Overlord (WN) - Volume 2 - Chapter 9

Overlord Second Half Chapter 9: Interlude

Clairna made an audible gulp as she stood in front of the large gate.

　She would be working here from now onwards, but due to this mansion being much larger than her previous workplace, she felt tense and worried. And her new master would be far more important than her previous one.

　She took a quick glance at the Imperial Knights stationed at the sides of the gate.

　Their unmoving and stoic figures gave off the impression that even they were rejecting her presence.

　—I really should have rejected this.

　The master of the mansion was the noble called Archduke Ainz Ooal Gown.

　As he only recently rose to power, Clairna knew little about him. Her previous master could only tell her only a pittance of information.

　However, she did hear that he was just beneath the Emperor Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix, and was someone to keep an eye on in noble society.

　Rumours about him being an amazing magic caster, that the Emperor who was clamping down on the nobles gave him a high position out of fear, or that his eyes sparkled, filtered into her ears.

　Basically, he was a mysterious noble that she knew nothing about.

　On the other side of this gate, a person, who compared to her was like heaven and earth, was waiting. Her heart lurched in her chest.

　However, on top of being recommended for this job, she could not run away. If she did so, she would damage the repute of her previous master who wrote the recommendation letter for her. And then she would create bad rumours about herself, possibly leaving her jobless.

　It would be extremely difficult to find a new job.

　Steeling herself with the desire to avoid those outcomes, Clairna walked towards the knights.

　　◆

　Clairna was a maid.

　While the term maid was split into many subcategories of maids, but if there were ranks for maids, she would be a top class one.

　Firstly, one needs to be of high birth.

　It was commonly misunderstood that anyone could simply become a maid if they so wished, but this was not the case. In order to work for those of high social standings like nobles, education and etiquette were necessary. In addition, a guarantee was required to work at their residences.

　Then how did Clairna clear those conditions?

　Clairna’s full name was Clairna Al Arnazia Ferec, and was born to an old noble family. Although, it was of a low rank and their house was in quite the state despite being nobles.

　However, she was still of noble birth. And her family had a clean sheet, providing an excellent guarantee.

　Next was her education and etiquette. Her mother had ingrained all of the necessary knowledge into her, especially on how to act as a maid.

　As her mother had worked as a maid for one of the previous Great Nobles, she had entrenched the know-how of a maid into her daughters from a young age.

　She had excellent foresight.

　She had used their status as low-ranking nobles to the best of her ability, and raised her children in such a way that opened up the most options for their future.

　And thus Clairna had cleared several requirements.

　And next was something that no maid could run away from.

　That was her face—How beautiful she was.

　No matter how much one attempted to fluff their words, a maid who failed to meet up to one’s expectations of beauty would not be highly valued. This was as the nobles who hired them viewed collecting beautiful women as a status symbol.

　Even the occupations in the same workplace could be split into behind the scenes work and work that had one be visible.

　And as for the quality of Clairna’s face, she…. Could be said to have passed.

　She was definitely not considered gorgeous, but she did have a warm face. What was especially notable about her were her large eyes.

　And perhaps due to that, she was described as having a calming presence by her previous master. However, it still remained unclear how Clairna should feel about this.

　　◆　

　Ushered in by the knights, Clairna stood before an extravagant door. There should have been similar doors lining the corridors she passed, but due to her nervousness she failed to notice her surroundings. In fact, she saw this door as the most glamourous door in this mansion.

　Inside was probably the Great Noble, the Archduke.

　Taking several deep breaths to calm her heart even just a bit, she knocked on the door.

“Please enter.”

　A voice came from within.

　A woman?

　The Archduke was male. Then this person was probably someone who worked for him.

　Clairna took another deep breath and quietly opened the door.

“Please excuse me.”

　Inside was a drawing room, with two occupants.

　And Clairna was stunned. Her eyes blinked multiple times in shock.

　Seeing how the maid stood there mouth agape, one of the occupants spoke first.

“Hello, nice to meet you. I am a maid who works at this mansion, Lupusregina.”

　Her earlier thought that the Archduke was not here immediately exited her mind.

