IBDFSML Chapter 18

Swish-. Swish, swish-.

I moved between the pillars of the Grand Duke's main residence, scanning the surroundings with hawk-like eyes. Then I gestured behind me.

“Sion, coast is clear!”*

At my signal, Sion, cloaked in a dark robe and hidden in the shadows, swiftly moved toward me.

After quickly surveying the area, he spoke.

“It's quite serene.”

Just as Sion said, the main building was much quieter now than when I had snuck in before to raid the merchant guild head.

According to Garen, many knights had been dispatched outside to handle the recent supply crisis. That seemed to explain the situation.

“Well, thanks to that, it’s been much easier to sneak into the main building than we expected.”

Normally, Sion wasn’t allowed to leave the annex or set foot in the main building due to the Grand Duchess’s monitoring and orders. Even now, if he were spotted, there was a good chance he’d be intercepted by the knights or guards and forced out.

“Alright, Sion. Let’s keep moving and avoid detection until we show up right in front of the Grand Duchess and her retainers—bam! Everyone needs to clearly see with their own eyes that it was Sion who brought back the intel and evidence to solve this mess!”

I couldn’t help but speak excitedly, even letting out a little giggle. Sion, however, responded firmly.

“Lin, our top priority right now is securing the remaining supplies at the site. That’s more important to the North than any individual’s achievement.”

“Yeah, yeah! Of course, I know that!”

It was just then—

“—And so—...”

“...It is.”

From across the corridor we were cutting through, we suddenly heard the murmur of voices.

“…!”

“…!!”

We quickly hid ourselves behind a decorative structure placed along the hallway, concealing any sign of our presence.

Moments later, a group of palace guards appeared at the far end of the corridor.

“They suddenly reduced the number of administrative knights. Because of that, security inside the castle has become incredibly lax.”

“I heard there’s been a major incident that’s giving the higher-ups a real headache.”

“Really? Are monsters appearing near the Grand Duchy or something?”

“No, the rumor is it’s a bandit subjugation and search operation.”

“What? Bandits? Who in their right mind would come all the way to the North to rob people?”

The knight sounded doubtful and displeased. And with good reason—who would dare commit robbery in the North? It was a cold, harsh land riddled with monster threats, and it was the stronghold of the Empire’s most elite military force, the Northern Knights. Only a lunatic would attempt such a thing here.

“Ahem, I heard this from my cousin who was drafted into the search team. It’s supposed to be top secret, but apparently there’s been a serious issue with the food and military supplies that were supposed to be delivered through the merchant caravan from the capital.”

“What?! If that’s true, it’s an incredibly serious problem!”

"Exactly. That’s why the higher-ups are extremely on edge right now."

“…It kind of feels like all sorts of big and small incidents have been happening in the North over the past few years. Is everything really okay?”

“Well, considering that ever since the late Grand Duke passed away, the heir hasn’t returned to the castle for a long time… Even among the retainers, not just us knights, people are starting to talk.”

“I see. That’s really worrisome.”

The two knights with troubled expressions turned a corner and disappeared.

Still perched flat against Sion’s left shoulder, I poked my head out and spoke.

“Seems like the Grand Duchess’s side hasn’t found a single clue about the missing supplies.”

“Most likely not.”

“Hehe~ what would they have done without us, right, Sion?”

I said with a smug grin, and Sion looked down at me for a moment before saying.

“Looking back now, your getting trapped in that cage really feels like a stroke of uncanny coincidence.”

“It wasn’t coincidence—it was destiny! I’m the lucky charm that wrapped herself up and came to you!”

Delighted, I spun around in the air with a twirl.

“Hey, if we pull this off, we should demand a hefty reward! First thing we do—ditch that crappy bedroom setup and awful food! Then, let’s go into town and get you some new cl—”

Just as I was cheerfully chattering and turned the corner—

Thunk—

“Eep.”

I bumped into something soft.

‘W-What the—?!’

Startled, I looked up at what I’d just crashed into, only to lock eyes with a pair of large brown eyes staring down at me.

It was a young maid, probably in her mid-to-late teens, with curly hair.

“…”

‘…We’re screwed.’

I froze on the spot.

Behind me, Sion must’ve realized what happened, because through the corner of my eye, I could see the whites of his eyes as he froze too.

“…”

A heavy silence fell over us.

‘How do we get out of this one…’

As I was racking my brain—

“…Um…”

The maid cautiously opened her mouth.

For some reason, her eyes sparkled a bit too brightly as she looked at me.

“Um… are you by any chance the fairy who lives in the annex?”

“…What?”

Startled, I looked at the maid again.

‘What the heck? How does she know about me?!’

