The Young Lady Has Disappeared

The entrance ceremony was held grandly. 

On the platform stood two people, a man and a woman, the two protagonists of this game. Jeron von Salvius. The prince of the Salvius Imperial Family and the male lead of this game. And a girl with beautiful golden hair flowing down gracefully. Yulia.

The reason why she, a commoner, enrolled in this academy was simple. Because she was the only human who could use ‘holy power’.

In a land without magic or holy power, the only woman who could use holy power suddenly fell from the sky. Because such a person was a commoner, they had her enroll in the academy to first get her accustomed to noble society. She must have been quite smart, as Yulia scored perfect marks on the academy entrance exam and ended up standing on the same platform as Jeron, who also scored perfect marks.

Jeron taking an interest in such a Yulia was the starting point of this game, and Lillian made desperate efforts to suppress a yawn while thinking about this.

“We, all the students, pledge…”

As Lillian was sitting up straight listening to the boring pledge, a small whisper reached her ears.

“Is that the eldest daughter of the Fortus family? How noble she is…”

“Although her reputation in the central social circles is not good, that’s just rumors spread by the opposing faction…”

‘Oh? Lillian’s reputation is better than I thought?’

Originally, Lillian’s reputation should have been at its worst at the time of academy enrollment. But for some reason, Lillian’s reputation didn’t seem to have reached its extreme. 

Not knowing that all this was thanks to Catherine ‘correcting’ Lillian’s behavior, Lillian pondered for a moment and then shook her head. It was a reputation she couldn’t know anyway no matter how much she thought about it. She’ll have to find out later. 

Lillian thought this while staring at the platform. She felt like her eyes met with Yulia’s for a moment.

“Now, we conclude the entrance ceremony.”

As Lillian confidently walked towards the door of the main hall in her usual gait after the quickly ended entrance ceremony, she noticed the people around her parting like the Red Sea in Moses’ miracle.

‘Hmm, this might be convenient.’

Half admiring gazes, half hateful gazes. And… one strange gaze. When she glanced in the direction of that gaze, she saw a man looking at her.

‘Ugh, Belrus…!’

The second main villain of the game. If Catherine was the one who tainted Lillian’s personality with evil, Belrus was the one who manipulated such a Lillian. He was also the one who slipped away alone when Lillian, who had been committing evil deeds using him as a shield, was executed.

There was no way she could like him. Although their eyes clearly met, Lillian completely ignored him and went outside. Prince Belrus, who had been staring at her, twisted the corner of his mouth.

“Huh.”

“…Is something the matter, Your Highness?”

“No. Nothing.”

Belrus, who had been watching this, smirked. She was still an interesting woman.

* * *

“Ughhhh-“

“Please bear with it a little more, young lady.”

“I can’t-“

To think that my ‘young lady’ would make such a pathetic sound just from putting on a corset. I swallowed a sigh while pulling Lillian’s corset even tighter. After a period of hardship passed and Lillian had fully put on the corset, I quietly opened my mouth.

“Now we just need to put on the dress.”

“…Phew. Thank goodness.”

While taking in the sight of Lillian letting out a sigh of relief, I slowly lifted up the dress. It was a beautiful blue dress that matched her silver hair and blue eyes. 

After putting on the sapphire necklace brought from the family on her, I quickly started putting on the dress. Since I was the only one who could touch her body, I had to learn how to put on dresses quickly. Although I, who used to be a man, wasn’t without resistance to putting clothes on a woman, when I was young I couldn’t feel lust for a child’s body, and as I grew older, my desires died along with my facial muscles, so the resistance disappeared as well.

30 minutes left. Considering the time to move to the party venue, it wasn’t much time left, but since Lillian was in a position where it was okay to arrive a bit late, I put her dress on quickly but somewhat leisurely.

“Turn around once.”

“Huh? Ah, okay.”

After staring intently at her as she turned around to check if there was anything wrong, I handed Lillian white gloves.

“Put these on.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

After she had put on all the clothes, I took Lillian out of the dormitory. 

As soon as Lillian left the dormitory, the surrounding students started to look at her. That’s because the ‘young lady’ was extremely beautiful as long as she kept her mouth shut. Probably enough to be considered one of the top three beauties in the empire.

“Come to think of it, if you didn’t meet your fiancé, does that mean you don’t have an escort?”

“Hmm? I guess so? Ah. How about Catherine escorting me?”

Seeing Lillian say such an outrageous thing with a face that suggested it was a good idea, I was momentarily stunned before answering gently.

“It would tarnish your honor, young lady. And there’s no need for me to do that anyway.”

“Tch.”

“Don’t click your tongue. No one will blame the Fortus family’s young lady for entering alone, so you can enter with your head held high.”

“Alright.”

