--The morning of the fourth day has arrived since the Elgrand Kingdom Mission entered the palace of the Stanza Empire.

"Master Diana .......
This is also ...... even more flamboyant today.

　When Diana woke up at sunrise and checked outside her room with her maids, she was more impressed than baffled by the destruction of the corridors, which was getting more and more flamboyant by the day. The beautiful marble hallways were covered with sand, mud, rags and garbage, and it was impossible to step out of the room without cleaning. Only in front of the room given to Deanna, which is also polite and easy to understand.

It's going to be a busy day.
"Let's start with the cleaning. We can't go anywhere without clearing this hallway.
That's right. Even though it's ......, it's going to be tough to just sweep it like this. Hey, do you have a mop?
I don't know if they had one in the room or not, but it was in the luggage the Cresta's gave us.
That's your father.

　As usual, Mia and Yuri had their heads in their hands when they saw Deanna going to get the cleaning tools as a matter of course in the still dark. On the second day, when Deanna came back from Iftarne and saw the state of the ransacked room, the first thing she said was, "Oh my God, we have to clean up," and since then their common sense has been destroyed.

"As I tell you every day, ...... Diana, a lady from a good family doesn't usually clean her room or carry cleaning tools by herself, you know?
I know, but you'll have to get used to it. I know, but you'd better get used to it. There are only eight of us total, so it's better to have more than one worker. It's true that a normal young lady from a good family would never be involved in cleaning, laundry and tidying up, but that 'normal' doesn't apply to our family.
"That's true. To be honest, Deanna-sama is much better at cleaning and tidying than a girl who just joined the royal court.
Hey, Aina!
"But Yuri, it's true. I didn't know that you were so knowledgeable about housekeeping until I came here.

　Rosalie nodded her head in agreement with Aina, who had brought enough brooms for everyone.
　I'm a little earlier than everyone else.

You'll be able to find a lot more than just a broom. I'm sure the Crester family has always taken it for granted that the Lord and his family do all the chores they can by themselves, right?
"Is that the traditional ...... of the Crester family?
No. It's just that we're short on manpower and the spirit of 'whoever is standing can use the master' is ingrained in all the servants.

　In the event that you've got a lot of time and energy, you'll be able to use it to your advantage.
　While holding the broom, Kai smiled.

I was scared when I came here in the summer, too. It's true that the house is modest for the home of an old noble family, but it's definitely a big enough building, but there were no more than ten servants living there, including Rita?
If you include commuters, there will be a few more. If you include commuters, there will be a few more, but even so, it won't reach 20. Those who come as apprentices are more for etiquette training than as workers, so they change frequently.
In that sense, the only people who serve my family exclusively are the live-in workers and the "darkness. But you can't just ask the Darkness to take a broom and sweep the house. ......
When I'm free, I have them help me with the garden. Whenever I have free time, I ask them to help me with the garden. It's too much for Ran and Elizabeth to handle on their own.
The first thing that strikes me as odd is that the Countess's name is listed as the person who tends the garden.

　I'm not sure what to make of that. The maids followed Mia's lead. They had been working at the front line of the palace for many years, and their skill was truly impressive. There were two mops, so Deanna and Rita split up to wipe down the areas that had been swept by the Royal Family and Kai.
　I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.

I'm not sure what to make of it.
They're the ones who made the hallway look like this, right?
I'm not sure. I'm not sure if it was a maid or a maidservant. The perpetrator seems to be a fixed one.
All I can say is thank you for your hard work this morning. ......

　In the event that you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find a lot more information on the web. I wondered if they were getting up early or staying up all night just to harass me.

