4.1 Chapter four (1)

"Repeat that again."

My voice travels through the room with thunder-like intensity. It's not as if I'm being loud but rather, the room itself is silent to the point a dropping pin will be the loudest thing in the room.

In front of me stand a man, shivering as his back is pulled down in a 90 degrees bow, his hands neatly tucked on his side as if it'll make his 180 cm ass looks smaller. "M-Miss!"

On the side, Sieghart and Sasha are trading looks before, looking defeated, Sieghart steps forward to block the man and plead to me. "Please forgive him, miss! He's just doing his work. He'll be reprimanded properly once he's away, please!!"

I feel the beginning of a headache budding at the back of my skull as I hold in the urge to sigh, in case that makes the situation worse than it already is. Being a villainess is too hard!

To recap myself as to how I got in this situation because frankly, this is ridiculous; it all started because I noticed that I was still being served light food for lunch. Now, don't get me wrong, I do like the food! It's been quite the variety of dishes, even though they rotate between soups, porridge, and a mix of the two. I wasn't even complaining about the food! The consomme I had last night was awesome!!!

I just asked to eat something else, if possible for it to be a more filling meal, to the maids. Sasha, who didn't know what to answer to that, called the kitchen person to explain. Then, I asked him to repeat what he said since I didn't catch the beginning, since he talks so softly.

Before I knew it, all the staff shared the same look of dawning horror that followed with the heaviest silence known to mankind (Me, I'm the mankind in this scenario).

So now, I got a blubbering mess of a person trying to make amends for some reason, a bunch of terrified staff that looks like they'd run out the room if given the chance to, and Sieghart that's looking at me with aggrieved eyes like I've just kicked his puppies, and goes on to kick the kittens too.

I can't even say that I'm not mad even though I actually mean it! Everyone knows that if you say that, it usually means people are very mad!! Doublespeak is the worst!!!! "I just want to hear what he said, again, from his own mouth. Is that so hard of a request?"

There are water spots not too far from where the man's shoes are. That's sweat, isn't it? I hope it's sweat. I really hope it's sweat, I can't take it if I make a grown man cry by accident!!!

It is not sweat. The poor man looks back up with trembling lips and leaking eyes as he speaks again with more apparent fear in his voice. "Y-You're not allowed to eat anything too heavy until you recover as peh-phu-per doctor's order, miss!"

… I'm sorry! I'm sorry okay!? I didn't mean to sound like I'm scolding you! Carla's face while pretty is also naturally scary and there's nothing I can do about it if smiling can't help it look more positive!!!

All I only wanted to ask was why didn't I see any doctors when I injured my hands a few days prior! That's it! How did it ever come down to this!!?????

"Huu.."

The sigh finally burst as I could no longer hold it back. This situation is a disaster of kaiju level 9. I'd love to faint like drama ladies to escape this kind of misunderstanding gag trope but knowing my luck, I might break something on the way down even though I'm lying on the bed.

Sucks to be the guy that no one wants to catch! "And did the doctor say how long will it take until I fully recover?"

"N-No- I don't' know miss!"

Do not sigh. Do NOT sigh. If I sigh again, the maids are going to burst into tears next. "Then make yourself know. Get going."

The man rose to full height and instantly bolted out of the room, saying something along the lines of "I will do as you ordered!" as his heels hit the ground running.

The other staff are also starting to destress, some even look downright relieved, though they soon school their expression back to politeness. Now that's creepy as fuck! Even Sieghart doesn't do it that fast!!

Speaking of the blond villain, I look over at him briefly to see that he's been clutching the book in his left hand. It's almost a death grip, with the way that his knuckles are white to the point that it matches the bleached pages. Hey, ease on the hold a bit, it's gonna rip. "The book is going to rip if you hold it like that."

"My apologies, miss. It won't do if I damage the family property, even if by accident." The man smooths out his furrowing eyebrows and the hold on the book ceases from tight to comfortable again, though he changes the hand holding it to another as he flexes the fingers. "Thank you for the reminder and mercy, miss, it won't happen again."

That is a long way around to just say 'thanks for the catch fam' but I'll take it. Win some lose some, right? "Where did we leave off? The story is all jumbled after that interruption."

Patiently, Sieghart opens the book again to the page in the middle and continues reading, "Patriarch Albert has successfully put together a victory party worthy of being called a legendary event, as in this moment, Duke Geralt Matz Laplace and General Aoife finally meet for the first time. Thus, putting all the three key players of the East's Absolute Defense in a single place alongside celebrating their successful campaign."

"It is said that the sight of the three men is what caused the East to not lack artists, as all unwed daughters suddenly rush to the embrace of poetry, paintings, and embroidery to describe the sight that they've encountered that night for their future daughters to remember."

