~Chapter 16~
“Oh dear! I just realized I haven’t introduced myself yet!”
The maid, looking flustered, quickly straightened her posture and bowed deeply.
“It’s truly an honor to serve you, my lady. My name is Sophia, and starting today, I will be your personal maid. Please don’t hesitate to ask me for anything you need.”
Her bright eyes sparkled as if she were eagerly waiting for me to make a request.
It had been so long since I’d received someone’s pure goodwill like this.
Seeing adorable Sophia made me smile without realizing it.
“Ah—did I say something wrong, my lady?”
“No, I’m not laughing because of that, so don’t be so nervous. And you don’t have to treat me so formally. I’m not that impressive a person.”
“What are you saying? You’re an exorcist who risks her life to protect the empire!”
“Well…”
She wasn’t wrong, but she was skipping over a few important details.
Of course, I couldn’t exactly explain the contract with Lucian, either.
As I tried to think of what to say, Sophia launched into a rapid-fire monologue.
“It’s such an honor to serve someone whom the master himself scouted personally, especially since he usually works alone. I’m happy he has a companion he can rely on now, but…”
Her once-animated face darkened.
“Ever since the young lady’s accident, the master has avoided the villa and overworked himself… We’ve all been so worried.”
Tears welled up in Sophia’s eyes.
I was startled when she suddenly began to cry, but she continued speaking without hesitation.
“Ever since the day of the accident, we’ve all lived with the guilt of not being able to save the young lady. Many quit because they couldn’t bear it anymore, but I couldn’t. It’s my duty to maintain the villa so she has a place to return to when she wakes.”
“…”
“When I first came here, Lady Lily helped me settle in. That’s why I wanted to protect this place she loved, no matter what.”
I had only seen Lily once—briefly, when I was fleeing from a vengeful spirit.
But from what I’d heard, she must have been a warm and kind person.
She had even risked her life to save a stranger like me.
As I thought about that and looked at Sophia, she hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
“But I couldn’t talk about that day in front of the master, or even show any concern. As someone who failed to protect her, how could I dare?”
Her small, fidgeting hands looked so pitiful.
But at the same time, the fact that she had stayed here, confronting such painful memories, made her seem incredibly strong.
Maybe it was because she seemed more mature and braver than me.
That’s why I couldn’t bring myself to say anything empty or patronizing.
I couldn’t judge the courage Sophia had shown by enduring everything until now, nor could I claim to understand all of her feelings.
“Here—use this.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I offered her the handkerchief I always carried with me.
It was the only way I could think of to show my respect for her heartfelt dedication.
“Thank you.”
Fortunately, Sophia accepted the handkerchief and gently wiped her tears.
After a few sniffles, she clenched the cloth tightly and spoke.
“I’m sorry for making a scene in front of you. I didn’t mean to cry like that…”
“It wasn’t a scene. I never thought that for a second. Honestly, I think you’re amazing.”
“Me?”
“You’re doing everything you can to protect the people important to you. Before the duke brought me here, I never even tried. I always assumed I couldn’t do anything. So I know just how amazing you are.”
Looking into Sophia’s tear-filled eyes, I spoke sincerely.
“Thank you—for sharing your story with me.”
“I should be thanking you, for listening so seriously to a mere maid like me…”
Sniffling, Sophia continued to talk for a bit.
Most of what she said after that was flattery about how kind and admirable I was, probably because I was a guest of the master.
After a few more minutes, she finally calmed down and quickly shoved the handkerchief into her pocket.
“I’ll wash this and return it to you properly. Thank you so much for comforting me, my lady.”
“You don’t have to be so formal. You can just call me by name.”
“I couldn’t! How could I possibly address the master’s companion so casually…”
“It’s just my preference. Could you do it, please?”
Sophia lowered her eyes for a moment, then quietly murmured,
“Then… may I call you Lady Luna? Would that be all right?”
“Yes, Sophia.”
“You don’t need to be so formal with me either. I’m just a maid. Please feel free to treat me casually.”
Seeing the sparkle in her eyes, I couldn’t say no.
After a brief hesitation, I slowly nodded.
“All right, Sophia. I’ll be in your care.”
“Yes, Lady Luna!”
Sophia finally beamed brightly.
She then busily began checking around the room, saying she needed to make a list of what else might be needed.
After jotting things quickly into a notebook from her pocket, she told me several times to rest comfortably before leaving the room.
“Phew…”
Listening to her footsteps fade away, I carefully sat on the edge of the bed.
Honestly, I’d been tense for so long that I was starting to feel tired.
“Maybe I’ll rest for just a little while…”
Just as I was about to close my eyes—
“Huh? What’s this young lady doing here?”
I opened my eyes at the sound of a familiar voice.
Floating near the ceiling was a man—or rather, a spirit—and our eyes met.
“Eek!”
Startled by his sudden appearance, I screamed instinctively.
“Ahh!”
The man jumped back, clearly just as startled.
His wide eyes looked like they were about to pop out.
“What’s wrong?! I thought a vengeful spirit had jumped out or something! Ugh, just thinking about it is scary.”
The man shivered as if genuinely afraid.
He looked around nervously, clearly scared of evil spirits—
—which was ironic, considering he was a spirit himself.
“I’m still shaken from the evil spirit I saw a few days ago. And then you scream like that—now I’m even more scared! And our sweet little Lily still hasn’t come back…”
Lily?
The moment I heard that name, my mind snapped into clarity.
I forced myself to push past the fear and raised my head.
I saw the familiar red hair.
‘This guy… he’s the one from before.’
After the exorcism, I remembered him crying in relief that Lily was safe.
I wish I could’ve met Lily directly, but just meeting a spirit who knew her was already a stroke of luck.
‘Maybe I can learn something about her.’
Given how I couldn’t fully control my abilities, meeting this spirit again might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“What’s with that look? First, you talked to me and ran away, then you pretended not to see me, and now you’re staring again. What gives?”
The red-haired man flinched under my intense gaze and averted his eyes.
Clearly, I was making him uncomfortable.
But I didn’t have time to worry about that.
“Do you know where Lily is?”
“Lily? That girl, she’s…”
Just as he was about to speak—
“What’s going on in here?!”
The door burst open and the middle-aged knight from earlier rushed in, sword drawn.
“Are you all right, my lady?!”
“Ah, yes. It’s nothing. Just a surprise…”
The knight scanned the room sharply before turning his gaze toward me.
He didn’t seem to notice the red-haired spirit floating nearby.
‘First, I need to handle this situation…’
I’d have to wait until the knight left if I wanted to continue talking to the spirit.
