"If you wanted to marry Laine, you had many opportunities to reveal your identity. If you intended to completely hide yourself, then as Laine gradually beca the most dazzling hero of the entire Old World, you had plenty of chances to leave him and live a secluded life. But you didn’t do that. You just kept being a maid. If you really liked Laine, when the news of the engagent between and Laine ca out, you had no reason to do nothing!" Surya asked suspiciously.
"When I was fifteen and fought my way out from the beastn’s enclosure in the Giant Dragon Forest, I imdiately realized that I couldn’t return to Nuer, as what awaited there was a web of countless intrigues. At that ti, the elite troops and vassals of the family were almost completely wiped out. If I returned to Nuer, lacking soldiers, power, and even the most basic foundation, I would just beco a puppet, forced into marriage and childbirth, and then set aside," Alia’s voice beca low and filled with strong resentnt. "Nobles can’t rule independently before twenty, so without the power in my hands, it ant I could never seize control. Even with the support of Supre Mage Elspeth von Draken of the Athyst Academy and Nuer Champion Theodore Bruckner, or even those engineer families from the Nuer Gunpowder Academy, I couldn’t change this rule. So imdiately, I put away all my jewelry, and utilizing the special skills taught to by the court lady officials, I changed my identity."
Surya nodded silently.
"I know that whether it’s my supporters, my political enemies, or the ambitious individuals seeking the Prince-Elector’s claim, they wouldn’t give up searching for my whereabouts. After avoiding two searches, I decided to take the Prince-Elector’s Holy Sword—Rune Fang ’Western Fire’—and boarded a passenger ship heading to the Nord Kingdom. The Nord Kingdom is a vast but sparsely populated place, possessing a territory equivalent to a third of the Empire’s land area. There are only a few inhabited places along the main roads. Hiding there made it extrely difficult to be found. During my ti wandering, I learned how to speak Low Gothic with a yokel’s accent and how to disguise myself as a not-so-good female rcenary. After spending two years, I integrated into the Blood Axe rcenary Corps and beca quite unobtrusive, until... Teresa Trovik, the female mber of the Jialan Council, needed so guards," continued Alia.
The rest was known to Surya. Due to the female sorcerer’s overconfidence, the Blood Axe rcenary Corps was hit hard, with half being killed or injured, and then further tricked by the Imperial Great Alchemist Geld, forcing them into a desperate situation in Marinburg.
"So... why Laine?" Surya then asked.
"Ha... In the beginning, my thinking was simple. Excellent n always attract won, I suppose it’s the sa with you, Surya Sister," Alia let out a teasing laugh, her self-deprecating manner made Surya both heartache and a little alard. The female knight reached out and embraced the little maid in her arms to comfort her.
"I personally witnessed Laine’s victory in the championship duel on the walls of Mijordenhaven, and in Marinburg, I witnessed a series of his great deeds. So at the ti, I felt this man was useful, strong, and closely tied to Duke Schultz of Marinburg. These would be my assets when I return to Nuer at the age of twenty to inherit the Duke of Nuer, Duke of Weisen and Brescia Prince-Elector claims. I firmly believed that as long as I offered a sufficient price, it would be an irresistible condition for Laine, who was eager for promotion," Alia continued, "By staying beside him, I could feel secure, which was what I desperately needed when I was forced to co to Marinburg, fearing exposure. Thus, under the guise of serving in the Sea God Church, I beca Laine’s maid, but... as things developed, it wasn’t smooth sailing. I soon discovered there was soone... who wanted to control Laine even more than I did."
"The Lady..." Surya murmured.
"Laine becoming the Holy Grail Knight and Divine Chosen Champion of the Lady of the Lake was sothing I hadn’t anticipated. I never expected a deity to appear at ho every ten days or half a month," Alia shook her head with a bitter smile. "So with the change in plans, unsure of what to do, I had no choice but to hide myself for the ti being, focusing on being his maid. Surprisingly, concentrating on being just a maid brought genuine happiness."
Surya sighed gently, understanding too well the charisma and heroic aura of Laine, and what kind of impact it would have on a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl who was just awakening to love. Didn’t she get captivated as well?
"Being a maid for Laine were the happiest days of my life. Unknowingly, I gradually left behind all those plans and hatred. What about nobility, and what about being a Prince-Elector? It’s not as interesting as being a maid, watching Laine’s daily life, listening to his occasional strange jokes, watching him secretly gaze at my legs, seeing him always return victorious—that is my happiness," Alia said while patting the water in the hot spring. "Laine seems to have an unsolvable mystery about him. Whenever I think I understand him, he surprises again. He grows so fast that it surpasses my imagination, and I don’t want to leave him at all, not even a little bit. So when I learnt about his engagent, although I was unhappy, I endured it. When he had his grand wedding ceremony with you, though envious, I decided to keep my identity hidden, Surya Sister, you are a good person. You won’t drive away or bully , and that’s enough for . That’s enough for Alia."
"Alia..." The female knight embraced the little maid and whispered into her ear, "Even though you say that, I won’t give up the position of lady!"
"Surya Sister! You’re so sly!" Alia blushed upon hearing Surya’s words, and the little maid’s cheeks puffed up, "I am seriously speaking to you!"
The female knight and the little maid locked gazes, and it seed that sparks of tension crackled in the air.
After gazing at each other for a while, Surya nodded, letting out a sigh, "Alia, what do you plan to do next?"
"I don’t know; I just want to be Laine’s maid," Alia said, sounding troubled as a dark aura gradually appeared on the little maid’s face, "Co to think of it, Laine is such a scoundrel. After having a dark elf, two female courtiers, and that Lake God Witch who rarely leaves her house, he completely forgot about the little maid from Marinburg who has been following him since then, hmph! Not to ntion that self-important, arrogant female sorcerer has already, I’m really..."
The little maid’s complaints carried on until the two of them finished soaking in the hot spring and returned to their room to rest.
"Laine, first of all, doesn’t understand what you’re thinking, and secondly... during our imperial trip, the Emperor subtly hinted at your identity. He doesn’t know how to handle your situation right now, so he’s pretending to be ignorant. But rest assured, I’ll..." Surya wanted to say more, but footsteps echoed from outside the door.
The two won exchanged glances and wisely stopped their conversation.
Laine, having finished soaking in the hot spring, pushed the door open and entered, "Surya? Alia? How was the hot spring?"
"It was really nice."
"That’s good to hear."
...
A week later, when the great nobles of the entire Knight Kingdom were preparing to head to Boldro for Duke Bodric’s grand banquet, in the Cursed City of Musillon, Mathew Bade, clad in black cursed armor, also managed to get an invitation.
This was obtained from a great noble in the Borelion Duchy.
"Oh? Duke Bodric of Boldro is planning a banquet to celebrate his eldest son’s return from the Holy Grail Expedition?" With blood-red eyes filled with interest, and his face gradually turning pale yet still retaining its handso appearance, Mathew Bade revealed a grotesque and sinister grin, "The Glory of Boldro?"
"In that case, let add a stroke of crimson to this banquet!"
"Black Chalice Knights, prepare to set off!"
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