Some time had passed since they had resolved the Witch of Envy incident, and Luciana and the others had returned to the Luthorburg estate for the summer vacation. Micah, enjoying her rest day, was planning to visit the orphanage for the first time in a long while, but as she left her room, she happened to run into Melody also leaving her own room.
“Good morning, Miss Melody. This is the first time I’ve seen you come out of your room so late… huh?”
The time was nine in the morning; but usually Melody should have already been up since the early morning doing chores despite it being a rest day. So why was it that she was only now coming out of her room? Moreover…
“Why are you all dressed up like that?”
..Melody was wearing plain clothes. This was the first time Micah had ever seen Melody not wearing her maid uniform.
She wore a simple outfit of a short-sleeved white blouse over a long red skirt, giving her a neat but lovely image. A plain black bag hung from over her shoulder, and her hair was braided with a ribbon in the back.
Melody was the very model of a charming young woman, dressed in fashionable clothing, which could only mean…
(Is she going out on a date?!)
Being dressed like this could only mean Melody was going out on a date! Micah’s thoughts surged forward at top speed as she imagined the romance.
“Oh good morning, Miss Micah. I actually have plans for the day, visiting the Noble District.”
Micah nodded in approval; Melody in her current outfit would look perfect and suitable against the backdrop of the Noble District.
“Are you meeting up with someone there?”
“Yes, I am. Sir Lect invited me, wanting to show me around the area.”
(For reals? That spineless wimp actually went and invited Miss Melody out? No way!)
It seemed Micah held a rather low opinion of Lect, having seen his antics firsthand when she had helped Melody with her assistant job; she no longer saw him as the stoic but stubborn knight from the game.
(Wait… Actually, wasn’t there a date event sometime around now, back in the game?)
What came to mind was something from among the romance sub-events: ‘The Outing of a Lady and Her Escort’.
This sub-event would trigger if the heroine had chosen Lect as their investigation partner for the Witch of Envy arc. In the game, the heroine would reconcile with Luciana after defeating her, but the Demon King would kill Luciana for her failure. As a result, the heroine became depressed for a time, lamenting the loss of a classmate and hating herself for being unable to save Luciana. In this variation of the sub-event, Lect, her escort knight, would offer a guided tour through the Noble District as a distraction and a way to ease her sadness.
(If I remember right, they should start at the garden hedge maze, rest at a cafe afterward, and then visit a jewelry store. By making the correct choices, Lect would gift the heroine an accessory that matched his eye color, and the heroine would give a lapis lazuli colored accessory in return. The end result would be a great increase to Lect’s affection towards the heroine)
The jewelry store conversation should happen as follows: Lect wanted to give the heroine a present to commemorate their outing, and she would refuse at first; after Lect’s stubborn insistence, the player could choose one of three options…
(Lect would ask what kind of accessory the heroine wanted, and the choices were something like allowing Lect to pick it out himself, something with Lect’s eye color, and something with the heroine’s eye color. The best choice here was…)
“Ah, it is time for me to leave. Oh, and Miss Micah, please keep my outing a secret from our lady. I shall be off then.”
“Huh? Miss Melody, what… oh, she’s already gone.”
And just like that, Melody disappeared faster than Micah could call out.
“She said to ‘keep the outing a secret from our lady’, but does she mean she is serious about the relationship? Ugh, now I really want to see this date for myself!”
Micah’s desires slipped from her muttering, but it was an impossible wish to fulfill; the morality of stalking aside, Micah would only stand out among the pedestrians, and being very obviously a commoner in the Noble District meant people might suspect her of being up to no good. In short, Micah could ill afford to take a risk for something like this.
Instead, the apprentice maid simply went on with intended plan and visited the orphanage, though a shade of regret colored her heart.
“Oh my, this is such a beautiful place!”
“This garden hedge maze is actually very popular among nobles visiting the capital. Not to mention, uh… I heard this from a friend but, uh, its also very popular among c-co-couples…”
Lect had busied himself talking about the gardens, only to begin blushing and stuttering partway through his explanation.
Dense hedges circled around the garden, eventually leading to a magnificent fountain at its center, but the maze was not quite unforgiving. There were several gazebos along the path, serving as rest areas for visitors, and convenient exit doors provided a quick escape from the maze.
It was quite the date spot to visit, as Micah had suspected.
