"Chirp."
"Chirp."
A strange sound rang through the castle corridor. Liszt, who had planned to rest until noon before attending the luncheon, opened his door and saw a blue little elf flying around a pillar farther down the hall.
Several maids were attending to the little elf.
Apparently noticing Liszt, the little elf zipped over and hovered a yard in front of him. Its big eyes curiously studied him, and every so often it chirped, "Chirp." Liszt had no idea what it meant.
"Grandson Liszt," a maid said as she came over to greet him respectfully.
Liszt asked, "What kind of little elf is this?"
"It's a Thick-Leaf Grass Elf. It was born just three years ago," replied a pretty maid. Her brown eyes boldly stole a couple of glances at Liszt.
There was an unmistakable heat in her gaze.
Liszt didn't notice her looking at him. He pointed vaguely at the Thick-Leaf Grass Elf. "Does it have a name?"
The little elf tilted its head, bewildered. "Chirp?"
"It doesn't have a name," the maid replied. "There are lots of little elves in the castle, so we just call it Bug Grass. But the Thick-Leaf Grass Elf is the naughtiest of them all, so several of us maids have to keep an eye on it, to stop it from causing trouble and making a mess."
Elves were wondrous creatures nurtured by nature. Most were quite docile, though some had rather mischievous, peculiar temperaments.
"What kind of trouble could it cause?" Liszt thought they were making a fuss over nothing. It was only a little elf; one maid should have been enough to watch it. Having several maids follow it around seemed like shirking their duties.
But before the maids could explain—
The hovering little elf suddenly puckered its lips at Liszt and—splat!—spat a mouthful of saliva right in his face.
It happened so suddenly that even the Earth Knight's reflexes couldn't save him.
By the time Liszt came to his senses, the little elf was already flying away, laughing, "Chirp, chirp!"
"Grandson Liszt, the Thick-Leaf Grass Elf is very naughty. It often spits at guests in the castle. I'm terribly sorry. I hope you won't take offense." The maid with the heated gaze turned to her companions. "Hurry after it, and don't let it bother anyone else. I'll take Grandson Liszt to wash his face."
Then she gestured gracefully. "Grandson Liszt, please let me bring you some water so you can wash your face. It's the least I can do to make up for the Thick-Leaf Grass Elf's behavior."
"All right."
Liszt had planned to just wipe his face. The little elf wasn't dirty, so he didn't mind its saliva. But since the maid had offered, he might as well wash his face.
When the washbasin was brought in, the maid wrung out a towel and was about to wipe Liszt's face for him.
"Thanks, I can do it myself."
"It's our duty as maids."
"I'm used to washing my own face." Liszt coughed. He knew the upper classes liked to be waited on, with servants tending to every need, but he would never get used to it.
He finished wiping his face.
Then he handed the towel to the maid.
The maid's eyes lit up. "Would you like me to wipe it again?"
"No, thank you."
A flicker of disappointment crossed her face. She picked up the washbasin and stood to leave. "Then I'll be off. Oh, by the way, Grandson Liszt, my name is Anna. I'd be happy to help if you need anything."
Liszt smiled faintly. "All right, Anna."
A damp lock of hair rested against his forehead, still wet from the water, making him look even more handsome.
The maid was clearly dazzled by Liszt. She lowered her head and hurried out of the room.
Only after she had left the room—
Did she realize that her heart was pounding and a faint blush had risen to her cheeks.
"What are you doing?" a voice suddenly asked beside her.
It was a male servant, the personal attendant assigned to Liszt at the castle, responsible for looking after him during his stay. He had just gone to the kitchen to fetch some milk tea for Liszt, and had returned to see Anna coming out of the room with a washbasin. Attending to guests was his job!
"Grandson Liszt needed to wash his face, so I helped him."
"Really? I don't think that's the sort of thing maids should be doing, Anna. Don't do anything that'll bring shame on Long-Yam Castle!" the male servant said in a low, furious voice.
Anna kept walking. "Lesky, you're not the steward. You have no right to tell me what to do!"
"Then I'll tell the steward!"
"I was just doing my job. How you report me is your business."
After Anna had disappeared around the bend in the corridor, Lesky gave a cold snort. "A bunch of little sluts!" Once he had finished cursing, he quickly suppressed his anger and put on the dignified, proper bearing and calm, refined expression expected of a male servant.
He knocked on the door. "Grandson Liszt, I've brought the milk tea you asked for."
"Come in."
Anna returned to the group of maids watching over the Thick-Leaf Grass Elf.
The maids immediately began chattering. "Anna, did you touch Grandson Liszt's face?"
"Was his face especially smooth and soft? Did your heart race? Did you blush? He's as handsome as the young master."
"Lucy touched Grandson Liszt's face when she washed it for him a few years ago. He wasn't even an adult then, and he was already so handsome."
Anna shook her head, disappointed. "No. Grandson Liszt washed his own face. He doesn't like maids washing it for him."
"How could that be? Could he... be like Viscount Orpheus and... like men?"
"I don't think so. I saw Grandson Liszt last year, and he was staring at Sister Luya's bottom."
"Sister Luya's bottom is really nice. I'm jealous."
"Then you need to give yours a daily pat, or you won't have one at all."
"By the way, Grandson Liszt is an adult now. He should have been granted a fief, right? What's his title? I think he must be a viscount. I heard the Tulip Family's Coral Island is a big island."
"I don't know. If Miss Melissa were still alive, with the lord backing her, he'd definitely have been granted a viscountcy. But the Count of Coral Island has married a new countess, so Grandson Liszt's situation must be rather awkward."
"I wish I could go comfort him."
"Stop dreaming. Do you really think a maid should worry about a noble's affairs? I say you should all put those thoughts aside and focus on your work. An ugly duckling won't turn into a swan. Ducks have ducklings, and swans have cygnets."
"So what? I've already decided to stay unmarried for life, like Mrs. Phini. Can't I at least create a romantic encounter for myself?"
As she spoke, the maid cupped her chin in her hands and let her imagination run wild. "A down-and-out noble from somewhere else, riding a fine horse, handsome and dashing, falls in love with a maid sweeping the castle... They're forced apart by family and society. They share one passionate kiss, then go their separate ways at dawn. Oh, heavens, I'm about to cry."