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IGF 25
“Betty?”
“Betty is a pseudonym; my real name is Bertha.”
Dressed in a light gown, Bertha walked into the room with a sheepish smile. Standing before Roselyn, she suddenly straightened her posture and raised her hand to her temple in a salute.
“Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Bertha Ayam, a secret knight and secret guard to His Highness the Prince, and lately, I've been handling various miscellaneous tasks. I have been assigned as Lady Roselyn's maid, lady-in-waiting, and guard.”
“Hello, Ms. Bertha.”
The disciplined movement proved that Bertha's introduction was no lie. She was a knight. Roselyn nodded as if she finally understood. She had felt that the way Bertha had secretly guided her through the Marquess's estate was unusual. It was a place where so many servants came and went, yet it had been quite surprising that she hadn't encountered a single person until they reached the garden.
As Roselyn's gaze lingered, Bertha scratched her nose awkwardly. Only then did Roselyn startle and clasp her hands together.
“I'm sorry. It's my first time meeting a female knight. I just find it fascinating and impressive.”
“Ah, I've heard that there are very few female knights in the Empire. That's why I'm in a position where I can't step into the spotlight. For a Great Empire, the way things are run is truly...”
Bertha began to grumble, starting a rant against the Empire. To think that Bertha Ayam, who had flown high in Romport, had to be shoved into the shadows here! She had the skill to hold her own even against the Imperial Knights. It was truly no different from letting a precious talent go to waste.
“Are you not from the Empire?”
Roselyn's eyes widened further. Her surname was common in the Empire, and her appearance and accent were typical of an Imperial citizen, so she hadn't realized she was a foreigner.
“My parents are from the Empire, but I am from the Northern Kingdom of Romport. I was born and raised there.”
Bertha explained kindly with a grin. As if recalling her hometown, her brown eyes held a warm glow. Reading her gaze, Roselyn's expression also relaxed. Seeing the sparkling look in her eyes, Roselyn could glimpse Bertha's affection for Romport, which made her feel good as well.
Anyway, a maid, lady-in-waiting, and guard? Wasn't that too heavy a workload? Moreover, remembering her infiltrating the Marquess's estate under the name Betty made her even more confused.
“But, Ms. Bertha, weren't you infiltrating the Marquess's estate?”
“Ah, I was dismissed. Haha.”
Bertha answered Roselyn's cautious question candidly. Someone else would likely take over the infiltration of the Marquess's estate. It was a natural result, as the information she gathered on the main house was meager, and she had brought back nothing but heaps of information about the dairy farm every time. His Highness the Prince couldn't possibly be curious about how many ducks and cows the Marquess raised or how many kilograms of butter the farm produced per week. She had practically failed in her mission to make contact with Roselyn as well.
However, she had no particular complaints. Her life at the Marquess's estate had been an experience that reaffirmed that she was better suited for protecting or killing someone than for playing a spy or engaging in information warfare. In that sense, she preferred her current mission.
Because all she had to do was serve and protect Roselyn by her side, and cut down any enemies who approached her. Though, she would have to learn how to be a lady-in-waiting from scratch. Bertha's energetic voice echoed through the room.
“Anyway, I look forward to working with you! Since I've been given this mission, I will serve and protect you with all my heart, My Lady.”
“...Uh, I look forward to working with you too.”
It had been far too long since she had been called 'My Lady.' Roselyn froze stiff, unable to hide her awkwardness. Regardless, the high-spirited Bertha approached her, unbothered, and pointed toward the dressing room attached to the bedroom.
“First, I'll help you change your clothes—no, wait. Is a bath first? My apologies. Please give me a moment to think.”
“Uh... I'll take a bath first. I can do it alone, so you don't have to help...”
Roselyn waved her hand to indicate she was fine and was about to ask for the location of the bathroom when she covered her mouth with both hands, stifling a scream. It was because she had been so frantic since waking up that she had only just noticed her own attire.
I faced Prince Aiden dressed like this?
The silhouette of her body was clearly visible through the thin chemise. Realizing that the rounded mounds of her breasts and even the pinkish highlights were faintly visible through the transparent fabric, she squeezed her eyes shut in despair.
