Chapter 80

As soon as I explained that learning horseback riding is safe, Ethan suddenly frowned as if his mood had worsened.

For some reason, his face seemed to have a hint of anger, which made me feel rather flustered.

‘What the heck is he angry about…?’

Where in what I just said is there a part to be angry about?

Didn’t he say with his own mouth that he was worried about my injury?

I had just told him a solution to that worry, but why is he reacting like that?

Although I couldn’t grasp the reason how it came to be, I was at least quick to read the atmosphere.

Thinking that it was urgent to first confirm the reason, I hurriedly asked Ethan why his mood had worsened.

“Young master?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“Is me learning horseback riding from Head Butler Dittmeyer an act that offends you, young master…?”

“What…?”

“If there is another reason that offends you to the extent of my actions, could you tell me the details about it? If you just tell me, I will correct it right away.”

“No, it’s not particularly that, but….”

“Pardon?”

“…Let’s go inside for now, Maid. It’s getting late, and Father will be waiting if we arrive late for dinner.”

“…I understand, Young Master.”

Due to the timely arrival of dinner time, the conversation between Ethan and me ended with a feeling of being glossed over.

Still unable to grasp why Ethan was angry, I was enveloped in a small conflict in my heart.

…So, is it okay to learn or not?

A few hours later.

After dinner, the sky outside darkened and the night grew late.

Having finished tidying up Ethan’s room and preparing for bed as usual, I stayed in the room and waited for Ethan to return.

Normally, I would have returned to my room right after preparing the bedding and gone to sleep early for tomorrow’s wake-up, but…

Since there was still an unfinished conversation with Ethan today, it felt too regretful to just leave in many ways.

I wanted to wrap up at least the conversation on the horseback riding lessons we talked about earlier.

‘At the very least, I need to get a definite answer on whether I can continue learning horseback riding or not.’

…Of course, in this situation, a normal servant would choose to listen to the employer’s words and stay out of trouble rather than insisting on it.

They could get fired from their servant position if they carelessly did something that rubbed their employer the wrong way, or they could face disadvantages later in the promotion process.

But Lilith was completely immune to such things.

Since I’m a debt maid anyway, I can’t be fired until the contract period ends, and I plan to quit being a maid as soon as the contract period ends in three years, promotion or not.

Of course, even as a debt maid, if I cross the line during work, there’s a possibility of being punished instead of being fired. I need to be a little careful.

At least I calculated that Ethan wouldn’t punish me just for asking whether I could learn horseback riding or not.

With such thoughts, I quietly waited for Ethan to return to the bedroom, standing in a corner of his room.

Not long after, the sound of familiar footsteps approached the door.

Looking at the door in a slightly tense state, the young master of the Blackwoods began to enter the room at a time similar to usual.

Creak.

“Seriously, why is my maid suddenly learning something like horseback riding….”

“You’re here, Young Master Ethan.”

“M-Maid?! You were inside?”

“Yes, young master. I was waiting because I had something to tell you about the earlier conversation.”

“……”

He instantly grasped that the earlier conversation was about horseback riding.

I could immediately see his expression change to an ambiguous look that seemed like he wasn’t very keen on it, so it was a moment when difficulties were expected in persuading him easily in many ways.

Although it’s a bit difficult to guess the exact reason, Ethan is probably dissatisfied with me learning horseback riding.

But for the sake of the future, I had the intention to learn how to ride a horse, and naturally, a clash of opinions was inevitable.

In other words, from now on, it’s time for me to somehow persuade Ethan.

I had to persuade him by proclaiming not only that my learning horseback riding wouldn’t interfere with work, but also that it would actually be helpful to Ethan.

“My intention to learn horseback riding is not simply due to my curiosity, young master.”

“…Huh?”

“As the young master has turned 22 this year, I think you will spend busier days to lead the Blackwood family in the future.”

“I suppose so.”

“Not only will you be going on inspections to territories outside the mansion or handling external affairs outside the territory, but you are also scheduled to enter the academy next year. So I expect you will have more occasions to ride in a carriage.”

“…What are you trying to say, Maid?”

“In such situations where you have to drive a carriage somewhere to travel, wouldn’t it be convenient for you in many ways if I, your exclusive maid, could drive the carriage? You wouldn’t have to bother calling Head Butler Dittmeyer.”

“Well. Personally, I think it would be more convenient for someone other than you, Maid, to drive.”

“…Pardon?”

“…It’s not that I don’t trust your driving, Maid. It’s just that my heart would feel uncomfortable if Lilith, my exclusive maid, not only attends to me but also drives the carriage.”

“Ah, I see….”

“And it’s not particularly inconvenient now. There are coachmen in the mansion besides Dittmeyer anyway. Most of them are servants who drive cargo carriages, so their driving is a bit rough, which is why I often entrust it to Dittmeyer, but if necessary, they are personnel that can drive carriages with passengers at any time.”

“……”

“So Lilith, you don’t need to learn horseback riding just because you’re my exclusive maid. It’s not like you’ll lose your qualification as my exclusive maid if you can’t do that. In the first place, a situation where we have to make a maid drive because we can’t find a coachman doesn’t easily occur.”

