“Madam, please put aside the maids you brought for a moment. I think it would be best if I took care of the household duties myself tonight.”
Granada was a man whose speech was as indifferent and harsh as his sharp expression.
Her ashen eyes, despite her graying age, still sparkled with a fierce determination.
It was like watching an eagle poised to pounce on its prey at any moment.
I asked, still trying to convince myself not to cry.
“Why, why do you have to do that?”
Although my voice was a little trembling, I was satisfied that I was able to hold my head up stiffly and speak confidently.
But Granada didn't seem to sense any charisma from me.
"They need to follow Mainz, familiarize themselves with the location of the castle's key facilities, and understand the command structure of the employees here. They'll also need to unpack."
That was true, but I was reluctant to be left alone with Granada.
Granada was a man whose speech was as indifferent and harsh as his sharp expression.
Her ashen eyes, despite her graying age, still sparkled with a fierce determination.
It was like watching an eagle poised to pounce on its prey at any moment.
I asked, still trying to convince myself not to cry.
“Why, why do you have to do that?”
Although my voice was a little trembling, I was satisfied that I was able to hold my head up stiffly and speak confidently.
But Granada didn't seem to sense any charisma from me.
"They need to follow Mainz, familiarize themselves with the location of the castle's key facilities, and understand the command structure of the employees here. They'll also need to unpack."
That was true, but I was reluctant to be left alone with Granada.
I looked back at Lamia with eyes asking for help, but Lamia nodded vigorously as if she strongly agreed with Granada's words.
“That’s right, I want to hurry up and rest.”
Then she pointed to another maid who had followed Granada and asked.
"Should I follow her? Let's go. See you tomorrow, Your Highness!"
Not only Granada, but also Vanessa and the other two maids looked at Lamia, who was waving her hands energetically, in disbelief.
“Lamia.”
Vanessa called out to her sternly, as if to tell her not to do anything that would make her lose face, but Vanessa had long since become a pushover to Lamia.
Lamia winked at me and disappeared with the other maids.
I begged Granada earnestly.
“As you can see, the maids need training.”
Granada nodded expressionlessly.
“I guess so.”
Granada clicked his tongue at Chloe, who looked like she was about to burst into tears if she was touched.
Although she seemed to believe she wasn't showing it, Granada could clearly see the effort Chloe was putting in.
'She looks like she's only about 12 years old.'
Why is she so small?
Chloe was a head shorter than her, having grown older and shrunk in stature.
Of course, Granada also knew that southerners were on average shorter than northerners.
"Still, she looks particularly small. Maybe it's because she's skinny. They said she's a 22-year-old adult, but maybe they misread the 12-year-old."
She looked even more so because she was wearing children's clothes that she didn't know where they came from.
Moreover, with her white skin that seemed to have never been exposed to sunlight and her cold silver hair that seemed to be invisible when buried in the snow like a snow cat, she looked more like a wax doll than a person.
Because of the drier sunlight, Chloe's skin is paler than that of the fair-skinned northerners, from head to toe, except for her bright blue eyes.
'She looks weak and frail.'
Granada proposed.
“You probably didn’t wash properly on your way here, so I recommend you take a bath first.”
“Yeah, that would be good.”
Chloe nodded.
Immediately after, an odd silence flowed between the two.
“...?”
Granada wondered why she was just standing there blankly staring at her when she had said she was going to wash.
“Aren’t you going to wash?”
“Didn’t you say we were going to wash?”
"But why are you just standing there? You should take off your clothes. The bathroom is over there."
“...!”
Chloe's gaze wavered.
Only then, with a slightly hesitant gesture, did she take off her cloak and place it on the bed.
Then she stared blankly at Granada again, and with a look of realization on her face, she tried to unbutton her leather jacket.
Granada was frustrated by the slow pace, but waited patiently.
But Chloe couldn't unbutton a single button.
It seemed like she was having a hard time using her fingers properly because of the leather clothes that wrapped around her hands.
'You could have just asked for help.'
Why can't I even ask for help?
“I will do it for you.”
But Chloe took a step back and asked.
“If you wear these clothes, do you have to have someone else help you take them off?”
“That’s not true.”
“Then I’ll try doing it myself.”
Granada silently withdrew the hand she had extended.
Chloe added, "Oops," as she interpreted her silence.
“Other people do it alone, so I want to try it alone too. It has no other meaning.”
"Yes."
Granada answered calmly, but was a little surprised inside.
It seemed like he was saying this so that it wouldn't seem like she was uncomfortable with receiving help from a disabled person or that she didn't want to entrust her body to a Ronheimer.
Moreover, it was unexpected that she didn't ask for help, but rather didn't do it.
Chloe struggled with the button for a while before finally managing to undo it.
Her cheeks flushed slightly with joy at her success.
It was funny how she blushed with joy at just unbuttoning a few buttons, but then glared at her and pretended to be mature, trying not to show it.
Granada looked at Chloe like that and thought she was a little cute without realizing it.
“You should take off your clothes now.”
"Ah."
