5. Arthur and the Faithful Maid
It was a dimly lit dungeon.
With iron shackles that sealed his magic, Arthur, once unscathed, was now left in tatters, his body in ruins. He leaned against the cold stone wall, surrendering himself to its chill.
Throbbing… throbbing… the pain in his wounds was unbearable.
The rough, jagged floor was the worst, making him long for the soft, cozy bed he once had. But that was already gone from his life. And the nobles who once praised him had fled without offering any help, abandoning him, while the servants had turned their backs on him, seeing no future for him.
Except for one person...
"Arthur-sama, you've gotten hurt again... Are you okay?"
"You... you came again?"
"Ah, saying it like that hurts my feelings."
The black-haired girl bowed to the soldier on watch and entered the cell, beginning to tend to his wounds, which were covered in dirt and cuts. It was only a simple treatment, just wrapping bandages around the injuries.
Without caring that her own clothes were getting dirty, she worked diligently to treat him. The occasional warmth of her skin when it brushed against his was strangely comforting.
As he watched her treat him, Arthur hesitated and finally voiced his question.
"Why... why are you taking care of me like this? I'm no longer a prince. My healing magic is sealed, so I can't even heal anyone anymore."
There's no point in flattering me. He expressed this to the girl, hoping that by saying it, she would stop coming. He feared that this might be the last time she would visit him. But he couldn't hold back from asking.
Honestly, Arthur hadn't been particularly harsh to her, but he also hadn't been kind. To royals like him, servants were nothing more than tools, and there were times when he even hurled insults at them.
So why... why would she, without any ulterior motive, keep helping someone like him?
But the girl did not stop treating him.
"Arthur-sama… you really don't remember, do you? Maybe you don't even remember my name."
"Ah… that's..."
It was as she said. He hadn't bothered to remember the names of any of the servants, as they were just tools to him. Back then, that was the norm. But now, Arthur realized. He was truly arrogant and hopeless.
"My name... is a secret. Please, try to remember properly."
"What...?"
"But I’ll tell you why I’m grateful to you. When my little sister was sick, you healed her. I know it was a whim, but for someone like me, who couldn't afford medicine, it was truly a blessing. This is my way of repaying you."
Even after hearing her words, Arthur couldn't remember anything. However, the girl, as if understanding this, continued with the same unwavering determination to finish treating him. She then began wiping his body with a damp towel.
"I was so arrogant... Why didn't I try to get to know any of you...?"
"Please don't cry. I don't mind... Your beautiful face is getting distorted."
As Arthur shed tears, regretting his own foolishness, the girl smiled awkwardly and continued to wipe his body. The water in the bucket was cold, and her hands, wringing out the towel, must have been cold and painful, yet she didn’t show any sign of discomfort.
It was a memory from the past, one of the few warm memories since Arthur had been captured. And in that moment, he thought to himself. If there was anything he could do to thank her, he would do it.
"Arthur-sama, are you alright? Arthur-sama?"
Perhaps because of the flashback to his past memories, a sudden headache struck. This was something Arthur had experienced before. And it wasn't just that. She had even opposed his execution.
Yes, she was the loyal maid who had worried about him until the very end.
"Hey... could you tell me your name?"
"Yes... I am Kei. But, well... I'm just a commoner, and I'm not someone worthy of you remembering my name, Arthur-sama..."
"Kei, huh... I see... So your name is Kei..."
Seeing the look of apology on her face, Arthur made up his mind. He would never forget her name again, engraving it in his heart. As he spoke her name, her kindness and his own foolishness came rushing back to him.
—I really never tried to understand anything back then...
With gratitude for Kei's loyalty, Arthur decided to make a proposal. From the previous exchange, it seemed that someone had been trying to give her unreasonable orders. If that was the case, he needed to protect her.
"Then, Kei, you will become my personal maid. You don't need to listen to anyone else's orders. From now on, do your best as my maid."
"Yes... H-h-h-huhhhh!?"
At Arthur's sudden proposal, Kei let out an utterly surprised scream. Her expression was filled with nothing but confusion.
—Heh, she’s so happy she screamed. It feels good to do something right.
However, Arthur, who couldn't understand people's hearts, misinterpreted her reaction as one of joy and smiled contentedly as he nodded.
"I'll be your personal maid...? And for the royal family...?"
"Hmm...?"
As Arthur watched Kei, still confused, he suddenly felt a gaze from behind and turned around. To his shock, he saw a silver-haired girl staring at him intently, causing him to freeze.
"Th... Morgan?"
Arthur groaned involuntarily upon seeing his former fiancée. How much had she seen? He was sure he hadn't done anything wrong. In fact, he believed he had only done good... Sweat poured from his forehead as he recalled his actions.
He had complained to the annoying nobles and ordered them to bring the ledgers. He had even used Morgan as leverage... And, even though it was to save Kei, he had chosen her as his personal maid without consulting anyone.
—Crap... Without the memories of my past life, it looks like I'm just abusing my power!! To anyone else, it must look like I'm a spoiled prince who picks fights with nobles I don't like and promotes a maid based on my own preferences.
Morgan hated when nobles abused their power. He remembered how she often spoke about "noblesse oblige."
Even if he tried to justify his actions based on his past life’s knowledge, she wouldn’t listen. In fact, she’d probably look at him with a mocking expression and say something like, "Despite having knowledge of your past life, you're still just as foolish in this one."
As he sweated nervously, he could almost feel Morgan's sly grin.
"Yikes..."
Her smile made him want to scream. It was the same expression she always had when she was about to make a sarcastic remark. At times like this, there was only one thing he could do.
"Then, Kei, the formal appointment and announcement will be made later. Farewell."
"Eh... eh? Arthur-sama? Wait a moment..."
Leaving Kei, who was still confused, behind, Arthur hurriedly ran off before she could say anything. Truly a cowardly move.
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