Chapter 10: 10

The day of the Royal Academy’s entrance ceremony started with a beautiful spring morning.

“Have you finished preparing all that you will be needing today, my lady?”

“I should be fine, Melody! Last night, I took out everything from my bag to double check. It’s all ready!”

Luciana, now wearing a school uniform, confidently patted her bag as she laughed with a happy expression.

The Royal Academy uniform was a deep-blue blazer with silver embroidery and a knee-length skirt; because a policy prohibiting ladies from showing bare legs, Luciana is also wearing black tights under her skirt. A large red ribbon top her chest finished the outfit, the mark of a female first-year Academy student; as an aside, female second-year students wore blue ribbons, female third-year students wore yellow ribbons, and male students would follow the color pattern but wear ties instead.

“I’m heading out then, Melody! Please look after the house!”

“Of course, my lady. Please have a safe trip, master, madam.”

“Oh, if only Melody could have come with us.”

“You know that is not allowed, Marianna. The Academy only allows new students and their family members to attend the entrance ceremony.”

“Yes, I remember, Hughes. I will just have to tell you all about Luciana’s finest hour later, Melody.”

“I shall be looking forward to it, madam.”

Seeing her mother and maid conspire with mischievous smiles, Luciana blushed as she protested.

“What do you mean ‘finest hour’? Isn’t this just an entrance ceremony?!”

“Hahaha! Today is your big day! It may seem like just an entrance ceremony, but for us parents, it is your “finest hour”, my cute daughter!”

“It is as your esteemed parents say, my lady. I shall await the madam’s return to learn the details of my lady’s entrance ceremony.”

“Indeed, leave the details to me.”

“Aaah, enough already! Stop embarrassing me!”

Luciana, now blushing a deep crimson, appeared extremely adorable. The three conspirators nodded with satisfaction.

And with that, the Luthorburg’s carriage sets off for the Royal Academy, heedless of Luciana’s embarrassment.

Only a week has passed since creating that terrifying scene, but Melody has already established a good relationship with Hughes and Marianna. Although the clones had initially shocked the noble couple into unconsciousness, it had taken no time for the two to adjust to the existence and convenience of Melody’s magic.

Marianna, for example, took advantage of the clones by asking for help.

In truth, no maid could be as cost-effective as Melody, so the Luthorburgs would fight to keep her at any cost.

Well, that aside, today was another day of Melody working hard as a maid.

Allowing their masters to catch sight of the cleaning was not an ideal event; that first day, when Luciana saw Melody’s clones at work, was an inevitable exception given the state of the mansion.

Since then, Melody has been taking care to finish most of the cleaning before her employers wake up, so the only remaining rooms to clean are Luciana’s room and the master bedroom. At this moment, Melody was in the latter room, making the beds.

…Melody exited the room after finishing the cleaning, her cheeks flushed. This has been a regular occurrence lately, happening after she finished cleaning the master bedroom.

The reason was… actually a secret. Divulging the masters’ family affairs was not something a servant should do.

“Now then, next is my lady’s room.”

In front of Luciana’s room, Melody recomposed herself before opening the door.

Although Luciana acted like a lively tomboy, her bedroom was surprisingly neat and tidy.

Most of the work would be completed once Melody quickly made the bed; the only task remaining was to clean the desk. However, at the desk was where Melody discovered a forgotten item of great importance.

“This is..”

At the desk was a single document.

It was the “Letter of Admission” from the Royal Academy.

At the bottom of the page was an emphasized footnote.

※ Please be sure to bring this document on the day of the entrance ceremony. This document serves as proof that you are an incoming student, and we will be checking for and collecting the letters before the ceremony starts. Students should be aware that they shall not be allowed into the entrance ceremony without the Letter of Admission.

Melody felt her body lose strength and immediately supported herself with both arms on the desk as she remembered a conversation from earlier this morning.

“I should be fine, Melody! Last night, I took out everything from my bag to double check. It’s all ready!”

“…You indeed took out everything, my lady — but you did not put everything back in.”

It was only during important situations like this that the inherent carelessness of the Luthorburg bloodline manifested itself!

“…There is no choice but to bring it to her myself.”

Not much time remained before the entrance ceremony would begin, and no person could make it in time. For the average girl running at top speed, their legs would not carry her fast enough.

However, Melody was no normal girl, so there would be no problem.

“Open, O gates of service, Side EntranceOvunqueporta.”

