Ever since I was a child, I knew I was destined to serve Eberhart's royal family. For generations, my family had been close to the royal household, and it was almost a tradition for the children to end up working at the castle as servants.
At first, the idea didn't appeal to me—wasn't I supposed to be a noble? But I eventually came to see that serving the royal family was an honor, and my household took great pride in it. My parents had high expectations, and I always did my best to live up to them.
I think I was ten when it was decided that I would become His Highness Charles's personal servant. He was the kingdom's third prince, so the duty entrusted to me was an important one. By then, I had already refined my skills as a maid. Even if I was still young and other servants were going to help me, I was determined to prove I was more than ready to serve Lord Charles.
When I first saw him, I was in awe. His pretty face reminded me of a cute puppy, and his blonde hair perfectly complemented his bright blue eyes. Yet, despite his youthful features, he had a surprisingly mature expression.
I have to admit—I fell in love with him at first sight. I mean, how could I not? It felt like something out of a fairy tale: a servant and a prince. The idea made my heart race as I imagined the life that awaited me beside him.
But reality didn't match my fantasies. Charles turned out to be rather narcissistic and arrogant. He constantly boasted about being smarter than everyone else and often looked down on others.
It drove me crazy. Really.
Still, I had expected something like that—after all, not every maid is lucky enough to serve someone they actually like.
That being said, he was never cruel to me. He didn't complain or give me harsh orders—he was just… incredibly annoying. We often argued over silly things, and whenever we couldn't agree, we'd settle it with a game. That was his idea, of course. But I've always had a competitive streak, so I could never say no.
Little by little, we grew closer. Our relationship was odd, even a bit twisted, but I started to feel like I truly was Lord Charles's servant.
Lord Charles.
My Lord.
His Highness.
At one point, I couldn't think about anything but him. He had become an important part of my life, and I hoped I had become just as important to him.
I also became friends with his two sisters, Her Highness Irene and Her Highness Therese. Thanks to them, I began to see a different side of my master. Though he acted superior to everyone, he behaved differently with her sisters—he admired Irene and doted on Therese, even if he was a bit awkward about showing it. Their bond was a healthy one, filled with affection.
Despite being royalty, they treated me as an equal. Not just me—my little sister Greta and Her Highness Irene's personal maid, Gertrude, as well.
His Highness always complained about being surrounded by girls. However, it couldn't be helped, since both His Highness Maximilian and His Highness Ludwig were always together, too busy fighting over who would become the next king. At first, he was shy about it, but over time he stopped worrying and happily hung out with us.
Those were beautiful times. Times I look back on with a smile.
But nothing lasts forever. And the same can be said for my happy moments with them.
"Nh…"
I suddenly woke up with a sharp headache. For some reason, I had been sleeping over one of the desks in my lord's office.
"Ugh…"
When I tried to get up, the whole world started spinning. What had happened while I was asleep? Had the Earth gone from flat to round in my absence? Surely not.
But really—how else could I explain the state I was in?
While trying to make sense of things, I noticed a nearly empty bottle of liquor lying on the floor.
"Ah…"
Then it came back to me. I had been drinking—heavily—while playing chess with His Highness. But why would I do something like that? I was a diligent servant. I never drank on duty. In fact, I could barely handle alcohol, so I didn't even drink in my free time.
Soon, the hamster inside my head started running, and with that, my memories slowly returned.
The court session!
My eyes snapped open, and I looked toward the clock on the wall.
It was late. Very late.
Oh no. Where the hell is His Highness!?
I glanced around the room. He was nowhere in sight. Had he somehow developed the power to turn invisible? For some reason, I couldn't entirely rule it out. Still, assuming that wasn't the case... where could he possibly be?
"I have to… look for him…" I mumbled, forcing myself upright and stumbling toward the door. My head was heavy, my legs unsteady—walking while still drunk was obviously a terrible idea.
Sure enough, the moment I took a step, I tripped over the bottle on the floor. A real comedy act.
"Argh! Damn bottle!"
I hit the ground hard, pain shooting through my knees—but I didn't hesitate. I pushed myself up, grabbed the bottle, and hurled it across the room. It shattered on impact, glass and leftover liquor scattering across the floor.
Perfect. As if the room wasn't messy enough already.
Why was the bottle open anyway? Was this one of His Highness pranks again?
At that point, my brain was barely functioning. My stomach burned, my heart pounded, and my vision kept flickering in and out of focus. My head throbbed with pain. I was, without a doubt, in a truly pitiful state.
But once I found His Highness, I was going to give him a piece of my mind. Maybe even break one of his legs while I was at it.
No—definitely.
Fueled by fury, I got to my feet, ready to begin my quest for revenge.
But then I looked around—and saw the full extent of the disaster zone I was standing in.
Sure, the room had already been a mess thanks to His Highness, but after I'd smashed a liquor bottle across the floor, it now looked like a proper garbage dump.
"F-First, I have to clean this up..."
Forgetting my main goal, I soon began tidying the office. Being dizzy, the task took me much longer than usual, but as the perfect maid I was, I somehow managed to put everything back in order.
