There were three waiting maids in the inner palace of the Carpa Kingdom, who were known by a slightly shameful nickname: “The three troublemakers”.

　　Of course they were proper maids of the inner palace, even when they were called troublemakers. It didn’t change the fact that they made it through a strict selection.

　　There were no problems with their loyalty towards royalty, their skills as maids or appearance.

　　But compared to the other waiting maids, they were just a little bit more honest to their own desires, got just a little bit more ahead of themselves and were just a little bit more s.p.a.ced out and missed their superior’s instructions.

　　The supervisory maid Amanda raised her eyebrows to frown on every occasion, but they weren’t committing mistakes as grave as to warrant a layoff and their Master Zenjioru wasn’t bothered by it at all, so it was tolerated so far.

　　In a way, the three waiting maids might be the ones, who enjoyed a stress-free life in the current inner palace most of all.

　　However, even they weren’t completely good-for-nothings. They had just a little bit more wits and were just a little bit more undaunted than the average waiting maid.

　　And even with their dauntlessness and wits, they now encountered a situation, where they couldn’t help but turn pale in the face.

　　“UWAAH!? What do I do? What do I do? I’ve gone and done it now!”

　　A short waiting maid with black hair suddenly raised a piteous voice.

　　The present time was the long break issued only during the period of intense heat. Just when she had returned to her own room as to spend the break time there, she screamed that.

　　The rooms of the waiting maids in the inner palace were basically for three people and that trio usually worked together.

　　To make it easier to understand: These groups of three were roommates and close co-workers.

　　“Hey, what’s the matter, Fay? Don’t come in screaming all of the sudden.”

　　“What’s wrong, Fay-chan?”

　　The short waiting maid— Fay, breaking out a cold sweat on her dark brown face, slowly took out “that” from the pocket of her ap.r.o.n while her two roommates watched her.

　　“…What do I do with this? I ended taking it with me by mistake…”

　　Fay said. The thing she had taken out was a “flat, rectangle black object”.

　　“…..”

　　“…..”

　　For a while, the small room of the waiting maids was ruled by silence.

　　The first to break the silence was the taller one of her two roommates.

　　“W- Wa- Wait. That belongs to Zenjirou-sama, doesn’t it? The one he warned us about not to damp wipe or drop. W- Wh- What are you doing with it, Fay?”

　　It was understandable that the waiting maids were flurried.

　　The object in Fay’s hand was a so-called “portable game console”. Needless to say, it belonged to Zenjirou. The waiting maids weren’t so clueless that they wouldn’t know how grave it was to bring that into their own room.

　　“What now, Dolores…”

　　Tears dwelled up in Fay’s big, black eyes and she beseeched her tall friend.

　　Even Fay, usually the most elated amongst the “three troublemakers”, couldn’t help but cry in this situation.

　　However, she had an excuse if she was allowed to speak up for herself.

　　Zenjirou always took lessons in manners and common sense from Lady Octavia until past noon, but for some reason, the lesson ended two hours earlier today and he had returned to the living room.

　　Apparently Lady Octavia been considerate of him due to the intense heat, claiming that he would have difficulties to concentrate anyway, but Fay didn’t know the actual matter of things.

　　Either way, for Fay and the other cleaning maids it meant that their time limit for their job was cut short by two hours.

　　It was reasonable that they would unconsciously let out a scream.

　　Even so, they did everything in their might and somehow finished to clean the living room and bedroom before Zenjirou returned. With a sigh of relief, the waiting maids had then returned to their own rooms, where Fay had finally noticed it.

　　Thinking back on it, she certainly remembered “temporarily” putting that rectangle black thing in the pocket of her ap.r.o.n as she was wiping the table on which it had laid.

　　Nonetheless, the tall waiting maid— Dolores didn’t have a good idea either, no matter how much Fay beseeched her.

　　“Even if you ask me… Your only choice is to return it before it gets out of hand.”

　　Dolores had almond eyes, which were relatively rare for someone in the Carpa Kingdom, and these eyes were coloured with bewilderment and agitation while she answered with a faltering tone.

　　She made a sound argument without doubt.

　　During cleaning, Fay had taken a belonging of her Master to her room by mistake.

　　For a normal Master, that act would obviously be “theft” and reason for strict punishment. Just as Dolores had said, the longer she postponed to return it, the more of a problem it would become.

　　However, Fay remained teary and shook her head to that sound argument.

　　“Can’t do. Right now, Zenjirou-sama is taking dinner together with her Highness in their room. I can’t afford to disturb them now…”

　　Since Zenjirou always took his lunch in the same room in which he received lessons from Lady Octavia, it had been a while since he shared lunch with Aura.

　　He rarely ever issued any orders, but he had especially informed them “not to come into the room unless absolutely necessary”, so it was a precious period for him.

　　If she were to go to apologize now, she might actually anger her Master instead. To begin with, she couldn’t decide whether “returning her Master’s belonging that she had taken with her by mistake” was an urgent business or not.

　　“Oh, I see. So that’s going on. Well, then you can’t do anything, I guess…”

　　“Aw, what should I do if Zenjirou-sama notices that it’s gone during the break…”

　　By this world’s standards, Zenjirou was abnormally generous. Going by that, he wouldn’t punish her without hearing her explanation first, but one often tended to imagine things worse than they actually were at such times.

