Chapter 68

Last night's dinner was very good.

Yes, very. No matter how many times I recall it, it brings a warm feeling to my heart. The exchange between my affectionate uncle and niece was endearing, the food looked delicious, and it made us, the onlookers, happy... It was such a warm and pleasant gathering.

What's wrong with trying to regain my peace of mind by remembering it!

In front of me, Meina and Scarlett are sitting on the floor in seiza.

Before greeting Princess Primera today, they should naturally greet me, the head maid, and be introduced to the maids and butlers who will be their colleagues... but they immediately caused trouble.

Well, it's great that they came on time. As a professional, it's a given, but I believe that even if it's a given, it should be acknowledged.

Next, the greetings. First, a greeting to me. However, Scarlett said—

"Good morning. I'll be asking for your help from today. ...I will."

She corrected herself, but it's still a no-go. Why is a low-ranking maid addressing her superior so casually?!

Well, I thought I would give her a light warning for being on her first day, but Meina must have been a bit annoyed.

Then I introduced Sebastian, the butler, first, and then introduced the other members in order, but Scarlett snorted and said, "What, there's no one from a prominent family? Is the Princess's palace not taken seriously? I'm here to raise the status, so be grateful," and so on...

I got a headache at that moment, and Meina shouted, "What, you're on the verge of being fired, you outcast!"

Then, it seems Scarlett didn't realize she was starting a fight, and she got angry at being challenged, starting a catfight.

Well, it's true that there are no children of high-ranking nobles among the Princess's servants, including me. However, the quality is highly praised by the civil servants. The quality of the servants is important, not the importance of their status... Of course, if they are children of high-ranking nobles, they have a better foundation in terms of education, but with proper education, there's no problem even if they are from lower-ranking nobles or wealthy merchants' daughters.

That's why it's troublesome that Scarlett doesn't understand this at all...

So, Sebastian grabbed them like kittens and gave them a stern lecture, but did they understand? I'm in a bind. I was planning to have Meina work hard as a senior maid. It's too bad I didn't get a chance to speak, as Sebastian was so quick.

No, I am the head maid! I will make a comeback from here.

"Scarlett, from today, you are just Scarlett. As I said before, the Pigeot Marquis family has said that there's no need to treat you as a lady of the Marquis family, so I will be strict with you."

"What... What do you mean!"

"Didn't you already explain that in the inner palace?"

"Ugh..."

"Meina, you don't need to react to every word of the new maid. As a punishment today, write a reflection and clean the garden. Also, there's new customer information, so read it and memorize it well."

"...Yes, I understand... I'm sorry, Yuria-sama."

"It's good that you can reflect."

Yes, Meina seems to be properly reflecting, so she will do what she's told.

Cleaning the garden is quite a task, you know. Of course, the gardeners do most of it, but leaves keep falling... It's beautiful but a lot of work. Bugs come out too. Weird caterpillars and spiders...

It's quite a mental strain. Meina doesn't seem to be too affected, probably because she's used to cleaning at her family's inn. She's strong.

As for Scarlett... her face shows more dissatisfaction than reflection. What a straightforward girl. I think noble women her age should be able to handle things without showing their emotions...

By the way, I heard she hasn't entered society yet.

It's a common pattern for younger siblings to be introduced by their older siblings, but she hasn't been invited to tea parties or anything because of her personality. She's probably getting more stubborn... but it would be a problem if she went before Princess Primera with that attitude.

"Understand, Scarlett. As long as you work in this Princess's palace, you must follow my instructions. The same goes for Sebastian, the butler. The main Princess is a kind person and usually forgives most things and treats us servants kindly, but you must not take advantage of that and act rudely."

"...I won't do such a thing."

"Your words."

"...I won't. Is this good enough!"

"Yes, that's fine. Stop being defiant. I have the authority to request your dismissal from the head maid. Depending on the situation, I can dismiss you on my own judgment."

"What, what, what! Just because you're the daughter of a viscount!"

"That's right, but in this Princess's palace, you are just my subordinate. Remember that."

"You look so plain!"

"Where's the need for flamboyance in our work?"

We are maids, after all.

We do odd jobs and take care of our masters, so there's no need to dress up or wear heavy makeup! Not that I find it troublesome. I do a light makeup.

I think there's no morning when I don't think that if I had BB cream and tinted lip balm, it would be a one-step process... but that's beside the point.

Well, Scarlett seems to like the old noble idea of the 'blue blood hierarchy,' so she will obediently follow those above her in status... but she's already showing this attitude towards us. We can't let the atmosphere get so bad that it causes unnecessary worry for Princess Primera. We need her to focus on the garden party.

I also want to read more detailed information about the minister of the Shagran Kingdom... and I know that the second prince's faction, which once proposed marriage to Princess Primera, is involved. He's said to be quite plump, while his wife is extremely slim. Wow, a mismatched couple. I want to know more about his preferences.

Also, since the dress design has been decided, I need to gather her detailed requests and meet the old seamstress. With her skills, I'm sure she can prepare it quickly, but we couldn't start preparing months in advance. No, it's not that we didn't prepare.

We received several dress designs and the patterns are already prepared. Once we confirm the colors and details, we can start immediately. Since Princess Primera is in her growth period, we need to make adjustments.

Of course, several seamstresses, led by the old lady, will work tirelessly to complete it. Ah... compared to my struggle with embroidery, their hand movements are like magic. How can they sew so beautifully!

"Scarlett, I know what kind of education you received in the inner palace. But here, be prepared to learn from the beginning. This Princess's palace has only one main Princess, Princess Primera. Therefore, we don't have a wide range of activities, but the qualities required are high, and different from those required in the inner and outer palaces."

"...Different?"

"To support the royal family, who are the symbol of the country and the role model for all nobles."

Well, what we do is take care of daily tasks and, in a scary sense, protect them from assassins.

In a nutshell, that's what it is. It doesn't matter who does it, as long as the job is done well. It's just odd jobs.

But by thinking and acting for the master, we try to make their life a little easier and alleviate the pressure of being a role model and symbol. The better the servants, the more the master is praised for having such excellent servants.

Of course, it's because I respect the master that I have the motivation to work hard! Princess Primera is my beloved daughter and the master I should serve.

I don't require all the maids and butlers to do this.

But this mindset is necessary.

And here, we need to act in a way that is appropriate for our roles, just as the outer and inner palaces do.

So, even though the basics of what we learn are the same, we need to have the attitude of learning new things. There's nothing wrong with that.

"Well, it's your first day, so learn gradually. Of course, you will also participate in the garden party as a maid, so I plan to have you study for that as well."

"What... What do you mean..."

"As a marquis's daughter, you should have the necessary skills. Come, it's time. Is everyone ready? Let's have a safe day. As servants of the Princess's palace, don't forget your pride. Let's do our best."

When I, the head maid, looked around, everyone, except Scarlett, bowed and went to their respective posts. Yes, everyone is working diligently today. Excellent!

"...Come on, Scarlett. Fix your hair first."

Where to? Of course, to greet my beloved Princess Primera!