Then it hit me—I recognized her face.

“Oh? You’re…!”

She was definitely the same maid I’d seen in the annex kitchen a while ago. The one who had said she liked working there or something.

I frowned, murmuring in suspicion.

“…Your name was, Elda, right?”

At that, the maid’s face lit up with joy as she beamed brightly.

“Yes, that’s right! I’m Elda, the maid who serves Young Lord Sion in the annex! So I wasn’t imagining things that day!”

The maid looked at me with wide-eyed wonder, as if she had just discovered something magical.

“A few days ago, I saw you in the kitchen! You were clinging to the corner between the ceiling and the wall, weren’t you?”

“…!!!”

“At first, I thought I imagined it—but it was real! Oh wow, this is amazing!”

After that, the maid, Elda, couldn’t stop squealing with excitement. She kept rambling on, saying I looked just like the fairies from the picture books she read as a child, calling me cute and amazing without even trying to hide her joy.

I didn’t know how to react, so I subtly glanced at Sion.

‘What do we do with her, Sion?’

Sion seemed equally at a loss for words, clearly stunned.

‘Should I just use my fangirl powers and knock her out?’

As I debated whether to activate my fan-skill knockout, I saw a group of other servants passing behind Elda’s shoulder.

Panicked, I instinctively tensed up, but Elda quickly reassured me.

“Oh, there's a regular assembly meeting going on inside, so everyone’s busy.”

“…Assembly meeting?”

My eyes lit up with realization.

“Yes! It’s a formal meeting attended by important figures, including Her Grace the Grand Duchess. They’re short on staff today, so I got called in to help too. Oh my, I almost forgot—I need to deliver these refreshments!”

I looked down at the luxurious refreshments Elda was carrying.

‘Hoooh… in that case…’

I quickly changed course.

Instead of knocking her out, I decided to recruit her to our side.

“Elda the maid.”

I gazed at her with my most solemn expression.

“You were right. I am indeed the fairy who resides in the annex. My name is Lin. I was sent by the world itself to aid Young Lord Sion Luxior.”

“Wow! That’s amazing!”

“I’m here right now to carry out a very important mission.”

“Wow, you're on a mission!”

“That’s why I need your help starting now.”

“Wow, you need—wait, me?!”

I nodded firmly.

“Yes. You're originally assigned to the annex, and it’s your duty to serve Young Lord Sion. Right?”

“Y-Yes, that’s right!”

“Then naturally, you must help us.”

“Um, ‘us’ means…?”

I gestured, and Sion stepped into view from around the corner.

Elda’s eyes widened in shock as she spotted him.

“Oh! Young Lord Sion?! What are you doing here? If anyone else sees you, it’ll be serious trouble!”

Knowing full well that Sion wasn’t allowed in the main building, Elda frantically glanced around in a panic.

Sion looked at Elda and spoke flatly.

“You’re the one in charge of meals at the annex, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

A short silence followed.

I nudged Sion in the ribs and gave him a pointed look. He hesitated for a moment, then stiffly opened his mouth.

“…Your soup is... tolerable.”

“…! Th-thank you, Young Lord! I’m so honored!!!”

Having received a compliment from her master, Elda looked utterly moved.

I quickly stepped forward, placed my hand firmly on her shoulder, and asked.

“Well then, Maid Elda. You’ll be helping Sion from now on, right?”

Elda nodded with determination.

“Yes, Fairy! As Young Lord Sion’s maid, I’ll do my utmost!”

“Good choice. Just so you know, what Sion is trying to do right now is all for the good of the North anyway.”

“I see! As expected of the Young Lord!”

Elda looked up at Sion with sparkling admiration. Seeing her gaze so full of reverence for my favorite character made my fangirl heart swell with pride, so I added,

“Humph, Sion may seem cold, harsh, and blunt on the outside—but as you can see, deep down he’s the kindest and most righteous person of all.”

Elda eagerly nodded in agreement.

“You’re absolutely right! He even saved me once before!”

“Oh? Really?”

Elda began recounting how, back when she was first assigned to the annex, she had once been chased by a wild boar in the backyard—and just when she thought it was the end, Sion appeared out of nowhere, scared the boar off, and vanished like a hero.

“Oooh~ Sion, you did that?”

I glanced up at him, but he looked as if he had absolutely no memory of it.

“So please, leave it to me!”

“…Good. That’s the spirit. As of now, I officially appoint you as one of Sion’s subordinates.”

“Waaah!”

“If this goes well, I’ll even make you head maid of the annex.”

“Waaahh! Thank you so much! So, um, what exactly should I do?”

“Well, here’s what I need you to do…”

I grinned triumphantly.

♡♡♡

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