Published: September 10, 2025
※It’s been a while since the last update, so this one’s a bit longer.
“Tifaliza, Nel, over here.”
Kuro-sama led us to a magnificent mansion located in the Noble District of the Royal Capital.
“W-w-we’re here?! This is an incredible mansion!”
Nel, with her red hair still messed up from sleep, exclaimed in surprise.
It’s no wonder she was shocked.
This place was even more splendid than Count Lesseu’s castle where we had worked before. Although, in terms of size, the castle was still larger.
“Don’t worry about it. This mansion was forced upon my master by the king.”
“F-forced by the king?! That’s amazing!”
Standing before the gate were men clad in full plate armor who looked like gatekeepers.
“Tifa-san, those are knights! Knights acting as gatekeepers!”
“That’s Living Armor.”
“Living Armor?! I’ve never seen one before!”
Having living armor as gatekeepers reminded me of the wizard’s tower from the fairy tales I read as a child.
“Let’s go, Nel. You can look around to your heart’s content later.”
“Y-yes!”
Nel was about to peer through the visor gap of the Living Armor when Kuro-sama warned her off.
Following Kuro-sama, we entered the grounds.
“The garden is amazing, too!”
The front yard was expertly trimmed by seasoned gardeners, with splendid hedges forming the pathways.
Between the hedges, fresh flowers were in full bloom. The fact that all of them were blooming suggested they had been replanted into the most prominent spots just as they reached full bloom. It must have taken an enormous amount of effort.
It was beautiful, but I couldn’t help feeling it was a bit ridiculous. Maybe that’s because I’m a dull, uninteresting person.
—A gaze.
As I admired the front yard, I felt several gazes piercing me.
Carefully controlling my facial movements, I scanned around and realized a group of young noble ladies were looking down on us.
They were probably sizing us up, brought here by Kuro-sama.
“Hey Tifa-san, look at that.”
Nel whispered, and I shifted my gaze back to see a heavy, elaborately carved door slowly opening. Someone was stepping out from the main gate.
—A beautiful woman.
Her well-maintained golden hair flowed in gentle waves, sunlight shimmering over it with every slight movement.
Her dress was surely crafted by a top-tier seamstress, a masterpiece of delicate lace and fabric—each piece likely worth more than my annual income when I worked as a civil servant in the castle.
A high-ranking noble young lady.
No, judging by her composed demeanor and confident expression radiating from within, she was likely the lady of this mansion. From now on, we would be serving her.
Though I’m a slave and it might seem presumptuous, I wanted to work under Kuro-sama.
Is that so wrong to wish for?
“Kuro-sama! Welcome home!”
“Hmm. Thank you for your welcome.”
The woman greeted Kuro-sama with a radiant smile.
Her eyes were fixed solely on Kuro-sama, not sparing us even a glance. Slaves probably held no value to her. I’d heard Count Lesseu say that to nobles, slaves were like pieces of furniture.
“““Kuro-sama! Welcome home!”””
Led by the woman, we entered the mansion. The hall was illuminated by a large chandelier, where the young ladies we had seen at the windows earlier stood in perfect rows to welcome Kuro-sama. Behind them stood a large number of maids.
“Have the uniforms arrived yet?”
“No, the tailor is hurrying, but the earliest delivery is the day after tomorrow.”
“I see.”
—Uniforms?
I tilted my head inwardly, puzzled by the conversation between Kuro-sama and the woman.
When Nel was about to speak, I gestured silently for her to keep quiet. Interrupting nobles’ conversations could bring unknown punishments.
“Let me introduce everyone. These two will be your new comrades: Tifaliza and Nel.”
Kuro-sama introduced us.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Elterina, the head of Echigoya Trading Company. I’ve heard about you from Kuro-sama. Tifaliza-san will handle accounting and paperwork, and Nel-san will work under Polina, the factory manager, whom you’ll meet later.”