It was the same this time as well.

Both Alex and his retainers spoke as if we were going to see each other often in the future, which was very strange.

In the end, I couldn’t hold back my curiosity and asked them.

“What do you mean by ‘we’ll see each other often’? I don’t understand why we would meet frequently.”

They were Alex’s retainers, and I was the exclusive maid of Lady Veronica Maynard, a count’s daughter, so there was no reason for us to meet often.

“Huh? You didn’t hear from His Grace?”

“Not at all.”

I shook my head to indicate that I hadn’t heard anything.

Sir Faby rubbed his chin thoughtfully before letting out a low exclamation.

“It seems like he’s more shy than we thought. But it’s difficult for us to tell you something His Grace hasn’t mentioned.”

“Please understand that we can’t explain it to you.”

Sir Kruger responded to Sir Faby’s words.

In the end, it meant they couldn’t tell me anything.

What could it be?

I couldn’t make sense of this situation, so I decided to organize my thoughts into two possibilities.

First, Alex might be planning something with Count Maynard.

Then, naturally, we would meet often in the future.

But that seemed unlikely since Count Maynard didn’t particularly like Alex.

Second, Alex might have already fallen in love with Miss.

Gasp! Is that it?

Just thinking about it sent chills down my spine. I had taken care of Alex myself, hoping to prevent things from following the original story, but was it all in vain?

But if that were the case, Alex wouldn’t have needed to come looking for me.

No, it seemed more plausible that Alex had fallen for me instead.

That would explain why Alex came to see me and why his retainers came to find me.

But that was truly ridiculous.

Why would Alex like me?

I wasn’t as beautiful as Miss, who could make someone fall in love at first sight, and I wasn’t an important figure in this world.

Originally, I was just an extra who would die after a few lines of dialogue, so there was no way Alex would like such an extra.

In the end, neither of the two situations seemed to be the case, so I really wished someone would tell me what was going on.

“Is this your first ball?”

Sir Zyle, who looked like a bear, smiled kindly.

“Yes, it’s my first time. Today is the day my lady debuts in society.”

“It must have been hard to prepare.”

“It wasn’t too difficult since I did my best to make sure Miss looked more beautiful than others.”

“Miss Evernizer is kindhearted. Your devotion to serving Lady Maynard is admirable.”

“Oh, it’s just because my Miss is so beautiful. You’d be surprised if you saw her.”

“Is that so?”

Sir Kruger smiled softly. Though I thought his impression was vague, seeing him smile made me think otherwise.

“Have you ever thought about attending a ball yourself, Miss Evernizer?”

Sir Tennant asked with a charming smile.

“Well, I’ve never thought about it. How could a maid like me attend a ball?”

When I laughed skeptically, the knights exchanged meaningful glances.

“You never know. Someday, you might be able to attend a ball, Miss Evernizer.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

That’s not something you should say to a maid, is it? I smiled awkwardly.

They were really strange people.

Still, thanks to the five members of the Rose Knight Order who approached me during the ball, I was able to avoid being bored.

While I was chatting with them, a maid approached me.

“Are you Miss Evernizer?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Lady Maynard is looking for you. The carriage is ready, so you can head outside.”

The maid gave brief instructions and left immediately.

I stood up and lightly bowed to the knights of the Rose Knight Order.

“It was fun. I’ll see you next time.”

I turned around, receiving their greetings. Although I said I would see them next time, I hoped not to. But that wouldn’t be easy.

As I walked down the corridor, I saw the entrance to the capital.

There, Miss Veronica and Sir Grain were waiting for me.

“Miss! Have you been waiting long?”

“No. I just came out.”

“Then let’s go back!”

When I boarded the carriage with Miss, it started moving.

We were scheduled to stay at a hotel today and return to the Maynard estate tomorrow.

“How was the ball?”

“It was fun. Everyone was kinder than I expected. There were quite a few people I knew.”

Miss explained everything that happened at the ball.

Seeing Miss Veronica enjoying herself, it seemed like nothing unusual had happened at the ball.

“But there was something strange.”

