Chapter 12
“Goodness, you’re still awake?”
Lost in memories of my past life, I was startled when one of the three maids Axel had sent entered the room. It was Lily, one of the trio named after flowers—Rose, Daisy, and Lily. From what I’d observed, Lily seemed to be the leader among the three.
She was holding a water pitcher, likely here to refresh the water at my bedside.
“Young lady, you should go to bed early so you can grow up strong and healthy. Are you afraid of sleeping alone?”
“N-no… not really…”
Of course, a former black mage wouldn’t be afraid of sleeping alone. But I couldn’t exactly tell her that I was lying awake, scheming ways to earn more coins in a four-year-old’s body, so I just nodded vaguely.
Lily’s expression softened with sympathy for a brief moment.
“In that case, I’ll stay by your side until you fall asleep. I can even sing you a lullaby.”
She smiled warmly as she sat on the edge of the bed.
‘A… a lullaby?’
Feeling awkward, I quickly shut my eyes. Lily, perhaps thinking I was embarrassed, chuckled softly and began to sing quietly.
The power of a lullaby is truly something else. I was already tired, so I didn’t even make it through five lines before I drifted off.
“Sleep well, young lady,” she whispered.
It was a kind voice, warmer than anything I had experienced as Greslin or Reshia.
* * *
The next day, I woke up feeling refreshed. It was the first time I had slept so deeply in Reshia’s body. Living in the unfamiliar ducal household, without anyone to rely on, had left me constantly on edge, leading to shallow sleep.
I stretched contentedly. My body felt light, and my mind, which often felt sluggish like a rusty wheel, was running smoothly today.
The maids had already prepared everything—helping me wash, change clothes, and brush my hair—making me feel like I was in heaven. Normally, I’d be struggling to wash myself with cold water and no soap. The sudden change in circumstances was almost overwhelming.
Every time their hands touched me, I couldn’t help but flinch. The maids, noticing this, smiled at me with a mix of affection and pity.
“At the Elpinard Ducal household, daughters are extremely rare. We’ve always served the young masters, so we’re so delighted to be able to attend to a young lady now.”
“Choosing pretty dresses and cute hairstyles for you is our pleasure,” Rose and Daisy chirped as they continued to fuss over me.
Indeed, the Elpinard family was one where daughters were few and far between. The current Duke, Axel, and Noah were all male, making me the only girl in the household.
“But why is Lord Axel suddenly so concerned with the young lady’s wellbeing?”
“The person who officially recognized you as a saint is Cardinal Bael, isn’t it? Lord Axel is probably concerned because a friend entrusted you to him,” Rose remarked as she worked on my hair.
“But for someone so concerned, he hasn’t shown any interest over the past few years, has he?” Daisy added.
“Who knows the reason? But I’m happy about it. I much prefer attending to a young lady. We get to see pretty clothes and accessories,” Rose said, clearly enjoying the change.
Their whispered conversation made it clear that despite my titles of saint and noble lady, I was still seen as just a child, which gave them the freedom to chat openly.
‘This is nice,’ I thought.
In my days as Greslin, the mere act of me sitting down would cause everyone to fall silent, too nervous to speak in my presence. This casual chatter was something I’d never experienced before.
Just as I was listening in, hoping to catch some interesting tidbits, Lily, the head of the maids, intervened with a stern tone.
“That’s enough. You shouldn’t speak like that in front of the young lady.”
But Rose and Daisy were undeterred.
“But everyone is curious about it,” Rose insisted.
“That’s right. Lord Axel usually doesn’t care about household matters, but it’s unusual for him to take such an interest in the young lady’s well-being,” Daisy agreed.
“Enough,” Lily repeated, this time with more authority, and finally, the two fell silent.
Lily then turned to me, her voice warm and kind once more. “Young lady, is there anything else that’s making you uncomfortable?”
“No,” I replied politely, nodding.
I wasn’t just being polite—I truly had no complaints. Everything had been taken care of so well.
“Thank you all so much,” I said, clasping my hands together as I thanked the three of them.
While I was genuinely grateful, this was also part of my strategy to make a good impression.
‘There are a mountain of quests I need to tackle.’
After skimming through the Quest Log yesterday, it was clear that there were very few tasks I could accomplish alone, especially with my current reputation as a mere child. I would definitely need the help of adult allies.
The maids, who were closest to me and cared for me daily, were the first targets for recruitment. My polite gesture seemed to move them deeply; they covered their mouths in shock, clearly touched.
Compared to the nobles who usually took their service for granted, a well-mannered child like me must have seemed like a breath of fresh air. A child’s gratitude tends to be seen as more sincere and endearing.
“It’s clear that Hannah was spreading nonsense. The young lady is nothing like that!” Rose exclaimed.
Hannah was my previous maid. It seemed she had been spreading some unflattering rumors about me among the servants.
“Exactly! How could she say such things about such a sweet young lady?” Daisy added, waving her fists in the air as if fighting an invisible enemy.
I couldn’t help but smile at their spirited defense. Seeing my bright smile, the three flower-named maids clutched their hearts with expressions of adoration.
‘Good, winning over the maids as allies will be easy.’
The real challenge, however, would be gaining the support of the more powerful figures in the household.
No matter how much of a hero or beloved noble Axel was, he wasn’t the head of the family. To secure the full backing of the Elpinard family, the power of the Duke himself would be crucial.
‘The Duke of Elpinard…’
In truth, I don’t know much about him. He was the one who, at the church’s request, decided to adopt me as a saint, yet he’s never actually come to see me. All I know is that he was the swordsmanship instructor of Kirke, my former comrade who became the Emperor, and that he’s a renowned Swordmaster.
A cold, principled man.
A rigid swordsman.
He’s known as the Ghost Duke.
‘Those are the kinds of descriptions I’ve heard about the Duke of Elpinard.’
Moreover, the Elpinard family is traditionally a family of scholars, so the Duke choosing the path of a swordsman made him something of an outlier.
‘Hmm…’
Piecing together what little information I have, I can start to form an image of him in my mind—a large, burly middle-aged man, perhaps bear-like in his stature, with a rough and unyielding demeanor.
‘He won’t be easy to win over.’
I rubbed my chin, lost in thought, when I suddenly felt a strong gaze from beside me. Turning my head, I found the three flower-named maids looking at me with faces full of fondness.
“What could our little lady be pondering so deeply about?” one of them asked, her tone full of affection.
“Tell us, my lady. We’re here to help you,” another added.
“Absolutely! We’ve all been working at Elpinard for over ten years, so we know a lot about everything around here,” said the third.
‘Were they really that touched by my simple thank you…?’
I was a bit taken aback by the warm responses from these three maids. It was clear they now harbored a great deal of goodwill toward me, but this kind of treatment was unfamiliar to me.
In my days as a black mage from the slums, even my good intentions were met with suspicion.
Are you trying to curse me?
Are you planning to steal from me?
I could see it in their eyes, clear as day.
Back then, earning genuine goodwill required me to put in several times the effort others did, and even then, the wary looks were hard to shake off.
Eyes full of suspicion.
Gazes full of fear.
I was used to those kinds of looks. But now, being on the receiving end of such warm, caring eyes…
‘It feels a bit strange.’