Come to think of it, you said you were coming today, right? I erased my previously serious expression and smiled brightly.

“Welcome, Lopi. Is today your first day?”

“Yes, my lady!”

Back then, at the Marquis Eckert’s mansion, she was a child with a dying face. But now her response was energetic and her face was bright.

‘That’s good to see. I thought her kind heart that worried about me would fit well with the people of the Perhaem ducal family. I’m glad I brought her.’

“There may be subtle differences in the work between the Perhaem ducal mansion and the Eckert marquis mansion, but Ember will explain it well. Originally, I would have left everything to Ember, but I wanted to see your face once, so I called you here.”

At that, Lopi’s pupils widened and she covered her mouth with both hands.

“It’s an honor that my lady wanted to see my insignificant face! My lady is as beautiful and benevolent as the goddess of beauty, just as I’ve heard. You’re a completely different angel from the Marquise Eckert, remembering and calling my lowly name. I’m touched.”

Hmm…? It feels like I’ve received quite a long praise. But since she liked it that much.

“I see. I’m glad you say so.”

Kids that age have firm likes and dislikes. It’s cute, it’s cute.

“Yes! I thought I would get slapped mercilessly for being presumptuous. I had such a disrespectful thought. You were an angel who said you would pull me out of the hellfire pit. At that time, I saw the halo behind you, my lady. It was so bright like the sun that I almost went blind.”

“I-I see.”

I didn’t realize it then, but she talked a lot and her reactions were really abundant. But it seemed this wasn’t the end, as Lopi once again launched into praise for me.

“Ah… My lady, you are my salvation and my light. Really! I want you to know that I could even put my life on the line for you.”

Life, she says. That, I wanted to refuse because it was burdensome on my part. I carefully examined Lopi standing in front of me.

Her breath heaving from speaking quickly, her eyes sparkling and containing me, even her flushed cheeks. It’s almost like a fan meeting their favorite idol.

‘Did I scout a strange child…?’

But it was too late to regret now. Still, she’s a child with a good heart, so… it might be okay… Will it be okay?

“I’ll decline the life offer, that’s fine. Rather, you came to the ducal mansion earlier than I expected. I thought the Marquise Eckert wouldn’t let you come to me.”

Lopi, who had been catching her breath, answered as if she had been waiting for my question.

“Yes! Usually, she doesn’t care whether a maid leaves or not, but when it came to the Perhaem ducal mansion, she pettily tried not to let me go! So I used my specialty.”

Her shy smile made me wonder what on earth she had done.

“Specialty?”

“…It’s embarrassing, but my specialties are slander, defamation, and scheming. So when I said I would spy, she was so happy and let me go, you know?”

Is my hearing wrong? What did she just say? Slander, defamation, and scheming are her specialties?

I brought her here because I saw her kind heart that worried about me.

“Of course, I told a blatant lie because I only intend to serve you, my lady, who pulled me out of the hellfire pit, with all my heart.”

“Lopi, by any chance. If the Marquise Eckert finds out that you lied to her, what will happen?”

“I might lose my life, perhaps?”

How can she say such things so cheerfully? The butler, who had been listening quietly, turned his gaze to me. It was as if he was asking, where did you bring such an oddball from?

‘I don’t know either. I just brought her because I saw her kind heart that worried about me.’

“But don’t worry! I can protect myself well enough.”

How could she protect herself with that body that’s so thin from not eating properly? I sighed involuntarily.

“Why did you try so hard to come to me? Even if the Marquise Eckert didn’t like me and tried not to send you, she would have eventually sent you here.”

“I’m sorry, my lady. I just wanted to meet you as soon as possible!”

I wondered if that was really all. All I did was offer a job change. She doesn’t even know if it will actually be better here or not. Why come here even telling lies.

As I was scrutinizing Lopi carefully, I noticed something that had been hidden by her large movements. Her legs were trembling slightly and her body’s center was swaying a bit.

Her face was red as if shy, but she was breaking out in a cold sweat. I hurriedly stood up and grabbed Lopi’s body.

