Chapter 430

After hearing the plan from the hero (겧뫄), I tentatively decided on the event we’d participate in at the festival: a café. Since the hero had suggested that Ethan should join as well, I headed to tell him about the maid café plan.

Of course, I didn’t go straight to Ethan after parting with the hero. I ‘accidentally’ ran into Agnes and had a short chat with her. After all, if Ethan found out I had spoken alone with the hero, he might get upset. It was essential to secure a perfect alibi.

“A café?” Ethan asked.

“To be more precise, a maid café, Master Ethan. Luke, as well as Her Highness Princess Seraphine and Lady Celesta, will be wearing maid uniforms,” I explained.

“It sounds like it’s going to be quite an uncomfortable café. Even if Lady Celesta is fine, I can’t imagine anyone daring to order something from the princess.”

“The princess will mostly be promoting the café in her maid outfit. Since Her Highness Seraphine is part of the student council, she didn’t really need to participate in the event. I think she just wants to do something with the hero,” I replied.

“Well, if that’s the case, I don’t see a problem. There are enough familiar faces in the hero’s party that it shouldn’t feel too awkward.”

Ethan wasn’t particularly uncomfortable around them, especially since he was acquainted with Agnes through me and Natalie, who was in the same swordsmanship club. Moreover, he had taken humanities and marine studies classes with them, so by now, the hero’s party was a somewhat familiar group for him.

“Oh, and this part isn’t mandatory, but...” I hesitated.

“Hmm?” he responded.

“They discussed having the men wear butler uniforms and promote the café to the female guests, alongside the maids,” I said cautiously.

“Butler uniforms? Me too?” Ethan asked, pointing to himself in disbelief.

“Yes...” I nodded carefully.

For Ethan, who had only ever lived as a noble of the Blackwood family, the idea of wearing a butler uniform might have been a bit shocking. On top of that, wearing it in front of many people could feel burdensome.

I had braced myself for the possibility of him rejecting the idea, but to my surprise, Ethan took it quite calmly.

“Sure, that’s not too bad. After all, it’s a bit unfair if only the women have to wear maid outfits.”

“You’re okay with it?” I asked, slightly astonished.

“If even the princess and the saintess are doing it, it wouldn’t make sense for me to refuse just because I don’t want to. Besides, isn’t the hero wearing one too?” Ethan said, shrugging.

“Yes, he is,” I confirmed.

“Then it’s fine. It sounds like most of the details are already settled, and it’s better to go with what’s already planned rather than prepare something else at this point,” Ethan concluded.

“Thank you for understanding, Master Ethan.”

...Ethan in a butler uniform, huh? I have to admit, I’m kind of looking forward to it.

Since our festival plans were settled smoothly, it was now time to start preparing for the operation of the maid and butler café.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

Three days later...

To kick off preparations for the maid and butler café, the hero’s party, Ethan, and I gathered for a luncheon in the VIP room.

Originally, the gathering was meant for the ten of us, but by the time we arrived, there were two unexpected guests who had invited themselves.

“It’s been a while, Lady Agnes. You’ve become even more beautiful since I last saw you,” said Prince Antonio, predictably sticking close to Agnes at any hero party event.

“Ugh, it’s you again? Stop clinging to me. It’s annoying,” Agnes sighed.

“Gentlemen, please, don’t stare too much... I know my beauty is overwhelming, but I’m already spoken for, so I cannot return your affections,” announced Princess Mezzlen, who, for some reason, was also present and flaunting her delusions of grandeur.

I had somewhat expected Prince Antonio’s attendance, but I was genuinely caught off guard by Mezzlen’s appearance.

‘Why did she tag along to this?’

There was no connection between the maid and butler café and Harold’s quest, so why was she here? Even Thomas and Natalie, who were meeting her for the first time, looked shocked by her over-the-top personality. But then again, this wasn’t the type of personality you’d get used to, no matter how often you encountered it.

‘Knowing Mezzlen, it’s probably because she couldn’t find anyone else to hang out with.’

Despite being a princess, her personality made it difficult for her to make friends. In the original story, she had a few blind followers thanks to her status, but in this world, due to Harold and me, it seemed she hadn’t managed to gather any.

She spent most of the first semester talking to me and had been with Harold during the summer break.

“Well, more people for the café can’t hurt. We’re counting on you, Prince Antonio and Princess Mezzlen,” the hero said, extending an olive branch to the lone princess and the prince who had attached himself to her.

However, Prince Antonio, who had just heard the hero’s words, looked at him with wide eyes and hurriedly asked for clarification.

“Wait, Hero. I must have misheard something,” Antonio said, looking confused.

“Yes?” the hero responded.

“A maid café...? Surely, you’re not planning to make Lady Agnes work in such a lowly establishment?”

Agnes visibly cringed at Antonio’s words and gagged, while Antonio himself remained serious.

“Is there a problem with that?” the hero asked.

“Of course, there’s a problem! Maids are supposed to serve their masters with utmost loyalty! Are you saying you intend to degrade our Lady Agnes by making her take orders from commoners in such a dishonorable role?” Antonio exclaimed.

“Uh... what?” the hero muttered in confusion.

“I won’t stand for it! I refuse to let our precious Lady Agnes be reduced to such a lowly status, performing lewd acts! You must be planning to make her bathe someone, or worse!” Antonio’s imagination ran wild.

“What exactly do you think a maid is, Prince Antonio?” the hero asked incredulously.

It seemed Antonio was equating the word “maid” with the palace maids who were forced to obey any command, no matter how demeaning. In the royal palace, maids indeed had to serve without question, no matter what the orders were.

However, in most noble houses, maids weren’t treated poorly, except in rare cases like Lilith's situation in the corrupted version of the Blackwood family’s timeline.

“I won’t interfere if you all want to run a lewd maid café among yourselves, but I absolutely refuse to let Lady Agnes be part of it!” Antonio declared.

-THUD!-

“It’s just a café where we wear maid outfits and pretend to be maids. What kind of strange place are you imagining?” Agnes said, smacking him on the head.

“I-I was just worried for you, Lady Agnes...” Antonio stammered, rubbing his head.

“And stop calling me ‘our Agnes.’ It’s disgusting,” she added, glaring at him.@@novelbin@@

“I-I apologize...” Antonio mumbled.

Thanks to his ridiculous misunderstanding, the mood had become awkward, but Agnes quickly set him straight. Afterward, with an explanation from the hero and Seraphine, Antonio finally understood what the maid café was actually about.

Wearing maid uniforms wouldn’t damage anyone’s noble status, and since everyone was just pretending to be maids and butlers, no customer would dare treat them disrespectfully.

“Maids aren’t just subservient beings who obey every command, Prince Antonio,” Seraphine said.

“But, Lord Mechart... I recall the maids I’ve seen tending to men, even during the night,” Antonio replied, confused.

“That’s just because that particular master was... unscrupulous. Don’t confuse that with the general relationship between nobles and maids,” Mechart explained.

“Indeed. Most maids do not serve their masters at night, nor do they bathe them,” Seraphine added.

“I-I see...” Antonio finally seemed to grasp it.

“Right, Antonio. It’s not as though maids would just follow any request because of their position. Sure, there are exceptions, but that only applies to unusual relationships,” Seraphine continued, her gaze subtly shifting toward Ethan and me.

Feeling the weight of her stare, Ethan and I avoided eye contact, trying to remain unnoticed.