“This garden is like something from Italy…”
“What’s ee-tuh-lee..?”
“Oh, never mind that. Now, since we are already here, how about we go inside– kyaah!”
“Melody!”
Lect caught Melody, who had missed a step, bringing her back to her feet in his arms.
“Th-thank you very much for your help.”
“…You should be a little more careful.”
“Of course, my apologies, Sir Lect. Shall we go in then?”
“Yes, let’s…”
And just like that Melody happily entered the maze. Lect followed slightly behind as he struggled to hide his bright red face.
(She was so soft, so soft…)
※Due to some unfortunate circumstances, we are unable to show the face of a certain twenty-one-year-old man at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.
It seemed their itinerary matched the one Micah remembered as, after exploring the garden maze, the two stopped at a nearby cafe to rest. From there, their next destination was…
“And this is the place I wanted to bring you to.”
They had arrived at a jewelry store, the same one Lect had brought the heroine to. After a moment, the two walked in through the door.
“Welcome to our store. Is there anything you are looking for in particular or perhaps something I may help with?”
A woman who looked to be a sales clerk approached them but directed her question to Lect. It seemed that because Lect and Melody had entered the story together, the clerk had assumed they were a couple and Lect was searching for a gift. However…
“…I apologize, but she is the one who is looking to make a purchase.”
“Excuse me?”
For the first time that day, Lect wore a rather dissatisfied expression as he directed the clerk over to Melody. The oblivious maid smiled in greeting.
“I am looking to buy a gift for someone very dear to me. Are there any accessories you can recommend?”
She said so with a loving smile and a faint blush on her cheeks; it was obvious the person she wanted to give a gift to… was not the man accompanying her. The clerk stared at Lect with pity.
To be caught in a love triangle, her thoughts clearly read.
(Please don’t look at me with those eyes!)
“There are so many lovely accessories here, but I wonder which would be most suitable as a birthday gift to my lady…”
For this girl whose everything was about maids, it was clear she prioritized her young lady’s happiness over something as trivial as romance.
And that was why they were here: Luciana’s birthday was coming up on the seventh day of the next month. Since they would soon be returning to the Luthorburg territory to spend most of the summer vacation there, Melody had wanted to find a gift in the capital, and, after consulting with Paula, the maid had directed Lect to guide Melody through the city in search of a gift.
The reason Lect had for taking Melody to the hedge gardens or other places was to familiarize her with the Noble District.. or so Paula had told him to say. The truth was, this entire outing had been Paula’s way of meddling in their relationship, to try and bring the two closer.
“This one has a simple, subdued design, perfect for daily wear, but it can also be worn for more formal occasions if matched with a suitable outfit.”
“This one is quite lovely.”
Melody was examining a blue topaz pendant on a gold chain. The color of the gem matched Luciana’s eyes, and it seemed to be a good fit for the noble girl.
Because her previous gift had been a shabbier ring that was ill-suited for a noble of Luciana’s standing, Melody had wanted to gift something fancier, something Luciana could proudly wear and display.
It was with that in mind that Melody would not hesitate to use the entirety of her wages, if the situation came down to that.
“I would like to purchase this one.”
“Of course. Thank you for purchasing from us.”
The clerk gave a polite, reassured bow; she no longer felt awkward having learned the gift had been for another girl and having resolved the misunderstanding.
“Fufufu, I am happy to have found something nice for my lady.”
Melody gave a cheerful smile.
Oh, how could things have changed like this; what was once an event to raise Lect’s affection had become one that raised Luciana’s!
But there was nothing anyone could do to stop her, and so Melody had picked out a present for her beloved young lady, all the while ignoring the pitiful ‘love interest’ that had accompanied her.
Was this also the work of the invincible maid that continued to derail the plot?!
…But it was not yet over; it seemed the world would not simply allow the maid to twist the story too far off track.
“…Melody.”
“Hm? What is it, Sir Lect?”
Lect called out to a blissful Melody who had asked for her gift to be wrapped. Hearing Lect call for her, the maid turned to see him blushing with a nervous look on his face.
“Is there something wrong?”
“You see, uh… today, um, I had a lot of fun showing you around.”
“Yes, thank you for accompanying me, Sir Lect. It was an enjoyable time for me as well.”
But is that all he wanted to say? Melody could not help but wonder though she maintained her smile.
