Chapter 10
It seemed he truly believed I was a messenger of God.
Or perhaps he simply wanted to believe it.
I repeated what felt like the hundredth time already.
“I’m not. I’m just a maid.”
“Liar.”
The corner of my master’s lips curled upward.
“Do you know how real maids behave?”
“…How?”
“They don’t even dare to look me in the eye.”
“……”
I lowered my gaze.
“They wouldn’t stand so carelessly in front of me either.”
I straightened my posture.
“They wouldn’t even think of talking back.”
I shut my mouth.
Watching me like that, he continued, clearly amused.
“If you were a commoner—or even a noble—you wouldn’t act like that toward me.”
“……”
“So I have no choice but to think you’re not from this world. Am I wrong?”
“……”
“Not going to answer? Fine. Digging up secrets is fun too.”
He fell silent, as if it truly didn’t matter to him.
What exactly counted as “normal behavior” in this world anyway? Living like those people who bowed every time they saw Eden Croydon and spewed greasy compliments?
I thought I was being polite enough…
Silence stretched between us for a long while. Unable to endure the awkwardness any longer, I finally made a suggestion, as if swallowing poison.
“Should I go get you a drink?”
Eden Croydon turned his gaze to me, tilting his head with an unreadable expression.
“You’d better not.”
“No, it’s fine. You must be thirsty. As your maid, I should at least bring you something to drink.”
I stared at him intently—enough to make him uncomfortable if he didn’t give permission.
He looked at me for a moment, then let out a short, deflated laugh.
“…Do as you like.”
“Yes, sir!”
The moment I got permission, I quickly put my shoes back on and practically fled the balcony. As soon as I slipped past the curtains, a deep sigh escaped from the depths of my chest.
“Damn it.”
I shot a glare at the red curtains as I muttered curses under my breath.
Damn Eden Croydon.
Damn Arthur Camelon.
Damn this party.
Damn the original story.
Damn this world.
Still grumbling, I turned toward the finger food table set up on the opposite side. But the moment I took a step—
Three women I’d never seen before approached me.
What now?
They looked like nobles, and the moment they saw me, they fired off a question.
“Are you a commoner?”
“Huh? Yes.”
I simply answered because they asked, but they immediately began whispering among themselves, as if I’d said something outrageous. Every so often, they shot me evaluating glances.
What is this?
Were these those infamous romance-fantasy noble ladies?
I don’t know their style of speaking…
But it didn’t even get that far. The oldest-looking among them stepped forward and bluntly asked:
“What is your relationship with Marquess Croydon?”
Relationship?
The kind where I’ve killed him.
It was technically accurate—but not something I could say out loud.
Just as I hesitated, searching for the right words—
An unexpected savior appeared.
“Excuse me, ladies.”
A shadow fell over me, and I looked up. I was about to get annoyed at whoever it was—
But there he stood.
Blond hair. Blue eyes.
Arthur Camelon.
The noble ladies gasped in delight upon recognizing him. Wearing a perfect social smile, he spoke:
“May I borrow Miss Luana for a moment?”
His expression was unfailingly polite and kind.
Then he added:
“I have something to consult her about regarding the Marquess’s business.”
Oh my God.
If God existed, wasn’t it Arthur Camelon?
Not only had he saved me at the perfect timing, but he had also answered their question for me—about my relationship with the marquess and what I did.
Complete nonsense, though.
Still, no one here knew it was a lie, so it didn’t matter.
“Ah—of course, Sir Camelon.”
The moment one of the ladies responded, I immediately turned and walked away. Arthur Camelon lagged slightly behind, though he quickly caught up.
As he came closer, I sincerely thanked him.
“Thank you for saving me. I was about to get completely interrogated back there.”
“Oh? I didn’t come to save you.”
Arthur Camelon winked playfully when our eyes met.
“I just helped because I wanted to ask what kind of relationship you have with the Marquess.”
You too?
I had no choice. I recalled the objective my master had drilled into my head all day.
Annoy Arthur Camelon.
I shut my eyes tightly and spoke.
“We’re… in the process of getting to know each other.”
“Haha. Do you dislike me?”
My face stiffened.
“No. Why would you think that?”
“Your expression.”
He pointed to his own face as he said it.
Ah.
But that’s not because I dislike you—it’s because I dislike the man pretending to be my lover.
Of course, I couldn’t say that, so I forced an awkward smile.
“I’m just not used to this kind of setting. It’s not because of you, Sir Camelon.”
“That’s a relief.”
Wow… as expected of the male lead.
Unlike a certain someone, he was kind, considerate, and genuinely nice.
We walked side by side through the party hall. Arthur Camelon moved as if he had a destination in mind, and I trailed after him.
As I was internally listing all his good qualities, he suddenly stopped and turned to me.
“Miss Luana.”
“…Yes?”
“Please take good care of the Marquess.”
My expression instantly soured.
And what he said next was no less shocking.
“If he brought you here, despite preferring to be alone, you must be someone special to him.”
“Haha…”
Anyone listening would think he was Eden Croydon’s mother.
Meanwhile, my master practically looked ready to devour him alive whenever he saw him. At this point, Arthur wasn’t just kind—he was a complete pushover.
“I’ve always wanted to get closer to him, but he never lets anyone in. Last time, I sent him some cookies I baked myself, but I later heard he was allergic to almonds. I felt so terrible, but I never got the chance to apologize.”
One thing was certain.
Arthur Camelon had absolutely no sense of awareness.
I wanted to grab him and explain everything—that our relationship was nothing like what he imagined, and that Eden Croydon wasn’t allergic to anything.
If I had just one second more, I would have.
If not for the sudden earthquake.
* * *
It came without warning.
A violent tremor shook the ground, accompanied by a bizarre cry echoing from outside the party hall.
The moment the floor trembled beneath my feet, someone let out a piercing scream.
Instinctively, I turned to Arthur Camelon.
The moment our eyes met—seeing the distortion in his expression—
I realized.
Magical beasts.
A magical beast outbreak.
But something was strange.
Was there ever a scene like this in the original story?
No…
As far as I knew, the original Eden Croydon had never encountered a magical beast outbreak. He had never had his life threatened by one—and most importantly, he survived well into the later parts of the story.
So why now?
I didn’t have time to think long.
“Master!”
“Huh? Miss Luana, wait—!”
The moment I realized what was happening, my body moved on its own.
Eden Croydon was weak to magic.
Extremely weak.
If someone like him faced creatures made purely of magic—
I didn’t know what would happen.
Before I knew it, I was already running.