Although her nodding appearance seemed very uneasy, I didn’t show it and escorted her onto the carriage. Lillian, who got on the carriage holding my hand, reached out her hand to me.

“Heheh. Escort Catherine too.”

“…Haa.”

Although I had never sighed once while working as a maid until now, I felt like I was sighing more often since the young lady disappeared. Feeling like she would keep her hand out until the end if I didn’t take it, I grabbed Lillian’s hand, and she smiled contentedly.

“Heheh, good.”

10 minutes left. Since the academy was so large, we would be late even if we took a carriage. Especially the banquet hall where the party was being held was a place that took 20 minutes by carriage from the dormitory. 

As if she knew this, Lillian looked out of the carriage with a slightly anxious face.

“Aren’t we a bit late?”

“It’s alright. It’s not against etiquette.”

“Really?”

I closed my eyes slightly and quietly listened to the sound of the carriage rolling while falling into thought. 

Lillian had clearly been wary of me on the first day, and until we came to the academy. Her avoiding me was proof of that. Moreover, her eyes were always full of wariness.

But after coming to the academy, she started acting more intimately. Why? Is there some benefit she could gain from me?

Is she afraid I won’t serve her properly? No. She might not know that I’ve seen through that she’s not Lillian. She should know that I’m just a maid and she’s the young lady, so there’s no need to become close. Did she act like this knowing what the relationship between the previous Lillian and me was like?

Lillian’s change in attitude was completely incomprehensible. It was the most incomprehensible behavior since that damned woman became my ‘young lady’. It’s not that the young lady has returned. Various habits are different from the young lady’s. Moreover, originally, the young lady doesn’t act so intimately with me. Then why on earth?

After looking at Lillian for a moment, I shook my head. It wasn’t a problem that would be solved no matter how much I thought about it. Even if I confronted it directly, I didn’t think I’d get a proper answer.

While thinking about various things, the carriage arrived at the banquet hall. It was a bit strange that she hadn’t said a word until now, but I got out of the carriage first and reached out my hand to her.

“Young lady.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

The hand that grabbed mine was very cold. Surprised by her chillingly cold hand, I looked at her. Now that I looked, she seemed to be extremely nervous, her face stiff. 

No wonder it felt strange that she didn’t say a word in the carriage, she was nervous. It was a nervousness that the ‘young lady’ would never show unless she was still in those young days.

“Don’t be nervous, young lady. Isn’t this something you’ve done many times before?”

“Umm…”

“If you’re really uncomfortable, let’s go to your fiancé. I’ll take you to him.”

“No, I’ll just stay next to Catherine.”

“…I understand.”

Am I worried about Lillian? I hesitated a bit in my steps at the unfamiliar emotion felt in my chest. The ‘young lady’ used to do what she needed to do without me worrying. But the ‘Lillian’ in front of me is not that young lady. She’s a small human who gets nervous even at such a banquet. 

Suddenly thinking that, I stopped walking. Lillian seemed to notice and glanced back.

“Catherine?”

Her face looking back at me from the front was slightly pale. Haa, can’t be helped.

“I’ll be behind you. Don’t worry, no matter what trouble you cause.”

“Huh? Ah?”

“…I’m not good at comforting others.”

I quietly muttered as she looked at me as if she didn’t understand. Then I heard a chuckle from in front.

“Pft, ahahaha-“

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s nothing. I just thought that even Catherine, who I always thought was cold, has this side to her-“

Those words, they were like the young lady’s. For a moment, I overlapped the young lady’s face with Lillian’s and slightly shook my head. It’s a needless sentiment. My young lady is not there.

I slowly stood next to her with an expressionless face and linked arms.

“Then, shall we go?”

“Okay. Catherine. Escort me.”

“Yes, young lady.”

And so, after walking slowly with linked arms, we arrived at the hall of the banquet. I slightly unlinked our arms and approached the attendant at the door.

“This is the Fortus young lady.”

“Ah, yes.”

The attendant, who had looked a bit flustered at the sight of me in a maid uniform linking arms with Lillian, came to his senses at my words and shouted.

“The young lady Lillian von Fortus of the Alexus Empire is entering-!”

“Ah, how embarrassing.”

“Young lady. It’s your turn to enter.”

“Okay.”

After being embarrassed for a moment, Lillian nodded and started to enter slowly, but with poise and dignity. It was like a sudden transformation, like a butterfly shedding its cocoon, and I was 

momentarily surprised and looked at her. A face maintaining coldness as if everything was unpleasant, dignified gestures. All of it was so much like my young lady that the numbness rising in my chest like a water-soaked sponge made me recall memories of those old days.

“Catherine, you should follow too.”

“…Yes.”

The moment she turned back and called my name, it all ended as if the spell had been broken.