Chapter 05
Ignoring Ru’s voice calling after me, I left the room.
I was busy to death—there was no spare time to humor the young master’s nonsense.
Ru didn’t seem intent on continuing to pester me either, and he didn’t follow after me when I ignored him.
I already knew that Ru wasn’t the type to get angry over something as small as being brushed off like that.
And even if he did get mad, I wasn’t afraid of an angry Ru, so I felt at ease and decided to go do my work.
“Lily!”
Just then, I saw Dericsha heading my way. It looked like she had come running in a hurry—her hair was tousled by the wind.
Dericsha stopped in front of me, stamping her feet anxiously as she asked,
“Did you get permission from Young Master Ru?”
“The young master didn’t give permission, but I did.”
“What does that even mean?”
I shrugged. Dericsha looked like she didn’t quite understand what I meant, but maybe because she was in such a rush, she didn’t press further and instead grabbed my arm.
I was weakly dragged along by Dericsha.
“We’re short on hands to guide the guests to their rooms. Come with me to the entrance.”
The maids looked utterly frantic because of the sudden influx of nobles. I had already planned to help out since they were understaffed anyway, but I hadn’t intended to take on room-guiding duties.
Blinking in confusion, I spoke hesitantly.
“I don’t really know my way around the main building yet though…?”
“The guest rooms are all gathered along one corridor, so it’ll be easy to find. Just hurry up and follow me!”
I don’t even know that corridor…
I felt uneasy, but I figured it would work out somehow and moved my feet. As long as I stuck close to Dericsha, I wouldn’t get lost.
Like always, I resolved to stay right by her side and followed behind her.
However, in the midst of the crowd, I got separated from Dericsha.
Without even managing to find her again, I was assigned—on Monica’s instructions—to guide a guest to his room.
I tried to ask Monica where the guest room was, but she disappeared in an instant, leaving me no chance to ask anything.
In the end, without hearing any explanation at all, I was left alone with a noble.
I started walking aimlessly, but I had no idea whether this was the right way. I planned to ask for directions if I ran into someone.
But no matter how long I walked, I didn’t meet a single person.
All the people who had been everywhere earlier—where had they all gone? In this place, the only people present were me and the noble man walking beside me.
“Um…”
As I stood there feeling awkward and confused, I heard a voice next to me.
Turning my head, I saw the blond man beside me rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at me. His voice was quiet and hesitant, as if he were just as flustered as I was.
I stopped walking and bowed my head.
He’s a noble, so I should bow.
Seeing me bow politely, the man hurriedly waved both his hands.
“Ah, you don’t have to bow! No, really, you don’t have to! I’m still not used to being treated like that… I’d rather you just treat me comfortably.”
He spoke gently, his cheeks flushed.
Why are the nobles of this empire so unconcerned about status?
Since it was, in a way, a noble’s request, I raised my head. After finishing my internal rationalization, I stared straight at the man in front of me.
The shy-looking man had pale blond hair and blue eyes.
He was quite tall, but whether it was just his height or not, his face still looked youthful.
With his downturned eyes and slightly wavy hair, he had a puppy-like impression.
Perhaps still embarrassed, both his cheeks were tinged a bright red.
Hmm… he kind of looks like my type.
Without even thinking of replying, I kept staring at his face.
Feeling my gaze, the man hesitated, then opened his mouth.
“Well… my name is Damian. Damian Oliviero. I’m the baron of a small territory in the far corner of the empire—ah, well, I haven’t inherited the family yet, so I’m not actually a baron… Um, sorry. That was a mess of a self-introduction, wasn’t it?”
Flustered and embarrassed, he covered his face with both hands. As he said himself, it was a clumsy and messy introduction for a noble.
Judging by how ordinary he seemed, either he had only recently obtained his title, or he’d lived no differently from a commoner due to extreme poverty.
Either way, he likely didn’t have the financial means to employ numerous servants.
Only then did I understand why he was standing alone.
It seemed he had attended the ball by himself, without even bringing an attendant, to avoid unnecessary expenses.
Listening to his introduction halfheartedly, I spoke without thinking.
“Oliviero… isn’t that a merchant family from the east?”
The thought suddenly came to me, and my mouth moved before I could stop it.
Hearing my words, the man’s eyes widened in surprise, and he nodded vigorously.
“Yeah, that’s right! You even know our territory is in the east?”
