Volume 1 - Is This Also a Part of Being a Maid As Well?

After my little brother Clarence turned 5 years old, the Celestia Duchy held a banquet inside the mansion's main hall with a lot of guests invited from nearby territories. I was tasked to help Uncle Lois and the other chefs and cooks that were in the kitchen room to help make large amounts of mayonnaise as well as the dishes that were going to be complemented by the sauce.

The entire night was more than lively on that occasion, and while I haven't had a chance to see what happened during the banquet, I heard from Mama Clara that it was very successful and with the fact that Clarence has already made some friends of his own age which is usual for his age group.

Though now... It has been a few days after the banquet. With everything relating to the banquet had been finished including cleaning up the main hall within the mansion, Me and Mama Clara were called to the main reception room by Mama Diana and others for an important duty in mind.

I can surmise that the reason that the two of us were called there is the fact that my job as a personal maid of Clarance will now come into fruition.

[We're here, Your Highness, Your Royal Highness...]

[Please close the door and have tea with us, Clara.]

[Yes, Your Royal Highness Diana.]

As Mama Clara responded to her and sat beside the three of them, I can see that Clarence is at another table separate from the three of them. I guess it's their way to pave the way for the two of us to introduce ourselves to one another... As expected of the three of them...

For now, it was Papa Edmund's turn to talk to me.

[Emi-cha-- Miss Emi, please introduce yourself to Clarence. Your skills as a personal maid are highly commendable, and hence, you will be tasked to be Clarence's personal maid. Are you good with it, Miss Emi?]

[Yes, Your Highness... I accept this task wholeheartedly.]

As I bowed to Papa Edmund a little bit, I then went towards Clarence's table and introduced myself to him.

[Greetings, Sir Clarence... I'm Emi, and I have been tasked by Edmund-sama to be Sir Clarence's personal maid.]

[Heeeeeeh, then you’re my personal servant, right?]

[Indeed I am, Sir Clarence.]

It may not well be the first time that I have seen Clarence, but this is certainly the first time that I've interacted with him. I'm really questioning my mind right now on what kind of sister am I going to be to my little brother without compromising on being a maid to him as well...

[Then you should always follow your master’s orders, am I right?]

[With only the exception of something really dangerous, Sir Clarence.]

[Is that so? But Corinna-chan told me that her servants always followed her orders even if it was something really dangerous… Then I should also sometimes follow her too. That’s the etiquette of being a noble, rig-]

Before he even finished the last syllable, I quickly flicked his forehead with my index finger out of impulse.

Oops... I guess I'll just balance the doting and the strict aspect of being an elder sister, huh...?

[OW! What’s with that about?!]

[You’ll only be able to learn the ethics and code of conduct of being a noble when you’re around 6 years old. Plus…]

[Plus?]

Plus... Whoever this Corinna-chan is... Influencing my lil' bro with something dangerous... That's unacceptable to me...

I quickly felt triggered by what he just said that it might've painted my face a bit worse... well, either way... it's not right to treat anything as cannon fodder. Especially if it involves the aunties that I made friends with throughout the Maid Corps.

[This Onee-chan is quite interested in this Corinna person. I would like to teach her not to influence you that will stray you in the opposite direction. Isn’t that one of my jobs on being your servant, right?]

As I smiled really ominously which started to scare Clarence a bit, I overheard Mama Clara and our parents as well while watching the two of us.

[Diana, look… Isn’t she exactly like you?]

[Clara-san, that is not the right conduct for such a maid to make responses that bears ill-will towards their masters.]

[I mean… It doesn’t really bear ill-will if Clara is ri-]

[What did you say, Dear?]

Mama Diana quickly put up that scariest smile of hers as I and Clarence have stopped talking to one another for a moment to watch our parents argue while Mama Clara was trying to diffuse the tension between the two.

I guess I took a lot from my mother in terms of personality… Not like I was actually the case with that with my father too… I guess the usual days are now back within the Celestia Duchy.

