A small commotion broke out inside the mansion shortly after I returned to Blackwood Manor.
Unlike the typical reactions of the other servants, only Isabel and Catherine caused quite a fuss.
“Lilith! Are you okay now? Are you still in pain?!”
“Mi-Miss Lilith! How, how are your wounds…?”
“…Please don’t use honorifics with .”
After quietly warning Catherine, who was addressing loudly to make sure everyone heard, I deliberately acted as if nothing had happened so the two of them wouldn’t worry.
“It’s not like I’m seriously injured or anything, so don’t worry so much. What’s with all the fuss? There’s no need for all this.”
“What do you an ‘not seriously injured’?! The priest said your life was in danger!”
“But I’m standing here fine now, aren’t I? Thanks to modern dicine… ah, no, I an modern theology.”
“Li, Lilith… Even so, talking like that is a bit… I’m starting to get a little scared of you, Lilith…”
…I probably should have pretended to be a little scared, acting like an 18-year-old high school girl.
From Isabel and Catherine’s perspective, my behavior must have seed dangerous in many ways.
I did risk my life to so degree. Still, since I recovered like this, it was a gamble worth taking, especially considering the various rewards I gained from leveling up.
“Don’t make such a fuss, Isabel. And you, too, Senior Catherine. It was just a matter of lying down for a day after getting injured and coming back, so why are you…”
“…What are you talking about, Lilith?”
“Huh?”
“A day? You do know that you only ca back three days after collapsing, right?”
“Eh…?”
Three days? Not one?
Thinking Isabel might be exaggerating to scare , I turned my gaze toward Catherine, but she simply nodded in agreent with Isabel’s words.
“Yes, it really was three days… The ti we spent on vacation in the comrcial district was three days ago…”
“The captain of the guards brought Lilith to the church, and the coachman was also surprised…”
“……”
What, it really was three days? That’s how long it took to recover from my injuries?
Of course, to so extent, I had recklessly charged in aiming for a ‘revival from incapacitation,’ but I never expected to be unconscious for three whole days.
‘I thought I’d just have to lie down for a day at most to recover…’
The world of Luminor Academy had so basic differences in its system, but I never imagined there would be this much difference in the recovery period.
In other words, the battle I had fought just yesterday – no, three days ago – was not safe at all. It ant that it wouldn’t have been strange if I had simply died along with the level 10 monster rather than gambling on the simple chanism of going to the church to recover and revive.
As soon as I realized this, a strange tension crept over my body as if chills ran down my spine. The sense of reality, which I had taken a little too lightly until now, felt like it was closing in on .
‘I shouldn’t think this world operates in the sa way as the original…’
Perhaps, deep down, I had been allowing myself so ntal leeway, a vague expectation that no matter what happened to , things would sohow work out in the end.
However, Isabel’s words about barely recovering after three days made fully aware of the reality of my own death.
I resolved then and there to never engage in risky, life-threatening battles again.
…More than anything, it was also a mont when I realized that there were people in this world who would truly grieve my death.
“Lilith… Don’t ever do anything so dangerous again… *sniff* Okay…?”
“I, I also… I also don’t want you to disappear one day… *sniff* You’re my savior…”
Isabel and Catherine tearfully pleaded with to take better care of myself.
It’s clear that at least these two would be pretty hurt if I were to disappear one day.
It’s not that I’m making so grandiose resolution to live for their sake. Still, now, I realize that there’s no need to risk my life unnecessarily.
“Alright. I won’t do anything dangerous from now on.”
I gently consoled the two of them, who were so scared and saddened it was as if they didn’t know who had died and co back to life, patting their shoulders.
In the midst of this, suddenly, I heard soone calling my na right next to my face.
“…Miss Lilith.”
“Uwaaah?!”
The low voice coming from so close, practically in my ear, made my body jolt in surprise.
Turning my gaze, a young butler stared at , unfazed by my startled reaction.
“……”
Sothing about him seed familiar, but who was he again…?
“Dittmayer Collin Eberckropft.”
“My apologies.”
Ah right, I rember now. That ridiculously long na made forget.
The young butler in charge of the Blackwood family’s butler staff in Luminor Academy, Dittmayer Collin…or whatever his na was.
He probably becos the head butler around four years from now, so currently, he must be the deputy head butler or sothing like that….
…but why was this man, who held a certain rank even among the servants, suddenly looking for ?
“Di, Dittmayer the butler…? What brings you to ?”
“The master is looking for you. He told to call you to his study once you returned to the mansion.”
“The master…huh?”
Wait a minute; since Dittmayer’s master is Lilith’s master, it ans that Harold summoned directly.
…Could it be that the ti has co at last?
Based on the current pacing, I thought it would happen soon. Not long after Ethan was freed from his curse, Lilith was assigned as Ethan’s exclusive maid.
Being assigned as Ethan’s exclusive maid also ant that the future where Lilith is “trained” by Ethan was drawing near.
An ominous premonition began to creep up at this butler’s ssage, making the hairs on my nape tense.
“Miss Lilith.”
