Arianthe, who had tightly sealed her small lips, blinked her large eyes and spoke.

“Meiana is a special person. She’s not just a maid.”

“Why is she a special person?”

Silas asked. His voice was gentle and calm.

Arianthe, holding the teacup with both hands, lowered her gaze for a moment and then, as if gaining confidence, looked back at the children.

“She cares a lot about me.”

Lucien sneered and teased.

“Well, that’s because she’s getting paid. And we are nobles.”

Then, the girl sitting next to Lucien, a peer of Arianthe, quickly responded.

“Yes. Among the servants, she is polite. Our mother and father never forgive impolite employees. Your father must be the same, right? So, it’s natural for maids to be respectful in front of you.”

“No, that’s not it! Meiana doesn’t act respectfully towards me. It’s different from that.”

“What’s different? It’s not different at all.”

If left unattended, the children’s trivial arguments could escalate into a real fight. It was the moment when Meiana, who had been standing a little away from the table, silently listening, was about to intervene.

Silas, picking up a cookie, looked alternately at Lucien and the girl next to him and said, “Lucien and Sisi, you may say that, but Arianthe might be different. People are not all the same. Don’t you think so?”

Silas undoubtedly had a significant say among the children of the same age. Like his parents, Count and Countess Alt, he was young, but he knew when to speak well.

When Silas spoke in defense of Arianthe, Lucien and Sisi, along with several other children sitting nearby, mumbled with their lips. However, there were no further issues… Meiana judged that Arianthe could feel a bit relieved.

On the other hand, her attention continued to be drawn towards Cedelois, who was sitting with other nobles and chatting. Since she noticed that he occasionally turned to look at her, it became even more so after that.

His low voice continued to echo in her mind like a long toll. It seemed almost unending.

What is he talking about? Meiana turned her gaze back to Cedelois, thinking. At that moment, as if there was some kind of agreement, Cedelois also looked at Meiana. The lady next to him also seemed to be looking at Meiana, and the two of them laughed together… Meiana turned her gaze away from them.

In this world, social status had more significance than anything else. What one was born into was almost a lifetime issue.
Occasionally, even commoners would become bureaucrats or gain a title to become nobles. However, that was a completely different world unrelated to Meiana, and even if someone became a noble in that way, it would likely take about a hundred years for them to be treated as genuine nobility.

Therefore, regardless of what they talked about, Meiana tried not to pay attention. It was usually not a difficult task for her, but today, for some strange reason, a corner of her heart felt uncomfortable, much like it did at Forebeck Manor.

“Let’s play in our garden!”

Around the time most of the children had almost finished the snacks, Arianthe, who had been engaging in friendly conversation with a few, suddenly stood up and spoke.

Chrony, a girl who couldn’t contain her excitement and had reddened cheeks, kept fidgeting with the ribbon on her cheek, even redder than her own cheek, and asked, “What are we going to play, Arianthe?”

Arianthe, who had bitten her lower lip and chuckled while gripping the edge of the table, said, “Let’s play hide and seek! In the garden, there are large trees, fountains, and if you go over there, there’s a path decorated like a small maze.”

As Lucien was about to grumble again, Meiana intervened.

“It sounds fun, I want to play.”

Then Chrony raised her hand quickly and said, “I want to play too! Since we attended the party today, Mother will probably be okay with it.”

Even so, the child glanced towards the table where her parents were sitting. Fortunately, her mother seemed busy chatting with others and didn’t seem to notice Chrony’s gaze.

As other children volunteered to play hide and seek, Lucien and Sisi reluctantly stood up from their seats.

Although they had a somewhat sullen expression, they were not at an age where they could enjoy the game and sit idle at the Odocone table.

Meiana said, “Lady, and other young lords and ladies, please join as well. The Duke’s garden is very spacious. If by any chance you get lost, never go behind the building or anything like that. Do you understand?”

Lucien, who was making an unhappy face with his fists clenched, snorted, “Don’t give orders to the maid.”

Sisi, who was next to him, chimed in, “Right. If it were Lord Leacock, he would have said, ‘Please, kindly refrain from going.’ You should say the same, too.”

Behind them, there was a muffled sigh from Vainty. It was the moment Meiana turned her head as if warning her not to think of any mischief.

“Don’t order Meiana around! Save that for your maid!”