The Young Lady Has Disappeared

Putting on the dress was extremely difficult. No, to be honest, everything else was manageable, but wearing the corset was the hardest. 

Lillian, who had slightly loosened her corset while Catherine went to the dressing room to find accessories, let out a sigh.

“Haa, this is really tough…”

Although she had only loosened it a little, her breathing became quite easier. 

Lillian took deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling while looking in the mirror. There, a beautiful woman with cold features was looking back at her. Her silver hair, like a lake reflecting the full moon, and her eyes, like a clear sky, added a coolness to the beautiful face.

“Young lady.”

“Ah, Catherine.”

“Which one do you prefer?”

What Catherine handed her was a sapphire necklace and a diamond tiara. The diamond tiara seemed too much no matter how she looked at it. Thinking this, Lillian pointed to the sapphire necklace.

“I understand.”

Catherine nodded, put the diamond tiara in the jewelry box, and put the sapphire necklace on her.

“It’s heavy-!”

“…It’s not heavy enough to say that, though?”

Catherine’s appearance, tilting her head and asking, was a bit cute. 

Catherine, a beautiful woman with cold features like her master, was even a bit scary because of her bright red eyes. Moreover, her constant expressionlessness made her feel like a maid robot.

Even such a Catherine sometimes felt cute like this. Lillian couldn’t tell if it was because she had fallen for her or if it was natural because she was beautiful. 

But who cares, that beauty was now attending to her.

Honestly, when Catherine, who had looks that could enchant even those who weren’t homosexual, looked at her intently, she felt an inexplicable sense of superiority. This was even more so because Catherine acted as if she existed solely for ‘Lillian’, that is, for her.

But that’s that, and this is this. Lillian looked at Catherine with a tearful expression due to the tremendous weight pressing on her neck.

“Ugh, can’t we take this off?”

“No, we can’t. If the Fortus family’s young lady attends a banquet without any accessories, it would lower your honor.”

“Ugh, I understand…”

That damned honor. Is that kind of honor more important than my neck’s health? Thinking this, Lillian sighed.

“Stop sighing so much. It’s ruining your makeup.”

“Uwaah-“

‘Have all noble young ladies gone through this difficulty? The young ladies of the medieval era were amazing. Of course, I’m the one doing it now.’

Lillian, who quietly admired the noble young ladies, relaxed her body. It seemed she was destined to be Catherine’s toy until the start of the banquet.

“Don’t relax your body!”

“Huaah-“

* * *

All the nobles look at us, no. At Lillian. Their gazes were like daggers, as if they would cut her to pieces. But Lillian ignores those looking at her with her characteristic cold face. That gaze was like a shield, instantly turning the nobles’ gazes into those of docile sheep.

That’s what it meant to be from the Prime Minister’s family of the Alexus Empire, the strongest country on the continent. They bow to no one except the imperial family. Terribly arrogant yet terribly noble, and never creating any flaws.

The lights sting my eyes. The luxurious chandelier and various jewel decorations embroidered here and there showed how much money was being donated to the academy. 

Despite the slightly chilly spring, the banquet hall was warm thanks to the properly functioning temperature control system.

It’s terribly different. Compared to the cold and dark back alley when I was first possessed, the noble houses were always splendid, always bright, and always warm.

That’s why I didn’t like nobles very much. I couldn’t like them. If I had been a noble, would it have been different? I don’t know. 

But while I disliked nobles, I liked the young lady. To the extent that I remembered her habits, her breath, her scent, her gait.

Even though I knew it was contradictory, I purposely did so. Because it was the young lady who shone a light on me after I fell alone into this world. It was like a divine calling, so to say I worshipped the young lady. It wasn’t sexual love, but sacred love.

The current Lillian was very similar to the young lady. To the extent that those who didn’t know would think she was the perfect Lillian. Her dignified steps continued as if my young lady was performing them.

I noticed those who acknowledged Lillian with displeased faces, and those who looked at her with pure admiration.

I slowly followed her from a step and a half behind Lillian. A noble must be perfect. Not all nobles can be perfect, but a Fortus family noble must be perfect.