“Y, Yes…”
“The master is looking for you. He told to bring Miss Lilith to his study once you returned…”
“Ah, I heard you the first ti…”
“I thought you might not have heard since you remained silent after I spoke.”
Geez, what a gratingly persistent butler.
Following his emotionless words, I had no choice but to make my way up to the third floor, to Harold’s study.
I was determined to sohow prevent the future where I beco Ethan’s exclusive maid, no matter what.
…Honestly, I wasn’t very confident, but I had to do what I needed to do.
Third floor. Outside Harold’s study.
“…Phew.”
*Knock, knock, knock*
After sighing to release my tension, I knocked three tis on the door to Harold’s study. I waited outside quietly until I heard a response, allowing to enter.
‘Judging from the sounds inside, he’s definitely there.’
Given Harold’s personality, he may have been so absorbed in his work that he didn’t hear the knocks.
So I stood calmly before the door like a gargoyle, leisurely passing the ti.
After all, Harold was the sort of character who showed little interest in anything unless it was related to his territory or his son.
I almost wished he would just forget he had called for so the process of becoming Ethan’s exclusive maid would be put off haphazardly. I’m really hoping soone else will take that position instead of …
“…Co in.”
‘Oh shit.’
Well, there was no way the prayers of Lilith the Foolish Maid would be answered that easily.
With the feeling of a young lamb being led to the slaughter, I quietly opened the door and entered the study.
As always, Harold was seated at his desk piled high with stacks of docunts resembling piles of paperwork.
“The junior maid, Lilith Rosewood, has returned to the mansion and co to report to you as instructed, my lord.”
“Lilith…? Ah, the maid who defeated the monster in the comrcial district three days ago?”
“That is correct.”
“…Three days ago, you defeated the monster released from the monster seal scroll in the comrcial district, but you only visited my study this late?”
“Huh?”
“I’m quite certain I had instructed the other servants to send you to my study imdiately upon your return to the mansion.”
…What is he talking about, this guy? Upon my return, I ca straight here after briefly explaining things to Isabel and Catherine.
I studied his eyes for a mont, wondering if he was joking with , but his gaze did not seem to have that kind of humorous atmosphere. From the start, Harold was not the type of character capable of making jokes anyway.
‘If that’s not it, then… ah.’
Fortunately, having wasted over 500 hours on Lilith’s route in my previous life, I understood Harold’s character perfectly.
I carefully tried to appease him so as to not provoke his irritation.
“My apologies. Due to my frail body, I ended up recovering in the church for three whole days.”
“…Three days? Is that the truth?”
“Yes. Even when I left the church today, I spoke with the priest before returning.”
As I told him this, a fleeting mory crossed my mind of the conversation I had with the young priestess at the church today.
I hastily fled, feeling that if I stayed any longer, I would inevitably get roped into attending the dreadfully long afternoon service of the Aurelian faith, which lasted 2 hours.
Perhaps that priestess had honestly been concerned for when she said those words.
I felt that the list of people I needed to apologize to had grown by one more.
“If you need to verify, you could send a letter of inquiry to the priestess of the Aurelian Church…”
“There’s no need for that. I’ll just take your word for it.”
“…Thank you.”
As expected, it seed Harold was just now learning for the first ti that I had been unconscious for three whole days.
He must have arbitrarily concluded that I would wake up and return to duty within a day or so.
I had narrowly avoided being treated as a servant defying orders due to this fool’s assumption.
‘In any case, I can’t let my guard down. The father and the son are both…’
If I hadn’t had the knowledge from my previous life, in a situation like the one just now, more and more misunderstandings could have piled up in the blink of an eye.
I was extrely fortunate to rember Harold’s fundantal characteristic of having no interest in anyone else.
“My lord. What was the reason you summoned for?”
“…Ah, yes. I almost forgot what I needed to discuss due to the misunderstanding.”
As I addressed him while he was about to resu his paperwork right before , Harold seed to recall why he had called to his study.
As his tired-looking eyes t mine, he spoke of why he had summoned .
“It’s regarding you defeating the Hooked Tusk that broke free from the monster seal scroll three days ago in the comrcial district.”
“…Yes.”
“After reviewing Sir Blacksong’s report on the matter, sothing about it seed odd, so I wanted to ask.”
….Ah.
Surely not…right?
“It’s been reported that you nearly died while confronting the Gargolium…”
“…Yes.”
“…and that was even after ignoring Sir Blacksong’s advice to retreat from the battle, recklessly throwing yourself into the fray until the very end.”
“…That is correct.”
“I’m curious as to why you made that judgnt, so could you explain it to ?”
…Shit.
How the hell am I supposed to explain this…?
T/N
Hello! Axiomatic here.
We are finally back! Thank you so much for waiting. My finals went well, so thanks to everyone who wished well! I expected all of my other requirents to be done earlier, but I couldn’t update that I went on a trip to Hokkaido in Japan due to limited ti after all of my deadlines had passed. Now that I’m back, though, I will definitely have ti to add daily chapters in the coming days.
That’s all for now, thanks for reading, and see you in the next one!
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