3. Lord Arthur was a mysterious... and wonderful prince.
(* From the maid's point of view.)
Work had settled down, and Marianne, with a handkerchief in her hand, gazed at Arthur’s room with a dreamy look in her eyes.
She then touched her forehead, where she had been treated, letting out a soft sigh.
“Truly, there is no scar left... Arthur-sama is amazing.”
To be honest, when she had first injured her forehead, she had been overwhelmed by both the pain and a sense of despair. If her face became scarred, her value as a woman would diminish, making marriage difficult.
If that happened, she would feel guilty towards her father, who had forced her to work as a maid in the castle, and above all, it would be the most painful thing for Marianne, who took great pride in being a noblewoman and wanted to contribute to her family.
“Arthur-sama... what a wonderful and kind-hearted person he is. He is the true image of a king.”
Although she was a noblewoman, Marianne came from a lesser noble family with little influence. Flattering someone like Arthur would bring her no advantage.
Yet, despite this, he... had rushed to her aid when a painting had suddenly fallen and she had screamed in a most undignified manner. He had treated her without even sparing a glance for the famous painting, focusing only on her treatment.
“I must have misunderstood him...”
Considering Arthur’s usual reputation, this was something hard to believe. For someone of his royal stature, a mere maid would be nothing more than a disposable existence, unworthy of even being remembered by name.
In fact, she had never been called by her name before, and she had thought he held no interest in the servants. But...
“You were healed because you are special. Marianne, you’ve always worked hard, haven’t you?”
He had said such words, and had treated her without the need for any large donation, something that normally would have been required for such healing. She felt that her efforts as a maid had been acknowledged.
And so, she made a silent vow in her heart that she would never forget this kindness.
“Still, what did he mean by 'special'... Could it be...?”
As she thought about the meaning of his words, Marianne’s face turned as red as an apple. Of course, she never imagined that she could be with someone like him, a member of the royal family. But... being called special by him left her feeling nothing but pleased.
“I heard you were trapped under a painting. Are you all right, Marianne?”
There was a knock at the door, and in came a young man clad in armor with blonde hair. He was a handsome, well-built figure with a strikingly beautiful face.
"Honestly, Brother Gawain, you're worrying too much. You shouldn't skip your training," Marianne said.
"Heh, more important than training or this country is my beloved, beloved sister," Gawain replied with a grin. "I heard you got hurt on your forehead...?"
"Rest assured. A kind passerby healed me," Marianne said, recalling Arthur's words about being 'special' and answering in a way that wouldn't reveal his identity. She didn’t want to cause him any trouble, and so, she decided to keep his identity vague. Ironically, by doing so, she unknowingly ended up earning Arthur’s ‘good deed points’ instead.
"I see, that's a relief. When you find out who they are, let me know. I want to thank them as well," Gawain said.
"Yes, of course," Marianne replied.
"Still, the healer must have had incredible skill. If there had been any mark left on your beautiful face, I would have searched the entire country to find someone who could heal it," Gawain said with a teasing tone, but Marianne knew he meant it seriously. Her brother's love was... how should she put it... heavy.
If she had been left with a scar without being healed, Gawain would have truly gone across the country. And if someone had demanded a large donation or refused to help, he would have held a grudge for life.
Marianne felt relieved that things had turned out differently.
"Yes, it was a deep wound, and I ended up crying out in a most undignified way, but a kind person healed me in an instant," she said.
"You, Marianne, cried out over a deep wound, and someone healed it that quickly...?" Gawain looked at her forehead again, puzzled. As a knight who had fought on the frontlines many times, he had received healing magic himself and knew how it worked. That’s why he found Marianne's words strange.
"Marianne... healing magic isn’t as miraculous as you think. It takes hours to heal a deep wound that might leave a scar. A simple scratch is one thing, but..."
"Eh...?"
"Only a few people can do something like that, even among those who can use healing magic. For example, Saint Elaine or our country’s second prince, Arthur-sama..." Gawain paused, studying her closely. "Are you sure the person who healed you was someone you don’t know?"
—"Oh, no, this is bad..." Marianne thought, realizing that her brother, though a siscon, was not foolish. If this continued, Arthur would get involved, so she decided to change the subject.
"By the way, Brother, if you're going to skip training, why not have dinner with me? I’ve been wanting to eat together for a long time."
"Really, Marianne?! Of course! Oh, I’m looking forward to it. Let’s go all out tonight and indulge!"
Seeing Gawain grin foolishly, Marianne let out a sigh of relief. After hearing her brother's words, her admiration for Arthur grew even stronger. He truly was amazing.
———.
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