“A pure and headstrong younger man. He suits you well, doesn’t he, Lilian?”
Even Anna chimed in.
Ugh, I can’t take this!
I glared at each of the playful faces one by one, then in desperation covered Anna’s mouth first.
That was when.
“Enough, seriously—!!”
Ivy’s sharp voice rang loudly through the kitchen.
Soon, having risen from her seat, she huffed and shouted.
“Isn’t anyone going to work? How long are you all going to keep spouting that nonsense!”
In an instant, the kitchen’s atmosphere sank.
Everyone looked at Ivy as if wondering what was wrong with her, but she paid them no mind and simply sat back down.
“Suits her, my foot…….”
Ivy muttered in an irritable voice.
It was a murmur no one else should have been able to hear, but I heard it clearly.
Sometimes Lilian’s sharp ears picked up things I didn’t even need to hear.
‘So she was just annoyed by me.’
I felt sorry for the others who had received Ivy’s irritation along with me for no reason.
“Now, now, is the ingredient prep almost done?”
Just then, the head chef, who had stepped away, returned, and the frozen atmosphere temporarily subsided.
Still, I felt somehow self-conscious, so I ended up slipping out of the kitchen.
“Lilian!”
Yashin appeared before me as if he’d been waiting, his red hair fluttering.
‘Sigh…….’
I looked up at the guy who, despite being younger than Lilian, was a full handspan taller.
Then I began walking wherever my feet took me.
And the guy naturally trailed along behind me.
“Yashin.”
“Yeah?”
“How long exactly are you planning to follow me around?”
“Until you learn the sword, Lilian!”
Good grief.
I looked at him with a dubious expression.
Whether I did or not, Yashin’s eyes were still sparkling.
Just as I was pondering how to shake him off—
“Oh, His Highness the Grand Duke!”
The guy suddenly pointed behind me.
When I reflexively turned my head, I saw the Grand Duke, dressed more formally than usual.
It seemed it was true that he had been to the Imperial Palace.
‘I should get going soon.’
First, I need to detach this guy.
I grabbed the brightly standing Yashin’s arm and tried to quietly slip away—
“……!”
My eyes met the Grand Duke’s.
It was quite a distance, but the Grand Duke was staring precisely this way.
He must have heard Yashin’s voice.
‘You have sharp ears, as expected.’
I quickly bowed at the waist in greeting.
I intended to wait just until the Grand Duke passed by.
‘Has he gone by now?’
I subtly raised my gaze.
But somehow, I had the illusion that the Grand Duke had gotten closer.
No, he really had gotten closer.
The Grand Duke, who should have left long ago, was suddenly striding toward us!
“Huh? He’s coming this way?”
I know that too!
Looking at Yashin, who stood there blankly without a thought, I imagined what was about to happen.
‘What’s the matter, Yashin?’
‘I’m trying to teach Lilian the sword! When I saw her last time, she caught a wooden sword fragment flying at the back of her head in one go—’
Ah, nooo—!
Having conjured up the worst-case scenario with the highest probability, I urgently grabbed Yashin.
“I’ll do it! Let’s do it!”
“Huh?”
Yashin looked down at me with bewildered eyes.
Was it too out of the blue?
Just as I was about to hurriedly add an explanation—
“What?”
The Grand Duke…… had arrived…….
“Your Highness!”
Yashin, standing beside me, greeted him with a delighted face.
It was a greeting that felt more friendly than formal.
But the Grand Duke’s purpose lay elsewhere.
“What exactly is it that you’re going to do?”
“Ah, that is—”
As his question continued, Yashin opened his mouth.
And before he could answer, I blurted out a shout.
“F-friends! We’re close friends of the same age!”
A brief silence fell.
The Grand Duke silently raised one eyebrow.
Yashin, who had no idea what was going on, also tilted his head.
Then, ah.
As if something had dawned on him, a small exclamation escaped Yashin’s mouth.
“Right, let’s start as friends first!”
Suddenly changing the relationship might be a burden for Lilian too? Unfavorable? Anyway, it could be.
Having interpreted my words in his own way, he nodded and spoke.
It seemed he thought I felt burdened by suddenly becoming his disciple.
‘That wasn’t my intention, but either way, thanks!’
Thanks to that, I had cleared one hurdle.
At that moment.
The Grand Duke, who had been quietly watching the situation, crossed his arms and murmured.
“Same age, friends?”
Then he looked back and forth between me and Yashin.
The Grand Duke’s chilling gaze slowly swept over my face.
All I could do was smile awkwardly.
“Yes, friends!”
Yashin answered brightly with his scattered bulk.
At that, the Grand Duke pressed his lips together as if displeased.
But he said no more and turned, leaving the spot.
‘Phew…….’
Only after the Grand Duke’s figure had completely disappeared could I finally catch my breath.
I really almost got into big trouble!
“By the way.”
While I was reliefing, Yashin opened his mouth with a rather serious face.
He seemed to have sensed something odd in my behavior.
‘Well, even I’d find my actions suspicious.’
I’d been so flustered by the Grand Duke’s sudden appearance that I’d overreacted.
Gulp.
I swallowed without realizing it.
He’s gentler than he looks, so if I just explain something—!
“By the way, what does ‘same age’ mean? I’ve never heard it before. Is it a good thing?”
……Is that what matters right now?
At this innocent foreigner’s question, I ended up letting out a hollow laugh.
* * *
That night.
Having finished work, I quietly headed to the east annex.
More precisely, to a place a little away from it that Yashin said he used personally.
‘Personal training at night when everyone else is resting…….’
There’s no overtime like this overtime.
And there’s no extra pay for this either.
‘Ugh, thank goodness Lilian has good stamina!’
If it were my original body, I’d have collapsed long ago.
But what can I do?
If I made a promise, I had to keep it.
Especially with a weakness being held over me.
‘I don’t know if you realize it, but I’m the Grand Duke’s personal maid.
I can’t just quit my job carelessly, and I don’t want to either.’
‘……? I didn’t know.’
After teaching the guy the word ‘same age.’
I briefly explained Lilian’s current situation.
Surprisingly, Yashin listened to me attentively.
‘Anyway! The point is, it’d be trouble if strange rumors spread. So for now, I said we’re friends.’
‘So if rumors don’t spread, you’ll learn the sword from me?’
‘……If you keep it a secret.’
‘Okay!’
A willing acceptance fell from his mouth.
As long as he could make a disciple, that sort of thing didn’t seem to matter to him.
I also earnestly asked him to keep it a secret from the Grand Duke.
I added the excuse that job-changing matters are sensitive, so the employer shouldn’t know.
At that, the guy obediently nodded.
Rather, the problem appeared elsewhere.
‘Training about three days a week—’
‘What? That’s too few!’
Yashin’s face crumpled.
That look was quite fierce, so I flinched without realizing it.
But I deliberately feigned calm and did not back down in the end.
‘Do you have any idea how grueling a maid’s day is?
Things are a bit better now, but back then, I couldn’t even manage one day a week!’
In the end, the one who yielded first was Yashin.
‘Then promise me you won’t run away once you start learning.’
No, seriously, how much is he planning to push me…….
It was quite worrying, but I agreed for now.
If it really gets too hard, I’ll just collapse on the spot and say I can’t do it anymore.
What’s he going to do about it? My main job isn’t being a knight, after all.
As I was walking while grumbling inwardly, the very target of my grumbling appeared just in time.
“Lilian, over here!”
Yashin, poking his head out from between the trees, gestured toward me.
