Although… she had no clue about cleaning or taking care of people at all…
Her real purpose wasn’t to actually work as a maid!
Because whether it was Sister Ruilier’s combat skills or this young lady’s keen insight… they were perfect role models she wanted to learn from!
Besides… she had just witnessed it with her own eyes!
She had seen those extraordinary, reality-defying special abilities.
Compared to Sister Ruilier’s incredibly fast swordsmanship, or the mercenaries’ robust physiques, these abilities were far more suited to this otherworldly realm—
Or rather… magic!
If she could learn even a tiny bit of the essence from these powerful women, maybe she could take the first step toward her 【Avenger】 goal!
And just now, she overheard them mentioning a possible upcoming war.
Though she didn’t know what a High One was, just thinking about a war made her realize how terrifying it would be.
She had wanted to care for her sister for a while before, but now… she had to do something!!
Ha… huh?
This… even comes with a buy-one-get-one-free deal?
But honestly, Ileya didn’t want to keep this “time bomb” around her.
On the other hand…
Since the other party was also a “Transmigrator” like herself, and not planning to kill her, leaving her outside her sight definitely wouldn’t put her mind at ease.
So why not take this opportunity to keep her close? That way, she could monitor her constantly and control her pace of growth.
That would be… killing two birds with one stone?
“You… don’t even qualify to be my maid…”
Though a thousand thoughts had already flashed through her mind and her plan was set, how could she casually let someone become her maid?
“Ugh.”
Although a bit dissatisfied, what the other said was indeed true.
She had no recruitment value, and besides summoning the Holy Sword, she really couldn’t do anything else.
But…
“I will work hard to learn! I… I also want to protect my family in the disaster to come! Please! Please give me a chance!”
As she said this, Holly bowed deeply once more at a perfect ninety degrees!
In her previous life, whenever people came to plead with her father, this was how they acted.
“Hmm…” Ileya seemed to sense her sincerity.
She stroked her chin and nodded slightly.
“Alright then~ I’ll give you three days. If you can pass the test, I’ll let you stay by my side as an apprentice maid. If not… you can’t come with us.”
“Test… what kind of test?” Holly raised her head excitedly.
Though she didn’t know what the test entailed, at least it was a chance for an “interview”!
She was determined to seize it!
“Well… you’ll find out naturally on the last day. For now… you’d better think about how to convince your family~”
…
Before the towering white city walls, two giant statues wielding holy spears stood guard at the enormous city gate.
From atop the walls, looking inside the city… any outsider would be awestruck by the same wonder.
Is this… the royal capital?
An expanse of buildings spreading thousands of miles, clustering around the huge white castle in the center…
Above the castle floated spires emitting faint azure light.
Compared to the wealth and popularity of the Crystal Capital, this place exuded solemnity and sanctity.
This was also the most impregnable and magnificent royal capital, Rhedimgon.
The strongest army, the pope of the religion, and the royal family of the Kingdom… all gathered here.
This was the very heart of the human Kingdom!
At this moment…
Inside the white castle, a tall man dressed in black court attire, draped with a gray fur shawl over his shoulders, with pale golden short hair and red eyes, strode through the halls.
“Good evening, Marquis.”
Along the way, whether maids or guards, upon seeing this cold-faced man, they would instinctively stop and respectfully bow.
Not for any other reason than because he was Grosset Bateos Marquis, the Uncrowned King of East County.
Ileya’s father.
Since arriving at the royal capital, anyone with eyes could tell that the Marquis’s mood hadn’t been good.
Even when facing His Majesty and the two Grand Dukes, he wore a stoic expression.
Others felt that whatever matter the king had summoned the great nobles to discuss must be extremely important and grave.
But…
Those who knew this man very well understood that he was simply displeased because he had been away from his wife for too long.
Just like now…
“Grosset~”
The Marquis had just turned a corner when he saw a middle-aged man waving and smiling at him.
Though handsome in a mature way, the man sported a mustache curled upward like a Nutcracker.
This gave him an air of authority but also made him look somewhat comical.
“Tsk…” But upon seeing him, Grosset frowned unhappily.
He turned around, intending to walk in the opposite direction.
“Hey, hey, hey! Grosset, come on now~ Even if you’re upset, there’s no need to avoid me like that~”
The Nutcracker jogged forward a few steps, smiling warmly as he patted Grosset’s shoulder.
Whoosh!
The Marquis waved his hand and knocked the man’s palm off his shoulder.
His expression clearly said… don’t try to get close to me!
“Look, this isn’t my idea… If His Majesty says so, what can I do?”
The Nutcracker shrugged helplessly as he spoke.
“Besides… with East County’s position and the defensive line His Majesty’s assigned you, if war really breaks out, do you think you’ll have the heart to protect your family?”
As he spoke, his tone grew heavier, lightly stroking his mustache.
“Everyone can see this is His Majesty’s expedient plan to keep your precious daughter under his watchful eye… but from another angle, wouldn’t she be safer that way?”
Indeed… that was the truth.
Once the war broke out, East County could very well become the first battlefield in an instant.
And Grosset Marquis, naturally, had to be the Kingdom’s frontline, leading the Crystal Capital’s people to repel the High Ones’ invasion.
Though the royal family always trusted the Bateos family deeply, some matters couldn’t be covered by mere “trust.”
The royal family wasn’t just the King alone.
Therefore, they needed some very important people related to the Marquis to be under the royal family’s watchful eye.
Only then could they truly rest assured.
At first… the King wanted the Fourth Prince to marry Ileya.
A prince who seemed gentle on the surface but was actually extremely scheming.
But Bateos knew his daughter’s nature well… tough on the outside but somewhat fragile within, easily controlled and manipulated.
Marrying such a scheming prince would mean becoming nothing more than a pawn.
So he strongly resisted.
Fortunately, his childhood playmate and now close friend, the Nutcracker—Grand Duke Kelvidi—walking beside Grosset at this moment, stepped in.
Since Kelvidi also had royal blood, his request to marry Grosset’s daughter to his son gained the King’s approval.
This was the royal family’s greatest concession.
Though it was a rescue, facing the future father-in-law, Grosset still wore a sour expression.
He even secretly wished to challenge the man to a one-on-one duel.