　　Fay vividly pictured herself getting punished for theft— having the tendon of her dominant hand cut— and getting thrown out of the inner palace.

　　“Hiii…!”

　　The other roommate called out to Fay, who was struck by her own vivid fantasy, consoling.

　　“Hey, Fay-chan, why don’t you ask Ines-sama for advice then?”

　　“Eh? Ines-sama?”

　　“Yeah, right. That sounds good.”

　　Fay looked up and Dolores looked down to the owner of that somewhat slow-paced voice.

　　Just like their actions implied, the height of the third girl, Rethe, ranged between Fay’s and Dolores’.

　　Compared to the short Fay or the tall Dolores, Rethe’s height didn’t stand out, but instead her chest stood out.

　　She had huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s. In cup-size, she might be even one size bigger than Queen Aura.

　　Fay was at a loss for words to the suggestion of the girl with these huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s and drooping eyes.

　　“Uh, th- that’s…”

　　“Well, doing as Rethe suggested is your safest choice.”

　　Dolores on the other hand agreed with the big-breasted girl— with Rethe even while she made a grim face.

　　They finally found a solution, but Fay’s expression didn’t brighten up.

　　“Yes, but, if I do that, Ines-sama will…!”

　　“Well, you will get a lecture for sure.”

　　“Good luck, Fay-chan.”

　　Fay trembled her short body, whereat Dolores shrugged the shoulders of her tall body and cold-heartedly pointed out the truth, whereas Rethe clenched her fist in front of her huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s and gave her encouraging words.

　　“Doloreees, Retheee…”

　　Both Dolores and Rethe averted her eyes from the pleading look of her co-worker.

　　It definitely was the best choice, albeit a slightly cruel one.

　　In charge of the cleaning department, Ines was a strict superior faithful to her job, but she deeply cared for her subordinators as well.

　　If Fay confessed and apologize quickly, Ines would definitely stand up for her, even when Zenjirou should accuse Fay of “theft”.

　　However, Fay definitely needed to be prepared for a long sermon before that.

　　“Auh…”

　　She must have realized that, too.

　　“…Okay. I’ll go over to Ines-sama for a bit…”

　　Making a brave, but tragic resolve, Fay wiped the tears that were about to spill out from her big, black eyes and trotted over to the door.

　　“…..”

　　“…..”

　　Dolores and Rethe looked at each other wordlessly as they watched that small back leaving.

　　If some stranger committed a mistake it was “somebody else’s problem”, but a friend they shared a room with and worked with, wasn’t “somebody else”.

　　“Fiine. We’ll go with you, so buck up a bit!”

　　“Ehehe, Fay-chan, cover for me as well when I ever make a mistake.”

　　Dolores and Rethe went after Fay, who was advancing by herself in a her tragic resolve, with quick steps.

　　* * *

　　As it turned out, their speculation about Ines’ reaction was spot on, right down to the last detail.

　　After the sermon that roughly lasted for an hour, they were dismissed by Ines as she promised to put in a good word for Fay to Zenjirou and the three troublemakers returned to their own room while a relief ate its way through their tired expressions.

　　“Fuhiii…! That was so scary~!”

　　Fay had been lectured by Ines for nearly an hour, so she now leaked a long sigh of relief and dived into her bed.

　　“Well, you had a close shave. Now all you have to do is to return it to Zenjirou-sama once the break is over and apologize.

　　Ines-sama said she would smooth things over for you, so it shouldn’t become a problem. All’s well, wouldn’t you say?”

　　Sitting on a simple wooden chair the wrong way round, Dolores held the back of the chair between her long legs and was rocking back and forth.

　　That feast was only possible because she had long arms and legs. If Fay were to sit on the chair like that, her legs definitely wouldn’t reach the floor.

　　Well, even when Dolores’ legs reached the floor, it didn’t change the fact that sitting like that was bad manners.

　　Fray replied with a stifled voice as she had her face still plunged into her pillow, which was filled with wheat hulks.

　　“Yeah. It was scary, but I’m glad…! Now I can sleep in peace.”

　　“Heaven forbid, this girl…”

　　As Fray was already getting ready to take a midday nap on the bed, Dolores raised a slightly weary voice.

　　“Oh, but maybe I should take a nap, too. I’m somewhat exhausted today.”

　　But then she said that as she suddenly thought of it and threw a glance at her own bed.

　　The long break issued during this period wasn’t just for show. During the day it was so hot that they sweated from every pore on their body, even if they just sat still in their room like this.

　　Taking a nap like Fray was the best method to preserve their physical strength.

　　“Rethe, what about you? Will you take a nap, too?”

　　Dolores turned her heard towards her other roommate. At that very moment.

　　An unfamiliar sound suddenly resounded loudly in the room.

　　“Hey, Rethe!? Wh- What’re you doing!?”

　　Dolores shouted angrily and red-faced.

　　“Fueh? What was that sound?”

　　Fay woke up from the unknown and strange noise and only lifted her face from the bed.

　　“Eh? Huh?”

　　Both of them looked at Rethe, who tilted her head puzzled as she held the collapsible portable game console opened in her hands.