The Peaceful Life Of A Maid Who Hides Her Power And Enjoys It

“I accept your request. However, if Miss Jean Berkeley comes to defeat by me, please deprive her of her right to succeed.”  

If he wished to move me from the fishes here, he’d have to show me a bigger fish. 

This was the philosophy of a maid who did not work without pay. 

“Who-” 

At that moment, Yeager practically jerked out of his seat and pulled on my arm.  

‘Don’t disturb me and get in my way.’ 

“Ah, ha-ha…um. Your excellency, you may not know this, but this friend of ours has been sick for a long time, that’s why his mental ability is a little…”  

“There’s no problem with my brain.” 

Volkwin, who also stood up to join, ignored my denial and hurriedly continued,  

“I think his brain has melted a little.”  

“It’s not melted.” 

“Yes, this problem is most likely caused because of the melting.” 

Who the hell are you guys talking about? 

Fortunately, the Duke seemed to have an evident intention to hear me out. 

“Let me ask you one question, Viscount Weatherwoods. Don’t you think it’s too arrogant for you to talk about the succession of our family so casually?” 

“Oh, your Excellency is asking me what I think again! You definitely have the high virtues of a swordmaster. How great!” 

When I gave a thumbs up, Yeager and Volkwin’s expressions turned paler. 

I lied wholeheartedly in a voice mixed with deep concern. 

“I know that the decision to decide who the next Duke of the family will be is solely up to you, Your Excellency, and His Majesty the Emperor. It’s a noble position given to the guardians of the imperial family and the empire, so essentially, the security and future of the empire depends on your family. So, as an imperial citizen, how can we not worry about the next Duke of Berkeley Gratten?” 

“…”  

“So, I can’t bear to see a successor who lost a mock-duel to the amateur Viscount Weatherwoods – who’s only held a sword a couple of times – rise to the position of the Next Duke of Berkeley Gratten.” 

As if watching a prank of his grandson’s, the duke nodded his head and encouraged me. 

“That’s a good reason. Keep talking.” 

“That’s it.”  

One of the swordmaster’s eyebrows twitched a little. 

“The point of all this is the fact that the Duke and  Miss Jean are asking me, the novice of all novices, to engage in a mock duel. It’s honestly very scary. Ah! I’m very scared indeed!”  

“I think the viscount has been learning to play around from somewhere.”  

“And the bottom line is, I accept it. That ridiculous request from your Excellency.” 

“…” 

“Oh, yes. I need to add one more condition. I want no bystanders – including your Excellency, the Duke.”  

“…”  

“Do you think it’s a loss? Of course you do. There is a solution to this unprofitable mock contest. Should I tell you? That is, your excellency can just forget his request, isn’t it easy?” 

Assuming that the conditions were met, there was no problem I had with the mock duel. In fact, I could gratefully deprive Jean of her right to succeed with ease.  

But that didn’t mean I was desperate enough to reveal my skills with the sword. 

I could deprive Jean of her position in some different way. 

But would the duke really do that? 

“Your condition is to have a mock duel without a spectator. And if the Viscount wins, I deprive my daughter of the right to succeed, is it?” 

Even hearing it with my own ears, I could tell that it was in no way profitable to the other party. And if my prediction was right,  

The Duke wouldn’t let this happen. 

“Jean Berkeley Gratten.” 

It was a low call. 

From outside the cabin, a tall silver-haired woman strode in and stood before us. 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Will you accept Viscount Weatherwoods’ terms?” 

Tsk tsk. My tongue clicked subconsciously. 

‘If you ask so openly in a place like this, you’re basically telling her to accept it.’ 

As expected, the duke did not care about Jean at all. I’d noticed this slightly after finding out his identity was the client. If he truly cared about Jean, he would’ve dragged me out and told me to duel with her at the very start.  

For the Duke, Jean Berkeley Gratten was a card he could dispose of anytime he wanted. 

‘It was like that on the battlefield too.’ 

The swordmaster was a man who had no qualms about sacrificing some cannon fodder for the sake of the majority. In the battlefield, he would always achieve perfect victory, even if it came at the cost of a considerable sacrifice.  