How could she not have known she was dressed like this...? This was practically the same as reinforcing his misunderstandings about her. Roselyn looked miserable as she hurriedly crossed her arms to cover her chest.
“Ah, bath first. The bathroom is that way, My Lady. I think it would be best if you washed alone today. I haven't mastered the art of bathing assistance yet.”
Bertha tilted her head at Roselyn's sudden shy behavior and confessed bashfully. Bertha had also been a noble in Romport, but since she had dreamed of becoming a knight since childhood, she didn't know the etiquette of noblewomen in detail. How could she possibly know the etiquette of Imperial noblewomen? She had hurriedly found an etiquette teacher who had taught Imperial Palace maids, but she still had a long way to go.
“Next time, I will definitely assist you with your bath!”
“Yes... yes.”
Roselyn hurried toward the door Bertha pointed to.
Only after entering the bathroom did she try to catch her breath, but upon discovering the mirror near the bathtub, she practically collapsed. Her messy, frizzy hair and pale, haggard appearance caught her eye. She felt slightly ashamed that she had faced the impeccably neat Prince Aiden looking like this.
“What on earth is happening?”
She sighed deeply while filling the bathtub. Fortunately, the layout of the bathroom was similar to the one at Marquis Russell's estate, so she was able to prepare for her bath without difficulty. She had also experienced something similar to assisting Violet with her bath. Roselyn carefully stepped into the warm water that had quickly filled the tub.
“Haa...”
As her stiff body relaxed, her tension faded. Her pale face turned flush, and color returned to her lips. When was the last time she had such a luxurious bath? Still, at the convent, she occasionally had the chance to soak in a tub. Although she had to do the labor of drawing water, heating it in a pot, and then transferring that water into the tub.
However, such a bath was unthinkable at the Marquess's estate. The bathroom assigned to Roselyn consisted only of a basin large enough to soak her legs and a shower facility. There was a large bathtub in the servants' communal bathroom, but since most of them hated her, she never dreamed of going there.
Roselyn kept her eyes closed for a long time, enjoying the long-awaited luxury. As her body warmed up, her dormant organs seemed to start working, and she soon became hungry. Come to think of it, she hadn't eaten anything since waking up. As soon as she went out, she would have to ask Bertha for the location of the kitchen. This mansion must have a servants' dining hall.
After that, she felt it would be best to meet Prince Aiden immediately. Although she had been told to rest, there were many things she wanted to know.
She was in a state of knowing nothing—where she was, exactly how long she had been unconscious, and whether it was truly alright to have left the Marquess's family that day. It was simply that she had been so relieved not to see Isaac's face when she opened her eyes that she had unintentionally let her guard down. She couldn't even rest in this state of anxiety.
After scrubbing her body with a soapy sponge, she hurried to finish her bath. Feeling that it was a bit much to put the chemise back on, she threw on a robe and stepped out hesitantly. Perhaps because her body had been warmed by the bath, even the cool air in the room felt refreshing. Bertha, who had been waiting for her, spotted her and pulled the summoning bell.
“I'll call a maid to help you change. I'm afraid I have absolutely no talent for picking out clothes. Haha.”
Bertha let out a self-deprecating laugh and guided Roselyn to the dressing room. I hope I don't get fired for coasting like this. Still, Lady Roselyn doesn't seem like the type to report every little detail about me to the Prince, so that's a relief.
No matter how she looked at her, she was completely different from the rumors. Perhaps the rumors of her being a temptress or a sly fox were all misunderstandings. Bertha liked Roselyn more and more.
“Did you call for us, My Lady?”
Soon, two maids entered the room and bowed their heads. Bertha stopped Roselyn, who had instinctively started to bow back, and called the maids in a stern tone.
“You know who this is, right? Make sure you dress her up with all your heart.”
“Yes. We understand. My Lady, please come this way.”
Roselyn moved her feet awkwardly at the gesture of the maids guiding her with kind smiles. Meanwhile, do they know who I am? Who... am I?
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