"Having Loraviel stay here?" Liana hadn't considered that before.
But now, it seemed almost like they were living together...
"That's a good suggestion, I'll think about it," Liana nodded.
"But then, we'll need more than just a desk. A wardrobe and other things will need to be prepared as well, considering the room is large enough; that shouldn't be a problem."
Liana looked around her room, noting plenty of space available for use.
The bed was larger than a standard one, and she didn't need to share it with me; what was needed now was just a wardrobe and a desk.
"Since you brought it up, you can prepare it."
"...Such is the privilege of the upper class, always seeming so clever."
Loraviel: Thank you (˶◕‿◕˶) dear Naibet!
"Princess Liana."
Again, a servant's voice came from outside the door.
It sounded familiar, but Liana couldn't immediately recall who it was.
"Who is it?"
"Rocco," Naibet spoke up first.
"Lord Naibet? What are you doing in Princess Liana's room?"
Rocco's voice carried a note of confusion.
"Rocco..."
"Oh! It's her!!"
Liana remembered; she had briefly interacted with Rocco before.
Rocco was the one who had introduced her to the first magic of this world.
"Come in, the door’s unlocked," Liana said.
Rocco opened the door, "Princess Liana."
"What do you need from me?" Liana asked.
"Countess Ruth has some matters to discuss with you, she asked me to pass the message," Rocco said.
Countess Ruth?
Liana thought for a moment; it was probably about the celebration in two days.
It was normal for nobles to pass messages among themselves, but she guessed that by the end of today, the whole country would likely know about it.
Liana was also puzzled; for such a large-scale celebration,
"Shouldn't they give the nobility more time to prepare?"
"Three days is indeed too rushed, but a period of seven days should be enough for the nobles to come and participate."
"I understand." Liana turned to Naibet, "Should be measured by now, right? Just measuring the size shouldn't take this long, should it?"
"Lord Naibet?" Rocco didn't know what Naibet was currently doing.
"It’s measured, but where should we put it?" Naibet asked.
"Up to you, your designs shouldn't disappoint me," Liana waved her hand, "I need to go see Countess Ruth, I hope to see everything ready when I return."
After Liana left, Rocco, curious, approached Naibet, "Lord Naibet, what is this?"
Naibet probably explained the situation to Rocco, who then spoke up for Loraviel and Naibet, "I’ll help you, Lord Naibet."
"Lady Olivia." Loraviel approached Olivia.
"Your fingers..." Olivia noticed Loraviel's injured fingers, "You're still pushing yourself too hard."
"It won't affect my daily life, Lady Olivia, no need to worry. Although it looks swollen, it actually doesn't hurt anymore, and Princess Liana has also told me to rest today."
"Was yesterday's training too strenuous?"
"No, not at all, Lady Olivia, you don't need to worry about me." Loraviel didn't want her training to be confined to her comfort zone.
"However, you don’t need to train today, Lady Olivia. Could you accompany me to buy some things?" Loraviel asked.
"Sure." Seeing Loraviel’s hand injury hadn't healed, Olivia had already planned to let her rest for a while.
"What do you want to buy?" they sat in the carriage, Olivia asked curiously.
"Weapons, and some pouches," Loraviel looked out the window, her mood now completely different from before.
"Lady Olivia, are you also attending the celebration in two days?" Loraviel asked.
"Did you also hear about it?"
"Sort of. It seems like Princess Meifel wants Princess Liana to take me there," Loraviel said.
"That's great!" Olivia grabbed Loraviel's hand, "It looks like you’ll finally be able to escape from Princess Liana's clutches!"
Why else would Liana be asked to bring Loraviel unless there was a reason?
"...Maybe."
Loraviel couldn’t quite feel happy about it.
Princess Meifel asking her over was likely also a ploy to get her away from Princess Liana, something she was well aware of, but the reasons for her departure had changed.
Princess Meifel was probably jealous.
Now, both of them had their goals.
Meifel: Try to get Loraviel away from Liana. Loraviel: Try to get ahead of Princess Liana’s carriage.
But this time it was so rushed... Although Olivia wasn’t clear on the details, it must be something very important; otherwise, they wouldn't have rushed without prior preparations.