...

A month later, a horse carriage of what seemed to be from one of the higher nobles arrived at the front of the mansion in which our parents, Mama Clara, Clarence, and I are in front of the door to meet this noble.

I’ve seen the emblem of Albert County, a territory within the Altair Kingdom that’s full of medicinal herbs and spices as far as I've read from the books.

But the count himself, damn… I thought that the other nobles looked like something like pigs that you usually see in a fantasy isekai light novel, but I guess there are also some who do not look something like that as well.

[Count Albert, it’s good to see you again. It has been a while, isn’t it?]

[Indeed, it has been a while, Duke Celestia.]

[What brings you here, Count Albert?]

[Well… It’s just some important matters for the two of us to discuss.]

[Is that so? But it seemed that Corinna herself came with you as well huh?]

Corinna? Ohoho… I guess it’s time for this Onee-chan to teach some lessons to her…

While Emilia’s thinking of all of that, Corinna felt some sort of animosity towards the maid behind Clarence. While she’s quite amused by that development, she can only just guess that it can’t be helped.

[Lady Corinna? Ara, it can’t be helped then… We’ll set up the room for Lady Corinna, and Clarence to talk while Edmund and Alastair would talk their matters in another room.

Clara, can you and Emi-chan prepare the reception room for Corinna and Clarence?]

[[Yes, Your Royal Highness Diana-sama. As you wish.]]

Clara and I have immediately gone back to work mode in order to prep up the reception room as fast as possible which would have the coffee table of some sorts be full of delicious appetizers, snacks, and tea like usual.

After we’ve set that one up, Clarence and Corinna entered the room after escorting mother and father into the hallway. The two of them then go in first while Count Albert and Father are in another room just opposite the main reception room.

What they immediately saw was me who was currently opening the door for them.

[Sir Clarence, Lady Corinna. Enter as you please and enjoy the appetizers here.]

[Thank you Emi. You may go now.]

[Emi-chan, was it? You can stay here!]

[[Eh?]]

[Eh?]

Ehhh…? I believe it’s not a maid’s right of conduct to be with their Master when they’re in the reception room unless being called upon, am I right?

But before I say something, the door opened yet again...

[Pardon the intrusion…]

[Marie! You’re here now!]

Corinna exclaimed as this just brings a lot more… uhh… what should I say about this…? Something like a really well-mannered personality with a few masks here and there?

[Marie! You and Emi should also know each other!]

[Oh… Ah yes… I’m Emi Meire Schultz, the daughter of Clara Meire Schultz, and I’m a personal servant of Sir Clarence. I only started serving him a month ago.]

I introduced myself in front of this Marie person that Corinna introduces as I bowed gracefully in front of her.

[Is that so? From your stature alone, you’re quite young huh…]

[Indeed that is the case, Marie-sama. I’m 5 years old.]

[[5 YEARS OLD?!?!]]

Heeeeh… So something like this isn’t the usual norm?

[May I inquire what’s surprising about it?]

[N-Nothing in my opinion… That only means that you’re actually quite an admirable servant of the Celestia Duchy… I mean… It’s also expected from being the daughter of Clara the Lily Rose…]

[Clara the Lily Rose? Is that one of my Mother’s nicknames?]

I inquired from Marie-san about Mother’s nicknames since I’ve heard quite a lot about them but I haven’t really heard Mama Clara even talking about those kinds of stuff…

Could it be that I was right about her being an adventurer before settling as a maid…? If that’s the case… Then how did Mother and Father meet Mama Clara…?

[Hmmmm… Her nickname “Clara the Lily Rose” became the fact that when she was an A-Rank adventurer within just 5 years. She was highly regarded as one of the top 5 fighting forces within the Altair Kingdom.

So of course, it was no surprise that Clara herself became a hot topic for both the commoners and the nobles alike with even some of them trying to woo her into accepting their marriages… Of course, if it’s actually the case at all…]

[If it’s actually the case at all? What do you mean by that?]