In that sense, the mistress, no. Lillian’s vulgar mother was not at all like a Fortus family noble. But unlike that vulgar woman who became a member of the Fortus family only in name through the institution of marriage, the Lillian in front of me was truly a perfect Fortus family noble.

If that’s the case, I, as a servant of such a Fortus family, had to maintain the utmost courtesy.

“Hello.”

Someone visits the ice fortress that no one approaches. It was a beautiful woman with golden hair neatly braided like a single rope. Although she didn’t give off any noble dignity, she exuded a certain holiness. That’s why I couldn’t block her approach in time. No, the thought of blocking her didn’t even occur to me.

“Hello.”

Although she greeted first so a greeting was returned, Lillian didn’t say anything more. She just uttered the few syllables of “Hello” like a doll with a cold face. It was somewhat natural. I didn’t know who that woman was, but she probably wasn’t a member of the imperial family. If so, she should have introduced herself first.

“Ah, I’m Yulia.”

As if realizing this, she introduced herself. 

The name Yulia had reached my ears before. She was definitely the girl who was able to enroll in the academy because she possessed holy power. If she has holy power, she could probably receive at least a single-promotion to Marquis. While reincarnators like me get no benefits at all.

Cheers to the damned god of this damned world. I quietly thought this while looking at the girl in front of me.

“I see. I am Lillian von Fortus, the eldest daughter of the Fortus family.”

Lillian, who quietly answered, looked at her. It was a signal to state her business first. Whether she noticed this signal or not, Yulia blushed slightly and opened her mouth. 

By now, the surrounding gazes were focused on us. Well, it would be a rare sight to see the young lady with holy power facing off against the daughter of the family in charge of the empire’s power center.

Although I didn’t particularly want Lillian to become a spectacle. What could I, a maid, do about it?

“Um, could I perhaps be introduced to the person next to you as well…?”

“She’s not of a noble enough status to mention her name.”

“But, but I’m a commoner too?”

Hey, you’re a ‘commoner with holy power’. I’m just a servant. Swallowing a sigh, I glanced at Lillian. Then Lillian was looking at me with a face I had never seen before.

“…This is Catherine, ‘my servant’.”

Lillian, who strangely emphasized ‘my servant’, quietly smiled. It was like the calm in a teacup, giving the feeling that a typhoon was about to hit.

“Ah, so it’s Miss Catherine.”

Yulia, who said this, clapped her hands and smiled brightly. Truly as described, her bright smile like a cute small animal made me suddenly think she didn’t fit in here. As if proving that thought, nobles in a corner started chattering about Yulia. Of course, those words wouldn’t reach Yulia, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit sorry for her.

“Um, you two are so beautiful… I wanted to become friends.”

“Is that so?”

Lillian, who slightly raised the corners of her mouth, gently lifted her hand covered in a white glove. I placed a handkerchief on her hand. Lillian wiped around Yulia’s mouth and then handed her the handkerchief.

“Keep it. The food must have been delicious.”

“Ah, yes…”

Yulia’s face turned slightly red. Yulia probably didn’t understand the meaning behind those words. It was a rebuke to Yulia for clumsily getting food on herself even before the proper banquet had started, but Yulia, who wasn’t very familiar with noble speech and behavior, seemed to have taken the words at face value and didn’t seem too embarrassed.

However, Lillian, seemingly taking a liking to Yulia, didn’t tell her to get lost. The young lady was someone who wouldn’t hesitate to tell those she didn’t like to get lost. Of course, the contents of that young lady had changed, but judging from her behavior so far, she too seemed like she would tell those she didn’t like to get lost.

“Miss Fortus, perhaps would you…”

“Get lost.”

The young man who seemed to have been trying to ask for a dance, having extended his hand, drooped his shoulders and trudged away.

I inwardly applauded Lillian’s behavior, immediately showing an example. It was so much like the young lady. I wondered if I was mistaken. Maybe she had just changed a little and I was reacting too sensitively. That’s how much it felt like that.

“Lillian. It’s been a while.”

“…Get lost.”

Hmm, I guess not. I sighed as I watched Lillian tell Prince Belrus to get lost. 

I really couldn’t understand why she was suddenly acting like this.