"Hah!"

A soft exhale, nearly a chuckle, almost escapes through my lips after I hear that sentence. However, one of the maids, the green-haired one, isn't as successful in covering her laugh even by hiding her mouth, since I can still see the smile in her eyes. She soon catches herself and does her best to look away, at the ceiling, like it's the most interesting thing in the room.

It's fine girl, I don't mind if you laugh, that's such a funny way to describe 'the women got thirsty at the sight of three, singles, hot men at the party' it'd be a waste if none of us laugh at it! "That's quite a peculiar way to describe that piece of history, I should applaud the author for their use of creative prose. Who.. wrote this book?"

"The author is surely to feel honored to hear that, miss," Sieghart answers as he marks the page with his finger and flips to the first few pages near the cover and, oh, he's kind of smiling a bit! He got the joke!! "It says here that this particular biography was penned by- ah, Princess Mary Tristiane Hildebrand."

Sieghart hums after he reads the name out loud, and the maids all look as if they suddenly understood the significance of the book just by hearing the name of the author…

Fuck, I take it back, I don't want to be left out of the loop anymore! I want to know who this person is too! Argh, the fact that I'm about to get stumped by what looks like to be common knowledge is making my socially anxious heart shrivel in painnnn!!!

But I can't say that out loud! It's one of those 'if you don't know this you might be a spy' information, isn't it? I don't think that Carla's lack of knowledge is enough to cover this kind of slip?

Ugh, whatever! Just try it! "Who is she?"

Sieghart doesn't look surprised that I didn't know of this person, despite their historical significance which is.. good? I can never tell with this man, honestly.

The surprise comes from Sasha who explains with a reverent tone in her voice, "As her name indicates, Princess Mary was the daughter of the royal king at the time. She was also a prolific writer, many of her poems are still sung on the streets today by minstrels hailing from the East, and her psalms, offered to the temple of Thunder and War Goddess for the protection of her husband, remain etched on one of the prayer room in the main temple of the Goddess Arith as the sign of peak loyalty and devotion."

Wow. That's.. a lot. Even the maids are sighing dreamily now, this princess was a big deal! The green-haired maid and the freckled brunette that dresses me up nowadays are even trading blows with their elbows on the corner..? "You two, speak."

The two girls "Eep!" ed in shock, though soon the green-haired maid clears her throat, takes a glance at Sasha as if asking permission, and only when the older woman nodded that she finally start to talk. "I-It's nothing important, though if Miss insists on knowing.. Princess Mary is dear in the heart of maidens due to a story that involves her romantic life."

Oh? OH? We're going to talk romance tales now??? Let's fucking go! "Elaborate."

Green hair (I should ask her name one of these days it's starting to feel rude not knowing) takes a deep breath, as if the consequences of not doing so will be severe, though she can't completely hide her excitement that twinkles in her equally vibrant, viridian eyes.

"It is said that, during the era of turmoil, Princess Mary had somehow caught the interest of the aforementioned Eastern Three Heroes. Each one more desperate than the last to court her affection, that it nearly broke the alliance of the East itself if not for them to come into an agreement to end this with a true competition once and for all."

"It's a famous tale, and most commoner girls are raised on that story," The girl sighs as speaks with trembles in her voice and wow, that's a real nostalgic look that she has! I can recognize that fan-fervent look anywhere! "-where Duke Geralt's gentleness and loyalty shone through his words and actions, General Aoife's ruthlessness off the war that tempers in the presence of righteousness, or Count Albert's numerous beautiful treasures that he scrouged the world for- just for her."

"Most of these tales are composed into songs, usually called the Tricolored Sky or-"

"Ina!" the freckled brunette hisses under her breath– though not low enough since I hear it anyway –which stops the girl from going off the rails.

"Ah! My apologies, miss!" Ina, I note the name down, bows as panic and embarrassment settle on her round apricot face.

"Nothing to forgive for," I say the closest thing I can muster to show that I don't really mind. The scallop soup today tastes a little sweeter as I listen to her ramblings. "Is that it?"

Ina nods, her twin tail hair bobbing up and down like flapping leeks.

I look at Sieghart again, and he already opens his mouth to continue the story before my prompting. "With this achievement under his belt and his promises fulfilled, Albert has secured his place next to the Duke as a trusted man and confidant, along with the strengthening of his friendship with the peerless General. It is rare to see one without the other, and more often than not, passersby may catch sight of the three heroes drinking together at the favorite garden of the Duke--"

Sieghart's reading is interrupted, once again, by the knock coming from the door. It opens to reveal the servant from before, his face and collar looking drenched as he takes a deep breath while stepping in.