“That’s why, um…”
“Hm?”
“Th-that’s why..! Uh, to commemorate our outing today..! W-would you allow me to gift you a piece of jewelry?”
“…Huh?”
The cowardly knight had mustered every last particle of courage in him for this single moment.
“But I was the one imposing on you, Sir Lect, having asked you to accompany me today. I would feel quite bad to simply accept your gift like this.”
“No, rather, it is just a personal, uh, expression of my feeling… I suppose I just want something to show for what we did today.”
“…”
Melody was unsure of how to respond; on one hand, Lect looked to be simply grasping at straws, but there was also a steely determination to his request — one that reminded Melody of how she had felt when she first vowed to become a maid.
(…I don’t know why he is so insistent about this.)
His intention was blatantly obvious enough to any other onlooker…
…But it flew right on over Melody’s head. Honestly, how is she even this dense? Surely there will come a day where Melody finally realizes what is going on.
And so Melody stared intensely back at Lect, who was avoiding eye contact ouf of embarrassment.
The people around them, however, watched their routine with wry smiles and warm looks.
( ( (Ah, to be young again…) ) )
A comforting atmosphere settled over the store, and, after a moment, Melody finally answered.
“I understand, Sir Lect, so how about we do a gift exchange instead?”
“…A gift exchange?”
Melody simply smiled at the confused Lect.
“I also had a wonderful time with you today, so if you wanted to give me something to commemorate it, then would it not make sense for me to give you one as well? So we should each buy a gift and then we can exchange it between us.”
“O-oh, I see..!”
(This way it won’t be a one-sided gift, but a trade between friends!)
The eyes around them grew warmer still as they continued watching the developing antics of this comedic couple.
“Is there something specific you want, Melody?”
“Oh, no, please choose something you think would suit me, Sir Lect, and I will look for something that would look good on you.”
“Oh..! I see, I understand now!”
Melody carefully observed Lect as he hurried off to find a gift.
Lect was currently wearing a navy blue vest that made him look more slender than usual, and his outfit gave off a calming atmosphere. It was an ensemble that suited him surprisingly well, actually.
(But I think he would look even better with a bit of color… Ah…)
Melody was looking around, scanning the store for items when she spotted a plain white, long-sleeved and collared shirt and decided on her gift.
And so, after some time, they each had purchased then exchanged an accessory that suited the other, and they left the store satisfied while wearing their gifts.
…That day, there was quite the happy atmosphere about the store.
( ( (To be young again, indeed!) ) )
“Fufufu, I am glad I was able to find something for my lady.”
Having returned to her room, Melody was smiling happily as she beheld the small wrapped box in her hand.
“I hope my lady will be pleased with this gift.”
Melody put the box away into a drawer on her desk before taking off a flower-shaped amber brooch she had been wearing. She held it up to admire it from different angles.
“…How beautiful.”
The flower brooch alternated red and gold amber pieces as its petals, and the colors reminded her of Lect’s hair and eyes. The rays of the setting sun coming through the window seemed to light the amber from within, causing it to sparkle, and Melody subconsciously smiled as she recalled Lect’s expression when he presented this brooch to her.
Perhaps because he was unused to giving gifts, Lect’s cheeks had burned crimson, and he had on a flustered expression unexpected for someone of his age. Secretly, however, Melody thought he looked quite adorable then.
“Well, that is enough of that. It should be time to prepare dinner. Please look forward to your gift, my lady.”
Melody carefully deposited the brooch into her desk drawer as well and changed into her usual uniform before leaving the her room.
“…So, what? You exchanged gifts with each other and then what? That’s all you got?”
Back at Lect’s mansion, Paula was chiding Lect. She was helping him redress, but seeing the lapis lazuli cuff links had left her rather disappointed.
After all, Lect had given Melody an accessory in the colors of his hair and eyes, so why had he accepted this in return instead of something that matched the black of the maid’s hair and eyes?
Paula let out a tired sigh; this had not been a proper date by any means, but the way they spent their time together meant it was a date in all but name. And although her master had tripped up at the most crucial moment, he seemed not to care as he gazed lovingly at the cuff links after removing them from his shirt.
“This is… no, never mind. This is fine, just fine.”
And with a gentle smile on his lips, he carefully put the cuff links away into his jewelry box.
Headcanon TL 
Leave a comment