Chapter 3: I Became a Mistress
It’s been a few months since that birthday party where I really wish they’d let me off for the second time.
Oh, come on, Grandpa! Please spare me the trouble! (pleading)
But well, despite not having many chances to meet them, it was a fortunate event to encounter those amazing sisters.
…There was a slightly beastly scent, but that couldn’t be helped. Devils are lonely creatures, after all. Maybe I should try another interdimensional summoning… (failed attempt 1)
Let’s leave it be since it ended safely for now. But still, right? Did news of the sisters’ outrageous actions reach even the royal family? Especially Elea-sama, who seemed to be acquainted with the sisters’ mother, was apparently quite angry. The sisters ended up studying abroad in the neighboring country of Sigres before I entered the magical academy.
Sigh… Not that I’m feeling down or anything. Honestly, the harvest is still early. It might be better to let it sleep and mature for a few more years.
However, if I could attend the same academy, well, just a little, maybe I could have a tiny taste.
But ideally, I’d like them to come back while I’m still attending. Those aristocratic young ladies with that kind of vibe are very precious.
Father apologized to me, but I really don’t mind! In fact, I’m totally fine with it!
Father seemed to have a very pained expression when talking about the sisters. He must be feeling a complicated kind of affection.
I’ll treasure the sisters from the bottom of my heart and, like the secret liquor that Grandpa is hiding, savor them little by little over my lifetime.
Sisters, please stay well… though, you see, those two left a troublesome “souvenir.”
“Eurushia, can you listen to what I have to say?”
“Yes, Father!”
Summoned by Father, who had returned to the Tull Territory, I ran over eagerly. Father lifted me up and, seating me on his lap on the sofa, began to talk.
…Huh? Is it just me, or does he look tired?
“Do you know what the Versenia Grand Duchy is exporting to the Sigres Kingdom, where your older sister sent into?”
“Um… alcohol and… iron!”
“You’ve been studying well. From us, they import iron products and distilled spirits, and in return, we import crops and fruits from Sigres.”
As a reward for the correct answer, I got a head pat.
While we produce crops and fruits in our Grand Duchy, Sigres, known as an agricultural powerhouse, apparently has a surplus of slightly damaged produce. We send semi-processed goods to them, where they make fruit wine and ale. Additionally, we send processed distilled spirits.
The iron they import from us is not the large quantity of iron ore suitable for weapons, but precision tools like drills and chisels.
Products with the Grand Duchy’s emblem are considered branded goods.
“So here’s the thing. Eurushia, I want you to assist me by inspecting the territory that produces such goods in my place. How about it?”
“Helping out~?”
Finally, as the princess of the Grand Duchy, my first errand!
……Eh? Inspection of the territory? Me alone? Seriously? I mean, I’m just a grain-crushing pureblood who has only moved between here and the royal capital castle.
“Could you listen to the details?”
“…Sure.”
Upon hearing the details, it became apparent that not all products were manufactured within the Tull territory. Especially with iron products, instead of transporting iron ore from the mines somewhere, everything from smelting to processing was done locally, aiming for efficiency.
“At that location, securing fuel is challenging, but nearby elves from the forest cut down plenty of trees, selling charcoal, making it possible.”
“Hmm…”
Salt Daifuku, huh… Do those kinds of races not cherish the forest?
Returning to the discussion, the inspection was also an important task assigned by her father. However, the duties of a grand duke extended beyond that, and as a royal family member, there were responsibilities in the royal capital. In case of any issues, there might be a need to travel abroad, so there wasn’t much time for regional visits.
…Is that because I meet her too frequently?
Well, that’s a legitimate reason, so there’s really no help for it. But why am I being asked to conduct an inspection? Apparently, there were requests from the locals.
Huh?
What? should I sing? I’m not an idol from Tull? Then, what’s the purpose… Ah! Could it be related to being a ‘Holy Maiden’!?
“In places dealing with iron ore, there are people who suffer severe injuries in the mines and ironworks. Until now, we’ve provided alternative work for those who can’t return to the same job… But if Eurushia is willing, maybe she could heal them? Of course, just Eurushia showing up would boost their spirits.”
“I see…”
More of an idol support kind of thing, huh?
