Chapter 4

“Are you all right?!”

Betty, who had promptly thrown down the tray containing breakfast, came running toward me with her eyes wide open.

‘This is so embarrassing….’

Of all things, she had to catch me looking like this…

But Betty, who had no idea how humiliated I was, was practically jumping around even though she wasn’t the one who had fallen.

“What were you doing out here? Why weren’t you inside?! Did you end up collapsing? Are you dizzy? Has your anemia come back?”

I awkwardly tried to make an excuse.

“I-I was trying to chop some firewood…”

“Your Grace? With those tiny, adorable, white, delicate hands of yours? When your arms are more slender than the handle of a hand axe?!”

“…?”

Was that a compliment…?

“This is absolutely ridiculous! Firewood, of all things? You look like someone who has never lifted anything heavier than a teaspoon in your entire life!”

“……”

No, that definitely wasn’t a compliment…

It was the first time I’d discovered that Betty could talk this quickly.

She was normally such a quiet girl who simply brought me my meals…

“Haa… First, please get up.”

When I just blinked at her, Betty grabbed me and pulled me upright like she was yanking a radish out of the ground.

Despite her plump cheeks and petite frame, I could feel the surprisingly well-trained triceps in her arms.

‘S-So solid.’

I discreetly looked down at my own arm.

Just as Betty had said, my arm looked about as thin as the handle of the hand axe.

“……”

For some reason, I felt an intense sense of defeat…

“Mm, thank you…”

I could only give her a faint smile…

Knock, knock.

“My lady. It’s Betty.”

“Oh, yeah.”

Before long, the front door of the cabin opened, and Betty appeared again carrying a tray.

“I’ve prepared your breakfast again.”

“Thank you…”

Earlier, when the brief firewood incident had occurred…

Because I had rolled around on the muddy ground, the clothes I’d changed into that morning—and my hair—had become a complete mess.

Betty had given me a roundabout scolding with the tone of someone who had seen every kind of absurdity imaginable, then quickly heated up some water and scrubbed me clean from head to toe.

As an adult, it was the first time I’d ever been put through such a thorough “being washed by someone else,” so after the humiliation of falling on my backside while chopping wood, this was already the second time I’d been mortified today…

But Betty had returned to being her usual quiet maid as though nothing had happened.

‘…Right. Just enjoy it for now.’

How could you defeat someone who was simply enjoying themselves?

Besides, soaking in warm water and having fragrant oils generously rubbed all over my body was the height of luxury.

I decided that good things were good things, and felt much more at ease.

And then there was the freshly prepared breakfast.

‘Food!’

When I lifted the silver cover over the tray, a delicious-looking salad greeted me once again.

Beside it were little cherry tomatoes, oatmeal, a small serving of roasted duck, and even a pretty sunny-side-up fried egg.

It was nothing short of a perfectly balanced, healthy meal with carbs, protein, and fat.

I’d already suspected that one of the reasons I’d died in my previous life after drinking myself to sleep was my atrocious eating habits, so at least I didn’t have to worry about that here.

‘Looks delicious.’

As I blinked and reached for my fork, I noticed Betty flinch slightly beside me.

Come to think of it, snowflakes had accumulated on her brown hair and shoulders.

Feeling a little guilty, I stood up instead of picking up my fork, brushed the snow from Betty’s shoulders, and said,

“Thank you for bringing this all the way here again even though it’s snowing. Wasn’t it difficult?”

“Ah! No! Not at all. It’s my job.”

“But the roads must be slippery on a snowy day like today…”

“I’m really fine.”

Well…

Considering the sturdy triceps and impressively defined forearms I’d felt earlier, this sort of thing was probably nothing to her.

Even so, I couldn’t just dismiss it as being no big deal.

“Betty, you’re such a good girl.”

Thinking that a maid serving a noble probably had a situation much like a graduate student who had to obediently do whatever their academic advisor told them, I suddenly felt sorry for her.

I decided to save the tiny madeleine that had come with dessert for her.

