“……What did you say?”
Mother, who had received a report from the butler the moment she returned home, looked at me with an incredulous expression. I gave her a slight smile.
“I disciplined some insolent servants.”
“I had already spoken to the servants separately. They should have been clearly instructed to be respectful. Did they show you discourtesy again?”
“No, not that. It seems there are those who are carelessly gossiping about household matters.”
The butler, who had been watching me speak so nonchalantly with a pale, shocked face, cleared his throat and cautiously interjected.
“Tom was always a very loyal and diligent servant. If he did something wrong, perhaps… we should consider if there might have been a misunderstanding…”
“Butler, have you been managing the servants with such complacent thinking? Good heavens! I’d believe there was a spy hiding somewhere in this mansion right now.”
“A s-spy?! All the servants working at the Roam mansion faithfully serve their master.”
The butler jumped up in denial.
I was already aware that the servant training at the Roam mansion was thorough. That’s precisely why I’m making such a direct fuss myself.
‘I stirred up the knight order, so I should stir up the servants too.’
Moreover, the Tom I dismissed today was a very loyal and diligent servant who had often dealt with me before my neck was severed.
「Lock Anelli in her room immediately!」
「Escort the second young lady out.」
There were many moments when his strength was needed—like when I was being chased out of Father’s study, or when I was being locked in my room after throwing a tantrum.
Every time, how faithfully he dragged me away.
「Excuse me, young lady.」
And I can’t begin to describe how unpleasant his rough, persistent grip on my arm was.
Perhaps recognized for his merits from those times, he seemed to have risen to a fairly high position among the servants and settled in well.
Having climbed the ladder as a reward for his loyalty to Roam—I had no choice but to make an example of him immediately.
“Butler, you may leave for now.”
Mother, who had been silent, first sent the butler away.
“Anelli….”
A cool voice tinged with faint anger. I faced Mother with an expression that showed I didn’t care in the slightest.
“Yes?”
“I truly don’t understand. If there was someone suspicious, shouldn’t you have told me first?”
Mother was always one who looked upward. In other words, she greatly disliked anyone encroaching upon or disregarding her authority.
“You weren’t here, Mother. If I gave him more time, who knows what else he might have spread?”
“So you dismissed someone just like that?”
“It’s just one servant, Mother. Is one servant more precious than upholding Roam’s discipline?”
At my question, Mother pressed her lips into a tight line.
Of course, one servant wasn’t precious to Mother. She probably didn’t even know what duties that servant was in charge of.
“Although it hasn’t been officially announced yet, if I, practically the heir, cannot reprimand a single servant, that too would undermine Roam’s discipline.”
I shrugged my shoulders and smiled at Mother again.
“You must be tired, and the butler has disturbed your mood with trivial matters. Please get some rest.”
I left the room without waiting for Mother’s permission.
Then I sought out the butler and thoroughly scolded him for unnecessarily bothering Mother.
It was in front of all the servants.
The butler remained silent, his face flushed red. He seemed to hope Mother would appear and see this, but sadly, Mother was not one to step outside her room when angry.
Likely out of concern that she might appear irrational in front of the servants.
In the end, the butler had no choice but to silently endure my irritation.
* * *
By the time I had stirred up the household like that and returned to my room, it was already evening.
“Her Ladyship says she will not have dinner. So…”
“I’m fine too.”
The maid reporting outside the door said she would withdraw. Seeing she didn’t ask twice, it seemed my behavior today was quite unpleasant even in their eyes.
Confirming the now-quiet outside, I slumped onto the sofa. I needed to wash and change clothes, but everything felt bothersome.
“This is tiring too.”
I don’t know what energy drove me to throw such passionate tantrums in the past. It’s laughable that I received a death sentence despite throwing tantrums so vigorously.
Anyway, throwing a tantrum after a long time felt novel, but I had no confidence to keep this up. Tormenting others also consumes energy.
“Damn bastards, when on earth are they leaving?”
Muttering irritably and pressing my eyelids, I finally spat out the curses that had risen to my throat.
I was waiting for Maxel to depart for the Ruejak barony.
According to Tristan’s reconnaissance, Lilia seemed eager to rush there immediately, her body practically itching to go.
Heinri at the imperial palace also seemed to be indirectly encouraging them to depart as soon as possible, but the Emperor was unexpectedly stubborn.
“I guess I’ll have to use some scheme.”
Heinri had informed me that the Emperor had people from Fressian by his side. So naturally, I thought Lilia’s influence would reach him, but it seems that with Fressian dead, Lilia isn’t properly handling his subordinates.
They’re clearly turning a blind eye to such obvious scheming, and I don’t know how long I have to wait.
“Stupid Lilia.”
Can she really not think of anything without information gained from prophecies?
