The day of the summer festival.

The atmosphere in the mansion was at its peak. The servants who had received a rare holiday were busy preparing to go out since morning.

“Heidi! Aren’t you going?”

Some maids had even finished preparations before breakfast.

I smiled and waved my hand to the other maids who asked as I left the quarters.

“I’ll go later!”

Since I was meeting Dietrich in the afternoon, I planned to help with work in the kitchen in the morning.

As I headed to the kitchen, I realized there was one problem.

‘Come to think of it, I don’t have any clothes to wear, do I?’

After possessing Harpe, I hadn’t bought any clothes other than the ragged ones I was wearing.

‘I completely forgot about it.’

I had two options. Wear the dull and worn-out clothes I wore in the cave, or wear the Delgado mansion maid uniform.

I fell into serious contemplation. Neither option was appealing, but I had to choose.

‘If I had known this would happen, I should have asked Marie to lend me some clothes!’

The problem was that I had never thought about clothes before since I had never gone out personally until now.

No matter how much I thought about it, there were no suitable clothes.

In the end, I decided to wear the maid uniform. The clothes I wore in the cave were too messy and dirty, perfect for being mistaken as a beggar if I wore them to the summer festival.

It was better to be thought of as a Delgado mansion maid.

While pondering about clothes, I arrived at the kitchen and naturally opened the door as usual.

Inside the kitchen were a few maids who unfortunately couldn’t go on holiday because a minimum number of staff had to remain, and Robert.

Perhaps because of this, the kitchen atmosphere was very gloomy and depressed.

I quietly entered and looked for an apron. As I was putting on the apron, Robert, who noticed my arrival, came running.

“Heidi! Didn’t you go to the summer festival?”

I nodded and answered Robert’s exuberant voice.

“I’m planning to go in the afternoon. I heard there’s not much to do in the morning anyway.”

“That’s true. But it’s a rare holiday, you should have gone out early for a walk or something.”

“Hmph, Robert. You’re not even going with me!”

When I grumbled playfully, Robert made a genuinely apologetic expression.

“You know I’m not as skilled with knives as others. I have to practice hard while others are playing.”

Robert’s black eyes were blazing with determination.

With such passion, it seemed he would really open a shop soon. Like me, Robert was a kitchen assistant, so he hadn’t cooked separately, but as he said, he had seen many of the chief chef’s secrets.

If he prepared step by step, he could definitely do it.

I sincerely supported Robert’s dream.

“Heidi, come to think of it, you seem to adapt really quickly. It took me a long time to adjust to the kitchen.”

The kitchen was quiet due to almost all the servants being out.

There wasn’t much work today either. While trimming ingredients that were less than half of the usual amount, Robert muttered.

“Even though I came to the kitchen earlier than you, I’m still struggling. I’ve just started to find my proper work now.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Huh?”

I looked at Robert, who seemed somewhat dejected, and picked up a potato he had peeled.

In the past, he used to peel the skin too thickly, leaving almost no potato flesh, but now he peeled them nicely and roundly.

Though slow, Robert was clearly growing.

And I liked Robert for that. I was even envious of him for finding his direction properly, even if slowly.

“Look, Robert. You’ve become really good at peeling potatoes now. It doesn’t matter if you’re slower than others. What’s important is where and how you progress.”

I held out the potato I was peeling and the one he had peeled, as if to compare them.

Robert blankly stared at the two potatoes in my hands. Then he soon grinned.

“Heidi, you’re really lovely.”

Ugh?

I grimaced in shock at the expression I never expected to hear from Robert.

“What’s with that expression!”

He shrank his shoulders exaggeratedly as if hurt, but steadfastly expressed his opinion.

“But Heidi. I’m serious. You always encourage me. You don’t know how much that has helped. I think Young Master Dietrich probably feels the same way.”

“Why is Young Master Dietrich coming up here?”

“Look at you? You always have Young Master Dietrich on your lips. Whatever happens, it’s Young Master Dietrich this! Young Master Dietrich that!”

Hearing Robert’s words, I was a bit shocked.

‘Did I talk about Dietrich that much?’

