Chapter 100

I did it... I did it!!

After the New Year Festival events are over, I’m going on a date with Aldar. I was the one who asked him!

How about that? I’m growing as a real-life person too, you know. Hehehe.

Name? I still can’t call him by his first name! But no, getting angry won’t do any good… I know that, but this chicken heart of mine can’t just change all of a sudden, can it?

Well, before that, there’s the birthday festival.

I’ll do my job properly, of course. And I want to observe the heroine carefully too!

If she acts hostile, I have to protect Lady Primula. If there’s nothing out of the ordinary, I don’t intend to take any action. But, considering all the information from Eren and other things, I can’t help but have a bad impression.

But that doesn’t mean I should take one-sided opinions at face value. I want to judge for myself after seeing her in person.

“Lady Yuria, I kept you waiting!”

“Yes, thank you for your hard work, Scarlett.”

“Hehe, to me, such documents are trivial!”

“Then I’ll ask you again next time.”

“Eh, that’s…”

“I’m just joking.”

“What, what do you mean?!”

Lately, Scarlett has been taking on all sorts of document work with great enthusiasm, which has been a huge help.

When I heard she was assigned to my team, I felt a sense of despair, but after interacting with her, she’s not a bad person, just overly confident.

But her handwriting is beautiful, and she seems to be serious at heart. When I entrusted her with documents, she completed them meticulously and even finished before the deadline. It’s a huge relief.

Today, I was about to go out to take a quick look at Eren, who had just been released from her confinement, and Scarlett came along to deliver some documents. We’ve reached a point where we can joke around with each other.

But, what is it, lately Scarlett’s attitude towards me has been softer.

I thought she would come at me with all sorts of questions after everyone found out about Aldar, but after reporting to Lady Primula, she seemed a bit unhappy. Lately, I haven’t seen that, and she seems to be working even harder.

“Look, look, that’s—”

“Oh, that’s—”

“—really plain—”

Oops, as we get closer to the outer palace, there are also noble ladies visiting.

They’re not here for work but to visit family members.

Of course, there are women who work, and knowing their fiancé’s job can be useful after marriage, so it’s not just for fun. There are some, but not many.

Some high-ranking women come to seek advice from high-ranking nobles or to listen to the Grand Bishop’s sermons… the palace is quite open, so people can visit the gardens and other areas freely, and some even dream of meeting men for a break.

There are even days when the palace is open to the general public, and there are even guided tours of the outer palace. Of course, prior application is required, and it’s often done by schools.

I think this is a very open and modern country. The king’s policy of equality and cultural advancement for all citizens is understandable.

But, approaching such a busy place, of course, there will be people who want to say something to me, who rarely leaves the princess’s palace!

Yes, yes, I understand. It’s like that, right?

They’re probably disappointed because the one who won Aldar’s heart isn’t a beautiful and young noble lady but a plain and ordinary maid from a lower noble family, one who’s even considered a late bloomer… They’re probably disillusioned.

It’s a bit like a victim’s delusion, but since this isn’t the first time, the face of a Tibetan fox comes to mind.

Well, I’ve been worried about being attacked by Aldar’s fans since we were friends, so it’s not new… but I’ve tried to make an effort to dress up a bit recently. It only lasted three days.

But I do use good rose oil and cucumber water for my toner, and I apply honey to my lips for protection. I’m making subtle efforts, very subtly. But I think these small things are important! How about it, my womanly charm isn’t at the bottom anymore, I’m growing. Hehehe…

(But, I was just going to take a quick look at Eren and come back… maybe it’s better to do it another time.)

I can ignore the snide comments, but they’re not really pleasant.

It’s because of me that Eren is in this situation… it’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I just noticed, so it’s fine to check later. I can ask the head of the outer palace too.

“Hey, you two, aren’t you being rude?”

“What, who is this girl?”

“She’s the problem child of the Pigeot family.”

“Oh, this vulgar red hair…”

“Vulgar red hair?”

Oh no, while I was thinking, Scarlett must have rushed in, and it feels like things are about to get worse!

“Scarlett…!”

“This lustrous red hair is admired by many, so I suggest you stop exposing your narrow-mindedness. Besides, as a noble, isn’t your behavior inappropriate?”

“Oh! To think you, in a position where you’re only allowed to work, would dare to…!!”

“The target of your gossip and laughter is the head maid of the princess’s palace, my superior. I can’t stand it!”

Oh, is Scarlett… defending me?

But it’s not good for a maid to scold a visiting lady, so I grabbed Scarlett’s head and made her bow.

Of course, I understand how frustrating their comments are. What do they mean, only allowed to work? If someone likes working, they’re not a troublemaker!

“I apologize, my ladies. I will make sure to speak to her. If there’s anything I’ve done wrong, please feel free to request a meeting. …And, if there’s anything I’ve done wrong, please let me know.”

Ideally, I should just ignore them. Since Scarlett spoke up, I made her bow, and she’ll probably be angry later.

They don’t seem to be high-ranking enough to cause a fuss, and causing problems would be bad for both of us… so I hope they back down.

After a bit of whispering, they looked down on us and said, “Fine, but don’t let it happen again. Be grateful for our leniency!” and left. Phew, what a relief.

By the way, I don’t know who they are, but from their comments, they seem to be from decent families?

They might have been here as trainees, but I don’t know many people unless they’re trainees in my area.

“Phew, they’re gone.”

“Hey, …how long are you going to hold me down?!”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“You’re pressing too hard!”

As Scarlett pouted and glared at me, I called out to her to go back. She looked unhappy, but her expression was cute because she stood up for me.

Is this… what they call tsundere…?

“Why do you let those people get away with it? I can’t understand!”

“We are the princess’s maids. We should ignore them during work. Besides…”

“Besides?”

“There’s no need to stoop to their level.”

“Oh!”

Scarlett looked convinced. Yeah, this girl is easy to understand…

“You’re right, I should have treated their vulgar voices like the croaking