Chapter 15

This is my second post for today.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that my bookmarks have surpassed 2,000 and my points have exceeded 5,000. Thank you so much for reading this much.

I never thought I would receive such high praise, so I'm really happy. Thank you very much, and I hope you will continue to support me!

---

Hey, it's me, Ein.

I'm in a beautiful salon connected to the bath. What? You want to know how the bath was?

No, there's no need to talk about it.

"It was a good bath, wasn't it, Ein?"

"Yes, Mother."

The bath I just left is the largest of several baths, the grand bath. Of course, there's only one grand bath, not multiple.

It was a very spacious and clean bath. It even had a jacuzzi, which gave me a bit of a culture shock. I was washed with a fragrant soap, and it was a wonderful time. Male bath? I've never heard of such a word...

"Cold drinks are here."

Chris, who was waiting in front of the grand bath, brought a drink. It was cold tea.

"Ah... I feel refreshed. After this, we'll have dinner and take a little rest, right, Ein?"

"I'm looking forward to what we'll eat."

"It seems you're even hungrier, Master Ein."

So, Chris, why do you understand my hunger so well? It's embarrassing, so stop it.

"Perhaps we need to train you earlier. Or perhaps you'll change after eating and feeling full..."

Chris is muttering something, but I'll ignore it. The cold tea tastes good on my heated body.

---

"First, it seems you've had a bit of a rest, which is good, Princess. Welcome back."

"Martha! Yes, I'm back. You finally came."

"...Princess, I've told you many, many times since you were a child... not to act on a whim but to think carefully beforehand. It's too late to deal with unexpected accidents after they happen."

Finally, Martha, who had been called by Olivia, arrived.

"(Is this Martha? This girl?)"

The one who appeared was a girl about 140 cm tall with chestnut hair, a few freckles accentuating her cute appearance. The contrast with her well-fitted maid's uniform was striking.

"(Master Ein, you might be surprised... but she is a respectable adult, old enough to be Olivia's caretaker, and... and she is married.)"

"(Married... her!?)"

Chris whispered to Ein, making Ein feel a bit embarrassed.

For now, I'll praise the culture of this country where legal lolis can marry freely, even though Ein prefers older women.

"Hey...? I just got back, and I'm being scolded right away. This isn't what I expected."

"I feel the same way, Princess. We weren't prepared for your sudden return, especially since we lack the necessary items for Master Ein."

What's that? No room? Ein feels anxious but remembers Olivia's words. He was supposed to share a room with Olivia, and it didn't seem like it would be inconvenient.

"Master Ein, it's nice to meet you. I am Martha, the dedicated maid of the Second Princess Olivia. I now serve as a first-class attendant in the castle."

"Ah, yes... nice to meet you, Martha. I'm Ein. I feel it's a bit different to use my former name, so I'll just go by Ein for now."

"Thank you for your politeness. May I ask you a question?"

Ein was about to introduce himself when Martha suddenly frowned. What does she want to know?

"What is it?"

"Excuse me, but what do you mean by your former name?"

I see, she doesn't know about the divorce. That makes sense, since no one has talked about it.

"Um, well..."

I don't think I should be the one to say it. Ein hesitates.

"Hey, Martha, why do you think I came back? Try to guess."

Olivia started asking Martha, looking playful.

"Hmm... I don't know, but perhaps there was an emergency in the country... in Ishtalika? Or perhaps to introduce Master Ein?"

Martha answered, but her face looked a bit tired. She hadn't seen Olivia in a while, and now she was being quizzed like this.

"Wrong, the correct answer is... I won't be going back there anymore."

"(This Martha is someone Mother can really be herself with. I've never seen her act like this before.)"

"I see, you won't be returning to Heim. I don't understand what you mean, though."

"Hey, Martha. What did you prepare for dinner?"

"According to your request, I prepared a small steak as the main dish and several soups to help you recover from fatigue. Now, could you explain what you meant earlier?"

The small, cute maid Martha was getting angry, with veins starting to show on her forehead.

"Mother, you should explain it soon..."

"You're so impatient. Fine, I'll tell you. I, Olivia, have divorced Logas. Is that clear now?"

"That's not something to be said so casually, Princess. I don't understand at all."

Ah, this is no good, her veins are completely showing. They're as blue as the sky. Ein decided to give up.

"Even if you say that... Hey, Chris?"

"Princess, I haven't been informed of the details of the divorce."

"Oh, Ein, come here?"

Olivia, who had lost her escape route, called Ein to sit on her lap. Of course, Ein happily complied.

"Using Master Ein to escape isn't a good idea."

"Chris is so cold, don't you think, Ein?"

"Yes, I do."