“For my lady to grab my lowly body. How can such an honorable thing…”

Seeing her still talking like this, I could understand how this child had endured at the Marquis Eckert’s mansion.

“Don’t try to hide it with such reactions. I thought it was strange that you were so exaggerated today, unlike your calm appearance when I first saw you. You’re hurt. Did the Marquise Eckert punish you?”

I saw her eyes rolling around. She seemed to be gauging my reaction. Lopi carefully opened her mouth.

“Did you notice…? The Marquise Eckert’s hobby is tormenting the maids.”

As I thought. I had thought too simply. I had heard so many warnings about her from the ducal maids. Why did I think the Marquise Eckert wouldn’t care about the maid I was trying to bring?

To her, the existence of maids would be no different from small ants. The Marquise Eckert must have been annoyed by my behavior of leaving during the tea time. But since she couldn’t directly lay a hand on me, she punished this child instead.

“Butler. Call Ember. This child’s condition is not good.”

“Yes, my lady.”

As the butler left, Lopi awkwardly smiled and apologized.

“I’m sorry. I’m causing trouble as soon as I arrive… But I know quite a lot of detailed information about the Marquise Eckert. It will surely be helpful to you, my lady. I don’t think you brought me here purely based on my character.”

I don’t know what she takes me for, explaining her usefulness like this.

“I didn’t hire you with such intentions. There were many maids working at the marquis mansion besides you to begin with. I could have obtained information without the trouble of bringing you into my mansion.”

“Then, why did you bring me here…?”

Her suspicious gaze was just like a wary cat. After always seeing the friendly people of the ducal mansion, seeing this child felt different.

“I told you. Your kind heart that worried about others even knowing you might be punished is the kind of talent that suits the ducal family. So I liked that and brought you.”

“…I think I’ve really fallen for you now, my lady. Whenever you need my specialty, please let me know.”

This child was talking so well despite being in pain. Soon after, Ember came in with the butler. I asked her to treat Lopi.

I smiled awkwardly as I watched Lopi fawning over me even as she was leaving.

After they disappeared, I fell into thought for a moment.

Indeed, I disliked the Marquise Eckert. I didn’t get a good feeling from her originally, but now I disliked her even more because she bullied weak people.

Is it because I often trained in swordsmanship with the knights at the Count Orbetian’s mansion? There was something I heard so much that it was etched in my ears.

Those who point their swords at innocent and powerless weaklings are not worthy of being knights. I didn’t dream of becoming a knight, but those words remained in my heart for a long time.

‘Where is there to punish such a small child? Knowing full well that she can’t disobey the words of the master she serves.’

Seeing her struggle like that, it was obvious she had been beaten.

I thought calmly. I could endure the Marquise Eckert spreading rumors about me. But thinking that she took out her frustration with me on that small child, I couldn’t just stand by. Because that child was now a servant of the ducal family.

This was no different from an action that looked down on the ducal family.

“I should let the Marquise Eckert know. That words can be a tool to torment others, but in the end, they come back to you.”

Yezar was looking at Julieta with concern. Originally, her demeanor would change completely when she held a wooden sword. But today, her eyes were half-closed.

The night when he had shown an unsightly appearance to the pure lady came to mind involuntarily. Was that incident bothering her again? Or was there something else on her mind?

“Doesn’t the lady look especially tired these days?”

At his question, the expressions of the knights beside him became subtle. It was because there were miserably broken wooden dolls visible beside her, making it hard to say she looked tired.

“Isn’t that your misconception, my lord?”

“That’s right. If the lady were tired, I don’t think she would have smashed those things so miserably.”

But their voices didn’t reach Yezar. Before they knew it, Yezar had approached Julieta and called out to her.

“My lady?”

Then Julieta startled and answered.

“Yes, Yezar. Why did you call me?”

“You looked tired, my lady. Didn’t you yawn and keep your eyes closed because you were fatigued?”

No matter how others saw it, to Yezar, Julieta had been quite strange lately. It was as if she was plotting something behind his back.