After the dreamlike night of the party personally prepared by Lady Yuria, life resumed as usual.
As always, I cleaned the entire Azure Palace meticulously, tended to the garden, developed new dishes to serve Lady Yuria, brewed delicious tea to help her studies—a continuous routine of repetitive tasks that hadn’t changed much.
The Azure Palace was in such a secluded location that visitors were rare, and no one ever happened to pass by.
Naturally, the same pattern of daily life repeated itself.
Lady Yuria didn’t often go out either; at most, she would step into the small garden next to the palace for a breath of fresh air.
Compared to the attendants of other members of the imperial family, who accompanied their masters to dozens of places in a day, my life was nothing but peaceful.
Of course, deep down, I didn’t entirely lack the desire to visit various places like them.
But for me, the happiest place in the world was by Lady Yuria’s side.
It didn’t matter where the place was, as long as I was with her—that was my unchanging, sincere truth.
But… sometimes, I thought it wouldn’t be so bad if something exciting happened to break the monotony of this dull routine.
For instance, when I last went out shopping, I accidentally came across a dazzling traveling theater troupe.
Or the time I came home late, fearing scolding, only to find out everyone had prepared a surprise party for me.
Unexpected new experiences from the outside world.
Not every day, but if such things happened occasionally, I thought it might be nice.
It was not long after I held onto this small hope that, surprisingly, it came true.
Whether the heavens answered my wish or not, I didn’t know, but the event really happened.
The problem, however, was that good news and bad news arrived almost simultaneously.
***
“Kaya, listen carefully and try not to be surprised. I’ve been invited to Mother’s birthday banquet this time! This has never happened before… I still can’t believe it. It feels like a dream.”
“Miss Kaya, I’m sorry. I’ve tried my best, but it’s just not possible. I suggest you tell Lady Yuria the truth and come up with a plan together…”
The good news was that Lady Yuria, who had always been ignored by the imperial family, was invited for the first time to the Empress’s birthday banquet—a high-society event no one could have predicted.
The bad news was the dire financial state of the Azure Palace, which had now plunged into a deficit that simple frugality could no longer resolve.
Hearing these two pieces of news on the same day left me unable to laugh, yet too uncertain to cry.
It was Lady Yuria’s first entrance into high society after being thoroughly overlooked by the royal family until now.
Just thinking about it filled me with joy, as if I could fly to the sky.
But, of all times, our finances had to hit a critical point during such an important moment.
Logically, as Mark suggested, the best course of action was to discuss the matter with Lady Yuria.
We could reduce the usual food expenses or cut back on other expenditures to prepare the necessary funds—that would have been the practical choice.
However, the timing made things difficult.
I didn’t want to ruin Lady Yuria’s mood by bringing up financial troubles while she was looking forward to the upcoming banquet with such excitement.
In the end, there was only one way to resolve the financial issue of the Azure Palace without informing her.
I had to find a way to earn money externally and fill the financial gap myself.
You might ask if that was even feasible, but it wasn’t entirely impossible.
While taking a regular job that required daily attendance was unrealistic, the vast and populous Thracion offered plenty of ways to earn money outside of that.
Among them, the most realistic option for me to earn a large amount of money in a short time was through guild assignments—especially mercenary-related tasks requiring combat skills.
The industry’s straightforward nature—complete a clear assignment, get paid, and move on—meant that as long as I masked my face and hid my automaton identity, it wouldn’t be hard to keep my secret.
With my skills, most assignments would be as easy as eating porridge.
It was the perfect way to earn money given my current circumstances.
Still, there was a simple reason why I had never attempted it until now.
It was my steadfast belief as Lady Yuria’s sole maid and my deep-rooted reluctance to use this power intentionally.
Using my combat abilities to earn money would surely improve our financial situation, but at the cost of compromising my identity as a maid.
It would lead to a profound inner conflict.
Moreover, choosing that path would mean acknowledging myself as the “weapon” I so vehemently denied being.
Thus, despite being frequently tempted by this option during financial hardships, I had never acted on it.
But now, unlike before, I found myself seriously considering it.
‘Would I protect the sweet dream of Lady Yuria, who was basking in unexpected happiness?’
‘Or would I firmly uphold the values I had long cherished as a maid?’
