abcnovels
Chapter 197
Chapter 197
I knew it would be like this (5)
“Are you feeling okay?”
It was already late at night when I felt like I could control my body properly.
When I opened my eyes and raised my upper body overcoming the slight fever remaining in my body I found myself lying down on a warm soft bed.
“… “Where?”
“This is my private room in the Ofilis building. “I brought you here at the request of Lady Yenica and Lady Lortel.”
“… ”
I was silent for a moment as I saw Belle standing next to me as if it was natural.
First of all all I remember is drinking a glass of water and suddenly feeling dizzy.
It was difficult to accurately judge the situation based on this alone so I asked Bell to explain further.
“Looks like Lady Patricia is causing trouble.”
“Patriciana is that the eccentric wizard from the fourth year?”
yes. “Didn’t I see you once last time?”
“… “I haven’t been involved in anything very good before.”
The other day he caught Merilda while she was out for a walk and made a fuss saying he was abusing her at the camp.
Her older sister Traceyana came rushing up to the troublemaker patting him on the head and repeatedly apologizing. After that Tracyana participated in the battle to recapture the Elte Company.
That girl got into trouble with the reagent this time. Isn’t it true that people rewrite things?
I opened my eyes took a deep breath and looked blankly into space for a moment.
“So where is she now?”
“I am being held in Miss Tracyana’s room.”
“I’m being caught… ?”
“When I stopped by the room to inspect the staff Tracy and Miss Tracy were practicing kneeling and praying.”
“… ”
“It looked quite angular. “I didn’t come from a military family so I wondered if I was receiving separate training.”
Actually Tracyana didn’t do anything wrong but it felt like she was always getting caught up in Petriciana’s troubles and had to apologize to her as well. She did that last time too.
This time too he will definitely drag Patricia by the ears and put his head down and look the world’s most sorry.
“Well why don’t you come at least sometime soon and bring a bunch of presents? I think Master Ed just needs to focus on checking his condition.”
“In my life all kinds of strange things happen to me.”
“You don’t have to worry about post-processing. Miss Tracyana is an expert in this field… ”
“… direction? What direction… ?”
I stood up pressing my temples. The headache had subsided quite a bit but I still felt a slight fever lingering in my body.
“When Miss Patricia has a serious accident she apologizes in all sorts of ways… “There are many different ways to apologize depending on the person you are dealing with and it is well known that the Bachelor is an expert in apologizing.”
“… ”
“Well I guess you’re not interested in this kind of gossip.”
When I asked what Belle was doing I saw that she was sitting at the table embroidering.
It’s not the maid’s outfit with a lot of red rose pattern decoration like usual. Anyway it’s late at night and there’s nothing left to do so I wear somewhat comfortable clothes.
Belle always looks neat and tidy no matter what she does so it is almost impossible for the average student to see her in her daily clothes.
Even though it is a simple dress and pajamas just changing the attire can completely change a person’s impression.
I… Have you been feeling sick these days? ”
“You don’t look good. Do you still have some energy left? “You can sleep a little longer if you need to.”
“No you can’t occupy someone else’s bed forever. just… These days I can’t tell if my common sense is lacking or if the students at this bachelor’s degree are strange. From a kidnapping expert to an apology expert… Drinking water terrorist… ”
“… What is certain is that Master Ed is a very common sense and rational person. There is no need for him to adjust his standard of thinking to the environment… ”
indeed… When I think about it I feel like the number of authors who call themselves normal people is a handful. In particular the more students in the alchemy department or those who are immersed in alchemy the more insane it seems…
What on earth is alchemy? No matter how geeky it is it has its limits…
so… What exactly happened that led me to come all the way to your private room and just disappear there? “I feel sorry because I probably won’t have time to rest already.”
it’s okay. “I have a lot of things to do tonight anyway.”
“If I just lay him down in my cabin he will recover on his own but bringing him here was also work right?”
“What… If I were to express my opinion without hesitation I think leaving it alone in the cabin would have been a much more dangerous choice. The details… It’s complicated to explain… ”
Belle put the scarf she had been embroidering on the table and fell into deep thought.
just… You might want to rest here tonight. “It doesn’t matter to me because I have to go out periodically to check on the night watchmen.”
“… “When do you sleep?”
“I tend to sleep for a couple of hours in the morning and take a nap during certain periods of the day. “I tend to have a loose schedule in the morning or get a good night’s sleep during vacation periods.”
