I've Been Exiled, But I'm Alive and Well

“Please stay away from Miss Elle with that filthy body!”

I heard Giselle’s angry voice just as I was about to go to Jed, who has released the captured man.

I was the one approaching him, though.

That’s what I thought, but in Giselle’s mind it seems to have been conveniently translated. Although, her complaint is not misplaced.

It was not a good idea to get close to Jed, who had fallen during the attack and was now dirty all over, as he might have some strange insects on him.

“Elle, I can’t?”

“Go take a bath at the inn first.”

When I told him so apologetically, Jed looked hurt for a moment, then shrunk his large body and started walking towards the inn.

“Are you sure we should leave that man alone?”

“Don’t worry, I am using exploration magic to help us locate him. Besides, if we follow him right away, he might not give us the opportunity to tail him at all, so this is fine.”

Giselle smiled.

It seems that competent maids are still competent even when they are no longer in service.

I have no active role in this case at all.

Maybe it’s because the case involves something I’m not very good at, but I can’t take an active role. I feel worthless since I got involved in this case on my own.

“Please wait for me to wash up then.”

As soon as we arrived at the inn, we send Jed to take a bath and returned to my rented room.

“Would you like to take a bath too, Miss Elle? I haven’t helped you take a bath in a whi…”

“I’ll do it myself, don’t worry. Rather than that, where do you sleep, Giselle?”

“I was staying at the inn three doors down, but I moved here in the morning.”

I thought we would stay together, but when did she move here?

“It’s nice to be in the same inn as Miss Elle. But why do you have to be next to that man!”

“I think it’s because we went through the process together.”

It’s a large inn. Normally, men and women wouldn’t be placed next to each other to avoid conflicts. But since Jed and I went through the process at the same time, we were placed next to each other because we were acquaintances. I was very reluctant, but I had no choice.

“Even though I’m on a different floor from you…”

“We don’t really have to stay on the same floor, do we?”

“If we stayed next to each other, I could come over immediately if you called for me!”

“I won’t be calling for you.”

I would like you to stop trying to return to being my maid whenever you get a chance.

“What did you do to dress yourself up after I left?”

“Do you think I can’t do anything?”

“Eh, you couldn’t do your hair or make up before, right?”

“Yes, yes I could!”

In fact, I couldn’t do anything at all.

For a week after Giselle had been kicked out of the house, I don’t think I looked ready to be seen by others.

Partly because I was depressed that my precious maid had been kicked out of the house because of me, but also because I had left all the preparations to her, so I hadn’t been able to do anything myself.

I remembered what Giselle had done for me, and through trial and error, I was able to get ready for the day.

“You are lying.”

“I am. I thought of you as an important person in my life since I was a child, but.”

“But?”

“I realized how much more important you are to me after you left.”

I’m embarrassed to say it, but Giselle is very important to me. And that won’t change even if she’s not my maid anymore.

“Lady Elle!”

“Call me Miss.”

“I was hoping you would make me your maid again if I continued with the flow.”

“Of course not. You are my friend, after all.”

I showed her a smile.