I was just as surprised. The words had truly slipped out on their own.
It seemed to be part of my lost memories—whenever certain keywords brushed past me, chunks of past memories would surface.
Still, I wasn’t kind enough to explain my circumstances in detail to a stranger. It was troublesome, too.
“I just… think I heard about it somewhere before.”
Though I brushed it off casually, the man didn’t seem to doubt me at all.
Instead, he smiled brightly, clearly delighted.
The stiff expression he’d been holding vanished in an instant, as if he were genuinely happy that I knew his family. His radiant smile—exaggeration aside—shone like that of an angel.
Handsome, and able to smile so purely too. If he were even a viscount, he probably would have stolen the hearts of noble ladies.
I felt a little sorry that his title was only baron—though that wasn’t really something a commoner like me should be saying.
Beaming with joy, the man spoke to me in a lighter voice.
“I’m so happy that someone recognizes our family! Everyone here is from such prestigious houses that I felt really intimidated. I never thought someone would actually know about us.”
He chattered away as he followed right beside me.
I thought about responding, but decided to just listen quietly for now. Finding the way was more important.
Even when I didn’t reply, the man didn’t seem to mind at all and spoke again.
“May I ask your name?”
“Lily.”
“Lily! Um, could you spend time with me during the ball? I didn’t bring an attendant, so I’ll be alone the whole time. I’d be really happy if you stayed with me.”
This man… every single thing he said overflowed with sincerity.
A merchant family producing someone this honest and pure?
I stared at him in amazement.
Every merchant noble I knew committed corruption as casually as eating a meal—yet here was someone who looked so clean and upright, claiming to be from a merchant family…
While I was lost in my thoughts, a fleeting memory brushed past my mind, and I frowned. Another memory I didn’t recognize had just flashed through.
Strangely, every time I talked with this man, memories kept knocking at my head. And whenever they were dragged out like this, my head started to ache.
Since no clear memory ever actually surfaced, I decided to focus solely on the conversation instead.
Unable to hide my irritation, I replied stiffly.
“I’m sorry, but I’m the exclusive maid of the duke’s second young master. There will be separate maids assigned to handle guests, so if you need anything, please speak to them.”
Even to my own ears, my words sounded blunt. The man flinched and lowered his head.
“Ah… then I suppose it can’t be helped…”
He became dejected in an instant. Seeing such a downcast expression on someone with an angelic face made me feel like the worst villain alive.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, I spoke again cautiously. Perhaps because I felt guilty, my voice softened a little.
“…I won’t be stuck with the young master all day. If I get the chance later, I’ll come find you.”
“Really?”
The man’s face lit up as if he’d never been dejected at all.
Seeing his expression brighten so quickly made me smile too.
I’d never met someone so incapable of hiding their emotions.
The social scene must be tough—imagining him being intimidated by nobles’ power games at a ball made me feel nothing but pity.
With light, excited steps, the man continued walking beside me.
“I heard there’s a festival going on in the nearby shopping district, and I really want to check it out! Eat lots of delicious food, buy tons of souvenirs… If you come with me, Lily, I’ll buy you everything you want to eat.”
I listened with a smile as he chattered on again.
The irritation I’d felt earlier had long since faded, washed away by his smile.
Come to think of it, the date of the nearby festival lined up perfectly with the duke’s ball.
I wouldn’t have time to go out during the ball anyway, but worried he might get dejected again, I nodded.
After walking for quite a while while he poured out his excitement about the festival, the man suddenly stopped in his tracks.
I turned to look at him.
For some reason, his face no longer held a smile, but confusion.
After glancing around and fidgeting with his hands, he asked carefully,
“Um, Lily… is this… the right place?”
At his words, I tilted my head. The right place for what?
Following his gaze, I looked around.
It was a thicket.
It really was a thicket—dense trees, thick grass sprouting everywhere, a forest filled entirely with green.
No wonder we hadn’t heard any voices. I must have wandered somewhere strange while focusing on our conversation.
Calming my shaking pupils, I shamelessly spoke up.
“…There’s still some time before dinner, so I thought I’d show you around the duke’s estate.”
“Wow, thank you, Lily! You’re so kind!”
The man thanked me with a bright smile.
There was no way a maid would normally show a place like this to someone, but he believed my words without a hint of doubt.
Seeing his innocence, guilt slowly crept up inside me.
Quietly, I avoided his gaze.
