She became somewhat curious. Whether the princess could do well without Raniel.

Reibella decided to give her a chance. With sympathy as an extra who was swayed by the protagonist.

Having made that decision, Reibella carefully opened her mouth.

“Um, seniors. Perhaps……” 

 * * *

 Raniel looked at her reflection in the mirror while adjusting her clothes. Unlike the past, her matured appearance felt strangely unfamiliar.

[I want to meet you.]

Recalling the letter that arrived a few days ago, Raniel let out a deep sigh. Though she had clearly said she wouldn’t meet him, she couldn’t understand why she kept thinking about it.

Perhaps because they hadn’t properly concluded things.

When she first met him, she was still too young to know what love was. They met and grew their love, never doubting they would spend their lives together.

But then.

‘……I don’t think I can be with you, my lady.’

Just before their marriage, he came to break off the engagement. The reason was that his family had supported the deceased crown prince.

Though they avoided death, his family fell rapidly from grace after losing the emperor’s favor. And he rushed to the battlefield to protect his declining family.

Though the engagement was broken off, no one welcomed her, having been engaged to someone else for so long. Naturally, Raniel left her family and entered the palace, where she met the most lovable princess.

She found joy, pleasure, sorrow, and happiness through the tiny princess. Even loneliness was bearable with the princess.

She thought that was enough, and living like this forever would be fulfilling, but…

When she heard news of her former lover whom she had painfully parted from, her heart stirred.

She wanted to meet him.

Though such thoughts surged several times a day, she deliberately suppressed them.

After all, it was none other than the princess who had kept her breathing until now.

Even thinking of something else besides her felt sinful, like betraying her master.

‘Because I promised to stay together forever.’

She repeated this to herself as she left her room. And just as she was about to start her duties……

‘Why are these children acting like this……?’

Whenever she tried to do something, the other maids would step in and take over her duties. They keenly noticed the princess’s condition without the head maid having to say anything, and quickly distinguished between necessary and unnecessary tasks.

Usually, she would have pointed out one or two unsatisfactory things, but today they were handling everything impeccably without any such issues.

Thanks to this, her free time increased, and she kept thinking about that person. Even when she tried to distract herself by washing dishes, the maids took care of that too, leaving her with nowhere else to focus her mind.

And around then she realized.

Why they were acting that way.

The maids who noticed that she had caught on approached and said.

“We’ll do well! Don’t worry!”

“That’s right. Even if you’re away for a while, you have us!”

Looking at their bright smiling faces, Raniel suddenly realized.

That countless people had appeared beside the princess who used to only follow her. That there were as many people who would cherish and love her as stars in the sky, even without herself.

It felt somewhat lonely but also liberating.

Perhaps that’s why.

“……Can you do well without me?”

“Yes! Of course!”

With room in her heart, she became able to look back on her own life.

And she decided to face her feelings instead of avoiding them any longer.

After the maids left with their spirited answers, Raniel approached the cute girl with pink hair who was alone, rolling her eyes around.

The girl immediately bowed her head.

“I’m sorry. I read your letter.”

Her apologetic confession wasn’t unpleasant. Raniel patted the child’s shoulder, swallowing what she had wanted to say.

“……Please take good care of Her Highness.”

“Of course! Have a good trip.”

She had worried about what to say when meeting her lover after refusing him so adamantly.

But now her first words were decided.

She would tell him that a cute pink-haired fairy had guided her to him. 

 * * *

 “I hate that.”

Reibella’s hands froze while changing the flower vase at the princess’s sharp words.

Reibella quickly cradled both vases and bowed to the princess.

“I apologize, Your Highness. I will prepare different flowers.”

After making a proper apology and leaving the princess’s room, Reibella let out a small sigh. Though she said she would bring different flowers, this was already the third time.

And all three times, she had prepared flowers according to the head maid’s instructions.

‘Maybe she just liked them because Raniel brought them.’

After all, anything given by someone you like would be good.

“Did Her Highness say she hated them?”

When Reibella entered the break room with the flowers, the resting maids acknowledged her. When Reibella answered their question with a smile, they nodded with dejected faces.

“It must be because the head maid isn’t here. We can’t perfectly fill her position after all.”

“Right. Even with our efforts, there must be subtle things that bother her.”

Emma patted Reibella’s slightly downcast shoulder. Reibella smiled brightly.

“I’m fine! I just hope we can find pretty flowers to improve Her Highness’s mood even a little. Do you have any flowers to recommend?”

“Well……”

When it was mentioned it was for the princess, Emma and Daisy rolled up their sleeves and offered to help search the garden together. Reibella expressed her gratitude to them.

Though it was a situation where they could have shown fatigue from the princess’s whims, they instead showed renewed determination.

“Her Highness’s aesthetic sense must be improving day by day!”

“We need to work harder too. Actually, Her Highness is really lovable even when she’s being capricious like this.”

It was because they were devoted to the princess.

“That’s right. She’s particularly mature for her age which makes us proud, but sometimes we worried if she was growing up too fast……”

“It’s good that she’s showing her true self. It means she trusts us that much.”

“I think so too!”

Thanks to them who found even her complaints and whims lovable, although Reibella had to change the flowers several more times and deal with the princess’s capriciousness, it wasn’t too difficult.

She thought she just needed to endure a little longer since the head maid would return soon.

But then……

“……You’re resigning?”

Raniel, who had returned, made a bombshell announcement that no one had expected.

‘Is this possible for the princess’s follower number one?’

In the novel, Raniel had stayed by the princess’s side until the princess married Royan and had three children. There were even scenes of her helping raise those children while reminiscing about the princess’s childhood…… yet she’s quitting so easily?

“I’m stepping down from the position of head maid, not from serving Her Highness.”

Declaring this, Raniel showed a shy expression.

It seemed to mean that while she had previously focused all her attention on the princess, now she had other things to balance as well. This appeared to be her way of ‘having both things.’

“Did Her Highness approve?”

“Yes. That’s why I’m telling you all.”

Raniel nodded at Daisy’s question.

“From now on, you four will share my role.”

Then Raniel smiled at the four maids before her.

“Don’t feel pressured. Just keep doing what you’ve been doing.”

“Yes, we’ll learn diligently. And congratulations. You’re getting married, right?”

“Congratulations!”

“When you get married, please invite us too. We want to attend.”

Head Maid Raniel smiled brightly at their congratulations. Though she had smiled many times while serving the princess, this was the first time they had seen her blush shyly.

Watching the maids laugh cheerfully, Reibella’s heart stirred a little.

Something was changing. Moreover, she had initiated that change.

‘Though it’s a small change, I changed the future……’

And everyone was happy with the result.

Honestly, she had been anxious until now. That no matter what she did, whatever she tried, the future might not change.

So she had always worried that she might be having futile fantasies like a duck wanting to fly. But after seeing an extra’s future change before her eyes, the hope that had been curled up inside swelled greatly.

‘I should tell Calyx.’

That the future we desire isn’t just an empty dream.

That she became certain of this today.

But she couldn’t tell him.

Because his palace was empty.

Only one letter remained.

In that letter……

[Let’s go see the ocean.]

It contained just one piece of the dream they had agreed to achieve together.