Chapter 420: Insecure Head Maid
To ensure she could promptly receive any orders from Her Royal Highness the Princess, Elise usually informed Astrid beforehand whenever she went out, letting her know her general location and expected time of return.
Today’s lack of notice was somewhat unexpected, after all, they had returned together.
"She’s not in the chambers?"
Hearing Astrid’s words, the maid nodded respectfully in reply.
"Your Highness Astrid, Miss Elise has gone to the Royal Alchemy Workshop."
The alchemy workshop? What was Elise doing there?
A hint of confusion flickered in Astrid’s mind as she withdrew her hand hovering before Elise’s bedroom door. The maid, seeing this, was about to speak, but the imperial princess neatly adjusted the pure black, lotus-leaf-patterned cuffs of her sleeves and said gently:
"No need to inform. I’ll see her myself."
She was rather curious why Elise had gone to the alchemy workshop.
"Miss Livia is resting. Don’t let anyone disturb her."
"And that includes the maid squad."
The maid immediately responded, "Understood, Your Highness Astrid."
After a brief exchange, Astrid turned at the sinking sun outside the window, then turned and walked away from the chambers, her long legs carrying her forward.
Early spring. White willow fluff drifted through the palace grounds. Unlike the streets outside, where the fluff fell abundantly, only a few scattered specks floated past the palace walls, mingling with the evening breeze, since the royal grounds had several willow trees planted.
By the time a few specks of white settled in her silver hair, only to be shaken off onto her skirt and crushed beneath her dark high heels, Astrid had arrived at the Royal Alchemy Workshop. After inquiring about Elise’s whereabouts from the staff, she approached the indicated door and knocked lightly.
"Is that Sharon?" A calm female voice came from inside.
If Astrid wasn’t mistaken, Sharon was the maid who had been sent to report.
"No," Astrid answered.
Hearing the familiar voice, movement stirred immediately within. A crisp sound of leather shoes on the floor reached Astrid’s ears.
The door opened, revealing a woman in a black-and-white maid uniform, her dark hair framing a cool, composed face.
"Your Highness, I’ve failed in my duty."
Astrid didn’t speak immediately. Instead, she placed one hand lightly over her chest and the other near her cheek, then stepped lightly into the room.
The interior was completely bare, no special equipment for potion-making, no crystal vials holding liquids, not even the most ordinary table or chair.
Except for a faint, familiar scent lingering in the air, the room was nothing more than an unused small storage space.
"Where have you failed?"
Astrid turned, her icy red eyes shimmering with soft amusement as she looked at Elise. Her gaze caught sight of the silver knight’s sword tucked between the woman’s two long, silk-clad legs, and a vague suspicion suspected in her mind.
Meeting Astrid’s eyes, Elise paused, then quietly closed the door and spoke in a low voice.
"I left the chambers without informing you previously."
Although the staff in the Third Princess’s chambers were all trusted allies with little chance of betrayal, there was always the possibility of urgent matters requiring her presence as head maid.
Right now, for example, instead of sending a maid to notify her, Astrid had come in person, surely something important had occurred.
"Your Highness, what’s happened?"
Seeing Elise instantly grow serious, Astrid fluttered her eyelashes gently, her voice soft.
"There’s no need to be so tense. Nothing’s wrong. I’m not upset. I’m simply curious, what were you doing, Elise?"
"Isn’t this supposed to be your rest time?"
To better serve her mistress, Elise’s schedule was always slightly behind Astrid’s. She waited until Astrid had finished breakfast before grabbing a quick meal herself. Her nap came only after both princesses had woken and sipped their post-sleep tea. If Astrid had travel plans, Elise had to adjust her schedule accordingly, accompanying her at all times while fulfilling various duties and serving as bodyguard.
Upon hearing Astrid’s words, Elise unconsciously relaxed her grip on the sword hilt. The cloth-wrapped blade touched the floor tile, producing a dull thud.
"To answer your Highness... I was practicing swordsmanship."
"Sword practice?"