　The reason why Clairna was unable to do anything was as the maid that welcomed her was far too beautiful.

　She was the most beautiful woman that Clairna had ever seen.

　She would normally have been rooted to the ground in shock, but the education that she had received reasserted itself, allowing her to shake off her spell and replied.

“I am Clairna Al Arnazia Ferec and I was recommended by Count Flavella to work here. Pleased to meet you.”

　Making a deep bow, Clairna then looked around the room, wondering who to pass her recommendation letter to.

　However, excluding Lupusregina, the room had only one other occupant.

　She too was a woman.

　The blonde hair that was common in the Empire was cut cleanly around her shoulders.

　Her face was well kept, comparing her to the world-class beauty in front of her, she could only think of her as an average woman.

　Her clothes were of a dark and cooling colour. They were of a design that a well-off city girl would wear, but definitely not something a noble would wear.

　The bag placed at her feet and the way that her back stood ramrod straight told Clairna of this woman’s identity. She was a maid like herself. And she would work here from now on.

　Then the only person who she could hand her recommendation letter to was Lupusregina.

“This is my recommendation letter.”

　Lupusregina made no sign of accepting the parchment. Instead, she informed Clairna of why she did so.

“There will be another person who will be accepting your recommendation letter later. Please hold onto it for now. I have simply been given the task of escorting you to your rooms.”

　Eh, is that ok?

　Clairna had several questions, but if her senior maid said so, then she simply had to comply.

“Understood.”

“Originally I would ask you to take a seat, but let us head over immediately. Before that, this girl will be sharing a room with you.”

　Lupusregina pointed towards the other woman.

“I am your roommate Panasis Enex Liliel Gran. Pleased to meet you.”

“I am Clairna Al Arnazia Ferec. Pleased to meet you as well.”

　As they bowed to each other, Clairna let out a sigh of relief in her heart that this other woman knew how to act as a maid. Being a maid was a specialised job, but there were some strange characters amongst them. It would be terrible to room with such a person. Seeing that this would not be the case in this residence, a weight fell off her shoulders.

“Well then, shall I escort you two to your room?”

　Lead along by Lupusregina, Clairna and Panasis were guided to a separate building.

　This other build naturally paled in comparison with the main residence, but it too was an excellent mansion.

　It was intricately built to the extent that other nobles would have used it as their main residence. It was as if the Archduke were showing off his wealth with this extra building.

　Lupusregina turned to look at the shocked women but soon turned around to enter the building. They quickly followed in a panic.

　Passing by several doors, Lupusregina soon stopped before one of them and turned to look at them.

“This will be your room. Feel free to use all the utilities inside this room. Your work clothes will be found inside the closet and should fit perfectly.”

　Hearing a strange sentence in the midst of Lupusregina’s speech, Clairna felt confused.

　Panasis seemed to feel the same as she asked Lupusregina her question.

“Since the preparations for our work is ready, were you informed of our arrival?”

“No, that is incorrect. The maid clothes have magic imbued within them. We did not know exactly who will arrive, but magic clothing will change in size in order to fit its wearer.”

　For an instant, Clairna thought that she was mad.

　Magic items were extremely expensive. And the Archduke had lent such precious items to mere maids.

　Panasis seemed to be thinking similar thoughts as her mouth was left agape. Ignoring the shock of the two, Lupusregina continued her explanation.”

“Your introductions to our master and the other maids will come later when someone else calls for you. Until then, please wait inside this room. If there are any issues that you face or questions that you have, speak to Head Assistant Commanding Maid-Officer-In-Charge-dono Yuri Alpha.

“Head Assistant Commanding Maid-Officer-In-Charge-dono….Is it?”

　Clairna replied, confused, as Lupusregina flashed a bright smile.

　Her smiling face was so beautiful that it even managed to enrapture another woman.

“It’s a joke.”

　With a mischievous smile, as if she were a different person, Lupusregina teased the two of them. And then, as if nothing happened, her expression reverted to her previous regal one that suited a maid.

　While being surprised at her rapid change, Clairna felt as if she began to understand this woman, Lupusregina.

