The Villainess's Exclusive Maid Is Too Good at Her Job - Chapter 11

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

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Chapter 11

The Ludwig Territory in the west was as vast as the grand mansion that presided over it.
Bordering the Western Port, it had flourished through trade and tourism to such a degree that it earned the epithet “the Empire’s way station.”
Though perpetually crowded, certain establishments drew crowds far denser than others.
Soluna.
This place was a celebrated establishment beloved by both tourists and territorial residents alike.
By day, a restaurant and café; by evening, a pub.
People thronged it around the clock.
Tonight was no exception—the shop overflowed with patrons.
“Hey there, Tom!”
“Gale!”
The man greeted the employee Tom warmly, then swept his gaze across the establishment.
“Quite the crowd again tonight, isn’t there?”
“Always is, I’d say. Ah, care for a light game this evening as well?”
“Then why not try winning some free drinks again?”
Soluna offered casual games—legal wagers of modest stakes, typically drinks.
This was one of Soluna’s chief attractions, and patrons delighted in indulging themselves.
“There are some gentlemen from the east over there. Interested?”
At Tom’s suggestion, Gale’s teeth flashed in a grin.
“Show me the way at once. Hehehehe!”

***

Unlike the bustling ground floor, Soluna’s basement was hushed and serene.
Occasional murmurs from above filtered through, but nothing more.
In a space where only the intermittent rustle of turning pages had been heard, the creak of an opening door suddenly sounded.
The figure hunched over documents lifted his head to identify the visitor.
“Deputy Commander? Without so much as a word—what brings you here at this hour?”
At Hobbs’s question, Kendrick shrugged in response.
“When have I ever been good about keeping in touch?”
“Fair point, now that you mention it.”
Soluna’s basement—Illinia’s true headquarters.
Kendrick stepped into a place more comfortable than home itself, and with practiced ease, he collapsed onto the sofa.
“So what is it you’ve come for, truly?”
“Nothing in particular—just came to rest.”
“Hmm? Why not rest at home instead of making the trip here?”
….
At Hobbs’s question, Kendrick fell silent. Quietly, his thoughts drifted to the matter with Owen.

“If you keep loitering by the window like that, what will you do if that woman grows suspicious of you?”
“This side of the curtain doesn’t cast a shadow.”
“Yes, I’m sure that’s true. Regardless, since it bothers you, why don’t you go read a book in your room or practice swordplay in the basement? Stop peering at the neighboring house so gloomily.”

Gloomy?
Me?
Me, gloomy?
Kendrick was left speechless, only to lose all words at the sight of himself.
He was pressed against the curtain, peering toward Julietta Ludwig’s Separate Residence.
The sight of him idly glancing and stealing looks at the neighboring house could only be described by others as ‘gloomy’.
But.
‘What can I do if it bothers me?’
In that neighboring house lived the woman with whom I had made a deal.
Then naturally—.
How was Julietta faring? Was she perhaps being tormented too much? Had she failed to adapt to the Ludwig Family, that vast beast of a place?
Wasn’t it only natural, as a party to the transaction, to worry about such things?
But somehow, it felt like I was making excuses, so I simply left the house.
If I stayed cooped up somewhere, I wouldn’t be gazing ‘gloomily’ beyond the curtains.
“Your timing is fortunate, sir.”
“Why? Has something happened?”
“The Guild Master has sent word.”
“The Guild Master?”
“Yes.”
Hobbs, having said so, rose from his seat and furrowed his brow.
He glanced down at his right ankle touching the floor, then rotated it gently before taking a step.
“…Is it a relapse again?”
“It’s just occasional pain.”
Hobbs answered matter-of-factly and added,
“The ankle that was shattered has been set again. This much aftereffect is something to be expected.”
“Now that you mention it, that makes sense.”
Kendrick let out a small laugh, raised himself from where he’d been sprawled, and accepted the letter.
The small cane mark drawn on the envelope indicated that the sender was the Guild Master.
“You’ve already read it?”
“Roughly.”
“What’s the content?”
“Well, it’s similar to the usual.”
Similar to the usual, then…
That meant it wasn’t good news.
Indeed, his thoughts proved correct.
The letter, written in a cipher used within Ilinia, contained only a single short sentence.

