At the top seats, not only Klaus but also three or four high-ranking nobles occupied the seats behind him.

In other words, Ilion was there too.

Why were there so many eyes watching, of all times? In the end, I couldn’t escape and reached the top seats where Klaus was.

Right. It’s no big deal. Laura said she would be inside too, so I just need to deliver the tray and come back.

Would Ilion or Klaus pay attention to a mere maid?

Trying to view the situation as positively as possible, I quietly entered through the entrance to the top seats.

“I, I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I have committed a grave sin.”

“……”

……Let’s just come back later.

Seeing the chaotic scene as soon as I entered, I slowly backed away. No matter how I looked at it, this wasn’t a place for me to be.

“You there, what’s your opinion?”

“……”

“The one who just came in, yes. I’m talking to you.”

At Klaus’s words, the five or six people in the top seats turned their gazes towards me.

“…Me?”

How did he know I came in when I entered so quietly? Does he have eyes on the back of his head?

“What’s your name?”

“Ca-Canaria, Your Majesty.”

I quickly bowed my head and answered his question.

“Right, Canaria. This person says they’ve committed a grave sin. What punishment do you think would be appropriate?”

From the maid kneeling and the broken teacup on the floor, I could roughly guess the situation.

But to ask me, who just came in, about this!

Oh, God. Why are you giving me such a trial?

I was just trying to save Artia, whom you cherish.

As I was trying to think of an appropriate answer to avoid the situation, I unfortunately made eye contact with the maid.

The girl, who still looked young, seemed to be about Lily’s age.

How did she end up making a mistake in front of Klaus of all people…

I closed my eyes tightly and bowed my head.

“If she has committed a grave sin, I believe it would be right to punish her with death, Your Majesty.”

The answer was already decided anyway. No matter what I said, his mind would already be made up.

“An unexpected answer. No one else here gave that answer.”

Klaus burst into laughter.

The gazes looking at me were still piercing.

“However, Your Majesty. On such a good day like today, I don’t think there’s a need to dirty Your Majesty’s hands with the blood of a lowly maid.”

Of course, I wasn’t actually suggesting that she should be killed. I was just trying to match Klaus’s mood.

Who knows? He might grant my request if he’s in a good mood.

“That’s not wrong either.”

Fortunately, Klaus seemed to like my words and nodded.

“Then, instead of me, why don’t you give the punishment to this child?”

“…Pardon?”

“You said it would be right to punish with death, so give her a punishment fitting that.”

My lips, frozen from his unexpected answer, couldn’t move.

That’s right. You were crazier than I imagined.

I shouldn’t have tried to save her without knowing my place.

***

Klaus looked at the woman in front of him with an amused expression.

Even before she set foot in the top seats, Klaus vaguely knew her identity.

Although she had changed her face to be unrecognizable, she couldn’t hide the blessing magic on her body.

Not knowing what she was thinking to do such an absurd thing, but thinking it was perfect timing as he was bored anyway, Klaus threw a question at her.

And the answer came back not different from his expectations.

“Then instead of me, why don’t you give the punishment to this child?”

What would she do if he said this? Would she apologize, or would she kill the woman in front of her?

Klaus was purely curious about Ravenne’s reaction. The maid’s mistake was already out of his interest.

Perhaps because the proposal was shocking, Ravenne hesitated for a moment. Then she approached the guard behind her.

“Could I borrow your sword?”

‘I see. She chose to kill.’

It was a choice more to his liking than prostrating on the ground and begging.

“The sword is heavy, do you have anything shorter?”

When the soldier offered the long sword at his waist, Ravenne asked to change it to a dagger.

To even consider the length of the sword under such pressure.

He always thought she was a woman with good luck and skills, but she was also bold.

Ravenne, who had exchanged the sword, now looked at the maid standing in front of her and requested.

“Could you stand up straight so I can stab you better?”

“…Pardon?”

The maid who raised her head seemed to sense her death, her whole face covered in tears.

The powerless maid tried to stand up but fell back several times, and Ravenne cruelly helped her up.

“We can’t let blood splash on Your Majesty, so this distance should be good.”

To worry about blood splashing even in this situation.

Although her expression wasn’t clearly visible as her back was turned, Ravenne’s actions sufficiently satisfied Klaus.

“Don’t resent me too much. If you must resent something, resent your mistake at that time.”

Saying this, she thrust the sword. Soon, bright red blood soaked the floor as the maid collapsed.

“Sir Knight, please remove the sinner’s corpse. We can’t show this sight to His Majesty, can we?”

Ravenne turned around, slightly covering the fallen maid with her skirt. Unlike the white apron soaked in blood, her face was unbelievably calm.

