Knock knock knock.

After returning to the mansion from the garden, I headed straight to Dietrich’s office, only saying that I would go to the bathroom.

And without hesitation, I knocked cheerfully.

Knock knock knock.

Even though I had knocked twice already, there was no response to come in.

“Where did he go?”

With the mindset of knocking one last time, I knocked again: knock knock knock.

And after a moment.

“Go away.”

…?

I heard an order to leave before I even entered.

I let out a scoff of bewilderment.

‘He was in there the whole time and didn’t answer?’

Anyway, his manners are really terrible, terrible.

Ignoring the order to leave, I called out to the door.

“Young Master Dietrich. I have something urgent to tell you.”

“…”

“It’s a matter that would be very troublesome if you don’t hear it.”

Still, there was no sound coming from inside the room.

‘Do you think I’ll give up just like that?’

This was an opportunity to meet Nocturne Frey, not just anything else.

I’m not foolish enough to kick away such a golden opportunity!

I sat down with my back against the door.

I planned to wait quietly until then, since Dietrich wouldn’t stay in his office forever.

That was the plan, but.

With a clunk, the office door swung wide open.

“Are you going to keep bothering me?”

Tilting my head back, I saw Dietrich looking down at me, still with that annoyingly handsome face, holding the doorknob.

“Oh, finally.”

“…Just say what you need to say and get out.”

He really has a way with words.

Suppressing the thought that I would have no regrets if I could just smack Dietrich’s broad back once, I forced a smile.

After all, I’m the one who needs to bow down today.

“So, you know. You said you’re attending the banquet today, right?”

“Come in and talk first.”

Perhaps my crouching posture looked unsightly, Dietrich grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

His strength was so great that I was lifted up effortlessly with just one of his hands.

Dietrich’s office was not much different from the offices that appear in typical romance fantasy novels.

Shelves on the right packed full of books, and an antique dark brown wooden desk.

A large window visible behind the desk.

While I was looking around, seated on the sofa right in front of the desk, Dietrich sat down opposite me.

“Get to the point.”

Seeing his attitude of at least willing to listen, I leaned forward eagerly and asked.

“Dietrich, you’re attending the banquet today too, right?”

He stiffened for a moment, seemingly uncomfortable with me calling his name without permission.

But it was just for an instant.

I didn’t notice anything and continued chattering excitedly.

“I’ve decorated the banquet hall so beautifully today. You’ll be really surprised when you see it.”

“…”

“Well, that’s not really the important part though.”

“Just say what’s important.”

Deflated by his cold words, I pouted and grumbled.

“Come on, we need to chat sometimes too.”

“…Do you just want to leave?”

“Take me to the banquet with you!”

An awkward silence fell, so thick it was suffocating.

I fidgeted with my fingers and rolled my eyes around, waiting for an answer.

‘Please say yes, please say yes…’

It was the most nerve-wracking moment since I became possessed by the spirit of the sword.

The long silence finally ended when Dietrich’s cold rejection came.

“No.”

“Why!”

“Do you need a reason? Have you forgotten you’re a maid?”

I knew he would react like this.

I knew it well too.

That there would never be a chance for me, a maid, to attend a banquet, neither before nor in the future.

But I had anticipated even this kind of reaction from Dietrich.

I thought for sure he’d glare and say ‘No. Get out.’

Seeing Dietrich react exactly as I predicted, I smiled meaningfully, causing him to flinch.

Then, as if wanting to distance himself from me a bit, he leaned back deeply into the sofa.

I nodded while stroking my chin.

“Right, that’s true. I am a maid. But you know what, Dietrich? I’m also the spirit of the sword. Take Harpe to the banquet.”

“Are you crazy?”

His blue-green eyes filled with incredulity.

He seemed to think it was stupid to bring the family’s treasured sword to a banquet.

‘Hmm, how should I persuade Dietrich?’

I needed to find a good reason why he should take me to the banquet.

While I was racking my brains, Dietrich spoke first.

“Don’t tell me you want to show this sword to other nobles?”

At Dietrich’s words, a plausible idea flashed through my mind.

Come to think of it, Dietrich had never shown Harpe, the Delgado family’s treasured sword, to other nobles despite having it.

‘Why should Harpe be kept hidden when Dietrich was the one who found it anyway?’

Dietrich is clearly the most likely successor candidate for the position of Duke Delgado.

Although Yurian, twelve years younger than Dietrich, has the support of the Duchess, he still falls short of Dietrich’s abilities.

In the midst of this, Dietrich even found Harpe, which the council of elders had demanded.

Although the council didn’t acknowledge Dietrich for finding Harpe, other nobles would be different.

Any noble family with a long history would surely know the value of ‘Harpe’, the treasured sword of House Delgado, known for their swordsmanship.

