5. Stellaria’s Take on Corydalis

Hello. My name is Stellaria.

Ever since I graduated from Rohze’s vocational school for household servants, I’ve been working here at the royal palace.

Even commoners can work in Flür’s royal palace if they have the right connections, which ought to explain how someone of my social standing could come to be employed there. For the record, my patron was Duke Fisalis, one of the finest men in all of the Flür Kingdom.

Of course, there’s a good explanation for why he vouched for me: my father is the Fisalis family’s head chef, while my mother has served as their head maid for many years now. In other words, I was born and raised in the duke’s manor.

Given my determination to follow in the footsteps of my wonderful parents, I had always assumed that I would one day work as a servant for the Fisalis family myself. However, as soon as I graduated from my vocational school, I received a request to come work as a lady-in-waiting at the royal palace.

Even though I’d been so certain I was destined to work at the Fisalis manor, Rohtas had simply told me, “Think of it as a training period—merely preparation for when you join us here, if you will.”

I wasn’t entirely sure I understood, but I assumed he knew what he was talking about. Thus, I agreed to take the job.

According to what I heard later on, my ultra-talented mother had been asked to come work at the royal palace back when she was initially hunting for a job, only for the Fisalis family to snatch her up first. As a trade-off, the palace was given dibs on her daughter.

Don’t tell anyone, but this was my mother’s side of the story: “I chose to work at the duke’s manor for a reason: the servants are more skilled and the work is more rewarding.”

And that’s the history of how I came to work at the royal palace.

* * *

Though I had never spoken to him directly, I had heard of Sir Corydalis prior to our hallway encounter. He was one of the young master’s subordinates, after all.

I kept tabs on all of the young master’s—pardon me, Commander Fisalis’s colleagues here. If anything were to happen to him in the workplace, you see, it would be remiss of me not to report back to my father Cartham, the head chef of the Fisalis manor; my mother Dahlia, the head maid; or Rohtas, the head butler.

Mind you, that wasn’t the only reason I knew of him. Among the young master’s subordinates, Sir Corydalis was particularly exceptional—and not only was he good at his job, but his appearance was on point as well. It wasn’t uncommon to hear my co-workers or the other female staff squealing about how “dreamy” or “hot” he was. Why, I’d even say he enjoyed equal popularity with the young master himself.

Someone like the duke—what with his stunningly handsome features, incredibly prestigious title, and elite knighthood—felt completely out of any commoner’s league. An unattainable crush, you might say. Most girls never did more than gaze at him from afar, too intimidated to casually approach him.

By contrast, though Sir Corydalis may have been born into the family of a prestigious marquis, he was only a third son. He lived a commoner’s lifestyle, choosing to stay in the knights’ dormitories rather than go home to his family’s manor. As a heartthrob who nonetheless remained approachable, it was quite possible that he was seen as the more likeable of the pair.

For the record, I largely saw him as “a good friend of the young master’s.”

The young master’s department always seemed to have its hands full with something, which meant Sir Corydalis rarely managed to catch a break himself. Still, I was sure it wasn’t just work that was taking a toll on him. Being friends with the young master must have been quite tiring in its own right.

Indeed...I say that as someone who was well aware of all the goings-on at the Fisalis manor at the time.

Nevertheless, I wouldn’t say I had taken any particularly special notice of him.

* * *

My main responsibility was to look after the first princess, Artemisia. I alternated between placating and menacing the selfish diva, encouraging her to study and strive to become a proper lady.

“Come along, Your Highness, it’s time for today’s dance lesson. You mustn’t keep your instructor waiting.”

“Ugh, no thanks. I already know how to dance!” she whined. “I’d rather spend the time thinking up a design for a new dress!”

You already know how to dance? Don’t make me laugh.

“Really, now? Bold words from a girl who still steps on her partners’ toes,” I objected with the sweetest of smiles.

The princess went stiff. “Urk...”

“If I recall, wasn’t it the son of Viscount Dianthus whose feet you crushed at that one party? You claimed ten other victims there as well. And let’s not forget the occasion where you were so off beat that your dance partners had to cover for your mistakes. I believe there were fifteen victims that time around. Not to mention—”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’m going already!”

The moment I started listing off her numerous blunders, the princess made a mad dash for the practice room. See, you can do it if you put your mind to it!

Now that I’d managed to shoo the princess off to her lesson, I could finally get around to tidying up her chambers. Or so I thought, for one fleeting moment of relief, until...

“The chief lady-in-waiting wants to see you, Stellaria. Stop by her office ASAP.”

One of my co-workers had arrived with a summons.

The chief lady-in-waiting is notorious for taking forever to get to her point, so I wish this had waited until I was done with my work. Is there any chance she’ll be finished with me before the princess is done with her lesson, I wonder?

“Very well.”

Perhaps I’ll just use the princess as an excuse to wrap up my work early today.

And then, just as I was walking down the corridor to the chief lady-in-waiting’s office and had just rounded a corner...I bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction.

Goodness... Most people keep to the left in the hallways, so it’s not every day that you crash into someone head-on.