A good night’s sleep is not a daily routine but an event.
No matter how physically strong and conscientious I am if I continue to live like that I will eventually become depleted… In fact when Belle works hard her skin looks more radiant and more lively.
There are people for whom work is the vital force of life and for whom work is the best nutrition. People who are born with such a way of thinking usually occupy top positions in bureaucratic society.
The same goes for Belle Maia.
“I thought I was living a pretty hard life but you’re a real idiot.”
“… ?”
“… no.
This is normal. Once that way of thinking is established it feels strange to ask why you work so hard.
Since I wasn’t in a position to say anything I just nodded.
“Would you like me to offer you a simple snack? “If you eat sweet foods you will recover faster from an accident.”
done. “I got over the drug to some extent.”
okay. “I heard that you were going to Cleric’s Monastery sometime this week and I was worried what would happen if you didn’t recover by then.”
“Even so it is only a trace amount. I’ll get over this somehow… However I wonder what I will do if there are aftereffects.”
“I asked Lady Tracy about that separately but she said there was no need to worry. “He will probably come by when the sun rises and explain it well.”
I nodded and opened my eyes pressing down on the slight remaining headache.
As my body and mind slowly calmed down the view of Belle’s private room came into view.
In a word it was different from what I imagined.
No matter what anyone says being the head maid at Ofilis Hall is a prestigious and high-income position. It is also a dream position for anyone working in a related field.
Her attire is also pretty and flashy so she stands out for a maid whose simplicity is always considered a virtue. That has to be the case.
This position is practically the face of Sylvania assisting all the distinguished guests attending Sylvania on the front line.
It is also a position that requires as much assistance and consideration as possible from the bachelor’s point of view. Because her impression becomes Sylvania’s impression.
Aside from that… The room is very narrow. A small bed in a space of about six to seven pyeong a wooden table and work chair a window with plenty of light and a simple closet with efficient storage.
And there are several portraits of great people hanging on the wall. All that is displayed on the table is a framed landscape painting and a dagger with a wildcat pattern on it for decoration.
“The maid’s private room is being used as a storage room.”
Bell who seemed to have noticed that he was puzzled by the room struck first.
“I feel like I’m floating if the room for sleeping and resting is too large… “I am using the same room I used when I was a senior maid.”
“You’re frugal.”
“It’s rather average.”
Being frugal is also a relative concept to some extent.
No matter how frugal I am I have been working at this luxurious Ofilis building for several years… It is not easy to maintain such an attitude even when holding the title of head maid.
Although it is not a problem to be a little extravagant she is truly worthy of being called a natural maid.
“What on earth were you doing before becoming a maid?”
I swung my arms around feeling the energy coming back to my body.
At the same time I subtly asked a question that was deep in my heart.
Rumors circulated here and there in Ofilis Hall but nothing was revealed on the surface.
There is no need to delve into Belle’s past but it would not be a big offense to reveal a little curiosity.
hmm… ”
However Bell thought for a moment and then spoke.
“It’s not a very interesting story… “I don’t really say anything.”
Don’t ask.
After seeing that attitude anyone will interpret the inner meaning this way.
I decided to vaguely answer the question because I thought it had roughly that kind of meaning.
“Okay I’m sorry if it was rude. “I wasn’t trying to find out anything.”
It can be rude to ask about personal history in more detail than necessary. I thought to myself “Let’s leave it at that” and when I apologized Belle suddenly shook her head.
Rather the other side seemed more embarrassed.
“Well… You said something misleading. Sorry Master Ed. “It wasn’t a particularly rude question.”
what?
“I mean exactly what I said. Not very pleasant… I don’t necessarily go around telling dark stories because the ending is so dark. “It’s not a story worth hiding.”
Belle picked up the embroidery she had put down and fiddled with the needle again. I wonder if the story is going to be long.
Looking at the scarf that the needle is being threaded into it is for students. It looks like he is adding more embroidery while making repairs. Although he could have asked a low-level maid to do that work he is doing it himself.
This is the part where Belle’s method of trying to finish most of the work that comes to her is revealed on her own terms.
“He was the illegitimate son of the Planzel family in the northeastern part of the empire. The surname Maia comes from his mother’s side.”
Just like that the bell came in without a hitch.
With just that one line it was easy to see that Belle’s birth was not unusual and that her life was not easy either.