Astrid repeated softly, her tone slightly puzzled.
"Whatever made my dear maid think to do that all of a sudden?"
"And not even in a proper training area, here, in this tiny space?"
In terms of training, while each alchemy room in the Royal Alchemy Workshop wasn’t small, they were meant for alchemists to mix potions. Compared to a competition arena or training ground, they were severely inadequate, hardly enough space for a peak tier Master Knight to fully demonstrate her skills.
"If you want to practice, the training tower at Elizabeth Academy of Magic would be a far better choice. At least the space is sufficient. I remember you even have a spare key there."
And even if she didn’t, given Astrid’s status and reputation in the capital, securing a training area would be effortless.
Hearing Astrid’s words, Elise answered gently:
"The alchemy workshop is within the palace, not far from Your Highness’s chambers. It takes less than a minute to walk, if I hurry."
As for the training tower, it was located at the very center of Elizabeth Academy of Magic, quite a distance from the palace. Whether notifying her or returning for duty, it would require far more time.
Understanding Elise’s reasoning, Astrid stepped forward gracefully, her smooth, black-stockinged legs swaying gently as she moved.
"You’re worried the message relay wouldn’t be fast enough..."
"And the other reason?"
As she spoke, Astrid approached Elise, placing her hand on the other woman’s wrist and sliding it down to grasp the sword hanging at her side.
Elise did not resist, or rather, in front of this silver-haired girl, she knew only obedience.
"Ordinary maid duties shouldn’t require this, should they?" Astrid murmured, testing the sword’s weight in her hands.
Nowadays, the head maid mostly handled administrative tasks, approving newspaper content, gathering intelligence, and rarely engaging in combat.
Then again, when she used to spar with Lyra, Elise always used a wooden training sword. This current one was indeed unusual.
Not even a proper scabbard... wrapped in cloth like this...
Astrid wasn’t sure whether to blame the original Astrid’s neglect or her own carelessness as she reached to touch the coarse cloth. Elise immediately interrupted.
"Your Highness, careful not to hurt your hand."
Astrid did not stop, continuing to fiddle with the cloth binding.
"I’m not that delicate. I’m not the little girl who used to follow Elise around anymore."
Unwrapping the coarse cloth, she revealed the blade beneath. On the silver surface, Astrid saw her own reflection, along with several scattered scratches.
Even with constant mental reinforcement during combat, prolonged use inevitably led to wear, this was an unavoidable natural law.
People were much the same. This explanation could also apply to Hibbort.
"You still haven’t answered my question, Elise."
Holding the hilt, she made a few symbolic swings. Elise watched the imperial princess before her, like a butterfly in motion, her swaying skirt briefly revealing a glimpse of thigh-high stocking, and fell silent.
After a moment, the woman spoke softly.
"Because Your Highness’s situation is growing more dangerous."
Hearing this, Astrid’s sword movement paused. She rose slightly onto the ball of her left foot, tensing her calf, as her two high heels tapped the ground with different weights, producing two distinct, crisp sounds.
"Even tools will rust if unused for long. Especially knightly skills, which rely heavily on proficiency." Elise folded her hands neatly in front of her skirt, assuming a standard maid’s stance.
"In my current state, I won’t be able to act effectively when it matters most."
Lyra was improved, but so was Astrid. Elise had watched her grow from an apprentice to an early tier Magnus, her strength drawing closer to her own.
Before long, Astrid will no longer need her personal protection, she might even lose the chance to participate in battle altogether.
A peak tier Master Knight, such strength was a remarkable achievement among nobility, but to protect Astrid from the two princes, it was still far from enough.
Especially with the imperial succession drawing near, and internal and external conflicts intensifying. Even as a princess, Astrid couldn’t remain detached. History had seen successful noble assassinations before. The closer they got to the end, the more vigilant they had to be.
"So ultimately... you came here for my sake..." Astrid said.
She fully understood Elise’s intentions. In the original story, Lucas’s assassination was succeeded precisely because he let his guard down, allowing Alistair to exploit a security gap and sacrifice himself to take Lucas’s life. Lucas died less than two weeks after ascending the throne.