When the situation was settled, the nobles sitting behind all closed their mouths without exception.

It seems they didn’t think a mere maid would actually kill someone in front of them.

However, even while receiving gazes full of shock and disgust, the maid in front was composed.

As if it was unbelievable that she had just killed someone.

“Your Majesty, it’s also embarrassing to be here in this attire, so I would like your permission to withdraw.”

Klaus granted her request with a satisfied smile.

Laura chased after Canaria, who was leaving the hall with an angry face. Who would have thought the substitute maid would end up causing trouble.

When she hurriedly followed her, she was talking with the knight who was moving Lyns corpse.

“We will take care of her body.”

“But…”

“This child is our shame. So please let us handle it.”

“Can you carry this child alone?”

“Don’t worry about that. The head maid is coming just in time.”

Saying this, Canaria pointed at her who was chasing after.

“Alright. Let me know if you need any help.”

Saying this, the knight entrusted the corpse to Canaria and turned back to return to the top seats.

“Miss Laura, please help me…”

Slap.

Laura slapped that shameless face.

“How could you be so cruel…”

Tears welled up in her face that had been so cold. Just like there’s no finger that doesn’t hurt when bitten, that child was a precious colleague to Laura. She was like family who had eaten from the same pot for years, and so easily…

“Ma-Madam Head Maid.”

As she was shedding tears, unable to contain her anger, the child who had died got up and grabbed her skirt.

“Don’t hit her. Canaria is not at fault.”

“…Lyn? How are you…”

Laura looked at Lyn in disbelief.

How could she be fine with all this blood… She looked at Canaria’s hand following the bloodstains.

“You, don’t tell me.”

“I’m glad I could save Lyn. Since I fooled your eyes, His Majesty must have been fooled too, right?”

Canaria was smiling with a red swollen cheek, but her hand was trembling continuously.

“To come up with such a trick in that situation, you really…”

Laura hurriedly took out a small bottle of holy water from her pocket.

“This must be expensive…”

“Think of it as compensation for hitting your cheek.”

As if she had never cried, Laura had returned to her usual strict head maid appearance. Then she sprinkled holy water on Canaria’s hand where the sword wound was deep.

“Miss Laura, can you take Lyn and escape outside?”

“What about you?”

“I have something left to do.”

Laura was about to ask what she had to do, but then remembered what Canaria had said earlier.

“You weren’t the maid who was supposed to come as a substitute, were you?”

“You finally believe me.”

“…I’m sorry. For not believing. And thank you for today. Hurry and leave when you’re done. It won’t be good for you to be noticed either.”

Looking at her healing hand, Canaria nodded.

***

“Come to think of it, is Ravenne not attending?”

Klaus asked Ilion, knowing the answer.

Ilion, who had been lost in thought alone, raised his head and looked towards Klaus.

“Yes, she’s resting because she’s not feeling well.”

“Oh my. You must be worried. Accidents keep happening to your only fiancée.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

With those words, Ilion sank back into thought. Then he stood up from his seat.

Where could he be going? Did he perhaps notice that Canaria was Ravenne?

Whatever it was, Klaus was curious about Ilion’s whereabouts.

Not long after Ilion left, the soldier who had taken out the corpse returned.

“You’re back earlier than I thought?”

“Yes. Those maids from earlier said they would handle it themselves.”

“They said they would handle it themselves?”

“They said they would clean up their own shame.”

Klaus rested his chin on his hand and looked at the floor where the maid had collapsed earlier.

Although the bloodstains had already been erased, the earlier incident remained vivid in his memory.

‘Come to think of it, there was less blood than there should have been for stabbing a person.’

There were plausible excuses and reasons for all her actions, so he hadn’t suspected anything, but now that he thought about it, something felt off.

The way she naturally blocked the view by placing herself in a straight line between him and the maid, the way she cleverly hid her hand and sword behind her apron saying it was too shameful to show…

Even requesting a dagger instead of a long sword, Ravenne’s actions fit together like a puzzle under one hypothesis.

“I see. That was her intention from the start.”

Klaus stood up from his seat and grabbed the railing facing the arena.

In the distance, he could see a girl with common brown hair running. And a black shadow chasing after her.

Although he realized he had been deceived, he didn’t feel as bad as he thought he would.

At first, she trembled at the sight of him, but now she could deceive him without batting an eye.

As expected, she was too good to be by the Duke’s side.

Klaus’s eyes shone with the expression of a hunter who had found his prey.

“Well then, shall we corner her a little?”

Would she self-destruct when cornered, or would she bite the cat? He was very curious about her next move.