"Nina? What are you doing here?"
The one who called Nina, who was standing still, lost in thought, was the head maid, Della.
"Head maid… …"
Nina tried to calmly explain the situation, but unlike her thoughts, tears welled up in her eyes due to the emotions that suddenly surged up.
Della was surprised to see Nina, who was usually calm and did not show her emotions much, holding back tears.
"Nina! Why are you like this?"
"His, His Highness's maid… to the Lord… …"
Nina swallowed her tears and explained the situation haltingly. She said that the prince's maid, whose face and name she did not know, had yelled at her and even insulted Asha.
However, the most infuriating thing was that she could not dare to protest or retaliate even after hearing such words.
"Our Lord, he is not someone who should be spoken to like that by a mere maid… …"
Nina lowered her head and shed tears. She was more angry than when her own parents were insulted.
Then, Della, who had been listening to the story without saying anything, put her arm around her and led her away.
"Nina. That's why we have to do well from now on. The way we treat him and the way we take care of him will determine his status."
Della's hand tightened.
"Of course, if we are lacking in anything, we should learn from those people, even if it means bowing our heads. That's what we do for our Lord."
And when they reached a place where the prince's people could no longer be seen, Della grabbed Nina's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye.
"But let's show them that we are superior in everything 'except knowledge', Nina."
Della's voice was the same as usual, but her two hands that held Nina's shoulders were filled with strength.
So Nina could tell.
That Della was just as angry as she was.
Nina nodded briefly, meeting Della's sharp and straight eyes.
"I understand, Head Maid! I apologize for showing you such an unsightly appearance."
Nina bowed to Della and hurried back to Asha's room.
Della watched Nina's back, closed her eyes tightly, and exhaled deeply before heading to Decker's office.
"Ah, Madam Remir. What brings you here at this hour… ?"
Decker greeted Della half-jokingly.
However, he soon sat up straight, feeling the more serious and heavy atmosphere of Della than usual.
"What's the matter?"
"It seems that what we were worried about is starting to happen sooner than we thought."
"What do you mean?"
"His Highness' maid started a fight with Nina, and even insulted the lord."
"What did you say?"
Decker's mood quickly turned fierce.
"How dare a maid insult the lord? Does she want her tongue cut off?"
"But will His Highness really punish the maid? If she denies it, that's it."
Perhaps the servants from the capital conspired to make fun of the people of the Pervaz territory in this way.
No matter how much they protested, they might be accused of 'we didn't do anything, but they're picking a fight'.
"I didn't come to you just about Nina's matter. Already, several people have come to me and said that they had friction with His Highness' servants. From the day they arrived."
"From the day they arrived?"
"The servants who showed them to the second floor came down with pale faces. They said that the castle looks like a beggar's den, and that the lord… no, I don't want to explain that part. Anyway, it seems they heard such things."
Della's clasped hands tightened again.
They were rough hands that were thin and showed signs of hardship, with bones and tendons protruding, but Decker knew that they were all the more great hands because of that.
Throughout her time protecting this castle, Della had been brave, strict, meticulous, and compassionate. She never got angry or spoke harshly, and she maintained her dignity as a maid.
If Della was this angry, it meant that she had heard more than one or two stories, and that all of them insulted Asha.
"I hesitated because I didn't want to worry the lord unnecessarily, but I thought that if I left it alone, something even bigger might happen, so I told you."
Della was explaining the resentful and unjust circumstances of the lower-ranking people, but Decker wondered if Della herself had not been affected by them.
Decker clenched his fists.
"I will tell Asha, Madame Remir."
"But if by any chance…"
"Yes?"
"If by any chance… telling His Highness about this would be inconvenient for the lord, please just pretend you didn't hear it."
"Madam…"
Decker didn't know what expression to make. He felt miserable, ashamed, resentful, angry, and sad…
But Della's eyes were straight.
"If it would make the lord unhappy and troubled, it would be better for us to just endure it. This is not my will alone. It is the will of everyone."
I know.
Decker knew that feeling too.
After all, everyone in Pervaz owed a great debt to the Pervaz County family, and to Asha.
"I understand. But His Highness the Prince is not a completely unreasonable person… I think it would be better to say something."
"Thank you."
After greeting Decker, Della quietly turned around and left, just as she had come in.
Decker stared at the door through which Della had exited for a long time before sighing and getting up from his seat.
'His Highness the Prince is not an unreasonable person. He's not, but….'
Far from being unreasonable, he is an intelligent human being with quick wit, to the point of being annoying.
And quite arrogant.
So, when he was told this, he could have reacted with a "So what?" attitude.
But he couldn't keep his mouth shut for fear of that.
[I made a deal that would benefit both of us, it's not a slave contract.]
Because Asha said so.
If he kept his mouth shut and Asha found out later, she would be even angrier.
'It's better to be honest in advance and not make a big deal out of it, right?'
Decker made up his mind and went to the training ground to find Asha, who was watching the warriors' swordsmanship.
"Asha!"
Decker waved his hand and called out to the only person standing in the middle of the training ground.
Those who were lying sprawled around her must have been subdued by her 'loving' teaching.
"Oh, Decker. What's wrong?"
Asha wiped the sweat from her forehead with a towel tied around her waist and walked slowly towards Decker.
The wooden sword in her hand looked strangely eerie, so Decker took it from her with a smile and threw it away.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Hmm? Why? Is something wrong?"
"No, it's just… ."
Decker took Asha to a large tree where a cool breeze was blowing.
"Have some water first."
"What are you trying to say by being so coy?"
While objecting, Asha obediently drank the water as Decker had told her.
When Decker saw that she seemed to have cooled down a bit, he reported concisely.
"The servants of His Highness the Prince keep harassing our servants. It's nothing serious, but I thought I should let you know… ."
"What did they say?"
"Nothing much. Just… ."
"What did you say?"
Asha asked lightly, drinking water from her bottle as usual.
However, Decker instinctively felt danger.
'If I avoid answering here, it will only anger Asha.'
Decker swallowed and hesitated briefly before relaying Della's story exactly.
As he told it, it really felt like nothing, and Asha's expression wasn't too bad either.
'Well, our people got angry because they insulted Asha, and Asha would probably brush it off if she was insulted herself.'
Thinking he had been overthinking, Decker grinned and patted Asha's shoulder.
"Just so you know."
Asha nodded, wiped her dribbling mouth with her hand, and passed the empty bottle to Decker.
Then, without a word, she started walking towards the castle with quick steps.
***
"Countess Pervaz requests an audience."
"Yes. Let her in."
Carlyle, discussing matters with Lionel and Giles, covered the documents with a book and met Asha.
"Good timing, Count Ferbazz. I also had something to tell you… Wait, why are you so upset?"
Carlyle, speaking casually, tilted his head at Asha's unusually hardened face. This was because she had never shown such displeasure after his large supply donation.
"I came with a request for Your Majesty."
"There's nothing you can tell me that isn't a request, right? Speak."
Carlyle expected her to ask for more money for the budget-strained project.
However, Asha spoke of something entirely different.
"Please manage the 'lower ones' you brought from the capital well."
"…What?"
"It seems Your Highness' people keep harassing mine. Calling them beggars and savages, saying the lord reflects his people…"
She glanced coldly at Giles.
"Well, it seems they follow their superior's lead."
Asha's gaze returned to Carlyle.
"I would like Your Highness to be careful so no unnecessary problems arise."