Nobles had no immunity from death, and royal princesses were no exception. When true danger strikes, the strongest protection around Astrid would be her head maid, Elise.
She needed to bear that responsibility.
Watching Elise fall silent after speaking, Astrid feels a complex mix of emotions.
As the most tragically loyal character in the novel, Elise was more like a mirror through which Astrid presented herself to the outside world. She never showed any individuality; every action stemmed from her mistress’s will. She carried out the Third Princess’s orders without question, when Astrid was the villain, she was the villain’s hound; when not, likewise.
"..."
After a moment of thought, Astrid lowered the sword’s tip and held it out to the dark-haired maid.
Elise reached out, accepting the hilt still warm from Astrid’s touch.
"If you want to train in the future, go to Elizabeth Academy of Magic."
Feeling the thin layer of calluses on Elise’s palm, Astrid didn’t pull her arm back. Instead, she spoke while gently placing her hand against the other woman’s cheek.
The mature, composed woman froze, her dark, ink-like pupils flickering with surprise.
"So Elise isn’t always expressionless after all," Astrid murmured, lips slightly parted, her voice soft.
"Being too formal creates distance. You don’t need to be so reserved with me."
Would the Elise from the original novel have done these things? Or was it because of her presence that this maid, fated for a tragic end, had changed as well?
Searching her memory, Elise indeed seems different from before, less mechanical, less withdrawn.
Like a tool slowly regaining its humanity.
Astrid didn’t dislike this change. For the head maid who had followed her for so many years, tirelessly and loyally, she sincerely hoped the other woman could experience the beauty of life, not just repeat dull routines until her final days.
She gently stroked Elise’s cheek. No blush, no reaction, but Astrid’s lips curled slightly upward as she spoke again.
"Elise."
"If you truly remember me, you should know, I said this a long time ago."
"You’re not just my servant."
After Fanya disappeared into the abyssal fissure, the one who had remained by her side throughout her entire childhood, never absent, was Elise standing before her now.
In a certain sense, she was as close to family as one could be.
Even now, as Astrid had grown into adulthood and achieved much, she still relies on Elise’s support and help.
Without the head maid, just thinking about all the tedious affairs would be enough to drive anyone mad.
Her red eyes were close at hand. The girl’s long, slender lashes fanned over her crystalline pupils like orchids circling a tranquil pond, the light within shimmering like spring water.
Astrid had indeed said... that she was more than just a servant...
But... could she really allow herself to think that way?
After a long silence, seeing Elise still wordless, Astrid knew not to push too hard and slowly withdraw her hand.
She knew the head maid was someone who kept her emotions deeply restrained. She just needed time.
Compared to the patience and tolerance Elise had always shown her, what she could offer in return felt insignificant.
"Later, let’s go together to the Royal Forging Room. I’ll have the capital’s finest blacksmith craft you a proper scabbard."
"It wouldn’t sound good if the princess’s guard didn’t even have a decent scabbard."
Another one of the mistress’s silent acts of care. Elise, having witnessed many interactions between Astrid and Lyra, was already familiar with her personality. She nodded obediently.
"Understood, Your Highness."
With that, Astrid gave a gentle smile.
"Then now..."
"It’s about time we went for dinner."
As they were about to leave, perhaps due to her recent training, Elise’s garter strap had come loose. Astrid casually tucked her own silver hair behind her ear and bent down slightly.
"...Your Highness?"
Elise instinctively stepped back a little, her spine straightening, her gaze fixed on the girl’s snow-white hair and the smooth, black-draped back exposed beneath her dress.
In the Valeria Empire, no matter how deep the bond between master and servant, there had never been a precedent of a master bending down to adjust a servant’s clothing.
Astrid didn’t stop at the sound. Instead, she slightly bent her knees, gently smoothing out the wrinkles in the silk stocking around Elise’s thigh, then fastened the garter.
Just as Elise had once taught her, step by step, when she first wore garter stockings.