The force of the impact made me stagger, but the other person caught me in his arms, sparing me a painful tumble. And as I was wondering who this mystery individual could be, I saw that it was none other than Sir Corydalis—and as the price for stopping my fall, the documents he’d been holding were now a scattered mess on the hallway floor.

“I’m sorry! Are you all right?” he blurted out, peering into my face.

Considering this was the first time I’d ever found myself caught in a man’s arms, my heart was racing like nobody’s business. It certainly didn’t help that my face was a mere hair’s breadth away from such a handsome gentleman’s either. That did allow me to notice something else, however.

His eyes had deep, dark circles under them.

Well, that explains why he was so unsteady on his feet—he must be exhausted. I suppose that makes sense, considering how hard he’s always working.

I soon found myself getting lost in his eyes, at which I promptly scolded myself, You’re on the clock! and regained my usual composure.

“Yes, I’m just fine—thanks to you, I should say. Really, I’m the one who should be apologizing; I wasn’t watching where I was going. Forgive me.”

Sir Corydalis was a man of both status and prestige. Even though he was the one who had crashed into me, I would be considered at fault for failing to get out of his way. Thus, I chose to dip my head in a polite, apologetic bow—and seeing as that was a convenient way to hide the flush in my cheeks, you weren’t about to find me complaining.

Being the generous person he was, Sir Corydalis responded, “No, it wasn’t your fault at all. Please don’t apologize!”

I see he’s the straightforward type—someone who doesn’t care to throw his weight around. No wonder he’s so popular.

“Oh, but I must. Just look at what happened to all those important documents of yours.”

“Yeah... Well, I’ll pick ’em back up in a moment here, so don’t worry about it.”

So he claimed, but I knew full well that he worked in the same department as the young master. He wasn’t likely to be handling some trivial paperwork. Why, there was even a chance that a few of these documents contained crucial, top secret information.

Assuming it would be for the best if I left without a fuss, I gave one last bow before walking off and turning the corner.

And wouldn’t you know it, the moment he was sure I had left, Sir Corydalis began a furious scramble to gather up the scattered papers.

So they were important documents.

My gaze dropped to the floor, only to find a paper that had floated all the way over to this end of the corridor. I certainly wasn’t about to just leave it there.

I might as well help you out just a tad. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful not to read anything.

“Are you sure everything’s all right? I’ll go ahead and gather the papers that landed over there.”

I slipped the document I’d just picked up into the stack Sir Corydalis was holding, then reached out to gather up a few more of the papers strewn across the floor.

Though he spent a few moments simply watching me in a daze, he soon snapped out of his trance. “No, please! I’ll handle these myself!”

He rushed to collect one of the papers I’d made a grab for.

I see... That must be a really important one. Hmm, what to do? I’d feel bad just leaving him like this... Oh, I know! If I’m physically incapable of reading them, won’t that solve the issue?

“Oh, dear me—I have terrible eyesight, so I haven’t the faintest idea what this says,” I said, closing my eyes.

I hope that will put his mind at ease. Of course, now there’s not much I can do but gather up whatever my hands land on... Surely I can crack my eyes open a sliver to check where they landed?

“Thanks. You really helped me out here. I can take care of the rest myself,” Sir Corydalis said once we’d gathered up the remainder of the papers. He then walked off in the same direction he’d come from. Perhaps he planned to get the papers in order and try his luck again.

Still, I couldn’t help but notice that he was looking even paler than before. It was a bit concerning.

Though it would do little but soothe my own conscience, I wanted to help him relax, so I dug around for one of the caramels I always kept hidden in the pocket of my uniform. The candy was courtesy of my father, the head chef of the Fisalis manor. He always claimed that “a sweet treat is the best remedy when you’re feeling worn down”...though of course, the real secret behind his tasty caramels is that it’s my mother’s favorite dessert. Hee hee!

Considering how mentally draining my own job could be, I always kept some in my pocket to snack on during my breaks or occasional moments of downtime. I thought that perhaps that habit could now do someone else a bit of good too.

“I beg your pardon, but you seem awfully tired.”

Though the mood had been a pleasant one mere moments ago, as soon as I called out to him from behind, his hackles went up. “I’m fine.”

“Really? You’re quite pale.”

“I’m just sleep-deprived. I’ve been pulling all-nighters for a few days in a row now.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear it’s nothing serious...but here, have this.”

“Hm?”

The moment he turned around, I handed the wrapped caramel to Sir Corydalis.

“This is a caramel my father made for me. He always says that a sweet treat is the best remedy when you’re feeling worn down. It’s quite tasty, as long as you don’t mind sweets.”

“Ah... Nah, I like ’em just fine.”

Nevertheless, he didn’t move to accept the candy, simply staring down at it in his palm.

Oh... Anyone would be suspicious if a stranger suddenly offered them food, I suppose. All the more so when it’s someone like Sir Corydalis, who runs a serious risk of assassination.

“Oh, my apologies.” With that short interjection, I snatched the caramel out of Sir Corydalis’s hand and popped it into my own mouth. I would be his personal poison tester for the day. “There aren’t any questionable ingredients in it, I promise.”