　--The day after her arrival at the stanza, Diana was surprised to find herself back at the harem after spending all afternoon in the favelas. She was surprised to find that the room she had been given had been ransacked to the hilt. Thirty percent of the clothes she had brought with her had been torn to shreds, some of the dishes had been smashed, and the jewelry had had the metal fittings torn off. It was fortunate that the target was mostly Deanna's personal belongings, and that the damage to the maid's room was not as bad.
　Deanna is not very attached to her things, so no matter how much her room is ransacked, she doesn't really suffer much damage. However, as expected, we didn't want her to run out of things to wear every day, so from the next day, we set a detailed schedule for everyone so that the room would not be left completely unattended.
　However, it is hard to expect such a convenient development that the stanza side would give up the harassment itself. Yesterday and today, the harassment of the "Ergeland Kingdom Mission" continued uninterruptedly.
　The corridors are stained, garbage is thrown on the balcony, and other small attacks on the living areas are being carried out without hesitation, and when I tried to hang my laundry out to dry, it was thrown in the mud and became useless as clothes. When I walked down the corridor, I was greeted with sarcastic remarks from people passing me by, and I was also subjected to some humble but troublesome teasing, such as stepping on the hem of my dress. If you are a young lady who is used to the Elgrand style of distant bullying, the direct harassment of the stanza style may be more bearable.

(Well, it doesn't have much effect on us, but...)

　Deanna doesn't care if the corridors are dirty, the balcony is covered with garbage, or her clothes are slightly ruined. The corridors and balconies could be cleaned, and even the clothes were half of them, so she didn't hang out anything that would be a serious problem if it got dirty.
　And...

Really, Elgrandians are so lowly. Cleaning isn't a job that a nobleman or his valet would do.
Look at his hands. They're pretty good at it. I wonder if Elgrand is the land of cleaning ladies.

　Deanna mopped the trash-covered marble, feeling more disappointed than annoyed by the girls' audible giggles.

What can I say? ...... The sarcasm is so direct, I don't feel like I'm being harassed.
"That's because your criteria are ridiculous, okay?　By the way, what are you saying?
"Cleaning is not something a nobleman or his valet would do. "Cleaning is not for nobles and their valets. Or that El Grands are the land of cleaning ladies.


"In a way, you're not wrong. The Kingdom of Ergeland is a very hygiene-conscious country.
There's no one who doesn't know how to clean up after being a royal chambermaid, let alone wash or cook. Basically, cleaning the master's room is the job of the chamber maid.

　The three palace maids nodded their heads in agreement with Mia and Yuri's frank opinion.

If you're a young lady from a good family and you've become a palace maid as well as an apprentice, you probably don't have any experience in washing clothes or cooking. But even so, you'll still be trained in cleaning, right?
Of course. It's a necessary skill for a maidservant to keep the master's room comfortable and beautiful.
I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I've been so impressed with your work.
I'm not sure what to make of it. Other than that, perhaps attacking these 'interlopers' is part of the job.

　Rita answered Rosalie's simple question in all seriousness, but the content was rather disturbing. I'm not sure what to make of it.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
I'm not sure if it's polite or not to go out of your way to complain when you're cleaning up.
"If you think about it, that sarcasm isn't really sarcasm, is it?　In the Stanza Empire, cleaning may be the work of the lower classes, but at least for the royal maids of Ergeland, a good cleaning job is a compliment.
"Indeed.

　I'm not sure what to make of that. Deanna was not the only one who didn't mind this series of "harassment", everyone here was tougher than she thought.
　After picking up the trash and using the broom, Yuri pulled the mop out of Deanna's hand with the words, "Thank you for your help. It's not the Lord's job, so get out of here," she said, and went back into the room quietly. The other maids have already moved on to wiping with dust cloths in hand.

It's amazing. I knew it, but the maids in the Red Rose Room are super talented.

　Kai, who seemed to be under the same pressure as Deanna to "stay out of it," was standing next to her in a watching posture before she knew it. It was hard for him to follow the behavior of the maids while dusting, even if it was only with a broom. The unique manner of the royal court maids, who quickly and carefully scrubbed the floor with their feet and stance without showing any of their skirts, is certainly not something that can be imitated overnight.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea. I'm not sure what to make of that. I'm sure that the famous 'Rose of Ice and Fire' will treat the maidservants badly, so I figured she'd take care of the annoying ones without telling me.
So it was a very lucky choice for Dee, huh?
That's what I'm saying. I've had a lot of trouble with Maris, but I want to thank her from the bottom of my heart for letting us all stay in the Red Rose Room. I'm not familiar with the common sense of the aristocracy, so you've always helped me.
In fact, you've been a great help to me too. Like this time, when they found out about my existence, they didn't panic, they didn't make a fuss, they didn't get upset, they just accepted me and treated me normally. Even with Dee's help, the longer you work for the royal court, the more difficult it will be for them to see you as a foreigner. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
...... I'm surprised. I'm not sure what to make of that.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing. The person who said this lightly shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

