Chapter 6
The maids skillfully began taking plates from the trays and arranging them on the table.
Within moments, the round table was covered with an extravagant feast.
Smiling warmly, Simon said,
“You must be hungry. Please have your meal first.”
Just as Simon had said, Liriette was starving.
But…
Looking at the food spread before her, she asked cautiously,
“Will everyone here… be eating with me?”
“Of course not.”
Simon smiled.
“The maids and I are here solely to attend to you. This meal was prepared exclusively for Lady Liriette.”
“But… I can’t possibly eat all of this by myself.”
That was only natural.
No one would expect such a small child to finish a feast this enormous.
“You only need to eat as much as you like. Anything left over can simply be discarded.”
At those words, however, Liriette looked distressed.
Simon blinked in confusion.
What’s wrong?
Seeing his puzzled expression, Liriette quietly explained,
“If food is wasted, the Goddess punishes you.”
“…Pardon?”
“Of course, the Goddess wouldn’t truly become angry over something like that… but I don’t want to do anything that might make Her dislike me, even a little.”
Only then did Simon realize something.
The adorable little girl before him wasn’t an ordinary child.
Liriette was a special child blessed with divine power.
She had also been raised in the temple from a very young age.
Its teachings had become part of who she was.
Looking at her with newfound understanding, Simon said,
“I apologize. I failed to consider that.”
He bowed politely.
“How can I resolve this problem for you, Lady Liriette?”
Fortunately, there was an easy solution.
“If you could give me an empty plate, I’ll serve myself only what I can eat.”
She smiled shyly.
“And… could you perhaps give the untouched food to someone who needs it?”
When Simon didn’t answer immediately, she grew uneasy.
“Would that be rude… even if no one has touched it?”
“Not at all.”
Even for House Windsorice, with all its mountains of gold and precious gems, such a lavish meal was far too valuable to waste.
The castle servantsâespecially those with hearty northern appetitesâwould happily devour it like wild boars.
“We’ll make sure none of it goes to waste. Please don’t worry and serve yourself.”
Simon handed her a small round plate.
Holding it carefully, Liriette walked once around the table.
When Simon saw what she had chosen…
He was stunned again.
She picked every single thing I thought she’d never choose!
A lettuce salad with tomatoes.
Stir-fried beans.
Two baked potatoes.
Ten grapes.
It wasn’t the worst meal imaginable.
But compared to everything else on the table…
It certainly wasn’t the best.
After all, there were dishes so delicious they made his mouth water just by looking at them.
Golden roasted chicken legs.
Juicy beef steaks.
Crispy fish cutlets made from delicate white fish…
She didn’t take a single bite of the meat.
As someone from the North who adored meat, Simon simply couldn’t understand.
Unable to contain his curiosity, despite knowing it was impolite, he finally asked,
“Lady Liriette… do you dislike meat?”
“No.”
“Then why aren’t you eating anyâ”
He stopped halfway through his sentence.
Another teaching of the temple flashed through his mind.
Do not consume creatures whose blood flows.
His guess was correct.
Liriette had never eaten meat since she was a child.
That was how the High Priest had raised her.
Even so… forcing such strict doctrine on a growing child is far too cruel!
Simon’s expression hardened.
Completely unaware of his thoughts, Liriette happily chewed her food.
Wow… I’ve never tasted beans this delicious before.
Even the saladâwhich she normally ate every day without a second thoughtâwas wonderfully crisp and flavorful.
The difference came from using only the finest ingredients.
Watching Liriette eat with such happiness left Simon with mixed emotions.
I want to pile mountains of meat onto that plate of nothing but vegetables.
But doing so would be both rude and overbearing.
Suppressing the impulse, Simon simply smiled.
After the meal, Simon asked,
“Would you like to bathe first, or would you prefer to go straight to bed?”
“I’d like to wash.”
“Very well. We’ll prepare your bath.”
When he said “prepare your bath,” Liriette imagined someone bringing a basin of water and a towel.
Instead…
The maids entered carrying an enormous bathtub.
One of them stepped forward and bowed.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Liriette. My name is Marie.”
She smiled brightly.
“I’ve come to assist you with your bath.”
Liriette tilted her head.
Assist me with my bath?
A moment later…
She understood exactly what that meant.
“Then, if you’ll allow me, I’ll begin by helping you remove your clothes.”
“W-What?!”
Liriette cried out in alarm.
“It’s okay! I can do it myself!”
“Of course you can.”
Marie smiled kindly.
“But you’ve had a long journey and must be exhausted. If you leave everything to me, I’ll make your bath as comfortable as drifting off to sleepâas warm and relaxing as a dream.”
Despite her muscular build, Marie had an incredibly gentle face.
Her voice was soft and reassuring.
Even Liriette, who had always bathed alone, almost found herself nodding.
But…
She couldn’t.
The cut on my finger from healing the Duke is still there.
The bleeding had stopped by now.
But the wound itself remained.
Even if someone saw it, they wouldn’t realize she healed people with her blood.
Still…
She didn’t want anyone seeing it.
Not anyone.
Seeing the uneasiness in Liriette’s eyes, Marie suddenly realized her mistake.
She bowed deeply.
“I’m terribly sorry!”
“…?”
“I got so excited about serving such an adorable young lady that I completely forgot my manners.”
She smiled apologetically.
“I should have asked first whether you wanted assistance with your bath.”
“…”
“It seems you’re more comfortable washing by yourself.”
She stepped back politely.
“I’ll wait outside the door. If you need anything at all, simply call for me.”
Her voice remained as warm as ever.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of disappointment or irritation.
That surprised Liriette.
She blinked a few times before answering a moment later.
“Okay…”
She bowed with both hands folded together.
“…Thank you.”
At that adorable gestureâ
Marie’s heart nearly stopped.
She’s way too cute!
What Liriette didn’t know was that the castle had erupted into chaos the moment she arrived.
Windsorice Castle was filled with nothing but gigantic people.
For the first time in decades…
A tiny, adorable little girl had appeared.
Every maid wanted the honor of taking care of her bath.
In the end, they settled the matter according to one of Windsorice Castle’s unspoken traditions.
An arm-wrestling match.
After an intense tournament, Marie emerged victorious and earned the right to attend Liriette.
Watching the little girl blink those enormous eyes, Marie clenched her fists internally.
I want to wash that fluffy silver hair!
I want to gently clean those soft little cheeks with soap!
I want to massage those tiny shoulders!
It took every ounce of her self-control not to act on those impulses.
I’m a respected maid of Windsorice Castle.
I can’t make our honored guest feel uncomfortable.
Keeping those feelings hidden, Marie politely excused herself and left the room.
Now alone, Liriette looked at the enormous bathtub.
It was filled with steaming hot water.
It looked so inviting that she wanted to jump in immediately.
But first…
She removed her glove.
A dark red scab clung to the tip of her index finger.
Looking down at it with a bitter smile, she murmured,
“I can heal other people’s wounds…”
“…but not my own.”
“What kind of divine power is that?”
Her fingertip still throbbed.
But this much pain was nothing.
In her previous life…
She had endured far worse every single day.