Chris looked at Ein with a "wow..." kind of expression. Martha also looked at Ein with a slightly pitiful gaze before turning to Olivia.

"I understand that your education has been very smooth, Princess. You'll be talking to the King, right?"

"Yes, I'll report to Father first, and then I'll share the same information with you two. Is that clear?"

Olivia's attitude changed slightly, and she spoke with a more serious tone and expression. The two of them seemed to respect her decision and stepped back.

"Master Ein, you must be tired from the long journey. Please, this way. I'll show you to your room."

"Thank you."

Martha greeted Ein, not Olivia, with a "good job." This was Martha's way of acknowledging Olivia and showing a bit of care... and a small act of revenge.

"Hey, hey, Martha. Why don't you say 'good job' to me... Hey, can you show me too? Come on..."

"You've been teasing me too much since you got back. I'll show you, so let's go."

They returned to the castle, took a bath, and Martha, who had been Olivia's caretaker for years, finally appeared. Thanks to her, a side of Olivia that hadn't been seen before was revealed.

---

"Thank you for the quick response, Martha."

"No, not as much as Chris, who has been on a mission since last night."

For Chris, it had been a mission to welcome them since last night, and now she finally had a break. After guiding Ein and Olivia to their rooms and finishing their meal, Chris had a short break. She looked a bit sleepy.

Martha, on the other hand, had to prepare for Olivia's sudden return around noon, including meals, baths, and other arrangements. She also had to prepare for Ein, who appeared unexpectedly.

"Considering his age, I think it's a tough schedule for Master Ein, but this short break is good."

What Martha noticed first was how little trouble Ein caused. He handled conversations and showed consideration well, and he could read the room. His love for his mother was a bit excessive, but it was within the realm of common sense.

"Really, he was less trouble than Princess Olivia. He's such a good boy."

"You've been with him since last night, Chris."

"Yes, and he's a very considerate child... When we went to pick them up, he stood in front of Princess Olivia, protecting her."

Their conversation, which took place in a room near Olivia, was mainly about Ein and Olivia. Last night, when Chris received Olivia's call from the butler's office, she wondered what he was doing. Martha, on the other hand, probably thought, "What is this person talking about?" Her visible veins told the story.

"Is Princess Olivia the definition of freedom in the dictionary? Did she raise a child so well...?"

"To be honest, I'm skeptical... But since Princess Olivia is so attached to people, I think it's probably true."

"For a child to be so mature and even question if the parent is a real parent... I've never seen anything like it in all my years as a servant."

"Me neither."

Olivia has always been smart, outclassing her peers and even able to retort to nobles. Her only flaw was being too free-spirited... too free.

"Chris, what do you think will happen today?"

"In front of the King?"

"Yes, we'll wake them up in about an hour. What will happen then?"

"I think the King will be angry. After all, she came back, took a bath, ate dinner, and then went to sleep with her son. Anyone would be angry."

"Ah, the King probably doesn't know that Princess Olivia has returned."

"What? That Princess Olivia has returned...?"

That can't be true, since so many people saw her. She even ordered the knights to call Martha, so there's no way it could be a secret.

"Yes, I've ordered everyone involved to say they didn't know."

"Ah, I see... Martha, you're so considerate. Princess Olivia can rest peacefully."

"...I'd like to talk more, but let's finish this task first."

Martha looked sad, thinking about many things. She had been diligent in her duties since the day Olivia was married, always ready for her return. Despite this, she felt she hadn't done enough as "Martha for Olivia." She finally had a chance to talk when Olivia and Ein came out of the bath and took a break in the salon.

"Yes, that's right. First, we need to hear the reason for her sudden return and divorce!"

"It would be unfair to be angry before hearing the reason. We should listen to the explanation and think about it carefully."

(Ah, yes, that's right. For Martha, it starts there...)

Martha, who had been by Olivia's side as an educator, always faced everything with a strict and composed attitude. What will happen to Olivia's future?

"Ouch! Ah... I burned myself... Ow, it hurts..."

Chris, who looked tired and sleepy, spilled her tea.

(Is this a secondary disaster after the Princess's return? Chris is back to being clumsy...)

The free-spirited Princess and the clumsy knight, both with high personal capabilities, often caused several troubles. Martha felt a bit tired thinking about the return of these issues but also remembered the fun times, ending with a slight smile.

"Ouch, the burn hurts... But, Ein's full stomach and the tiredness in his body have gone away, so it will heal quickly. Yes, I need to think about Ein's constitution..."

"Chris? What do you mean by Ein's constitution?"

When Martha called out, Chris was already asleep. She probably didn't have the time to take a nap as the head of security after a night of intense work.

"Chris really falls asleep quickly."

Chris mentioned something important, but she couldn't wake her up. She decided to ask again later and let her rest for now.