Chapter 163
Chapter 163. Something More Enjoyable
The party ended at dawn, and after returning to the Mansion, I rested comfortably.
I seemed to have had some kind of pleasant dream. After opening my eyes again in this other world, I had not dreamed much, but for once, I was able to wake up in a good mood.
It was a dream in which Young Lady Sapiela appeared, but I could not clearly remember what I had done with her.
It seemed the dance we had danced yesterday had settled deeply into my subconscious.
“Dilen. Are you awake?”
At the familiar voice, my head turned in that direction on its own.
Arwen, who was smiling gently, handed me a cup of water. Judging by the sweet smell, it seemed to be honey water.
Come to think of it, I had drunk a great deal yesterday.
The wine had been so delicious that I did not know how many glasses I had drunk in succession. I had no choice, since I had to mingle not only with Young Lady Sapiela, but with other people as well.
First, to soothe my stomach, I emptied the thick honey water in one go, then asked.
“Why are you here? What about the Young Lady?”
“She said she would wake up late today. So I came by for a moment. Even if she wakes up, I left her to Selina, so it is fine.”
“Still, you do not know when she might wake up, so you should stay close.”
I spoke as if scolding her, but in truth, I was in no position to say that. I, too, was an Attending Secretary, yet I wandered here and there all the same.
Arwen pouted her lips and grumbled.
“Are you nagging me right now? I was worried about my friend and even went to the trouble of preparing honey water.”
“I am grateful for that.”
“Now, then, you should get up and have breakfast, should you not? I will help you prepare to wash. Sir Dilen.”
Normally, two Maids assisted me, but today, Arwen helped me alone. I washed my face with cool water, then began putting on my clothes.
Perhaps because I had become a noble and a Full Butler overnight, I felt a bit of distance. Even so, I still thought of her as my close friend.
It was just that I had begun seeing Arwen’s sorrowful gaze and expression more often.
She was clearly feeling anxious about the gap between us widening little by little. On top of that, Sapiela had recently been showing favor toward me as well.
Would it not be painful for her to be caught between us?
It was not easy for me to understand what kind of emotion it was to feel jealousy toward one’s master.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
“Nothing. Just work.”
“Are you busy today, too?”
“The mission still is not over. Until those Astria bastards quiet down, I will have to keep moving around busily.”
After I put on my shirt, Arwen turned to the front and adjusted my Necktie, fixing it in place.
“The Young Lady seems to have decided to return to Adeline. She told us to start preparing soon.”
“That was expected.”
“It is a pity.”
“Because you did not get to play much?”
When I tossed that out, Arwen, who had been preparing the jacket of my Tailcoat, smiled bashfully.
“There are still many places I have not gone to. The Royal Capital is too wide. There are many things to see, too.”
“There will be another chance to come.”
“Will there?”
I nodded. It was not an empty remark. In any case, Arwen would eventually become connected to Metis one way or another. When that time came, I would send her traveling to her heart’s content.
After putting on my clothes, I stood before the mirror and turned half a circle to each side, checking whether anything was lacking.
“Has there been no contact from that fellow Rohan lately?”
“Letters come sometimes.”
“What does he say?”
In truth, letters had also been coming to me roughly once every three days. As I had ordered before leaving, they contained rumors and the atmosphere circulating inside House Adeline.
When the Count Astria House had been quiet, noise had flowed from within, but now that an external enemy had appeared, they said the inside had united tightly. So the atmosphere was not bad.
Once I was almost finished changing, Arwen stepped two paces to the side. The space where she had stood opened, revealing the large mirror.
The finishing touches were mine to handle.
“Nothing much. Just trivial things. What woman he met, and what accident he caused this time.”
“That sounds like Rohan. So, did he have any results?”
“He said he was rejected spectacularly.”
“Hahahaha.”
Before I knew it, we had left the room and were walking down the corridor. Seeing Arwen follow me, it seemed she had business at the dining room. Or was she trying to attend to my meal?
She had once attended to my meal before. Because she was my friend, I had politely refused, but she had a history of rejecting my refusal by saying it was the Young Lady’s order.
When we entered the dining room, the Chefs were moving busily as they prepared breakfast.
A young Butler lowered his head.
“Welcome, Sir Dilen.”
“Please prepare a splendid breakfast for Sir Dilen. He overexerted himself yesterday.”
Arwen stepped forward, and the young Butler responded with a smile.
“The Young Lady Sapiela has already given special instructions, in fact. Preparations are nearly complete, so please sit and wait.”
“The Young Lady did?”
When I asked, the young Butler nodded.
“Yes. I heard she gave special instructions last night before going to sleep.”
“She made an unnecessary request. I apologize for the trouble.”
“Not at all. Rumors are spreading that you performed remarkably yesterday. As expected of Sir Dilen. Would it not be better for you to work as a politician rather than a Butler?”
I laughed and received it as a joke.
Yesterday’s party had indeed been rather intense. Not only the Princess, but Duke Mydas had also shown interest in me, so I had been able to meet several high-ranking nobles.
Perhaps because the Princess was of the same type as Young Master Hamel, she seemed to covet my abilities, and since Duke Mydas had signed a contract with Metis, he kept me close.
Of course, the fact that I had saved Duchess Rosaria’s life also played a part.
Thanks to that, I was able to build various Connections.
Once I returned to Adeline, I intended to steadily send letters and gifts to foster those relationships. I had already confirmed what they needed through the Status Window while shaking hands.