"...What happened?" Loraviel was likely never going to touch this level of matter in her lifetime.
"I’m not quite sure, but if it’s a celebration, it must be something good," Princess Meifel hadn’t told Olivia about this matter.
"That's true. I haven't seen such a celebration before."
R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.
"Lady Olivia, could you wait for me for a moment?" Loraviel asked.
"Of course."
Loraviel got out of the carriage and went to the post office.
"It’s you again, the messenger lady." Loraviel recognized the familiar postwoman.
"It’s tough being a messenger..." Not many who could use magic were willing to be messengers, but her pay was good, and she enjoyed this kind of life.
It would be perfect if there were fewer people like Liana.
"Miss Loraviel, this is your letter," the messenger handed Loraviel an envelope, "Don't worry, this time, no one has opened or looked at this letter."
"Thank you." Liana took the envelope, opened it, and inside was a simple message.
【Is it cute? Then don’t make Princess Liana angry. My body is much better now; it won’t be long before I’m fully recovered. I’ll come to see you once I’m all right.】
Inside the envelope were ten gold coins that Loraviel cared deeply about. These ten gold coins were of great importance to her.
Loraviel didn’t know what kind of thoughts Anna had gone through to write this letter.
Even in the countryside far from Venus Manor, Liana’s notorious reputation had been heard.
But Anna didn’t ask about that. However, the last sentence revealed some concern.
Anna also knew very well that Loraviel could have kept this to herself, but she chose to speak about it anyway.
She didn’t want to believe her choice, but the things worth worrying about had to be worried about.
Once her health improved, she’d go see her.
After writing the reply, Loraviel went out.
"Olivia, let’s go pick out some weapons."
"What kind of weapon do you want?"
"Just like before, a bow will do, but I’m not really familiar with the quality of weapons, so I’ll leave it to you, Olivia."
"Leave it to me." Olivia was very skilled in this area.
......
On the way to Countess Ruth's, Liana saw Olivia leaving Venus Manor with Loraviel. They must be going to pick out weapons.
Liana knocked on Countess Ruth’s door. "Countess Ruth, it’s Liana."
After waiting a few seconds, the door opened. "Come in."
"Countess Ruth, is there something you needed?" Liana asked as she looked at the Countess, guessing the reason she had been summoned.
"Liana, please sit."
Liana sat opposite Countess Ruth as a servant dressed in proper attire poured tea for her.
"How is your relationship with Princess Mepeilu now? Has it gotten any better?"
"Well, thanks to your help, Countess Ruth, my relationship with Mepeilu has improved a little, but that’s only because of you," Liana said lightly.
"So bitter... not as good as Loraviel's," Liana placed the cup on the table, thinking about Loraviel’s cooking.
"Liana, you should show more respect to Princess Mepeilu. She’s the one who has been the most kind to you after me," Countess Ruth sighed.
"Don’t. There’s no one else here." Countess Ruth still acted like the good person.
"She’s kind to me but doesn’t help me, what’s with the act?" Liana deliberately emphasized the last sentence.
"Alright, I know you're unhappy with Princess Mepeilu, but it’s all just misunderstandings." Countess Ruth patiently comforted her. "Princess Mepeilu is always thinking of you, and this time, she invited you to the upcoming celebration in Lisat."
"You, of all people, should know, Countess Ruth, I hate this kind of thing. I don’t want to go to a meaningless celebration." Liana sneered.
"I know you’re not interested in such things, but it’s a celebration, and your relationship with Princess Mepeilu is gradually improving. Besides, it’s a rare event in Lisat, and there will definitely be many things you might want to buy. Also, the king hasn’t seen you in a long time." Countess Ruth patiently explained to Liana.
Liana’s expression was conflicted.
"The king?"
Thinking about it, after arriving in Lisat, it was unlikely that she wouldn’t meet the king.
In the original story, Liana had met the king once five years ago and hadn’t seen him again since.
"I know you dislike it—the nobles’ etiquette—but I’ll take care of that for you," Countess Ruth added.
"Fine."
"Then, Countess Ruth, when does the celebration start?"
"Liana doesn’t know anything about it, so of course, she needs to ask."