“Do you know Baron Planzel?”
“… “I think I’ve heard the name.”
It’s a long and familiar name.
However what is certain is that I have never seen it in the social church of Ross Taylor’s territory. Even though it is a place where famous nobles and small and medium-sized nobles send gifts even if they cannot come in person.
“Actually it’s more natural not to remember. Baron Planzel produced many officials mainly responsible for long-distance diplomacy with countries on the eastern continent. Geographically it was located in the northeastern part of the empire and there were many rough terrains so the sea route was used more than the horse-drawn carriage that led to the interior of the empire.”
“For a baron he seems to be quite powerful.”
well. Anyway you won’t be able to find it on the map anymore. Because it was merged into the County of Melin. In fact from the perspective of Master Ed who is from the Ross Taylor family it may only be a microscopic incident.”
“… ”
What does it mean for a noble’s territory to be merged into the territory of a higher-ranking noble?
You can think of a variety of possibilities but most of them are not good words.
“As we come from a diplomatic family we traveled a lot overseas especially to the distant Eastern Continent. “He attempted to introduce new farming equipment and sericulture into his territory and also promoted massive civil engineering projects to level the rough terrain.”
The name Planzel family does not remain in my memory.
But seeing as Bell can talk about such details… Sometimes I get a strange feeling from that gap.
For some the baron from the frontier was only a passing glance but for others he was the cradle of childhood.
“You made many attempts to enrich the territory in one way or another but most of them ended up not being good.”
“… You were the illegitimate son of the Planzel family… ?”
yes. “He was the out-of-wedlock child of Master Dalvern the official heir.”
“So… “Life must not have been easy.”
well. “If it had been a central noble family where the power struggle was fierce they would have gone to great lengths to hide it but surprisingly I was accepted with ease.”
Since they were pushed out of the power struggle to begin with they were borderline nobles who only cared about their own people… Did he not consider the existence of a child out of wedlock which could be a political weakness or harm to be such a thorn in his eyes?
“Surprisingly I lived in a mansion with some consideration during my childhood. “There was hardly any eye contact.”
“… ”
“So there is nothing to say that hurts while talking about it. I have never been ashamed of my identity. However some people are surprised when I tell them that I come from an aristocratic family.”
Same goes for me.
Isn’t it ironic in a way that the maid who served a nobleman was actually from a noble family?
“But if you think about it once it actually seems natural. Since this is a position that requires treating and managing nobles wouldn’t it be better to have someone who knows the etiquette of nobles well?”
“If you think about it that way yes. “It’s just that there is no noble in the world who claims to be a maid.”
“So I was the perfect person. “At times my status as an illegitimate child was harsh but I am very thankful for this status that allowed me to settle down in this way only recently.”
In fact it seems that the aspect of being smart and sincere appealed more strongly than being from an aristocratic family… I decided not to bother with the details.
“By the way isn’t this Aken Island located in the southwest of the northeastern part of the continent in the completely opposite direction? “I ended up leaving home and living as a maid in this far away place.”
“Elise the head maid of the squadron was an acquaintance of your father. He said that Ellis was from the Eastern Continent and that he was someone who went around reaching out to children who had nowhere to go… Also from the family’s perspective no matter how much they don’t have a desire for power what would be the point in keeping an illegitimate child with them until the end? “We need to release them to some extent so that they can live their own lives.”
At this point I realized:
As Belle continued her story she was consciously skipping over gloomy or dark stories.
Well it was just worth living with. He somehow came from an aristocratic family.
Although he maintains that position and speaks contemplatively there is no way that there were no trials in his life.
I don’t want to make the other person feel gloomy. That kind of consideration is ingrained in you.
From that look it seems like the life of a woman named Belle Maia can be seen… Rather I felt a strange sense of resistance.
“It must have been difficult.”
“It wasn’t particularly difficult.”
“It was hard.”
“Well there was a time like that but it’s also nice to have a business card from an aristocratic family. “You spent your childhood in the Rosstaylor family so I wouldn’t dare give you my business card.”
Skillfully passing it off as a compliment to the other person’s authority is a sign of an adult who has a certain degree of mastery in how to live.
“… okay.
Here I gave up.
However Belle Maia must have been conscious of the fact that I had taken a step back in that way so she put down her embroidery for a moment and looked at me intently.