Then I sat back down and picked up my fork, about to take my first bite.

For some reason, Betty was standing in front of the table, hesitating with her face bright red.

“…Is something wrong?”

She looked like she had something to say, so I stared up at Betty curiously.

“M-My lady!”

“Hmm?”

“It’s, um… about the library you asked about the other day.”

“Oh.”

I liked being alone, but I was getting bored.

A few days ago, I’d asked Betty if she could bring me something to read, and she’d told me there was a library in the main building.

However, it had been neglected for a very long time, so the inside needed to be cleaned first…

“So, is the cleaning finished?”

“Well… actually, there aren’t enough people left at the Grand Ducal Castle right now. E-Everyone is really busy, and so am I…”

“Really?”

“Yes. So I’m afraid it might be difficult for you to use it right away.”

“Hmm.”

I speared a tomato with my fork and popped it into my mouth.

Fresh, refreshing juice burst across my tongue.

“Then I’ll clean it myself.”

“…Pardon?”

“What’s so difficult about it? Can I go after I finish breakfast?”

“You’ll clean it yourself, My lady? With such a delicate body? Good heavens! Your arm might fall off just from holding a feather duster!”

“……”

What does she even think I am?

“O-Of course, you are the one who made this place look so wonderful in just a week with that tiny body of yours. I was honestly amazed when I secretly watched you from time to time…”

“You watched me?”

“A-Ah, no, no! I’m your maid, so I’m supposed to be your hands and feet… S-So, anyway, you must be careful with the axe…!”

Perhaps realizing she’d said something she shouldn’t have, Betty finally stopped rambling.

I tried to hide my embarrassment and protested.

“Earlier… it was only because the axe was heavy.”

“I can lift it with one hand.”

“……”

Damn it.

I’d lost to functional muscle.

If I kept working in the garden from now on, maybe someday I could escape these skinny twig-like arms of mine, even if I never became as strong as Betty.

After all, hadn’t I personally turned this cabin into a decent place in just one week?

So perhaps I could manage to clean the library, too?

Chopping firewood was different.

Just as I was about to pester Betty again, refusing to give up, she beat me to it.

“Could you… please not go to the main building?”

“Why?”

“Well, even if you ask me… um, how should I put it…?”

Betty seemed to be struggling desperately to dance around the subject without hurting my feelings.

“You can be honest. Why…”

“Please don’t ask the reason! I’m saying this because I’m thinking of you. I don’t think it would be good for you to go to the main building.”

Betty clearly looked extremely uncomfortable answering.

I nodded as though I understood and asked,

“I see… Then can I chop firewood?”

“……”

The expression on Betty’s face, which had been carefully watching me only moments ago, instantly became fierce.

Her cute face and petite body reminded me of a Maltese, but her sheer force of presence was no less intimidating than Cerberus.

I broke into a nervous sweat and asked again.

“Can’t I do that either?”

“Of course you can’t! What Grand Duchess in the world would ever…!”

“But there’s really nothing fun to do besides that…”

“…N-No, you can’t. Even if you look at me with those rabbit-like eyes! I-I…”

“?”

Rabbit…? Me…?

I wasn’t particularly interested in imagining what I looked like from Betty’s perspective…

But the truth was, there was nothing for me to do right now besides chopping firewood, and if I couldn’t even do that, the day was bound to be incredibly boring.

It would be perfect if I could clean the library and read some books while I was there.

Why was she so adamant about keeping me away from the main building?

Could it be because of that tall, broad-chested man who had told me not to attract his attention?

“It’s because of the Grand Duke, isn’t it? You’re worried that I might catch his attention. Would you get in trouble if that happened?”

“……”

“If that’s the case, I won’t go.”

Right.

I couldn’t cause trouble for Betty because of me.

I could just find another fun project to occupy myself.

I was leisurely changing my plans, thinking, ‘Maybe I should climb that hill behind the cabin…’

when—

“Th-That’s not it!”