“She is the Acting Head Maid Yuri Alpha. And I shall take my leave. Have a nice rest.”

　Ending with a prompt explanation, Lupusregina turned on her heels and walked away. There were several questions remaining that they wanted to ask her, but after hearing Lupusregina curt farewell, the two felt that it was rude to ask anymore.

　The two maids looked at each other, and then towards the door.

“I shall open it first.”

“Please do.”

　Panasis quietly opened the door and peered through the newly formed crack.

　And she stopped moving. After several seconds passed, Panasis turned back around with an expression of shock on her face and spoke in admiration.

“This place is amazing.”

　Curiosity successfully peaked, Clairna stood on her tippy toes to peer inside.

　And her eyes widened.

　Expensive furnishings decorated the room as clouded glass windows let in the sun’s rays. The most eye catching of the furniture was the set of two well crafted beds placed in the middle of the room.

　They were covered in a clean pure white quilt, which seemed to sparkle under the light.

　The room seemed to be like the rooms of nobles that they had cleaned so often in the past.

“Is it really fine for us to use this room?”

“She said so earlier….”

“She might be setting us up to bully us. Or she might have made an honest mistake.”

　The looked at each other in agreement.

　It was possible that this was a guest room for nobles.

　There was no way that noble daughters who were learning in other houses or special maids would be able to use such a room, let alone normal maids like Clairna.

　A windowless stone-walled room that let in the cold but not the sun or a damp and dark room with poor ventilation were the typical examples of rooms that normal maids lived in. But their current situation was far different.

　Clairna took a side glance at Panasis. Panasis did the same.

“Ah.”

“….Ahahaha.”

“….Basically.”

“….That is not the case.”

　Each maid had thought the other was special, but this was clearly incorrect.

“Anyway, shall we check it out?”

“Where?”

　Panasis pointed towards the closet.

“If there are maid clothes inside, the possibility that this is our room will be high.”

“I see!”

　The two nodded and entered the room.

　They jumped in surprise at seeing how clean and beautiful everything was.

　And then they opened the closet, confirming the presence of several sets of maid clothes neatly hanging inside.

“….So this means?”

“No way…. This is our room? Really?”

　Surprise turned to understanding, and their thoughts transformed their mouths into wide grins.

　The two nearly skipped about the room in a dream-like state as they practically jumped into the bed.

“This is amazing! It’s so fluffy!”

“Wow, I feel like I’m sinking in, but the mattress is supporting me and it feels great!”

“It’s so nice to touch!”

“What is this made of?! It’s so good!”

“Amazing, simply amazing!”

“The best!”

　Tired from rolling about, they sighed in happiness.

　They felt like they had become the nobles they dreamed of becoming.

　If they were alone, they might have acted like young noble ladies, as if they were children all over again. Looking up at the ceiling, they chirped out heartfelt cries of joy.

“Ah, this is the best.”

“Yes, the best.”

“Best of the best.”

“Amazingly the best.”

　Forgetting about where they were, the two began to giggle.

　■

　Working in the Archduke’s residence, Clairna faced countless surprises every day.

　The first surprise was that this separate residence was for maids and knights. She still could not internalise the fact that this giant and beautiful building housed the maids.

　They did not squeeze all the maids into a room filled with bunk beds.

　And the bath had hot water.

　In most noble residences, maids often appeared before guests and thus were allowed to take baths. However, all they were allowed to use was cold water. By the time their master and superiors left, the kindling had run out and the water had turned cold.

　However, the residence of the Archduke was different.

　In addition, there was no line needed to enter the bath as the main residence and the side one each had their own. And they were separated by men and women as well.

　Most nobles would not use this much kindling as it was considered wasteful.

　There were magic items that could heat water, but they were expensive and most nobles could not own more than one.

　Of course, this rationality did not apply to the Archduke.

　It was as if he were showing off his over-the-top wealth.

　And their meals were not leftovers. They were allowed to eat meals specifically cooked for them.

　They could eat as much bread as they liked and were free to take as much meaty soup as they wanted. Fresh fruit was also available.

