“Were we muted and invisible just now? We weren’t, right?”

“Wait a second, didn’t the maid glance our way? Just for a second?”

“Was she lost in thought? …But seriously, how could she ignore us like that? It wasn’t even someone else’s story—they were talking about her!”

From Ena to Dina, the four of them collectively fell into bewilderment. They weren’t amateurs when it came to dropping hints and gossiping subtly. They’d seen people ignore their words before, but to completely not hear and walk away—this was a first. Truly, they could swear to it.

They trusted in human instinct. No matter how insensitive a person might be to others’ gossip, friend chatter, or even family news, it’s hard for them to ignore talk about themselves.

Isn’t it just a natural instinct to turn one’s head if they hear their own name, even in the midst of noise? They knew this well because they, too, had that reaction. The princess’s lack of response was genuinely incomprehensible.

“Could she possibly not have realized they were talking about her?”

“No way!”

“It was blatantly directed at her!”

“A blonde, a princess brought as a selection candidate, and a princess! Even if she heard it in passing, she’d know it was about her!”

“…What now? If we try again from the same spot, it’ll seem suspicious. It’s an easy way to draw attention.”

“Should we just consider it a failure and give up?”

“…No.”

Ena shook her head, a gesture uncharacteristically resolute. She didn’t want to give up that easily. Ending things like this felt too absurd and unsatisfying.

Of course, there was no real gain even if they succeeded—it was a meaningless effort. But it’s often in these trivial pursuits that a sense of competitiveness flares up. Ena, armed with an irrational persistence that was of no use in life, declared:

“Let’s try one more time.”

—

Perseverance is generally seen as a good trait. There are many inspiring stories related to it. However, there are times in life when giving up sooner would actually be the better choice.

This was one of those times.

“Is she here? Is she here?”

“Nope, it’s someone else.”

“Oh, when is she coming? She only borrowed one book yesterday, so she should be returning it today, right?”

For their second attempt, Ena and the other three maids chose the library as their setting. They had seen the princess borrowing what appeared to be a book from the library yesterday. If they waited here, she would surely return. Until then, they occupied themselves by helping out around the library.

Not knowing Riela’s waking hours, they arrived unnecessarily early. Of course, the princess didn’t show up all morning. Feeling bored, Sina stifled a yawn.

“Are we sure she’s actually coming?”

“She’ll come. At least, that’s the hope.”

“Now that we’re here… why does the empire give the candidates nothing to do? If they had a set schedule, it would be so much easier to approach them.”

“Right?”

“This ‘neglect play’ is insane.”

“Oh, I’m hungry.”

“Just hang on a bit longer. If she really doesn’t show up… well, we’ll have to rely on spreading rumors to get her to hear it indirectly.”

They couldn’t speak loudly in the library, so they whispered in hushed tones. After some time, Bina, unable to fight her hunger and boredom, was about to give up. That was when Ena’s eyes lit up.

“She’s here.”

Indeed, it seemed fortune was on their side. Ena whispered in a low voice as she saw the person they had been waiting for enter through the library doors. A bright yellow dress trimmed with frills caught attention before her small, pale face did. Riela was as elaborately dressed as ever, even for a trip to the library.

Ena subtly gestured to the others. Let’s go!

“Oh, the maid from yesterday isn’t with her today?”

“Which means it’s our lucky day.”

All four of them moved, visibly relieved. If the warrior had been with her, they wouldn’t have dared approach so readily. Dina, in particular, who had dreaded the idea, looked visibly pleased. What a relief.

Riela moved towards the back where the bookshelves were, apparently intent on picking out a book herself without asking a librarian for help. Ena and the others quickly fell into step behind her.

“This should be far enough. Shall we start?”

“Yes.”

Neither too far nor too close—it was crucial to keep the right distance. With years of experience, they found the perfect space and exchanged glances. Nodding in agreement, they began to whisper loud enough for her to overhear.

“I recently heard the most shocking story.”

“What kind of story?”

“You know, about the princess from the Kingdom of Belthier. Blonde hair, golden eyes, and she brought a young noble girl with her.”

This time, they even added the name of her kingdom. It was undeniably a reference to her, even if she’d only half-listened. As they chatted, they glanced at Riela.

‘She’s not looking!’

Just like yesterday. She didn’t glance over even once. Was there somehow a second Kingdom of Belthier on the continent? No, that was impossible. Caught off guard, Ena clenched her teeth and resorted to their last, most direct option.

“The Princess Riela de Belthier from the Kingdom of Belthier.”

They mentioned her name outright, even accentuating it. At this point, she was practically being summoned directly. This time, there was no way she could ignore it. It was like calling out “Excuse me!” nearby. And, finally, they felt a thrill of success.

‘She looked over!’

At last, Riela turned her gaze toward them. It was a moment of happiness and triumph—a sense of victory. But it didn’t last long.

*Whoosh.*

‘One second!’

Her head turned back within a single second. Not only was the duration ridiculously brief, but it was almost insulting in its brevity.

Moreover, there wasn’t a hint of change in her expression. In other words, she glanced over momentarily but was still clearly uninterested.

Bina, feeling deflated, leaned against a bookshelf. Her voice sounded just as weary.

“…Should we just give up?”

“So we tried all that for a one-second look.”

“She wasn’t pretending not to care—she really doesn’t.”

“We even mentioned her name directly, and she didn’t even flinch… She’s surprising.”

“I thought once we had her attention, everything would go smoothly.”

“At this rate, spreading rumors won’t do anything, will it?”

“She won’t even care enough to listen.”

“We’ve lost.”

Their enthusiasm was rapidly fading. Her indifference was that powerful. Hearing one’s own name and reacting with such nonchalance wasn’t easy. It meant she was no ordinary person.

Princess Riela of Belthier. Judging by her lavish dress and abundance of jewelry, they’d assumed her character. But it was a grave misjudgment.

They’d assumed she was frivolous and shallow, yet here she was—wise enough not to bat an eye at idle gossip or even about herself.

Was it simply because she was a princess from another land? Her style might be extravagant, but her demeanor was impressive.

“I’m surprised. She’s really unexpected.”

“…Oh! Do you think dressing like that is intentional?”

“Intentional?”

“We just saw her outward appearance and assumed she was a typical vain aristocrat. But that wasn’t true at all. Could it be she’s doing this on purpose?”

“You mean…”

“My goodness! I get it now. This place is like a silent battlefield. There’s a quiet competition going on. What if her attire is meant to filter out the shallow? It could be a tactic to expose those who judge only by appearances…”

“Wow, what insight!”

One speculated, and another jumped on board, syncing perfectly as they always had. Together, they transformed Riela into a wise royal with foresight.

In truth, she was simply looking for a book titled *Princess*, or ideally, *Beautiful Princess*, with her usual clear and confident focus.

“Come to think of it, we were being foolish. Think about that knight-maid from yesterday. Could just anyone have such a powerful protector?”

They finally settled on calling Rose a “knight-maid,” still unclear on her role. “Is she a maid or a warrior? She’s a knight-maid.”

“Ah…!”

“Exactly. Someone as impressive as her wouldn’t serve just anyone. A warrior that skilled would know a remarkable master when she sees one.”

“It finally makes sense.”

The respect for Rose grew in tandem. She was merely working at the palace for good pay. But, loyal to those who rewarded her well, she was genuinely devoted to Riela.

“Well, this is our complete defeat.”

Regardless of the truth, Ena and Dina, who had hyped themselves up, reluctantly admitted it. “The world is truly full of great people.”

“Agreed.”