It's not that I don't know about common sense and conventions in the world. It's not that I don't know about common sense and norms, though I often ignore them.
"Well, that's a much worse pattern. --We've already come to the conclusion that as long as you're on Diana's side, we'll accept you fully. It's true that from the perspective of the world of the Royal Court, you are a foreigner, but since you are certainly an essential part of Diana-sama, there is no reason not to accept you.
"...... The interests of the Lord take precedence over status and origin?
Of course. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I've never really asked the royal court ladies in the Red Rose Room how they spent their days in the royal court before meeting Diana. Even so, I had a vague idea that Yuri, who had risen through the ranks from a lowly maidservant to the position of deputy head maid, would not have had smooth sailing. No matter how hard she worked, no matter how capable she was, she was still confronted with the barrier of status, and what she felt.
　It's a good idea to take a look at the actual information on the web, as well as the information on the internet.

I'm really glad that Yuri is the second-in-command of the Red Rose Room. I'm sure if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have felt comfortable introducing Kai to you.
"Of course, I wasn't surprised. Of course I wasn't surprised, but I could tell by looking at Karin that she was doing everything in her power to protect Diana.

　Yuri's words were met with nods from everyone who seemed to be listening in on the conversation while finishing up the cleaning. --Before I knew it, the hallway had regained its original beauty, even more so than yesterday, with the marble reflecting the cool, elegant light. The girls who had been playing the role of the jerks, upon seeing the scene, left quickly with regretful expressions on their faces.

　--As they finished putting away their cleaning tools, several harem maids with their breakfasts came walking in from the end of the corridor reflecting the beautiful morning light, as if they had been waiting for me. They ducked through the door as they were wont to do, put down their food, and moved back again.
　When they were completely gone, they all gathered in front of the dining table without a word.
　After a few moments of staring at the sumptuous meal in silence, Rita slowly looked up.

"...... How do you like it, Master Diana?
"...... Yes. I knew it was just another ordinary meal. There's no poison in it at all.
You're sure there's no extracted poison in it?
There are no life-threatening ingredients that I can detect, unless they are very cleverly hidden. ...... It's a safe and secure stanza.
Thank you for saving me the trouble of detoxing, but that's even creepier.
Yeah, really.

　Yeah. Deanna and the others were more concerned about this than the more obvious and easier to deal with "harassment". The first morning in the stanza, they had been so blatantly poisoned, and then the next day, it had all but disappeared. After such a brazen ransacking of the room and throwing of garbage into the house, I had naturally expected that their intention to harm the food would have increased, but I was completely disappointed.
　While Diana quenched her thirst with a cup of tea made by Rita, the other maids took small portions of the food that had been brought in for her. The rest of the food was to be handed over to the maids, which was the stanza style of eating, so the platters were quickly taken to the maids' rooms.


　In front of the clean table, Diana thinks for a moment.

"Luly. You said that the girl who brought the food on the first day was not from the harem, but a personal attendant of the lady of the house?
"Yes, Master Diana. It seems that she is a servant girl in the room of the lady's chamber, who is from a famous family called the Lancia family. You can find a lot more than just a few things that you can do to make your life easier.
I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. It doesn't matter if you're in a foreign country or not.
It doesn't matter if you're in a different country or not. It doesn't matter if you're in a different country or a different country, all you have to do is find out where and when the people are gathering, and then you can go there and listen in.
I was scared when I came across a situation where I was sent out because I needed to use a liaison, and the information I needed was right on the spot. You can make a good living in the underworld with your skills.
It's a great honor, but I'm still proud of my work as a palace maid, so I have no plans to change careers at the moment.

　I'm not planning on changing careers at the moment." While being soothed by the conversation of her friends, Diana jogged her memory about the "Lancia family's entourage" that Lurie had mentioned.

