Chapter 253

The Morning Meeting and the Upcoming Plan

The morning meeting wrapped up after we discussed a few important things to keep in mind about the Witch’s Forest. The Hero and Serista would head to the Northeastern Plains with Seraphine in two days, while Ethan, Agnes, and I would depart for the Southwestern Witch’s Forest in four days.

The Hero mentioned that he would send a letter to Lara, informing her that we would arrive ahead of him to assist. This meant that we three would help Lara with her tasks for about a week before the Hero and the rest arrived to kick off the main event.

Given my knowledge of Lara’s episode, this plan made sense. The initial trials weren’t too difficult, so the three of us could manage without the Hero and Serista.

‘So, he’s trying to catch two birds with one stone.’

From a Luminoir Academy player’s perspective, this was a risky play—trying to do too much at once might cause everything to fall apart. But if it succeeded, it would be worth it, as we’d gain allies on both fronts and obtain two unique items.

Since the Hero was heading to the Northeastern Plains with Serista and Seraphine, he would at least finish Lyria’s episode before returning. As for Lara, while my involvement could potentially mess things up, I trusted that the Hero would manage to complete the Lyria route successfully.

I wasn’t too worried about the Hero’s group since Seraphine was accompanying them. Her ability to foresee the future and her diplomatic prowess made her an invaluable asset.

‘Once this episode is over, I’ll be done with this tiresome Saintess role.’

Honestly, the only time I had truly used my powers as the Saintess was during the defeat of MacHart, and I didn’t regret it. This kind of troublesome power was never something I wanted. The ideal future for me was to hand over this burden to Serista and return to being just a regular person.

With our departure set for four days later, we suddenly found ourselves with some free time. Since there was no need to hunt monsters or practice magic in the Imperial Capital, this break turned into an unexpected vacation for Ethan, Agnes, and me.

As we left the meeting room and headed back to our rooms on the second floor, Ethan casually asked me about our plans for the next few days.

“Lilith.”

“Yes, Young Master Ethan?”

“Our departure is set for four days from now. Do you have any plans in the meantime?”

“No, my schedule is typically aligned with yours, so I don’t have anything specific planned.”

“…Right. But last night, you participated in the gathering as my noble partner, not as my maid. So, how about spending the next few days as a regular noblewoman instead of my maid?”

“Asking a commoner like me to live as a noblewoman sounds like a joke, Young Master Ethan.”

“…Is that how it sounds?”

But I understood what Ethan was trying to say. He wanted me to spend the remaining time here at the palace as Lilith Rosewood, the daughter of the Rosewood family, rather than as his personal maid.

He wanted me to enjoy this rare break from duties and responsibilities. While it might not make much difference in status—since a lower noble and a maid of the Blackwood family were not that far apart in hierarchy—I could see the kindness in his suggestion.

“Still, wouldn’t it be tiring to address everyone so formally? Everyone knows you’re a baron’s daughter, so I doubt anyone would mind if you didn’t act as a maid for a while.”

“Alright, Ethan. If you say so, I’ll take it easy for a bit.”

“…You sure change your mind quickly.”

“Well, I was going to ask for your permission to go out tomorrow. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but since I couldn’t leave your side while on duty, I was hesitant. But now I don’t need to ask for permission to go out.”

“O-Oh, going out…?”

Ethan suddenly seemed flustered at the mention of me going out. Did he have plans to spend time with me tomorrow? But if that were the case, why give me a break in the first place?

“Is there a problem, Ethan?”

“No, it’s just… If you’re planning to go out, I won’t stop you. But can you at least tell me where you’re going? I’m not asking for any strange reason—just curious.”

“I was thinking of visiting the market. The journey to the Witch’s Forest won’t be short, so I need to buy supplies for two days of camping. Originally, I planned to ask Princess Seraphine for help, but since she’ll be busy with Prince MacHart’s funeral and then leaving for the Northeastern Plains, I didn’t want to trouble her.”

“Oh, I see….”@@novelbin@@

“I also want to prepare some emergency rations and supplies like nuts, extra clothes, and insect-repellent perfume in case we end up staying in the Witch’s Forest longer than expected. Of course, if I think of anything else we might need, I’ll add it to the list.”

“You’re very thorough. It’s almost as if you’ve been to the Witch’s Forest before.”

“…I’m just trying to be prepared for the journey.”

Saying this made my excuse feel even more awkward. Maybe I should’ve just claimed that my prophetic Saintess powers showed me what to expect in the forest.

Ethan seemed to be calculating something in his head as he nodded a few times, then suddenly suggested joining me for tomorrow’s outing.

“Then, may I come with you?”

“Huh?”

“I also need to prepare my own food and extra clothes. It’s better to do it together than alone, don’t you think?”

“Oh, it’s fine. I was planning to take care of your supplies, too. I know all your measurements.”

“That’s all the more reason for me to come. I can’t just leave everything to you while I go off and enjoy myself, right?”

“But there will be a lot to carry…”

“Then we’ll need someone to help with the load. That’s another reason why we should go together, don’t you think?”

“…”

…Now that I think about it, he has a point.

When I’m working as a maid, it’s natural for me to handle everything, including both our supplies. But considering the amount of food needed for three days, it wouldn’t be easy to carry everything by myself.

Even if Sei helps with wind magic, there’s a limit to what she can do. And Sally, being a fire spirit, wouldn’t be of any help at all.

Having Ethan carry his own share would make things a lot easier.

“Alright, Ethan. Let’s do that.”

“Great, Lilith. How about after breakfast tomorrow—”

“Oh, and what about Miss Agnes? She’ll need to prepare food and extra clothes too, right? Should we all go together?”

“…”

“…”

Ethan suddenly stopped mid-sentence and looked at me with a stiff expression, while Agnes, who had been pretending not to be interested in the conversation, stared at me with a look of disbelief.

I was confused about why the mood had changed so suddenly when Agnes sighed in exasperation.

“…Sometimes I wonder if you’re doing this on purpose, just to mess with us.”

“What?”

“Never mind. I’ll prepare on my own. I’m not so clueless as to intrude on someone else’s date.”

“Date?”

“Yeah. Your master is inviting you to meet as equals, as fellow nobles, and if that’s not a date, then what is?”

…Oh.

Wait, was that what this was supposed to be?

“D-Date…?”

“Lilith, are you really that dense?”

“…”

“You’re both hopeless, you know that? One is a fool who can’t think beyond his maid, and the other is just a plain fool. You two really are a perfect match.”

With that, Agnes shot us a look of disbelief and walked into her room next to mine, leaving Ethan and me alone in the second-floor hallway, surrounded by an awkward tension.

“Was that really a date invitation, Ethan?”

“…Yes.”

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”

“It’s okay. I kind of expected this. I thought it wouldn’t matter if you didn’t see it as a date.”

“I-I see.”

“…Were you planning to refuse if it was a date, Lilith?”

“N-No, of course not… We’re supposed to be temporary lovers, so going on a date should be natural… right?”

“…Yeah. Then, I’ll see you at breakfast, Lilith.”

“…Yes, Ethan.”

After realizing it was a date, the atmosphere between us became so awkward that we couldn’t have a proper conversation for the rest of the day.

…Well, I’ll just have to make sure it’s as ordinary as the last date. Just an ordinary date…