Chapter 44

"Is our conversation over, ladies?"

A sweet, low voice.

Lilith, who had momentarily opened her mouth in surprise, quickly tied it up again.

It's touching, isn't it?

I understand, I understand.

While I prefer the tuxedos with the high collars typical of the capital, the formal attire that reveals Joshua's shirt and tie is also stunning when he wears it.

Moreover, the thin summer formal wear shows off his well-trained body, making him truly masculine.

Being handsome has its advantages.

"Good evening, Baroness Andrea. I am Joshua von Carving of the Carving March. Thank you for entertaining the priest from my territory."

Hmm? The way he said that seems a bit off.

It must be my imagination.

I've been treated poorly lately, so I'm probably just being paranoid.

Lilith's eyes are fixed, but her expression is uncertain.

"A, ah, it's an honor to meet you, Count..."

She managed a proper lady's greeting.

Come on, Lilith, you can do it!

I'll get through this with the pride of a songstress!

"I heard you are a songstress who is a junior of Arie."

Joshua, you should have said 'Priest Smith.' It makes it seem like you're getting too close.

You've been making this mistake a lot lately. Don't involve me.

"Yes, she was the first to take care of me when I entered the temple."

"Hmm, so you've known each other for quite a while? What kind of senior was she? Did she give you impossible tasks?"

Hey, hey.

Weren't you supposed to leave already?!

Why are you asking such questions?!

"No, nothing like that. To me, she was a songstress who was a model of ladylike behavior, and I respect her deeply."

Joshua let out a snort.

Even Naga.

Ugh, my temples are starting to hurt.

"Lady, huh."

Clank!

What's with that look! Don't look down on me like that!

Lilith, you're making a weird face.

I haven't done anything! I'm a lady!

"I hope she didn't teach you anything strange. Did you swim in the pond? That's not ladylike."

He smiled slyly at me, and I turned my face away, but then he said something outrageous.

I never did that! It was just an accident where I fell into the spring, right?!

"Pond? A, ah! You mean the priest?!"

Naga exclaimed as if she understood.

Traitor, Joshua.

The Carving March is located quite far south of the capital.

As a result, I've always been troubled by the summer heat.

Especially during the peak of the heat, which lasts for several weeks, I suffer from insomnia.

In my first year, I was so affected by the heat that I was bedridden for 2-3 days, sleeping in the temple, which was better than my cottage.

The stone-built, spacious temple was more comfortable for sleeping.

In my second year, I borrowed a maid's dress from Belsamum and slept with the windows open.

The summer maid's dress at the Gil-Ganzena Castle is cute. The sleeves are about halfway down the arm, and the wide cuffs are adorned with cool lace.

The collar is also open to the collarbone, with lace added.

I wore the priest's robes for blessings and ceremonies, but in the temple and my room, I wore the maid's dress.

The common people in the city also wore similar clothes. I could have bought one, but I intended to return to the capital eventually, and the design would stand out there. Plus, I really liked the maid's dress.

Still, there were days when I couldn't sleep due to the heat.

Then, just a few days before coming here.

After returning from the temple, I sat by the castle's spring in a maid's dress. The spring is deep in the forest behind my cottage.

It's a secluded spot, and hardly anyone comes there.

In fact, I think only Belsamum, Kevin, and I knew about it.

The wooden cottage was stifling due to the continuous heat, and I couldn't sleep. The windows were closed during the day for security reasons, making it even worse.

I sat by the spring, doused my head with water, and cooled off.

The spring is a well-maintained pool of water that seeps from the mountain's rock face. Sitting on the edge and leaning my head against the rock, my hair would get wet. It felt so good that I often did it.

Because it was so hot!

After days of insomnia, I dozed off and accidentally fell into the spring.

The pool was shallow, so I stood up immediately, but my hair and clothes were soaked.

Oh well, it's not much different from my usual water bath, I thought, and didn't tell Belsamum.

I was embarrassed to admit that I fell into the spring at my age.

The next day, Belsamum appeared with a thin, long-sleeved maid's dress for spring and autumn.

She said the summer dress was too immodest and had been discontinued.

You shouldn't enter the spring just because it's hot. A guard knight saw you, and the lord was angry.

I apologized to Belsamum and asked Joshua to retract the order.

It's not the maid's fault. I'm sorry.

When I went to apologize, Joshua was incredibly angry.

It turned out that the guard knight who saw me was actually Joshua. He also saw me sitting in the spring in my undergarments. When I came out and put on the maid's dress, he thought I was a maid.

You're not being modest at all!

I've told you this many times!

He shouted at me. It was scary.

I almost cried.

When I explained that I fell into the spring because I was dozing off from the heat, he got angry again. I had repeatedly refused to move my room to the castle.

In the end, I started sleeping in a room inside the castle from that day on.

Honestly, I can't play the piano, and it's very inconvenient for me, so I plan to return to my cottage after coming back from the Orsain territory.

Gil-Ganzena is located on a mountainside, so it cools down quickly in the morning and evening.

Joshua promised to keep quiet for my honor, but is he really going to spill the beans to Naga here?