Of course, I did talk a lot. Whenever someone brought up Dietrich, my ears would perk up naturally, I would get angry when they spoke ill of him, and I felt proud when I heard praise.

But hearing from someone else how I usually was, it was very embarrassing.

“You didn’t know?”

Robert grinned. Seeing him smile mischievously as if he noticed something, I focused more on peeling potatoes for no reason.

“No need to be shy. Everyone probably knows you like Young Master Dietrich!”

“That’s not true!”

I immediately denied it. However, Robert didn’t believe it at all.

“Be honest with your feelings, Heidi. Why can you see others as they are, but not your own heart?”

Not seeing my heart as it is?

But I had a somewhat unjustified point about that.

What if nothing changes even if I properly face my feelings?

Then I might end up sitting down in frustration at the reality that’s exactly opposite of what my heart tells me to do.

‘I’m not a fool either.’

This feeling of easily getting disappointed with Dietrich but immediately becoming happy when together was clearly affection.

‘But so what?’

Would anything change if I felt affection for Dietrich?

No, it wouldn’t. The original story hasn’t even begun yet, and the moment it officially starts, I will be nothing but a mere sword spirit to him.

He has a predetermined match. A lover who will teach him love will appear.

And I’m just an extra desperately hoping to survive by his side.

Even if he doesn’t end up liking the female protagonist differently from the original story, there’s no possibility of him connecting with me.

In this strictly class-based society, I am a maid of the Delgado mansion, and he is the noble and beautiful young master of Delgado.

Until I came here, even when reading various novels, it seemed possible to love a prince on a white horse.

‘This is not a novel, but reality.’

The only way I could remain by his side was to know my place well.

So it was right to suppress this affection that I hadn’t properly realized yet.

Robert sighed deeply as he looked at me saying nothing. He must have seen that my head had become complicated.

“Alright. I’ll just wait with you until the day you become honest. By the way, Heidi. Your knife skills are really amazing. At this rate, you might even beat Young Master Dietrich?”

Robert threw a joke as if trying to change the atmosphere.

I burst out laughing at the unexpected, ridiculous remark.

Just a moment ago it was serious, but now I’m laughing senselessly at Robert’s joke.

Wait, what?

Beat Dietrich?

Robert was always exaggerating. I giggled.

“Are my knife skills that great?”

“Did it sound like a joke? I’m serious. There’s probably no one who uses a paring knife as well as you do.”

Robert emphasized that it wasn’t a joke, but I believed without a doubt that his words were comfort to make me feel good.

However, that night.

I came to agree a hundred times with Robert’s words that I was the person who used a paring knife best in the world.

“My lady. Everything is prepared.”

Joanna, who had quietly gone out yesterday evening, returned. She immediately changed into her maid uniform and sought out Leriana.

It was to report that she had completed all the tasks assigned.

This was what Leriana had asked:

Today, when the summer festival is held. To quietly follow Heidi as she goes out, then kidnap and dispose of her in the middle of the festival where there are the most people.

For that, someone was needed to kidnap Heidi. So Joanna had just returned after entrusting the job to an expert near Garbage Town.

Leriana calmly nodded at Joanna’s report. Finally today, she could make that thorn in her side maid disappear from this world.

Actually, it would have been perfect if she had gotten rid of her during the previous poisoning incident.

‘It really couldn’t be helped then.’

Because Yurian intervened, another innocent maid lost her life.

Of course, it would be a lie to say that maid wasn’t pitiful. After all, she lost her life over just one lie.

However, she had to kill her to avoid any suspicion that might fall on herself.

It was a trap planned with the resolve that even Yurian might get hurt. Who knew Yurian himself would ruin it all.

But this time was different.

Heidi would have no escape. She would have no one to help her, nor the ability to survive on her own.

“Where is that person?”

“He’s lying in wait near the mansion’s main gate. I told him to take care of it immediately when he sees a woman with black hair reaching her chest and green eyes, so he should have understood well.”

“Hmm, he should. If he wants to receive the rest of the money, that is.”

Leriana smiled with satisfaction.

It was the beginning of the festival.