“No way, it can’t be real …”
“I told you.”
The place where Niki and I were standing was the Knight’s training center that I was peeking at the other day.
After receiving Niki’s request, Alberto, to his outrageous surprise, agreed to Niki’s request.
“You’re just right in time. I was told that I was barbaric, and my maid just quit.”
Alberto, who had been organizing the royal attendants, conferred with the military officer who had previously looked after them after briefing him on the situation.
He must have thought it was okay to exclude Niki and me from the list of potential fiancées because of our backgrounds, thus, permission was easily granted.
The fact that the Royal Palace was initially overflowing with maids was a source of dissatisfaction from other places.
“Take care of him.”
“Yes! Please leave it to me.”
I was silent next to Niki, who beamed with a smile.
I knew that the other side would never notice me, but I did not know how to treat Alberto, my childhood friend from a previous life and who had a master-servant relationship with Rosemarie.
Gently, I looked up and saw Alberto.
His dark brown hair was cut short.
The corner of his eyes was often described as unfriendly.
I’ve never seen him as rough as when I was with him, but he was kind and gentle.
When I was living in the Royal Palace as the Prince’s fiancée, I sometimes visited Alberto, who was still an apprentice knight.
Since that time, I remember that he practiced swordsmanship with a direct approach and was outstandingly skilled among his peers.
“What’s up?”
Alberto called out to me because I was looking at him too much.
Damn it.
“My name is Marie Edigma. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I bowed in a hurry.
I felt Niki grinning next to me.
I was so fascinated by it. It’s different. No; it’s not different.
“Marie ……”
As if talking to himself, Alberto called out my name.
“Pardon me….Please take care of me, Ms. Edigma.”
“Yes.”
Thus, I was assigned to work as a maid for the Order of the Knights.
Centered on the Knights’ Training Center, the Knights’ territory within the royal palace is large.
There is a knight’s dormitory where unmarried knights live, an office for operations and clerical work, a knight’s waiting room, and a knight’s forging area.
Women were not allowed in the bachelor dormitories, so there was no work. Niki and I worked mainly in the staff room, the office, and the training hall.
“Marie will take care of the office work since Alberto-sama seems to be in the office today!”
I said no more to Niki, who was happy to be on her way to the training hall.
I decided to head to the Oval Office and start working.
“Miss Edigma? Thank you again for today.”
“Yes.”
When I knocked on the office door, I found Alberto…no, Mr. McClain inside.
Because of my strong memory of my previous life, I remembered Alberto’s name when I saw him, but he was currently in a higher position than me. Since I might start saying his name unintentionally, I always address him by his honorific title.
“Would you like a cup of tea, Mr. McClain?”
“Oh.”
I prepared the tea so that he could take a break from his paperwork.
(I made a tea that Rosemary used to drink when we worked at the palace to relax, I hope you still like it)
I prepared the tea leaves I had chosen, remembering that he preferred citrus tea.
He did not seem to like office work, and his brow was always wrinkled as he looked at the paperwork.
I hope it will relieve some of his fatigue.
“Here you go.”
“Smells like oranges. Thank you.”
He responded with a slight pout.
“I hope it suits your taste.”
“I like citrus teas,” he said. “I haven’t had it in ages.”
I wasn’t the only one who missed it.
With a slight feeling of contentment in my heart, I bowed my head and left the room.
(Albe … I’m glad that McClain’s taste hadn’t changed)
In this case, I might try making a pancake with cashew nuts that he liked.
I recalled scenes from when I was Rosemary, and with just a little bit of sentimentality, I looked at my old childhood friend who worked as a Knight Commander, hiding my happy feelings.
As I left the office and walked down the hallway in a buoyant mood, I saw a young man standing a short distance away.
“Can I help you?”
I thought he must be one of the knights since he was in the territory of the Order, but he seemed to be in a different state of mind, so I called out to him.
He was wearing a hat that covered his eyes deeply, so I could not see his face well, but he looked about the same age as me.
The young man turned his head in my direction and gave me a shy look, making me wonder about him.
His behavior is suspicious.
I wondered if I should call someone, and I looked around to see if there was anyone in the area.
“Excuse me. I’m not a suspicious person.”
He sensed my thoughts from my gaze.
His voice was calmer than I expected.
I relaxed a little and looked again at the person in front of me.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes.”
It was a well-mannered answer.
If you look closely, you can tell he is an aristocrat by his attire.
A delicate silk shirt. The black fabric trousers that hid his long, slender legs were embroidered in places that could not be seen.
Although he was lightly dressed, I could tell that he was of high status.
“If you like, I can show you around. May I ask your name?”
While acting rudely, when I called out to clarify the other party’s identity, I heard the door open from behind.
I turned around to see Mr. McClain standing there, who had been with me earlier.
When he saw the young man and me, he approached us with a surprised look.
“Prince Risel. Why are you here?”
Prince Risel.
What did he say? Prince Risel?
I turned to the young man who had called me.
He slowly lifted his hat with a slightly annoying smirk on his mouth.
Prince Risel, the young man with the same blue eyes as her (Rosemary) fiancé, who had bound and betrayed Rosemary for so long, was standing there.
