Chapter 52

Joshua ordered—no, asked—Elie and Rumburg to catch fish, and they had come to the back of a blacksmith's shop near the Rubicon River.

Rumburg, who was quietly watching Elie strike the water with her hand, finally spoke up.

"Elise, do you intend to serve Lord Joshua from now on?"

"Of course! Serving Lord Joshua is my greatest joy."

A fish that had been floating in mid-air fell to Elie's feet and flopped around. Raising her arm again, Elie faced Rumburg, who frowned and asked another question.

"You want to support Lord Joshua. I understand that feeling all too well. But, you must know what it means to come to this place, right?"

"I am well aware. But, my family, who remained in the capital city of Rosenheim, surely—"

"I haven't told Lord Joshua about your family. Of course, there are reasons for it... I feel apologetic for putting both you and the Neulmann family in a difficult position."

"I am not Elise Neulmann, the third daughter of the Neulmann family, anymore. I am just Elie."

Again, a fish flopped at Elie's feet. She kept her eyes on the flowing water and whispered so softly that Rumburg could barely hear, "I just want to be Elie."

Without needing to be told again by Rumburg, Elie understood her situation perfectly. Her birth family was the Neulmann family, a "robe noble" of the principality. Robe nobles, also known as "noble in robes," were a term used for nobles who primarily served in the royal palace.

There were two types of nobles in the principality. One was the "feudal nobles," who owned "fiefs" within the principality. The other was the "robe nobles," who did not own fiefs but held hereditary positions as high-ranking officials in the principality. Both maintained the privileges of nobility, but their roles were different.

To send a noble daughter to work as a maid or lady-in-waiting in the house of a duke was not unusual; it was a common practice. Not only in the duke's house but also in the houses of high-ranking nobles, it was normal for the third or fourth daughters of lower-ranking nobles to work as servants.

The purpose was to strengthen ties with the family. The nominal reason was to "teach" the noble daughters.

However, when Elie was hired to serve Joshua, her family name, Neulmann, was not mentioned. This was what the Neulmann family, Elie herself, and Rumburg all desired.

Rumburg, as a housekeeper, was concerned that if it were known that a noble daughter had joined, applications from other families would flood in. A housekeeper serving Lord Joshua did not need a true "noble lady." What was essential was the ability to serve as a housekeeper and the power to protect Joshua from evil.

A mere noble lady was not necessary, even if she were from a high-ranking noble family.

On the other hand, the Neulmann family, which had two sons and three daughters, was overjoyed to send a daughter to serve a promising duke like Joshua. They wanted to enhance their family's reputation. However, the reality was different.

Elise Neulmann was the fourth child, with three older siblings and a younger brother. The Neulmann family was known for its strict household, where girls were expected to be proper ladies and were rigorously trained from a young age.

But Elie was different. Her gift made her so. She only learned to control her gift after training with Rumburg. Her gift had become a burden, and she was treated like a sore spot in the Neulmann family.

It was Rumburg, who recognized her potential, who visited the Neulmann family and took her as a maid. For the Neulmann family, sending a maid to Joshua was a fortunate opportunity, but the one sent was Elie.

The Neulmann family, like many others, respected the young duke Joshua and believed that the principality would flourish under his leadership. They wanted to support Joshua, but they also cared about their family's reputation.

Therefore, the Neulmann family wished to keep their family's identity a secret. Elie, for her part, understood her position in the Neulmann family and was grateful for the love they had shown her. She did not want to cause them any trouble.

Rumburg watched Elie silently striking the water and smiled gently, asking:

"You can already control your power. You can behave in a way that does not disgrace the Neulmann family. Besides, the situation is different now that Lord Joshua is in the capital. The Baron Neulmann must be worried about you."

"I plan to meet my father eventually. But not yet..."

"I can only listen to your concerns, but please feel free to talk to me. We can support each other since we both know the situation."

"Thank you. I am not only grateful for your teachings on my gift but also for all the support you have given me. Serving Lord Joshua is my greatest joy!"

"Is that so? Do you have no intention of telling Lord Joshua about your family? As I said, Baron Neulmann would support you as a noble lady without any issues."

"That's... a bit scary. I'm worried that Lord Joshua's view of me might change..."

"He is not the type to change his mind over such things. I also plan to tell Lord Joshua about our 'hidden' roles at the right time. Now that Lord Joshua has been exiled here, it might be better to reveal the 'hidden work' we were entrusted by the late Duke Alfred."

The "hidden" refers to the combat abilities of Rumburg and the others. To protect Joshua from troublemakers, Rumburg hired the most skilled and talented individuals. Rumburg, who was ordered by Duke Alfred to support Joshua "in the shadows," has been literally protecting him "in the shadows."

"About my 'super strength'?"

"No, if I reveal anything, it will only be about myself and Barthol. The maids will remain as they are."

"I will also reveal everything when the time comes. Arle would want that too."

"Alright. When the time comes, we will all apologize and reveal everything."

"Yes!"

Elie, without stopping her hands, turned her face to Rumburg and smiled. Rumburg looked at her with a gentle gaze and nodded slowly.

"Elie, one more thing. About you and Lord Joshua... No, that was a tasteless topic."

"W-What? No, I'm not expecting anything. Lord Joshua talking to that strange penguin and then sleeping... After that, it's not like I'm thinking about taking his place in bed. I can't do something as disrespectful as a pillow for his knee, I can't, I can't..."

Elie's face turned bright red as she stammered. Rumburg sighed and decided to keep the "one more thing" to himself. The content was something like this:

As a "noble lady," though not of high rank, you could still marry, even if not as a wife.

"For now, it's best to leave it be."

"N-No! No! Rumburg, I can carry Lord Joshua to his bedroom!"

Elie's scream echoed across the Rubicon River, and a hollow wind blew through.