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The day for the young ladies to depart for Ausente is drawing near.
Since Lady Cielmer’s arrival at Central, the seasons have changed twice. Throughout her time here, Lady Cielmer has shown mannerisms befitting her age in steadily increasing frequency, endearing herself more and more to the manor’s servants.
Although Mistress Fiiyanamia is charismatic and kind, serving her can feel somewhat unrewarding as a servant, given the minimal need for assistance.

This is precisely why the servants tasked with designing Lady Cielmer and Lady Ainsel’s clothing were immensely pleased by their new workload.
Honestly, I was also keen to contribute to the designs, but I refrained, aware that it might cause discontent among the other servants if we, who are already personal attendants, took over their tasks.
Moreover, there are undoubtedly individuals more skilled in design than us.
It would be absurd to intervene thoughtlessly and risk causing the ladies’ embarrassment.

The completed dresses were officially shown only to Mistress Fiiyanamia, us personal attendants, and a select few other servants, but in truth, many servants managed to sneak a peek at this unveiling.
Though I described it as “sneak,” we actually had received permission in advance, so all was well.

The ladies, especially Lady Cielmer, don’t mind being observed as long as it poses no harm to them.
Within the manor, provided her conversations with Lady Ainsel are not disrupted, she is indifferent to being stared at—though this indifference also reflects her minimal interest in others.
Consequently, Lady Cielmer granted immediate permission when we requested it, and following her affirmation, Lady Ainsel also consented.

It seems that Mohsa personally wishes for Lady Ainsel to express her opinions more. However, in my view, Lady Ainsel has grown more attentive to her own desires compared to her initial days here.
After all, she now vocalizes her clothing preferences and has shown a more absentminded demeanor on several occasions.
Given that Lady Ainsel was once extremely cautious and tense to the point of near breakdown, these changes are significant.

However, it’s a pity that she favors plain clothing.
She looks stunning in frilly and lace dresses, yet she would not choose them if given the option.
While Lady Ainsel’s black hair and eyes do complement subdued styles, it would be delightful to see her in more charming outfits.

At the dress unveiling, the ladies dressed in various different outfits, much to our delight as servants. However, the final dress was in a league of its own.
Crafted by a higher spirit, it suited the ladies so perfectly that it remains a topic of conversation even now.
Furthermore, it is also suitable as combat gear, and it’s clear as day that I, for one, would likely be unable to even damage the said dress.

Anyone with a basic understanding of sorcery could discern that its defensive capabilities surpass those of standard metal plate armor.
Frightfully enough, because of Lady Ainsel’s barrier, the emphasis was apparently placed more on general functionality despite it’s extreme durability.
Now, what frightened me more: the spirit capable of creating such a protective dress, or Lady Ainsel, who can conjure a barrier with even greater protective capabilities than the dress? I don’t know myself.

In preparation for their schooling, we have conducted a few teaching sessions with the two ladies. Regarding sorcery, there isn’t much to comment on. Their academic prowess is also quite advanced, leaving little for us to teach.
With these results, they should face no difficulties at the academy, which is a comforting thought.

Why am I even concerned? Despite being Misfortune Princesses, the ladies managed to travel from Estoque to Central on their own power; worrying about them should be unnecessary.
Yet, I find myself still concerned.
For this reason, I envy Mia, who will accompany them to Ausente.

As a servant, it is an honor to protect the manor until my lady returns.
We have made efforts to ensure the ladies view this manor as a home to return to, and I would like to believe that they now feel find it to be a home, even if only slightly.
The prospect of growing even closer to the ladies is indeed appealing.

Lost in thought while attending Lady Cielmer, which I tend to do, I was suddenly called upon, “Luna, are you free?” and was stunned.
As a servant, failing to immediately respond to your master’s call is a shameful act.
Although my lady called out to me in her usual manner, I found myself unable to respond.

This was because Lady Cielmer addressed me with the same intimate tone she uses with Lady Ainsel and Mistress Fiiyanamia.
Initially, I thought I was imagining things, and even upon realizing it was real, I was too overwhelmed to react.

「Luna?」
「Y-yes, what is it, Lady Cielmer?」

This time, I managed to respond, but perhaps sensing my mixture of joy and confusion, Lady Cielmer paused momentarily before her hair turned black.

「It seems that was quite a shock for you.」
「My apologies.」
「It’s alright. I couldn’t maintain my composure when I first saw Ciel speaking intimately with Mother.」

Lady Ainsel’s playful tone clearly conveyed the intent to console me.
However, I am certain her own “loss of composure” was driven by emotions far stronger than what I experienced.

「Why did Lady Cielmer change her manner of speaking?」

While I would be delighted if Lady Cielmer were simply trying to close the distance between us, considering the timing of it, that’s unlikely to be the sole reason.

「We thought that Ciel’s usual way of speaking might… cause issues in social settings, particularly when interacting with nobles.」
「…That, I cannot deny, especially if you both intend to keep your social status hidden.」
「While we plan to hint that we’re something similar to nobility, the presence of high nobility and even royalty could still pose a problem.」
「Which is why you want to practice your speech with us, correct?」
「We’re in your hands.」

With that, the two ladies switched places.

Initially, their plan was to conceal their status entirely and enroll as commoners.
However, as belittlement and other unneeded complications might arise from such a disguise, they opted to pose as an aristocrat daughter incognito.
It is unlikely that any noble child would disrespect a foreigner who clearly holds noble status in their home country, after all.

And that’s where we end for this month! Poor Saueluna, jumpscared by a randomly softer-sounding Ciel.

We have a Saueluna chapter this time, and it’s always fun to peek into other people’s perceptions of our cast and world setting. Also, I like how the servants are like “Okay, we’re employed servants and all, but there’s barely any service to be done! Where’s my gratification for doing a job well done?!” With our girls, now they have more work outside the routine stuff, lol.

And it seems like their departure is really, really close now, since Ain really pushed for a final decision of their alias the other day, and this time we see them seemingly trying to finalize their academic “alter ego” to avoid unneeded trouble during their stay. We’ll see if it actually works though, lol.

Now then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to comment. Stay healthy, stay safe, and have a nice day~!