Chapter 5

It was a dimly lit underground dungeon.

Bound by iron shackles that sealed his magic, Arthur, once unblemished, was left in tatters, leaning against the cold, damp wall.

Throb... Throb... His wounds ached.

The rough ground was the worst, and he longed for a soft bed. But such things were no longer available to him. The nobles who once praised him had fled without helping, and the servants had given up on his future, except for a few.

"Master Arthur, you're hurt again... Are you alright?"

"You... came again..."

"Such words hurt, you know."

The black-haired girl bowed to the guard and entered the cell, starting to treat his dirty, wounded body. She wrapped bandages around his wounds without worrying about soiling her clothes. The occasional touch of her skin was warm and comforting.

As he watched her treat him, Arthur hesitantly asked his question.

"Hey, why do you take care of me like this? I'm not a prince anymore. My healing magic is sealed, so I can't heal anyone."

So, there's no point in trying to win my favor. He spoke with the intention of discouraging her, fearing that she might stop coming. But he couldn't help but ask.

To be honest, Arthur had never been particularly harsh to her, but he also had no memory of being kind. To the royal family, servants were merely tools, and he had even insulted them at times.

Why would someone like her serve him without any ulterior motives?

But the girl didn't stop treating him.

"You still don't remember, Master Arthur. Maybe you don't even remember my name?"

"Umm... That's..."

She was right. He hadn't bothered to remember the names of the maids, treating them as mere tools. That was the norm back then... but it was an excuse. Arthur now realized how arrogant and unbearable he had been.

"My name... is a secret. Try to remember it, okay?"

"What...?"

"But I'll tell you why I'm grateful. In the past, when my sister was sick, you healed her. I know it was on a whim, but it meant a lot to me since I couldn't afford the expensive medicine. This is my way of saying thank you."

Despite her words, Arthur couldn't recall anything. But the girl, knowing this, continued to treat him with unwavering dedication, now using a wet towel to clean his body.

"How arrogant I was... Why didn't I try to know you all...?"

"Don't cry. I don't mind... Your beautiful face is getting distorted."

Smiling at the tearful Arthur, she continued to clean his body, despite the cold water in the bucket and her cold, sore hands. This was one of the few warm memories Arthur had since his capture. He decided that if he could thank her, he would do anything.

"Master Arthur, are you okay? Master Arthur?"

The sudden headache was due to the flashback of past memories. Not only that, she had even opposed his execution. Yes, she was a loyal maid who worried about him until the end.

"Hey... Can you tell me your name?"

"Yes... I'm Kay. But... I'm just a commoner, and I don't think I'm someone worth remembering, Master Arthur."

"Kay... I see... You're Kay..."

Determined never to forget her name, he etched it into his heart. Saying her name aloud, he remembered her kindness and his own foolishness.

I really didn't try to know anyone back then...

Deciding to show his gratitude for Kay's loyalty, he made a proposal. From their earlier conversation, it seemed Goyoku was trying to give her an unreasonable order. He needed to protect her.

"Then, Kay, you will be my personal maid. You don't need to follow orders from anyone else. From now on, work hard as my maid."

"Yes... Whaaaaat!?"

Kay let out a surprised scream at Arthur's sudden proposal, her face full of confusion.

Hehe, she must be so happy. It feels good to do something nice.

But Arthur, who didn't understand people's hearts, mistook her confusion for joy and nodded with satisfaction.

"Me, a personal maid...? And for a royal...?"

"Hmm...?"

As Arthur watched the confused Kay, he felt a gaze from behind and turned to see a silver-haired girl staring at him.

"M-Morgana?"

Arthur groaned upon seeing his ex-fiancée from his past life. Where had she been watching from? He hadn't done anything wrong, had he? He had only done good things... He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, recalling his actions.

He had complained about the annoying nobles and ordered them to bring the ledger, using Morgana as an excuse... And he had chosen a personal maid without consulting anyone, all to save Kay.

Shit... Without the memories of his past life, it looks like I'm just abusing my power! From an outsider's perspective, I'm just a spoiled prince who picks on nobles he doesn't like and promotes maids based on his preferences.

Morgana hated nothing more than nobles abusing their power. He remembered her often talking about noblesse oblige. Even if he tried to explain that his actions were based on his past knowledge, she wouldn't listen. She would probably mock him, saying, "For someone with past knowledge, you're still foolish in this life."

As he tried to think of a way to cover up, Morgana smiled slyly.

"Ah!"

That smile was the same one she used when she was about to say something nasty. There was only one thing he could do in such a situation.

"Kay, the formal appointment and announcement will be done later. Farewell."

Leaving the confused Kay behind, Arthur quickly fled before anything could be said. He was a real coward.

Maids are great...

Morgana, my ex-fiancée, keeps appearing.

This is the second chapter of today.

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