IWMBS 5

‘No, wait a minute…’

I had waved back in response to her greeting, but a moment later, I realized my mistake. That wasn’t the sort of greeting a maid should give someone who was presumably a guest of the Grand Ducal Residence.

“Ah! H-hello!”

I hurriedly lowered my hand and bowed my head. A small laugh escaped the lips of the woman who looked like a fairy.

What on earth did that laugh mean? While I wondered, my eyes darting about uncertainly, she had already approached me.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before… Do you work here?”

“Ah, yes!”

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Lillian.”

“Oh…”

She parted her lips as though she recognized something. But then, as if nothing had happened, she smiled and said,

“How adorable. That name suits you.”

“Th-thank you.”

What was that? What was her reaction just now?

Feeling a little suspicious, I tried asking a casual question to get the conversation going again.

“Are you perhaps a guest of His Grace the Grand Duke?”

“That’s right. I did arrive a little earlier than our scheduled appointment, though.”

She answered as if it were no big deal. But in truth, it was far from something that could be brushed aside so casually.

A guest who was allowed to stroll through the garden, located deep inside the Grand Ducal Residence—not even just the reception room! Without the owner’s permission, such a thing would be nearly impossible.

‘Is she the Grand Duke’s lover? Or perhaps his fiancée?’

Either way, this was an opportunity for me.

I felt a little guilty about using this fairy-like lady for my own purposes, but it had already been three days. I couldn’t put off submitting my report any longer.

In the end, I opened my mouth, determined to find out whatever I could.

“Um, may I ask your name, my lady?”

“Pardon?”

She blinked at my question for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter. Her clear, cheerful laughter spread through the garden.

‘W-why is she laughing?’

I stared at her, utterly flustered. Then she explained in a voice that still held traces of amusement.

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just been such a long time since anyone called me ‘my lady.’”

A little while later, after she had completely composed herself, she gracefully extended one hand and continued.

“Please call me Madam Brandt. I run a salon in the capital.”

A sparkling diamond ring was snugly fitted around her ring finger.

Goodness! So she was already married!

“I’m sorry, Madam.”

“Not at all. It’s actually nice to hear someone call me that again after so long.”

Apparently, she really meant it. Madam Brandt looked quite pleased as she gently touched her ring.

‘Thank goodness.’

Whatever the circumstances, she seemed to have taken a liking to me. It didn’t seem to be solely because I’d called her ‘my lady,’ but I couldn’t exactly investigate that just yet.

In that case, perhaps I could find out a little more about something else.

“May I ask what brings you to the Grand Ducal Residence, Madam?”

I smiled brightly and brought up a casual topic of conversation. But the answer I received was something I hadn’t expected at all.

“Hmm, you could say it’s a matter of looking after one of my patrons.”

A patron?

That was the first I’d heard of it. Fortunately, Madam Brandt kindly offered an explanation.

“His Grace the Grand Duke is the biggest patron of our salon. He usually supports promising up-and-coming artists and intellectuals. Sometimes, he even invests in works of art or unusual inventions.”

“Ah, I see.”

“In other words, you could call it the refined hobby of a wealthy nobleman.”

She winked playfully. I nodded along in agreement.

That was when it happened.

“What are you doing here?”

At the chilly voice, both of us turned our heads at the same time.

Standing there was the very person we’d been talking about all along: the Grand Duke of Pelliam.

Raymond returned to his office and recalled what had just happened.

‘Um, I-I was just going to get back to work! Y-you two can carry on talking!’

At his sudden appearance, the petite maid had jumped in surprise and disappeared into the garden. It was almost as though a child had been caught doing something naughty.

‘She’s irritating.’

She had managed to injure herself while he was away, then reacted as though she’d seen a demon when he returned to the residence after a long absence. Even a casual joke from him had made her bristle in a way that was quite unlike her.

‘Good. Hiring a new maid every time would have been troublesome.’

‘Grrr…!’

Ah, that had been rather amusing.

Lillian had been unable to say anything to him, merely pressing her lips together in frustration. Remembering her innocent-looking face, Raymond unconsciously lifted one corner of his mouth.

Madam Brandt, standing before him, held out some documents.

“These are the sponsorship papers you requested. He’s quite an inconsistent painter, yet you somehow managed to recognize his talent.”

“…”

“Your Grace?”

At her questioning voice, Raymond finally responded and brushed his hair back.

“Ah, I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”

Taking the documents, Raymond slowly read through them. Then he picked up his pen and began signing each page one by one.

Press.

Finally, he stamped the papers with his family seal. After handing them back to her, he asked,

“What do you think of her?”

It might have sounded as though he was asking about the person named in the sponsorship documents, but that wasn’t the case. His attention was occupied by something entirely different.

Realizing this, Madam Brandt answered honestly.

“She was adorable.”

Her innocent face, with an expression she couldn’t quite hide. And those sharp, determined eyes that clearly wanted to uncover something.

Lillian was exactly the sort of girl Madam Brandt liked. She was so taken with her that she even wanted to hire her as a model for her salon.

“Is that all you have to say?”

Apparently dissatisfied with her answer, Raymond raised one eyebrow. Seeing this, Madam Brandt added another comment.

“Hmm… She also seemed to be wearing clothes that didn’t quite suit her.”

In fact, that was what had particularly caught Madam Brandt’s interest. A girl with a secret she kept hidden from others was all the more intriguing.

But her most generous patron was not so easily swayed.

“That isn’t enough. I’d like you to look into that maid again while you’re at it.”

At what was essentially an order disguised as a request, Madam Brandt shot him a sideways glance and grumbled.

“You always give me work whenever we meet. How unreasonable.”

“Since Lord Brandt is away, I have no choice but to rely on you, his wife.”

“Oh my. You do remember that you’re the very person responsible for separating me from my husband, don’t you, Your Grace?”

“Separating you? I would prefer you to say that I gave Madam Brandt a brief taste of freedom.”

Raymond demanded the correction with a perfectly straight face. In the end, she burst out laughing.

“Well, I suppose that’s not entirely wrong.”

Despite their teasing, Lord and Madam Brandt were so devoted to each other that the people around them could hardly stand it. Raymond knew that, which was probably why he felt comfortable making such jokes.

“I’ll send word as soon as I receive news of Lord Brandt. He’s rather stubbornly conscientious, so he won’t contact even you until his mission is complete.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

She bent her knees slightly in a polite gesture of gratitude.

As Raymond had said, her husband could sometimes be annoyingly stubborn and overly rigid.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted…”

After finishing a grueling day of work and returning to my room, I rubbed my aching body here and there. Was it because I’d been especially tense today?

‘Well, I did run into an unfamiliar guest and His Grace the Grand Duke.’

I had nearly fainted when the Grand Duke appeared without warning!

Still, I managed to make a fairly natural exit, and successfully delivered the snacks to the gardener. Getting to eat some of them myself was an added bonus.

“Today, I can finally write something!”

I clenched my fist with renewed hope.

For the past few days, how many nights had I spent tossing and turning, afraid someone might stab me in my sleep? Even the most professional part-time worker occasionally falls out of a tree when they’re exhausted. That was definitely why I’d made a mistake while washing dishes earlier.

I was tired, but I couldn’t put it off any longer. So I sat down at my desk.

I planned to make up a suitable report based on my conversation with Madam Brandt.

But then I suddenly froze.

The reason was simple.

“How am I supposed to send this…?”

I’d run into a rather practical problem.