But, in places like that, don’t they have clinics, priests, or priestesses who can use sacred magic? I thought so, but regular priests need to use magic several times even for bone fracture treatment. Apparently, they can’t just use magic recklessly like me, to heal injured people in bulk.
So, the rumors of the ‘Holy Maiden-sama,’ who could heal them both physically and mentally, reached far.
But…
“Am I really a Holy Maiden…?”
I haven’t been officially recognized as a Holy Maiden by any denomination yet, so it’s embarrassing to be called that.
“I’ve got that part covered. Since the title of ‘[Holy Maiden-sama]’ is special for the Holy Kingdom, you can’t just be recognized or claim it casually. So, don’t worry about it.”
“…Okay.”
On the contrary, that’s scary! Won’t I be viewed with hostility by religious factions?
“Well then, let me tell you a bit about the Holy Maiden-sama.”
“Sure.”
The most straightforward reason why a ‘[Holy Maiden]’ is not easily recognized in this country is that it’s the renowned religious state, the ‘[Holy Kingdom].’
I don’t fully understand the details, but essentially, just like how an unknown fruit wine and a branded fruit wine are not equivalent, a Holy Maiden branded with the Holy Kingdom is regarded as special by everyone.
Originally, it seems that the princess who became the queen at the founding of the Holy Kingdom was a Holy Maiden. Even now, Holy Maidens are revered by the people as objects of worship on par with the royal family.
Because of that, a few hundred years ago, the various sects were flooded with so-called “Saints” recognized by each sect. The absurd story goes that the king at the time, fed up with the sects starting conflicts due to the Saints fleeing or not returning after being sent to defeat the demon king, ordered the demon king’s subjugation, and none of them came back.
Wait, aren’t demons just a general term for barbaric tribes, not some evil humanoid race? Can we stop with the demon slander, please?
…Getting off track here.
In essence, due to these ridiculous legends of all the Saints either escaping or dying a foolish death, the sects have become extremely cautious. If they appoint a human as a Saint and fail, there’s a risk of losing religious recognition within the Holy Kingdom. So, they’re being quite careful.
“There’s another difficult-to-attain ‘title’ for the same reason. Eurushia, do you know about it?”
“Yeah… Demon King?”
“…Yeah, not quite right. That’s also a challenging title to be recognized.”
Seems like I got it wrong.
While it’s the Holy Kingdom’s duty to recognize humanity’s enemies, there was an entity tasked with defeating these “enemies.” This, too, led to a mass occurrence at one point, where individuals were sent along with the Saints and never returned.
“Surely, this entity will stand by the side of the Saint, so Eurushia, take your time thinking about it.”
“Yeah.”
I have no idea what’s going on!
“So… Eurushia will have four exclusive ‘attendants.'”
“…Huh?”
Attendants? Like, servants similar to Mother’s Vio?
Currently, whenever I go somewhere, one of Vio’s three accompanies me. It’s because I’m the daughter of Mother, and I’m borrowing them from her.
While the three knights of the escort are like attendants for me, they are guards and not caregivers.
So, it’s not an issue for me to have exclusive attendants… Father? Why are you avoiding my gaze?
For some reason, Father looked like he had a stomachache, didn’t provide detailed explanations about the attendants, and went back to work. …Suspicious. There must be something about these attendants, right? There’s definitely something. （I’m sure.)
Oh well. We’ll put aside the complicated talk for later and move forward positively.
Today, I’ve been curious about the monster situation in this world, and I’m going to have Min, the book-loving maid, teach me.
If I’m going on a regional Tull, not an idol Tull but a territory inspection, there might be times when such knowledge comes in handy.
Are demons really present, not just monsters? It sounds intriguing!
“Eur-sama~. Today, I brought the ‘Monster Dictionary for Travelers.'”
“Alright.”
As expected of Min. She picked out a book that looks the part.
“First up is the ‘Horned Rabbit.'”
“Wow.”
“It moves quickly and escapes as soon as it’s spotted. But its meat is delicious.”
“Wow…”
It’s just a rabbit.
“Now, what’s on this page?”
“This is the ‘Wolf.’ When it sees travelers, it approaches, and if you feed it, it’ll stand guard for the night.”
Where did your wildness go?
“…How about this one?”
“This is the ‘Boar.’ It’s a bit strong, but the meat is very delicious.”
” ………… “
Useful for travel… Is it in terms of being ‘useful’ that way?!
