“Miss Elisa!” Eve trotted over to Elisa.
Although she already knew the whole story, Elisa still put on an act and asked, “What are you two doing here?”
Simon replied, “As instructed, I went back to retrieve something and happened to see you and Miss Mabel.”
I never gave you any such order! You took it upon yourself, you male servant!
You’ve certainly grown bold, lying right to this baboon’s… this young lady’s face!
Still, preserving one’s master’s dignity through a lie was also an essential part of a servant’s etiquette.
Elisa made excuses for her male servant.
It wasn’t as though she could actually dismiss him and let him fall into Baron Percy’s hands!
“Perfect!” Mabel nodded. “We don’t need the male servant, but the maid can come with us. Let’s take a carriage to the East District!”
“Wait, I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” Elisa objected.
“I don’t like having male servants along,” Mabel said with a frown.
“It’s not about the male servant. The problem is that sneaking out over the wall will cause a huge commotion, especially when we’re going to the East District!” Elisa warned her.
The East District was a slum, and slums had always gone hand in hand with gangs. Ordinary citizens could pass through without trouble, but a fat sheep was bound to get fleeced!
Especially a fat sheep who looked every bit like a wealthy young lady!
“Is that so?” Mabel sighed. “Then we’ll just have a look around the outskirts and won’t go in.”
Simon turned his face away. That phrasing was far too familiar and brought back some unpleasant memories.
As expected of one of the three heroines in the story. Miss Mabel really knew how to stir things up.
Besides Mabel and Elisa, the third of the three was Eleanor.
Of the three, red-haired Miss Mabel was responsible for acting on sudden whims, black-haired Miss Eleanor for flashes of inspiration, and poor Miss Elisa for cleaning up the mess.
Eleanor had no direct involvement in this particular incident, but her influence was certainly felt.
“Elisa, please come with me, won’t you? Eleanor said she’s seen poor people, and I don’t want to lose to her!” Mabel clung to Elisa’s arm and gently shook it. “Really, I’ll just have a look!”
Elisa hesitated for a moment, then decided this was a good opportunity to grow closer to Mabel.
She agreed. “We’ll only take a look around the outskirts! We absolutely cannot go inside!”
Mabel smiled, then turned to Simon. “You can go shopping wherever you like. Have Julia reimburse your expenses!”
She didn’t want Simon coming along.
Much like her AA-cup figure, Miss Mabel had yet to grow up. She had no interest in men and only wanted to spend time with her girlfriends.
Under normal circumstances, Simon would never have turned down an offer of paid leisure time, but this time was different.
“I’ve been to the East District before. I could serve as Miss Mabel’s guide,” he suggested softly.
Mabel blinked, hesitating.
“Eve doesn’t know how to drive a carriage, and hiring one would be rather inconvenient,” Simon added.
Mabel reluctantly agreed.
The carriage was parked at the entrance to the alley. The two young ladies and the maid climbed aboard, and Simon flicked the reins. The wheels rattled over the cobblestone road as they sped toward the East District.
Inside the carriage, Elisa marveled at how useful her male servant could be.
I always thought he was just slacking off, but when something actually needs doing, he really steps up!
Maybe his previous duties were too trivial and meaningless, so he couldn’t be bothered with them. But when he’s truly needed, he rises to the occasion!
Just like those unsung heroes who quietly devote themselves to others!
Elisa was a little touched and was considering whether to give her male servant a raise when the screen suddenly stirred.
[Intimacy +3]
I haven’t even mentioned a raise yet, so why did your Intimacy suddenly go up?!
Delighted, Elisa opened [Simon’s Log] to take a look.
[Simon has decided to improve his relationship with Miss Mabel in preparation for a possible change of employment.]
[Miss Elisa seems to have ulterior motives toward him. By comparison, Miss Mabel who dislikes male servants makes him feel much more at ease.]
[A faint sense of guilt toward Miss Elisa rose in his heart.]
Elisa clenched her fists.
So your Intimacy went up because you felt guilty toward me!
You bastard of a male servant! If you know you’re doing me wrong, then don’t do it in the first place! What’s the point of raising your Intimacy afterward?! Are you my cheating wife or something?!
And who has ulterior motives toward you?! This young lady has absolutely no interest in you!
Elisa suppressed the urge to punch through the carriage and twist her male servant’s head off, and continued chatting with Mabel.
She knew little about the East District or the poor of the royal capital, but she had seen plenty of poverty in the archipelago.
Mabel was indeed interested in the topic, though the noble girl seemed somewhat distracted, frequently opening the small window to look outside.
Elisa paid it no mind. After all, seeing something with one’s own eyes was naturally more compelling than merely hearing about it.
“Miss Elisa, Miss Mabel, we’re almost there,” Simon’s voice came from the front.
At the same time, a new sentence appeared in [Simon’s Log].
[Simon slowly brought the carriage to a stop, hesitating over whether to remind Miss Elisa. He thought that the beautiful and intelligent Miss Elisa must surely have already understood the situation and made her decision.]
“Beautiful and intelligent Miss Elisa”! Elisa spotted those words at once, and her mood brightened.
This male servant actually praised me! And not just for being beautiful, but intelligent too!
You’ve got a good eye! That’s right, I am the beautiful and intelligent Miss Elisa!
After a moment of self-admiration, Elisa finally noticed the other words.
“Remind”? Remind me of what? And what does “Miss Elisa must surely have already understood the situation” mean?
Elisa was still puzzling over it when she felt the carriage stop jolting. It had come to a complete halt.
Then she saw Mabel, who was seated opposite her, spring to her feet, rush out of the carriage, and dash toward the streets of the East District.
Elisa instinctively moved to stop her with a spell, but her reason checked her just in time. That brief hesitation was enough for Mabel to reach the entrance to the East District.
No! You clearly said we’d only look around outside and wouldn’t go in!
As an adventurer, Elisa had met plenty of people who lied through their teeth, but she had never expected Mabel, a nobleman’s daughter, to lie to her… and actually dare to rush into the East District alone!
Eve, the maid, was stunned. She turned to Elisa. “Young lady, Miss Mabel ran inside!”
“There’s no need to panic,” Simon said with a smile. “The young lady anticipated this.”
No, I didn’t anticipate anything!
Faced with Eve’s admiring gaze, Elisa was overwhelmed with shame.
I’m not some beautiful and intelligent Miss Elisa at all. I’m just a curly-haired baboon!
Elisa quickly put an end to her self-reflection and made her decision.
Since things had come to this, she might as well accompany Mabel and have a look around.
Safety wasn’t an issue anyway. Hah, I’m the infamous [Scarlet Scholar] of the archipelago. Is a mere slum really going to pose a threat to me?
As long as I don’t use too much power, blood spells are difficult to detect. And even without spells, my [Combat] skills are nothing to scoff at!
Come to think of it, it would be best if a couple of fools who don’t know what’s good for them showed up. I could show off in front of Mabel, rescue the damsel in distress, and her Intimacy toward me would surely skyrocket!
With the support of Baron Percy’s family, my grand ambitions could take a major step forward!
At that thought, Miss Elisa was filled with confidence.
She shook her head with an air of restraint and sighed elegantly. “Oh, very well. Let’s go in too.”
Operation Win Over Mabel was underway!
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