Miss furrowed her brows as she spoke, looking puzzled.

“Did something happen?”

Miss Veronica looked at me intently and fidgeted with her lips.

“Claire, have you ever met Duke Berzel?”

“What? Me? With Duke Berzel?”

My heart almost dropped at Miss’s question. I looked at her with wide eyes, and she let out a small sigh.

“That can’t be right… So what was that all about then?”

Watching Miss’s confusion, I felt relieved. It seemed like Alex had mentioned me to Miss at the ball.

What did they talk about?

I was curious, but I couldn’t ask, feeling guilty.

***

Three months had passed since Miss Veronica’s debut at the ball.

Fortunately, nothing significant had happened during that time.

Despite Alex’s words about meeting again soon, he hadn’t visited the Maynard estate in those three months.

It felt like I had regained the peaceful life I had before Alex appeared.

Even though this was a world inside a novel, without the villain and heroine getting involved, nothing significant would happen.

By blocking Alex’s initial interest in Miss, I had ensured peace.

Although I had some unsettling encounters with Alex, nothing had happened so far, so I felt at ease.

Today, like any other day, would pass peacefully without any incidents.

It was around 2 PM, after lunch, a time when I felt particularly sleepy.

I was watching Miss ride a horse when the mansion suddenly became noisy.

Naturally, my attention was drawn to the source of the noise.

People were bustling around.

Even Miss, who was deeply focused on riding, noticed the commotion and stopped her horse to look at the mansion.

“Should I go find out what’s happening, Miss?”

I asked Miss, who looked puzzled.

“Yes, please.”

“I’ll be back soon!”

Feeling a bit bored, I seized the opportunity to move and walked briskly toward the mansion.

“What’s going on?”

I grabbed a passing servant and asked.

Since they were moving around busily, they would know best what was happening.

“Oh, a guest has arrived. And it’s someone very important.”

“A guest?”

A guest, suddenly?

Usually, when a guest visited the mansion, they would inform us in advance and visit at the appointed time.

If it was a planned visit, there was no reason for such a commotion. Normally, preparations would be made in advance, and the guest would be received calmly.

Judging by the chaos, it seemed like an unplanned visit.

“Who is the guest?”

“It’s Duke Berzel.”

“…What?”

Why is he here?

I was dumbfounded and just stared at the retreating servant.

Duke Berzel? Alex?

Did he visit the Maynard estate without an appointment?

What is he thinking?

I crossed my arms and pondered in confusion.

Could it be because of me?

Seriously, I saved his life, so why does he keep getting involved with me in such an uncomfortable way?

No, he might not have come to see me.

There’s no way a duke would visit the Maynard estate just to see a maid.

I’m not an important person.

So, it’s not because of me. Then…

Gasp!

Could it be that he developed feelings for Miss after meeting her at the ball?

Come to think of it, I could infer from that day’s conversation that Alex had met Miss Veronica.

Did he fall in love with her at first sight?

No!

Miss and Alex must never get involved.

To prevent Miss’s misfortune and to save myself and those around me.

I needed to find out what Alex was thinking.

I hadn’t asked the servant where to find Alex, but I had a good idea of where he might be waiting.

Since the Maynard estate was my domain, finding him wouldn’t be difficult.

The main reception room on the first floor of the main building.

“Miss Evernizer!”

Sir Zyle, the big bear of the Rose Knight Order, recognized me and called out as I approached the reception room.

“Hello, it’s been a while.”

So we meet again. I approached them and greeted them lightly.

“Long time no see.”

“You’ve become even more beautiful.”

“Long time.”

“How have you been?”

“It’s been a while.”

The five knights greeted me in their own ways.

“So, what brings you here? I heard there was no prior notice.”

I thought it was better to ask them directly rather than wasting time with unnecessary talk.

“Well, it seems there’s nothing we can tell you.”

Sir Kruger, the captain of the Rose Knight Order, responded with a troubled smile.

Thinking it might be confidential information, I kept my mouth shut. Then Sir Faby smiled and pointed to the door.

“His Grace is alone inside. Please go in.”

“Me?”

Why me?