　And there was the occasional meat that she previously had only tasted after feasts. It was as if Clairna was not a maid, but the daughter of a rich noble family.

　And what surprised her the most was the fact that she was allowed to use the splendid cutlery that nobles would probably use. She fondly recalled how scared she was of breaking them on her first day. Actually, she still felt worried about it even now.

　Whenever she was eating and became cognisant of the fact that any breakage would cost more than a month of her pay.

　There were countless other examples, but the one that left the deepest impression in her heart was the concept of [Consecutive Holidays].

　It was an unknown system that the Archduke introduced, and when Clairna heard it made her head spin, but what it meant was that she had two days of not having to work.

　Basically, it was a wonderful system where if she worked for eight days, she could rest for two.

　As a maid, this was a near-impossible remuneration.

　The higher one’s rank amongst the nobility rose, the remunerations for working with them usually increased. However, the Archduke’s working terms were beyond belief and made one suspect that there were hidden agendas.

　It was such a good life that someone of her station could never attain, and so she simply took it as them attempting to increase her value by treating her very well.

　Some might believe that jobs with excellent remunerations would have harsh working conditions, but this was certainly not the case.

　The maids were few in number and so the workload of each individual was high, but it was nothing compared to the salary and terms they were getting.

　And even if the workload was large, it did not mean that it was difficult to accomplish it.

　Most of their work took place in the side residence and they were only required to perform simple tasks when working in the main residence. Mostly cleaning.

　They often cleaned expensive items, causing their hearts to beat rapidly in worry, but nothing else. As long as they diligently performed their work, no one would complain.

　After they had cleaned the main residence, they were often ordered back into the side residence, and while it wounded their pride as a maid, overall it was an amazing workplace.

　This day, Clairna had just finished up for the day and was walking back to her room.

　It was common for most mansions to fall completely dark and silent at night, and if it were cloudy without any moonlight, the corridors would become dangerous to walk it. Most nobles would use magical lamps to illuminate their residence, but they would usually not extend this provision to the servants’ quarters.

　However, as always, this mansion was different.

　Clairna held up the magic lantern in her hand.

　The light shining from it lit up the surroundings, making it as bright as daytime.

　Indeed, the maids were individually lent a magic lantern.

　This would probably earn her a fortune if she were to sell it. Of course, she would never do so.

“The Archduke is indeed one of the richest nobles I’ve ever seen.”

　Walking next to the impressed Clairna, Panasis struck a conversation as the two were returning to their room.

　As roommates, the two often completed their work as a pair.

　Their bodies became fatigued due to physical labour, but being together allowed them to keep their spirits up.

　The two quietly continued their conversation as they walked through the corridor.

　Due to living together with Panasis for several days, they had become familiar with each other and felt as if they had become siblings.

　To Clairna’s knowledge, Panasis was born to a low-rank noble family and had a younger sister.

　Her sister was studying at the Imperial Magic Academy and often brought up the topic of magic items while at home. And so Panasis was keenly aware of how rich the Archduke must be in order to lend out such treasures to them.

“I feel so proud of my little sis.”

　Seeing Panasis’ glowing face, Clairna could not help but let out a small giggle.

“Now if the relations between everyone was great I would have absolutely nothing else to say.”

“Panasis, are you saying that it’s bad?”

“They don’t really come to the side residence right?”

“Yes, Beta-sama is different but…. Don’t gossip behind our superiors’ backs.”

　Inside this paradise of a workplace, Clairna had learnt, multiple times, that there were rankings as a maid.

　It was natural for birth, experience and age to create a hierarchical relation, but this mansion measured it using a different standard.

　The most important of the maids were the six maids who possessed unearthly beauty.

　Yuri Alpha, Lupusregina Beta, Narberal Gamma, Shizu Delta, Solution Epsilon, Entoma Vasilissa Zeta. These six maids.

　Yuri Alpha lead the six of them, and she was the maid who stood above the rest in this residence.

　The six of them gave off a presence that completely differentiated them from the rest like Clairna. Although calling them the most important servants would be incorrect as they occasionally took direction from the mansion’s butler.

