The Young Lady Has Disappeared

"Young lady. Yulia."

"Catherine! How is it outside now?"

"Her Imperial Highness has resolved everything. It should be safe for you to go out now."

No sooner had my words fallen than soldiers opened the door of the room, and voices reassuring the nobles could be heard. Lillian also seemed relieved, letting out a small sigh. After confirming that Yulia was reassuring Lillian with her characteristic bright voice, I quietly stood behind Lillian.

I had no intention of revealing the truth as she would worry if I said I had fought. It was the same even if Lillian wasn't the 'young lady' I knew now. If it was the young lady, she would have worried about me even more. The young lady's obsession with me was abnormal.

In fact, isn't that why she sent me to Aptem Academy with her? She wouldn't wear clothes that my hands hadn't touched, wouldn't eat food that I hadn't tasted. Even when dining out, she would only move her spoon after I had tasted her food first.

Of course, the current Lillian eats everything without suspicion, but honestly, I was a bit worried.

As the empire's chancellor family, the Fortus Marquis family had many political enemies. As the only daughter of such a family, the young lady always had to suffer from life threats.

Well, it's not like that's why her personality became twisted. The young lady's personality was originally dirty. There were even servants who said that picking me up was the young lady's only good deed.

In my eyes, the young lady was just a soft-hearted little child. An ugly five-year-old who couldn't even properly tell her parents what she wanted.

The young lady's heart was just stuck there.

When Lillian came out, many nobles had already left the banquet hall. However, the imperial princess was still in overall command, and upon seeing me, she waved her hand happily and approached.

"You've come. Well then, Lady Lillian, Miss Yulia. Are you unharmed?"

"Yes. Thank you for your concern."

The imperial princess's face, which had been smiling brightly at Lillian's honest thanks, froze, and she opened her mouth with a displeased look.

"...Hm? What? Lady Lillian. Could you say that again? I think my ears must be mistaken."

"? I said thank you for your concern."

"...W-Wait. Come here for a moment, Catherine."

"Yes."

I knew she'd cause trouble someday. Inwardly letting out a small sigh, I followed the imperial princess. Moving to behind a pillar where Lillian and Yulia couldn't see, the imperial princess pointed at Lillian behind the pillar with a confused face.

"Has she gone mad from shock?"

"I don't think it's polite to speak that way about someone else's master."

"I-I'm sorry about that... No, don't change the subject. Why on earth is she acting like that? Did I do something wrong?"

"Well, you did put the banquet hall in danger, so you did do something wrong?"

"..."

Perhaps thinking it impossible to figure anything out from my constantly evasive responses, the imperial princess closed her mouth tightly.

The imperial princess was glaring at me with all her might, but I ignored her gaze. What can you do if I ignore you? What can you do, being just the imperial princess of the empire?

In fact, there's a lot she can do. She could order me to open my mouth right now, or she could order the soldiers to capture me and torture me.

But the Chloe imperial princess I knew wasn't the type of person to do such things.

As if my thoughts were correct, the imperial princess let out a long sigh and grabbed my shoulder.

...It's closer than I thought. The imperial princess's face comes into view. Well-proportioned eyes, nose, and mouth. She's a beauty overflowing with passion that would be rare even in modern times. With her mysterious purple hair flowing long, and her red eyes that seem like they could pierce through me look as if they could burst into flames at any moment.

Unlike my dark red eyes that look like they could die at any moment, those naturally shining ruby-colored eyes give the illusion that I might be devoured at any moment whenever I see them. The imperial princess's red lips... are coming closer little by little.

As the imperial princess comes closer, the scent emanating from her becomes stronger. Is this freesia scent? Feeling a bit dizzy, I put strength into my legs.

"Well, if you don't want to talk, there's nothing I can do. We're only bound by a contractual relationship after all."

"That can't be. If it weren't for the difference in social status, we might have been quite well-matched friends."

"I'm grateful that you say so. Mm, mm. Yes. Thank you."

A smile spreads across the imperial princess's face.

Unlike her smiles so far, it was an expression that seemed genuinely happy.

Certainly... this appearance is dangerous. Dangerous. Although it was a beautiful girl's face trained by Lillian, the family's servants, and Yulia, the imperial princess was a completely different type of beauty, so I felt it was a bit dangerous. Since what was hanging had fallen off with a thud, she probably wouldn't pounce or do anything like that, but well, you know. My body might heat up a bit for the first time in a while.

