Chapter 2

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Lilia was once a guard-maid for Asura's concubines. A guard-maid is a maid who is also a guard. Guards-maids will usually do a maid's job, but if anything happens, they will take up a sword to protect their master. Lilia faithfully accomplished her duty. As far as her work as a maid is concerned, there were no complaints. But as a sword fighter, her ability is average, a dime a dozen.

And thus, she got careless in a battle against an assassin who targeted a newly-born princess, and she got injured in the leg by the enemy's dagger. The dagger was coated with poison that was specifically meant to kill royalty. There was no detoxification or healing magic that was capable of treating such a calamitous poison.

The wound was immediately treated, and she survived thanks to her doctors trying a variety of methods to cure her, but there were side effects that lingered. There was no problem caused to her everyday life, but she could never run or stomp again. The kingdom then sacked her without hesitation. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence, and Lilia accepted this fate herself.

Having lost her abilities, it was a given that she'd lose her position. Even though she wasn't given compensation money, she considered it fortunate that she wasn't secretly silenced because she served in the inner palace. Lilia would then leave the capital. The mastermind behind the assassination attempt wasn't found.

Having understood the rules of the concubines' staff, she knew there was a possibility she might become the next target. Perhaps the palace had let Lilia wander to leave to lure out the mastermind behind the attack.

She always wondered why she, who had no significant background, had been accepted in the inner palace. It was now that she finally understood; they simply wanted to hire maids who could be used and then be discarded.

No matter the reason, however, she had to leave the capital as quickly as possible, for her own safety. Even though the kingdom treated her as bait, she had no obligation to stay as she was not ordered to in any way.

And she had no sense of duty to fulfill. Lilia discreetly switched stagecoaches while traveling, and arrived at the Fedoa region, which had extensive agricultural lands and was located at the border.

It was a relaxing place of vast wheat fields, except the fortress city of Roa, where the ruler lived. Lilia intended to find work there. But, as her leg was injured, she was unable to find a job that required physical strength. She could resort to teaching swordsmanship, but it was best for her to be hired as a maid, because the salary was higher then being a teacher.

At this border, there were many who could wield a sword, and many who could teach swordsmanship, but a maid thoroughly versed in domestic affairs was relatively rare. Since the supply was so small, the salary would be bigger.

However, it would be dangerous for her to be hired by the ruler of Fedoa, or any high-class nobility of similar status... As such people would surely have relations with the king. If they knew she was a maid who once worked for the concubine palace, there was the possibility that she would be treated as a political tool like before.

And for that reason, Lilia stayed far away. She didn't want to experience a near-death situation again. Even though it was a little unfair to the princess, Lilia hoped to stay far away from the royals' contention for power.

But, if her salary was too low, then there wouldn't be enough money to send to her family. Trying to find a safe job and a guaranteed salary was not as easy as one would think.

Timeskip

After running around everywhere for nearly a month now, Lilia would come across a recruitment note. A lower class knight from Buina village, located in the Fedoa region, was looking to hire a maid. On the top of that, the note said he would give special priority to someone with experience in taking care of children or who had knowledge of midwifery. Don't think many had such skills.

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