A simple door materialized in Luciana’s room; Melody crossed its threshold and found herself in a back alley near the Royal Academy. She had learned the spatial coordinates of the Royal Academy when she accompanied Luciana during the enrollment process, so coming back was not an issue. The problem now was her blatant trespassing, let alone using magic she should not be revealing in public.

“I put some troublesome restrictions on myself, but… that makes it feel more maid-like.”

It was basic-level common sense that a servant should remain invisible and their labors unseen; this was also the basis for separating a mansion’s entrances: the front entry was for the family and guests and the back entry was for servants.

Melody applied this same idea to her transfer magic: her door would only exit to areas out of sight. Such attention to detail was proof of her devotion to the maid aesthetic.

In any case, Melody was able to reach the Royal Academy in no time, and she immediately set off to find Luciana.

The Royal Academy, located near the Royal Castle, provided an education for not only young aristocrats but also talented commoner children from across the country. There were a variety of facilities within its grounds, including lecture halls, auditoriums, athletic fields, and even gardens, and it was fairly common for first-time visitors to become lost.

According to the gate guard, the entrance ceremony would be taking place in the main auditorium at the center of the academy, and the new students were in a room adjacent to the auditorium, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

“Not much time is left until the entrance ceremony begins. I must hurry!”

With document in hand, Melody dashes away at full speed toward the auditorium.

But unsurprisingly, running in the halls was dangerous, and as Melody rounded a corner, she collided with something.

“Kyaa?!”

The ‘something’ Melody crashed into was actually a somebody, and she fell backward, landing on her rear.

“Ah, that hurts…”

“Ah, sorry about that! Are you okay?”

“No, please excuse me, I should be apologizing. I was in a rush and and not paying… ah”

Melody took the proffered and and stood up. As she looked up, she interrupted her explanation with a quiet voice of astonishment.

The person was wearing a deep-blue blazer with matching pants and gold embroidery, and his necktie was red – this was a first-year student just like Luciana.

He seemed to be about six feet in height, with a tall and slender build. His androgynous face could have passed as male or female, and his silky, mid-length black hair appeared to tempt others to feel it. His gentle blue-green eyes gazed down with kindness at the fallen Melody.

This was quite the handsome man, and it was as though the word existed just to describe him. This handsome lad and his handsome face was helping Melody stand up, and even Melody, who prioritized being a maid over finding a lover, could not help but admire his handsomeness.

“And thank you for helping me up… Um, excuse me?”

Melody thanked him, but for some reason, the boy continues holding her hand staring at her; his confused expression was giving off a “this is not what I was expecting” kind of feeling.

“Excuse me… Is there something wrong?”

The sound of Melody’s voice jolted the boy from his stupor, and he quickly released her hand.

“It’s nothing, my apologies… Were you hurt?”

“No, I am fine. Once again, I truly apologize for the trouble.”

“Pay it no mind. You seem to be a maid. Did you have some business here?”

After hearing his question, Melody suddenly remembered her situation; now was not the time for an idle chat!

“Oh no! My lady left something behind that I must deliver to her! I must get to the waiting room at once!”

“If you go down this hallway and take the second right, you’ll get to the first years’ waiting room.”

“Thank you very much! Please excuse me for now!”

And so Melody resumed her search, quickly walking in the direction the boy pointed out to her.

But as she walked, Melody suddenly stopped. She turned to see the boy still standing in place with his back facing her.

“Excuse me, but are you not a new student as well? Should you not be at the waiting room?”

Seeing the boy’s troubled look and hearing his casual “I will be going soon”, Melody chose not to pursue the matter. Instead, she answered with a beautiful curtsy and continued toward the waiting room.

Even after Melody had left, the boy continued to peek around the corner; he seemed to be waiting for something, but it appeared his waiting would be in vain. As more time passed, the boy realized and reluctantly accepted nothing more would be happening, and he let out a deep sigh.

“Why… Why isn’t she…”

“There you are! What were you doing in a place like this, Your Highness!”

He turned to meet the voice calling “Your Highness!” at him.

The boy was actually Christopher von Theolas, the firstborn son and crown prince of the royal family.

Meanwhile, the person calling out was also a student of the Academy; the blue tie around his neck indicated he was currently a second-year student. His honey-blonde hair swayed gently as he drew closer, and the slight worry coloring his emerald eyes emphasized his beauty.

This was the Prime Minister’s eldest son and the top candidate the prince’s aide position, Maxwell Lycents — the very same Maxwell that traveled with Melody on the carriage service to the capital.