“Yes. Beta-sama comes over here occasionally.” Panasis looked about her surroundings to confirm that no one else was present before continuing. “But for some reason…. Hey, Clairna. Ever since coming here, have you ever heard anyone speak badly of them?”

“….It is strange….”

　Maids were still human and it was natural for them to hold grudges against their betters.

　Seeing them talk badly about others while they were not present was a common occurrence. And even though talking about the nobles whose authority far outweighed them was dangerous, complaints about superiors were often the catalyst for small talk,

　However, in the Archduke’s residence, there was no such thing.

　No one spoke of any complaints against the six hauntingly beautiful maids.

　It was certainly not because all six of them were great people.

　Several of them were the worst type of humans.

　They were Solution Epsilon and Narberal Gamma.

　In addition, Shizu Delta and Entoma Vasilissa Zeta never showed any change in expression and they felt like walking dolls.

“Even though Alpha-sama and Beta-san are nice people.”

　Yuri Alpha was extremely cold while working, but when it was time for the maids to return to the side residence, she would often thank them for their work. And Lupusregina was extremely friendly and approachable.

　In contrast, Narberal Gamma and Solution Epsilon completely looked down upon Clairna and the others. Even though they were all maids, the two of them acted like nobles.

　Like they were far above them.

“Does one become that twisted if they are beautiful?”

　Panasis murmured out her question.

　Despite remaining silent, Clairna’s agreement was clearly down on her face.

“Or maybe it’s because they are doted on by the Archduke?”

　As the Archduke was without a wife, it was highly likely that he had bedded the six maids.

　Or rather he definitely did. To Clairna’s knowledge, men were such creatures.

　Which was why it was very strange for there not to be any rumours or complaints.

　When a maid of common birth became the mistress of a noble, rumours would often be created. And most of those are seen as success stories to the maids and were often envied.

　Even though the Blood Emperor was cutting down on the authority of the nobles, to the maids, becoming a mistress of a Great Noble (Becoming the legal wife was a dream amongst dreams) was a highly coveted position.

　Of course, there were countless other things to worry about, such as improving their relationship with the legal wife, cementing their position, and giving birth to children. Excluding the case where such a position was forced upon them.

　And so the position of the mistress of the Archduke was a mouthwatering temptation. If one could become a woman who lived in excess and comfort, they would become the target of everyone.

　Clairna had abandoned such a dream, but she knew of several people who could not. And she knew of several of her colleagues who were extremely envious.

　However, aiming for that position was an impossible dream.

　And that wall was the existence of the six maids.

　Even if one had confidence in their beauty, comparing themselves to those six was an exercise in futility. In front of those women, one would find it impossible to say that they were better and shame on them if they could.

　There was no need for the Archduke to speak to the maids when he had six world-class beauties serving him. In fact, most of Clairna’s and the other maids’ work in the main residence was odd jobs, and not a single one was related to the Archduke.

　And at least one of the six maids seemed to always be by his side, as he had never called for one of the regular maids and had never directly ordered them.

　In fact, Clairna had only met the Archduke once. When he had come to greet them on their first day.

　As the maids could imagine that they could become the Archduke’s mistress if the six were not present, it would be natural for the maids to curse their existence. And so complaints would form. Normally.

　But why was the current situation any different.

“What are you two talking about?”

　Suddenly spoken to, Clairna and Panasis jumped in fright. Turning around, they saw a woman dressed in maid’s clothes.

　One could tell that chest was large even above her uniform.

　She was a senpai who had started work slightly before them. She was a kind and mature individual and could be considered a perfect woman. She was the colleague closest to them.

“S, senpai.”

“P, please don’t scare us like that.”

“Fufu, apologies.”

“Why are you not carrying a lantern?”

　The reason why they did not notice her approach was as she was not carrying a lantern about. That and the fact that they were too engrossed in conversation.

“Well, you two seemed to be chatting so happily that, well.”

　Within her smile, the two could see a tinge of mischief hidden inside.

“Really, senpai….”

“Fufufu, my apologies. I did not think that I would scare you two that much. But….” Her expression hardened to that of a conscientious worker. “While it is fine to chat here, you must never do that in the main residence.”