(I believe one of the ladies who attended the welcome party held on the first night of ...... called herself "Lancia.")

　She looked more than ten years older than Elizabeth, with a beautiful, clear face and gorgeous clothes and jewelry that accentuated it, and she was a woman whose family's power could be seen at a glance. In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can contact us at the web site. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and how you can get it.

(I wonder if Master Lancia has changed her methods of harassment. (Did Master Lancia change her harassment methods?) Or was that poisoned meal and the subsequent vandalism of the room the work of a different force?　It's also possible that the first poisoning had nothing to do with Lancia and was deliberately set up by her maids to cast suspicion on her.

　I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea. ...... Being in a foreign country and not being able to move freely is inconvenient. I'm not sure what to make of this. I have an idea of who the main player is, but I can't be sure yet.
　If Diana, who is fluent in Stanza, could join us in gathering information, we could expand the scope of our investigation a bit more, but in fact, we tried to go out in the morning the day before yesterday and yesterday, but we didn't get much satisfactory results, as it seems that the harem basically starts its activities in the afternoon. In the afternoon, Diana and the other maidservant had to leave the harem because of their duties as envoys to inspect the city of Iftarne. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll be fine.

...... You should have some idea of the power structure in the harem. I'm not interested in the power structure of the Stanza court, but it's necessary for self-preservation.
"You mean, what was the intention behind the poisoning and why did it suddenly disappear?
Yes. It's too creepy not to know the motive behind the poisoning and why it was stopped. It's not going to kill you if someone trashes the hallway or hurls a sarcasm directly at you, but it's not good for your mental health if a life-threatening poison appears and disappears at your whim. --It's not good for your mental health to have a life-threatening poison appear and disappear at whim. If we don't know, we can try to find out. If we don't know, we can't protect ourselves ahead of time.
"Relationships among the upper class people in any country are very tense, aren't they? --It's a pain in the ass, but what can you do?
"In the sense of knowing the inner workings of a country, it is a job that is typical of the missions.

　The royal maids smiled and nodded in response to Mia's seriousness. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.

"Please. --I'm not sure if you'll be able to find a way to make it work, but I'm sure you can.

　I'm not going to show my weakness for being harassed by people inside the harem when I'm working to make the pretense of "equality" a reality. It's obvious that if you tell Exiga, he'll work towards a solution to protect Diana, but it's also clear that it's riskier to owe him.
　I'm not sure what to make of that.

"You really don't seem like a noblewoman, Deanna.
I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea. You don't have to stoop so low, you just have to give us a word of command.
Lurie is right. --I'm sure you're right, but I'm not sure Deanna-sama would accept that as an order.
It's because of this that I crossed the ocean to support you, Diana.

　I'm not sure what to make of this.

We'll have breakfast first. It is said that you cannot fight on an empty stomach.
And after that, we can work out a specific plan for gathering information. --By the way, what are Dee's plans for today?
The morning is free, so I'm going to use it as a diversion, pretending to be walking around the harem as usual. The more I stand out, the easier it will be for everyone else to move.　--I'm planning to go to the north district of Iftarne in the afternoon to observe the lives of the non-poor citizens of the Imperial City. But first I have to check on Porte's condition.
From what Riku can tell, she's recovered pretty well, right?
Yeah. I think he's in remission, but I can't say for sure until I see him properly.
Okay. Well, I'll be with you in the morning, Dee. If you're going to be alone, it's better for Rita and the others if you're well guarded, right?
Yes, sir. For Deanna in the afternoon, please contact .......
You'll need to translate, so Rita can stay behind. --Do you mind if I accompany you?
Of course. Nice to meet you, Yuri.

　Lurie, Aina, and Mia are the best at gathering information in the palace. Yuri and Rosalie are also good at gathering information, but they are not so good at it. In any case, one of them needs to be in charge of Diana, and in this case, Yuri would certainly be the best choice.
　When the conversation was settled, Mia placed a fresh pot of tea on the table.

"Well then, Master Diana. Breakfast is served.

　--Finally, the day was about to begin.