It's my third day in this world.
The princess, due to some political reason, told me to act as a butler,I think so. I am given a separate quarter away from the other servant but closer to the princess room. All the servants are female inside of the mansion.
My room had a small closet. Simple bed,wooden chest,single window overlooking a garden.
A sharp knock interrupted my thoughts. “Are you awake,” a woman's voice.
“I will be ready in a few minutes.” I refreshed myself and changed into the butler clothes.
The woman who called for him was Kierra, the princess' most trusted maid.She is a fox king. With two ears and two tails. She has been instructed to teach me the ways of a butler. And to keep me under watch around the clock.
But there remains a single problem i dont have much info about where i am. Whose the princess, how influential is she, how large is the kingdom she is the princess of. And there is a series of questions I want answers to.
What bothered me was the message ‘Ensure survival of the subject. The subject's fate is directly linked to yours.’ what did it mean, will i die if she dies.
The only person who can answer me is kierra. The problem is whether she is willing to tell me or not. She only answers questions related to my job and ignores me if I ask about anything else.
We reached the kitchen,more accurately it's a butlers pantry with a cooking area.
There was a lady in her 40s cooking, she is the head cook Marie.
“kierra you again ate the sweets without permission didn't you.” Marie said.
Her face flushed, maybe too aware of me. “No! I didn't eat it,maybe it was someone else.”
“Only you and I are allowed to enter the kitchen unsupervised, at least clean up afterwards.”
“Whatever, he is Nolan who will be responsible for bringing food to the princess after me.”
She just looked towards me and nodded. Not saying anything as she returned to her work.
Kierra guided me to the cutlery section and started explaining to me where everything was kept , serving dishes, tableware, and other cooking items. Where the spices were kept. The vegetables and meat were stored in an area attached to the kitchen with cold magic. The lecture continued for another hour.
“Now, I will tell you about how to arrange cutlery for different occasions.” kierra said.
I looked around, and Marie had left. Closing the doors of the kitchen.
“I know you are excited to teach me about all the things, but I am officially a healer and I need to play the part, not do the job.”
As I said it, her shoulders dropped.
I put a hand on her shoulder and said. “ I need certain information regarding the princess, so I can access the situation better. And start with my procedures, who does she trust the most within the mansion.”
She looked at me with suspicion and said, “Why do you need to know about the princess to treat her,”
“If she is keeping my status secret here in her home. She does not have many allies does she. And once I start the procedure she cant use magic or put strain on her body for a certain period of time.”
She thought for a moment.
“Ok, but for a moment can you look into my eyes.”
I didn't understand her words. But something in her tone made me comply without protest.
Slowly her pupils narrowed into slits,distinctly,unmistakably fox-like.
Tears started forming in the corner of her eyes. She wiped them away and didn't say anything.
She used magic on me but for what.
“Are you ok?” I said, wiping her tears with a handkerchief.
“Nothing, it happens when I use my magic. And I will answer all your questions if you treat me to sweets.” her eyes returned to normal.
I did want to know what convinced her to answer my question,but my question held priority in the situation.
“Ok, wait in my room I will make and bring it there.”
As she left I opened the system store. And browsed through it, it's like a personal amazon for me but it didn't contain anything lethal, i hope it had. The prices for everything are reasonable,maybe I can't tell unless the system gives me a method to earn them.
I spent 10 coins on cornstarch,vanilla,and butter. They already had milk,sugar and salt. Let's make vanilla pudding.
I brought three servings to the room. She was sitting quietly on the bed.looking at the garden. I gave her one serving,
I watched her expressions as she ate. Her face went blank , her eyes lit up as someone switched a light behind them. Her ears twitched with every bite.
“Did you like it?” she nodded.
“Want more.” she nodded.
Showing the remaining two servings. “No, first answer my questions. The faster you answer the faster you will get these.”
“But you have to make more if i ask anytime.” this time i nodded.
My series of questions started and she answered them.
Arkenfall is a mid-sized magical kingdom built on a foundation of mana-rich land sitting directly above an ancient dungeon network. The kingdom thrives economically through monster core trade,magical research, and frontier expansion.
Within the royal family Arielle has two brothers and two sisters, but the four siblings come from his stepmother as her own mother died when she was 10. His father married a daughter of a prominent merchant family. She used her influence to pull the nobles' influences on her side so she can crown his son.
While her stepmother was playing politics. Arielle was engaged in exploring dungeon depth and defeating monsters. Her strength grew and she became the spitting image of her late mother, beautiful, powerful and honorable. Her public image grew as she became one the strongest people in Arkenfall.
At age 24 she is suffering from the same conditions that claimed her mothers life. She was able to hide her deteriorating condition but maybe her stepmother has some inkling to her condition. And trying to hold the Sovereign Trails.
It's the trial where the heirs fight to claim the crown, the winner will be crowned. Once their father,the current king, returns from his dungeon expedition the trials will be held. There is no competition as Arielle is the strongest. But,if somehow her conditions get discovered she will be not allowed to take parts in the trails or the trial can be delayed for a year.
She is doing her best to find a cure without getting her conditions discovered.
The king can completely ban her from fighting the trails and exploring the dungeon as he has already lost her wife once and he cares for all his children the same.
“Now give it to me.” Kierra said. Demanding the pudding.
“Ok, I have another offer for you. I will give you one serving as promised. But if you allow me touch your tails i can give you another one,”
Her ears went flat. A faint color crept up her back.
“That is —” she stopped. Composed herself. “ Absolutely not. For a foxkin,the tails are — “
“Are?” I prompted helpfully.
“Give me the pudding.” Her voice became dangerously quiet. “Before I report you to the princess for inappropriate conduct."
The pudding disappeared from my hand so fast I didn't see her move. She turned and disappeared from the room.
She is not just a maid. There’s more to her.