I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince-Chapter 477: Change of Sovereignty (2)

Upon returning to the royal palace, Princess Rainy—no, Queen Rainy—spent the week moving through the palace daily, determining who would ally with her and who would not.

Though only a few days had passed since her ascension, her gaze already held a regal charisma that commanded respect.

It seemed she was reacting this way out of anger over what happened to Lora and Neris at the villa. Since they had shown her unwavering loyalty, Rainy needed to bring justice to those responsible for their suffering, to honor the faith they had placed in her.

With this pressing matter to address, naturally, the Queen had to prioritize those judgments, leaving our discussions with her somewhat on hold. However, palace life didn’t feel particularly uncomfortable or awkward.

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During our stay in the palace, we were given every comfort, largely due to her decree that the hero's party, including Ethan and myself, should be treated as royal guests.

In fact, the palace servants were probably more on edge, constantly glancing at us, especially when dining, resting, or spending leisure time.

“Haah, Sir Douglas, Captain of the Order! Just one more round, please!”

“It’s been nearly five hours since we started this morning, Miss Natalie. Perhaps we should pause for a meal and then continue afterward....”

“T-Then, just one more match, please!”

“I think that’s the fifth time you’ve said that... sigh.”

For three days straight, Natalie, a fan of sword training, kept hounding the captain of the kingdom’s First Order for sparring sessions.

“From here to here, make a copy and bring it to my room.”

“...Huh? These books amount to over two hundred volumes...”

“...Is that a problem?”

“...N-No! I’ll see it done! After all, Lady Agnes is a benefactor of Queen Rainy!”

“Yes. And tomorrow, I’d like to visit the archive. I want to see the magic books there.”

“The archive contains the royal library’s collection; entry is restricted to outsiders...”

“...Is that also a problem?”

“...I’ll grant permission.”

Agnes was relentless, pestering the librarian of the Defrin Kingdom’s royal library, fully intent on satisfying her unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

“If you polish iron weapons with Keffrin seed oil like this, the blade won’t dull.”

“Hmm, I see. Certainly, maintaining it this way will help preserve the weapon’s edge. Then, I’d like to buy as much of this Keffrin seed oil as possible. Oh, and would you perhaps share the manufacturing process...?”

“...Your name is Thomas, correct? I won’t charge you for it, but perhaps later, you could casually mention my name to the Queen?”

“For tonight, I’d like roasted venison, soft and marinated in wine and herbs. And a whole roasted quail and vegetable tart, with plenty of spinach and cheese.”

“Certainly, Lady Silena. Is there anything else you’d like?”

“For a snack, I’d love thick biscuits with cheese, butter, and almond flour, along with warm milk with a hint of honey.”

“I’ll see to it, Lady Silena.”

“Oh, and since I’m feeling a bit hungry now, could I have fresh juice with apples, pears, and cherries, and a toasted baguette sprinkled with sugar?”

While Thomas, the one who usually managed the hero’s party, continued in a similar role here, Silena seemed determined to indulge in all the palace’s culinary offerings.

Despite their differing goals and desires, everyone was settling into palace life in their own ways.

Given that we had protected Queen Rainy from countless assassins, this level of reward seemed well-deserved.

Even that peculiar character, Gebmojosheriqiat, appeared to be thoroughly engaged in artifact hunting, exploring every nook and cranny of the kingdom’s palace and capital. Excluding Silena, everyone was contributing in their way to strengthening the hero’s party.

Of course, Ethan and I didn’t spend those three days idle, either. As a maid and noble, it would be a waste to miss the opportunity to freely roam the palace under the Queen’s favor.

Ethan, sensing the value of connections with the kingdom’s nobility, used this time to strengthen bonds with the nobles who came to visit the new Queen, while I...

“Thus, the former Queen Veronica has been sentenced to be dismembered and live out her days in servitude.”

“...Is that... really true?”

“Yes. So my advice is not to try testing or weighing benefits with the Queen now. Just yesterday, two visiting nobles turned out to be close to former Queen Veronica, and they...”

“What happened to them?”

“...Oh, it’s about time for me to clean. This is all the information I have... unless, of course, you’re inclined to cover my pay a little...”

“A-All right! I’ll pay, so please, the next part...”

...Like this, pretending to be one of the palace maids, I subtly sold information to visiting nobles, earning a nice income.

Naturally, I didn’t reveal anything crucial—no names of Queen Rainy’s close aides or the specifics of her abilities.

Offering just enough to suggest which side might be wise to align with netted me one or two gold coins per conversation, which was more than enough.

By performing about ten such interactions daily, I pocketed between 10 and 20 gold coins, the epitome of easy money. In exchange for a few words of advice, they felt they had bought a way to protect what was on their shoulders, so it seemed mutually beneficial.

Thus, a week passed as we each pursued our own growth and interests. Queen Rainy’s coronation ceremony arrived, marking her official rise as the sovereign of the Defrin Kingdom.

Naturally, Ethan, the hero’s party, and I attended. After all, on this day, we were practically the highest contributors to her ascent.

Lydia, Lora, and even Neris, despite her lingering male phobia, gathered for the coronation, which was conducted swiftly, seemingly out of consideration for Neris.

It also included the presentation of individual rewards for those who had endured the hardships of the previous week alongside her.

“Hero of the Argentia Empire, Gebmojosheriqiat Vault, Defrin Kingdom shall present you and your companions with a thousand gold coins and honorary titles for aiding in restoring the rightful bloodline.”

“...I am honored to receive this, Your Majesty of the Defrin Kingdom.”

“...A thousand?”

“O-One thousand gold? Our family’s monthly expenses are a single gold coin. A thousand... nearly 80 years’ worth...”

“...Compared to what we’ve done, it certainly seems excessive.”

The mention of a thousand gold coins left everyone visibly stunned, even Ethan, a noble of the Blackwood family.

For a mere ten-day escort mission, it was an extravagant reward, but then, the person we were protecting was the Queen of an entire nation.

Excluding Lydia, who was already close to Queen Rainy, this meant each of the seven members received at least 142 gold coins.

Considering that my annual salary was 40 gold, this amounted to nearly four years of wages.

It was enough to make someone with a commoner’s financial sensibilities like me, Natalie, or Thomas feel faint with joy.

‘With this amount, I could live independently without worrying about money.’

Though those ten days were arduous, this reward was more than sufficient.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

After receiving our rewards, we spent a few more days in the palace.

There was no urgent reason to return to Blackwood Mansion early; as long as we were treated as honored guests here, it felt like a waste not to make the most of it.

Though we enjoyed numerous privileges here for saving Queen Rainy, returning to Blackwood Mansion meant I’d be Ethan’s personal maid once more.

Not that I disliked being Ethan’s maid, but it was clear which was more comfortable between caring for someone and being cared for.

The hero’s party also stayed on for several days, pursuing their goals (or indulging in their desires), so our choice didn’t seem unusual.

And so, about two weeks had passed since we began our stay in Defrin Kingdom’s palace.

“Silena and I will be leaving soon. We need to visit the World Tree’s Forest briefly this winter, so we’ll depart tomorrow.”

“...I could stay a few more days.”

“If that’s the case, we shall also return to the Argentia Empire. Without the hero here, it feels a bit presumptuous for us to remain.”

“I’ve finished copying the magic books, so I can leave now too.”

The members of the hero’s party announced their intent to return to the Argentia Empire.