“In fact is there anyone who hasn’t gone through difficult times? “Everyone has ups and downs in life and we see such scenes more often especially in special environments like the Ofilis Hall.”
“I can’t say no. “Right now my family is in a state of trouble.”
yes. That’s right. Therefore I am not asking for sympathy or sympathy for my misfortune by bringing up a trivial tragedy.”
A round moon outside the window.
The penetrating moonlight illuminates the world equally as always.
Unlike the dazzling midday sun it is a faint light but there are times when the light that subtly seeps in as if it is not there actually brings more peace to a person’s mind.
When the light is bright it is dazzling. Sometimes you need a light shining softly from behind.
In fact Belle Maia was such a beacon of light. Although she is never revealed she is a type of person who is clearly there.
“Still it wouldn’t be polite to dismiss Master Ed’s curiosity by telling him not to pay any attention to it.”
“No it’s okay. Rather it is probably my curiosity that is petty. “I’m busy living my own life but I don’t have the time to be curious about other people’s past lives. If you don’t want to you don’t have to tell me.”
no. “It’s not that I don’t like it but my honest feelings are that I really want to say it.”
“… ?”
He said he doesn’t necessarily brag about his misfortune.
When I looked dumbfounded at the attitude that contradicted what I had said a few seconds ago Belle Maia also added a word with an embarrassed expression.
“What I just said was general. If the other person is Master Ed there is a change of heart on this side as well.”
“Change of heart? “Are you really saying there’s something you want to tell me?”
yes. what… Since you are Master Ed there is something I would like you to hear.”
It’s embarrassing to see a woman who always maintains a businesslike attitude no matter who she treats come out like this.
However he is not a person who can have personal feelings towards me. I know that fact and Bell knows it well.
Rather there is a comfortable relationship because it is business-like. Because I had insight into that fact I raised a white flag and spoke to Belle who persistently forced me to use polite language.
“Do you know about the end of the Planzel family?”
No matter who we are tragedy and comedy intersect in our lives.
If you reflect on the path you have lived you will surely have experienced many sad and happy times.
I don’t know how many tragedies were in Belle’s past but my intuition was screaming.
At least in this case it is the darkest part of Bell’s dark past that he has kept hidden.
As always the elegant and clean tone of voice remains the same.
“If you look at it from a macro historical perspective… That’s right. Frontier nobles without a desire for power usually meet a similar end.”
“Was it used as a throwaway card in the power struggle of high-ranking nobles?”
“It’s similar. It’s an obvious story that needs to be explained in detail but I clearly remember the ending. This is a story from when I was young. At that exact time the head maid of the squadron Ellis came to the Planzel mansion as an honored guest.”
Belle closes her eyes.
Only Belle knows what she was like as a child.
Bell does not discuss the details. She just speaks bluntly.
“There was talk that the amount of tribute demanded by our lord Margrave Melin could no longer be met with tax revenue from within the territory alone. “The baron’s valuables were sold employees were fired and personal assets were all stolen but the warehouses in the estate were becoming increasingly empty.”
“… ”
I had an inkling of what was going on but I kept my mouth shut and just listened.
“The Baron went directly to his lord the Margrave of Melin and appealed to him but to no avail. When I told him to at least give me someone Baron Planzel realized. “What the Margrave of Melin wanted to offer as tribute was the baron’s illegitimate son who had no special features other than his relatively beautiful appearance.”
I’m telling this as if it’s someone else’s story but the illegitimate child’s name is probably—
“He’s not even the one whose name is on the family tree but Planche’s illegitimate son who’s only half blood related… All you have to do is just give it away. Surprisingly living as the Margrave’s property may be a happier life for you. “Well I’m going to get a little hit with my hand.”
“… ”
“For some reason the Baron just looked at the illegitimate child he raised in his arms with wistful eyes. “Family love can sometimes be seen as a curse that blocks a person’s future path.”
The speed of the hands that embroider each stitch is constant.
Belle Maia was a maid who faithfully performed her assigned tasks at any time.
“However the Baron thinks of an innovative method. “There is a way to make the matter public so strongly that even the central nobles cannot easily ignore it while not moving according to the Margrave’s wishes and taking a hit.”
“… ”
“It was a truly innovative measure that could eliminate all the pain he suffered.
