Chapter 61: The Letter in the Box

There’s an old literary phrase that would be quite fitting to describe the current situation.

—Often, high apes howl long, their cries trailing off, desolate and strange.

“Ai’er, hang in there a little longer, we’re almost there.”

“I-I can’t do it anymore @-@…”

But after half an hour of wailing like a ghost and howling like a wolf, Ai’er finally ran out of energy.

“Elena, if I don’t make it down today, bury me on the hillside blooming with cake flowers…

Remember to burn some cake for me every year… every year, okay… sob…”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Elena gently tapped Ai’er on the forehead.

This silver-haired girl had insisted on dragging Elena to fly towards the Duchy early in the morning.

Everything was fine at first, but once they were in the air, Ai’er’s face paled at a visibly rapid rate.

Elena thought that even winter snowflakes probably weren’t as pale as Ai’er’s face.

“Wuwuwu QAQ…”

“Alright, we’re almost there. Look, Ai’er, you can already see the garden of the mansion.”

“I won’t look, I won’t look! Elena is a devil QAQ!!”

Honestly, when she throws a tantrum, she’s just like a child.

Elena smiled helplessly, then descended towards the mansion’s garden.

There were very few servants in the mansion.

Plus, Elena had been away from the Duchy for a year now. The garden, which she didn’t visit often to begin with, now looked even more like it was “growing wild.”

Landing in front of the garden pavilion, the moment they touched down, Ai’er slipped out of Elena’s arms like an eel.

“Wuwuwu… the ground… it’s the ground…”

Abandoning all etiquette completely, Ai’er pressed her face against the ground, wanting to fully embrace the feel of the earth.

“Ai, Ai’er? The ground is so dirty, get up—”

Thud.

Like a wooden stick falling to the ground.

Elena and Ai’er looked towards the sound and saw a maid who had been sweeping the courtyard, now covering her mouth with one hand, looking utterly stunned.

At the maid’s feet was a fallen broom.

“Young… Young Lady?”

But before Elena could say anything, the maid immediately broke into a jog and rushed towards the house.

Shouting as she ran:

“Head Maid! Mister Sebas! The Young Lady is back!”

Hoho… Looks like the welcome party is going to be quite something.

Ai’er sat up from the ground, nodding expressionlessly.

“Ai’er, get up now. Look, half your face is covered in dust, and your clothes are too.”

As she spoke, Elena reached out and touched Ai’er’s cheek.

Originally just wanting to wipe the dust off the girl’s face, but after her own fingertips touched Ai’er’s cheek, Elena couldn’t help but give the silver-haired girl’s cheek a gentle pinch.

So… so bouncy…

So, without thinking, Elena’s other hand also moved towards Ai’er’s cheek—

“Young Lady?! Why have you returned so suddenly?”

Just before Elena succeeded in squeezing Ai’er’s cheek, Sebas and the Head Maid arrived.

Snatching her hand back sharply, Elena smiled at her butler and head maid as if nothing had happened.

What a shame, it was so close…

“Ai’er said she wanted to come back for a visit, so we came back.”

As Elena finished speaking, the two noticed the silver-haired girl sitting on the ground.

For a moment, both of them froze in place.

“Oh, Head Maid, could you take Ai’er to change her clothes first?”

After this sentence, the two, having regained their senses, exchanged a look.

“Miss Ai’er, please come with me.”

That’s what she said, but Ai’er was practically half-dragged away from the garden by the Head Maid.

But before entering the house, Ai’er looked towards where Sebas and Elena were—Mister Sebas probably had something to say to Elena.

Though only for a moment, Ai’er saw Sebas’s slightly furrowed brow.

After a year’s absence—though she’d basically slept through it and didn’t feel much—she had indeed returned once more to the place where everything began.

And judging by Sebas’s expression, something must have happened in the Duchy… But now, taking advantage of the Head Maid dragging her away, she didn’t need to think of an excuse to temporarily leave Elena’s side.

The box Lady Serina left for Elena was important, but there were even more important matters…

For example—

The three boxes Sirius had given to Lady Serina that she had seen through the system before, and also…

At this moment, Ai’er shifted her attention to a corner of her vision. The words “Current Capture Progress: 20%” were still clearly visible.