A smile broke out across my face as I savored its familiar, subtle flavor. My father truly was a genius chef.

“Don’t mind if I do, then.”

Perhaps my taste-testing had put his mind at ease; he shoved the next candy I gave him into his pocket and walked off.

He seems so exhausted... Is the young master working his subordinates too hard? Rohtas will certainly be hearing about this!

* * *

Our encounter must have made an impression on Sir Corydalis—he got into the habit of greeting me whenever we passed each other in the halls. I didn’t spend all my time on duty in the princess’s chambers, so I would often have to scurry around the rest of the palace. The same went for Sir Corydalis, and thus we ran into one another frequently. Well, I suppose that was to be expected of two people working in the same building, no matter how big a place the royal palace is.

Today, I once again spotted him with a few of his friends while I was enjoying a break with my co-workers in the cafeteria. He nodded in my direction when he noticed me there, so I smiled and returned the gesture.

Much of the time I saw Sir Corydalis, he was at the center of a crowd of his colleagues (I assumed, since they were wearing the same uniform) and having a good time. He seemed to have plenty of friends.

Yet he still makes the time to keep company with our young master. On behalf of all the servants of his manor, I thank you for your efforts.

Due to his lofty status, the young master didn’t have many true friends. Likely only Sir Corydalis and the Argenteia siblings really counted, if I had to guess. Oh dear, I’m tearing up.

While Sir Corydalis was looking over the menu and making quite the ruckus with his co-workers, he suddenly shouted in the direction of the cafeteria entrance. “Commander! Come have a cup of tea with us!”

“Commander”? Oh, he must mean the young master!

Just as I suspected, the person who stepped into the cafeteria at Sir Corydalis’s call was indeed the duke himself.

His sudden entrance set off a buzz (or a flurry of excitement?) among my co-workers and other girls sitting nearby. He wasn’t the kind of person you saw every day, after all.

Hmm, he really does look out-of-place in a homey setting like this.

Still, I was relieved to see him getting along with Sir Corydalis and the rest of his men (I think). It was such a pleasant sight to see that a smile broke out across my face before I knew it.

I’ll be sure to report this to Rohtas as well—that he’s been making nice with his co-workers (subordinates?), I mean.

* * *

Being the kind person he was, Sir Corydalis was always sure to acknowledge the rest of my fellow maids whenever he nodded at me in greeting.

He’d always been well-liked among the ladies-in-waiting and female staff in general for being so approachable, but since he’d been acting nicer than ever lately, his popularity had skyrocketed. It was quite possible he had even overtaken the young master in that regard.

Soon, I was catching bits of conversations like:

“I’m off to make my move on Sir Corydalis!”

“I believe in you!”

“Good luck!”

Of course, every single one of them came back with their spirits crushed.

It wasn’t long before someone got so fed up, she charged right in and directly asked one of his co-workers what his type was. My, what a powerhouse of a girl!

The answer she got was: “If you gaze at him with enough passion, I bet he’ll eventually smile back and give in to your charms!”

Goodness, he’s more of a playboy than I thought. Now I see why he’s friends with the young master.

It was only hearsay, but I found myself feeling disillusioned nonetheless. I had been so convinced he was a nice, kind gentleman.

Wait... Am I, perhaps, taking this a little too hard? Dear me, I wonder why.

I usually took gossip with a grain of salt, but in this one particular instance, I couldn’t even bring myself to confirm its accuracy.

From then on, all the female staff took to gazing and leering and staring right into Sir Corydalis’s eyes. Meanwhile, considering how disappointed in him I was, I stopped bothering to so much as nod his way.

And yet...whenever I found myself wondering if he would ever return one of those girls’ smiles, my heart still ached.

In the end, time marched on, and I never once heard word of him smiling back.

Soon enough, a new rumor made the rounds: “gazing into his eyes and smiling” only worked if the one doing it was a man.

My gosh, he swings the other way! I didn’t see that one coming.

This time around, I was too stunned to feel let down.

What’s more, word came from the young master himself! Considering how close those two are, this rumor holds water.

And so a new story came to be passed around as the truth: “Corydalis prefers men. If another guy gazes at him with enough passion, he’ll eventually smile back and give in to his charms.”

“I saw another man pursuing Sir Corydalis today!”

“To be honest...that sounds kind of hot.”

“That’s your first thought?!”

I was starting to hear exchanges of this sort more and more often. Being the well-respected knight that he was, Sir Corydalis had a good handful of admirers among the men of the palace too. From the look of things, he was enjoying just as much popularity with his new audience.

Of course, it wasn’t long before this rumor, too, was struck down.

“I had the wrong idea,” the young master went around telling everyone, recanting his previous testimony.

Aha... So that was just the young master pulling a prank, was it? My, what a fuss he caused! Rohtas is going to hear about this too—just you wait.

* * *

Soon after the young master’s mischief had finally faded into irrelevance, I passed Sir Corydalis in the hall. When our eyes happened to meet, he shot a smile my way. However...

No! Why did the young master’s joke have to pop into my head now?!

I averted my gaze, doing everything I could to keep myself from bursting out into giggles.