It was an agonizing choice, and I couldn’t easily favor either side.
Naturally, my deep inner turmoil began to affect my daily life.
Even Mark, and eventually Lady Yuria, noticed my distracted and absentminded behavior, expressing their concern over my unusual demeanor.
While I considered confiding in Mark about my struggles, I ultimately chose silence.
Knowing his preference for stability and reason, his algorithm would likely dismiss the idea immediately as too dangerous.
I didn’t distrust Mark, but there was still the possibility that he might decide to report our current financial situation directly to her under his own judgment.
I couldn’t completely rule that out.
So, unable to confide in anyone, I spent my remaining days agonizing in silence.
Just when I had almost resolved to follow Mark’s suggestion, a pivotal incident occurred that would ultimately determine my choice.
“… Lady Yuria? Are you serious about this?”
“Yes… but there’s no helping it. We can’t afford such luxuries in our current situation. But it’s fine! I’m attending this banquet for the sake of being there, not to show off. So, Kaya, you don’t need to worry about it too much.”
She waved her hand dismissively, trying to appear nonchalant, but Lady Yuria couldn’t completely hide the tinge of regret on her face as she looked at my expression of utter shock.
That’s right.
I had been so preoccupied with other matters that I had overlooked the most important part—the dress Lady Yuria would wear to the banquet.
Thinking about it now, it was only natural.
This wasn’t just an ordinary tea party or a small gathering; it was the Empress’s birthday banquet, a celebration hosted by the living incarnation of authority in our nation.
The thought of attending such an important event in a simple, everyday dress was mortifying even to imagine.
Considering the sharp eyes of the upper class directed toward Lady Yuria, they would surely spew harsh words again this time.
‘They’ll mock and insult her with sneering laughter, without even considering our circumstances.’
To make matters worse, Lady Yuria, whose skin tone differed from theirs, naturally stood out among them.
What would happen afterward played vividly in my mind, even without much thought.
If I, an outsider, could easily imagine such a scenario, then Lady Yuria, the person involved, must have been more acutely aware of it than anyone else.
Even so, she couldn’t bring herself to give up, because who knew when such an opportunity would come again?
Perhaps, in the worst case, a chance like this might never come again.
By the time I reached that conclusion, something in my mind snapped.
At the same time, my almost resigned thoughts flipped into burning determination and resolve.
‘A dress? I’ll make sure she has one, no matter what it takes.’
If it meant I could prevent Lady Yuria from facing such humiliation, then a small compromise on my convictions was a price I was willing to pay.
Once I finished my daily tasks and returned to my room, I sat down with a resolute expression and began drafting a detailed plan.
Keeping everything a secret from everyone and discreetly carrying out this task became my top priority.
It felt as though I had become a child plotting mischief behind their parents’ backs, but by then, nothing could stop me.
At that moment, my mind was entirely consumed by the image of Lady Yuria becoming the star of the banquet in a radiant and beautiful dress.
***
“Hah…”
In the heart of Thracion, the imperial capital.
Somewhere within the Security Headquarters building near the royal palace.
A young demon, dressed neatly in a uniform, let out a deep sigh as he brushed a hand down his face, reading documents at his desk.
His tall, handsome appearance was marred by dark circles under his eyes, giving him a tired and pitiable look that would evoke sympathy in anyone who saw him.
This man was none other than Maxwell, the leader of Team Three in the Secret Security Division of the Capital Security Bureau.
Once an elite on a smooth path, born into a good family and possessing decent skills that garnered high expectations, Maxwell had recently encountered a massive problem.
And the presence before him now only served to exacerbate his troubles.
Sitting casually with one leg crossed and filing her nails was a beastkin woman exuding an air of decadence.
Her appearance, with a black leather jacket and a short skirt, was striking.
Despite her feline tail, ears, and vertically slit pupils, she otherwise looked almost entirely human.
If encountered on the streets, she would certainly turn heads.
Her appearance was that of a black-furred feline beastkin, closely resembling a human.
However, her unique appearance wasn’t the main issue that plagued Maxwell.
He raised his hand slightly from his face to glance at her before letting out another heavy sigh, as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.
‘Why can’t anything go smoothly these days?’
Internally lamenting his situation, the overworked demon naturally began recalling the chain of events that had led to his current predicament.