“Your Highness, you must return to the ceremony immediately. You are supposed to be giving the opening greeting as representative of the new students, and the entrance ceremony is about to begin.”

“Just a little longer, Maxwell! I want to wait for her!”

Maxwell took Christopher by the hand and attempted to pull him away, but the prince would not budge.

“What do you mean by “her”? If this is about Marquis Victirium’s daughter, she is already in the hall.”

“No! That’s not who I mean!”

“Is she not your top fiancee candidate? If you’re secretly meeting with another woman… I can overlook it, but if His Majesty finds out, he definitely will not forgive you. Let us return at once.”

“No, but… The heroine, the saint hasn’t appeared yet! And the one who bumped into me was a black-haired maid! That was supposed to be when the silver-haired heroine appeeeaared!”

“Not again…”

Maxwell slowly shook his head in exasperation.

“I’m telling you, its supposed to happen like that! The heroine was supposed to bump into me in that cliched “Oh, I’m gonna be late!” scenario! But for some reason, a black-haired maid bumped into me instead! Sure, she was super cute, but she wasn’t the heroine! Whyyy?!”

(…A super cute black-haired maid? No way, it must be a coincidence.)

Maxwell suddenly recalled a recent encounter with a certain girl who dreamed of becoming a maid. If he was remembering correctly, she also had black hair.

“At this rate, the demon king will resurrect, and the heroine won’t even be there to stop it!”

Thankfully, the only person around to hear the prince’s nonsensical ranting.

“If not for your random outbursts, you would be a perfect prince…”

Maxwell lodged such a complaint with dismay, pity, and resignation as he forced Christopher back to the entrance ceremony.

Meanwhile, Melody, after leaving behind Prince Christopher, managed to deliver the Letter of Admission to Luciana in time.

However, a panicked Luciana presented a new problem.

“Did you say ‘an escort’?”

“Yes, an escort! There is going to be a ball tonight, and I need to have an escort accompanying me!”

The Academy’s Spring Ball always occurred on the night of the entrance ceremony, and it was an annual event where aristocratic children would make their social debut. As Luciana would turn fifteen this year, she also intended to make her debut at the Spring Ball.

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However, unlike other debut parties, the Academy’s Spring Ball had a special rule: any lady making her social debut needed to have a male escort.

Luciana only just learned of this rule after she happened to overhear the conversations of other girls in the waiting room.

“But neither master nor madam mentioned such a thing, did they?”

“It’s fine for boys to go alone, and besides, mother always had father to escort her. They must have forgotten since they never needed to find an escort in the first place!”

“Um… well… what should we do then?”

Seeing the traditional Luthorburg carelessness again so soon has caused Melody’s smile to stiffen.

“I’ll be meeting with my classmates after the ceremony, so I can still ask for help. I don’t think I’ll find anyone though…”

“Pl-please try your best, my lady..”

Luciana managed a smile as she saw Melody off.

Due in part to the (formerly) dilapidated mansion, House Luthorburg was quite infamous, and many nobles scorned the family, calling them “House Luthorbroke.” Although Melody has improved the family’s living conditions, House Luthorburg remained financially unstable, and since House Luthorburg never received visitors, they could not correct the misconceptions about their mansion.

Luciana was already aware of her family’s epithet from her retired maid, but that had not prepared her for hearing the insults herself. She was even starting to believe not attending the Spring Ball would be a better choice.

“Oh dear, is she the one from that haunted mansion?”

“She only looks less bad now because of the uniform, but her household is still… heeheehee.”

A giggle and a disdainful snicker came from somewhere in the waiting room. Luciana tightly clenched a fist, careful to keep her expression from changing; she refused to show any response to such obvious provocations.

(They’re pretending to have a secret conversation and purposely talk loud enough for me to overhear… I won’t fall for this kind of cheap trick!)

Instead, Luciana looked toward the origin of the laughter. Her stare met another girl’s eyes, and Luciana put on her Melody-style “Lady Luciana” smile. The other girl blushed with embarrassment and looked away, breaking eye contact.

“It is now time to begin. Students, please step into the auditorium.”

When the attendant called out, Luciana put aside thoughts of the other girls, and she began walking towards the ceremony hall with an undaunted attitude.

Luciana, unlike what her family’s moniker suggested, moved with the grace and dignity of a true noble; she would give no reason nor opportunity for others to name her “of House Luthorbroke.”

After parting with Luciana, Melody walked through the Academy hallways, quietly groaning as she pondered potential plans of action.