　Her face showed her seriousness but her eyes betrayed her mirth.

　She was just chiding them. Sighing in relief, the two then apologised.

“We are truly sorry.”

“Please forgive us. And…. Of course. We will never do such a thing.”

　The atmosphere in the two residences was completely different.

　Clairna was certainly not thick-skinned enough to be able to hold a friendly chat in the main residence.

“Then…. While I do not approve of it, one cannot get too pent up with stress I suppose. Make sure that it only happens occasionally.”

“Yes.”

“Now, what were you two talking about?”

　Seeing their senpai’s eyes sparkle with curiosity, the two glanced at each other before recounting their earlier chat.

　Hearing about the six maids, their senpai’s expression froze. Finding it strange, Clairna was just about to ask what was wrong when a soft yet harsh voice emanated from before her.

“Never do that!”

　It was a surprisingly harsh tone that made the two of them rear back in fear.

　Their senpai looked about their surroundings with a pale face to check if anyone had overheard. Her actions were reminiscent of a small terrified animal.

　She would normally make a troubled smile while speaking with the two. And so they could not reconcile that image of her with the fierce woman present.

　Staring straight at them, their senpai gave them a stern warning.

“Never, ever, speak ill of them. Do not even think about it!”

“N, not even think about it…. Yes?”

“That will be difficult….”

“I see, you are the latter group of hires. Then listen carefully. You must never anger those people. Those six people are of a station that we can never touch. In the worse case, the punishment could be more severe than if they were regular nobles.”

“T, that is.”

　They could understand that the position of the maids was high. But calling them more important than nobles was certainly an overstatement. And as they were about to voice these thoughts—-

“It is possible!”

　—Clairna and Panasis jumped back from surprise. Their senpai showed no signs of it being a joke nor a hyperbole.

“You must never speak ill of them.”

“Y, yes.”

“I, I understand.”

“I should not have to state this, but the one you must never inflame the most is the Archduke. If you do…. You will be killed.”

“Killed you say….”

　There were many stories of people being killed for angering a noble. However, those who worked with them now knew that it was a thing of the past. Since the Blood Emperor came into power, the most severe punishment was to be fired and for it to forever stain one’s resume.

“Listen, this is a wonderful workplace. The pay, the facilities….”

　The two nodded. This place was indeed amazing.

“But in return, if you fail to protect what you must protect, you will disappear.”

“….Did that really happen?”

　It was a question that they did not want to ask, but one that they had to.

　Their earlier hope that this was all a joke was crushed and sundered.

　Their senpai could only nod at this point.

“It did. Not only that. I was one of the maids who was first hired here, but even though there were more than ten of us on the first day, now there are only two of us.”

“They were….”

“Of course, they were the ones who said that they were sent to collect information about the Archduke.”

“….Isn’t that strange?” Panasis made a confused expression. “All of them were basically spies, right? Then why would they talk so easily?”

“He used magic to get them to speak. And at the end, he said ‘Say this to those who ordered you to collect information on me in my home. [If you do not prostrate yourselves before me and beg for forgiveness, this will be your fate]. Afterwards, slit your throats with a knife’ to them.”

　The two could do nothing but stare at their senpai.

　They wanted her to burst out in laughter and say that it was all a joke. However, their senior maid’s expression remained tense and harsh. It was not the face of a liar.

　Basically, it was the truth.

　That event had been burned into her eyes that even now, her body was still shaking. This place which the two had thought was heaven was, in fact, nothing more than a thinly veiled hell.

“All of those six maids are extremely loyal to the Archduke. I have no idea what will happen if you anger them.”

“W, will we be fine?”

“That’s why I said so. You cannot even think about it. Excluding that, this is a great place to work. The three meals are delicious, we can bathe. The beds are the best, the pay is high, we even have a rotating schedule with breaks. But…. The people that serve the Archduke are terrifying. Especially that of the six that we see. They are borderline fanatical. Even that kind Beta-sama, if she hears you speaking ill of the Archduke, her face is scary.”

