A Gift from the Imperial Princess 『Rana Ansus』
While Calix was still reeling from the shocking gift, Harte stepped forward first and took Rana to the reception room.
Once in the reception room, Harte… had tea with Rana.
"Well, it's been a long time, Rana."
"Yes, it is good to see you again, Granduncle Harte."
Harte's name was Harte Ansus.
To put it simply, Rana was Harte's grandniece.
However, Harte, who had little attachment to the Ansus family, hardly ever returned to the household.
The last time he had seen Rana was five years ago, at the funeral of his older brother—Rana's grandfather.
"Yes, I heard you entered the Novarens Academy in the capital. Have you already graduated?"
"Yes, I graduated this year."
The last time Harte had seen Rana, she had been a bright, cheerful little girl.
To think that the cute little girl who had bragged to him about getting into the Novarens Academy, a prestigious school in the capital, had become so cold... Harte felt bitter about many things.
"Your grades... I suppose there's no need to ask."
"Yes, I graduated at the top of the class."
"As expected, there was no need to ask."
"My apologies. There is little else I can boast of, so I wished to tell you."
"...Is that so."
Harte felt relieved that some things hadn't changed, which slightly alleviated his bitterness.
He had felt it ever since she was young, but to Harte's eyes, Rana had always had an odd side to her.
"When did you go to the Imperial Princess?"
"After graduating, I was sent there by my father's order."
Harte felt a surge of emotion.
Because the face of Rana's father—his nephew—came to mind.
Feeling anger toward his nephew, who had used his own daughter as a tool for the family's prosperity, Harte nevertheless spoke calmly.
"So that wretch ultimately made such a choice... Are you alright?"
"My will is of no importance. What matters is only the will of the family and my master."
"Yes... Is that so."
'What matters is only the will of the family and the master.'
It was the family motto of House Ansus, a prestigious family of servants that had produced butlers and maids for three hundred years.
The reason they had sent him here, and the reason they had sent Rana here, was all because of that motto.
Setting aside his anger, Harte asked Rana as the steward of Cron.
"Yes, Rana... What orders did you receive from the Imperial Princess?"
"I was told to serve Lord Calix with all my heart as my master."
"Is that all?"
"..."
"Yes... As I suspected."
Harte already knew of the Imperial Princess's methods from rumors.
Using vast rewards and authority, she would hire servants, mold them into perfect butlers and maids, and then send them as gifts to her supporters.
Comprised of carefully selected beauties and handsome men even within the Empire, her servants would devote themselves wholeheartedly to serving her supporters, guiding them to pledge loyalty to the Imperial Princess.
Several lords who knew of her methods wished to refuse the gift, but because it was a gift from the Imperial Princess, they could not easily send it back, and after living together, they would eventually fall to her—or to their servants.
Harte could easily guess that Rana, too, had likely been sent with such intentions.
"Rana, promise me just one thing."
"Yes, please speak, Uncle Harte."
Since things had already come to this, there was no sending Rana back.
Then, as the steward of House Cron, he had no choice but to act in whatever way best served his lord.
"Lord Calix is a lord who will become the Empire's treasure. No matter what happens, become his strength."
"Yes, I swear it on the honor of House Ansus."
"Very well, I leave it to you."
Harte knew his grandniece's abilities very well.
He asked her to become a source of strength for his lord, whom he regarded as his own child.
* * *
"And so, from today, I shall serve you with utmost devotion, Lord Calix."
"Y-Yes. I'm counting on you, Rana."
Having received Harte's permission, Rana became my maid that very day.
A beautiful girl with cold eyes—the kind who could effortlessly become the center of an idol group—had become my personal maid. As a man, I couldn't hide my joy.
But knowing what I knew about her, I couldn't hide my sorrow either.
『Rana Ansus』 was a character who possessed the most versatile position abilities among maid characters.
She was an all-purpose multi-support who could help with everything from the most basic household chores like cooking, cleaning, and laundry to administration, politics, and diplomacy.
But above all, what could be called her greatest trait was her dual class. During the day, she worked as a 『Maid』, but when night fell, she could also act as an 『Assassin』.
