Volume 10 - CH 7

Chapter 7: Time to Face One Another 

Ever since she’d heard Komain’s confession, there was a maelstrom of conflicted feelings whirling inside her chest. 

Poncho was a good colleague of hers, and Komain was a pleasant girl. She ought to have been happy they’d gotten engaged, so why couldn’t she bring herself to bless the two of them? 

Do I think I’ll feel lonely once they’re married...? That’s absurd. I’m no child. I shouldn’t feel left out. So why...? 

Though Serina’s hands hadn’t stopped working, her thoughts were looping, and they eventually poured out in another sigh. 

Normally, Serina’s default persona was the cool and serious type whose emotions were hard to read, which made Carla all the more alarmed to see her look so gloomy. 

“Um, could it be you’re feeling unwell somewhere? If you’re under the weather, maybe you should leave this to me, and take the rest of the day off?” 

“That’s not it, really... Was my work sloppy in some way?” 

“No, you were doing well,” Carla said hastily. “In fact, the way you looked so sad but your hands were still moving properly made it more creepy... Whoa, excuse me!” 

Realizing her slip of the tongue, Carla hurriedly saluted and apologized. 

Seeing Carla so flustered, Serina let out a sigh of exasperation. “There are times when I’m not at my best, too.” 

“Um... are you really sure you won’t consider resting?” Carla suggested. 

Serina shook her head. “It would be nice if I could, but... in this case, it wouldn’t let my mind rest.” 

“Your mind? It’s not your body?” 

“Yes. How should I put this...? I don’t like leaving things I could be doing to other people. It’s the job of a maid to look after others, so it feels to me like having others look after me is contrary to my role.” 

“I see...” Carla said. “Well, I have to say, you aren’t the head maid for nothing. You’re like the ideal maid.” 

The ideal maid. That was what Carla called her, but Serina cocked her head to the side and wondered if she truly was. 

She felt like the desire not to have others worry about her came not from her thoughts as a maid, but her thoughts as an individual. Serina hated having to rely on others. She desired not to have others look down on her just because they had lent her their strength. 

In the end... I suppose I’m clumsy. 

If she could be honest with herself and accept help from other people, life would be much easier. 

In fact, the king of this country, Souma, always honestly recognized when he could not do something himself, hired someone he could delegate the task to, and kept the country running smoothly by trusting them. 

However, because Serina had the misfortune of being talented enough to do anything, she had come all this way not relying on others. She couldn’t just change the way she had lived after so long. 

If my personality let me rely on others better... I’m sure I could have asked someone about these conflicted feelings... Serina reflected. 

“Oh! But Head Maid, you’ve let Sir Poncho cook for you before, right? I hear he’s done it for you a number of times as thanks for being his assistant.” Carla suddenly brought that up. 

“Yes,” Serina said. “What about it?” 

“No, um, if you hate letting other people do things for you, maybe you actually dislike it when Sir Poncho cooks for you... is what I was thinking.” 

The words Carla spoke off-handedly set off a rustling in Serina’s chest. 

“That’s not true,” Serina said. “Sir Poncho’s dishes are all unique, nothing I could come up with. That’s not something I could do myself, you see?” 

“The weather’s just awful, isn’t it?” Serina griped. 

It was that afternoon. The sky was heavy with clouds. 

According to Naden’s Weekly Weather Forecast, which she, as the head maid, dutifully checked every week, sleet was expected today, turning into snow at night. 

Under a sky that weighed her down just looking at it, Serina left through the gates of Parnam Castle and headed out to town. 

She had work as Poncho’s aide today, so she was on her way to his residence. 

Being an aide to Poncho was a respectable job, so normally she was able to receive permission to take a carriage... but today she was in a walking kind of mood. 

She walked through the chilly streets wearing a coat over her classical maid uniform. 

When a beauty like Serina walked through the city, she naturally drew the eyes of men passing by. If those men had women accompanying them, the jealous women would sometimes pull their ears or slap them for it. 

From a man’s perspective, she was quite the sinful woman. 

While looking at the scenery of the town, Serina let out a sigh. Normally, she wouldn’t think anything of this scenery, but today it felt awfully lonely to her. 

I’m sure Sir Poncho will be replying to Komain soon. Those two will be engaged, then eventually become husband and wife. There’s no place for me there... 

Serina remembered something that Ginger’s secretary and maid, Sandria, had said. “Then, how would you feel if Lord Ginger were a woman? If it were a woman that Lord Poncho was having such a good time talking to right now, would you still not feel the least bit anxious about it?” 

What did I respond back then...? 

If she recalled, it was something about how, if Poncho only made food for that woman, and she couldn’t eat with him anymore, she wouldn’t like it... or something like that. 

If things continued as they were, the one eating with Poncho would be Komain. 

Was it all right for her to hate that? 

Did Serina have the right to? 

It’s like a scene I’m looking at through glass... 

Staring at the glass window of a carriage that had just stopped in front of her, that was what Serina thought. 

