Chapter 28: My Friend May Is Here To Play

July 1st.

I received an interesting letter during the monthly shopping time.

– Mana! How could you not send a single letter! I asked you to send me a letter, was that so difficult! I’ll visit you during this summer vacation, so be prepared! I’ll go around early July!!

But when will you receive this letter? The date I’m writing this letter is June 10th.

It doesn’t say who it’s from, but there’s only one person who would say this. My fellow maid.

My fellow maid is 16 years old, the same as me, and other than her, all the servants are in their 20s or older, so we’ve been pretty close? and have been talking buddies.

“Young Lady, it seems like my fellow maid will be visiting in July.”

“Huh? Mana’s fellow maid?”

“Yes, she’s a maid, and she promised to write me a letter when I came here. But she forgot until now, so she says she’ll just come herself.”

“Ah, can’t she not come?”

“She already notified me that she’s coming.. and it’s a short visit during summer vacation… can’t it be helped?”

“I, I’m scared of other people…”

The young lady gently pulls on my maid’s uniform.

“But if Mana wants it… I have to be able to listen to that to be a good master, right?”

“I would really appreciate it if you could.”

“Hmph… Mana and my happy life…”

Even though she says that, I think she’ll allow it.

Our young lady.. she’s so cute and kind.

“Are you considering me?”

“…”

Oh! Our cute young lady!

As a token of my gratitude, I lift the young lady up, hug her tightly, and kiss her on the cheeks!

“Thank you so much!”

“…Promise me you won’t neglect me.”

“Of course! I promise!”

“…Promise me you won’t like that maid more than me.”

“Of course~ You’re the one I like the most in the world, Young Lady~”

“Um, just asking, that maid isn’t a man, right?”

“Huh? Not at all. She’s a woman, and maids are only women in the first place!”

“Ugh… and… grant me one wish.”

A wish…

I don’t know what wish the young lady will make, but seeing her pouting face like that.

“Yes! I’ll grant you any wish! I promise!”

“Promise.”

The young lady’s face brightens only after we make a promise, pressing our thumbs together.

“When is she coming?”

“Well. She said early July, so it could be from today.”

“…Do I have to practice etiquette more?”

“Hey, what are you saying? You’re already perfectly following etiquette, Young Lady, so don’t worry!”

“Th, then that’s fine.”

“Ah, but there’s one thing. I need you to promise me.”

“Huh? What is it?”

It’s not anything else, but I have to get a promise on this issue.

“Magic is absolutely forbidden while my fellow maid is here. Do you understand?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because it would be very troublesome if word got out that you’re a mage, Young Lady. Especially if that rumor came from a maid of the family.

The less a maid knows, the better. Even if the time comes to tell the family someday, you should tell them yourself, Young Lady, it’s meaningless to spread rumors.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, the existence of a mage is always like that.”

I haven’t told her yet, but not everyone can become a mage just by studying.

“Perhaps the country might draft you and appoint you as a court mage.”

“…I don’t want that. I want to live here with Mana.”

“Right? So it’s absolutely a secret that you’re a mage, okay? And you can’t use magic?”

“Yes! I promise!”

Once again, I make a promise with the young lady, and then I put her down.

“Well, she didn’t say when she was coming, so shall we wait from today?”

“Yes!”

…From the young lady’s perspective, she’s the first person she’s met since she met me.

I hope my fellow maid is perceptive.

I hope she’s a suitable person for the young lady to get acquainted with other people without being scared.

So a few days passed.

In a peaceful and undisturbed daily life with just me and the young lady,

“Did you enjoy lunch, Young Lady?”

“Yes! I want to eat what we ate today again!”

“I’ll make it for you again in a few days, okay?”

“Yay!”

…I hear someone’s footsteps from outside the mansion.

“Hmm.. Young Lady, it seems like someone is coming.”

“Someone? Who?”

“Probably my fellow maid I mentioned last time.”

“…But what do you hear?”

“Because I’m an elite maid, you know!”

So after a while.

Knock knock knock.

“Yes~ Who is it~”

“Ah! Mana! It’s me, May!”

My fellow maid, May, knocked on the door.

“Young Lady, are you ready?”

“Ugh, yes! I’m ready!”

The young lady looking down at me from the second floor with a cool pose.

Hmm hmm, she’s so cute.

“You look like a very cool master.”

“Of course!”

“Hey~ Mana~ If you’re inside, could you open the door~”

“I was asking for the young lady’s permission. I’ll open it.”

When I open the door, a maid enters, making clack clack sounds with her shoes.

Bright brown hair and brown eyes. And a messed up maid’s uniform…?

“Mana!!!”

Whoosh! The annoying fellow maid hugs me as soon as she sees me.

“How have you been living in a place like this! I left in the morning, and it took me 6 hours to get here!”

“Before you greet me, wouldn’t it be better to properly greet the young lady, the owner of this house?”

“Ah, oops! Thank you. Ahem..!”

…Why are you wearing leaves in your hair?

You’re still not maid-like, May.

“The young lady is… ah..!”

“Watch your language.”

“Greetings, Young Lady Cieli, I am May, Mana’s fellow maid.”

“…Look at this.