The shock of seeing the prim and proper maid who worked diligently during the day go to an enemy territory at night and slit an enemy lord's throat was something I still couldn't forget.
However, the problem now was that the assassination target could very well end up being me.
The chances of that were probably close to zero, but if the Imperial Princess ordered her to kill me, it would be a truly dangerous situation.
"My lord, your complexion is pale?"
"I suppose it's because the weather is quite cold today. I'll close the window."
I barely swallowed the words "It's because of you!" that had nearly slipped out and began my first task with Super Maid Rana at my side.
And that day, I properly understood why she was called a Super Maid.
"My lord, I have brought the documents you will need."
"Ah, thank you."
Without a word, she would be working in the office and then bring me the necessary materials exactly when I needed them.
It was so natural that I almost wondered if I had asked her for them in advance.
"My lord, I have brought tea."
And whenever I was tired or my mouth felt idle, she brought tea.
The tea was astonishingly delicious.
To think the aroma could differ so much depending on the person, even using the same tea leaves... I couldn't help but marvel.
"It's amazing. I can't believe these are the same tea leaves."
"Of course. Because I am the perfect maid."
At my praise, Rana seemed pleased, like a happy puppy that had been complimented.
Of course, her eyes remained cold and expressionless.
And her abilities didn't end there.
Noah said she had something to ask Rana for a moment and took her outside.
Worried that the two might fight, I followed them and watched the situation from afar.
The first move was Noah's turn.
"Your name is Rana, right? Are you prepared to devote yourself sincerely to the lord?"
"I am."
At Rana's immediate answer, Noah looked her over carefully with a characteristic sharp gaze.
Having seen something, she looked slightly surprised, then spoke with a somewhat disgruntled expression.
"Hmph, it doesn't seem to be a lie."
She approached Rana.
Then, straightening her face, she put on a frightening expression and pressured Rana as she spoke.
"Just in case, I'll say this. I'm always watching, so you had better serve the lord well. Understood?"
Even from afar, Noah's intimidating words made me shrink back, but Rana answered with a serene expression.
"Understood, Mistress Noah."
At Rana's words, Noah's expression crumbled in an instant.
Noah, who had transformed from a dark merchant into a docile girl, didn't know what to do.
"M-Mistress!?"
"Am I mistaken? I was certain that Lady Noah appeared to be the mistress."
"Ah! No. Not yet... Even so, it... it sounds nice. Mistress."
Noah's face turned red, and she was completely disarmed.
To think she could so easily captivate even Noah with just a few words. As expected of a Super Maid.
"I look forward to working with you, Rana."
"Yes, I look forward to working with you too, Lady Noah."
In that way, the two seemed to have become friends.
Should I consider this a good thing...?
At any rate, I was relieved that it seemed I wouldn't have to witness a catfight right before my eyes.
* * *
The first day with Rana passed.
Rana finished the day by crushing the spirits of the maids working in our household with her tremendous abilities.
According to Harte, three maids had already submitted leave requests, saying they would go train more.
Splash-!
"Ah... that hits the spot."
As I soaked in the warm water, I could feel the fatigue in my body vanish in an instant.
I thought while bathing.
I had known that the Imperial Princess sent people, but I had never imagined she would dispatch a maid like this.
...No, come to think of it now, if I recalled the walkthrough posts on strategy sites saying that you could see something incredible by becoming allies with the Imperial Princess as a male lord, this was probably something I could have fully anticipated.
I suppose I was just an idiot for not thinking that far ahead.
Getting back to the point, if I sorted out the situation, the Imperial Princess's goal was likely to pull me to her side.
Rana's role was probably to induce that and relay information about our territory to the Imperial Princess.
And if I tried to side with the Imperial Prince's faction, perhaps her mission also included assassinating me and fleeing.
They say keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but isn't this a little too close?
That aside, how would Rana try to pull me into the Imperial Princess's faction?
If I were the Imperial Princess...
As I was submerged in the bathtub, thinking that very thought—
The bathroom door opened, and I heard a voice.
"My lord, allow me to wash your back."
There stood Rana, covering her beautifully proportioned body with nothing but a towel.
It was spring.