She was so focused on unbuttoning it that she seemed to have forgotten why she had done it.
Chloe again fumbled and undressed in a very clumsy manner, as if she had never undressed herself before.
Granada, who was quietly watching her, remembered what Brentian had said.
"The Princess is a spy of the Empress of Kavala, Granada. Be careful. You never know what she might do."
Chloe, as described by Brentian, who spoke with a very hardened face, seemed like a very vicious devil.
It sounded like they were going to destroy Ronheim at any moment and turn this place into a sea of blood.
But when she met Chloe face to face, she couldn't even take one leg out of her clothes, so she lost her balance and was jumping around on the carpet...
'Ha.'
Feeling a little confused, Granada waited calmly for Chloe.
She eventually managed to undress herself.
Standing in a thin petticoat, she let out a sigh of relief, perhaps relieved by the weight of her leather garments, and straightened her shoulders. Her face looked much more relaxed.
Granada took off her clothes and led the cold Chloe into the bathroom.
“You can use these when washing.”
Granada gave Chloe a bath basket.
She explained the purpose of the items inside and then left the bathroom so Chloe could wash up comfortably.
“Go wash up and come out. I’ll be waiting.”
Then she turned around and left, so she didn't see Chloe's embarrassed expression.
'You want me to wash by myself?'
After going through many twists and turns, I was very proud of myself for taking off my clothes, but then I realized that it was a mountain beyond a mountain.
I was determined to do things on my own that others did on their own, but I never thought I would end up doing everything on my own at once.
I felt a sudden sense of fatigue.
'Let's give it a try anyway.'
I took off my petticoat and stepped into the bathtub. The petticoat was loose and light, so it wasn't too difficult to take off.
I got into the bathtub and floated a bath basket on the water, but it sank, and I had to scramble to get the items out of the water.
'Is this foaming?'
In Arrental, expensive perfumes are usually placed in ornate gold-decorated bottles, while liquid soaps are usually placed in small bottles suitable for single use.
But the glass bottles here all looked similar, making it difficult to tell what was inside.
I picked a glass bottle, opened the lid, and sniffed it, but my hand slipped and I dropped it in the water.
'Oh.'
After dropping it in the water a few times, I finally managed to get it out, but half of the contents were already gone, and the bottle was full of bath water.
Still, it was probably liquid soap, as my body was slippery after soaking in the soapy water.
I just splashed the water on my body and scrubbed my skin with it.
'It hurts so much...'
The sole here was much stiffer than the ones I usually use.
I rubbed my body, enduring the pain.
After I somehow managed to wash up and come out, all the glass bottles in the bath basket were empty, and water was splashing everywhere.
Still, I felt proud that I had done it on my own, so I wrapped myself in a towel and went outside.
Granada, who had been sitting and resting, raised her head.
“Wash everything...”
She looked at me in surprise and pushed me back into the bathroom.
“Have you never taken a bath yourself?”
'How did you know?'
I was so surprised that I just blinked my eyes, and then she let out a small sigh.
She, who had always maintained a blank expression and never showed any emotion, showed an expression of real expression for the first time, and it was a very embarrassed expression.
“The foam is still there. You need to wash it again...”
She suddenly became speechless when she saw the bathtub.
“...I guess I’ll have to change the water first.”
“That’s right, I want to hurry up and rest.”
Then she pointed to another maid who had followed Granada and asked.
"Should I follow her? Let's go. See you tomorrow, Your Highness!"
Not only Granada, but also Vanessa and the other two maids looked at Lamia, who was waving her hands energetically, in disbelief.
“Lamia.”
Vanessa called out to her sternly, as if to tell her not to do anything that would make her lose face, but Vanessa had long since become a pushover to Lamia.
Lamia winked at me and disappeared with the other maids.
I begged Granada earnestly.
“As you can see, the maids need training.”
Granada nodded expressionlessly.
“I guess so.”
***
Granada clicked his tongue at Chloe, who looked like she was about to burst into tears if she was touched.
Although she seemed to believe she wasn't showing it, Granada could clearly see the effort Chloe was putting in.
'She looks like she's only about 12 years old.'
Why is she so small?
Chloe was a head shorter than her, having grown older and shrunk in stature.
Of course, Granada also knew that southerners were on average shorter than northerners.
"Still, she looks particularly small. Maybe it's because she's skinny. They said she's a 22-year-old adult, but maybe they misread the 12-year-old."
She looked even more so because she was wearing children's clothes that she didn't know where they came from.
Moreover, with her white skin that seemed to have never been exposed to sunlight and her cold silver hair that seemed to be invisible when buried in the snow like a snow cat, she looked more like a wax doll than a person.
Because of the drier sunlight, Chloe's skin is paler than that of the fair-skinned northerners, from head to toe, except for her bright blue eyes.
'She looks weak and frail.'
Granada proposed.
“You probably didn’t wash properly on your way here, so I recommend you take a bath first.”
“Yeah, that would be good.”
Chloe nodded.
Immediately after, an odd silence flowed between the two.
