An attendant's morning starts early.
Around five in the morning, the instant his eyes open, he springs to his feet. He moves quickly. Dressing properly takes roughly fifteen minutes. Munching on last night's leftover rye bread, he steps out of his room.
"Oh my, Miss Lolita."
"Miss Lolita. Good morning."
The maids were already up and greeting me. On the west side of the palace were rooms reserved for the maids, among them a large room where five or six stayed together.
"Aren't you barging into ladies' rooms a bit too freely!"
"My apologies. Seeing such a lovely sight every morning wakes me right up."
"Hehehe."
The maids tittered softly. Even their laughter carried an air of refinement. Every last one of them was a third or fourth daughter of noble families. The room was quite lavish—even sporting a fireplace, and it was precisely this fireplace that interested me.
The stones, heated scorching hot in the fireplace all night. Using tongs, he transferred them into wooden buckets. In no time, two buckets were filled to the brim. He lifted both buckets, one in each hand.
"Well then, I'll take my leave, ladies."
"Wait. Would it be all right if I came along too?"
Just as he was about to step through the doorway, a pretty maid followed after him. Good grief—this had been happening a lot lately. From behind, he could hear the others clamoring: "Oh my, Ariel, how bold!" and "Can you believe her!"
"You lot, it's not like that!"
The maid spun around and shot back at them. A blush had risen to her cheeks.
She looked up at me tentatively. Can I come with you? her eyes asked. Was there any choice... I gave a helpless little smile.
"Of course, Lady Ariel. I can't very well escort you, but you're welcome to join."
"...Thank you."
We walked side by side down the palace corridors at a brisk pace. Behind us, the other maids' teasing rang out once more. Some even whistled. By evening, no doubt, the rumor of a romance between maid Ariel and me would have spread throughout the entire imperial palace.
"Lady Lolita is so kind. It's hard to believe you're a commoner."
"That's a somewhat prejudiced view, Lady Ariel. There are plenty of commoners more courteous than I am."
"Is that so? I just can't quite believe it."
Ariel smiled cutely.
Could this even be called a date? The Habsburg Empire's imperial palace was enormously vast, and there was no shortage of secluded corners. Servants who got along well spending a "pleasant evening" together was hardly unusual.
A man and a woman secretly having sex in the most opulent palace in the world... Perhaps it was luxury beyond one's station.
"This morning is mercifully warm, isn't it? A bit hot, even."
With that, Ariel casually tugged at her collar. It was a brazen sexual appeal. I played dumb, pretending not to notice.
"Is that so? Well, your outfits are thicker than ours, after all. Just imagining how hot it must be in summer is terrifying. I find myself in admiration every time I see the maids."
"...No, we don't actually exert that much effort."
Ariel looked slightly crestfallen. Don't do that. It makes me look like I've done something terrible.
Still, this maid was relatively well-behaved. There had been women who outright threw themselves at him, propositioning him to spend the night together. Good grief, with Crown Prince Rudolph, Princess Elisabeth, and the court officials already piling on, the stress just kept mounting.
It wasn't that I disliked sex. I avoided it because the intentions were too transparent.
A commoner who received a fief from His Majesty the Emperor and was swiftly appointed as Lady Johanna's exclusive attendant. The lead in the bard theater troupe that's all the rage in the capital lately. There could be no more tempting prey for young women. With just a single sentence—"I slept with that man!"—she'd instantly become the biggest star in the imperial court.
You could call it a bubble economy. My perceived value was inflating well beyond my actual worth.
It was absurd. Being talked about by other people was inherently dangerous in itself. I certainly wasn't going to take on that risk just for a fleeting pleasure.
That was my type, you see. A woman who was indifferent to popularity, rumors, and all that nonsense. "Who cares about gossip? Get lost! But you—I like you. Now get it up for a moment!" A woman who charged straight ahead on her own path like that was the one I found attractive. I recognized it was an odd taste, but what could you do.
"Come to think of it, Lady Johanna likes sweet pastries, doesn't she?"
"That's right. She's always pestering me to procure sweets for her. It's quite troublesome..."
I let out a sigh.
Incidentally, in my heart, Lady Johanna has completely become like a little sister. "I want sweets! I want Speiseeis!" — she pesters me for them all the time without fail.
