Published: July 26, 2025
When I woke up, it was very lively outside my room.
A different maid, not Yutte, was sitting on a chair right next to the door, waiting for me to wake up. She looked quite young, not even twenty yet, with a friendly demeanor.
I got out of bed, pushed aside the surprisingly heavy canopy curtain with some effort, and stepped into the room. She smiled brightly at me.
“Good morning. How is your condition?”
“I don’t seem to have a fever, but I’m not feeling great, so I’ll stay quietly in my room today until my family comes to pick me up.”
She chuckled softly.
“Last night’s dinner was quite a commotion. There was talk that the sweets served for dessert were made by you and Myne, and everyone in your family wanted to meet Myne. They were very enthusiastic, saying they wanted you to work at our shop. It was quite lively.”
No, no, miss. This is no laughing matter.
Did I just get lucky because I was asleep?
Does that mean it’s better for me to stay holed up in my room today?
Even the woman who said that working at their shop would secure my future started to look like someone trying to trap me, and I felt a bit cautious.
“Um, it’s pretty noisy outside the room…”
I averted the topic and glanced towards the door; she smiled more deeply.
“That’s because the young lady just finished an early breakfast and is getting ready now. Once you’ve changed, Myne, I’ll show you to the dining room.”
“Excuse me, but could you possibly bring breakfast to this room? I’m not feeling my best, so I don’t want much. Also, eating with strangers makes me nervous, and I might not be able to swallow the food…”
Since I skipped dinner, I was honestly hungry. But just the thought of having breakfast surrounded by such a strong-willed family—like Frieda and the Guild Master—gave me a stomachache.
I might lose my appetite altogether.
“Hehe, understood. I’ll bring it here.”
After handing me Frieda’s old clothes to change into, she left the room.
As soon as I was alone, I grabbed my head and crouched down.
This is bad. Something weird is happening.
I already knew the Guild Master and Frieda had their eyes on me. But the whole family too? Is it because of the quatre-quarts?
But there’s sugar, so there should be sweets, right? They even served me something like thin-crust pizza topped with nuts and honey before.
I really don’t want to think about this, but could it be that sugar has only just started to circulate and the sweet culture isn’t developed yet? That can’t be true, right?
While I was writhing in thought, the footsteps of the maid carrying breakfast came back. I immediately stood up and greeted her with a casual expression.
“Please enjoy.”
It seemed they already knew my preferences from yesterday’s breakfast. White bread was served with jam and honey, accompanied by sweet fruit juice. The soup was a bit small in portion, but the bacon and eggs were a full serving.
With such a sharp eye, I felt they’d quickly figure out all my weaknesses.
“Thank you.”
After finishing breakfast, I thought it’d be best to stay confined to my room until my family arrived, using my poor health as an excuse. The Guild Master and Frieda alone are a big threat, but their family? I definitely couldn’t handle them alone. I desperately wanted to summon Benno and Lutz.
As I contemplated what to do next and ate breakfast slowly by myself, Yutte suddenly burst into the room.
“Good morning, Myne. How are you feeling?”
She seemed quite flustered for just asking about my health. I had the impression she usually didn’t speak much beyond what was necessary, so I nervously answered, almost dropping my bread.
“I don’t have a fever.”
“Would you mind helping with the young lady’s preparations? I’d like you to teach me how to attach the hair ornament.”
“…Sure, but could it be after breakfast?”
Since I made the hair ornaments, it was probably part of after-sales service. It shouldn’t be too much or attract odd attention.
I finished breakfast relatively quickly and followed Yutte to Frieda’s room.