Five days had passed since the incident in the hall, and for now, peaceful days continued.
Though I say that, my daily life was essentially self-imposed confinement.
"Why is Master not properly evaluated?"
"There's bias, and I'm the one applying it."
"I propose improvements."
"I reject them. I wish to remain a harmless prince quietly devoted to alchemy."
"That is already a failed endeavor, making such efforts futile."
"Hey, Sephira Sephiroth. Have a little more consideration for people's feelings."
Ever since then, Sephira Sephiroth had been noisy.
She was quiet when handling toxic minerals, but became noisy when performing familiar distillation of alcohol.
Just as I thought this, she suddenly went quiet, so when I grew suspicious, she made another bombshell statement.
"More than ten people are ascending the stairs."
"It shouldn't be Marquis Strateg. Your Highness Asha, this way."
Ikuto, who had been watching our exchange, moved upon receiving Sephira's warning.
We stopped the dangerous experiments and headed to the Blue Room where Helkov and Wearrel were waiting.
"Oh, Ikuto heard it too?"
Helkov turned around, twitching his bear ears, while beside him Wearrel pricked up his triangular ears.
"Sephira Sephiroth detected it. More than ten people—who do you think it is?"
"I heard the sound of swords being lowered, so I thought it was the palace guards?"
Wearrel looked at Ikuto, who shook his head.
"Given Your Highness Asha's particular circumstances, we decided that if visitors come, only two would stand outside, while inside would be limited to Marquis Strateg and Levan."
When was such an arrangement decided?
In any case, this seemed like too many people for Marquis Strateg.
"Wearrel, you go with His Highness to the Gold Room. We'll—"
Just as Helkov was speaking, there came a knock.
The voice heard from outside belonged to my father's close associate with the bob cut—such a thing had never happened before.
With my permission, Helkov opened the door.
"His Majesty the Emperor and Her Highness the Consort are visiting."
"Why?"
When I asked reflexively, he frowned.
It's been a while since I've seen that expression.
In any case, it was a sudden visit.
Following the bob-cut's instructions, we were to move chairs and desks usable for receiving guests from the salon to the wide waiting room of the Gold Room.
Even as we hurriedly moved the furniture, they were already arriving.
I had hoped to buy some time, but the bob-cut remained by the wall, still frowning.
"Sorry for the suddenness, Asha."
"No, this place is part of Your Majesty's property. There is no need to hesitate before anyone."
If this were our usual meeting, there would be twirling hugs, but today the Consort wore a severe expression, so both Father and I responded properly.
"Ah, um, what were you doing?"
"A bit of alchemy. Apologies for the rough attire."
Because the Consort was present, our conversation was stiffer than usual.
Also, I hadn't had time to change, so I was in my everyday clothes.
Moreover, since I had been doing alchemy, though I had removed my apron, I wore a shirt that could get dirty and a coat I had hastily thrown on.
"Alchemy, as in making gold?"
"Eh, no, discussing the growth of the spirit and the convergence of souls, you see."
I hadn't mentioned Sephira Sephiroth, nor could I say I had been making alcohol.
I spoke something that was neither a lie nor the truth, and my answer inevitably became vague.
A strange atmosphere flowed between us, an awkward silence fell, and the Consort let out a sigh.
"Even tea preparation is taking too long. Which house's maid are you using?"
The moment she said this, I stiffened, and my retainers' eyes widened.
Incidentally, the bob-cut also gasped.
That's right—no one had prepared any tea.
But it would be improper to offer no hospitality to the Emperor and Consort.
"My apologies for the impropriety. As I never invite people... Excuse me while I brew some."
"Can you do that, Asha?"
"Yes, I happen to have some good coffee."
Though it's actually material for alcohol.
Previously, when I tried it with Kahlua milk, the taste improved, so Molly procured even higher-grade beans.
"That won't be necessary."
But the Consort refused, directing a challenging gaze at me.
"Simply provide the house name of your maid."
"Um..."
I had no house name to provide, so I could only remain silent.
Then Father seemed to realize something and fell into thought.
Ah, it was only a matter of time before he noticed.
"There aren't any."
"What?"
"I have no maids."
Servants and maids are different.
Simply put, their roles differ based on the degree of involvement with the master.
There are servants to maintain the residence, deployed throughout the Left Wing.
But maids are a special profession who attend to me personally, and I have none.
Harty had filled that role, but since the wet nurse left, I had been doing it myself.
"Surely not, only Harty? Was there no handover? Ah, the wet nurse—is that why?"
Father seemed to realize from the beginning that no maids had been prepared.
I had reported that the wet nurse resigned due to remarriage, and I heard Father had blessed her as an individual and sent separate congratulatory money and a letter.
Father had probably expected a replacement for Harty, who had cared for me, to arrive.
However, the one who should have prepared that was Count Nistaf's household.
Harty could not personally request a replacement of sufficient rank to enter the palace, and the Count's house had no intention of providing one.
Of course, being a shut-in here as I was, I had no connections to noble ladies who could serve as maids.
"Such a thing is impossible. Then who exactly has been attending to the First Prince?"
The Consort panicked, suspecting I was speaking falsehoods.
"I can do it myself?"
"Dressing you? Serving your meals? Preparing your bath? You think you can deceive me by saying you can do such things yourself?"
"I dress myself. As for meals and baths... no, there are people who do it, so please don't worry."
Damn, Father's complexion looks bad.
I hadn't wanted to worry him, but the Consort's momentum made me answer thus.
"Asha."
"...Yes."
Called by an unusually serious voice, I hesitated before resigning myself to answer.
"Answer without deception or evasion. Who is the maid attending to you?"
"There is none."
"Other than Wearrel, Helkov, and Ikuto, who attends to you?"
"...There is no one."
Count Strateg and Levan's faces briefly floated into my mind, but it would be too pitiful to let them get dragged into this problem.
The one at fault is Count Nistaf, who should be my guardian but has abandoned his duty of care.
And Father was taking damage hearing this himself.
Yes, if he had left things alone and didn't know the situation, that would happen.
Yes, as a parent.
Learning that his child wasn't living properly, he would feel this way.
...Somehow, I'm a bit happy.
My parents in my previous life didn't care whether I ate or not, and when I collapsed from anemia due to overwork, they called me pathetic and got angry.
Compared to that, the father before me is ashamed of his negligence and filled with regret.
Because he is that kind of father, I remained silent, and from my experience as a commoner living alone in my previous life, it hadn't been suffering.
"...Asha."
"Yes."
"Show me your room."
"Eh?"
That would be problematic.
That thought escaped my voice.
Immediately, Father commanded me once more with the severe face of the Emperor.
"No evasion."
"...Yes."
By the wall, Wearrel held his forehead, Helkov looked up at the ceiling, and Ikuto covered his mouth to suppress a sigh.
Regular Update
Next Time: The Crab's Curse 5