It was evening and Mera had retired to her quarters. She bounced up and down after she plopped down on the soft and smooth bed, her face burying into the pillows. A loud sigh came forth from her lips before turning around facing the ceiling.

Somehow, it was more tiring than before. No, actually, it had been more tiring for a couple of days, and a bit more stressful. There were a lot of things on her mind.

She had been terribly careful not to stand out, but why? Why were the princess and Vernon acting that way? It was what she feared.

If what I’m thinking is right then…

She was anxious that everything she had worked on would become worthless. She thought hard on what she should do. However, it was easier said than done. It felt like she could do nothing about it.

Grabbing a pillow from the back of her head, she placed it upon her forehead covering her eyes. The softness of the pillow brought some relief within her.

“Hey Mera, what’s wrong with you? You’re acting as though no one else is here.”

She heard the voice of her fellow maid.

Mera put away the pillow from her forehead and turned her body to face the other maid sitting nonchalantly on the side of her own bed. The maid was still wearing her maid outfit, her curly pale golden hair was let loose, her blue eyes looked towards Mera with a bit of curiosity.

“Nothing.”

“Heh? If you say so, don’t come crying to me when things get worse, okay?” The maid grabbed a fruit from atop the drawer and offered it to Mera. “Here, pear, you’re favorite.”

Mera pouted.

“You know I don’t like pear, it’s dull.”

“Wow, Mera, you’re actually so stressed out that you resorted to calling a pear dull!” she looked genuinely surprised.

I suppose I don’t usually call something that...

“If you don’t want it, then give it to me.”

Another voice chimed in, it was from another maid in the room. She had short black hair and brown eyes, she bore a beautiful appearance which surpassed even Mera.

“Woah, Macey, I’m offering it to Mera, so don’t go stealing it from her now.”

“Mera called it dull, Ellie, do not force her to eat what she doesn’t like and instead offer it to someone who actually fancy it.”

“It’s fine, Ellie, give it to her.”

Ellie gave the fruit to Macey with a somewhat displeased expression.

“You better eat it whole. I don’t like it anyway, so go ahead and also have the others.”

“Very well. I'll have the others tomorrow,” Macey said as she took a bite from the fruit in her hand. “And for goodness sake Ellie, you are a noble, please speak as a noble should.”

Ellie lacked that elegant manner of speaking as should nobles have, and that was what bothered her.

“Eat my ass, Macey.”

“Kuh!” Macey choked the moment she heard such a vulgar phrase. “E-Ellie!”

“Yeah yeah. No need to suck on traditions when we’re alone in private, so relax.”

“Even so, if you keep doing this, you might become more versed to this than the proper way of speaking.”

“I’m fine, Maceeey.”

Macey directed an annoyed glare towards Ellie. Mera sensed the air was getting intense so she decided to change the subject.

“Where are the others?”

“They went to the baths first,” Ellie said.

“You didn’t come with them?”

“We waited for you,” Macey replied as she took another bite at her fruit.

“I see. Thanks…”

“It gets crowded anyway, so it’s good to wait, no rush,” Ellie lied down on the bed as she faced Mera. “You still sound so… uninspired, what’s bothering you?”

“... I said it’s nothing.”

“Can you not share your trouble with us?”

Macey said as she sat down at the edge of Mera’s bed.

Mera debated whether she should tell them, but immediately decided not to. Her guess was too big of an issue to tell others. However, it could also be wrong. Even so, telling her friends how the princess and Vernon were treating her, she was not too keen on the idea. Nothing good would come out of it but would only make it worse for her.

“It is not that big of a problem.”

“Is it a love problem?”

Ellie asked that out of the blue which incited a surprised reaction from Mera. Her question was just too far from the truth that it almost sounded absurd.

“No it’s not!”

“Oh? Doesn’t sound like it.”

Ellie’s lips lifted into a teasing grin.

“Mera? Love? Really? Who?”

Then Macey leaned forward, her intense questioning gaze stared directly at Mera’s eyes. Which was honestly disturbing.

“No, it’s not!” Mera said in defense.

“You’re lying, Mera. Why didn’t you tell me anything? You could have at least mentioned it.”

Mera was getting uncomfortable that she recoiled away from Macey. This friend of hers was starting to act weird.

“Hey, Macey, calm down. That was just a throwaway question, damn.”

Upon Ellie’s words, Macey backed away but still had a pair of doubtful eyes.