You no longer have to see the suffering of the people in your territory you don’t have to feel guilty when you turn your eyes away from them you don’t have to be heartbroken by the sad face of an illegitimate child who doesn’t know anything about the world and you can free yourself from the weight of all the responsibilities you carry on your shoulders. There is a way.
”
what is that?
I asked lightly.
The answer came back heavy.
“You just need to bring a few supplies. “It’s a long rope and an old shabby wooden chair.”
“… ”
“The rope should be long enough to be made into a loop and tied to the ceiling and the chair should be light enough to make it easy to kick and knock over.”
The conversation ended there.
silence.
Maybe 30 seconds? Is it 1 minute?
In this quiet room with no conversation taking place I quietly lowered my gaze.
“It’s not a story that ends so gloomily. Should I call it encouragement and punishment? “Just like a traditional fairy tale Margrave Melin meets a terrible end that feels somewhat reassuring.”
“I roughly heard the story. “This is a story that all senior professors know.”
okay. Certainly the story of Margrave Melin is famous. Two years later he shamelessly tried to bribe the Prime Minister of his country but faced a backlash and fell spectacularly. The evil deeds of the past have accumulated… This is a natural conclusion. but… “I often think like that.”
Belle spoke with her eyes tightly closed.
Normally I wouldn’t say it out loud but since the person I’m dealing with is Master Ed I really want to say it.
I finally understand what those words mean.
“Killing yourself is not a very good decision.”
“… ”
“No one knows what will happen in the future.”
If the baron had just closed his eyes at that time and handed over his illegitimate son to the margrave he might have been laughing heartily at his downfall two years later.
While saying this Belle quietly opened her eyes and stuck a needle into her scarf.
I can see the back of a young girl who opened the baron’s door and entered.
Only Bell would remember what kind of scene was reflected in her young eyes.
“I’m sorry for talking so darkly.”
no. It’s nothing to apologize for. And let me tell you I am living as hard as I can.”
“I know. Master Ed is working harder with his life than anyone else.”
Belle put down her embroidery for a moment and looked out the moonlit window.
“That’s a good thing.”
“Tell me when you go to Cleric’s Monastery. “I will give you some snacks and gifts to eat on the way.”
“Thank you for the refreshments but what is the gift?”
“The abbot is someone I know. He is a good person and helps me a lot in many ways. “I want to give you a gift while I’m leaving so the refreshments are a bribe to ask you to deliver the gift.”
“There is no need to bribe someone with something like that… “I would be grateful if it was a snack.”
Eventually Belle lifted the candlestick in the corner of the room as if she was planning to go check on the night watchman.
“If possible it would be better to wake up when the sun rises in the morning. “It is not recommended to walk through the forest at night until you are sure of your physical condition.”
“I guess so… I think it would be a good idea to pull myself together and get out… ”
“Well you’ve been through a lot of embarrassing things. In my life there are many times when I encounter absurd and unexpected situations… “There is something I consciously say every time that happens.”
Belle said as she bowed politely gently lifting the hem of her dress as if to ask her to rest in peace.
“Even if I’m a little embarrassed I always say it to myself as if it’s a habit to criticize myself.”
Most of Bell’s past history is still a mystery. Even if she only saw that part for a moment she shouldn’t judge her life carelessly.
It must have been a life filled with all kinds of trials that you could not have imagined.
Despite this she always thought about it in her mind. As if she was hypnotizing herself.
As if he had expected from the beginning that things would turn out this way. This is the secret to maintaining a dignified appearance as if there is no need to be embarrassed at all.
*
“… “I knew it would be like this.”
It was the next morning when Patricia and Tracyana burst through the door and threw themselves head first on the floor.
crime! song!!! do!!!!! “I have committed a mortal sin!!!!!!!”
The whole process of opening the door throwing the pile of presents on the table then sliding down to the floor and hitting my head was almost a work of art.
The image of Tracyana sitting next to Patricia with her head pressed against the floor.
If I were to give it an art score it would be close to 100 out of 10.
My brother!!!! “I don’t know anything but I don’t know too much!!!!”
“… Ah… ! it hurts… ! Ugh… I’m sorry… ”
“I’m so so sorry!!!! really !!!!! sorry!!!!!!!! do!!!!!!
I was sitting on the bed looking down at my twin sisters who were shaking their heads with dumbfounded faces.
No matter what the sight of the 4th grade senior hanging his head… It was a rather uncomfortable sight to just look at.