The Peaceful Life Of A Maid Who Hides Her Power And Enjoys It - Chapter 17

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 17

Are they playing war games?

Children naturally love war. I’d encountered this situation several times during wartime, so it wasn’t particularly surprising.

“What? I don’t want to be Andert. Then I’d have to die to Grand Sorcerer Mephistopheles. I’m Raphael!”

However, my two arms stopped abruptly while transplanting the seedlings.

‘I did die once. But hearing that fact with my own ears feels strange.’

Yes, Andert died. But somehow, I’m alive.

I’m not Andert now, but the Andert within me still hasn’t died.

The gap between those realities sometimes approached me with a chillingly unfamiliar feeling. Not sometimes—often.

Even after the children disappeared, the area remained noisy throughout my seedling transplanting.

‘Is there a festival going on?’

The savory smell of bread wafted from the backyard.

After finishing my work, I moved toward the wide-open kitchen window and received tea from the Head Maid.

“It’s noisy outside.”

The Head Maid, who had been leaning her arms against the window frame, looked at me with surprisingly astonished eyes.

“Miss Daisy is truly indifferent to the world. Today is Peace Day.”

“Peace Day?”

What’s that?

“It’s the day commemorating victory in the Mage War. Today marks the 4th anniversary. It’s common knowledge, so you should know.”

The end of the war.

So today was that day.

‘That’s why I had such an unpleasant nightmare since morning.’

While leaning against the wall sipping tea, I noticed a daily newspaper spread across the kitchen table. The newspaper’s front page headline was printed in large letters.

『4th Anniversary Peace Day Celebration, Grand Duke Raphael Absent This Year』

『This year, Grand Duke Raphael Jenail Pen Rota will be absent from the 4th Anniversary Peace Day celebration. The House of Jenail stated that the Grand Duke’s overseas schedule has been delayed…』

Grand Duke Raphael.

I entered the kitchen, took a seat, and unfolded the newspaper.

It was quite an impulsive action, and when my old friend prominently displayed on the front page caught my eye, I regretted that impulsive behavior.

‘He’s the same.’

From his head to his toes.

Exactly the same as the image nailed into my memory from four years ago.

‘Well, four years isn’t that long a time.’

Raphael.

Rolling his name around in my mouth left a bitter taste.

In truth, since opening my eyes on Quin Island, I had intentionally avoided news of my former colleagues.

Beyond simple feelings of dislike or fondness, it led to complicated and negative emotions for various reasons.

‘They say clothes make the man. Wearing such a fine suit makes him look like a nobleman to his very bones.’

The Raphael in the newspaper hadn’t changed much from when I first met him 14 years ago.

This is one of the changes that occurs when someone who wields magic reaches an exceptional level. The speed of aging dramatically slows.

Golden hair as dazzling as the sun. Dark red eyes that rippled with crimson light whenever they shone. Straight eyebrows that were always stiffly set and eyes devoid of any trace of laughter, a moderately large and high nose.

In the middle of his pleasantly lean cheeks, deep dimples like wells would occasionally appear.

Was it because of those dimples? On the rare occasions when he burst into laughter, he would exude a soft and clear atmosphere like a boy.

And what about those round, raised cheekbones.

Really, it was a smile completely opposite to his speech that was only as grave as an old man’s.

“I can’t entrust my back to anyone but you, Andert. You’re the only one I can trust. It might sound ridiculous, but I often think that if I had a lost brother, it would be you.”

On nights after being drenched in demon blood, Raphael would sometimes indulge in such embarrassing sentiments.

Brother, friend, partner, family, other half.

Though there were many affectionate names he called me, I sometimes found Raphael’s affection burdensome.

Because it seemed like if I removed the mask called Andert, his affection would be stripped away too.

“Stop right now, Andert! You can’t die! I won’t let you die like this!”

That scream-like cry was our last exchange.

I remember being unable to turn my back, afraid my heart might weaken.

‘No matter how much I revisit it, it’s a terrible memory.’

Retracing the past made me miss Raphael a little.

I was also curious.

How the war ended after I died. Whether he resented me for leaving without a word. If he resented me greatly, whether he had any intention of forgiveness.

Whether memories of those times haunted him in nightmares like they did me. Whether even encountering each other through mere paper like this would be distressing enough to break out in cold sweat. As breathing quickened and the heart grew heavy with illusion…

Thud.