The moment they see Dietrich with Harpe, they’ll be able to guess the current situation of the succession battle within House Delgado.

This could lead to nobles siding with Dietrich.

Any noble wanting to ride on the prestige of House Delgado, which controls the empire’s military power, would be keenly interested in who becomes the next Duke Delgado.

I clapped my hands, brightening at Dietrich’s words.

“Yes! That’s it!”

Sensing his evident displeasure, I hurriedly explained.

“Dietrich, think about it. In the midst of the battle for the position of Duke Delgado, if you appear with the family’s treasured sword, how do you think other nobles will perceive who has the upper hand in the Delgado family’s succession fight?”

The light in Dietrich’s blue-green eyes settled calmly.

He seemed to have grasped my intention immediately.

“Even if the council doesn’t acknowledge it, what matters is the rumor. If people think the succession rights are turning in your favor, there will be plenty of nobles who’ll side with us.”

“So you’re saying to show Harpe to gain the upper hand in the current succession battle, since everyone is still just watching and waiting?”

“That’s right! That’s it!”

Dietrich nodded with satisfaction, seemingly not thinking my words were entirely wrong.

“There’s some merit to that.”

He finally straightened his back, having been leaning on the sofa, as if he had heard an interesting story.

‘It worked!’

To think my strategy actually worked.

This was truly killing two birds with one stone.

I would go into the banquet hall to admire Nocturne Frey’s fantastic face, and Dietrich would show Harpe to the nobles.

Isn’t this what they call a win-win situation?

‘I wonder if there’s a different expression for that here, like “the Riena Mountains are best viewed after a meal”.’

Making a mental note to ask Marie about it later, I smiled brightly, showing my teeth.

“Right? Are you feeling inclined to take Harpe to the banquet now?”

“It’s better than leaving it uselessly stashed away in the room.”

“Haha! Who was it that stashed it away?”

I could feel Dietrich glaring at me irritably, but I casually ignored it!

‘Since he agreed to take Harpe to the banquet, I just need to quietly stay inside the sword.’

I was already so excited that I couldn’t keep my feet still.

Having achieved my goal, I sprang up from my seat.

It was fortunate that persuading Dietrich didn’t take as long as I thought.

If it had taken longer, rumors of me having constipation might have spread far and wide.

“Thanks to this, I won’t be misunderstood as having constipation.”

“Why are you talking nonsense again?”

“Well then, I’ll be going now!”

Leaving behind a puzzled Dietrich, I returned to my workplace.

And that evening.

The mansion was in a frenzy with last-minute preparations for the banquet.

Servants and maids were bustling about, carrying food from the kitchen to the west annex.

I quietly deviated from my route and entered the main house.

The mansion was almost empty except for the guard knights protecting the interior.

After carefully surveying the empty mansion, I headed straight for the second floor.

‘Dietrich should be out of his room by now.’

If that jerk was in his room, it would throw my plan completely off.

I tiptoed towards Dietrich’s bedroom.

The area in front of his bedroom was deserted, without even a guard.

Almost too much so.

Knights were stationed throughout the first to third floors.

However, near Dietrich’s room on the second floor, there were no servants or knights at all.

As if Dietrich wasn’t worth protecting.

It was a scene that showed how Dietrich was treated in the Delgado mansion.

Though he was the eldest son of House Delgado, competing for succession rights, within the mansion he was practically an outcast.

“This is a bit too much.”

The Duchess’s scheme to isolate Dietrich was truly cruel.

Though Dietrich might not care.

Anyway, thanks to the absence of people, getting to Dietrich’s bedroom was easy.

Now, only one thing remained.

To enter the bedroom and hide inside Harpe.

I’m so grateful that I can freely enter the sword at will.

If I had to rely on Dietrich for that too, going to the banquet today would be difficult.

With the joy of being able to see Nocturne Frey in person soon, I was about to step into the bedroom when.

“…Harpe.”

With a low, heavy voice, my body was sucked into the sword.

‘Huh…?’

“Harpe.”

Before I could gather my thoughts, my name was called again.

Before I could understand what was happening, I was summoned back out, only to see Dietrich leaning crookedly against the wall.

“I knew you’d do this.”

Dietrich’s blue-green eyes flashed fiercely, a sardonic smile on his lips.

A cold aura swirled around him as he approached with slow steps.

His demeanor was so cold and fierce, it seemed like he might grab my neck at any moment.

“I wondered what big-balled rat was sneaking into my bedroom, and it turns out it was you.”

“Well, Dietrich. Actually, I have something to say…”

“You, what’s your real purpose for wanting to go to the banquet?”

The moment I met Dietrich’s emotionless eyes, I realized.

Right now, I was in very dangerous territory.