I immediately checked the feel of the pillow. It was fluffy and soft.
Then, I touched my hair. It was smooth and light.
I covered my face with both hands.
"Oh... What should I do? It wasn't a dream..."
I sat on the bed, at a loss. After a while, there was a knock on the door.
"Lady Marie, are you awake?"
It was Mio's voice.
"Yes, I'm awake!"
"Excuse me."
Mio and two other women entered the room. They were dressed as maids, with their hair neatly and elegantly tied back.
The three of them lined up and bowed deeply at the same time.
"Good morning, Lady Marie."
"Huh! G-good morning!"
I hurriedly knelt and prostrated myself on the floor. Mio quickly pulled me up.
"What are you doing, Lady Marie?"
"Well, you bowed so formally, I thought I had to get even lower."
"Why? Please relax. I came to greet you properly."
"Greet me? Me?"
"Yes. As of last night, you are officially the master's fiancée and a resident of this castle."
Fiancée...! My heart raced at the familiar word. I tried to calm my pounding heart with my palms.
Mio seemed unchanged from yesterday, whether she noticed my state or not.
"I am Mio, the head maid of this castle. The two behind me are Hanna and Ilza."
"Y-yes, nice to meet you. I'm Marie Chaderan."
"From today, the three of us will take care of your daily needs."
What... maids just for me? And three of them?
Maids are different from housekeepers. They are responsible for personal care, not household chores. My family had a maid, but with five people in the family, there was only one maid. She was busy with my parents' and Anastasia's grooming and hair, and taking care of my young brother, so I never received any personal care. In fact, I was the one who made the maid's meals.
Honestly, I don't think I need them... but this is their job. If I refuse, they won't get paid.
Besides, it's normal for nobles to have one or two maids. I need to get used to this...
I suppressed my nervousness and smiled like a lady.
"So, Mio, and Hanna and Ilza. Nice to meet you."
"We may not be perfect, but we will do our best. Please let us know if you need anything."
Mio bowed deeply again, but the other two just nodded slightly. Huh?
"Basically, I will be with you, but when I'm on leave or have other duties, the two of them will take care of you. They are experienced maids from prestigious knight families and have served in the royal palace. If you have any problems, feel free to consult them."
Um... I feel like Hanna and Ilza are glaring at me when Mio isn't looking... Is it just my imagination? It must be. I just met them.
"I understand, I will do that..."
"Before breakfast, let's get you ready for the day. Hanna and Ilza, bring Lady Marie's breakfast here."
At Mio's command, Hanna and Ilza turned and left.
"First, let's wash your face and mouth. I have brought some warm water."
I followed her instructions, and then my hair was carefully combed.
Soon, breakfast was brought in. When I saw the plates on the cart, my eyes widened.
"For how many people?"
"Of course, it's just for Lady Marie."
She answered immediately.
"Since I don't know your preferences, I prepared a variety of dishes. For starters, we have a selection of seven homemade cured meats from our castle's chef. There's ham and sausage from pork, and terrine made from pheasant, and pâté de campagne made from duck and venison."
"So many animals..."
"For a lighter breakfast, we have Schweinebraten."
"Schweine... Schweine... Schweine."
"It's roasted pork."
"Ah, roasted pork. I know. It's roasted pork."
"It's slowly cooked with vegetables, northern beer, and bouillon soup, so it's sweet and tender. Please enjoy it with the potato dumplings and sauce."
This was only about twenty percent of the meal, and it was just the appetizers.
The kingdom is known for its hearty breakfasts, but this is too much. Before reaching the main course, I stopped Mio.
"I'm embarrassed, but my tongue and stomach are poor, and I don't think I can finish all of this. Soup and bread are enough."
"Please leave some. Even if you don't eat it all, just take a bite."
"I can't waste it like that!"
"I understand, but the master has instructed us. Please comply."
"Where is Master Cyrus...?"
I glanced at Mio. She frowned.
"The master has already eaten and gone to work. There's no one else here except the servants."
"Then, Mio, if you don't mind, can we share...?"
"Servants cannot dine with their masters."
She said it firmly. Ah, there's nothing I can do. If I insist, Mio will be scolded.
"I see... I understand. I'm sorry for the trouble. I'll try to eat as much as I can."
I started eating quietly.
Munch, munch... ... Munch, munch.
... It's really a lot.
... Munch, munch.
It's very delicious. ... Munch, munch.
... ... I'm full.
But, they went to so much trouble to make it. The meat and vegetables are the lives of living beings. I'm sure it's not allowed to save leftovers for lunch. If I leave it, it will be thrown away.
... Munch, munch.
I have to eat it.
Munch, munch... ...
... Ugh. I might throw up. ... But...
"Lady Marie, don't overdo it."
"I'm fine, I can still fit more, probably."
"Don't push yourself to the limit."
"But they went to so much trouble to make it for me—"
"You look pale. Stop now."
Without giving me a choice, Mio took the plate from me.
"After a short rest, I will give you a tour of the castle and introduce you to the chef and other servants."
"Eh, yes... thank you..."
"For changing, please wear this."
She opened the closet—no, the wardrobe. My eyes widened again at the rows of dresses, probably fifty or more.
"... For how many people?"
"Of course, just for Lady Marie."
"I only have one body."
"I know. These are ready-made dresses that have been adjusted. We will soon take your measurements and make custom dresses for you. We will rotate them according to the season, and we will make about a hundred in total."