“H, have you seen it?”

“I have…. And never want to see it again.”

　The trembling face of their senpai had gone beyond pale and had become sheer white.

　That overflowing unease had infected the two and completely destroyed the impression that they had of Lupusregina.

“I was terrified just being nearby. The person who it was directed at was almost going to faint.”

“A, and that person.”

“It was one of the knights guarding this mansion, and he did not come the next day…. He might have simply returned to his original post. But the air of all of the knights completely changed…. There is no way that anything good happened to him.”

　Clairna recalled the figures of the knights, who were the epitome of seriousness, and felt as if they were the personification of order.

“Speaking of which….” Panasis seemed to stumble into something. “Isn’t there like a forest in the back?”

　Seeing the two nod, Panasis continued.

“I saw there…. I thought that I was just seeing things.”

“….What?”

“The ground was rising up.”

“….? Was it a mole?”

“….It was bigger than a human you know? I thought I was seeing things because it was dark but…. That might have been the knight?”

“….No way…. Right?”

“It’s…. Not a joke it seems….”

　As the three looked at each other with pale faces, they suddenly heard a voice.

“Umm—”

“Hiih!”

“Kyaa!”

“Hiii!”

　The three of them jumped in fright and faced the one who spoke.

　Standing there was a woman in her twenties wearing a strange pair of glasses.

　Her face was well kept but she would definitely not be called a beauty, in other words, she was like Clairna.

“I, is there, s, something wrong?”

　The woman herself looked shocked as she looked around her.

　She too carried no lantern, but it seemed like she could see well in dim light.

“Ah, n, nothing. Y, you simply gave us a fright.”

“Ah, I see. My apologies.”

　Seeing her so easily bowing her head, Clairna and the others were at a loss.

“T, there is no need for such a thing, Tsuare-sama.”

“Ah, it’s fine. You do not need to attach the sama.”

　Tsuare waved her hands in a fluster, seemingly no different from any other maid.

　However, they could not get close to her. Her position was different than Clairna and the others.

　Certainly, her position was the same as a regular maid, and her job scope was the same as Clairna and company.

　However, she did not work in the side residence, but the main one.

　In that place where Clairna and the others were chased out of immediately after their work, she could continue to work there.

　What this meant was that the six maids, represented by Yuri Alpha, had accepted her presence.

　It was not only Tsuare. There were several other maids like her as well. There probably worked for the Archduke long before, but there was most likely another reason.

　To such a woman, Clairna politely asked her a question.

“And may I please ask what you are doing here?”

“Ah, umm. I am looking for someone.”

　She knew where the person Tsuare was looking for was.

　Immediately after telling Tsuare, she was thanked as Tsuare walked away.

　Seeing her walk into the darkness, the three of them began to talk about Tsuare.

“What relationship…. Does she have with that person?”

“I am not sure, but it feels like she does not get along well with the six. She rarely interacts with Gamma-sama or Epsilon-sama too….”

“She is probably in love with Sebas-sama, and haven’t they been holding hands?”

“No way?!”

　Clairna and her senpai raised their voices in shock at Panasis’ words.

“Probably. Her eyes when she looks at Sebas-sama are the same eyes that my sister has, and they are very intense.”

“Is that so….”

“That age gap is not rare…. That’s nice. She’s a winner.”

　The three sighed. Thanks to Tsuare’s appearance, they temporarily forgot about their fear of this residence. No, they just wanted to forget.

“I’m envious.”

“Agreed.”

　Once again, the three glanced at each other and sighed, and finally realised exactly where they were having this conversation.

“Now, let’s go. It would be bad if we talked here for too long.”

“Yes.”

“Anyway, I look forward to tonight’s supper. I haven’t floppingly eaten potatoes, and so I’m craving some.”

“What sort of word is ‘floppingly’?”

“Eh? You don’t use it?”

　As the three and their conversation disappeared down the hallway, darkness fell on this part of the hallway, and some creatures began to move about.

　The monsters who seemed to rise up from the shadows stared at the three retreating figures, and slowly sunk back into the shadows.

　And once again began to move to fulfil their guard duties.