Chapter 92: The Maid and the Young Master (6)

“Shall we make today a productive one as well?”

Hailey, having tidied her hair, spoke as she flung open the window.

The troubling thoughts that had plagued her in the morning seemed to have vanished, her usual cheerful demeanor restored.

Personal worries interfering with work was undesirable. Perhaps her recent predawn sword training sessions had helped. She didn’t need to dwell on those thoughts as long as before.

Anyway, it was time for work.

Private matters had to be shelved; it was time to focus on her duties.

Hailey, now dressed in her newly issued summer uniform from the lord’s castle, dusted off her clothes and stepped out of her room. As Elena’s maid, her first destination was naturally Elena’s room.

Hailey checked the time on the pocket watch she carried and, relieved she wasn’t late, headed to Elena’s room. Given her position as Elena’s closest aide, her lodging was just a few doors down from Elena’s room.

Knock-knock-

She knocked and waited for Elena’s response, but there was only silence. Assuming Elena was still asleep as usual, Hailey skillfully spoke as she opened the door.

“Miss, it’s Hailey. I’m coming in.”

Contrary to Hailey’s expectation, Elena was already awake, sitting up in bed. She seemed lost in thought, gazing at the ceiling just as Hailey had before leaving her room.

“Miss, you should have responded if you were awake.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“...Ah, Hailey? You’re here?”

It appeared Elena hadn’t noticed Hailey’s arrival until she spoke up close. Elena looked at her with a somewhat deflated expression, prompting Hailey to tilt her head in concern.

“Did you have a nightmare, Miss? You don’t look well…”

“No, it’s not a nightmare. Just groggy from waking up. You know I’m not a morning person, Hailey.”

“Of course, you sleepyhead!”

“Ah, stop... that tickles...”

Elena replied nonchalantly as Hailey playfully stretched her cheeks. This seemed to fully wake her up, her clear, amethyst eyes beginning to tear up as she glared at Hailey.

“Be gentle... it hurts.”

“Your cheeks should be nice and soft, Miss. Look at your hair, all tousled. Let me tidy it for you.”

“...Always changing the subject.”

“Hehehe.”

Hailey responded with a laugh to Elena’s words. Elena, too, couldn’t help but burst into laughter soon after, as if she had never been serious.

Hailey’s work began in earnest once Elena entered the bathroom to freshen up.

Tasks like tidying hair or arranging Elena’s room could have been done by Elena herself or delegated to another maid, but Hailey continued to do them simply because she enjoyed it.

Elena, known for her exceptional beauty, made even the simple task of grooming feel like handling a delicate doll. What started as a mere duty for Hailey had, over the years, turned into a source of pride.

As long as she was by Elena’s side, Hailey had no intention of giving up such tasks.

“Ta-da! All done now.”

Hailey handed Elena a hand mirror to show off the hair she had combed. The hairstyle wasn’t just neat; it was natural and effortless, showcasing Hailey’s high level of skill.

Elena, apparently pleased with her reflection, gave a slight nod of approval.

With that, the morning preparations were complete.

Next was breakfast.

Unless summoned by the Count, there was no need to go to the dining hall for breakfast. Hailey, having checked the schedule before coming, knew that today’s breakfast would be taken separately in their rooms.

Arthur and Damian were busy with increasing duties due to the changing season and headed to the office from the morning. Alphonse, still without assigned duties, was an exception. Elena, having recently taken on some simple financial tasks for the lordship, would also have her meal in her room.

Disliking the distance between the annex and the main kitchen, Hailey had already asked a maid to bring breakfast before entering the room. The issue of the morning meal was thus resolved.

Now, Hailey’s last task for the morning was to go to the annex office and collect Elena’s work for the day.

“Then, Miss, I’ll be off.”

“Hailey.”

“Yes, Miss?”

Hailey stopped in her tracks at Elena’s sudden call and turned around. Was there a tear in the clothes she had prepared? Or had her hair become messy again? With these thoughts, Hailey turned to find Elena with the same expression she had seen that morning.

“Hailey.”

Elena called her name again.

Her transparent, amethyst eyes, seeming slightly sad, appeared as if they could see right through Hailey’s concerns.

“Have you been worried about something lately?”

‘No way.’

But Hailey chose to hold back her words. This was her problem to resolve. So, as always, she remained silent.

“There’s no way that could be. I’ll be back soon. Elena.”

***

“In the end, she didn’t tell me anything... That makes it even more concerning.”

Elena murmured with a hint of regret as she looked at the door through which Hailey had disappeared, bringing in the documents but leaving without a word.

She didn’t know what Hailey was worried about, only feeling that it must be something. Considering the emotions that had flowed into her room from Hailey all night, it was a lie to say she had no worries.

Just as divinity was sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of people, a god, being a collective of divinity, was inevitably sensitive to them.

