「Are you alright? Argusta-sama.」
「I’m done for…」
Once again, I was in the castle office.
I had wanted to take two days off after collapsing before returning to work, but the current situation was far too terrible.
Yesterday, all I could do was apologize to Noie, who sat silently on the sofa, hugging her knees.
But it couldn’t be helped. I was being held hostage. I had no choice but to accept their demands.
Having my beloved person taken hostage, only to end up hated by them… It’s a new form of torture. This isekai is something else!
「You don’t have to push yourself. You can rest if you like.」
「Thank you, Krea. I appreciate your concern.」
「No… It would be troublesome for me if you collapsed here.」
「Thanks for the honesty!」
There was no healing or kindness here. What is wrong with this world!
「Onii-chan～, desu～」
「Whoa!」
The door to the office swung open without warning, and the Tiny Princess rushed in.
「You must not die, desu～」
「Tiny Princess!」
She ran toward me with teary eyes.
This was it. This kindness was exactly what I needed.
「If you die, there will be no one left to play with me, desu～」
「……」
I caught her as she threw herself at me, holding her under one arm, and gave her small bottom a few firm pats.
This was discipline, not bullying or violence. I steeled my heart and struck her through my tears.
Yes. I wasn’t hitting her bottom. I was hitting her heart. I was striking down her evil spirit to purify it.
「Au～ That’s mean～」
「Listen, Camille.」
「Yes, desu～?」
「In times like these, you should say 『I’m worried about you』, even if it’s a lie.」
As an elder, I gently admonished my younger sister-in-law. Yes, strangely enough, she was younger yet still my older sister.
Her face lit up, and she nodded. That’s right. At her core, she was a serious and good child.
「I’m worried about onii-chan, desu～. It’s a lie, but, desu～」
I held her under my arm again and patted her… striking down her evil heart.
As I dumped the girl, who was holding her bottom….to get rid of her evil heart.
With both hands and crying 『Au～ It hurts～,』 onto the sofa, a maid with a stern expression stepped forward smoothly.
She was middle-age… no, a woman in her prime.
I felt like I would suffer if I said anything rude.
My sixth sense warned me. I didn’t know why, but I decided to be careful.
「Argusta-sama.」
「Yes?」
「If necessary, please take this.」
「……」
What she handed me was a short whip.
Was I just ignorant? Wasn’t this something used on horses? Using it on people should be reserved for those with specific fetishes. In other words, using this on a little girl meant… scary. What kind of education does the Republic give its own princesses?
「This might be a bit difficult for me.」
「Is that so? My apologies for overstepping.」
She said this, took the whip from my hand, and tucked it behind her apron.
Wait a minute? No matter how you looked at it, the size of the apron and the length of the whip didn’t match. Was it some kind of four-dimensional pocket?
「Where did the whip go?」
「Pardon? Well… women have many secrets.」
She gave a faint smile and sealed her lips.
Seriously? Are there really such secrets?
I glanced at Krea, and she was looking down at her own crotch. When she noticed my gaze, she looked up, her ears turning bright red, and shook her head vigorously from side to side. I decided not to ask what she was thinking. This is how young girls climb the ladder to adulthood, layering fantasy upon fantasy.
「So, who might you be?」
I had forgotten the original question.
「My apologies. My name is Sieck, and I serve as the Head Maid at His Majesty Schnitt’s residence. Please feel free to ask anything of me.」
Head Maid? So that position actually existed.
「Then I’d appreciate it if you could make this Tiny Princess behave a bit more.」
「That would be difficult, as Her Majesty the Queen and His Majesty Schnitt tend to spoil her somewhat.」
Her bow was light and graceful, with no wasted movement.
As expected of someone serving the future king… Her Majesty the Queen?
「Sieck-san, do you serve the Queen?」
「Yes. I am exclusively assigned to Her Majesty the Queen.」
「Is that currently? Or for the future Queen?」
「Both.」
She gave another light bow.
Being the exclusive maid to this Tiny Princess seemed like a form of torture in itself. She had the personality of a cat that would run off somewhere the moment you looked away.
But the real issue was that she also served the current Queen.
「So, did you come to call me because I haven’t visited the mansion enough lately?」
「No. Today, I am simply accompanying Camille-sama.」
「I see. But what if something happens to the Queen?」
Her sharp eyes narrowed as she looked at me.
She had a fox-like air about her.
「Her Majesty the Queen is bedridden due to vomiting blood last night. Judging by her condition, she will not wake until tomorrow evening. It would be a waste of time to wait until then, so I am accompanying Camille-sama in the meantime.」
「…Pardon?」
There were several unfamiliar terms in that sentence.
「Therefore, to fill the remaining time—」
「Before that, what do you mean by ‘vomiting blood’?」
Her slender eyes narrowed even further.
It was intimidating, but I couldn’t ignore my curiosity.
「Her Majesty’s health is poor due to two severe injuries. That is all there is to it.」
「‘That is all’…?」
Two severe injuries? I was extremely concerned, but…
Bang! Bang!
I turned around at the disturbing sound and impact, which sounded like something being destroyed.
A muscular dumpling of a man was leaning against the door, glaring at us.
「You’re an unusual person in an unusual place, Sieck.」
「If it isn’t Prince Halfren. Do you have any business with us?」
「The one with business is you, isn’t it?」
My idiot aniki, who usually didn’t show harsh expressions to women, was now openly scowling.
Huh? Does that mean I… was tricked again?
However, Sieck gave a soft bow and stared directly at my idiot aniki.
「I am aware that you are refusing Her Majesty’s wishes. However, I am merely a maid. Even for my master’s sake, I will not overstep my bounds.」
「Then what were you just telling Arg?」
「I answered because I was asked. I believe that is the correct conduct for a maid.」
Though her physique was small and feminine, her atmosphere suggested she was not backing down from the idiot idiot.
I really wished they would stop arguing in a place like this.
「Ah～. Sensei’s class is starting, desu～」
Camille, who had suddenly sat up, rushed past the idiot prince.
I was supposed to have Frea-san’s economics lesson this afternoon.
I had already attended it three times, so I planned to skip it.
Sieck gave another light bow.
「I shall depart with my lady. Please excuse us.」
She walked out of the room with smooth, gliding steps. Didn’t that walking style look familiar?
「Arg.」
「Yeah?」
「……」
My idiot aniki, who had been glaring at me, let out a deep sigh and scratched his head.
「I’ll make you cry next time, so get your health back in order by then.」
「What kind of warning is that! Wait a minute!」
He ignored me and left.
What was that? My life was full of problems without me even realizing it.
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