Certainly, it would be convenient if they appeared during the journey.
“Oh, Lady Eur~ Were you interested in dangerous monsters, by any chance?”
“Yeah.”
Don’t look so surprised. Even I didn’t expect that choice.
Min fluttered away somewhere and quickly brought back a book titled “Dangerous Monsters on the Journey.”
Good… there’s a normal book I expected.
“This one is a Tiger. They are cautious and rarely appear in front of people, but be careful because they target horses.”
“Well.”
Dangerous animals like that live in the forest! How scary.
“This is a Rhino. When it sees travelers, it attacks with its horn.”
“Oh, really?”
“And this is a Hippo. It charges at travelers.”
“….Hmm.”
“And here’s an Elephant. When it sees travelers, they attack in groups.”
“…………”
What’s going on…?
Monsters? Are these monsters? They seem strangely vivid!
No, wait a minute. That’s not the issue.
Are they going to attack? On the forest road? Attack travelers? Rhinos and Hippos!?
That’s incredibly frightening, isn’t it!?
If I’m not mistaken, they are much scarier than low class demons!
This is what I asked Min, but this is not what I want to know.
“Oh, Lady Eur~ Were you perhaps interested in dangerous [magical creatures]?”
“……Yeah.”
I was surprised too. I see… Rhinos and Hippos are animals, but all dangerous creatures are treated as monsters. If this is the standard in this world, if the Demon King rides on a Hippo, I’ll point and laugh…
As we continued doing that, another few months passed.
Well, my, my, I’m growing up quite well. I don’t know why I’m growing even though I’m a demon.
And finally, Father brought my prospective attendants. …He seemed to be avoiding some words, but it’s okay, right? I trust you, Father?
“…………”
“Since they will be close aides for a long time, wouldn’t it be better if they were close in age…”
They will take care of me, right?
These [children]…
“Well then, can you introduce yourselves?”
Avoiding my piercing gaze, Father prompted the four children in front of me, who seemed not to be afraid of me… rather, they didn’t seem very interested in me.
First, the first one— the only boy among the four… he started his self-introduction with a somewhat unpleasant smile, rubbing his hands.
“I am Noir, the eldest son of the former Baron Rutol. I will be Lady Eurushia’s attendant apprentice.”
Noir, eight years old. Burnt brown hair… maybe a brunette? He greeted me politely, but his somewhat grayish-blue eyes seemed a bit suspicious.
Even during the greeting, he kept glancing at Father instead of me…
The second one…
“I am Ninette, the twin sister of Noir-nii-sama. Um… an aspiring guard knight?”
Ninette-chan, eight years old. The color is the same as her older brother. Noir seems suspicious, but this girl somehow doesn’t seem to understand a lot of things herself.
Despite being in front of me and Father, they casually yawn… Are they also trainees as attendants, doubling as our guard knights?
The third one—
“I’m Christina, the eldest daughter of the former Viscount Cerda. I’ll be a maid-in-training.”
Christina, five years old. Born in the same year as me, but she speaks quite maturely. I saw her for the first time… blonde hair in vertical curls.
However, perhaps due to her blue eyes, she gives off a strangely indifferent or sword-swallowing vibe… not strong enough to stimulate my interest, though.
Finally, the fourth one—
“I’m Fantine, the third daughter of the former Baron Roan? Like Chris-chan, I’ll be a maid, but I’ll also be a maid!”
Fantine, five years old. Same age as me. A lively child… or so one would say, but more like she can’t read the atmosphere.
She has a beautiful face, but due to her silver hair and blue eyes, or maybe her actions, she gives off an oddly artificial vibe… like a soulless doll moving.
Age-wise, Fantine and Christina are the same age as me, while the twins Noire and Ninette are three years older.
“…?”
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I gently turn my gaze to Father. Father discreetly averts his eyes.
Are they going to be my exclusive attendants?
And why do they all have “former” attached to their noble titles?
“All right then, you all! Counting on you, Eurushia! Get along with Eurushia too!”
“Oh! Father!?”
With just that, Father took the coat from Grandpa, and without stopping, went back to work. Seriously!?
I quietly put down the hands reaching for the air and slowly turn around, putting on a smile in princess mode.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Yes, milady!”
“Nice to meet you, Lady Eurushia.”
