing his unhidden surprise, Zhenya tilted her head.
She had only asked his name. Why was he so shocked? Was a hero’s name some enormous secret in the human world?
“If you don’t want to give your real name, even an alias is fine—”
“Lumiere.”
Cutting her off, he dropped the name.
Zhenya raised an eyebrow, looking at him.
Lumiere.
“That name suits you.”
It was half politeness, half sincerity. After all, it would’ve been strange if someone with that face were named John or Peter.
And yet, at those trivial words, she heard it again—sweet laughter, the kind that made the listener’s heart itch pleasantly, just like she had heard at dawn.
Not a perfect, picture-like smile with both eyes gracefully curved…
But one where one eye crinkled slightly.
“Thank you, Zhenya.”
It wasn’t a flawless smile.
But perhaps that was why it drew her gaze even more.
The way he spoke her name, carried on that warm melody of laughter, felt strangely unfamiliar.
* * *
The night before.
After the laughter faded, the two of them exchanged small talk. The hero had many questions, oddly enough, most of them about Zhenya herself.
What her usual work was like. What food she liked. Whether she had hobbies. Which season she preferred.
They were trivial questions, but those small conversations quickly narrowed the distance between them.
And today—
Despite having fallen asleep late from talking, both of them started the day early, leaving the morning before work more relaxed than usual.
“So… does that mean you were a princess?”
Ah, that.
Zhenya, eating leisurely, lifted her head at Lumiere’s question.
After asking so much last night, he only asks this now? Should she call it patience?
“That’s right. The kingdom fell, so it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“And you were kidnapped by the Demon King and forced into labor?”
Seeing Lumiere’s furrowed brow, Zhenya let out a small laugh. Hearing the phrase “forced labor” from him was oddly amusing.
“That’s right.”
“Wasn’t it because of your holy power?”
The implication was clear—then why was she suffering in an office job?
“I know, right? Somehow I ended up handling all of the Demon Realm’s work.”
“All of it?”
“Unless it’s a top-security document, I look through everything at least once and report on it. And since there aren’t many top-level documents… most things pass through my hands.”
As she spoke, something felt strange.
Yesterday, his questions had all been meaningless personal ones, leaving her confused.
Was he gathering information again now?
Maybe yesterday’s conversation had simply been a tactic—to make her open up more easily.
You could just ask directly.
Zhenya decided to play along.
“How long did you say you’ve been here?”
“Ten years. So I know most of what’s been happening in the Demon Realm lately.”
She smiled brightly, meaning You can ask if you want, but Lumiere’s face darkened noticeably.
“I’m sorry.”
Suddenly? Zhenya narrowed her eyes, impressed by how smoothly he dodged.
If he’d asked about Demon Realm affairs outright, even the densest person would’ve realized his intentions.
Zhenya smiled faintly, pretending not to understand.
“What do you have to be sorry for?”
“…….”
It seemed Lumiere truly did feel a little guilty.
Was it a hero’s sense of responsibility? Or regret for bringing up painful memories?
Either way, it wasn’t something he needed to carry.
Before he dug himself deeper, Zhenya decided to wrap things up.
“It’s time for work. I wonder what they’ll make me do today…”
She almost asked what he would do, but remembered she’d decided not to hear his plans, and changed her words.
“I’ve suffered for three days, so they’ll probably let me go home normally.”
“I see.”
“Is there anything you want to eat? Until now you wouldn’t answer, so I picked on my own, but now it’s different, right?”
She lightly complained that he’d been too silent, and a gentle smile returned to Lumiere’s face.
“So don’t just ask about my tastes—tell me yours too.”
Zhenya pulled out a catalog from one corner of the room.
“Do you like beef stew? There’s a place that makes it really well.”
It was one of the few restaurants even Zhenya—who believed beef was the best food in the world—truly approved of.
“They put in tons of meat, so it’s rich, and even one bowl makes you feel full.”
Holding up the delicious-looking picture, she asked brightly,
“What do you think?”
Lumiere looked between her and the catalog, then nodded.
“…That sounds good.”
“Then let’s leave work early today and eat something delicious.”
“Yes.”
The answer came faster than before. Thankfully.
Since they’d been moving more leisurely than usual, they’d be late if they didn’t leave now.
“Could I ask you to clean up?”
Zhenya gestured at the dishes, and Lumiere smiled softly.
“Don’t worry.”
Yeah… seeing him smile again made it feel like she really didn’t need to.
With an eased heart, Zhenya left the room.