By the time Marie has started telling the stories of Mama Clara, both Corinna and Clarence are also being attentive to her story as well.

[Well… This is where the Lily Rose title comes into place. It is the fact that whenever they tried to court her, they literally come back not just empty-handed but also full of slap marks on their faces.]

[[[Ooooof…]]]

[I mean… Her Royal Highness Diana, His Highness Edmund, and Clara the Lily Rose are actually in an adventuring party known as the Altair’s “Holy Knights” although to be honest, I don’t think they named themselves like that and it’s only the title that the other people named them themselves.

Her Royal Highness Diana being the Saintess of the healer of their group, His Highness Edmund being the Light Swordsman or being well… the swordsman of the group, as well as Clara the Lily Rose… Although she has her own title within the group as the Magic Swordswoman of the group, she can handle both offensive-based magic and being a swordswoman at the same time with ease.]

[[Woah!!]]

[If that’s the case, then Mother’s party is really a balanced adventuring party for the three of them, huh… One rear, one mid, and one front.]

I pondered as Marie then replied to me.

[Actually… They were a five-man party. Her Royal Highness Diana being on rear support, an A-ranker adventurer known as the [Crimson Blade] on the rear guard as well as logistics, Clara the Magic Swordswoman for the mid, His Highness Edmund the Light Swordsman, and another A-ranked adventurer known as the “Mithril Fortress” as a tank. It’s quite a well-balanced party like what Emi-chan says…]

[[Woaaaaah!]]

[Is something like that a common knowledge among those within the Altair Kingdom?]

I inquired again since the mere fact that this level of detail is either something that can be deemed as either a work of fiction or is she…

[Oh… It’s quite common knowledge for us commoners. But I think Emi-chan has already figured it out…]

She said with a smile on her face. That smile of hers didn't have any kind of intention, but with just me thinking about that... no way...

[Seriously Marie?]

[Is that true, Emi-chan?]

[I could probably tell you guys right now, but that isn’t what matters as of right now though…]

Indeed, that’s the case… Because of Mama Clara’s bedtime stories, it is known that there was someone within their party that handles their finances. And Mama Clara can only remark on her as a really scary individual…

It’s because Marie herself was once part of the adventuring party as a merchant.

Before I could go and state something related to that, there was a knock on the door and I opened the door afterward. When I opened the door, it was Papa Edmund, Count Albert as well as Mama Diana, and Mama Clara who was there.

[Corinna, we’ve finished talking here. We need to come home right away…]

[Count Albert, if I may ask… Is it really the case?]

I asked the Count as I can see the face they're making right now... The faces that are reflecting on with troubles and stuff related to that to which he immediately replied.

[It is an immediate message from the Royal Capital after all… Who are you?]

[I'm Sir Clarence's personal maid, Emi Meire Schultz.]

[Ohhhh... You're quite young for someone who's a maid, huh...?]

[I take that as a compliment, Count Albert… I apologize for such rudeness that I’ve made.]

[There’s no need to apologize, Emi-chan.]

[Lady Corinna?]

[It’s normal to be curious, is all… Or at least, that’s what I’ve observed about you, tee-hee?]

Seriously… That Corinna girl actually analyzed me from those exchanges and the story itself?

*sighs*

After that exchange, Count Albert then intervened again and replied...

[If everyone’s done now, we should get going now.]

[Sir Clarence, I’ve had yet another fun time together, as well as having fun meeting Lady Emi.]

Lady Corinna then bowed herself a little bit in a graceful manner... but...

[[Lady Emi?]]

[Well… I don’t know about that… You have an atmosphere of a noble, Lady Emi. See you later.]

Corinna said to me with a smile on her face as the two of them were escorted by Father, Mother, and Clara outside while the two of us were left here by ourselves as they immediately left for the royal capital of the Altair Kingdom which would be Vienna… 

Now that I think about it… All I’ve done is to try and act like a maid for the first month but really… Is this also a part of being a maid as well…?