I wonder if we can get along…
For now, should we aim for an idol unit?
The four newly arrived children.
They are not bad kids… At least, there was no sense of hostility towards the Grand Ducal family. It seems they listen to what I and Viola, who is in charge of their education, say.
These four are definitely not bad kids.
But, subtly…
“Lady Eurushia, for today’s schedule, we have an etiquette teacher coming in the morning.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Noir-kun? Is that the end of today’s report? Is it okay to go back to work? Why are you staring at me so intently? And why are you looking at the table’s sweets? You won’t get a reward for this little…
“…You can eat them.”
“Thank you, milady!”
Is the meal not enough…? The meals for the attendants are quite luxurious, Ferl and Min were delighted.
—Crash!
“Oh, milady, I’m sorry. I broke the vase.”
Once again, it seems that clumsy Ninette-chan has broken something. This girl might not just have scattered attention; she might have absolutely “none.”
This girl is my bodyguard…
“Ninette… since we’re indoors, do you really need to carry a practice sword?”
“No, I’m your ladyship’s bodyguard… um, I like swords.”
“Oh, I see…”
I haven’t asked anyone about their preferences. Implicitly, I’m saying that she’s breaking things because she’s carrying such a thing around with no attention span.
“It’s okay, Lady Eurushia.”
Noir, who lowered her hips, interjected. She seems to have some intention of protecting her sister.
“With the financial power of the Grand Ducal Family, a couple of vases are nothing to be concerned about.”
…Huh?
“As expected of the Grand Ducal Family. I’m glad I can work here.”
What are you guys talking about?
“…Anyway, clean it up.”
“Understood, my lady. Come on, Ninette. Let’s tidy up the vase.”
You do it, Noir. Are you bored or something?
“Yes~. I’ll call the maids right away.”
I slowly massage my forehead, suppressing the intimidation that naturally wants to leak out while the twins push each other to clean up.
“Hurry up and clean it. The two of you.”
For the first time in five and a half years of my life, I felt irritated.
“Chris, could you make some tea?”
I don’t taste it, but even demons get thirsty sometimes.
“Of course. Also, my name is Christina.”
“…Sure.”
Is it not allowed to use a nickname? You let Fantine be called ‘Chris-chan,’ didn’t you?
“I’ll need you to tell me your tea preferences.”
“…Just make some herbal tea.”
“Alright, then I’ll prepare some random herbal tea.”
“Oh, by the way, where’s Fantine?”
“I don’t know. Please wait a moment.”
“…Ah.”
With a bang, the door closed, and she went somewhere.
She… Christina is about the same age as me, but she seems much more capable at her job. Is it too meticulous, or rather, is it nervousness?
If I had to classify her, it would be cool, but her impression is entirely different from Vio, who is also cool.
For now, she’s a hundred percent tsun and has no dere.
Yeah. I don’t think she has any ill intentions. She’s just a perfectionist…
That’s what I think!
And then there’s another maid-slash-maid, and I don’t see her for a whole day.
“Hey, Fel. Have you seen Fantine?”
During tea time, I ask Fel, and she tilts her head as if remembering something.
“If it’s that girl, she was digging holes in the courtyard flower bed this morning. Didn’t Lady Eur asked her to do something?”
“No…?”
As Fel and I tilted our heads in confusion, the other maids around us began to fill us in on what happened.
“She was in the kitchen, receiving sweets from Lady Eur, but now she’s nowhere to be found.”
“I saw her walking somewhere with a blanket.”
“Come to think of it, she usually comes to get her meal first, but she didn’t show up today. Is it okay to skip Lady Eur’s meal duties?”
“I saw her carrying Lady Eur’s picture book and crayons. Did Lady Eur use them?”
“…………”
The housekeeper seemed to have observed. “Fantine, what are you doing? Acting like a child playing around at a relative’s house, huh?”
Doing things at her own pace? Is it really her pace? But! Among those four, Fantine is probably the most decent one. At least, she’s the only one with whom a [conversation] can somewhat happen… though it’s unclear if she really understands the words.
Those four will probably become more decent if we can break the ice. They are human after all, and there must be some good in them.
As the master, and they being still children, there are various issues when children work. After a few years, when we become adults, they should become respectable servants.
…I wonder which will reach its limit first, me or them?