For the swordmaster, who’d used thousands, or even tens of thousands of lives as bait for his tactics, sacrificing a successor was no great deal.  

But would Jean give in to his pressure? 

“I accept it. There is nothing wrong with your argument. If I, who is supposed to be defending the empire in the future, make a mistake, it would mean that I was not qualified to be the guardian of the empire. Therefore, I agree to the terms which Viscount Weatherwoods has made.” 

She accepted it. 

 ‘No matter how good at the sword she was, this was a ridiculous bet to take on.’ 

As expected, has she been corrupted by her sword? 

“Well, if you say so. Shall we go up to the deck together?” 

The Duke, who leisurely stole my chair, gave Jean a command. 

“Jean. Viscount Weatherwoods does not seem to have a sword, so lend him mine.”  

“I see.” 

Why did he have to lend me his sword? That’s so burdensome. 

We walked out of the cabin across the curious spectators in the room. 

But just before I stepped out, my feet froze in their spot.  

“Viscount Weatherwoods.”  

I looked back at the Duke. 

The Duke, who sat comfortably cross-legged, wearing a suit right now, not armor, asked, staring into my eyes. 

“Have we met before?”  

“…” 

“Haven’t we met somewhere before?” 

“That can’t be. This is my first time seeing you.” 

I left the cabin without waiting for his reply. 

I didn’t forget to walk with the strangest gait I could manage. 

When we got to the deck, the tourists, who’d been soaked in relaxation in the night, were returning to the cabin under the guidance of the flight attendant. 

The deck, full of romantic lighting, garden tables, and the night air, had instantly become quiet thanks to that. 

I lost myself a few minutes in the glorious view of the galaxy embroidered in the sky. 

“Thank you for your patience, Viscount Weatherwoods.” 

When I turned my head to Jean’s voice, a long and heavy gray sword flew to me. 

The scabbard, filled with scratches of glory, definitely belonged to the Duke’s sword. 

I pulled out the sword after a short sentimental moment. The brilliantly sharp silver blade shone in the starlight. 

And, it was quiet. 

‘I was wondering how the sword of a swordmaster would resonate. I guess the owner of the sword has to be the one striking it for me to hear something.’  

How long had it been since I’d held a sword? It felt like years, but…  

Thump. Thump. 

‘This is not supposed to be my body.’  

My heart almost cried out of pleasure. 

I had the illusion that my heavy hands were as light as the wings of a bird. 

It was a sword that I’d never wielded before, but in my hand, it felt like it had been mine from the beginning. No, it didn’t feel like a sword, it felt like it was an extension of my arm. 

When I suddenly felt a gaze and turned around, I saw Jean staring at me silently. 

Jean seemed fully focused on every little gesture of mine. She seemed a little nervous too. 

I asked her something, 

“Are you not interested about the Duke?”  

“…it’s hard for me to understand what you’re asking.”  

“There’s no great meaning behind my question. I’m just saying it because it didn’t seem like he would normally accept such terms.”  

Jean, who blinked as if taken aback, answered a beat later. 

“It’s not that I’m not interested. It’s just not my top priority at the moment.” 

“Aha.” 

In other words, the status of Berkeley Grattens’ successor was nothing more than a means to one’s own ends.  

‘There was a reason why the duke wasn’t hesitant about using his heirs for his plans.’  

Regardless of their abilities, he probably didn’t want any of his successors to become close with him. 

“To achieve your top priority…hm, I’m guessing the duel with me plays an important role.”  

“It may, or it may not.” 

“Do you believe I’m a swordsman?”  

“Yes.” 

“Then, Miss Jean, I have a request, not a condition for you. I want only Miss Jean to know how I move in a fight.”  

“I’ll keep that in mind.” 

Jean’s attitude was so serious and polite that I couldn’t bring myself to crack a joke. 

“Okay. Let’s get started.” 

After I finished looking at the Duke’s sword, I put it back into the scabbard and held it at my right hip. Then I walked to the middle of the fighting area, and told her, 

“If you make me draw my sword, you win.”  

Jean’s eyes became cold, as if she thought I was looking down on her. 

Oh, was that going too far? 

“I take back what I just said. After drawing out the sword, you win if I swing twice.”