Advantages
After riding in the carriage for some thirty minutes, we finally arrived at my house. Siana and I stepped inside together.
“…”
I’d been watching Siana during the carriage ride, and now, even as we walk through the hallway, she still seems lost in thought.
As her master—and as someone who genuinely cares about her—I just can’t bring myself to ignore the look on her face.
“Siana, is something bothering you?”
At my question, Siana, who had been completely absorbed in her thoughts, suddenly widened her eyes and answered loudly.
“No! I have no worries at all!”
“R-Really? It just seemed like you’ve been deep in thought ever since the carriage ride…”
“Th-That was… I was just thinking about what to make for tomorrow’s meal! I’m terribly sorry for causing you concern!”
“O-Oh… is that so? Well, as long as that’s all, then I suppose it’s fine.”
As we continued walking, we eventually reached the door to my room.
“Well then, Master… please excuse me.”
“Right. And try not to overthink things, okay?”
“Yes!”
After giving a cheerful reply, Siana bowed to me once before heading down the hallway.
I couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy—could someone really get that worked up over a meal plan? But I didn’t want to pry or doubt her, so I pushed the thought aside and sat down to study in my room.
Siana’s Side
Back in her own room, Siana’s cheerful expression from just moments ago faded into a shadow of gloom.
Then, by her side, a tall girl wearing a black hood appeared.
“You seem to be in quite the foul mood, Ojou-sama.”
“Wouldn’t you be? Lux-kun got closer to another girl. There’s no way I could feel good about that.”
“…I suppose not.”
The tall girl in the black hood had been observing the entire tea party on Siana’s orders, so she understood Siana’s emotions well.
Sitting down in a chair, Siana spoke with a scowl that radiated frustration.
“That girl managed to get that close to Lux-kun in just one tea party…”
“It seems she hasn’t realized your true identity yet, Ojou-sama, but she has clearly sensed that you’re more than just a mere maid.”
“Yes… I noticed her glancing at me several times.”
Just remembering it made Siana bristle with anger again—but there was something else that infuriated her even more, and she voiced it.
“And that girl… even if it was just hypothetical, she dared to bring up a marriage proposal with Lux-kun.”
“I’ll say this in advance, Ojou-sama—the other party this time is a duchess’s household. She’s done nothing wrong, so we can’t handle this like we did with Marquis Zarden.”
“I know. That’s what makes it all the more troublesome.”
Siana fell into thought.
It was true, just as the hooded girl said. Taking care of Floria the same way they dealt with Zald wasn’t going to be easy.
Still, that didn’t change the fact that to Siana, Floria was an obstacle.
“She’s a troublesome opponent this time.”
“Indeed… but what you must do hasn’t changed, Ojou-sama. The difference between you and Florence-sama is the number of times you’ve met with Rodwell-sama.”
“As a maid, I’ve spent more time with him. But as Felisiana, I’ve only spoken with Lux-kun at a childhood party and on the day of the academy entrance ceremony… So I need to increase the number of encounters.”
“That’s certainly true. But if Florence-sama holds the advantage in quantity, then we should make use of the unique strength that only you possess, Ojou-sama, to deepen your bond with Rodwell-sama.”
“…A unique strength only I have?”
“—Me.”
The tall girl in the black hood answered without hesitation. Her voice was calm but absolute. A faint smile flickered across Siana’s lips.
“…You’re right. The fact that I have you as my ally is a tremendous advantage.”
“For the sake of your ambitions, Ojou-sama, I will give everything I have.”
With that, Siana and the girl in the black hood set about revising their plan—this time incorporating the girl’s presence—as Siana prepared to approach Lux once more as Felisiana.
—And so, a few days later, Siana sent Lux a letter as Felisiana, and on the next holiday, she came to visit his home under that name.
Lux’s Side
Today is the day—the day Felisiana-sama comes to visit my house.
How did this happen? Well, she sent me a letter saying that after our conversation at the entrance ceremony, she wanted to talk more. She asked if I’d be willing to meet at my house sometime, and if so, to reply via letter. I seriously considered declining—talking one-on-one with someone like Felisiana-sama felt overwhelming—but in the end, I decided turning down her kind invitation would be even ruder. That’s how I ended up here.
Now, as I stand at the gate, heart pounding in my chest, a carriage arrives at the estate entrance. From it steps Felisiana-sama, dressed in a beautiful gown.
“Lux-kun, thank you for accepting my invitation today.”
“I-It’s my honor! I’m truly grateful you invited me, Felisiana-sama!”
My voice trembled under the weight of her graceful presence. As I spoke, I noticed another figure stepping out of the carriage.
She had a striking hair color—a mix of deep purple and pink, though leaning more toward purple—and wore an unusual black maid outfit. She was tall, poised, and radiated an air of mature elegance.
“Introduce yourself.”
Prompted by Felisiana-sama, the purple-haired woman bowed to me, then met my eyes as she spoke.
“Pleased to meet you, Lord Rodwell-sama! My name is Violet. I serve as Felisiana-sama’s personal maid.”
“N-Nice to meet you too!”
At first glance, her serene demeanor made her seem calm and composed, but once she spoke, her bright and lively personality came through.
Though I was surprised to meet someone so unfamiliar, I didn’t think too hard about it. I simply welcomed Felisiana-sama and Violet-san into the house.