VOLUME 3: Chapter 3 - An Event Will Occur When the Location Changes

    ?“Oh, Norwen-kun?”

    Today, a few days after Lavinia-sama’s incident, I saw a person I knew on my way to the castle gate and called out to him.

    “Ah, Aria-san. Hello!”

    An adolescent boy with fluffy brown hair and jade eyes looked back at me and said that. It was Norwen-kun, an apprentice magician. He is a disciple of Famir-sama, a royal magician.

    ?“Norwen-kun, are you out for an errand?”

    He was also walking towards the gate, but is still wearing his magician’s robes. If he is going out during his day off, he should have changed into plain clothes, so he is probably going out for work.

    In fact, a magician’s outing is severely restricted. Even on their day off, they need a permit to get out of the castle, and I heard it is hard to get that permit.

    This is because it is necessary to concentrate certain amounts of magical power in order to maintain the barrier of the castle. Our kingdom is being headed by magicians. Just by being in the “Magician’s Tower”, which is both a workplace and a residence, their magical powers are supplied to the barrier of the castle. Therefore, the number of magicians in the castle is thoroughly controlled.

    Norwen-kun is still an apprentice, so it’s easy for him to get a permit to go out, and he is often asked by other magicians to go to the castle town. Just as I thought, Norwen-kun nodded in agreement.

    “That’s right. I am running an errand for my master at the magic tool shop at the castle town. It’s your day off, right, Aria-san?”

    His confident tone was probably because I was wearing a pink dress instead of my usual maid clothes and holding a shopping basket. I nodded and smiled.

    “Yes. I have a full day off.”

    I usually have a half-day off, so it’s been a while since I had a full day off.

    In fact, maids don’t have much time off. Due to the nature of our job in taking care of our master’s everyday necessities, we have no choice but to take turns in taking our vacations. In addition, when you are the first or second maid of a princess, you will have less rest. This is because the important task of taking care of a princess cannot be left to an unfamiliar newcomer.

    Because of this, Belinda and I would take turns in taking a half-day off, taking into consideration the schedule of the princess’s official duties. I wonder how many months ago was the last time I have been able to take a full day off.

    In truth, I decided to take this particular vacation because it was decided that Mariage-sama, who was living with her husband at the neighboring kingdom Albatro, would return home.

    Mariage-sama was worried about her younger sister, Louise, who was kidnapped by the Demon King, but ever since she became the Crown Princess, it was not possible for her to go home even though she is only in the neighboring kingdom. However, the desire to confirm the safety of her younger sister with her own eyes came true, and thus was able to return home. What’s more, this time, Crown Prince Lautrich-sama, her husband, and his sister, Tiana-sama, will be with her. In other words, three members of the royal family of the neighboring country will visit together.

    There is also the man, who was present at the incident concerning Lavinia-sama, seems to be a privileged guest. He is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albatro and has visited to discuss the matter. Apart from travelling incognito, it is extremely difficult for a royalty of one kingdom to officially visit another kingdom. One needs to undergo several procedures.

    Rather than Mariage-sama alone, there is still the Crown Prince and Tiana-sama, who is also said to be a marriage candidate to our kingdom’s prince, so it really is a big feast. Welcome ceremonies and balls are inevitable, so everyone in the castle is now busy preparing for it.

    Basically, our job as maids is to take care of our master. So this time, all I have to do again is to prepare the princess’s dress and choose her accessories for the welcome ceremony and the ball. However, at the request of the Head Maid, some of the princess’s maids will help prepare for the ball. Of course, during that time, the number of people who will take care of the princess will decrease, so it will be difficult to take a day off. So I decided to take a vacation first, and I was able to get a vacation ahead of schedule.

    “So are you going to the castle town?”

    I answered Norwen-kun’s question with a nod.

    “Yes. Since I won’t be able to take this opportunity later, you know?”

    Until now, I used to go shopping outside the castle during my half-day offs. However, ever since the princess was kidnapped, I didn’t feel like going out…… Yet even though the princess have returned, I couldn’t get out of the castle because I was targeted by newspaper reporters because of the hero’s marriage proposal.

    Of course, the reporters of the “Hero Times” are still wandering within the vicinity of the castle. Nevertheless, the other day, Belinda, who went out of the castle, was stopped by a reporter and was shown a newspaper extra. It seems that my caricature on the page──and my blinder version──did not look like me at all. Perhaps the reporter drew it based on the story he heard from someone in the castle and couldn''t capture the features because my face was ordinary. Therefore, I did not fear the reporters. Pfft, hurrah for being mob-faced.

    ……Kidding aside, I’m no fool, I am aware of the danger. As the Hero’s (reluctant) fiancée, I could be a great target, not only by reporters, but also by other strangers. However, I cannot stay in the castle for the rest of my life. I have to restock my tea leaves, and I want to send a letter with some sweets that are popular in the town to my mother at home.

    Fortunately, I wonder if controlling the information on my name and correct appearance by the King and the Prime Minister is effective. That’s why maybe it is okay now. I thought of bringing a guard, but . . . which town girl would go shopping with a soldier? I won’t be able to haggle!

    Greed-sama and the others are out of the question. If I ask them, they will certainly agree, but won’t I be busted if I walk with those prominent people? It''s almost as if I am advertising that I am Greed-sama’s (reluctant) fiancée just by walking with them. Besides, I haven’t told the members of the Hero’s party about going out this time. Only the princess and Belinda knew.

    Norwen-kun beamed at me and said.

    “Going out is fun, isn’t it? Even though it’s for work, I’m really looking forward to going out of the castle. Oh, but it seems that the reporters are wandering around, so please be careful, Aria-san.”

    “Yes, of course.”

    That said, I wasn’t too worried. Because──I have a secret weapon.

    Convinced by what happened with Lavinia-sama the other day, the spirits who received the orders of Greed-sama and the others are lingering around me. Perhaps they are not only watching me, but they are also following their orders to protect me from danger. But they only hindered Alfred-sama when he tried to meet me, so it is possible that they weren’t ordered to protect me, right…… Hey, they should protect me, if I may retort.

    In other words, I have invisible escorts. Am I not allowed to use them? Besides, Greed-sama should have known what I am doing through the spirits, but there was no interference even until now…… It’s almost like I am being allowed to go out, right? Well, I haven’t confirmed it but that’s what I think.

    “Then, please enjoy yourself.”

    “Norwen-kun, good luck with your work.”

    After exchanging greetings with Norwen-kun, who was stopped by another acquaintance, I headed towards the gate.

    “Hello, good work.”

    Eh? After greeting the guarding soldier, I took a step outside the castle through the side gate. When I went out of the castle for the first time in a long while, I didn’t notice that the engagement bracelet on my left wrist flashed for a moment.

    * * *

    Immediately after leaving the gate, on the slope leading to the castle town, I immediately encountered a young man who seemed to be a reporter. However, he did not recognize me as “Ms. A, the maid who was proposed to by the Hero”, and kept on calling out to the people who was coming out of the castle one after another.

    So what Belinda told me was true. The caricature he had in his hand looked similar to the picture of me with a blinder, but something was different from the real version. It really looked kind of similar, but it is not something that would make other people think it is me.

    I can do this! I thought. I called myself Verinda, who works in the castle’s dining hall, and feigned total ignorance. Still, it seemed a little suspicious, but with the help of the spirits, I was able to escape quickly when he fell down. Ehe.

    I came across a reporter at the start, but after pulling myself together, I went down the hill.