Chapter 2

"From today, we are in charge of cleaning the 'Magical Tool Room.'"

When Kira, the senior maid, said this, Yuno, wearing a cotton dress and a white apron, nodded.

This is the royal palace located in the center of the capital. The vast grounds include the palaces of the king and the crown prince, the residence of the queen, and a garden with a river flowing through a deep forest.

At the back of the grounds, on a small hill, is the third prince's palace, known as the Inner Residence. Originally built for the king's concubine and the third prince's birth mother, she passed away ten years ago.

This Inner Palace is where Yuno works.

Four years ago, she came to the capital and managed to get a job as a low-ranking maid here. Since then, she has been working diligently.

There hasn't been a day when she hasn't thought of Diluc. But every time she remembers him, she falls into self-loathing and despises herself.

The pain in her chest, accompanied by guilt, hasn't faded at all, even now. But she also thinks it's only natural, given how much she hurt such a kind person as Diluc.

"His Highness the Third Prince is about to arrive. After we welcome him, let's start cleaning the Magical Tool Room."

Yuno nodded at Kira's words.

The head of this household—the Third Prince, who serves as a senior officer in the Royal Knights—has been on a long expedition and is about to return. Yuno started working here at the same time, so she has never seen him, but...

(The Third Prince's name is Diluc, too.)

She didn't know this until she was hired here.

Unlike the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, who are the queen's children, the Third Prince is the son of the deceased concubine.

Moreover, it seems that a new concubine had been secretly plotting to eliminate the Third Prince, and this issue had been causing trouble for over ten years.

As a result, the Third Prince's appearance is not known to the general public.

And his name is 'Diluc.'

It's not an unusual name. But when she heard it, her heart skipped a beat.

She knows that the Diluc who sat at the dining table and ate the herb-roasted chicken she baked is a completely different person from the head of this household, after all, he is royalty.

Still, her chest felt heavy. The person she had never forgotten...

"Yuno, let's line up here."

"Yes."

Following Kira, Yuno stood at the back of the row by the wall.

The grand entrance hall, with its large chandelier, was filled with servants.

The head of the household would visit the king's palace and the headquarters of the Royal Knights in the morning before returning here.

"Yuno, you've never seen His Highness Diluc, right? Well, I've only seen him a few times from a distance, but it's rare for a low-ranking maid like you to meet him. You'll be able to see him here."

"I understand."

The head of this household is so far above her that she doesn't really have the desire to see him like everyone else. But she is grateful for Kira's consideration and decided to see the person with the same name as Diluc.

At that moment, a maid in the second row turned around and sneered at Yuno and Kira.

"Oh, Kira and Yuno. Low-ranking maids don't need to be here. Why don't you go back to cleaning?"

Kira looked regretful but couldn't say anything in response.

There are ranks among the maids. Daughters of wealthy merchants or lower nobility become upper maids, who handle front-of-house tasks like entertaining guests and serving meals.

In contrast, Yuno and other low-ranking maids are called lower maids and handle back-of-house tasks like cleaning, helping with cooking, and washing dishes.

There is a clear, though invisible, class barrier between the two groups. Some upper maids, like this one, try to remind everyone of this barrier at every opportunity.

"What are you doing? We upper maids are one thing, but low-ranking maids like you are completely unnecessary for welcoming His Highness Diluc. You're just in the way. Can't you see how many people are here?"

Kira bit her lip. Next to her, Yuno bowed her head. She dislikes people who intentionally hurt others. She thinks of her sister.

Her heart was racing, and she clenched her hands in front of her chest. But she couldn't say anything because it was true. What the upper maid said and what her sister said...

"Yuno, shall we go...?"

Kira said weakly, and the upper maid smiled as if to say, "Of course."

At that moment,

"His Highness Diluc has arrived!"

The entrance hall buzzed for a moment and then fell silent. Everyone bowed their heads. Yuno, who had been left behind, did the same.

She felt the presence of the head of the household appear at the open entrance.

"Welcome back!"

The butlers, cooks, and upper maids welcomed him with loud voices.

Glancing at Kira, Yuno saw her raise her head halfway and strain to see Diluc through the crowd.

Kira motioned for Yuno to do the same, so she hesitantly raised her head.

In the second row, the upper maid was beaming and repeatedly shouting, "Welcome back!" She clearly wanted to be heard and seen, even if just for a moment.

Yuno suddenly remembered that the Third Prince, like Diluc, had turned twenty-one this year.

Following Kira's lead, Yuno tried to stretch up to see. There were too many people, but she managed to catch a glimpse through the gaps.

He was walking calmly, followed by his subordinates, the knights. He wore the black uniform of the Royal Knights, with his tall, lean figure and striking blue eyes.

(—What?)

She thought it might be a mistake. She had been thinking of him constantly, so it might just be her imagination.

But it wasn't.

(It's Diluc...)

The person walking in front of the servants was the Diluc she had parted ways with four years ago. He had grown taller and his face had matured, but it was definitely him.

(No way...)

Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest in shock.

Her mother had said Diluc might be from an upper-class family, but she never imagined he could be royalty.

(Really...?)

Still, recalling the rumors she had heard since coming here, it made sense.

So, the young Diluc had been targeted by the king's new concubine. To avoid this, he was secretly entrusted to a friend of Yuno's late father, the former head of the Royal Knights.

The friend and his wife never revealed Diluc's true identity or the reason for his stay, no matter how much Yuno's mother questioned them...

Diluc passed by Yuno, who was still in a daze. He suddenly turned his head, and Yuno quickly looked down. She couldn't face him. He was royalty, and more importantly, the person she had hurt.

"Hey, did you see? His Highness Diluc looked at us!"

The excited voice of the upper maid reached Yuno, who closed her eyes tightly in prayer. Please, go quickly. That way, a low-ranking maid like her wouldn't have to face the head of the household.

She felt disgusted with her cowardice, but Diluc probably didn't want to see her. She was being honest, but was it cowardly? She was too shaken to know.

"He's leaving..."

Hearing the upper maid's disappointed murmur, Yuno let out a deep sigh of relief.

At that moment, a priest in a robe, who had been following Diluc, hurried to the front.

"His Highness Diluc, new magical tools will be delivered here this afternoon. As I mentioned before, just to be safe..."

"Huh? Did I hear that?"

"Just kidding. I did tell you, and multiple times!"

"I know, I know. I was just checking."

Diluc laughed, and the priest sighed.

Diluc, still laughing, said to the head maid at the front of the servants,

"Tell the maids in charge of cleaning the Magical Tool Room today about this."

"Understood. The maids on duty today are Kira and... 'Yuno.'"

Instantly, the smile vanished from Diluc's face.