"If you wanted to marry Laine, you had many opportunities to reveal your identity. If you intended to completely hide yourself, then as Laine gradually became the most dazzling hero of the entire Old World, you had plenty of chances to leave him and live a secluded life. But you didn’t do that. You just kept being a maid. If you really liked Laine, when the news of the engagement between me and Laine came out, you had no reason to do nothing!" Surya asked suspiciously.

"When I was fifteen and fought my way out from the beastmen’s enclosure in the Giant Dragon Forest, I immediately realized that I couldn’t return to Nuer, as what awaited me there was a web of countless intrigues. At that time, the elite troops and vassals of the family were almost completely wiped out. If I returned to Nuer, lacking soldiers, power, and even the most basic foundation, I would just become a puppet, forced into marriage and childbirth, and then set aside," Amelia’s voice became low and filled with strong resentment. "Nobles can’t rule independently before twenty, so without the power in my hands, it meant I could never seize control. Even with the support of Supreme Mage Elspeth von Draken of the Amethyst Academy and Nuer Champion Theodore Bruckner, or even those engineer families from the Nuer Gunpowder Academy, I couldn’t change this rule. So immediately, I put away all my jewelry, and utilizing the special skills taught to me by the court lady officials, I changed my identity."

Surya nodded silently.

"I know that whether it’s my supporters, my political enemies, or the ambitious individuals seeking the Prince-Elector’s claim, they wouldn’t give up searching for my whereabouts. After avoiding two searches, I decided to take the Prince-Elector’s Holy Sword—Rune Fang ’Western Fire’—and boarded a passenger ship heading to the Nord Kingdom. The Nord Kingdom is a vast but sparsely populated place, possessing a territory equivalent to a third of the Empire’s land area. There are only a few inhabited places along the main roads. Hiding there made it extremely difficult to be found. During my time wandering, I learned how to speak Low Gothic with a yokel’s accent and how to disguise myself as a not-so-good female mercenary. After spending two years, I integrated into the Blood Axe Mercenary Corps and became quite unobtrusive, until... Teresa Trovik, the female member of the Jialan Council, needed some guards," continued Amelia.

The rest was known to Surya. Due to the female sorcerer’s overconfidence, the Blood Axe Mercenary Corps was hit hard, with half being killed or injured, and then further tricked by the Imperial Great Alchemist Geld, forcing them into a desperate situation in Marinburg.

"So... why Laine?" Surya then asked.

"Ha... In the beginning, my thinking was simple. Excellent men always attract women, I suppose it’s the same with you, Surya Sister," Amelia let out a teasing laugh, her self-deprecating manner made Surya both heartache and a little alarmed. The female knight reached out and embraced the little maid in her arms to comfort her.

"I personally witnessed Laine’s victory in the championship duel on the walls of Mijordenhaven, and in Marinburg, I witnessed a series of his great deeds. So at the time, I felt this man was useful, strong, and closely tied to Duke Schultz of Marinburg. These would be my assets when I return to Nuer at the age of twenty to inherit the Duke of Nuer, Duke of Weisen and Brescia Prince-Elector claims. I firmly believed that as long as I offered a sufficient price, it would be an irresistible condition for Laine, who was eager for promotion," Amelia continued, "By staying beside him, I could feel secure, which was what I desperately needed when I was forced to come to Marinburg, fearing exposure. Thus, under the guise of serving in the Sea God Church, I became Laine’s maid, but... as things developed, it wasn’t smooth sailing. I soon discovered there was someone... who wanted to control Laine even more than I did."

"The Lady..." Surya murmured.

"Laine becoming the Holy Grail Knight and Divine Chosen Champion of the Lady of the Lake was something I hadn’t anticipated. I never expected a deity to appear at home every ten days or half a month," Amelia shook her head with a bitter smile. "So with the change in plans, unsure of what to do, I had no choice but to hide myself for the time being, focusing on being his maid. Surprisingly, concentrating on being just a maid brought me genuine happiness."

Surya sighed gently, understanding too well the charisma and heroic aura of Laine, and what kind of impact it would have on a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl who was just awakening to love. Didn’t she get captivated as well?

"Being a maid for Laine were the happiest days of my life. Unknowingly, I gradually left behind all those plans and hatred. What about nobility, and what about being a Prince-Elector? It’s not as interesting as being a maid, watching Laine’s daily life, listening to his occasional strange jokes, watching him secretly gaze at my legs, seeing him always return victorious—that is my happiness," Amelia said while patting the water in the hot spring. "Laine seems to have an unsolvable mystery about him. Whenever I think I understand him, he surprises me again. He grows so fast that it surpasses my imagination, and I don’t want to leave him at all, not even a little bit. So when I learnt about his engagement, although I was unhappy, I endured it. When he had his grand wedding ceremony with you, though envious, I decided to keep my identity hidden, Surya Sister, you are a good person. You won’t drive me away or bully me, and that’s enough for me. That’s enough for Amelia."

"Amelia..." The female knight embraced the little maid and whispered into her ear, "Even though you say that, I won’t give up the position of lady!"

"Surya Sister! You’re so sly!" Amelia blushed upon hearing Surya’s words, and the little maid’s cheeks puffed up, "I am seriously speaking to you!"

The female knight and the little maid locked gazes, and it seemed that sparks of tension crackled in the air.

After gazing at each other for a while, Surya nodded, letting out a sigh, "Amelia, what do you plan to do next?"

"I don’t know; I just want to be Laine’s maid," Amelia said, sounding troubled as a dark aura gradually appeared on the little maid’s face, "Come to think of it, Laine is such a scoundrel. After having a dark elf, two female courtiers, and that Lake God Witch who rarely leaves her house, he completely forgot about the little maid from Marinburg who has been following him since then, hmph! Not to mention that self-important, arrogant female sorcerer has already, I’m really..."

The little maid’s complaints carried on until the two of them finished soaking in the hot spring and returned to their room to rest.

"Laine, first of all, doesn’t understand what you’re thinking, and secondly... during our imperial trip, the Emperor subtly hinted at your identity. He doesn’t know how to handle your situation right now, so he’s pretending to be ignorant. But rest assured, I’ll..." Surya wanted to say more, but footsteps echoed from outside the door.

The two women exchanged glances and wisely stopped their conversation.

Laine, having finished soaking in the hot spring, pushed the door open and entered, "Surya? Amelia? How was the hot spring?"

"It was really nice."

"That’s good to hear."

...

A week later, when the great nobles of the entire Knight Kingdom were preparing to head to Boldro for Duke Bodric’s grand banquet, in the Cursed City of Musillon, Mathew Bade, clad in black cursed armor, also managed to get an invitation.

This was obtained from a great noble in the Borelion Duchy.

"Oh? Duke Bodric of Boldro is planning a banquet to celebrate his eldest son’s return from the Holy Grail Expedition?" With blood-red eyes filled with interest, and his face gradually turning pale yet still retaining its handsome appearance, Mathew Bade revealed a grotesque and sinister grin, "The Glory of Boldro?"

"In that case, let me add a stroke of crimson to this banquet!"

"Black Chalice Knights, prepare to set off!"