A thought suddenly came to me. These days, there were almost no cases where the Status Window failed to appear.
It was clear that the Status Window itself also had a Level. In the past, there had been some people whose Status Window I could not see, but now, I could see almost everyone’s.
It was a thrilling feeling, as though I were using a cheat code.
However, the reason I did not quickly grow tired of it like a game was that this was not a game, but reality. There were countless variables that the Status Window could not show.
Around the time I was thinking that, Arwen personally began setting the table.
“Arwen. Why not eat with me?”
“How could I share a table with a Baronet? I am happy enough just attending to you like this.”
A faint laugh slipped out.
How dishonest.
“You said we bathed together naked when we were young. Sharing a table should not matter that much, should it?”
“Di, Dilen! What are you……!”
Arwen’s face turned bright red. She was embarrassed, of course, but she also seemed flustered that she had called my name carelessly in front of others.
Looking at the reactions of the people around us, they were smiling.
Everyone knew that Arwen, Rohan, and I were Childhood Friends from the same village.
Because of that, no one criticized us when we occasionally spoke comfortably.
Rather, many people said they envied her. I was an up-and-coming dark horse, after all.
“Sit. I feel lonely eating alone.”
“Th, then shall I call Miss Eluna over? She should be awake by now……”
“If you sincerely want that, then do so. I do not mind.”
But she absolutely could not do that. Arwen was in the middle of a difficult battle not only with Sapiela, but also with Eluna.
From what I had heard in passing, she felt a sense of inferiority because she could not compare with them in appearance or social position. Even so, from what I saw, the person with the purest heart was Arwen.
As some of the memories belonging to the true owner of this body, Dilen, returned, memories of my childhood with her also surfaced little by little.
“Then, excuse me.”
Having made up her mind, Arwen sat across from me.
“I will prepare the meal so the two of you may eat together.”
“Please do.”
The young Butler from earlier continued the table setting. A well-polished plate, fork, and knife were placed before Arwen as well.
It was extremely rare for a Maid to eat with a noble. However, I intended to let my people enjoy as many privileges as I could.
First, bread and warm soup were served.
Without speaking, we tore off pieces of bread, dipped them in the soup, and put them into our mouths. The quality of the food had definitely improved ever since Young Master Hamel brought the Chefs.
There was no one around us.
Normally, at least one Butler or Maid would remain nearby, but it seemed they had been considerate so we could talk comfortably.
“I heard you danced with the Young Lady at the party. The rumors are everywhere. They said the two of you looked incredibly good together.”
“That rumor has already reached this place?”
“Miss Eluna told me.”
“She is going around saying unnecessary things.”
Arwen stared at me. When I stared back at her, she slightly avoided my gaze.
Even without her saying it, and even without looking at the Status Window, I felt like I knew.
She clearly wanted to dance with me, too.
“I danced with her once because I am the Young Lady’s Attending Secretary. Besides, there were many gnats swarming around her, so I had to protect her. If I had not, Young Master Hamel would not have left my neck alone.”
“I am not saying anything about that…….”
I chewed the bread dryly and waited for her next words.
“It may just be a feeling, but ever since you became a Baronet, it somehow feels like you have become a little distant.”
“What do you mean distant? I am just busy.”
“……Is that so?”
“In truth, the Young Lady said the exact same thing. Was it a few days ago? She became angry because I kept going outside so often.”
Arwen asked in surprise.
“So what happened?”
“You know very well that I was not going out to play. I told her I was carrying out a mission and asked her to be lenient with me. She understands now.”
“That is a relief. In any case, I think Rohan probably feels something similar to me. None of us thought you would become such a fine…… person.”
There was emphasis on the word “fine.” The slight hesitation was probably because she was worried her feelings might be revealed indirectly.
I pretended not to notice and answered.
“He is a little different. His head is always full of thoughts about women. He is the kind of fellow who rolls around on his bed saying his stomach hurts whenever I accomplish something.”
“Hahaha. Still, do you not miss him? This is the first time the three of us have been apart for so long.”
“We are now at an age where we should be doing bigger things. Being immersed in nostalgia for the past is not necessarily good.”
“Still…….”
Just then, the food arrived, and we paused our conversation. After the Butler who served the meal withdrew, I cut the meat with my knife.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“Hm?”
I finished cutting the tough meat and placed one piece in my mouth. However, Arwen only held her knife and kept looking at me.
The juices were incredible.
As expected, steak was the best for breakfast. I wiped my mouth with a Napkin and looked at Arwen.
“Do you plan to keep working as a Maid in the future?”
“Of course. That is why I came to House Adeline. You know my dream very well.”
“To become a Head Maid, was it?”
Arwen nodded. I lifted my knife again.
“What would you do if there were something more enjoyable than that?”
“What kind of thing?”
“There is something I am planning with Rohan, Arthas, and the people around me.”
At the familiar names, Arwen’s eyes trembled slightly.
“What if you could meet more people with good companions, travel all across the Continent, broaden your experience, and live a more comfortable and prosperous life? Would that not change the story a little?”
“That is…….”
Arwen hesitated. She still could not move her knife. A Maid did not get many chances to eat meat, and it seemed I had needlessly interrupted her meal.
“Let us talk more about it later. Eat for now.”
“Ah, yes.”
Arwen began using her knife. However, the meat was not easy to cut.
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