The reason the capture progress hadn’t changed… After thinking about it all last night, Ai’er had formed a hypothesis.

Including the occasional feelings of déjà vu from the moment she met Elena until now, and the various anomalies of the system…

This so-called “capture” might not be what she thought it was.

If her assumption was correct—Ow!

Not looking ahead, Ai’er bumped into the Head Maid who had suddenly stopped. Unconsciously, they had already arrived at the door of the dressing room.

“Mew-ow!”

After a cute cry of distress, Ai’er once again covered her reddening nose.

“Sorry, sorry! Miss Ai’er, is your nose alright?”

“It’s fine… it’s still on my face.”

First it was Elena, now the Head Maid. If she bumps into something else next time, Ai’er estimates her nose will be crooked.

The Head Maid was about to say something else but suddenly closed her mouth. After hesitating for a moment, she still opened the dressing room door.

“Please come in, Miss Ai’er, and then…”

Ai’er froze the moment she stepped into the room.

She blinked, not understanding why all the servants of the mansion were standing in this room.

The servants were all silent, standing in a standard and elegant manner. The moment Ai’er entered the room, they all bowed deeply towards her.

“Huh? O.o?

Um, Head Maid, what is this—Head Maid?!”

Ai’er had just turned sideways when she froze again.

Even the Head Maid behind her had bowed her body almost 90 degrees in a salute to Ai’er.

“Miss Ai’er, the entire household staff of the House of Duke White hereby expresses our highest respect for your selfless act of saving Miss Elena.”

The moment the Head Maid finished speaking, all the servants bowed even deeper, making Ai’er even more flustered.

“And then… we also ask you to accept our apology.

You were willing to respond to our impudent request, willing to sacrifice yourself for Miss Elena… Yet we, as Miss Elena’s servants, were powerless and could only place all our hopes on you. It is truly shameful and a dereliction of duty.

We do not beg for your forgiveness, but if you require any assistance, the entire household staff of the House of Duke White will spare no effort to serve you.

Finally—

Thank you, for saving our Young Lady. Thank you…”

Facing the nearly inverted-L bows of all of Elena’s servants, Ai’er, at a loss, hugged her own head and ruffled her silver hair.

“Don’t be like this! I-I’m so embarrassed… Please get up! Everyone, please get up QAQ!”

She’s alive and well, isn’t she! What’s with the funeral farewell ceremony vibe?!

[Remaining Lifespan: 178 Days.]

Although it’s true she’ll be lying in a coffin in half a year, at least she’s alive and well now~ Right?

“Thank you for your consideration, Miss Ai’er.”

After everyone stood up, a maid presented a new maid outfit in front of Ai’er.

Different from the one Ai’er was currently wearing, this new maid outfit… had almost completely lost any resemblance to a maid outfit.

O.O…

“I-Is this really a maid outfit?”

“Yes, Miss Ai’er. This was made according to Miss Elena’s wishes, altered from one of the Young Lady’s formal dresses.”

This new “maid outfit” was even more extravagant than the one she was currently wearing.

If she wore this in public, who could possibly tell she was a maid?

“…No. I don’t want this one.”

“Does Miss Ai’er think this one isn’t pretty? But there are no other suitable clothes in the mansion for the time being.”

No, that’s definitely a lie.

Look, that maid standing by the wall has a similar figure to mine, doesn’t she?

“…Do I really have to wear this?”

Forget about whether it’s pretty or not, look at this lace design, look at all these jewel embellishments all over, look at all these ribbons and streamers…

Tsk tsk tsk.

If she really put this on, would she even be able to walk?

Ai’er shook her head and let out a soft sigh.

No good, she still had things to do in this mansion… If she had to wear this, then she’d just have to be blunt about it.

After all, being pushed along all the time wasn’t her style either.

“I can wear this, but I have a condition.”

As she finished speaking, Ai’er wiped all expression from her face and looked back seriously into the Head Maid’s eyes.

“Lady Serina’s grave… take me there.”