Side Story Part 1
Side Story 1 – Martha’s Job Consultation
“How are you feeling, Mother?”
Martha asked her mother, Melissa, when she returned home.
This is a village in the Baron’s territory. Martha’s house is located in the corner of said village.
Shortly before Yuuki’s older brother, Xellos’s entrance examination to join the magic guild, Martha took a day off to visit her mother.
“I’m worried because mother is always acting recklessly.”
“Thank you, Martha. But I’m fine. I also am not coughing anymore.”
Melissa answered as she hung the laundry in the yard.
Martha was relieved to see her mother looking well.
But to be sure, she took the laundry basket from her hands.
“Martha will hang the laundry. Mother can go make some tea.”
“Yes, yes.”
Melissa trotted into the house.
Martha’s mother was chronically ill. With regular use of herbs, she would not have a cough or fever.
It was around the time of a nasty cold epidemic a few years ago that her mother became ill.
The cold, in combination with her usual cough and fever, was really bad at one point.
At the time, her mother, Melissa, was still working for the Baron family. But she was in no condition to work.
Thus, in her place, Martha became the Grossalia family’s maid.
“It’s been five years since then…”
“What about another year, Martha?”
Before she knew it, Melissa was standing behind Martha.
She looks at her daughter, who is hanging the laundry, with gentle eyes.
“Now that I can work as well, if there’s anything you want to do, please don’t hesitate to tell me, Martha.”
“Things that I want to do?”
“I mean, you can look for a commuting job instead of a live-in job. You wouldn’t feel rested spending all day at the Baron’s mansion, right? Besides, it’s time to start looking for someone to marry at your age.”
“…I hadn’t thought of that.”
“By the way, Martha.”
“What is it, mother?”
“Why do you keep going through my nightgown pockets?”
Hearing that, Martha looked at her hand.
Her hand was carefully going through the pocket of the just-washed nightgown.
Martha blushed when she realized it. Without thinking, she withdrew her hand and looked at her mother, and said,
“I-It’s not what you think. It’s because Yuuki-sama often puts nuts and medicinal herbs in the pockets of clothes.”
“Is that so?”
“The other day, there was a piece of material in his pocket that he got after defeating a monster, you know? I took it out before washing it and gave it back to him, but he said, ‘That’s for you, Martha’. So I had no choice but to go to the market and exchange it for some high-quality soap that’s gentle on hair, which I left in the bathroom.”
“…Heehh.”
“Yuuki-sama really is a troublesome person.”
“But we owe Yuuki-sama a debt of gratitude, don’t we? It was Yuuki-sama who told the Baron to let you work at the mansion. He also often gives us the medicinal herbs to cure my cough, doesn’t he?”
“I don’t mean to speak ill of him. Besides, if Yuuki-sama gets too dependable, Martha will have nothing left to do…”
Martha’s voice got quieter.
For some reason, she felt like she was saying something embarrassing.
Her mother, Melissa, is grinning in front of her.
It’s good that her mother is feeling better, but she wishes that her mother could stop teasing her about Yuuki.
She does not hate it, but it does leave her perplexed.
…I do not know what kind of face to make, Martha ponders.
“Listen, Martha.”
“Yes, mother?”
“I’m fine now. So when the time comes for you to decide your future, please be honest and choose what you want to do.”
“What do you mean?”
“Yuuki-sama is an illegitimate child. He can’t stay in the Grossalia family’s mansion forever.”
“…I know that.”
Yuuki will soon leave the mansion to attend school.
It is Baron-sama’s school of choice, so it is probably not for commoners.
Still, it is not always a place where maids can go either.
“…Martha would like to help Yuuki-sama if possible.”
“That’s fine. You don’t need to worry about me.”
Melissa patted Martha on the head.
“Besides, there is still time. Maybe something extraordinary will happen, and Yuuki-sama’s status will rise. Then Martha will still be of service to him.”
“Yeah. Yuuki-sama has amazing abilities, after all.”
In particular, his talent for magic is in a different league.
She cannot even tell her mother about this because Yuuki told her to keep it a secret.
“…Yuuki-sama sometimes says, ‘I trust Martha more than myself’.”
So let’s secretly ask him when there’s an opportunity.
What kind of path does Yuuki intend to take in the future?
Martha is wondering if she can keep up with it.
“Come to think of it, Xellos-sama’s entrance examination to join the magic guild is coming up soon.”
During the exam, Martha and Yuuki will be staying at an inn in town.
Let us talk about it then.
Can Martha continue to help Yuuki?
Would it be okay for Martha to stay with Yuuki?
Martha began to think about it.
