Gather Divine Coins and Gacha! - Chapter 248

 After finishing the conversation with Jighart and the others, it was time for dinner. However, it turned into a bit of a banquet celebrating not only their return from the royal capital but also the marriage, the establishment of the new territory and knight order, and my appointment as the leader.

It was rare for me to join, but since I don't drink alcohol and the location shifted to the lounge, I took the opportunity to slip away. Teresa also followed me back to the room.

I told her it wasn't necessary since it was Seriana's room, but... is that what maids are supposed to do?

"What about in the morning?"

She asked after I finished changing. She'd even come to wake me up...?

"I'll sleep until I wake up, so there's no need to wake me."

"Understood. Then..."

"Wait a minute!"

I stopped her just as she was about to leave the room. Now that it was just the two of us, it was a good opportunity.

"Hey, why did you end up becoming my maid?"

I had heard that the Royal Guard’s selection criteria included family background, ability, and even appearance. They were said to be the cream of the crop among the women of this country.

Seriana, the new Duchess, is someone who could become a central figure in the eastern part of the continent, not just in this country. It might be worth leaving the Royal Guard to become her maid.

But for me... I did get knight status this time, but I still don't measure up by far.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't told you..."

"No, you haven't."

She seemed to ponder for a moment but then decided to speak.

"It was our duty to guard during the attack. Regardless of how well we performed, Seria-sama was injured during the assault."

"Yeah."

If you only look at the results, that's true.

"Thanks to your defense, we weren't punished, but it was decided that one of us should be assigned to you. I volunteered for that position."

It sounds less like a demotion and more like...

"Isn't that like a punishment? If you don't want to, I can tell the lady myself."

Having someone stronger than me grudgingly stay by my side is a problem.

"No, no. Indeed, that was the starting point, but for me, it was a welcome opportunity."

"Really?"

"Yes. I’m 26 this year... My family has been quite troublesome. I don't mind marriage, but I want to go out more. In the Royal Guard, there were no unmarried women older or the same age as me. I kept rejecting marriage proposals from above, and it was starting to get a bit uncomfortable."

Even though the Royal Guard gathers daughters from good families, it would be problematic if entering the Guard meant missing the chance to marry. So, there’s that too.

...She seems like a career woman who loves her job.

"There are differences in position, location, and such, between being Seriana-sama’s aide and being in the Royal Guard, but I have no complaints at all."

Even in the dim light, I could see her smiling.

I was glad to see she wasn’t here grudgingly.

"By the way, do you know what happened to those soldiers? I heard they were captured and interrogated."

"I heard they might be imprisoned for up to a year if they’re unlucky. Since it’s under a different jurisdiction, I’m not sure about the details, but I believe all four will face similar punishments."

Attempted robbery and injury, even if it was only an attempt. It seems light, but maybe they decided they were just fools tricked by a woman?

"I see... Thank you."

"You're welcome. Good night."

Teresa bowed her head and left the room for good this time.

◇

What I told Seria wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t entirely accurate either.

First, I resigned from the Royal Guard because Seriana, who came to see the faces of the attackers in the dungeon, told the three of us to choose one person in front of an empty cell.

Since the other two turned pale, I, as the eldest and representative, volunteered. Given my family’s connection as a branch of the queen's family, I could expect to avoid severe punishment.

As for those attackers... they probably won't last until the anniversary festival.

This situation was somewhat unexpected, but it was true that I was starting to feel uncomfortable in the Royal Guard. And I once weighed the options between joining the knight order and becoming Lady Elisha’s maid.

She might have some peculiar traits, but she’s a nice girl. The role of a maid isn't bad.

"Madam."

As soon as I entered the lounge, I met Seriana’s gaze and walked over to her.

"Good work. Did you talk with Seria?"

"He asked why I became his maid, so I explained that it was an order from above. He also asked about the fate of the attackers. Since he didn’t seem to know, I vaguely told him they might be imprisoned for about a year."

"Very well. You may sit and relax."

The problem is that I can't fathom this person’s depth...