The sun had yet to rise above the horizon, but its first rays had already illuminated the clouds. The sky was turning pale, and a light rain fell in a steady drizzle.
Simon stepped out of his bedroom and stood before the enormous glass window in the corridor, watching the rain for a while. He marveled at how peaceful the world was…or at least, how peaceful things were around him.
Beyond the long corridor lay the maids’ rooms. Most of the maids were already awake, washing up with their doors open.
Eve stood before her mirror, carefully combing her pale golden hair as she prepared to greet the young mistress when she woke.
The light was on in Maria’s room. Wearing glasses, she frowned slightly as she checked the manor’s expenses, tapping her head with a fountain pen through her flaxen hair.
In the kitchen, the cook maids were already busy. Nora gently stirred the oatmeal with a wooden spoon, testing the heat.
[Simon observed Eve, Maria, and Nora during their morning routines. One was youthful and beautiful, another diligent in managing the household, and the third an accomplished cook. Together, they made him appreciate the beauty of the world and the harmony of life.]
[His sense of belonging to the manor increased.]
[Intimacy +1]
Even if you give me intimacy points, I still won’t allow you to peep at the maids! I’m definitely taking that [Finger Bone] away from you!
The upright and incorruptible Miss Elisa rejected the male servant’s bribe, vowing to defend the manor’s purity to the death.
[Simon left the servants’ quarters and went up to the second floor.]
What are you trying to do? Go back!
Elisa’s bedroom was on the second floor. She gripped her blanket tightly.
[Simon’s gaze swept over the maids cleaning the corridor. He marveled at the appeal of maid uniforms as he approached Miss Elisa’s room.]
He’s really coming! Should I pretend to be asleep, or pretend I’m already awake? Miss Elisa hesitated.
Damn it, I’m terrible at making decisions!
I’ll see what the male servant intends to do first. Elisa decided to stay put and watch. She turned her attention to the light screen.
[Simon stopped in front of Miss Elisa’s bedroom and stared at the door for two seconds. Then he sighed, shook his head, left the second floor, and went back to look at Eve, Maria, and Nora.]
Get back here!
What was that sigh supposed to mean?! What was that head shake supposed to mean?! And what do you mean, after looking at every maid, you won’t even look at me?!
Elisa clenched her fists. Although [Simon’s Log] did not say so outright, she could feel the male servant’s contempt.
Back in the Archipelago, my friends and elders always said I was cute! Even my etiquette teacher praised me for being elegant and beautiful!
You don’t care about looks or bearing at all….you only look at a pair of boobs?!
What are you, a baby only a few months old? Do you still need Mommy to feed you?!
Elisa was so furious that her teeth itched. She yanked open the bed curtains, climbed out of bed, and went over to the mirror by the wardrobe.
A beautiful young woman was reflected in the mirror.
My figure is developing perfectly normally. At that astronomy salon, Mabel was the only young lady younger than me, but most of the others weren’t that much bigger than I am.
If I squeeze them together a little, I could wear those revealing Baroque gowns too. I could even make some snow-white cleavage show, though I’d never wear clothes like that.
Elisa tried pushing them together.
“Miss Eli…sa?”
Elisa turned around and met Eve’s gaze from the doorway.
“……”
“……”
The two remained silent for a moment. Elisa lowered her hands and coughed. “The weather is quite nice today.”
“Yes. We’ve had a little rain today, so it’s much cooler.” Eve walked inside and helped Elisa dress and wash up, behaving exactly as usual.
“After breakfast, come for a walk with me,” Elisa said calmly.
She breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. As expected of a professionally trained personal maid, Eve had excellent tact. She didn’t mention what had just happened at all, nor did she ask what Elisa had been doing.
Even if she didn’t say anything, that didn’t mean she hadn’t seen it… Hehe, at least I can pretend nothing happened just now.
It’s all that damn male servant’s fault!
At most, thirty percent of the blame is mine. I’ve been getting a little lax lately. I actually failed to notice someone approaching outside the door.
Eve helped Elisa into her dress and finished doing her hair before accompanying her to the dining room.
By the time breakfast was over, the rain had just stopped. The clouds dispersed, and sunlight illuminated the plants and trees in the courtyard until they seemed almost translucent.
Elisa sipped her black tea as she pondered the matter of the [Finger Bone].
The good news: the male servant has absolutely no interest in me and can’t even be bothered to turn invisible and peep at me. My privacy and safety are guaranteed… For some reason, that makes me a little angry.
The bad news: even though I kept watching [Simon’s Log], I still couldn’t figure out where the male servant had hidden the [Finger Bone].
Should I just ask him for it directly? I could disguise myself and claim to be the occult master who taught him in his dreams. If I offer him something of equivalent value in exchange, he should hand it over.
Originally, Elisa had planned to use Mysticism to alter her appearance, establish a master-disciple relationship with the male servant, and give him instructions so that he could assist her in her role as a wealthy merchant’s daughter.
But now, Elisa felt that relying solely on an occult disguise was too risky.
This male servant is unpredictable in all sorts of ways, and his powers of observation are absurdly sharp. If the disguise fails and he discovers who I am, it’ll all be over!
Her identity as a wealthy merchant’s daughter could not be compromised. She had to do everything possible to keep that identity completely clean.
I’ll write to Teacher first and ask for a transcendent item that can change my appearance! The effects of transcendent items aren’t as easy to see through as ordinary rituals, so they’re much safer.
With the letters going back and forth, it would take at least a month. If her teacher didn’t have a suitable item on hand, it might take even longer.
Fortunately, this male servant is fairly decent. Even when it comes to Eve, Maria, and the others, he only admires them in public places and never intrudes into their private spaces.
Hehe. If he ever does sneak in, I’ll slap a [Blood Ritual] on him and disable his ability to get an erection!
After finishing her black tea, Elisa set down the exquisite porcelain cup and rose to her feet.
She was planning to take a stroll downstairs.
“Miss Elisa.” Maria’s arrival interrupted Elisa’s plans.
The head maid spoke briefly. “A servant from Baron Percy’s household sent word that Miss Mabel and Miss Eleanor will be coming to visit shortly.”
Mabel and Eleanor?
This visit is rather sudden. Normally, they would give at least a day’s notice. Did something happen?
Too lazy to think it through herself, Elisa instinctively opened [Simon’s Log], intending to see the male servant’s deductions. However, Simon did not know about it yet.
She looked at Maria. “Have the servants prepare to receive them.”
As expected of me. I found the perfect excuse to pass the information on to the male servant!
[Simon learned that Miss Mabel and Miss Eleanor would soon be arriving. He remembered the cheerful and lively Miss Mabel and felt somewhat nostalgic.]
You really have been thinking about Mabel!
But it’s not a big problem. Mabel is even flatter than I am, so the male servant probably just sees her as a friend and a backup mistress.
Stop thinking about Mabel and hurry up and tell me why they’re suddenly coming here!
[Simon guessed that Mabel was coming because of what happened yesterday. Something might have happened at the police station.]
All three male servants who committed the theft are dead, and the police station was attacked as well. This will obviously involve me, and the officers will come to question me. I already thought of that last night.
But why would Mabel know about this? Baron Percy held considerable influence in political and business circles, but he wasn’t responsible for public security… Was it Eleanor? Eleanor’s family wielded considerable influence in the military, and the kingdom’s military and police forces worked closely together.
That perfectly explains why Mabel and Eleanor are paying such a sudden visit!
As expected of me. Nothing escapes my keen eyes! With my razor-sharp insight, I followed the clues and unraveled the whole chain of events in an instant!7
Elisa closed [Simon’s Log] and relaxed.
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