If I tell her, "You mustn't only eat sweets," she'll go and roll around on the floor. I'm not speaking figuratively. She literally rolls around on the floor magnificently with her whole body, wailing, "Sweets! Sweets! Sweets!" It's truly enough to drive a person mad. Both her taste and her behavior are unmistakably those of a brat!
Originally, bringing snacks from the kitchen is a simple matter. But my standing isn't great. I'm perceived as an upstart. I have to grovel and beg the kitchen servants just to secure the day's ration of sweets.
When I drag my tired feet over and present the sweets to Her Highness... Lady Johanna, the princess, beams with a smile as radiant as a blooming flower.
"Thank you, Lolita!"
And then she wraps her arms around me.
Our princess will hug just about anyone. It doesn't matter if you're old or a commoner — if she truly wants to, she'll squeeze you tight. Impressive, isn't it? That's absolutely no simple feat.
Everyone within the radius of Her Highness's smile gets struck down and sinks into bliss. Sebastian and I share wry smiles and let it go, Her Highness becomes happy, and in the end, the next time around I get roped into her demands all over again...
"Saying this might be improper, but Lady Johanna is simply too adorable."
"Yes. I really can't bring myself to resist Her Highness."
That's right. She is strangely charming, my young mistress. Which is exactly why I absolutely cannot leave her be...
"I happen to know a wonderful pastry shop in town. Would you like me to introduce you?"
"In town, you say?"
"I heard that the kitchen servants have been giving you a hard time, Lady Lolita."
Of course — so she's framing it as a favor. Was Ariel the kind of woman to retreat quietly just because a suggestion failed?
Ariel smiled brightly and continued.
"If you, her personal attendant, keep bowing your head to the kitchen servants... A servant's face is a master's face. Isn't that right?"
A favor, plus a reminder of my duties as an attendant. With this, I had no grounds to refuse. The other woman wore an expression that said she was going to make sure she had leverage over me no matter what.
I gave a wry smile. I had to concede here.
"Thank you. I hadn't thought of that. I'm still inexperienced in many ways. I humbly ask for your continued guidance going forward."
"No need. We're both in the same boat, after all."
Shortly after, we arrived at Her Highness Johanna's private quarters. The moment we reached the door, Ariel said her goodbyes and trotted off. It was the walk of a victor.
"Haaah."
Now I get it. The Habsburg Empire's palace is a living hell. It's not just the Crown Prince and Elizabeth, either. Not a single one of them is easy to deal with... truly.
I knocked on the door.
"Your Highness. It's Depensor. Have you been coughing?"
There was no answer. I repeated the same words several times, but nothing changed. This, too, was something I was used to. After nearly twenty knocks, a voice thin as a fly's buzz finally came from beyond the door. It seemed to vaguely say, "Come in."
"Pardon the intrusion."
I opened the door.
The room was entirely made of marble, covered with a thick red carpet. Morning sunlight streamed in through expensive skylight windows. A world of difference from my shabby quarters. Well, naturally.
"Uuugh... Lorita...?"
Her Highness Johanna, the room's owner, had her face buried in the bed. Her voice came out strangely muffled.
The blanket had been shoved into the corner and fallen onto the floor beside the bed, and thanks to that, I had the honor of witnessing Her Highness the Princess in her nightwear. Her calves and belly were fully on display between the gaps in her clothes. This, too, was something I was used to.
"Yes, it's Depensor, Your Highness. Were you well last night?"
"Nuuuh... Ta...yang... block the sun... please..."
"I shall comply with your orders."
I set down the wooden bucket and headed to the window. Then I flung the curtains wide open. It was still morning, but the sunlight was already quite strong. This was the princess's private chamber, situated in the best spot of the palace located in the sunniest corner of the entire empire.
"Gaaah, uwooooh...!"
Her Highness Johanna groaned like a zombie. I decided to just leave her be.
I headed toward the bathtub in the middle of the room. The pristine white tub was, for all its modest appearance, the most luxurious item in Her Highness's bedroom. If there was ever poison in the bathwater, it would automatically detect and purify it. Thanks to that, there was no need to haul fresh water in every morning.