And soon, the day is approaching when, as the daughter of the Grand Duke, I’ll go on a territorial inspection as part of my father’s work.
I should ask the servants to bring those kids…
“…………”
…Should I run away?
**
In the royal capital Versenia, the main campus of the Magic Academy, almost all children of nobles with magical abilities from within the Tariterdo Kingdom would attend.
For those who have a separate residence in the capital or can rent a mansion, it’s different, but for intermediate and lower-class nobles from remote areas, the academy provides student dormitories.
One of them, Seri, the third daughter of the Varun Baron family, received one day an invitation in her room.
“W-What is this!?”
The moment Seri recognized the “sender,” she panicked and covered her mouth with both hands.
In the Varun Baron family, which has a small territory in the northern part with no significant industry, there was no luxury to have a separate mansion in the capital. Although Seri, being the third daughter, managed to attend the main campus in the capital, she had no choice but to live in the student dormitory.
Wealthy noble families with residences in the capital or daughters of large merchants hold tea parties almost every day, discussing fashionable clothing, music, and enjoying high-end sweets and tea.
However, Seri, as a daughter from a rural area, was not invited to such gatherings. She gathered with friends in similar situations or commoner girls, trying to imitate tea parties in their dorm rooms, dreaming of a glamorous world.
The topics for Seri and her friends were everyday life, school, cute boys, and occasionally hearing stories from participants about a real tea party, which they could rarely attend…
What they admired the most was the gossip about the [Moonlit Tea Party].
You couldn’t participate in that party through regular means. Even if a high-ranking noble’s daughter tried to suggest participation, they would be rejected, or so they heard.
It all started with a sudden arrival of an [invitation] to their room.
Invitations to the [Moonlit Tea Party] reached the girls who had no previous acquaintance, said to be granted to those recognized by Count Auber’s daughter, Mylene. Those who attended the tea party, with dreamy expressions, would share the splendid experience with others.
Young and beautiful butlers and fairy-like maids welcomed the girls. In the luxurious garden filled with blooming roses, they were treated to exquisite dishes, sweets, and wonderful drinks. The host of the tea party, Miss Mylene—[The Silver Princess]’s beauty enchanted them…
However, the Moonlit Tea Party comes with oaths.
One, you must not show the received invitation to anyone.
Two, you must never speak of being invited until it’s over.
Three, until you board the carriage that comes to pick you up at night, you must not be found by anyone.
If any of these oaths are broken, the carriage will never come, and the person will never receive the invitation again…
Such invitations, which can even affect one’s status in high society, reached Seri,
“I’m here…… I’m here: …… “
Seri who had no connections. Clutching the invitation with a drawing of a [Silver Rose] under the door of her dorm room, Seri hid it under her underwear, as if entrusted with an unheard-of fortune.
“Ugh~ I want to tell someone~”
Overflowing with excitement, she rolled around on her bed, tortured by the thought of accidentally revealing it to her friends who came to invite her to dinner. Fearing that, she lied about not having an appetite and locked herself in her room.
And then… that night—
“Wow…”
Riding a lovely carriage she had admired in picture books since childhood, Seri was invited to an unknown luxurious mansion and a beautiful garden.
Red roses bloomed all around, and elegant music flowed from somewhere, gently tickling her ears.
At a table made of pure white marble and white chairs made of thin metal, other girls holding the same [Silver Rose-drawn invitation] as Seri were being served by beautiful butlers and maids. They looked intoxicated, wearing enchanting expressions.
“Welcome, Lady Seri.”
Approaching Seri, who had just arrived, was a silver-haired girl in a black and purple dress.
“Y-yes… Lady Mylene…”
Silver hair shining like the moon. White skin as if blue blood flowed.
(How… wonderful…)
Enchanted by her overwhelming beauty, Seri’s feet stopped, and as she stared into those purplish silver eyes with a mysterious gleam, Seri’s expression and heart melted, just like the other girls.
“Now, please come in.”
The girls woke up in their beds the next morning.
However, those who found the [Silver-threaded Ribbon-wrapped Rose], proof of having attended the tea party, realized that the events of last night were not just fantasies or dreams. They shared the magical experience with friends and family, dreaming of the wonders of the [Moonlit Tea Party].
Except for a few girls, including Seri, who couldn’t return…
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