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The Viscount's Daughter
「Fay, come here for a second」
It was also hot today. Perhaps it was because Pyris was near the sea that the air was quite humid. It reminded me of the humid Japanese summer.
And in the midst of all that, despite feeling sluggish, I was absorbed in my daily cleaning routine - mop in hand - in the roofed connecting corridor where a slight wind blew in from outside when....
A voice suddenly called out to me from behind. Looking back, there was an unfamiliar maid standing there. She was a maid with a somewhat stern look and a rather featureless face.
「Let’s walk while we’re talking about business.....let me ask you, did you go out to buy something a few days ago?」
「Yes」
「There is a package addressed to you outside. What did you order?」
Aah, so it was about that.
「It’s a savings box. But it has a slightly strange shape」
When I explained like that, I felt like the sternness decreased from her expression, just a little.
「So, that is no doubt yours, right?」
「I can’t say for sure until I see it, but it should be」
I see. First, she did not want any trouble. What if the package meant for someone was stolen by someone else? If such a thing were to happen in the mansion, then it would be undesirable. The number of people stationed in the governor’s official residence would be quite considerable. I have never counted it before, but if I include the servants’ families, then it must easily exceed a hundred. Therefore, even the slightest disorder would require immediate response.
「Actually」
But, it seems that the talk did not end there.
「It has become a bit troublesome.....」
「What do you mean by that?」
「The package was handed over somewhere else」
「Eh.....then, if you could check and return it」
She shook her head when I said that.
「You will understand once you take a look. You, whatever you are asked to do, just say ‘Yes’」
What the.
Then, if I were to be asked to hand over that custom-made savings box, for example, I have to give it away? Well, in the first place, it was the money given to me by the wet nurse’s husband so I have no intention of loudly claiming it was mine. Even so, allowing someone to take what was originally mine would not be good for my mental health.
「I am sorry to keep you waiting」
Her voice was not directed at me, but at the door in front of us. Looks like we have arrived at some point.
Before I knew it, even the quality of the carpet had changed and the hallways had become visibly more magnificent. So this means...
「Come in」
A stern voice from a middle-aged woman.
「Please excuse us」
When the door opened from inside, the maid beside me deeply bowed. I followed suit and hurriedly bowed.
Inside the room, it felt like a different world. It looked like the master’s room, and it was not surprising to see an excellent-quality table, chairs, and furnishings lined up. However, there were already figures sitting on those chairs. Not persons. Also, not animals either. They were large stuffed toys. Even the curtains’ color and patterns had become unmistakably girlish, cute, and glamorous.
In the midst of such an atmosphere, a girl was sitting properly on the large sofa. She has blonde hair and white skin. Her well-proportioned features make one think of a doll. Resting at her knees was a clumsy mass of iron, completely unfitting of her.
2 young maids were sitting right beside her. There was another maid - approaching middle age -, her back straight as she stood by the side. An apprentice maid opened the door for us as she stood by in the corner of the room.
Aside from the master of the room, the person with the highest status in this room was probably the middle-aged maid, who opened her mouth.
「Fay, right」
「Yes」
With an unmoving expression that betrayed no emotion, she went on in a somewhat domineering tone.
「This metal box, it has a small address attached to it, could you confirm that this is truly yours?」
That craftsman, he must have made a mistake, huh? Did they not write who the item was for in the outer wrapping?
「This is the first time I have seen the actual product, as I actually commissioned them to make the savings box」
When they heard the word savings box, the maid in the room looked at each other’s faces. Probably because of the unfamiliar shape.
「But, there is no key or the keyhole」
「Yes, that is……」
I was about to explain but stopped. Because I noticed a gaze.
The girl who was holding my savings box. Someone with the highest authority in this mansion. There was no way I did not recognize her since I looked at her face every morning.
Liliana Enbio Tviety (リリアーナ・エンバイオ・トヴィーティ). The Viscount’s eldest daughter. Nothing was separating us physically in this place, but there was a barrier of social status between us. She was a noble. On the other hand, I was neither a knight nor a commoner. Just a slave.
But, she was intently staring at me without being aware of that wall.
「It is designed to open by aligning the number. First, the chains that secure the box」
I tried to smile as warmly as possible and explain it in a gentle tone. Looking at me like that, Liliana’s eyes seemed to shine a little.
However.
「Fay」
A voice, like a bucket of cold water, came from the side.
「We will ask the question from young lady. Please refrain from making arbitrary remark」
Haa?
No, I mean, you were the ones saying you don’t understand how the box works. But, the one interested in this savings box, was the young lady, right? So, what’s wrong with me explaining?
「So, it is not something dangerous, yes? There will be no situation where you will hurt your hand by mistake, right?」
Disregarding the fact that I was becoming annoyed at their actions, the middle-aged maid continued asking.
「I think that is unlikely」
The middle-aged maid looked to the side after hearing my answer. Gesturing with her chin, the two maids standing by beside the young lady nodded.
Looking at them, it seemed that the two of them were softly talking with the young lady. And the young lady also spoke in a small voice, difficult to make out from here, and they would listen to that and relay her words to those around.
Truly a roundabout action.
A little while after, one of the young maids opened her mouth.
「The young lady asks how to open this box」
「Yes」
I knew from the start that was what they wanted to know. So bothersome.
「You need to specify the number to open the box. To do that, first」
「Fay」
The middle-aged maid glared at me again. What now?
Suddenly, I noticed a hand pulling on my sleeve. It was the hand of the maid accompanying me into this room.
「You can’t」
She whispered with a sense of urgency.
「Please speak to the maid asking the question, not to the young lady」
Uwaa.
My eyes opened wide in an instant.
Aah, I see, was this what they called a barrier in status? That made sense. According ot the common sense of this world, this was actually normal.
「Please excuse me. First, please move the plate in the middle of the box to the side. .....yes, that. And then this time, put that in the bottom. Yes, now you can see the number」
At that concealed spot, there was a six-digit dial. All you had to do after this was to match the specified numbers and open it while pressing the switch. Only, the switch was located in a slightly difficult-to-understand spot.....but, before I could explain it, the impatient young lady was fiddling with the box noisily, trying to open it somehow. The two maids hurriedly put their faces together and were discussing something.
「Could you open it and show us?」
One of them said after some time.
「Certainly」
At the same time as I replied, the middle-aged maid quickly stepped in, picked up the box, and immediately handed it to me. In other words, it meant I must not close the distance with the young lady any further.
I just don’t care what these people think about me anymore. I entered the initial configuration numbers of 111111 and quickly opened the box while pressing the button on the side. Un, that craftsman, while he said this was the first time he made it, isn’t the result better than expected?
At the same time as I opened the box, the middle-aged maid snatched it from me. And then she handed it over to the young lady.
The young lady’s eyes opened wide for an instant, but then she quickly took on an expression as if she were flustered.
The two maids then talked about one thing after another, and then they turned their question at me.
「This box, where did you buy it?」
「I ordered it at the craftsman’s district on the east side of the city」
「So, are there other boxes like this over there?」
「No, I asked them to make the box like this」
「How much did it cost?」
「It was 6 silver coins」
I wonder what they would say next. Was it something like the young lady wished for it? Do whatever you want.
But before I knew it, the young lady’s expression had clouded over. It was, in the end, a subtle change but, if I had to say, it felt like the atmosphere of someone who was about to cry or feeling sad.
The 2 maids were constantly talking to her. A little while later, the middle-aged maid picked the box up, and held it in front of me.
「Thank you for your work. This is yours. We will give it to you tomorrow」
I bowed and left the room. As I was leaving, the young lady’s gloomy expression caught my eye.
The incident occurred the following day. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
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