Claudia-san must have been grappling with intense inner turmoil.
For her, the Blaffer family was more than just a place of employment—it was like a second home. To leave, knowing she could never return, must have been a decision fraught with anguish.
Her reasoning was clear: if the Blaffer family’s future could be jeopardized by her connection to the Black Arrow, then it was better for her to leave. That conviction had driven her to walk away.
But for Charlotte and Lawrence-san, her decision to leave was far more painful than any blemish on their family name. From their perspective, Claudia-san was already family. Anyone could see that from Charlotte’s heartfelt plea and the unshakable determination she conveyed—a determination to face anything together, no matter what.
Hearing those sentiments had left Claudia-san deeply conflicted. Her heart was undeniably leaning toward staying, but she still hesitated.
It seemed like one final push might convince her—but there was one more factor to consider: Milen-san.
Milen-san had silently observed the entire exchange, not interrupting or interjecting. Her quiet demeanor made it difficult to discern her true thoughts, and we could only watch, waiting to see what she might do.
Finally, Milen-san broke her silence.
「Nee-san, I think you should go back.」
Her words took everyone by surprise. She was encouraging Claudia-san to return to the Blaffer family.
「I’ll be fine on my own.」
「Milen…」
「At first, I thought they were just trying to reclaim a lost servant. But if that’s all it was, they could’ve just hired someone new. This proves how much they value you.」
Hearing her perspective, we couldn’t help but nod in agreement.
Honestly, I’d thought Milen-san was the one who had pressured Claudia-san into leaving in the first place. But that clearly wasn’t the case.
「You’ve found such a great place, so don’t let it go. Do you know how rare it is for nobles to personally come and bring back a servant? That’s not something you can take for granted.」
Things were finally moving swiftly toward Claudia-san’s return.
—However, it seemed Lawrence-san still had lingering concerns.
「Milen, was it?」
「Yes?」
「There’s something I’d like to ask you beyond this matter with Charlotte. Would you accompany me to the knights’ outpost?」
「I’ll have to decline. You want information about the Black Arrow, don’t you? But I don’t even know how large the organization is anymore, let alone where its current base is.」
「I see…」
Lawrence-san’s disappointment was evident.
Was the Black Arrow really such a dangerous group? His reaction made it clear just how much of a threat they posed.
Leave a Reply