I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince

Chapter 188

"I won’t be joining the student council in the second semester, Lillis."

It was a week before the new semester started.

This was what Ethan told me after returning from his first student council duties following the winter break.

Even though I knew he was upset about what happened that day, I never imagined he would already talk about leaving the student council.

Though Natalie’s behavior was rude, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was serious enough for him to give up his connections with Seraphine.

“When you say you won’t be joining the student council, are you also saying you’re giving up your connection with Princess Seraphine?”

“I’m not giving it up. She gave me a reason to.”

Seeing that Ethan was now referring to Seraphine as “she,” it was clear that he was still quite upset about the previous incident.

Judging by his reaction, it was evident that Ethan had grown tired of dealing with Seraphine.

“If it’s because of the incident with Miss Natalie’s drinking habits, I’m sure she will come to apologize once the semester begins. She probably didn’t have a way to meet with you during the break.”

“Yeah, that’s likely. Even though she’s a commoner, she’s not completely without manners. Besides, she’s a decent person when she’s not drinking.”

“So, perhaps it would be better to reconsider leaving Princess Seraphine’s student council after hearing Miss Natalie’s apology?”

“Sorry, but this isn’t about Miss Natalie’s mistake. I’ve simply lost trust in Princess Seraphine.”

“What?”

Not because of Natalie?

I had assumed that Natalie’s drunken behavior was what angered Ethan, but now I was confused.

As I tilted my head, trying to figure out what exactly had upset him, Ethan reluctantly explained.

“Making a mistake at a drinking party because of alcohol is something I can tolerate. Anyone can make a mistake like that. Miss Natalie has always been polite and never acted out of line before, so there’s no reason for me to be upset about that. Honestly, even if it was Princess Seraphine herself, I wouldn’t have been that bothered.”

“Then...?”

“What I can’t trust about Princess Seraphine is the fact that she invited that hero, Bolt, without informing me first.”

“...You mean the problem is that she invited an unannounced guest?”

“...Well, it’s something like that.”

Ethan sighed deeply, looking at me as if he was trying to decide how much to explain.

“You know that hero usually walks around with two women hanging off his arms, right?”

“...Are you referring to Saintess Cerista and the elf, Silena?”

“Yeah. I’ve always disliked how he flaunts those two women around, even if he is a hero.”

“But the Saintess is obligated to be with the hero, and Silena, being the only elf, doesn’t have any connections aside from the hero. Isn’t that just how things are?”

“It’s not just that. Seeing how recklessly that hero has been acting lately, it’s even more annoying. Just look at that Miss Natalie.”

“Miss Natalie?”

“...She originally planned to participate in the end-of-semester hunting festival with her childhood friend, Thomas, alone.”

“Yeah, that’s the strange part. Normally, there’s no way Miss Blaze would join the hero’s party. So I looked into it a bit. I wanted to find out what connected the hero and Miss Blaze.”

There’s only one person who could have connected them... The one person I can think of who fits the role.

In fact, when starting in a different department than the magic department in 『Luminor Academy』, the process of recruiting Agnes was almost predetermined.

Even the stubborn and prideful Agnes had a secret relationship with someone she considered a friend at the academy.

“It turns out that Princess Seraphine has a personal connection with Miss Blaze.”

“Oh...”

“Not only that, but it was also Princess Seraphine who connected Natalie and Thomas to the hero’s party. I found this out by accident.”

“...I see.”

“Princess Seraphine has introduced two women to the hero. Then, she suddenly invited his party to the after-party...”

“...”

“Maybe it’s all just a coincidence. But that doesn’t mean I have to endure the uneasiness of it all.”

He had a point. If maintaining a relationship meant enduring anxiety, it might be better to sever ties.

If I were in Ethan’s position, I would likely feel the same unease.

Especially since Ethan didn’t know the direction in which Bolt was moving, which only fueled his suspicions.

‘I don’t think it’s necessary to cut ties with Seraphine...’

But if forcing the current situation would cause Ethan more anxiety, it wasn’t a good idea either.

In fact, if the two were forced together and ended up clashing, it could lead to the original story playing out, which was something I wanted to avoid.

Maybe it was better to let them drift apart now before things got worse.

Misunderstandings could be cleared up later if necessary.

“I understand, Lord Ethan. If that’s your wish, we will only cooperate with Princess Seraphine’s student council until the end of this semester.”

“...Thank you for understanding. I know you have personal connections with both the princess and Lady Auguste.”

“The safety of Lord Ethan is far more important to me. Have I ever gone against your wishes?”

“...Haven’t you done that quite a few times?”

...Now that I think about it, maybe I have.

Anyway, since Ethan decided to distance himself from Seraphine, as his personal maid, my conclusion was simply to follow his lead.

“But this time, I’ll definitely act according to your wishes, so you can rest assured.”

“...Thank you for saying that, Lillis.”

“It’s only natural as your personal maid, Lord Ethan.”

After all, if I didn’t trust Ethan, who would?

He was already feeling uneasy, so of course, I had to be there for him.