“But she sounded so surprised though.”

“Yeah, she really did...”

“That’s because it's so far from the truth!”

“Hahahaha!” Ellie rose from her bed in laughter. “You’re sometimes funny, Mera. Anyways, why are you so serious Macey?”

“Well, I’m interested.”

“Interested? Interested because one of your friends is starting to have a love life and you’re not?”

“It’s not like that!

“It’s not about love life!”

Ellie covered her ears.

“Ladies, quiet down, it’s evening, you’ll disturb everyone.”

Macey chowed down at her fruit before speaking in an annoyed tone.

“As I said, it’s not like that. But just so you know, I’m finally getting a spark...”

“Oh?”

“And he’s a knight.”

“Aaah, he’s definitely just playing with you.”

“How negative can you get, Ellie?!”

“Hey, I’m just stating a possibility.”

Macey crossed her arms and took a bite from the fruit in her hand.

“Nothing like that is happening.”

“I see, I see. But I wanna know, is it also a spark for the other party, I mean the knight. Or you’re just assuming that there is a spark?”

“Why are you so dummy dumb dumb, Ellie?!”

“Dummy dumb dumb…?”

Ellie had a flabbergasted expression on her face as she repeated the comical words that emerged from the elegant maid’s mouth. Mera too was taken aback by those words, it sounded somewhat childish.

“.... Sorry…” Macey immediately apologized, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “I… I don’t think it’s like that at all.”

“Oh, really?”

Slightly, Mera’s lips curled up. Because of her friends’ company, she had somewhat lost some anxiety. But only a little.

“I mean, he is pretty nice to me and all. And… we have been friends since we were children.”

Ellie grinned widely at the revelation.

“A childhood friend? Oh holy lord and lady, ain’t that something! Hey Mera, are you hearing this?”

“Yes…”

Mera was getting more interested in the story.

“This isn’t a story for you two just to enjoy!”

“Yeah yeah, so who's the guy?”

“Um, Alan from the Welford household.”

“Alan, huh. Don’t know the guy,” Ellie said.

Mera on the other hand recognized the name. If memory serves, it was the young man she saw with the princess during the training of the knights. The young man they were checking out. She had only heard his name and never interacted, so she didn’t have much of an impression towards him.

Recalling that small bonding with the princess brought some elation in her heart.

Wait, now that I’m thinking about it.

Mera remembered quietly well the interaction between the princess and this knight named Alan. To be precise, she recalled the actions of Alan. The embarrassed way he acted that time implied one thing, and his expressions.

Oh no….

Mera felt a bit bad upon realizing that.

Well, she couldn’t blame anyone. The princess’s charm was just that great, even with just her casual presence. That was how great she was. So, there was no one to blame if a man fell in love at first sight, and ultimately no one can blame the princess herself.

It would be unfair to blame her, she didn’t do anything bad after all.

Now, would Macey have a chance just in case of… no no no, I shouldn’t think like this.

Imagining that scenario stung her heart a little.

“Mera, have you heard of the guy?” Ellie asked her.

“Um, I think I saw him once.”

“Saw him... and you know who he is?” Ellie leaned forward with interest.

“...Mera?”

Macey stared at her weirdly. Thinking that this was going in a weird way, Mera frantically shook her hands.

“Whatever you’re thinking of, it’s not that! Seriously, why did you two suddenly leap to that way of thought?!”

“It’s not?” Macey asked in assurance.

“Yes, it was the time when I went with the princess outside the palace halls.”

“Oh, I see.”

Macey instantly became relaxed. Mera decided that it would be best not to mention that Alan and the princess interacted.

Still, is Macey not aware of the effects the princess brings to young men by her presence alone?

Now that she thought about it, Macey was never assigned to assist the princess, nor was Ellie. These two were assigned to clean most of the time, and not to assist royalty. Therefore, they didn’t know the princess that much.

Now what made Mera different from these two that she was given the chance to assist the princess in rotation? Mera’s guess was that she had a high rating given by her superiors.

In fact, she could guess some flaws of these two. Macey was too elegant and gentle, almost a perfect maiden like, and that brought worries to how much she could do. As for Ellie, her nature was too vulgar for service to the princess.

It was then that the door opened and a few maids who were now wearing night gowns entered.

“Looks like they’re done, alright let’s go.”

Ellie suggested, and the three of them went for the baths carrying their clothes for changing and bathing towels.