*** 
“She must be crazy.”
“So arrogant.”
The owners of these sarcastic voices were none other than my two hateful half-brothers from Epine.
As the Grand Duke’s maid, I had to get my food earlier than others. So I moved to the front of the line, but the two of them started chattering beside me as if they found this objectionable. In this place where the class system was taken for granted.
Their mockery was so absurd that other people were giving them incredulous looks. But I didn’t even spare them a glance.
I heard their deliberately audible comments with one ear and let them go out the other. The unemployed person’s dream had flown away somewhere, and having woken up at the crack of dawn to the screeching sounds of monsters, I was just sleepy.
But the two were persistent. Despite my continued ignoring, they kept up their conversation that was obviously meant for me to hear. Calix shook his head from side to side and said.
“She doesn’t even say thank you after receiving food.”
“Indeed. How can someone be so impudent?”
Lindel chimed in agreement, and listening to them, I shook my head from side to side in exasperation.
The two, provoked by this, started making a fuss. It seemed they had been focusing all their attention on me.
“Did she just shake her head at us?”
“No way! Not unless she has a death wish!”
Why are they really like this?
I wanted to be removed from their family register as soon as possible. It was embarrassing to think that others still considered me family with them.
Even as I hurried toward the Grand Duke’s tent with the food, their grumbling continued to be heard.
When I entered the tent and sighed, the Grand Duke sympathetically said he would get the meals himself from now on, but I shook my head.
It wouldn’t be right when there was a perfectly capable maid. The Grand Duke said he would talk to them when the opportunity arose and pushed his portion of bacon toward me.
“Eat.”
I silently munched and finished the meal. After swallowing the food, I asked him.
“I just need to endure a little longer, right?”
“Of course.”
Though I omitted the subject, he understood perfectly. I let out a quiet sigh.
Calix, Lindel. I’ll deal with you later.
After finishing the meal, I took the Grand Duke’s dishes and went outside. I had to break a sweat stopping him from following me out of concern.
Nothing happened until I returned the dishes alone.
The problem occurred on my way back to the tent. A figure came running, raising dust, and threw something in front of me.
Thud-
I looked once at the brown pouch that fell in front of me and then turned my gaze to the person blocking my path. Lindel was sneering with a thuggish expression.
“What’s this? You made me drop it. Pick it up.”
Right, there was no way I could pass by peacefully. I thought it had been too quiet.
“Ah! My arm feels like it’s going to fall off. Don’t you watch where you’re going?”
“Huh.”
I was dumbfounded watching Lindel execute the K-contact accident manual—throwing something he was holding and then clutching his shoulder that wasn’t even touched.
Where did he learn such bad behavior?
“What are you doing? Pick it up.”
“……”
I was about to bend down with a sigh to pick up the fallen pouch when—
Thud-
He kicked it away with his foot.
I froze in my bent position. Slowly raising my head, I saw Lindel with an arrogant face, the corner of his mouth raised askew.
At his obvious mockery, past memories overlapped, and a vein popped on my forehead.
“Go pick it up.”
Following his gaze, I could see the pouch lying alone quite far away.
With a sigh, I straightened up and looked around at the pouch that had flown a good ten meters and our surroundings.
The expedition members who had finished their meals seemed busy with cleanup in preparation for departure. Among them, a few were glancing in our direction.
I slowly started walking to pick up the pouch. From behind, Lindel shouted with derision.
“You’re too slow, run.”
Thinking that he had a natural talent for tormenting others, I clenched my fist tightly. Inwardly, I had already given him a hundred knocks on the head.
The place where the pouch had fallen was at the outskirts of the campsite.
“He kicked it quite far.”
I picked up the pouch from the ground and dusted it off.
And then I walked straight ahead. That is, in the opposite direction from Lindel.
“Hey! Where are you going! Hey!”
Naturally, sharp yelling could be heard from behind. I showed him the pouch by waving it and continued walking, and I heard Lindel running after me.
A few seconds later, he grabbed my upper arm and turned me around. His face was bright red. His excited appearance was no different from when I had left the mansion. He started to berate me in an irritated voice.
“How long do you think I’ll let you off just because you’re the Grand Duke’s maid?”
“Ha.”
When I snorted, his face turned pale and then red again. He seemed unable to control his anger.
Indeed, Calix should have been the heir of Epine. He had become pathetic lately, too, but not comparable to Lindel.
“You dare laugh at me? You—”
“How long do you think I’ll let you off?”
“…!”
Lindel’s mouth fell open upon hearing my voice. As he was about to say something, his lips trembling, I shook off his arm and whispered.
“Shut up and follow me.”
I turned and walked behind a tree. Lindel, who had been standing as if nailed to the spot for quite some time, hurriedly ran over when I looked back and beckoned with my hand.
So we walked until we reached a place where no one could hear our voices. It was the forest on the outskirts of a clearing, somewhat distant from the expedition.
When I turned around abruptly, he flinched and stepped back. Facing Lindel, I lowered the hood of my robe. His eyes widened.
“You…!”
“Will you lower your voice?”
“Why are you here? Why are you playing the role of a maid?”
He stuttered questions with a shocked face.
“It’s a long story.”
I shrugged and grabbed his arm, placing the pouch in his hand.
He stared at the pouch quietly and then turned pale. It seemed he had just realized what he had done. I quietly reached out to him.
“What are you—”
And then I grabbed his ear. Lindel was helplessly pulled toward me.
“Ow! Hey!”
“Shut up. And I’m warning you, don’t interfere with my business.”
When I whispered quietly, Lindel looked down at me with a blank expression. Clicking my tongue, I released his ear with a dismissive brushing motion.
“Tell Calix, too. If you meddle one more time, I won’t let it slide, really.”
“Just who are you…”
Lindel touched his reddened earlobe and still looked at me with a dazed face.
“If you have something to say, say it now.”
I put the robe back on and tightened the strings thoroughly. Watching this with a flustered face, Lindel seemed to have something to say, his lips trembling.
“Speak quickly. What if a monster appears?”
I urged him as he trembled his lips several times, unable to continue speaking. Finally, he opened his mouth.
“You, to follow him all the way here…”
Kreeeek-
Kueeeek-!
The dozens of yellow eyes gleaming in the forest interrupted Lindel’s words. Along with a chilling sound.
I frowned like the Grand Duke and glared at Lindel with displeasure.
“Ah, really. I told you to speak quickly.”
“Ha.”
“Wow, we’re completely doomed.”