Fortunately, Lilian was incredibly fast at running.
It was only after fleeing for quite a while that—
“Hoo, hoo…….”
I made it behind the main building and finally caught my breath.
“Th-that was dangerous.”
What just happened was far too sharp a reflex for an ordinary maid. Almost as if she’d been trained.
‘I don’t know exactly how skilled Lilian is, but…….’
At the very least, it seemed more than enough to draw a knight’s suspicion.
I should stay away from the east annex for the time being. I clenched my small fists and resolved myself.
* * *
Fortunately, I had no reason to go to the east annex.
As always, there were already more than enough volunteers.
‘Who knew I’d be this grateful that the knights are hard to see!’
Though I had to give up one of the Grand Duke’s frequently visited locations, the work done there was obvious anyway. Either watching training or sparring. It didn’t seem to require close surveillance.
So I deliberately took a long detour toward the west annex. Having eaten dinner earlier than the others, I was taking a walk alone under the pretext of aiding digestion.
‘What am I going to do about the report?’
The date was drawing closer, but I hadn’t found out anything in particular. At most, my guess that the Grand Duke seemed like a serious homebody…….
‘Surely they’re not going to come at night again?’
Even if the content was lacking, I had made a report, so wouldn’t they give me a bit more time?
Is there no way to buy some time somehow?
Should I just write outright and ask them to wait a little longer?
‘Hnngh, I’m going crazy!’
It’s not like I’m some writer being chased by a deadline……!
Even when I was juggling three or four part-time jobs in my past life and coordinating schedules, my head never felt this complicated. This new life I’d stumbled into was truly not easy either.
‘No, if only I had Lilian’s memories, it would be so much better!’
Wait a moment.
Come to think of it, the memories…… had surfaced, hadn’t they?
‘When was it?’
The first time was when I found the secret letter.
It wasn’t a clear recollection, but I had been able to decode all the cipher written on the secret letter. I had also been able to find the spy equipment hidden away in the room.
The second time was when I found the report Lilian had left unfinished.
That time, the memories surfaced quite clearly. Thanks to that, I could write the cipher and exchange the secret letter.
The last time was when I caught the wooden sword fragment flying at the back of my head.
In that moment, I felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu. As if the memories were etched into Lilian’s body itself.
‘And this is…….’
Everything was related to being a spy!
In that instant, goosebumps prickled down my spine.
‘D-don’t tell me that the more I do those kinds of things, the more the memories gradually surface? Because this is Lilian’s identity?’
Of course, it was a bit of a stretch to conclude that from just this clue alone. But it wasn’t entirely unreasonable either.
‘It means it’s worth trying at least once.’
Gulp.
I swallowed and slowly took my stance. Then, with my eyes closed, I exhaled deeply.
“Phew…….”
This reality, where I had possessed the body of a spy disguised as a maid, of all things.
The strange master of the house and demanding intelligence target, the Grand Duke of Pellium.
The strange and enigmatic adjutant who assisted him.
Swiish—
No sound could be heard anymore. I was in a state of focusing solely on ‘me.’
Flash.
I opened my eyes and swung my arm in an instant.
“Hah-ahp!”
Whoosh—
My right fist cut through the empty air listlessly.
“Hup!”
Whoosh—
My left fist followed suit, cutting through the air.
“Yap!”
Stumble—
My body staggered from the clumsy kick.
“Hah, hah…….”
After several attempts like that.
I finally realized.
‘This…… doesn’t work?’
I felt needlessly embarrassed.
Honestly, I had thought something would surface, or at the very least, my body would move instinctively like when I caught the wooden sword fragment.
‘Do I need to feel my life threatened or something?’
I didn’t know the exact mechanism, but for now, this method didn’t seem to be it.
‘Ah, there are still other possibilities!’
Let’s just take satisfaction in the fact that I tried it.
There would be more moments to trigger memories in the future. ……Probably.
“Heave-ho!”
I straightened my bent-over back from catching my breath. It seemed I had exerted myself more than I’d thought.
I soon left that spot with quick steps.
“……”
Without realizing that there were eyes watching me.
* * *
The Grand Duke of Pellium’s office.
Facing his superior, Dylan opened his mouth.
“She was throwing punches.”
“At whom?”
“At empty air.”
Raymond’s face twisted subtly.
But Dylan paid it no mind and continued speaking.
“Naturally, it was a very clumsy display. But judging by the strong will I sensed behind it…… she may have had someone she wanted to land a few hits on.”
“Hmm…….”
“Ah, as for her recently changed demeanor, she explained it was due to shyness. She said it takes her some time to adjust to work and get used to people.”
Shy, is it?
Raymond, who had been listening, let out a hollow laugh. But Dylan nodded to himself and spoke.
“Actually, I’m quite shy myself…… so I understand.”
“Is that so? That’s information I’m not curious about, don’t want to know, and have no faith in whatsoever.”
“That’s too harsh, Your Highness.”
“Enough. Next.”
Dylan wanted to add one more thing but gave up. It wasn’t as if he would listen anyway.
Instead of making meaningless grumbles, he brought up something else that would elicit a reaction.
“It seems the aftereffects of that accident the other day also play a part.”
Yes, the accident.
Certainly, from that day onward, she had changed.
“Servants slipping on the stairs is a common enough occurrence, but being unconscious for two whole days is by no means common.”
At the time, Raymond had been away from the Grand Ducal estate, so he couldn’t know the exact circumstances of the accident. According to the doctor, she had apparently hit her head hard when she fell.
‘Is it really just because of something like that?’
Honestly, it was plausible. It wasn’t uncommon for people to change after a major accident.
But strangely, Raymond’s intuition was warning him that there was something else.
“Having crossed the line between life and death on the battlefield and grown from it myself, I think Miss Lilian’s words have merit.”
“……”
“What changes a person is often something far more trivial than you’d think.”
“……”
“Whether for better or for worse—“
Just as Dylan’s explanation was about to continue, Raymond swept back his hair and spoke.
“Dylan.”
“Yes?”
“Shut that mouth of yours for a moment. Before it really changes for the worse.”
“Yes, sir.”
Dylan quietly shut his mouth.
Only then did Raymond smooth out his furrowed brow and fall back into thought.
Tick, tock.
The second hand of the office clock diligently went around.
Dylan, temporarily deprived of his voice, quietly watched his superior. As expected, something was off.
‘Why is His Highness the Grand Duke acting like this all of a sudden?’
Raymond Pellium was a more rational and thorough person than anyone.
Whether as a Grand Duke or as a battlefield commander.
Of course, he showed a relaxed, joke-cracking side before those close to him, but otherwise, he was cold to the point of seeming almost inhuman. It was enough that even the servants of the Grand Ducal estate feared him.
‘And yet…….’
Recently, he had been paying excessive attention to a maid named Lilian.
It seemed he suspected her of being a spy, but for that, his handling of the matter was terribly lukewarm.
It wasn’t the reaction one would expect from a man who, not long ago, had uncovered a spy who infiltrated the estate and ‘disposed’ of them.
“Shall we watch a little longer?”
But if the superior says kneel, you kneel.
Dylan, who had kept his mouth shut all along, cautiously asked. At that, Raymond pondered for a moment, then soon shook his head.
“No.”
Then, smiling slyly like someone who had thought of something amusing, he spoke.
“I’ll look into it myself.”
……For some reason, Dylan had a bad feeling about this.