As I quietly turned my head to avoid the imperial princess's gaze, she let go of my shoulder. The imperial princess, patting her dress, returned to her place as if nothing had happened. What were we talking about just now? Remembering that I had answered roughly, distracted by the imperial princess's face, I reviewed the recent conversation and my heart sank.

What on earth did I say to the imperial princess? It's fortunate that the imperial princess didn't make an issue of it and let it pass, otherwise it was nonsense that wouldn't have been strange if my head had been cut off for insulting the imperial family.

...If I was this distracted, didn't the imperial princess notice too? I let out a small sigh.

"Catherine? You didn't suffer anything strange, did you?"

"The imperial princess looked strangely happy..."

When I returned to Catherine and Yulia, they looked at me worriedly, examining me this way and that. But nothing particularly happened to me.

As I shook my head, Lillian grabbed my shoulder.

"This shoulder part, it's a bit twisted compared to when you left... Don't tell me the imperial princess touched your shoulder?"

"Did she undo the shoulder strap...?"

"Damn... I'm jealous. I want to see Catherine's bare shoulder too..."

"?"

"..."

Yulia looks at Lillian with a face that says she can't believe what she's hearing. But Lillian, not seeming particularly embarrassed, fixed the fit of my shoulder clothing. Is Lillian perhaps a pervert?

"You see my shoulders all the time anyway."

Because I wear clothes with minimal coverage when attending to her bath, she should see them every day. When I said that, Yulia's face turned bright red. Next to Yulia like that, Lillian shakes her head.

"Not like that. I mean seeing it by undressing you myself."

Such a refined conversation. I bit my lip slightly and covered Lillian's mouth. What kind of person is this young lady to be so honest about her desires? If the 'young lady' had known, she might have committed suicide from shame right now.

"Let's go back for now."

"Mmph. Mmph mmph."

"Ah, okay. Let's do that, Catherine."

* * *

The next day, the imperial princess spread the story throughout the school that she had arrested all the main culprits who attacked the ballroom and locked them in the student prison. In that process, there was no mention of my involvement. It was because I actively opposed it.

Imperial Princess Chloe looked a bit regretful, but given my strong will, she had no choice but to omit the story about me.

Aptem Academy returned to its peaceful daily life. Although the event of going out remains, we should be able to rest for a few days. I clearly came to serve Lillian, but how did it end up like this? While washing clothes and packing lunch boxes, I sighed from time to time.

This kind of daily life is comfortable. In the morning, do some housework, in the afternoon play around, and when Lillian returns, attend to her and then go to sleep. Even saying 'attend to', since Lillian is possessed by the soul of a modern person who knows how to do everything, there's not much to do. At most, just prepare meals?

To be honest, it wouldn't be strange to call it easy money, but quite a large salary comes in regularly. This is why servants always come to the Fortus family, which is known for its rough treatment of servants. In other households, servants might end up in dangerous situations while attending to nobles, but the Fortus family is basically laissez-faire.

I deal with the young lady, and the Marquis Fortus hardly ever returns to the mansion. The Marchioness is also busy going around with her affairs, so the servants at most just manage the mansion. Even that wasn't much work as there were many people.

The large number of people was entirely due to the young lady's will. With the single reason that she felt bad if there were few people in the mansion, she hired any woman who was moderately beautiful as a servant.

In that process, there were cases where criminals mixed in, but... With the head maid who received professional assassin training and me who was trained by that head maid, there weren't particularly dangerous cases.

Rather, there were cases where criminals were reformed and stuck around the mansion.

Having made today's lunch box, I left the room to deliver it to Lillian. As I was crossing the campus like that, I bumped into someone.

"Ugh, watch where you're going... Eek!?"

"Hmm... I'm sorry."

What's this, why is he so surprised? The man who fell after bumping into me was grumbling with annoyance, but upon seeing my face, he startled and backed away on his bottom.

He bounces well. Thinking this, I extended my hand towards the man, but he bowed his head as if humbled and stood up on his own. Is he a child by himself?

"Th-That. I'm sorry."

"...Ah, you were in yesterday's protest crowd."

Wondering why he was acting like that, I was scrutinizing the man's face when I suddenly recognized him and muttered quietly. But the man right in front of me seemed to have heard it, as his face started to turn pale.

"Eek!?"

"...I heard you were under investigation."

"J-Just released for a short break time..."

"I see. Well then."

The imperial princess must have handled it. Thinking this, I moved away from the man. I could feel the man's gaze on me, but delivering the lunch box was more urgent right now.