When I think about it, so many things have happened to get to this day.
It all started with a dangerous adventure that I would never have taken under normal circumstances.
From being recognized for my skills in the guild to meeting Riel, the spirit mage.
The hidden village of humans under the capital, and the unexpected encounter with a terrorist organization.
Now, when I think back to that monster called “the angel,” I still can’t figure out how I defeated it, even though I was the one who did.
Moreover, if what the human man who seemed to be the main culprit said was true, then it was essentially me and Riel who protected today’s blessed moment.
Of course, Riel’s mission was always that, and I had received appropriate compensation for it, so I never expected anything beyond that.
On the other hand, thanks to that, I was able to sleep in the same bed as Lucia after a long time, so for me, that alone was an irreplaceable reward.
In the end, everything could be summed up as a mysterious and strange experience, like a dream from the night before.
Although I had many moments of confusion and doubt throughout the process… still, thanks to it, I could confirm their true feelings.
The one who loves and cherishes me more than anything else, my master♡
And that person erased useless memories “for me.”
That alone was enough.
As they wanted, I decided to ignore all the strange phenomena and not think about them at all.
Letting go of the past that doesn’t even come to mind, and focusing solely on the present.
The answer was clear: focus on the life of a maid right in front of me.
Once I reached that definite conclusion, I was finally able to clear up the confusion in my mind.
Now, all that remained was to prepare for the last moment and support Yuria with all my might in her first debut in high society.
Among all that, the thing I focused the most on was, of course, her appearance.
After finishing the subtle size adjustments for the dress I had been working on for a few days, I also applied meticulous makeup with the various tools I had previously bought.
As a result of all this hard work, the final outcome was beyond imagination.
The original was already from a different level, and with the proper makeup, the beauty could only be described as blooming.
With the addition of the highest-quality dress, it was the perfect match.
Even though it wasn’t custom-made, it was so perfect that it could easily be said to be a dress made specifically for Yuria.
As I praised my own keen judgment and expressed satisfaction, Yuria’s reaction, however, was far from what I expected.
When she faced her reflection in the mirror, her expression was not one of surprise but had instead sunk into coldness.
Even her red eyes, usually so vivid, seemed unnaturally calm to the point of being chilling.
I approached her with concern, and though she returned to normal as if nothing had happened, the unease was still there.
If I were to cautiously guess, Yuria was probably extremely nervous.
She might not have shown it until now, but as the banquet was approaching, it must have reached its limit.
A massive stage she had never experienced before, something unimaginable.
And once she entered, the countless, persistent gazes would not be friendly.
No matter how much I tried to think positively, I couldn’t ignore the realistic factors. I forced a smile as I looked at her and sighed inwardly.
…I wish I could go into the banquet hall with her.
This wasn’t a selfish desire to enjoy the party, but a deep sigh of my pure intention to protect Yuria.
Naturally, the grand banquet hall of the imperial palace, which His Majesty had directly ordered, did not allow servants to enter.
In the end, I could only accompany her to the main gate of the palace by carriage, but after that, she would have to handle everything alone.
All I could do was pray inside the carriage that she would return safely.
It was a reality I could hardly accept, but in a way, it was only natural.
No matter how much I was recognized as Yuria’s one and only maid, I was still just a mere automaton, not even a demon.
I was a lifeless doll that could be recreated anytime as long as there was enough material and skill, interchangeable with any model.
At that moment, I couldn’t help but recall the last words Riel had said to me.
The mysterious black cat tribe summoner, muttering an unbelievable story about being more like a living creature than a machine, while looking at me.
At the time, I dismissed it as nonsense and forgot about it until now, but at this very moment, I sincerely prayed.
If that were true, I would want to escape from this doll-like body bound by restrictions and obtain a real living creature’s flesh.
Even if it’s just for tonight, I wish to stay by that person’s side at the banquet.
Well, the harsh truth that nothing would actually change remains unchanged, though.
***
After spending a long time with preparations and decorations, the tense atmosphere grew as time passed, and finally, my moment of reckoning arrived.
The festival’s excitement surrounding the entire capital had reached its peak, and the Eternal Night Capital, Trassion, was shining more brilliantly than ever.
The heated intensity, which had almost reached its climax, contrasted sharply with the deep darkness and stillness of the Blue Palace, creating a chilling atmosphere.
Meanwhile, standing at the main gate of the Blue Palace at the appointed time, I was anxiously waiting for something, when I suddenly opened my eyes wide at a sound coming from far away.
An unidentified object was swiftly crossing the dark road, lit only by moonlight, and heading this way.
Before long, the object revealed itself to be a massive carriage, as expected.
A splendid carriage with dazzling jewels and a classic design.
As expected from a special carriage used in the imperial palace, it moved on its own, powered by magic rather than being pulled by horses, which immediately caught my attention.
Totally absorbed, I stared at the approaching carriage for a while, but as I regained my senses, I hurriedly moved toward Lady Yuria, who was waiting inside.
***
Later, during the ride in the carriage, I was told that Lady Yuria had been invited by none other than one of the Four Heavenly Kings, Selene.
A genius in magical engineering, she had reached a level far beyond the previous generations and made significant contributions to the empire’s development.
She was recognized as a hero and, for the first time as a non-combatant, became one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
Of course, I had never met her before and probably never would, but naturally, a question arose in my mind.
‘Why in the world would such a high-ranking individual suddenly offer such a golden opportunity without any prior warning?’
It was a natural question, because, more often than not, kindness without a specific reason or price is usually motivated by something else.
Especially if the one offering such a favor was someone like her, one of the Four Heavenly Kings with remarkable intellect.
On the other hand, from Lady Yuria’s and our perspective, we weren’t in a position to be picky, but I’m sure both Mark and I were thinking the same thing.
Given that, I debated whether to express my personal thoughts on the matter, but ultimately, I chose silence.
After all, now that we had come this far, there was no turning back.
Moreover, Lady Yuria didn’t seem to suspect her either, so I didn’t want to create unnecessary worries by interfering at such an important moment.
In the end, the only words that came out of my mouth were nothing but encouragement and support.
***
Meanwhile, as the light outside the carriage grew stronger and more intense, it reached a point where it could no longer be ignored.
Finally, the carriage we were riding in arrived at its destination.
The luxurious carriage slowly slowed down, coming to a full stop after a while.
Then, the carriage door cautiously opened, and a demon knight, standing with perfect posture, extended a polite hand.
The knight who had brought the carriage with the coachman—who I assumed was one of Selene’s subordinates, based on the invitation and the carriage—caught my full attention for a while.
I hadn’t been able to observe him well when we first met at the Blue Palace, due to the surrounding darkness, but in this brightly lit place, I could see his features more clearly.
He wore a neat uniform and had a strong, well-built physique, forged through intense training.
While I couldn’t fully gauge his abilities, his raw strength was certainly not comparable to the thugs in the street.
According to Lady Yuria, the invitation and carriage had come from one of the Four Heavenly Kings, Selene, so it made sense that the knight was likely her subordinate as well.
…Though, if it came to a contest of strength, I probably would be stronger.
‘If we were comparing sheer physical power, I wouldn’t lose to anyone, so I couldn’t help but think that maybe I should have been the one escorting Lady Yuria.’
It felt a little like my designated seat had been taken away, and I sighed deeply inwardly.
At that moment, Lady Yuria stood up and gently placed her hand on top of the knight’s extended hand.
With a brief farewell, she got out of the carriage in the blink of an eye, and I was left alone, watching her figure gradually disappear from view.
With a gaze filled with worry, anxiety, expectation, and nervousness.
Regretting my position, knowing I had no choice but to stay here and wait silently.