Episode 12: Maid’s Flashback – Iris and Cattleya
Iris was an orphan, but she was taken in as a maid by Ballad’s mother.
Growing up under Ballad’s mother’s affectionate care like a daughter, she became an excellent maid.
And Ballad, in turn, became quite attached to her like an older sister.
However, Ballad’s mother passed away from illness when Ballad was just five years old.
“Please take care of my son Ballad,” were the words left behind for Iris.
Iris watched over Ballad as he grew, but his behavior deteriorated more and more over time.
Despite her efforts to correct him and offer advice, he would dismiss her words with a single retort:
“How dare you as a maid speak back!”
Having grown up in the orphanage, Iris occasionally visited to check on its condition.
One day, she consulted Saintpaulia about the crisis facing the orphanage.
Determined to show Ballad the current situation at the orphanage and get his help, she decided to persuade him in the strongest way yet.
“If you really insist, I might be willing to listen if you spend a night with me.”
With a l*wd glint in his eyes, he appeared to mock her, thinking she would decline.
“Very well. But on one condition—you absolutely must go to the orphanage.”
Steeling herself, she spent the night with him.
As promised, he went to the orphanage to assess the situation and, to her surprise, resolved the issues in no time at all.
He handled the children’s gaffe of calling him a “pig beastman” with surprising leniency.
Even with the traitorous maid, he would have normally tortured and executed her, but this time he left the decision to his father, the lord.
Suddenly, he was adopting a more mature approach.
Was it because I had matured him?
Perhaps losing his mother at a young age left him starved for feminine affection.
Then, I vowed in my heart that I would accept the love he sought.
***
Cattleya became a maid serving Ballad two years ago.
She quickly became good friends with Iris and often had conversations with her.
They would discuss matters concerning Ballad.
Iris patiently watched over Ballad, saying that he was as cute as an angel when he was a child, but now he was merely a little pig noble.
I was employed as a maid at the request of his father to monitor his behavior.
Sometimes he would try to grab my rear or t*uch my bre*sts, but I deftly dodged him. Despite appearances, I am the fourth daughter of a baron, from a long line of assassins, equipped with assassin skills myself.
Recently, however, Ballad has often been visiting the kitchen.
He would talk with the head chef and frequently pass notes.
Upon investigation, it seemed they were recipes.
Several times, I’ve seen new dishes for dinner that looked delicious, making my stomach growl.
When he visited the orphanage, he made a dish called tonjiru and shared it with everyone— it was incredibly tasty!
Apparently, he has cooking skills and is developing new recipes.
It’s frustrating that I, as a maid, can’t taste them.
When I learned that Iris occasionally got to taste his dishes, I felt a twinge of jealousy.
Now that I think about it, ever since their visit to the orphanage, they have suddenly become very close.
Curious about what transpired, I asked Iris for details.
It turned out that she had spent the night with that Ballad.
Such a beautiful woman like Iris with the little pig noble Ballad—unbelievable!
But to think that if I spent a night with him, I could eat that delicious food…
What was I even thinking?
She was shocked at her own foolish thoughts!