“...?”
Granada wondered why she was just standing there blankly staring at her when she had said she was going to wash.
“Aren’t you going to wash?”
“Didn’t you say we were going to wash?”
"But why are you just standing there? You should take off your clothes. The bathroom is over there."
“...!”
Chloe's gaze wavered.
Only then, with a slightly hesitant gesture, did she take off her cloak and place it on the bed.
Then she stared blankly at Granada again, and with a look of realization on her face, she tried to unbutton her leather jacket.
Granada was frustrated by the slow pace, but waited patiently.
But Chloe couldn't unbutton a single button.
It seemed like she was having a hard time using her fingers properly because of the leather clothes that wrapped around her hands.
'You could have just asked for help.'
Why can't I even ask for help?
“I will do it for you.”
But Chloe took a step back and asked.
“If you wear these clothes, do you have to have someone else help you take them off?”
“That’s not true.”
“Then I’ll try doing it myself.”
Granada silently withdrew the hand she had extended.
Chloe added, "Oops," as she interpreted her silence.
“Other people do it alone, so I want to try it alone too. It has no other meaning.”
"Yes."
Granada answered calmly, but was a little surprised inside.
It seemed like he was saying this so that it wouldn't seem like she was uncomfortable with receiving help from a disabled person or that she didn't want to entrust her body to a Ronheimer.
Moreover, it was unexpected that she didn't ask for help, but rather didn't do it.
Chloe struggled with the button for a while before finally managing to undo it.
Her cheeks flushed slightly with joy at her success.
It was funny how she blushed with joy at just unbuttoning a few buttons, but then glared at her and pretended to be mature, trying not to show it.
Granada looked at Chloe like that and thought she was a little cute without realizing it.
“You should take off your clothes now.”
"Ah."
She was so focused on unbuttoning it that she seemed to have forgotten why she had done it.
Chloe again fumbled and undressed in a very clumsy manner, as if she had never undressed herself before.
Granada, who was quietly watching her, remembered what Brentian had said.
"The Princess is a spy of the Empress of Kavala, Granada. Be careful. You never know what she might do."
Chloe, as described by Brentian, who spoke with a very hardened face, seemed like a very vicious devil.
It sounded like they were going to destroy Ronheim at any moment and turn this place into a sea of blood.
But when she met Chloe face to face, she couldn't even take one leg out of her clothes, so she lost her balance and was jumping around on the carpet...
'Ha.'
Feeling a little confused, Granada waited calmly for Chloe.
She eventually managed to undress herself.
Standing in a thin petticoat, she let out a sigh of relief, perhaps relieved by the weight of her leather garments, and straightened her shoulders. Her face looked much more relaxed.
Granada took off her clothes and led the cold Chloe into the bathroom.
“You can use these when washing.”
Granada gave Chloe a bath basket.
She explained the purpose of the items inside and then left the bathroom so Chloe could wash up comfortably.
“Go wash up and come out. I’ll be waiting.”
Then she turned around and left, so she didn't see Chloe's embarrassed expression.
***
'You want me to wash by myself?'
After going through many twists and turns, I was very proud of myself for taking off my clothes, but then I realized that it was a mountain beyond a mountain.
I was determined to do things on my own that others did on their own, but I never thought I would end up doing everything on my own at once.
I felt a sudden sense of fatigue.
'Let's give it a try anyway.'
I took off my petticoat and stepped into the bathtub. The petticoat was loose and light, so it wasn't too difficult to take off.
I got into the bathtub and floated a bath basket on the water, but it sank, and I had to scramble to get the items out of the water.
'Is this foaming?'
In Arrental, expensive perfumes are usually placed in ornate gold-decorated bottles, while liquid soaps are usually placed in small bottles suitable for single use.
But the glass bottles here all looked similar, making it difficult to tell what was inside.
I picked a glass bottle, opened the lid, and sniffed it, but my hand slipped and I dropped it in the water.
'Oh.'
After dropping it in the water a few times, I finally managed to get it out, but half of the contents were already gone, and the bottle was full of bath water.
Still, it was probably liquid soap, as my body was slippery after soaking in the soapy water.
I just splashed the water on my body and scrubbed my skin with it.
'It hurts so much...'
The sole here was much stiffer than the ones I usually use.
I rubbed my body, enduring the pain.
After I somehow managed to wash up and come out, all the glass bottles in the bath basket were empty, and water was splashing everywhere.
Still, I felt proud that I had done it on my own, so I wrapped myself in a towel and went outside.
Granada, who had been sitting and resting, raised her head.
“Wash everything...”
She looked at me in surprise and pushed me back into the bathroom.
“Have you never taken a bath yourself?”
'How did you know?'
I was so surprised that I just blinked my eyes, and then she let out a small sigh.
She, who had always maintained a blank expression and never showed any emotion, showed an expression of real expression for the first time, and it was a very embarrassed expression.
“The foam is still there. You need to wash it again...”
She suddenly became speechless when she saw the bathtub.
“...I guess I’ll have to change the water first.”
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