"The day after tomorrow, but we’ll leave tomorrow." Countess Ruth replied.
"Ah? Tomorrow? So soon?" Liana seemed surprised.
"Yes, Kane and Aileen will be going as well."
"Okay."
Liana didn’t have any objections. The Ibet Magic Academy had closed for the break, and with the celebration, they, as heirs, were naturally invited.
And this time, Liana would probably see many characters who would appear later in the main plot.
It seemed like Liana had gone a bit too far this time.
"It feels like no matter what I do, I can’t control it."
Well, the original plot had already been messed up by Liana, so why not make it more chaotic?
After all, she was the protagonist! No matter how messy it got, her protagonist halo would fix it, right?
With that confidence in the protagonist, that’s why Liana did it. Of course!
She wouldn’t be eliminated. Alright, let’s go forward with this!
"Can I bring my maid along?" Liana asked, as it was Mepeilu’s request.
If she didn’t bring her, things might get a little complicated.
"Weren’t you planning to kill her before?" Countess Ruth asked.
"...I forgot about that."
"I’ll change my mind. That’s being too kind to her. After the celebration, many people will come to Lisat, won’t they? Then, I’ll just sell her and let her experience the taste of hell," Liana quickly came up with a somewhat reasonable excuse.
"Of course, but it’s better not to do that." Countess Ruth advised.
"Why?" Liana asked sincerely. What was wrong with this person? Wasn’t she hoping for Liana to do this?
"Liana, don’t be too hasty. I promised to help you, and I will. Besides, the nobles going to the celebration..." Countess Ruth hesitated, not finishing her sentence.
She was about to say something about their manners and decorum, but that would have been insulting to Liana.
Although in her eyes, Liana was exactly that kind of person, she couldn’t say it directly.
"Think about it, if someone offered you a slave that someone else had already used, would you buy it?" Countess Ruth said.
"...No," Liana thought for a moment, surprised that Countess Ruth had actually provided her with an exit.
But Liana still wasn’t sure why Countess Ruth was so protective of Loraviel. Did she notice Loraviel’s abilities and want to recruit her?
Otherwise, Loraviel would definitely sell well. But she wouldn’t be used as a servant or slave.
Liana even imagined that she could use Loraviel to gain favor with Mepeilu, claiming that it was she who had saved Loraviel.
After all, it wasn’t just about Mepeilu now, so she naturally didn’t want anyone using this opportunity to get closer to Mepeilu.
Also, she was curious about why Loraviel was immune to toxins.
"Right? And don’t forget, you’re Liana. Your servants aren’t just anyone’s to command. Our Liana only keeps the best servants, ones no one else can easily control," Countess Ruth didn’t forget to praise Liana.
"Indeed," Liana said with great satisfaction. "Then I'll go and prepare for a bit."
"Mm, go ahead."
"Goodbye, Countess Ruth."
"Goodbye, Liana."
Liana left Countess Ruth’s room and noticed that it was already time for lunch. Just as she was about to leave, she spotted a familiar servant.
"You, come here."
"Today really is unlucky," Loco muttered under her breath, then put on a business smile. "What’s the matter, Princess Liana? Is everything settled?"
"I'm hungry."
"And where’s Miss Loraviel?"
"I want to eat the food you make." Liana hadn’t tried cooking from anyone other than Tevet and Loraviel. Well, she did try once at a banquet, but it was quite average.
Today, Liana was feeling lazy and wanted to see what the other maids could cook.
"I understand." Loco’s lips twitched. She knew that continuing to get involved with Liana would only bring her trouble.
"I’ll wait for you in my room."
"I understand."
Not long after, Loco delivered the food. The presentation looked quite good, which gave Liana some expectations.
But...
Once she started eating, Liana couldn’t help but feel disappointed. There was definitely a gap between Loraviel’s cooking and this.
Thinking about the food Loraviel made...
After eating just enough to get by, Liana began working on her magic stone again. She had been slowly recovering her magic, but she still overestimated herself.
Two stones, and she had already exhausted herself.
A wave of exhaustion hit her, and her eyes began to droop.
Liana yawned and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep.
How much time had passed, she wasn’t sure, but a knock came from the door.