…I have nothing to say when he puts it logically.

As Ethan said, a situation where we have to make Lilith drive a carriage because it’s so urgent doesn’t easily occur.

Unless it’s a special situation event where Ethan, who can’t even ride a horse alone, is running away from the protagonist who approaches him for a duel, and escapes to the Blackwood mansion alone with his maid.

In the game’s cutscenes, there were often scenes where Lilith carried Ethan, who couldn’t ride a horse alone. Of course, it wasn’t because Lilith liked it, but because she had no choice due to Ethan’s orders.

It would be a bit difficult to make Ethan imagine such a part and induce persuasion now.

Unlike the bastard Ethan in the game, the current Ethan isn’t a character who would get a ride in the carriage driven by his maid.

On top of that, if he seriously starts learning from now on, he will probably learn horseback riding well too. Seeing how he learned proper etiquette and swordsmanship, he seems to learn quite quickly when he puts his mind to it.

It seems he doesn’t have the luxury to do that now because he’s already struggling just to keep up with Harold’s swordsmanship training.

Still, if Ethan makes up his mind to learn, he will probably be able to ride a horse and drive a carriage within a few months.

…Considering such aspects, persuading the current Ethan is likely impossible in many ways.

Then it can’t be helped. I’ll have to learn horseback riding later separately after becoming independent from the Blackwood mansion.

For now, I learned the basics from Dittmeyer for a day. It would be safer for me to back down here.

“I understand, young master. If that is your intention, I will also put aside my desire for horseback riding for a while.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. As a maid, I must not forget my primary role as Young Master Ethan’s exclusive maid, so I shouldn’t be enthusiastic about actions that you don’t like, young master.”

“Rather than not liking it, it’s just that there was no need for Maid to learn it….”

“Yes, you are correct.”

In the Blackwood family with many horses, carriages, and coachmen, there was no need for even maids to learn horseback riding, so I was eventually caught by that logic and had no choice but to give up.@@novelbin@@

Unless there is a clear difference from other coachmen, there is little chance of Lilith having such merit.

The difference between other coachmen’s driving and Lilith’s driving is at most the number of people riding in the carriage together.

“I thought it would be possible for the young master and me to travel, just the two of us, without the bothersome accompaniment of others, if I could drive the carriage. But as you said, it was an unnecessary advantage in the Blackwood family.”

“…Wait, just the two of us?”

“Yes. Since I am a servant, I cannot ride in a carriage driven by the young master, and if we consider traveling with the minimum number of people, I thought it would be right for me to learn carriage driving.”

“……”

“Furthermore, there may be times when we have to move urgently without even a carriage and travel on a single horse. Of course, that’s also a story that would be possible only when my driving skills improve to some extent.”

Ethan isn’t a perverted bastard like the bastard Ethan in the game, so there’s no way he would like horseback riding while snuggling with Lilith.

No, since Lilith herself is pretty, would he still like it?

Of course, even considering that part, it wouldn’t be an important enough reason to overturn a decision he had already made.

Unless it’s the bastard Ethan of Luminor Academy, the Ethan in front of my eyes right now isn’t a character who prioritizes work according to his own sexual desires.

“Then I will take my leave now, Young Master. I apologize for disturbing your bedtime.”

“……”

Judging that there was nothing more to gain by staying, I passed by Ethan’s side and moved my steps towards the door.

The moment I was about to open the door and leave the room, I heard his voice calling me from behind.

Creak….

“M-Maid!”

“Yes?”

“Maid, do you have even a little desire to continue learning horseback riding?”

…What kind of question is that all of a sudden?

Well, since the conversation was already over, there seemed to be no reason to hide it, so I answered honestly without dodging.

It didn’t seem like the conclusion that had already been reached would change even if I answered a little differently anyway.

“If you ask whether I have the desire or not… I have a greater desire to continue learning.”

“Is that so…? So you want to continue learning for now…?”

“However, I will not devote attention to something you don’t want, young master. My primary role is to be Young Master Ethan’s exclusive maid, after all.”

“……”

“Since it’s late at night, I will take my leave now….”

“…Do you want to just continue learning horseback riding?”

…Huh?

You’re suddenly allowing it?

Why?

“Are you sure, Young Master? There’s no need for you to say such a thing out of consideration for me….”

“…I’m not allowing it for that reason, I just thought it would definitely be fine after hearing Maid’s words. Lilith is my exclusive maid, so it wouldn’t be bad at all to learn it, indeed.”

“Is that so?”

“I’ll tell Dittmeyer, so it would be good to continue learning from now on. Just as you’ve said maid, it’s useful even to prepare for contingencies.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Young Master.”

“Yeah. You can go rest now, Maid.”

“Good night, Young Master.”

“Yeah, you too, Maid.”

For some reason, Ethan finally allowed me to undergo horseback riding education in the end.

With Ethan’s capricious heart, I quietly cheered in my mind and moved my steps to my room.

I quietly smiled at the thought of being able to continue the horseback riding lessons.

Still, it was a good thing I talked to him once.

…I still don’t know why Ethan’s mood changed from being displeased to being happy, but at this point, it’s a part that doesn’t really matter anyway.

Why bother knowing? Good is good.