I, Fran Solvent, used to dislike Lady Scarlett.
She was a miraculous child.
Even among the servants in the mansion, she was whispered to be a special child from birth.
I became Lady Scarlett's apprentice when she was just one year old, and I was six, with the hope of becoming her future personal servant.
At the time, I understood that it was a job, but taking care of a baby who only slept was boring, and when I talked to my mother about it, I was scolded.
"Her Ladyship is listening."
I was reprimanded like that, and I remember being filled with dissatisfaction.
It was impossible for a baby who hadn't even reached one year old to be listening. I was angry, but then Lady Scarlett's eyes met mine, and my breath caught.
"Why did you stop talking?"
Her eyes looked curious.
I didn't think it was just my imagination. Maybe she didn't understand all the words yet, but at least the reason was there to try to understand.
At this point, I realized that Lady Scarlett began calling me "big sister" on her own, even though I never taught her. I realized that I, the one with the job to protect her, was to be the main one taking care of this miraculous lady.
Lady Scarlett was a special child, and I was her big sister who had to protect her.
That was my initial motivation.
I don't want to remember all the mistakes I made because of my overeager approach, but my entire family has been serving the Northmark Marquis family since before I was born. So, I never questioned it. It was just the way it was.
If someone asked me if I wanted to serve in the same way, I would have said no at the time.
As the Marquis was the center of our lives and my parents rarely came home during my childhood, I didn't have a favorable opinion of being a servant.
That's why when the idea of becoming Lady Scarlett's servant was brought up, I asked.
"Why do Father and Mother serve the Marquis?"
"Actually, both my father and mother started their current jobs because my grandfather told them to. So, I understand Fran's anxiety. But one day, I realized that I was happy working under my husband."
"We and our relatives have never been ordered to serve for a lifetime. But the people of Northmark, who work hard for the sake of the territory, make us want to help them," she said.
Unfortunately, I didn't understand it at the time.
However, when I wished to find a different job when I became an adult, I accepted becoming a maid apprentice temporarily, as I was told it was okay.
That's how it started, so there were days when I felt pain.
The young lady was cute, and I was happy as if I had gained a little sister, but I was scolded later for getting too close because I was the maid in charge. There were many things I felt unwillingly about even though the young lady didn't mind.
As the young lady grew up, her excellence began to seep out from every corner. At that time, I was the one who became emotional the most, and the young lady observed me calmly and turned to comfort me.
Being comforted by a child who was not even three years old made me feel inferior.
If I had continued to distance myself from the young lady, I might have ended up feeling creepy and scared by that person's actions.
However, a turning point came in an unexpected way.
One summer day, I collapsed with a high fever. The cause was food poisoning. Not only me, but also three other maids who often shared meals with the young lady fell ill.
We understood that it was caused by a parasitic infection, but since there were few cases and the treatment and medicine were not clear, the treatment was limited. The main treatment was healing magic by a healer. However, even the healers in the Duke's household could only alleviate the symptoms.
It may be an exaggeration to say that we were on the brink of life and death, but at that time, it was such a severe situation, even from a child's point of view.
Of course, the young lady was kept away from us, but after several days without seeing us, she became anxious. Since it was clear that it was not an infectious disease, she was allowed a short visit by her husband, and she came to see us.
"Fran, are you okay?"
I remember that the young lady seemed like she was about to cry.
As four attendants suddenly disappeared and my complexion was pale when I finally met her, she must have been worried.
"Fran, get well soon."
She said that and held my hand, and I cannot forget the warmth of her hand.
Or rather, immediately after feeling that warmth, my condition, which was so bad, was completely cured.
"It was nothing short of a miracle.
Everyone from the Duke's household who witnessed it knew the name of that miracle.
Healing magic.
The transformation it wrought on conditions that had overwhelmed the healers was nothing short of incredible.
Not just for me, but for anyone who received the miraculous recovery that accompanied the young lady's visits. No one doubted that the young lady possessed magic, despite her attributes not yet having been measured.
It was soon after that I made my declaration to serve the young lady for life.
It seemed only fitting, given that she had saved my life. I had developed a deep sense of awe for the young lady, who had used magic without being taught by anyone.
Above all, when the young lady smiled faintly and said it was good that Fran was feeling better after performing a miracle to help me, I was won over completely.
I wanted to be of service to the young lady.
I wanted to support her.
I wanted to protect her.
Once I had made up my mind, my life changed completely.
Almost all of my free time was filled with training from my mother on how to be a good servant. To be honest, I sometimes thought it was too strict, and wondered if my mother might secretly be a sadist. But I couldn't let the young lady see me in such a pathetic state. In her presence, I became the perfect maid.
In fact, if I couldn't be a good enough role model for the young lady, I feared I would be surpassed by the talented lady who had started her education as a lady at the same time as me.
Soon after I set my sights on becoming a dedicated servant, I noticed the young lady occasionally looking sad.
I knew she wished to be friends with me.
But I'm sorry.
Although I'm honored that you would like me to be next to you, what I really want is to stand behind you.