She could see the people within clearly, but they were in a separate space, and as envious as she might be of what she saw, she could never have it for herself. 

Looking at her face reflected in the window, Serina looked like a child about to burst into tears. 

Sleet began to fall from the sky. 

“It’s started coming down, huh?” Serina murmured. 

It was soggy snow that turned to water the second it touched her skin or clothes. 

Serina had been staring vacantly up into the sky for a while, but at this rate, she was going to catch a cold. 

She had meant to arrive at Poncho’s mansion before it started coming down in earnest, so she had made no preparations for rain at all. Fortunately, it wasn’t far. 

Serina walked quickly through the sleet until she arrived at Poncho’s mansion. 

When she knocked to inform them of her arrival, Komain came to answer the door and her eyes widened. 

“Whoa! What happened, Serina?! You’re soaked!” 

“I got caught out in the sleet for a little while.” 

“This took more than a little while... Why didn’t you come by carriage?” 

As Komain fussed over and welcomed the soaking wet Serina, heavy footsteps sounded from deep inside the mansion. 

Of course, it was the master of the house, Poncho. He had a large bath towel in his hands. 

“M-Madam Serina?! Wh-What is it, yes?!” 

Serina’s sudden action made Poncho’s usually narrow eyes go wide. 

“Nothing really... Only what I want to do.” When she looked up, Serina wore her usual dauntless and serious face. However, the corners of her lips were turned up just a little. “Sir Poncho, your right hand is slacking. You were going to wipe my hair for me, weren’t you?” 

“Y-Yes... Um, but, it’s difficult to do with only my right hand...” 

“Bear with that much, at least. Because you are a special person who is allowed to take care of me.” 

“I... I don’t know what you’re talking about. Wait, Madam Serina, why are you touching my cheek now?!” 

This time Serina’s left hand was on Poncho’s cheek. That ultimately put them in a position where they were holding one another’s cheeks. 

Poncho’s eyes darted around as he tried to process the situation. “Wh-What is this?! Is this a joke?! Are you teasing me, yes?!” 

“Yes. I am teasing you. But this is no joke. In my own way, I’m showing my love for you here.” 

“Y-Your l-love...?! Wait, whaaa?!” 

Serina took one step back from the surprised Poncho, then lifted up the hem of her long skirt and bowed her head, like she was asking him if they might share the next dance at a social event. 

“Sir Poncho. You are special to me. That is why I cannot abide you pushing me aside to share your table with someone else. Even if that is a family member. If you say you can only let family sit at your table, then let me be a part of that family.” 

“Huh...? What do you mean by...” 

“It’s simple. If you are to take Komain as your wife, please take me, too.” 

Poncho was left speechless, his mouth just opening and closing silently like he was a goldfish. 

When a beauty like Serina, whom he had assumed was far out of his reach, suddenly confessed her love to him, even if she did it in a weird and roundabout way, his mind went blank. 

That was just when Komain came back with a basin of hot water. “Um... Did something happen while I was bringing the water to a boil?” 

“I was just expressing my desire for Sir Poncho to make me his wife.” Serina said nonchalantly. 

Komain’s eyes went wide. “Well, then! You’ve realized your own feelings, Madam Serina?” 

“Yes. It did take some time to look at them, however.” 

“Ahaha... Too long,” Komain said, laying the basin down with a laugh. “But I’m glad. If you’ll be coming, I don’t need to be adopted into a noble family. I’m fine with being the second wife.” 

“Komain... are you sure about that?” 

“I said I would do my best if the need arose, but I think it really would be hard for me to act like a nobleman’s wife, after all. If you’ll take care of things outside the home as the first wife, I’ll focus on inside the house.” 

Seeing the peaceful smile on Komain’s face as she said that, Serina smiled a little, too. 

She was sure she could get along fine with her. 

“Wait, Poncho?!” Serina shouted. “Your eyes have rolled into the back of your head! Are you okay?!” 

Komain shook Poncho and tried to call him back to reality. 

As she watched her, Serina suddenly remembered something Komain had said before. “By the way, what was the ‘place you want to be’ that you were talking about that time?” 

On the day that she had most likely resolved herself to have the marriage meeting with Poncho, Komain had said it was to reach the place she wanted to be. 

Komain responded, “That’s obvious,” and grinned. “The table that Poncho, you, and I can sit around as a family.” 

Later, Poncho’s engagement to Serina and Komain would be widely publicized, and the gold digger women would be greatly disappointed. 

Conversely, Souma and the other elites of the kingdom who had been worried about Poncho were relieved. 

“It feels like everything worked out the way it should in the end,” Souma said with satisfaction. 

“Yes,” Hakuya agreed. “If Madam Serina and Madam Komain are with him, we can be sure they will protect the gentle but timid Sir Poncho from those who might try to take advantage of him.” 

Souma gave a big nod in agreement. “He’s someone we need to continue doing good work for us in the future. For the development of the kingdom, and for my own personal reasons, I want to see Poncho build a happy, stable family.” 

May the three of them be happy together, Souma wished silently.