Episode 52
She was such a lovely person, flustered after asking the question despite her bold approach. I could understand why the people around her were so drawn to her.
“But it would be disrespectful for Miss Sylvia to be friends with a maid like me…”
“I like it. I’m truly happy.”
Her bright smile made me speechless.
I was also happy to be able to have a conversation like this with her, now that I was human.
When I was a bird, no one could properly understand what I was saying. So I chirped and flapped my wings, stomped my feet, and pecked with my beak. Even if we could communicate, there were limitations in my bird form.
But those limitations seemed to have disappeared now.
Sylvia shyly smiled, her eyes crinkling adorably.
“You don’t know how happy I am that you came.”
“…”
I had felt it even when I was a bird, but there was something about her kindness that made it impossible to refuse.
‘A maid and a friend… She’s the heroine of the novel, alright.’
I should have just quietly stayed as a maid and returned to the Crown Prince when the time was right…
“I’m happy no matter what you do, Miss Sylvia, no matter how you see me. Whether as a friend or just a maid, I’ll always wish for your happiness.”
Even as a bird, I didn’t wish for Sylvia’s misfortune. She was my savior. And the only person who mourned and cried when the bird I possessed died in the novel.
“Thank you. So we’re friends now?”
“Yes. I’ll be your friend anytime you want, Miss.”
Seeing Sylvia smile happily made my heart ache for some reason. Sylvia wasn’t actually my favorite character in the novel.
Then, she softly called out,
“Sylph.”
I blinked at the faint voice.
Poof! A familiar spirit appeared before me, giggling and shimmering.
‘A spirit.’
Spirits only appeared to those with high affinity. So it shouldn’t be visible to an ordinary maid like me.
‘Don’t come near me. I can’t see spirits. Why can I see spirits even as a human?’
I avoided its gaze and crunched on a cookie. The Sylph fluttered around me.
“Huh? Why is it going to Valerie…?”
Sylvia’s puzzled voice, followed by her gaze, was directed at the Sylph and me. The clueless spirit showed no signs of leaving me, even under Sylvia’s gaze.
‘Go back to your summoner.’
As I subtly glared at it, the Sylph giggled and played a prank on me. The cookie basket on the table floated in the air, and my hair swayed wildly.
I decided to put on an act.
“M-Miss Sylvia! The cookie basket is floating…!”
It would have been perfect if I could faint here, but I didn’t have such dramatic heroine abilities.
“I’m sorry, Valerie! I’ll send her back!”
Instead, the flustered Sylvia tried to send the spirit back.
Just then, someone gently placed a hand on my shoulder.
“There’s no need for that. You know it harms the summoner if you forcefully send a spirit back.”
It was a voice I hadn’t heard in a while. And a voice I didn’t particularly want to hear. It sounded like Heron Lovisiel.
His languid voice resonated in my ears, and his long fingers tapped my shoulder lightly.
“Strange… Her hair is brown.”
His soft whisper made my eyes tremble anxiously. His hand, gently brushing my hair aside, felt as if he was trying to confirm something, and my heart sank.
“Spirit Summoner?”
Sylvia’s voice was low. It seemed like his visit was unexpected to her as well.
Heron, who was now standing close to me, whispered my name in my ear,
“Valerie. Valerie…”
His ominous tone made my heart race.
Just then, Sylvia stepped between us.
“You’re not supposed to be here today. And you’ll scare Valerie if you get so close.”
“Do you need to be so harsh? Valerie and I already know each other.”
At his words, I froze like a thief caught red-handed. And his next words completely paralyzed my mind.
“We even went on an outing together, remember?”
It was a statement, not a question. He already knew the answer. I awkwardly avoided his gaze.
Heron knew I was Lily.
That disastrous realization washed over me.
‘Did he figure it out through the spirits? But I doubt Heron, who’s so apathetic about everything, would spend his time on that.’
Questions filled my mind, and my body stiffened.
“A-are you mistaking me for someone else…?”
That was all I could manage to stammer out.
I had been feeling safe because even Cesar didn’t recognize me. I couldn’t help but panic at this unexpected turn of events.
As I turned my head, feigning ignorance, Sylvia glared at Heron.
They were supposed to be developing feelings for each other, but a strange tension suddenly arose between them.
