TDDCS

Chapter 45 - The world has to be a little rough

Lena greeted them while loosening her expression that had been a little stiff until now.

“Hello. My name is Lena, I work as the Duke’s close maid.”

At Lena’s attitude in replying with a smile on her face, which was completely absent of malice, the two knights also softened their stiff pose.

“Uhum! That, then…… You must be a noble family’s Lady.”

“No. I am a commoner.”

“Ah…… So, did you grow up in a temple?”

“What? No…… I worked as a maid in Kerouac.”

Lena answered, but she believed it would be shocking to the knights. The position of a duke or duchess’ close maid was a fairly high position among the vassals, and usually, no, it was necessarily a woman from a noble family. Unsurprisingly, the two of them stood firm with subtle expressions.

“Actually, I don’t even know how I became the close maid. I do it because they asked me to…….”

Lena was somehow embarrassed, so she added something for no reason.

However, what surprised the knights was not the fact that commoners became the Duke’s close maid. She was not from a noble, priesthood, or knighthood, but just how an ordinary woman could withstand the Duke’s devilish power. It was the part that all employees were curious about since Kahel and his party arrived at the castle.

However, they were ordered to remain silent about the devilish curse, so they couldn’t even ask her directly.

“Hmm! Hmm, hmm…… His Excellency must have thought everything out, so he put Miss Lena as his maid.”

While trying to bury their curiosity in that way, Lena lowered her eyebrows and threw out another bombshell.

“I think His Excellency is very kind and sympathetic. I may have looked a little pitiful in my situation, but there was no need to give me such an undeserved position…… Because he’s such a weak hearted, it’s too much, but sometimes I’m worried about him. The world has to be a little rough.”

The expressions on Jeter and Hayern’s face became extremely strange at the sound of Lena’s chattering. Hayern seemed unaware of losing the skewer with the potato that he held in his hand.

“Are you talking about His Excellency the Duke of Luave?”

“Yes. Is there anyone else you call His Excellency?”

“He’s…… very…… kind…… and sympathetic?”

Lena smirked at their astonished faces.

“Actually, when I first saw him, I was scared. But when I watch him from the side, he is very kind. It seems like he is trying not to show that.”

Still, Jeter and Hayern’s expressions did not improve. Eventually Lena picked up the potato skewer, which Hayern had missed, and, as they did, she buried them in the ashes in the fireplace. Just as the water in the kettle began to boil, Lena carefully lowered the kettle from the fire by lifting the stick by the side of the fireplace.

“Ah! I put a luggage bag with tea leaves in the sled compartment. Wait a minute. I’ll bring it to you soon.”

Lena hurriedly headed for the sled parked outside the hut, and the two men, who were still stiff, slowly met each other’s faces.

“Our Duke…… kind…… ?”

“I don’t know whom she’s talking about, but that probably isn’t the Duke I know. For sure”