“The treasure was not found.”

‘It seems there were no significant results again.’
Kendrick, resting his chin on the sofa, recalled the Guild Master’s face. He had first met him when he participated in the Ashleyde War.

“A child so young coming to a battlefield. The world truly is in its final days, it is.”

Those were the first words the Guild Master had spoken upon encountering young Kendrick.
At first, it felt like he was being looked down upon, and it stung. But gradually, I opened my heart to him.
The Guild Master treated young Kendrick like a son, or perhaps a younger brother, and protected me.
He was one of the few people I could trust with my back, and I had even thought I would not hesitate to die for him.
‘In fact, I nearly took a blade meant for him a couple of times.’
Experiences where lives hung in the balance forged an unshakeable trust between the two of us.
A bond so deep that I could bare every secret hidden within my heart.
And one of the great secrets the Guild Master had confided in me was Illinia itself.

“I am searching for something of utmost importance. Something more precious than my own life. Illinia was founded to find it.”
“Is it truly alright to tell me such a thing?”
“Of course! Who else would I confide in but you, you little rascal! Haha! So listen, once you return home, if you have nothing to do, come work here. Considering you saved my life, I’ll make you vice-commander!”
“…That won’t be necessary. I will do nothing.”
“Huh? Are you serious?”
“I am serious. Once I safely return home, I will do nothing and simply live in silence.”
“…Hmm. Is that your way of protecting what is precious to you?”
“That is correct. That is my way.”
“My, what an insolent brat you are!”

With those words, the Guild Master flicked me on the forehead. Then he offered his counsel: “You fool! Without strength, you cannot protect anything! Don’t you know that the greatest defense is offense?”
And as if to prove those very words, that very night.
The defensive line established by the Empire’s forces came under surprise attack, and many of our allies fell.
Kendrick could only survive by cutting down enemy after enemy without end.
Killing people was horrifying. But to survive, I had to cut them down.
…The greatest defense is offense, after all.

“See? Hiding doesn’t protect anything, you fool.”

The Guild Master laid the exhausted Kendrick down and collected the bodies of the fallen comrades.
Among them were the men I had shared a meal with just the night before.

‘The sky….’

The night sky was impossibly clear.
Why was it that whenever I lost something precious, the heavens would shine with such merciless clarity?
As if this tragedy meant nothing to the gods above.
Gazing up at the stars that seemed to pour down from the night sky, Kendrick had declared he would enter Ilinia.
While the Guild Master searched for treasure, he too would cultivate the strength to protect what mattered most.

“Run, Ken! Hurry!”
“No, Leon!”
“I’ll survive. I swear I’ll make it to you alive. We’ll meet beyond the Hill!”

…I’m so tired of losing precious things.
A terrible memory surfaced, and Kendrick pressed his eyes shut, forcing himself back to reason.
“Are you well, Vice Captain? You look unwell.”
“I’m fine. More importantly, did you complete the request Janet entrusted to us?”
“Of course. Here is the money Gale recovered.”
“What is that gambler up to?”
“Probably emptying the patrons’ pockets upstairs.”
Gale’s primary duty was gathering intelligence by frequenting gambling dens and similar establishments. With his exceptional dexterity, he possessed the talent to freely manipulate the outcome of games.
“As Janet requested, store it in the Ilinia vault for now.”
“Understood. And about that gift you mentioned, Vice Captain——”
“Right. Why haven’t those been sent yet?”
How long had it been since I ordered jewels, dresses, and accessories sent to Janet?
At Kendrick’s words, Hobbs clicked his tongue.
“There were so many items to procure that it took considerable time to gather them all.”
“You’re moving too slowly. Be more efficient.”
…This is why subordinates suffer under superiors!
Hobbs nodded irritably, brooding over the sorrows of working under demanding leadership.

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

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