Shouldn’t she at least lie about having a miraculous potion that can wake the Empress to get permission for the Crown Prince’s outing?
If she lacks the confidence to get it directly from the Emperor, she should cling to Father or Mother.
She could hand over a few pieces of prophecy information she has and ask for help in return. What’s so difficult that she’s dragging it out?
Clicking my tongue and shaking my head, I heaved my heavy body up.
‘Should I drop a subtle hint?’
I’ll check the situation tomorrow first. If there’s truly no answer, I’ll have to intervene. Though I feel a sense of futility wondering if I really have to go this far.
* * *
Xenon and Samuel were sharing the same lodging.
It wasn’t that their relationship had suddenly become intimate or that a sense of camaraderie had developed.
“No contact?”
“Right.”
It was because the communication magical artifact for contacting Anelli was in Xenon’s possession.
In fact, Samuel had tried to disguise himself again as a guard knight and enter the Roam mansion. It was Xenon who stopped him.
The excuse was that since he had the communication artifact, there was no need to take such a risk.
Anelli also said Pallides alone was sufficient and refused, so Samuel eventually compromised by sharing lodging with Xenon.
However, these circumstances did not make their relationship any closer.
Xenon glanced at Samuel, who was turning his body stiffly toward his own room, and reluctantly opened his mouth.
“The thing you said you’d look into?”
“Still looking.”
“It seems there’s been no progress for days.”
I don’t know what he’s investigating, but Samuel has been diligently going out in the morning and returning at night for days on end.
And judging by his expression, it seems he came back empty-handed today as well.
“It’s none of your concern, mage.”
Seeing Samuel frown and draw a line, Xenon scratched the back of his head.
“I don’t want to be concerned either, but if you keep pointlessly clinging to that and aren’t here when Lady Anelli needs you later, it’ll be troublesome, won’t it?”
Xenon was well aware that Anelli found Samuel’s identity useful at times.
Regardless of the reality, the label of ‘holy knight’ itself was good for gaining public trust.
At the very least, wouldn’t the identity of a holy knight garner greater response than the unfamiliar identity of the Magic Tower Master’s successor on the streets?
Therefore, in Xenon’s view, Samuel’s mysterious activities needed to be wrapped up soon.
“I won’t act in a way that causes harm to Her.”
“Ah, is that so? Have you already forgotten what announcement the Temple made?”
At Xenon’s pointed remark, Samuel’s face hardened stiffly. He moved his lips but couldn’t find a proper retort and closed them again.
Xenon glared at the stubbornly silent Samuel with exasperated eyes and took a deep breath inwardly.
Then, in a voice he himself thought was quite generous, he spoke.
“I don’t know what it is, but isn’t the scope of what you can investigate limited by your status?”
“So?”
“I don’t like it, but I’ll help.”
It was Xenon offering a rare kindness, but Samuel’s expression didn’t improve in the slightest. If anything, he looked more displeased.
Well, given how they usually growled at each other, suddenly offering help wouldn’t inspire gratitude.
‘Who’s helping because they like it? It’s all for Lady Anelli.’
Xenon, standing with a slouch, parted his lips to say ‘if you don’t like it, forget it.’
But before he could, Samuel opened his mouth.
“Did you meet Her?”
Meet Anelli? I’m already feeling down for not seeing her face for days, and now he’s picking a fight?
Xenon, who had been refused a communication call yesterday with the excuse of being busy, spoke with a displeased face.
“How could I meet Lady Anelli? She told me not to come.”
Surely this guy didn’t go see her alone, did he?
Suspicions swelled and filled his head. Just as Xenon was about to continue with interrogative words—
“The day we returned after eliminating the Rusalka.”
Xenon paused. Blinking in bewilderment, he frowned and stared intently at Samuel.
“Did you see Her separately at night?”
Did he sense the magic because he’s a holy knight? Even if he sensed magic, how could he ask so pointedly if I met Anelli?
Seeing Xenon remain silent with an awkward look, Samuel’s expression grew even colder.
Seeing that, Xenon realized he was already convinced inwardly. Though he didn’t know how he knew.
“Yes.”
As Xenon nodded obediently, Samuel pressed his lips together. Seeing his jaw bulge, it seemed he was clenching his teeth.
Surely he wasn’t about to throw a punch in the hallway.
‘If he throws a punch, I’m at a disadvantage, so I’ll have to use magic.’
Although only Xenon and Samuel were staying on this floor, it was certain people would come up from below if they made a commotion.
Just in case Samuel charged, Xenon narrowed his eyes, organizing in his head how to respond.
“Why does that matter?”
“She chose you…?”
Samuel couldn’t even spit out a few words before stopping. Then, distorting his face, he completely turned away from Xenon.
“Did She choose you?”