You’re so dirty, the young lady is not happy.

The young lady looked back and forth between me and May for a long time.

…We are the same maids, Young Lady.

“…Yes, nice to meet you. You’re Mana’s fellow maid?”

Yes, I’m Mana’s fellow maid and friend.

We’ve been working together for a long time.”

“…I see?”

The young lady’s face gets worse and worse in real time.

“Formal speech. Yo? Yo? Are you an exclusive maid? Why does your speech end in yo?”

(TL note: In korean, there are multiple levels of formal speech. The “-yo” ending is considered less formal)

“Oops..!”

…Sigh.

What should I do with this village’s beautiful idiot country girl.

The young lady seems very angry, she puffs up her cheeks and goes back to her room.

“W, was I that rude..?”

“…It might be because she’s sensitive to outsiders. Anyway, unpack your luggage. And change your clothes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I feel like I got off on the wrong foot…”

“Ugh…”

“It’s okay. I’ll take care of it. Go.”

“”

“But the young lady is very cute, isn’t she?”

“…”

“I know that too.”

– I quickly send May to the servant’s room and go up to the second floor.

…The young lady who went into her room.

•

Knock knock knock

“Young Lady, may I come in?”

“…Come in.”

When I enter the room, I see the young lady who seems very angry.

…It’s understandable that she’s angry.

What maid doesn’t even follow etiquette like that…

“Young Lady, my fellow maid went to change her clothes for a moment.”

“…Mana.”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

“…Come here.”

I carefully approach the young lady.

Tap tap, the young lady dusts off the dirt on my clothes.

“..Do maids usually act so friendly with each other?”

I’m sorry.

May has always been lacking in etiquette.

She’s not a bad person, but she’s a bit lacking.

Please understand, Young Lady.”

“I understand.

I understand.”

Hahaha…

..She seems completely sulky and angry…

“…Hold me.”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

Without saying a word, I pick up the young lady, and the young lady lightly hits my chest, as if she’s dissatisfied with something.

“…It’s mine.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind, but Mana.”

“Yes, Young Lady?”

“…Are you friends with her?”

“Um… friends? We’re definitely fellow maids. She’s an immature friend, so I took care of her a lot.”

Not everyone can be an elite maid like me, you know?

There are maids in the world who break plates, switch sugar and salt, and so on.”

“…Is it really okay for someone like that to be a maid?”

“Hmm… at least until now?”

Somehow she managed to not get fired.

The pay cut was unavoidable.

“…I only have Mana as a friend.”

…Aha.

Our young lady.. she’s upset that I have more friends?

“You’re my only friend too, Young Lady.”

“Liar, you hugged that girl very friendly earlier.”

“Um… that was one-sided. In a broad sense, I can call her a friend too, but…”

How should I appease our sulky young lady?

“You’re my best friend, Young Lady, right?”

“What’s that?”

“Among many friends, it’s the closest one, the one who trusts and cares for each other the most, and the one who can talk about any secret.”

“That’s what a best friend is?”

“Yes, yes, that’s what it is.”

“…If that’s the case, then it’s okay.”

Our young lady, she was jealous because a new person suddenly approached her friendly…

…I’m a little sorry for May, but I’ll have to tell her to keep her distance and refrain from friendly physical contact.

I don’t know how much that puppy-like girl will listen, though.

I hug the young lady tightly for a long time so that she can feel better.

“…Am I really your best friend?”

“Then of course. Who else would it be?”

“…I only have Mana.”

“I’m thankful.”

“Hehe… still, don’t hate May too much, okay?”

“You’re a wonderful young lady, right?”

Of course… I’m a wonderful young lady.

I don’t hate or anything like that.”

…She’s so kind.

It’s my mood.

I kiss the young lady’s cheeks!

“What, what’s with that all of a sudden…”

“Because I like you so much, Young Lady?”

“I, I like Mana too!”

“Yes, yes, me too.”

Our young lady is already this mature when she’s only 8 years old.

She’s so admirable.

She’s so admirable.

“Then shall we go see May again now?”

“Yes!”

We ate lunch just in time…

…May said it took her 6 hours to get here, right?

…Did she even eat lunch?

…

.I should give her some leftover bread or something.

I hold the young lady in my arms and go down to the first floor.

“Ah! Young Lady! I’m sorry about earlier! I, I’ll greet you again! Ma, May..!”

– Thump!

May, who was about to greet, suddenly hits her head against the wall.

…What are you doing?

“Pfft…”

…I’ll let it go since the young lady laughed, but you really… you should quit being a maid and find another job.

“Ma, May!”

“Yes, I am Cieli-Lily-Nile. I will allow you to call me Young Lady Cieli.”

“Thank you, Young Lady Cieli.”

…Oh, that fool.

“Do you want tea?”

“Yes, huh? Ah..”

“…Young Lady, in front of you, may May speak comfortably to me?”

“Yes!”

“…Thank you, Young Lady. Sweet one, please, Mana…”

I leave May, who is depressed from making continuous mistakes as soon as she arrives, and go to the dining room.

“She’s a bit weird.”

“…She has a good heart, Young Lady.”

..Still, it seems like the young lady doesn’t completely dislike her.