The maid café, which would be run by the hero’s party and a few others, was coming together quite smoothly despite the initial resistance from Prince Antonio and Princess zzlen. Neither of them brought up any more objections as the preparations continued.
Since it seed like we were short on male participants, Luke decided to dress as a butler and help teach the others proper etiquette. Given his androgynous appearance and the fact that he had enrolled in the academy dressed as a boy during the first sester, it suited him well enough.
Three days after our initial eting, we gathered again to try on the outfits we’d be wearing during the festival. Everyone had custom-fitted uniforms, and we needed to ensure there were no issues with sizing—too loose, too tight—before any last-minute alterations could be made.
“Lilith, how do you put this on?” one of the girls asked.
“Just a mont. Let help Celesta with her outfit, and then I’ll be right with you,” I replied.
“Lilith, could you help too, please?” asked Agnes.
“Of course, Agnes. I’ll check Princess Seraphine’s outfit right after,” I added.
“I-I’m sorry, but could you assist as well, Lilith?” zzlen chid in nervously.
“Alright, I’ll help you all in order,” I said with a sigh.
Since everyone was unfamiliar with maid uniforms, they naturally turned to for help. Seraphine, of course, had ordered royal maid uniforms, which were more complicated to put on than regular ones, with plenty of zippers and buttons. It would have been difficult for to explain how to wear them if not for my mories from my past life. Fortunately, I was familiar with these types of uniforms, so I managed to help everyone dress without much trouble.
‘They all look surprisingly good in these outfits,’ I thought to myself, smiling.
Maid uniforms had always been a bit of a cheat in both worlds, often used as special event attire by girlfriends to surprise their boyfriends. They had a universal appeal, and the hero’s party mbers certainly proved that point—everyone looked fantastic.
‘I’ve seen this kind of thing before, but it’s different seeing it in real life,’ I mused.
With the won’s outfits sorted out, we planned to spend the next few days teaching them how to wear the uniforms and the basic etiquette required. By then, they should be able to dress themselves without assistance.
I returned to the eting room, where the n were already waiting in their butler uniforms. Ethan and the hero looked particularly striking.
“You’re here! Wow, the maid uniforms suit everyone so well,” the hero said with his signature harem protagonist smile.
The girls, clearly enchanted by his complint, drifted toward him as if drawn by a magnetic force.
“Hero, you look great as well. Let check the fit of your uniform to make sure everything’s in order,” one of the girls said, completely captivated.
‘They’re so infatuated, it’s almost funny,’ I thought, watching them fuss over him. Even though his romance arcs with most of the heroines hadn’t progressed, the connection between him and those three was undeniably stronger than before.
As I observed this, Ethan, now dressed in a butler uniform, approached .
“Lilith,” he called.
“…Ah, Master Ethan,” I replied, a bit flustered.
“Don’t look over there. How do I look?” he asked, gesturing to his uniform.
“…You look very handso, Master Ethan,” I said honestly.
“You look lovely as well, Lilith. It’s a bit different from the usual maid outfit you wear,” he added, his eyes scanning .
“Well, this is a royal maid uniform, so it’s bound to feel different from what I normally wear in the Blackwood Estate.”
Ethan’s usual noble air had shifted slightly. There was sothing more confident, almost playful, in the way he carried himself in the butler uniform. He looked like soone who could effortlessly whisper “goodnight” to a lady lying in bed—a mischievous, yet suave, charm radiating from him.
…It wasn’t an unwelco feeling, just an overwhelming one. I found it difficult to maintain eye contact with him in that outfit.
“Why are you avoiding my gaze, Lilith? Does it not suit ?” he asked, his voice teasing.
“N-no… You look wonderful, Master Ethan…” I stamred.
“Good. Then look in the eyes. Don’t keep avoiding ,” he said, leaning in slightly.
“…Ugh,” I muttered under my breath, feeling my heart race.
I couldn’t take it. Being around Ethan in his butler uniform made feel so embarrassed, and yet, I wanted to commit the image to mory. It was both exciting and nerve-wracking.
That night, his image lingered in my mind so vividly that I even dreamt of him standing by my bedside in that uniform, whispering sweet nothings.
⁎ ⁎ ⁎
With the maid and butler uniforms settled, we began eting daily to finalize our festival preparations. The most important task remaining was the staff training.
Though it felt strange to be teaching etiquette to two princesses and a saintess, I rembered that in the original story, Lilith had been responsible for training everyone during the maid café events as well. By this point in the story, Lilith would normally have joined the hero’s party, so it wasn’t entirely out of place.
“You don’t need to change your hairstyle, but it’s important to keep your nails trimd. You wouldn’t want to get injured while handling things during busy tis. And rember to keep your posture straight, with your hands clasped in front of you…” I instructed.
“Like this, Lilith?” asked Princess Seraphine, trying her best to follow my guidance.
“Yes, just like that, Princess Seraphine. That’s the proper stance,” I replied, encouraging her.
Despite so initial awkwardness, the won of the hero’s party began to master the basics of maid etiquette. Seraphine’s willingness to learn set an example for the others, making it easier for to teach them. After all, if the princess herself was diligently following instructions, no one else could afford to slack off.
What I was teaching them wasn’t the full etiquette of a personal maid, but rather the basics for interacting with guests from outside the estate. Given that people like Seraphine and zzlen were royalty, it would be awkward for them to refer to custors as "masters," so I had them practice simpler greetings.
Besides, I had no desire to call anyone else “Master.” Harold was my true master, and Ethan... well, I wasn’t about to use such a title for anyone else.
“Let’s start with greetings. When a guest arrives, how should you welco them?” I prompted.
“‘Welco, honored guest,’” the group responded in unison.
After a week of daily training, the won had improved significantly. They had a decent grasp of the basics, enough to handle their roles during the festival.
However, there were a few outliers who still struggled with the idea.
“…Silena?” I called, noticing her standing off to the side.
“…What?” she responded curtly.
“You didn’t respond just now, did you?”
“…I did.”
“I saw you just moving your lips,” I pointed out.
“….”
I could understand why Silena was acting this way. As an elf who had fled the stifling rules of the World Tree’s Forest, she probably found the rigid etiquette and uniforms to be suffocating. Still, it wasn’t as if I could exclude her from the event. Letting soone sit out would only encourage others to slack off.
“Silena, you don’t have to be perfect, but could you at least try? Just give a simple greeting,” I asked, trying to coax her gently.
“….”
“Silena?”
“…I’m going to the bathroom,” she muttered before slipping away.
Sighing, I let her go. Pushing her too hard would only make things worse. If she wasn’t motivated by the ti of the festival, I’d probably move her to the kitchen... though, considering Silena’s cooking skills, that might be an even bigger disaster.
As I pondered how best to handle our more rebellious maid, the Luminor Festival was already fast approaching.
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