(…Perhaps I could disguise myself as a man and escort her myself… No, that would be a bad idea…)

A gentle breeze suddenly tickled her cheek, easing the wrinkles of her concentrated thinking. Startled, Melody realized she was walking along a corridor leading outside, with a garden on the left.

“Wow…”

Melody let out a sigh of admiration; compared to the Luthorburg garden that she worked on, this garden utilized its larger size to create a gentle, artistic aesthetic: the calculated pruning complemented the arrangement of the trees, and there was even artificial river creating the pleasant sounds of flowing water. This was truly a wonderful garden.

Perhaps this was a place for students to relax. There was even gazebo where —

“Oh? Is that you, Max?”

“…Melody?”

A beautiful boy with tied-back honey blonde hair and shining emerald eyes was reading a book at the gazebo. This was the same person Melody had shared her carriage ride to the capital with.

Right now he was wearing an Academy uniform, with a blue tie adorning his neck — Max was a second-year student.

“…Oh, it’s been a while hasn’t it? Going by your clothes, it seems you’ve become a maid, just like you wished for.”

“Indeed, it has been a while, Max! Thank you again for helping me back then. But wait, you are a student here? And a second-year? Huh? If you are a student, that means you must be the son of an aristocrat! Oh no! I have been treating you far too casually!”

Max, full name Maxwell Lycrents, chuckled as he watched Melody bow her head in flustered panic.

“We’re friends aren’t we? You don’t have to worry about something like that. Anyway, to answer your question, yes, I am a student of the Academy, and I am a second-year. But putting that aside, it has been some time since the carriage ride, so how about we talk a bit?”

“Um, well, if its just a bit, then…”

Max patted at an adjacent space, and Melody shyly took the seat beside him.

“Come to think of it, why are you at the Academy today, Max? Second-year students do not need to attend the entrance ceremony, do they?”

“There’s someone I know among the incoming first-years, and I’m something of an attendant or, to put it more bluntly, his babysitter. He’s rather brilliant, but he’s strangely prone to sudden bouts of madness. So that’s why I’m here: to keep an eye on him.

“Oh my, that sounds like quite an ordeal for yourself.”

Melody gave Max a look of sympthy; she would never have guessed the person he was referring to was the crown prince of the kingdom.

“And what about you, Melody? What are you doing here? You’re wearing a maid uniform, but you aren’t one of the Academy maids, are you?”

“It is as you say: I am actually a maid of House Luthorburg. I was at the Academy today to deliver something my lady had left behind.

Hearing the name of Melody’s employer surprised Maxwell; House Luthorburg was a name familiar to him. As the son of the Prime Minister, Maxwell regularly visited his father’s offices and was already acquainted with Count Luthorburg. Furthermore, he was also aware of the Luthorburg’s derogatory nickname.

(I wasn’t expecting her to be working for House Luthorburg. But how did she get hired without having a letter of reference…)

As Maxwell considered Melody’s position, he began wondering something else: was Melody able to handle the responsibilities of working for a noble house?

“…It must be hard going straight into working for a noble family. If you run into any problems, you can always consult with me.”

“Oh, not at all, the job is going very well! Everyone in the household treats me very well, and the work itself is very rewarding.”

“…Is that right? I’m glad to hear it.”

The pure smile on Melody’s face carried no dark undertones; Max had been thinking of lending his assistance if he noticed any signs of unhappiness, but Melody seemed truly happy with her current job.

Maxwell felt a little disappointment over not needing to help Melody, but surprise overtook his thoughts when he realized he was feeling disappointment at all.

Even when he was younger, Maxwell’s beautiful appearance had attracted all kinds of women, so much that he largely disliked interacting women by adolescence. It was not hating females but more a reluctance to involve himself with them… But that does not seem to be the case with Melody.

Compared to other women, Melody did not seem to be interested in his looks or his status; in fact, even after learning Maxwell was of noble origin, Melody’s attitude had not changed, and she continued treating him as she did when they had traveled together.

And for that, he was truly happy… Or, could it be he was feeling love? No, it was —

“– Oh, but actually, my lady…”

A shadow suddenly loomed over Melody’s smile, and Maxwell reflexively frowned.

“…Is something the matter?”

(Could it be she actually is facing trouble at the Luthorburg household? Maybe she’s even dealing with harassment…)

“I have not yet been able to settle the matter of my lady’s escort…”

“Your lady’s… escort?”

