Chapter 3

From the maid's perspective.

After finishing her work, Marianne, with a handkerchief in hand, gazed at Arthur's room with a dreamy look in her eyes.

Then, she touched her forehead, which had been treated, with a hot breath.

"Truly, there is no scar left... Lord Arthur is amazing."

Honestly, when she had the injury on her forehead, she was enveloped in pain and despair. If her face were to be scarred, her value as a woman would decrease, and marriage would become difficult.

If that were to happen, she would feel guilty towards her father, who had gone to great lengths to let her work as a maid in the castle. Moreover, for Marianne, who had the pride of a noble lady, being unable to contribute to her family would be the most painful thing.

"Lord Arthur... What a wonderful and kind person he is. He is the true image of a king."

Although she is a noble lady, Marianne comes from a minor noble family with little power. She thought that even if she were to flatter him, it would bring no benefit to Lord Arthur.

Yet, he... ran to me when the painting suddenly fell and I screamed in a most undignified manner. He treated me without even glancing at the famous artist's painting.

"I must have misunderstood him..."

For her, who had heard about Arthur's usual reputation, this was unbelievable. To a royal like him, a maid was just a disposable item, not even worth remembering by name.

Indeed, he had never called her by name before, and she thought he had no interest in the servants. But...

'I healed you because you are special. Marianne has always worked hard, hasn't she?'

He said such things and performed the healing, which should have required a large donation. She felt that her hard work as a maid had been rewarded.

And she made a mental vow never to forget this kindness.

"Still, what does 'special' mean... Could it be..."

Thinking about this, Marianne's face turned as red as an apple. Of course, she never thought she would be united with him, a royal. But... being called special made her feel good.

"Did you hear about the painting falling, Marianne? Are you alright?"

A knock on the door, and a young man with golden hair and armor entered. He was a well-built, handsome man.

"Oh, Gawain, you worry too much. You shouldn't leave your training."

"Hehe, training and this country are nothing compared to my dear, dear sister. I heard you had an injury on your forehead..."

"Please rest assured. A kind passerby healed me."

Remembering Arthur's words about being 'special,' she answered without revealing his identity, so as not to cause him any trouble. Unbeknownst to Marianne, this was the opposite of Arthur's goal of earning 'good deeds points' by being praised by everyone.

"That's good to hear. If you find out who that person is, let me know. I want to thank them."

"Of course, I will."

"Still, that person's healing skills are remarkable. If there had been any scars on your beautiful face, I would have searched the entire country to find someone to heal you."

Gawain laughed playfully, but Marianne knew he was serious. Her brother was... well, very loving.

If she had been left with a scar, he would have searched the entire country. And if someone had demanded a large donation and she had refused, he would have harbored a lifelong grudge.

Marianne was relieved that it didn't come to that.

"Yes, I screamed in a very undignified manner, but a kind person healed me instantly."

"Marie, you, who are so patient, screamed... and that person healed you instantly..."

Gawain looked at Marianne's forehead, which had no trace of injury, and sounded puzzled. As a knight who had fought on the front lines many times and received healing magic, he felt something was off about Marianne's words.

"Marie... Healing magic is not the all-powerful force you think it is. For a minor scratch, it might be fine, but for a deep wound that could leave a scar, it takes hours to heal."

"Really..."

"Only a few people who can use healing magic can do that. For example, the Holy Maiden Elaine or our country's second prince, Lord Arthur... Was the person who healed you really a stranger?"

Oh, this is a bad situation... Gawain is overprotective, but he's not stupid. Marianne decided to use her trump card to avoid causing trouble for Arthur.

"Brother, if you're going to skip training, why don't we have dinner together? I haven't had a meal with you in a long time."

"Really, Marie!! Sure!! Oh, I'm looking forward to it. Since it's a special occasion, let's indulge ourselves today."

Seeing Gawain's relaxed smile, Marianne let out a sigh of relief. Still, Lord Arthur is truly amazing... Hearing her brother's words, Marianne's respect for Arthur grew even more.

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This is the third story of the day.

Thanks to everyone, it seems we might make it to the rankings.

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Thank you very much.