“Um… you…”
Looking at the little maid who seemed to have turned into a statue, Astrid’s eyes were filled with confusion.
After a moment of hesitation, seeing that the other party had no intention of recovering, Astrid took the lead in breaking the silence.
Before she could finish her sentence, however, the little maid’s outstretched arms suddenly pulled back, folding over her stomach.
Her eyes snapped shut, and when they opened again, she had transformed into a calm, senior maid with impeccable etiquette.
“Does the guest require anything?”
Although she had been a maid for less than one month, Noren still possessed the most basic professional qualities.
Noren put on a standard business smile, mimicking Cecilia by narrowing her eyes slightly and looking kindly at the young girl sitting on the sofa in the reception room.
Only then did the image of the elf girl’s fair, beautiful face and her vivid, emerald-green eyes register in Noren’s mind.
‘What a beautiful older sister…’
Noren murmured in her heart, but her expression remained unchanged.
She firmly believed that as long as she wasn’t embarrassed, the embarrassment would surely belong to someone else.
Yet, Noren still felt a bit timid. After all, she had been a shut-in for nearly two years and rarely dealt with people.
The only time she had gone out to gather information about her brother, her movements had been sold to bandits by an information broker on her way home.
If Sister Cecilia hadn’t found her in time, things would have likely ended poorly…
The elf girl with long, dark golden hair didn’t seem to mind the scene she had just witnessed.
Having waited for a long time for someone to finally arrive, she asked, “Has the Saintess not returned from the dungeon yet?”
“The… the dungeon?”
A look of confusion appeared on Noren’s face. Wasn’t Sister Cecilia just upstairs flirting with Brother? Why would she go to the dungeon?
‘If they want to engage in that kind of play, isn’t there a hidden room in the bedroom? Besides, Sister Cecilia isn’t lacking in equipment…’
“Were you invited by the Saintess?”
As soon as she asked, Noren realized how ridiculous her question was.
Without Sister Cecilia’s permission, this girl couldn’t have possibly reached this reception room just below the top floor.
Just as Noren was about to awkwardly change her wording, she saw the beautiful elf lady become even more flustered than she was.
The girl quickly explained, “Yes! Saintess Cecilia brought me here! She told me to sit here for a while while she goes to the dungeon to bring Lance back.”
Huh? Did I just hear a familiar name? Is there a prisoner in the dungeon with the same name as my brother?
Having reached the limits of her knowledge, Noren couldn’t be certain for a moment.
‘What if there really is someone with the same name as my brother in the dungeon? Wouldn’t I be making a fool of myself?’
With a thought, Noren took two steps forward, intending to emulate Cecilia’s way of handling things.
She planned to give a soft laugh first and then reassure this somewhat frantic elf sister.
Clack —
Noren had only taken two steps, and before she could even speak, her cluttered thoughts caused her to fail to notice a stone step leading downward.
She stepped out, but her foot unexpectedly hit empty air.
The space in front of her changed in an instant, and the Magic Crystal Chandelier on the ceiling flashed into her vision!
“Huh?”
Noren’s mind went blank; for a moment, she couldn’t even react to her current situation.
“Watch out!”
Astrid cried out and lunged forward without the slightest hesitation!
Thud! Thud!
Noren instinctively closed her eyes, but the dull pain she expected at the back of her head never came…
A warm hand firmly supported the back of Noren’s head, while the side of her cheek simultaneously crashed into a mass of softness.
An amazing elasticity followed; with a squish, Noren’s sunken right cheek was bounced back out.
“Ugh…”
Noren slowly opened her eyes and saw the beautiful elf sister looking down at her, her emerald eyes full of concern.
“Are you alright?”
Astrid was a bit worried. This maid seemed a bit dim-witted; nothing must go wrong! She hadn’t rescued Lance yet, so she couldn’t afford any more trouble!
“I… I’m fine!”
Her heart throbbed uncontrollably. Noren’s face flushed slightly, and she hurried to move her legs to find a point of support.
Once she stabilized herself, Noren quickly left Astrid’s embrace. Running two steps to the side, Noren slapped her flushed cheeks with a smack.
‘This is so embarrassing! I don’t look like a maid at all like this! No, no, no! Thank her first! Thank her first!’
“Thank you for saving Noren! Noren is very grateful to you!”
In her haste, the little maid was somewhat incoherent. After speaking, she bowed deeply toward the elf lady in front of her, the angle exceeding ninety degrees!
“It’s nothing, as long as you’re okay… Hmm?”
Astrid paused, as if she had heard a familiar name. Noren… Isn’t Lance’s younger sister named Noren?
The straightforward Elf Princess didn’t stop to think and asked the repeatedly bowing girl directly, “Miss Noren? What is your full name?”
“I…”
Feeling both embarrassed and shy, Noren’s small brain began to overheat. She was someone who had received a noble education since childhood.
Subconsciously, she thought that because she hadn’t given her full name, she had displeased this beautiful elf sister who had helped her.
Immediately, Noren bowed again and said, “My full name is Noren Fallos! Please forgive my rudeness!”
‘Fallos… Fallos…’
Astrid murmured, her emerald eyes lighting up. Lance’s last name is also Fallos! There’s no mistake now!
“Little Noren, your brother is named Lance, right?”
Her form of address suddenly became affectionate. Astrid stepped forward to help Noren up with great familiarity, catching Noren’s hands that were folded over her stomach.
“Ah? You know my brother?”
“Of course! I came here this time specifically to rescue your brother!”
Hearing this, the confusion in Noren’s eyes deepened.
Coming to rescue Brother… Does that mean the Lance in the dungeon really is my brother? But my brother wasn’t locked in the dungeon at all? It’s impossible for him to be locked in the dungeon!
With the relationship between the two of us and Sister Cecilia, who has already become the Saintess, we should be able to walk tall in this Holy Light Church station! Who would dare lock up my brother!
Seeing Noren’s dazed expression, Astrid felt slightly strange. But then she felt relieved; Noren probably didn’t know about Lance being imprisoned yet.
After all, Lance was only arrested yesterday, so it was normal not to know.
Without another word, as if she had met her own younger sister, Astrid pulled Noren to sit on the sofa in the reception room.
She began to tell the story of how Lance, in order to help her avoid harassment from the high-ranking officials of the Knight Order, had joined her in killing the Blonde Knight official, pouring the whole tale out to Noren.
As Noren listened, she easily noticed that when this beautiful elf lady mentioned her brother, the light in her eyes was exactly the same as the light in Sister Cecilia’s eyes.
‘Ohhh~’
Chuckling inwardly, Noren thought to herself, ‘So she’s another “good sister.” Sigh… Brother, you really are something! Why didn’t you tell me? I wasn’t prepared at all!’
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