— Thud, thud, thud.
I placed stones that had been heated all night into the bathtub. Wisps of steam rose up. My daily routine began like this — heating Her Highness Johanna's bathwater.
"The sun, the sun is… trying to kill meeee. Lolita, defeat the sun for meee!"
"That's a bit much. Even I can't defeat the god Apollo, no matter what. Your Highness, what kept you up so late last night?"
"I was reading an epic that's been popular in Franc these days…."
In other words, she'd stayed up all night reading a novel.
I chuckled softly and dipped my hand into the bathwater to check the temperature. Hmm, just the right amount of hot.
If Her Highness's bedroom had a fireplace, it would've saved me the trouble. But even a princess who had been given the cold shoulder by the imperial family up until now had nothing but the finest quarters when it came to her bedroom. The room itself was a magical artifact — all temperature regulation was handled automatically.
The entry I'd just made was proof of that. If anyone other than me — some other attendant — had walked in, they would have fainted on the spot. How many gold coins had been poured into constructing this room? Just imagining it was enough to leave me stunned…
"Your Highness, everything is ready. It's time for your morning bath."
"Why do people need to wash every single dayyyyy…? Animals living in the wild go days without washing. Humans are just… broken… the world is so unfairrr…"
"That's because humans struggle so hard to be different from animals. Now, Your Highness."
In the end, I went over to the bed and personally helped Her Highness up.
Princess Johanna staggered toward the bathtub. With every step, her nightgown slipped further down. The girl's slender, pale body was exposed. She carefully lowered her toes into the tub first.
"Ahhh—."
Submerging her whole body, Her Highness Johanna let out a pleased sigh. She cupped water in both hands and splashed her face. She looked exactly like a little kitten.
With her expression completely relaxed, the princess murmured:
"Maybe I've been living for this exact moment."
"You're only fourteen and already searching for life's meaning. As expected of Your Highness."
I sat down on the floor beside the bathtub. Taking Her Highness's right arm, I carefully applied floral-scented oil. The girl's skin turned translucently smooth under the oil.
"Hmm? Are you complimenting me?"
"Of course, Your Highness. The most beautiful and wise Johanna von Habsburg in all the world — how could this humble servant possibly say anything other than praise?"
"Right? Hahaha. I really am something."
"Now then, Your Highness. Your left arm, please."
Her Highness obediently extended her left arm toward me. Adorable.
Naturally, though, "adorable" was the only sentiment that came to mind. She was a fourteen-year-old kid — what else would I think seeing her bare skin? I was a thoroughly sensible human being. If I'd had even the faintest hint of impropriety, Her Highness never would have chosen me in the first place.
"The great hunt is finally three days away. Your Highness, you've worked so hard preparing."
"That's right! I really have suffered. Ugh, even if Father Emperor asks, I'm never doing this again."
Her Highness shivered, submerged in the bathwater. It looked like she was genuinely trembling. In truth, Her Highness only drew up the plans. Sebastian handled all the actual negotiations and preparation.
"Never again — I will never, ever take on something like this again!"
That was what Sebastian had cried out in anguish just last night.
Over the past few weeks, Sebastian had lost a noticeable amount of hair. I'd been helping by his side, but I was still a novice when it came to practical matters. I was of very little use. Poor Uncle Sebastian... he'd already been fretting about how little hair he had left.
"You only need to hold on for three more days. Exactly three."
"Ugh, three days... three days..."
I washed her hair and applied fragrant oil there as well.
Her Highness climbed out of the tub. I dried her damp skin with the finest towel. Once I finished drying her hair, it was perfect. After this, it would be time to hand her over to the specialized handmaidens for grooming.
I had just wrapped a linen garment around Her Highness, now all fresh and clean.
"But Your Highness, you can do it. Isn't that right?"
"Mm."
Her Highness gave a nod, the white linen garment fluttering behind her like a cloak.
"Of course. I'm amazing, after all. Lolita, make sure you never fall behind and can't keep up with me."
"As you command, my master."
I placed my hand over my chest and bowed. Outside the window, bright sunlight was now streaming in. Her Highness Johanna's silver hair shimmered in the light.
============================ Afterword ============================
Let's have a marathon update night.