I took a deep breath.

Steaming stew dripped onto the newspaper.

A shadow that rose long behind me and then disappeared spoke as if passing by.

“Only eating during mealtime.”

Had there ever been a time when Lu’s voice sounded this pleasant?

‘…There’s meat in it.’

I picked up the spoon while thinking such absent thoughts.

Before I knew it, the Head Maid was seated at the head of the table, and Lu sat across from me, dipping bread into the stew.

“Ugh.”

Damn hot.

I looked at the Head Maid while soothing my palate burned by the hot stew.

“What do you do on Peace Day?”

“Peace Day is a public holiday. Families eat Peace Day commemorative bread, public blessing prayers are held at the Cathedral, and a flea market opens in the Town Square. All proceeds are donated to the Mado War Refugee Shelter. Market merchants also donate part of their profits.”

Nice public holiday. I should take this opportunity to visit the pub.

After finishing the meal and washing dishes, I ran to the Head Maid who was smoking in the backyard and held out my hand.

“Errands.”

“…”

“Please give me some.”

“You’re only thinking about slacking off. Though we did happen to run out of sewing thread.”

Good. With this, I can secretly visit the pub under the pretense of going to the market.

The market was a bit quieter than usual.

Perhaps because it was a holiday, the Potato Selling Old Man was nowhere to be seen either. I need to check if he got his booth fees properly refunded.

I spent quite a while slacking off, browsing various things at the General Store before standing in front of the counter.

“One 【Cost-Effective Sewing Thread Set for Maids】.”

The General Store merchant, who pulled out the item as if he’d been waiting, took the money and said.

“Is that all for today? If you have time, visit other shops too, miss. All the stores in our market are having big discounts all week. Fresh fruits, vegetables, meat—all selling cheap. It’s profitable to stock up.”

“Peace Day discount?”

“Huh? No, it’s not because of Peace Day. You see, the guys who’ve been bothering us for years suddenly repented.”

The tailor shop owner from the building next door, who had been chatting with the General Store merchant, chimed in.

“That’s right, that’s right. They returned four years’ worth of booth fees all at once, can you believe it?”

“More than a few people closed their businesses because of those bastards. I heard some righteous person caused a ruckus at 【Pub Piece of Land】 a few nights ago at dawn. That person must have taught them a lesson. Who could it be?”

It was me.

“A hero, yes a hero indeed! For people like us, a real hero is someone righteous like that. Who could it be? Someone from our neighborhood?”

It’s me, I tell you.

“I’d love to see their face just once. Everyone would crowd around to buy them a meal.”

“I’d make a really fine custom suit…”

“The kid at the photo studio said he’d take pictures too? How about we all pool money together and put an ad in the newspaper? Huh?”

At this rate, it really would end up in the newspaper, so I pretended not to hear and left the General Store.

I’ll walk toward the pub like this and casually drop a word.

“Ah. Lost item at the pub. Almost forgot.”

Good, that was natural.

‘…But don’t pubs open in the evening?’

I was about to step back and keep my distance when I froze after checking the sign on the door.

『Lunch Available』

‘A pub serves lunch?’

This must be the Assassin Butler’s method.

‘Makes sense. If it’s open during the day, it wouldn’t be strange for maids to come and go, and they’d gather a lot of information too.’

Ding-a-ling.

The inside of the pub was quiet, making the sign on the door seem pointless.

Since this was the headquarters of those who demanded protection money and resorted to violence, it would be difficult to attract customers overnight.

“Lost item.”

I leaned against the bar and extended my hand.

The bartender who had been wiping glasses took out a chocolate from the display case and handed it to me along with a note from inside his pants hem.

“Here. This is a note left by the Butler Captain, Maid Captain.”

His whispered voice was quite serious.

Did the Assassin Butler train him thoroughly? As expected, it’s best to have someone experienced handle these kinds of things.

Just then, the lieutenants who had been sweeping the floor suddenly gathered and naturally passed behind me, whispering.

“You’ll be surprised. We spread our people all around the area to gather information.”

“We are the Assassin’s Guild that operates secretly in the shadows, after all. Hehe…”

These guys seem to have gotten a bit strange.

I pulled away from the bar and warned them.

“Don’t call me Captain.”

The lieutenants bowed their heads.

“Understood.”

“Understood.”

You guys have gotten a taste for this.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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