Currently, Elena might seem more like a cleric with immense divine power than a god, but it was well known that clerics, who listen to people’s troubles and serve them, were sensitive to their emotions. And it was no different in this case.

Elena was not usually adept at sensing people’s emotions, but when they were intense, they inevitably reached her.

Usually, these feelings were vague, but they had snowballed overnight into something palpable, making it impossible not to be concerned. Especially since Hailey was not just one of many servants to Elena but someone who caught her eye even more.

However, the reason Elena did not probe further into Hailey’s concerns was that Hailey had already chosen not to answer when asked once. It was clear she didn’t want to talk about it.

Still, Elena wasn’t just going to sit back and do nothing. The clues were scant, but she began to ponder what could be troubling Hailey so much.

“A worry that Hailey never had before... What could it be?”

If it was something serious enough to cause such deep concern and had never surfaced in her past life, it must be an issue that arose in this life. But with so many variables, it was hard to pinpoint anything specific.

Despite her brilliant mind, Elena could only come up with endless hypotheses born from speculation, given the lack of concrete information.

Knock-knock-

Just then, someone knocked on Elena’s door.

The knock was gentle yet firm, and Elena knew it wasn’t Hailey. Part of her had hoped Hailey would come to talk, but she knew Hailey was stubborn. It was Damian who had knocked.

“You’re here, that’s good. But you seem a bit down. Is something wrong, Elena?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just lost in thought. But what brings you here at this time?”

“I have something to discuss with you. Do you have a moment?”

Elena hadn’t made any progress with her work while pondering over Hailey’s issue. She put down her pen, stood up from the desk, and moved to the tea table prepared nearby.

Seeing Damian’s face seemed to ease her troubled mind. The sense of relief was almost immediate. He must have worn the perfume she gave him along with the clothes she had gifted earlier, as a soft musk scent wafted from him.

Just knowing this filled Elena’s heart with happiness.

Noticing that Elena had detected the scent he was wearing, Damian smiled and said,

“I found that among the perfumes you gave me, this one suits my taste the best. Thank you, Elena.”

“Hehe. The musk scent is soft and comforting, and it seems to suit you the best, Damian. I’m glad I chose to give it to you then. There are others I gave you with a hint of fruit scent too…”

Not long after Damian had entered the room, the atmosphere changed instantly. Soon, both Damian and Elena became aware of this and started to hold back their words. Damian cleared his throat a couple of times before steering the conversation towards the reason for his visit.

“It might seem out of the blue, but do you know of a way to change a person’s core? I mean, not in a way like a metamorphosis that involves pain for the subject.”

“A person’s core... Do you mean the inherent nature of mana one is born with? Certainly, in magic, as in martial arts, there are ways to improve the given core. If you’re looking for the method you described, there is a way to create a path with a ritual and slowly correct it through that. It may take some time, but this method is the least burdensome for the subject.”

“In that case, is it possible to perform the procedure right away?”

“That would depend on which core you’re aiming to improve. The intricacy of the ritual varies greatly depending on the core to be changed.”

Who among the knights could be having issues due to their core?

Elena couldn’t think beyond this upon Damian’s sudden inquiry about improving the core. Damian and Arthur were already almost perfect as warriors, and Alphonse didn’t seem to have a body that would suffer from core issues.

If she had to narrow down the suspects, it would be Ken or Maria, but after Damian brought up the topic, she became certain.

“What about increasing the ‘capacity’? I mean the inherent mana volume.”

Only knights would struggle with such an issue.

Those who became superhumans by storing magic in their bodies and transforming it into aura were knights, so it seemed that one of the knights had a core issue related to this.

The spellwork for core transformation related to magic power was, of course, incomparably complex and intricate. After all, magic power was a subject closely connected to the source of human life. It would have been strange if it were easy to handle. However, difficult as it may be, it was not impossible, so Elena nodded at Damian’s words.

“Increasing the inherent mana volume... it’s difficult, but not impossible. However, just like a potter slowly expands a vessel, it will grow gradually. Is that alright?”

“It’s not for me to decide, but I think it will be fine.”

“That’s a relief. And Damian, you must really care about this knight, trying to find a solution yourself. Oh, if it’s a volume issue, are they still a squire? I’d like to meet them sometime.”

Damian’s search for a solution indicated that they must have achieved outstanding results in other areas besides aura. Perhaps that was why he was eager to find a way to help.

But at Elena’s words, Damian responded with a slightly ambiguous expression.

“Hmm, you know them, Elena.”

“What? Among the squires I know... Ah! Sir Robin! Was Sir Robin experiencing such a core issue?”

“No, it’s not him, Elena. Not a knight or a squire. Ah, maybe they’re about to become a squire now.”

As Elena looked utterly confused, Damian replied with a somewhat bitter smile.

“It’s Hailey.”

--- END OF CHAPTER ---

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