"Princess Liana?"
No response came from inside the room.
Loraviel stood patiently outside the door, waiting.
Five minutes passed—
"Princess Liana?" Still no response.
Ten minutes, thirty minutes, half an hour passed.
The room remained completely silent, with no reply.
"Is Princess Liana not going out?"
Loraviel had thought this, until Loco returned to collect the dishes.
"Miss Loraviel?" Loco noticed Loraviel standing at the door.
"Why are you here, Loco?"
Loco felt troubled. She really didn’t want to be here. She glanced at the closed door behind Loraviel and asked quietly, "Has Princess Liana ignored you?"
"Well, I waited for over half an hour, but she hasn’t responded. I’m not sure if she’s even left." Loraviel explained.
Loco relaxed a little, then started venting about today’s events.
"I’m having the worst luck today."
But, forget it. The important thing is! On my way back after Princess Liana visited Countess Ruth’s room, I ran into her again!
"You ran into her again? What happened?"
"Well, Princess Liana said she was hungry and insisted that I make her some food."
"What?!"
Danger! Danger! Danger!
It wasn’t just Mepeilu; even my position as a maid has many competitors.
"What’s wrong?" Loco noticed that Loraviel looked a bit uncomfortable.
"It’s nothing. What happened after you made the food?" Loraviel took a deep breath.
"After delivering it to Princess Liana’s room, I left. Now I’ve come back just to collect the dishes," Loco said.
"I see, that’s fine. I’ll handle it from here. You should go rest."
"Really?!" Loco grabbed Loraviel’s hand as if seeing a savior.
But because of that, she noticed Loraviel’s bandaged finger.
Loco’s hand trembled slightly. "What happened?"
"I injured it by accident. It’s nothing."
But Loco didn’t fully believe her. She felt that Loraviel had suffered some inhuman treatment from Liana.
"Maybe it’s better if I handle it after all," Loco said. Loraviel had already been through enough.
By doing this, it felt like it would be unfair to Loraviel. She had been suffering under Liana’s cruelty, and now she had to take on more of Liana’s responsibilities.
If the food she made didn’t suit Liana’s taste, what if Liana used it as an excuse to punish Loraviel... Her fingers were already like this...
"It’s fine, leave it to me. Besides, since Princess Liana isn’t here, and there’s no key to her room, it would be a waste of time to just stand here waiting," Loraviel reassured.
"How dare she compete with me! My rival!"
"But, your hand..." Loco was genuinely concerned, looking at Loraviel’s hand injury.
"It’s really fine. I’ve been at Venus Manor for two months already..." Loraviel smiled.
Only two months, huh?
If compared to an ordinary person, Loraviel, who had grown fond of this cruel and mean-spirited princess Liana, probably thought the other person had gone mad.
Moreover, Loraviel was sure that if Liana treated her like a normal person, she would only think of her as a good person. But it was precisely this strange way of interacting that had her confused.
"I’ve gotten used to the way I interact with Princess Liana, really. It’s nothing. Also, Lord Nevert saw my hand and confirmed it was just a small accident. Don’t worry," Loraviel continued.
"Alright," Loco replied. Seeing how firm Loraviel was, she didn’t insist further.
And besides, Loco didn’t have a key to the room. What was so strange about being made to wait outside for half a day by Liana?
After all, Loraviel had already been waiting outside for a good while. Waiting here was just wasting one more person’s time.
"If something happens, just let us know. Lord Aileen will be back tomorrow."
"Mm." Loraviel watched as Loco left.
After Loco left, Loraviel took out the key and opened the door.
The room was quiet. Loraviel walked to the table and saw a lot of food still left uneaten.
"Ha."
She let out a sigh of relief. Wait, why was she feeling this way? Why was she feeling happy?
Was it because Liana ate everything Loraviel prepared, but only picked at the food Loco made?
Why had she become like this? Liana had only eaten a little, she was probably hungry, and yet, Loraviel felt happy about it.
What a terrible maid she ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ was...
Loraviel walked up to Liana, who was lying face down on the bed, gazing at her sleeping face, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction.
"Princess Liana isn’t wearing her regular clothes... If she sleeps like this, it will wrinkle."