Episode 8: The Maid, Fine

“Th-thank you so much! We’re truly grateful for your help!”

“It’s… Lord Siegfried, right…?”

“I’ll make sure to tell my fellow merchants that we were saved thanks to Lord Siegfried!”

After I executed the bandit gang, the merchants stood in a daze for a while. But once they snapped out of it, they began showering me with words of gratitude.

“Don’t get carried away. I didn’t do this for you. So, spare me your thanks. If you have time for that, hurry up, pack your things, and head to a safe town.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

The merchants hurriedly gathered their belongings and dashed toward the nearest town. Hmm… there’s no other suspicious presence around here, so they should make it to the town without issue.

“Keep working hard at your trade. And make my territory prosper… heh heh heh.”

Muttering to myself, I sprinted through the darkness of the night. Moving at a speed that left even the wind behind, I raced across the territory… and returned to the Kreving estate. Slipping past the guards at the gate by blending into the shadows, I vaulted over the wall. But when I opened the mansion’s door… an unexpected figure was waiting for me.

“Welcome back, Lord Siegfried.”

Standing in the entrance hall, bathed in the moonlight streaming through the window, was a maid with golden hair that shimmered in the light—Fine. She had been away visiting her sick mother, but thanks to the doctor I sent, her mother’s condition improved, and Fine had returned to the estate. She gave a polite bow before approaching me with a towel.

“Allow me to clean your hands.”

Fine began wiping my hands with the towel. My hands were stained with the bandits’ blood, yet she showed no sign of discomfort, meticulously cleaning every trace of it.

“Why were you waiting for me, Fine?”

“Well, I knew you’ve been going out every night, Lord Siegfried, so…”

“That’s not what I mean. It’s past your working hours. Go rest. Sleeping at night to preserve your strength is part of your job.”

“But if I may say so… shouldn’t you be the one resting, Lord Siegfried? You work all day long, and it doesn’t seem like you ever have time to rest.”

Fine looked up at me with a worried expression.

“I’m not like you or the others. This is nothing to me…”

As Fine pointed out, I’ve been living nearly sleepless days. During the day, I handle administrative duties, and at night, I train. Well, in the beginning, I nearly killed myself overdoing the training… but thanks to that, I’ve gained the physical abilities I have now.

“Fine, you may be capable, but compared to me, you’re ordinary. Act like it, and don’t push yourself—rest.”

“Yes, Master…”

Fine nodded. I turned to head to my room, leaving her behind… but then, as if steeling herself, Fine raised her face again.

“L-Lord Siegfried…!”

“What?”

“I… I really want you to rely on me more, Lord Siegfried…!”

“Oh?”

“You’re always so considerate of us servants, Lord Siegfried. But I… I don’t want to be just a maid who’s looked after. I want to be a maid who can support you! So…!”

“So, you’re defying my decision, Fine?”

I reached out, gently lifting Fine’s chin to tilt her face upward. Hmm… even I have to admit, this pose is straight out of a villain’s playbook.

“…Yes. You saved my mother and care for me, Lord Siegfried. If it’s to be of use to you… I’ll even object to your decisions…!”

Fine met my gaze with eyes as golden as her hair. I let out a soft “Hmph” and a chuckle.

“As expected, you’ve got potential.”

“Huh…?”

“You’re not just an obedient maid who blindly follows my orders. And that’s exactly the kind of person… who’s fit to be at my side.”

I’ve always wanted subordinates like this. After all, a captivating evil organization needs captivating evil lieutenants. And Fine—she’s suitable to be one of those lieutenants.

An organization where everyone just follows the leader’s orders is boring. A subordinate who can occasionally challenge the leader—that’s the kind of person who stands out as a true evil lieutenant.

“Very well, Fine. I’ll accept your opinion and rely on you more from now on. For starters… how about you brew me some tea?”

“Y-Yes! Right away!”

Fine nodded with a bright expression and hurried off toward the kitchen.