Chapter 17
It seems like today is my lucky day.
“Blackie, have a treat!”
I got carrots from the restaurant that’s strict about ingredient management, and I have crutches in my hand so I can walk around freely.
But the best piece of luck is undoubtedly getting permission to enter and exit the floor with the office.
Feeling good, a tune came to my lips on its own.
“Hey! What are you doing there right now?”
When I turned my head, a middle-aged stableman was running into the stable with a shocked expression.
“You’ll be in big trouble if you just give it anything!”
“Huh?”
But it was already after Blackie, after I had offered the carrot to Victor. The stableman let out a piercing scream.
“Aak! You’ll get your hand bitten or kicked by a hind leg…!”
Blackie’s flawless set of teeth bit off the rest of his words.
*Crunch.*
I calmly watched the delicious scarlet carrot disappear from my palm and said,
“Oh, good boy. The carrot suits your taste?”
The stableman was left standing awkwardly, his eyes wide.
Why is he reacting like that? Even if Blackie is fierce and tough, he doesn’t harass people…
Ah. Is Daniel an exception?
Seeing him lick my palm, he really is like a puppy.
“Blackie, stop. It’s all gone now. Really, there’s none left!”
More than anything else, perhaps because he was so much larger, it seemed one carrot didn’t even make a dent in his appetite.
That’s when Daniel appeared at the stable entrance.
“Victor! Time to get ready for your master!”
Victor reacted to the word ‘master.’
“Prrrr—”
Just lifting his head majestically, the overwhelming presence he exuded was amazing.
Does he know he’s heading to the Forest of Wolves soon? It seemed like he’d entered battle mode, his previously playful gaze completely transformed.
Daniel handed the reins directly to the middle-aged stableman.
“I’ll entrust Victor to you.”
“Huh? Uh, yeah. Understood.”
Wow. That charming smile works on men too, it seems.
The stableman didn’t seem to realize the responsibility had been passed to a junior young enough to be his son until he passed through the stable door.
“It’s been a while. How was work?”
“Compared to the laundry room, it was heaven.”
“But isn’t it still a strain on your ankle?”
At the question filled with worry, I gave a confident smile.
“Don’t worry. Half my day is cleaning, and the other half I’ll spend making a book about dance.”
“You’re making a book?”
To see the same expression Fritz had this morning, now on Daniel’s face…
“A dance manual?”
“Yes, I thought having a book would be more efficient for learning the dances.”
It wasn’t an impulsive, made-up excuse.
Even after the previous family head stepped down, Canis has maintained diplomatic relations with the Euphorian Kingdom.
Regardless of the personal preferences of an individual like Ash Canis.
So I thought. There must be a reason to maintain the connection continuously.
I don’t know what it is, but.
The alliance between Euphoria and Canis was formed by the will of my father and the previous family head.
There is no known record of when, where, or how the negotiations took place.
But originally, alliances between different powers are to achieve a specific purpose, aren’t they?
Until that purpose is achieved, Canis will continue its exchange with Euphoria.
“I’m not just looking at what’s right in front of me. For the children of the future family head who will be born later, wouldn’t a manual be necessary too?”
“Hmm. That’s a reasonable point. What does the family head think?”
Every minute and second waiting for an answer felt like an eternity.
When Ash Canis’s lips, which he had been stroking with his thumb, finally parted, I finally relaxed.
“You’re cleverer than you look.”
Although, in a different sense, my mood soured.
Anyway, the best gamble permitted to me succeeded.
I should be grateful just to be able to leave a regular impression on Ash Canis.
“Wait, I don’t understand. The family head allowed you access to the office?”
“Somehow it turned out that way.”
Even though it’s the farthest seat in the aide’s office, but still. For now, I can use pen and ink, even if temporarily.
I decided to take comfort in the fact that I can now send a letter to Blake’s collaborator.
“It’s fortunate you got a safe job, but…”
Daniel tilted his head and shifted his gaze. As if something was bothering him.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hey, Lacey. How long will it take to make the book?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Well… When the book is finished, you’ll have to go back to being just a cleaner, right? I’m a bit worried it might strain your ankle.”
For all his hesitation, it wasn’t a big deal. He could have just asked straightforwardly.
Still, having someone who sincerely worries about me made me feel a bittersweet flutter.
I smiled brightly to reassure Daniel.
“Hey, I have it all figured out.”