In fact, the room was spotless—as expected from me.
I was certainly being wasted on that scumbag.
"A-Ah! The meeting!" Remembering my mission, I staggered out of the room. This wasn't the time to clean—I needed to find His Highness.
Where could he be? That question throbbed in my head.
Slowly and carefully, doing my best not to fall, I headed to my lord's room. He only used it for sleeping, but maybe he had gone there out of discomfort since I had fallen asleep in his office.
"Hehe… how shy… Hic…" I said, hiccuping like a drunk old man.
As expected, when I arrived, there was no one there. But seeing the mess, I couldn't help myself—I began cleaning, just like I had done in the office.
Since when was I so obsessed with cleaning?
Mh.
I think since forever.
Wiping everything, putting everything in its place.
Though I fell on my ass a few times, somehow I managed to clean the entire room without any major incident.
However, I had forgotten something very important.
"Right… I must… look for His Highness..." I muttered, touching my forehead. It was burning.
After finding him, I should take another nap... Yeah, that's a good idea.
But why was I looking for him again? I had a reason, I was sure of it... but I couldn't remember anymore.
Doesn't matter. I'm his personal servant—I'm supposed to be by his side anyway.
And so, my treasure hunt began.
I walked all around the castle: room to room, bathroom to bathroom, hallway to hallway. But, His Highness was nowhere to be found.
At some point, I had stopped staggering. My head was still spinning, but I had gotten used to it. At least now, I didn't risk the other servants noticing I was drunk.
As I wandered down one of the castle's hallways with light steps, a flicker of green caught my eye. Like a tiny flame dancing in the air, a delicate butterfly was flying in front of me, leaving behind a fleeting, golden trail.
"How pretty..." I whispered. An inexplicable feeling stirred inside me. Before I knew it, my feet were following it.
"Little butterfly… come here."
My voice was soft, careful not to scare it away. Did butterflies have ears? Probably not.
The insect glided down the corridor, then turned at an intersection, disappearing beyond a stone arch. A wave of urgency hit me, and I picked up my pace, afraid of losing sight of it.
"Eh?"
I stopped dead in my tracks. My breath caught in my throat.
Before me stood a figure cloaked in white, radiant as moonlight on fresh snow. Butterflies danced around her, like silent guardians shielding her from the world.
The air turned heavy. A shiver ran down my spine.
She noticed me and slowly pulled back her hood. I froze. My eyes widened. My mouth hung open in awe.
She was beautiful—so dazzling, it was like staring into light itself. But when I tried to focus on the details of her face, my mind blurred. It was like trying to look directly at the sun: radiant, but impossible to fully grasp.
It felt like I was standing before a divine being.
My legs buckled, and I fell to my knees. As if I were paying homage.
"O-Oh… angel..." I breathed, the words slipping out before I realized it.
I couldn't say more. My voice felt unworthy in her presence. I wanted to look away, but my eyes were locked on her.
She stepped closer. A soft scent of lilies surrounded me.
Tears streamed down my cheeks. It felt like I was about to be blessed by a god. The closer she came, the more radiant she became. I looked down, afraid her brilliance would blind me.
"Pure and noble soul, raise your head."
Her voice was gentle and melodic, yet commanding. My body trembled. My cheeks flushed.
"A-Aaaah..." was the only thing that managed to escape my lips.
Still, my eyes lifted, drawn to her divine form. My heart pounded wildly.
"I need you to do me a favor," the angel said with a sweet voice.
I nodded rapidly, my body acting on its own.
She smiled at me. Even though I couldn't quite read her expression, I somehow knew she smiled.
"I want you to give this to your lord."
In her slender hand, I noticed a thick book—so heavy and old-looking it felt like it didn't belong in this world. I reached out and took it. The moment my fingers brushed its surface, a chill ran down my spine. This wasn't just weight—it was a burden.
"I-I understand..." I said, hugging the book tightly to my chest. It felt like if I dropped it, a curse would fall not just on me, but on my entire family. Questions swirled in my mind, but I didn't dare speak a single one aloud.
"Don't try to read it, okay?" she added playfully. "If you do… hehehe… well, there will be consequences."
Despite her tone, the words terrified me. A cold sweat dripped down my back.
"Only your lord has permission to read it. Only he can understand its contents."
With that, she turned to leave. The butterflies followed her.
"W-Wait... I..." I called out, unable to find the right words.
I didn't want her to go.
"Don't worry. One day, we will meet again," she said, as if she could read my heart.
And just like that, she dissolved into hundreds of glowing butterflies.
They scattered into the air—and disappeared.
Soon, I began to forget her—slowly, like waking from a dream.
But I still remembered the task: deliver the book to His Highness. I had no idea where he was, but I knew he would return to his office eventually. So I decided to wait for him there.
I didn't know why, but something deep inside me insisted—this book had to reach him, and it had to be soon.
So, I ran.
And with every step, it felt like pieces of something important were slipping away—precious memories I couldn't quite hold on to.