“My lady will be making her social debut at tonight’s Spring Ball, but she does not yet have an escort. I should be able to resolve this issue, but I cannot seem to think of a solution… How can I call myself a maid if I cannot help my lady with something like this?”

“Pfft, gu– ahahaha!”

“Hey! Max?!”

Maxwell suddenly burst into laughter. Melody widened her eyes in surprise, but her expression changed to anger as she grew red with indignation.

“Max, how could you just laugh at my problem?! I’m worrying quite seriously here!”

“No, pfft! Sorry, sorry. It’s just that, of all the things that could trouble you, its something like this… Pft-haha!”

“‘Something like this’? This is an extremely important matter for my lady!”

So that was it: Melody’s sole worry was for the Luthorburg daughter. Maxwell had been wondering what could possibly trouble Melody to this extent, but he could never have imagined it pertained to the young lady of House Luthorburg rather than Melody herself.

As Maxwell recalled Melody’s brilliant smile from earlier; it felt silly for him to have misunderstood and overreacted to Melody’s “issue”.

“Ahaha, sorry, I didn’t mean to make light of your problem. How about this: as an apology, I will take care of your problem.”

“You can do such a thing?”

“That’s right. Simply allow me to be the escort for the young lady of House Luthorburg..”

“Are you sure?! Is that fine with you?!”

“Of course. I had been planning to attend the Spring Ball alone, but if I am able to help a friend, I will gladly lend my arm for this event.”

As he spoke, Maxwell stood from his seat, put his right hand on his hip, and offered his arm like a real escort.

His elegant posture and sweet smile would instantly charm any lady who saw it, but–

“Wow! Thank you so much, Max! I must tell my lady of this good news immediately!”

Of course, this kind of enticement has no effect on Melody; rather, receiving a solution to her charge’s dilemma had a much greater effect.

(Well, I wasn’t actually trying to make a pass at her, but even I feel discouraged if a lady ignores me…)

Melody’s blatant disregard left a tiny crack on the young man’s pride, but Maxwell could only laugh at his own failed attempt.

(…But it’s better this way. Because this way, you and I… can truly be friends.)

Melody pulled a notepad from her apron and began writing on it; after a moment, she tore the sheet from the pad and handed it to Maxwell.

“This is the address of the mansion. Um, as for carriage arrangements…”

“I will arrange for one from my house. Let’s see then… Inform your young lady that I shall be arriving later to escort her, at five o’clock.

“Would it be possible for you to come meet with my lady at this time, Max? I would like if you could introduce yourself to her.”

“I apologize, but there are some errands I must run after this, so I would not be able to make the time. Please send my regards to your young lady.”

“Understood. Then, I shall be seeing you later this evening.”

After another bow, Melody quickly turned to rush back to the waiting room. Maxwell saw her off with a smile, watching as her back disappeared in the distance.

“I wonder what the lady Melody serves is like? I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

Since the entrance ceremony had already ended, Luciana was resting in the waiting room when Melody returned with her good news.

“You found an escort?!”

“I happened to run into a friend of mine. His name is Max, and he is a second-year student. I was very surprised to learn that he was actually a noble.”

“So will this person “Max” be my escort?”

“He let me know that he shall be at the estate by five o’clock. It seems he had prior engagements, so he will not be able to meet you until then.”

“Wow, thank you, Melody!”

Luciana, overflowing with joy, attempted to hug Melody as usual, but Melody evaded her embrace with elegant footwork.

“My lady, how many times must I remind you that a noble such as yourself should not be hugging your maid, especially in public.”

“Boo… You better prepare yourself for when we return home… By the way, what is the name of the man who will be my escort?”

“Oh? Did I not mention earlier? Your escort’s name is Max.”

“And his family name, the name of his house?”

Luciana’s natural follow-up question stunned Melody into silence. Come to think of it… what was his full name, anyway?

“I-it seems I had forgotten to ask…”

“You don’t know your own friend’s full name?”

“It’s n-nothing to worry about! Max is a very kind gentleman, not to mention incredibly beautiful! You don’t need to worry about him at all… probably.”

“Ah, I see, the incredibly beautiful and kind gentleman, Max…”

And so Luciana had no idea what kind of person her escort was to be. Her heart beat excitedly at the thought of being escorted by a man she had not yet met — but suddenly Luciana worriedly looked skyward.

“Oh, what am I going to do… I just hope our family’s “carelessness” element hasn’t also infected Melody…”

The subject of her worry was somewhat unusual, but there should not be any real issues. Melody has always been someone like this from the very beginning anyway.

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