Chapter 4. The Side Effects of Kindness
To be honest, I was surprised by Daniel’s sharpness.
He precisely pinpointed the weakness of my improvised plan, making my heart skip a beat internally.
In reality, completing the book wouldn’t take that much time.
The reason was simple.
The quantity was small.
You’d need more than ten fingers to count the royal court dances of Euphoria, but a guest like Canis doesn’t need to learn them all, right? It’s just a formality anyway.
“Miss Lacey, how is the work progressing?”
If you pick out the songs that appear like regulars at every event, it’s roughly seven songs.
Completing one song every day or two would finish it in half a month.
Adding outlines, historical background, precautions, etc., would make it about a month.
I couldn’t go back to being a full-time maid before my ankle even heals.
So, I must remember. I’m not making the book because I want to.
“Since it’s the first day, I set up the table of contents and made a writing plan.”
Ash Canis was often away from the castle on business like inspections or subjugating monsters.
Living like that, he’d probably completely forget about someone like me.
Even the fact that he was supposed to learn to dance.
In other words, my job is to imprint my existence on Ash Canis.
Even if it’s under the pretext of making a dance manual.
“It’s going to be a manual used for a long time, so it wouldn’t be good to make it carelessly.”
“That’s a reasonable point.”
“Here’s today’s work.”
Fritz read diagonally through the papers he received. Even though I had resorted to a trick, the writings I had put my heart into seemed to have their lifespan cut short, like candles rained on.
“You planned the schedule meticulously.”
“I shouldn’t waste time.”
Thanks to my insistence that I couldn’t shirk my maid duties, it was decided: cleaning in the morning, writing the book in the afternoon.
This extended the work period to two months.
What should I do after that to hold out?
“Chief Aide, are there any accompanists?”
“Yes, there are among the retainers. I looked into it in advance when you were chosen as the dance teacher.”
That means lessons can start as soon as my ankle heals, right?
“But there’s a problem.”
“A problem?”
Fritz let out a long sigh.
“He’s from the Einenhafte Empire and doesn’t know any of the Euphorian Kingdom’s dances at all.”
I involuntarily raised my hand.
“Me. I can do it.”
“You mean you can play?”
“No. I can draw sheet music.”
Fritz blinked as if he couldn’t believe it.
“…Sheet music?”
Oops. A mistake.
“Ah, yes. Lady Fiona Lysteran loved dancing so much, you see. So…”
You can learn dances on the sly if you’re observant, but playing music or reading sheet music is a completely different field.
There’s no way Fritz would overlook an ability that clearly exceeds a maid’s capacity.
“Miss Lacey, are you really a maid?”
“Ha, hahaha. Chief Aide, you saw my resume, right?”
“Hmm, that’s true.”
Wrinkles formed on Fritz’s brow as if he were suffering from cognitive dissonance.
I had a feeling that if I provoked him further, a full-blown interrogation would start.
In times like this, running away is the best policy.
“Thank you for your hard work. I’ll be going now…”
“Whoa! Careful!”
I turned and bumped into another aide. The documents he was holding scattered in the air.
“I’m sorry! I’ll pick them up!”
“No, it’s fine, your leg must hurt.”
“I can’t do that.”
It’s not like I’m in a position to accept his refusal meekly.
I carefully bent my knees and started picking up the documents that had fallen to the floor.
“I’ll help.”
“Oh my, I’ll help too.”
“Me too!”
Thankfully, the aides got up from their seats. Fritz, seemingly displeased with me handling the documents, was half-rising with a frown.
It’s all just numbers anyway, what’s the big deal?
Still, I need to tidy up and run before he says anything.
As I moved my hands quickly, I spotted a familiar word mixed in with the dizzying numbers.
“Huh? That’s my name?”
I quickly covered my mouth, but I had already caught someone’s attention.
“Haha, it’s the maid department payroll ledger. We check it every payday.”
The aide wasn’t wary, acting as if it was nothing.
That’s why I could look at the document closely.
“…How is my salary determined?”
“Usually, it’s calculated based on experience as a baseline, with additions or deductions according to the contract terms.”
Besides the exchange vouchers for daily necessities I had received, a small amount was written there.
The content was different from the ledger the head maid had shown me.
“Why is that…”
Suddenly, words I heard a few days ago flashed through my mind.
“I’m already annoyed that my salary got cut…!”
It felt like I could smell something foul and murky coming from somewhere.
