I Became the Maid of the Lout Prince

Chapter 276

The sight of Lizzy speaking in such a sweet, playful tone in front of the three Elders was quite a shock to me.

What surprised me even more was that the Elders didn't seem to dislike her playful behavior.

“Elder Chuchu, can’t I please take the Witch’s Trial this time~?”

“Hmmm... Well, I’m not sure....”

“There hasn’t been an outsider who’s passed the Witch’s Trial in recent years... Even for Lizzy, it might be difficult....”

It seemed that, for some reason, Lizzy was quite interested in taking the Witch’s Trial.

In fact, Lizzy, despite her appearance, was a part of the Academy’s Department of Pharmacology. She even ranked second in her class, meaning that among non-witch students, she was essentially at the top, excluding Lara.

So it made sense that she would be interested in becoming a witch.

‘I wondered how she managed to enter the pharmacology department as the second rank...’@@@@

She probably built connections with the witches beforehand to gain an edge in getting into the department.

The witches’ knowledge of pharmacology was so vast that even getting a glimpse of it would make someone far more talented than the average apothecary, even without becoming a witch.

I had just accidentally discovered how Lizzy managed to get into the Academy’s pharmacology department.

“I never give up, you know~? Right, Elder Tutu~? And didn’t I gift you that imperial rocking chair last time~?”

“Y-You’re not going to take it back if we say no, right...? I-I like it too much....”

“I wouldn’t do that! But I did bring something special with me this time—a cushion perfectly made for that rocking chair, filled with soft down feathers. It’s incredibly fluffy~. I went through a lot to get it, but for Elder Tutu, I’d be willing to give it as a gift~.”

“O-Down feathers...? Fluffy...?”

“And what about me? Don’t I get a gift...?”

“Of course, Elder Chuchu~. Remember when you were curious about ice cream? I brought some packed in a magical device that keeps it cold~.”

“I-Ice cream...!”

She had really gone all out. It was impressive in every way. When had she managed to get this close to the three Elders, to the point where she knew exactly what they liked?

Elder Chuchu loved sweet treats. Elder Tutu preferred comfortable furniture. And as for the "young" Elder Coco...

“......”

“‘Young’ Elder Coco, I brought some pretty clothes that I thought would suit you. Should I bring them to you later?”

“......”

-Nod.

“Karaham, did you hear that? Go and fetch the down feather cushion, the ice-keeping device, and the box of clothes from the carriage—oh?”

“Hello, Miss Lizzy.”

“......”

Lizzy turned her gaze toward the entrance, where Karaham was standing, and her eyes naturally met mine. For a moment, she seemed confused, but then her expression brightened as if she had just encountered a dear friend.

“Lilith~!”

“I didn’t expect to meet you here.”

“It’s been so long! I never thought we’d meet during the break~!”

“Yes. I’m sorry I couldn’t show up at the last student council meeting, but it’s nice to see you again.”

“Right! It must be fate~! We’re definitely connected by an unbreakable thread of destiny~!”

“......”

“......”

“......”

“...Sure, if Lilith says so, then that’s what it is.”

Lizzy gave me a strange, slightly sympathetic look, as if I’d just said something odd.

“Oh, right, we were talking about the Witch’s Trial?”

“Yes.”

“You asked if I’m here to take the Witch’s Trial too, so... does that mean you’re here for the trial as well?”

“Not me, but my friend will be participating in this year’s trial.”

“...The person hiding behind you right now? Oh, now that I think about it, she looks familiar...”

Of course she did. They were first and second in the Department of Pharmacology.

“Oh, Miss Lara! It’s been a while!”

“H-H-Hello...”

“Now that I think about it, Miss Lara is from the Witches’ Forest, right? That means we’ll be taking the Witch’s Trial together!”

“I-I-It’s not decided yet...”

“I don’t think we talked much at the Academy. But how did you become friends with Lilith? You usually avoid even me, and we’re in the same department.”

“I-I-It’s not like we’re that close... Rosewood is, uh, my friend from today...”

“Oh, right, Miss Lara. Are you taking Herb Collection next semester? I heard there’s a group project. If you’d like, maybe we could partner up...”

“Aaahhh... I-I don’t think I’m ready for that...”

“Hold on, Miss Lizzy. You’re scaring her.”

Lara was trembling so much that I could feel it through my shoulder, so I stepped in to interrupt their conversation.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve gotten so used to chatting with the witches in the forest that I didn’t realize I was being too casual with Miss Lara.”

“Haa, haa, haa...”

Lizzy looked genuinely apologetic, while Lara was still gripping my shoulder and panting heavily.

Wait, Lizzy is on friendly terms with the witches of the forest? When did she even start dealing with them?

Even with my knowledge of this world, I wouldn’t have imagined such a feat. Just how socially adept is she?

Well, I guess that explains how she managed to win over the three Elders. And the fact that she got enough of the witches' knowledge to rank second in the Academy’s Department of Pharmacology proves it too.

Perhaps because she was originally supposed to die in the story, now that she’s alive, she’s going above and beyond in every way.

“So, you’re just here to help Miss Lara with her trial, Lilith?”

“...Yeah, something like that.”

“Hmmm, I see. I thought maybe you came to buy something the Witches’ Forest could provide.”

“Well, I did think about it. It feels like a waste to visit without purchasing anything.”

“In that case, the Auguste family can help you with that! Of course, it’ll have to wait until after my Witch’s Trial, but since I’ve built relationships with the witches, I can get you almost anything you need.”

“...I’m not saying I definitely need it, but do you think you could get dried mandragora?”

“...Hmm.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. I just realized that Lilith, who seems so cold on the outside, must have quite the passionate relationship with her fiancé.”

“I didn’t say I was definitely going to buy it! I was just curious if you could get it...”

“Yes, yes. I’ll make sure to get about ten roots for you~.”

That’s a lot more than I asked for...

But, well, I guess it couldn’t hurt to have more.