“Is that so? Perhaps I was mistaken.”
His trailing words brushed against me. But I could see the smirk on his face.
‘Is he letting it slide? Well…’
Knowing his personality, he wouldn’t bother exposing someone’s lie. He would either wait patiently for them to confess or just lose interest.
That’s how indifferent and apathetic Heron was about everything.
“But Lady Veronica, she’ll suffocate if you hold her so tightly.”
“Huh? Oh! I’m sorry, Valerie. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. But the table is a mess…”
The Sylph had disappeared, but the tea table was in chaos. Anyone who saw it would be startled and hurriedly clean it up.
It would be better to blend in and act like a proper maid while I was here.
I spoke to Sylvia, who was still clinging to me,
“I’ll clean this up. You can go inside, Miss.”
“It’s okay. I’ll have someone else…”
“No. I came here as a maid. I can be your friend, Miss Sylvia, but I can’t neglect my duties.”
I needed to diligently fulfill my role as a maid to protect Sylvia from the villainess who would constantly try to cause trouble.
Sylvia reluctantly lowered her eyes and said,
“Alright. Clean it up then. I didn’t call you here to make you do this.”
“It’s my job. You’re not hurt, are you?”
“…Are you worried about me?”
“Of course. You’re precious to me, Miss Sylvia.”
She was my savior.
And it was natural to be concerned when someone was hurt. The way Sylvia’s eyes teared up, as if touched by my words, was very… Sylvia.
Just then, Heron tilted his head and looked at me.
“Aren’t you worried about me?”
Sylvia had her back to Heron, and his gaze was directed at me, so it was clear his question was for me.
But I, playing the clueless maid, spoke to Sylvia,
“Miss, it seems the Spirit Summoner over there wants you to be worried about him.”
Both Sylvia, with her teary eyes, and Heron, tilting his head, asked me the same question.
“Huh? Why would the Spirit Summoner want that from me?”
“Indeed. Why would I want that from Lady Veronica?”
Their responses were too indifferent for a supposed love interest and heroine.
‘What? Come to think of it, were they always this formal with each other?’
In the novel, Sylvia and Heron’s relationship gradually deepened as she learned Spirit Arts from him. And it was natural for Heron to develop feelings for Sylvia and become smitten with her.
…The original story had deviated strangely.
And…
“I wanted you to be worried about me, Valerie.”
Is he flirting with me?
It had been a few days since I started working at Sylvia’s mansion.
The summer heat intensified, and the clothes became thinner, but I moved diligently.
“Valerie, are you going to Miss Sylvia?”
I stopped at someone’s call and turned around. It was the head chef of the Veronica County’s mansion.
“Yes.”
“It seems Miss Sylvia is very fond of you, being the same age. You’re new here, so you must be making a lot of mistakes, but try not to make any in front of Miss Sylvia.”
I smiled brightly and nodded at his words, which showed his affection for Sylvia. The head chef smiled back and placed an apple in my hand.
“Eat this on your way. And don’t just wait for Miss Sylvia to speak to you. Initiate conversations and chat with her. She likes being informal with the servants.”
“Understood. And thank you for the apple.”
I put the apple in my apron pocket and busily pushed the trolley towards the garden where Sylvia was.
They reacted more favorably than I expected to Sylvia’s favoritism towards me. They even looked after me, glad to have a maid their age.
‘Everyone is so kind, perhaps because it’s the heroine’s household.’
Clatter.
As I pushed the trolley towards Sylvia, who was sitting in the garden, she smiled at me.
“Valerie, come quickly. Would you like to join me for tea?”
I smiled awkwardly, unable to readily accept her offer, and said,
“Miss Sylvia.”
“Yes?”
“Isn’t there already a guest…?”
Heron, elegantly holding a teacup, was sitting right in front of me.
Sylvia frowned slightly.
“We’re done with today’s lesson, Spirit Summoner. Shouldn’t you be going now?”
“Well, I’m a little concerned about Lady Veronica’s slow progress, so…”
At his smooth retort, Sylvia grabbed my arm tightly, as if she wouldn’t let go of her favorite teddy bear.
Feeling like I was caught in an awkward situation, I nervously broke out in a sweat.
‘Their relationship is worse than I thought.’