Published: July 29, 2025
Wide awake, my eyes opened clearly.
I immediately reached out to feel the pillow. It was soft and fluffy.
Next, I touched my hair. It was smooth and light.
I covered my face with both hands.
"...Ah... What should I do? This wasn’t a dream..."
I sat on the bed, completely at a loss.
After a while, there was a gentle knock on the door.
"Lady Marie, are you awake?"
It was Mio’s voice.
"Yes, I’m awake!"
"Excuse me."
Entering the room were Mio and two other women. They were maids with their hair neatly and elegantly styled.
The three lined up and bowed deeply at the same time.
"Good morning, Lady Marie."
"Eh! G-good morning!"
Panicking, I knelt down and bowed deeply on the floor. Mio immediately pulled me back up.
"What are you doing, Lady Marie?"
"Well, you all bowed so politely that I felt I must bow even lower."
"Why is that? Please make yourself comfortable. We’ve come to greet you properly."
"Greet me?"
"Yes. Since last night, Lady Marie, you have officially become the fiancée of master and a resident of this castle."
Fiancée…! Somehow, my heart started pounding at those familiar words. I tried to calm the fluttering in my chest with the palm of my hand.
Whether she noticed my reaction or not, Mio remained exactly the same as yesterday.
"I am Mio, the chief lady-in-waiting of this castle. The two behind me are Hanna and Ilza."
"Y-yes, pleased to meet you. I am Marie Chadelan."
"From today, the three of us will be taking care of you."
Huh… three maids just for me?
A lady's maid is different from a housemaid. They don’t help around the house but attend to personal needs. My family had a maid too, but only one for the five of us. She was busy with my parents and Anastasia’s grooming, and looking after my little brother, so I never received much help. In fact, I used to cook meals for the maid.
Honestly, I don’t really need them... but this is their job. If I refuse, they won’t get paid.
Besides, for nobles, having one or two maids is standard. I guess I have to get used to this too...
Suppressing my nervousness, I put on a refined smile.
"Right, Mio, and Hanna and Ilza. I look forward to working with you."
"We may not be perfect, but we will do our best to serve you. Please don’t hesitate to ask anything."
Mio bowed deeply again, but the two behind her only shook their heads lightly. Huh?
"Basically, I’ll be by your side, but when I have days off or other duties, the two will take over. They come from noble knight families and have experience serving in the royal palace. If you have any troubles, please consult with them."
Um... I feel like the two are glaring at me when Mio isn’t looking... Maybe I’m imagining it. Of course, I just met them for the first time.
"Okay, I’ll do that..."
"Before breakfast, let’s get you ready for the day. Now you two, bring Lady Marie’s breakfast here."
At Mio’s command, Hanna and Ilza immediately turned their backs.
"First, let’s rinse your face and mouth. I have warm water ready."
I obeyed as told, then they carefully brushed my hair.
Soon breakfast was brought in. Seeing the plates on the wagon, my eyes widened.
"How many servings is this?"
"Of course, it’s only for Lady Marie."
They answered immediately.
"We didn’t know your preferences, so prepared a variety. First, for appetizers, we have seven kinds of homemade charcuterie from the castle’s head chef. Ham and sausages made from pork. These contain spices and herbs; the terrine is pheasant, and the pâté de campagne is made from duck and venison."
"...So many animals."
"For breakfast, we’ve prepared something light and refreshing: Schweinebraten."
"Shu-ba. Shu-ba... Shu-ba..."
"...Roast pork."
"Oh, roast pork. I know that. It's grilled pork meat."
"It’s slowly simmered with vegetables in northern beer and bouillon soup, so it’s sweet and tender. Please enjoy it with these potato dumplings (Knödel) and sauce."
That was only about twenty percent of the whole meal. This was just the appetizer.
The kingdom is known for having a hearty breakfast compared to other countries, but this is just way too much. Before reaching the main dish, I stopped Mio.