In summary, there was no way Ximo could possibly dislike Xiliya.
Although Xiliya had said things like treating her as a tool, from the perspective of completing the System tasks, the two of them were mutually helping each other.
However, when Xiliya asked that question, the lost expression on her face was something Ximo had never seen before.
Ximo leaned against the wall in thought, but her musings were interrupted by someone approaching.
“Hello, excuse me—”
Ximo looked up in confusion and met a pair of gentle eyes. Before her stood a slender woman with golden hair. Though she wore simple clothes, Ximo keenly detected a trace of inherent elegance in her demeanor that she couldn’t hide.
“I’d like to ask about something. Do you know a person named Xiliya Camberlan?”
Alarm bells rang in Ximo’s mind. “What do you want to know about her for?”
Was this one of Masha’s people? Was Masha planning some dirty trick against Xiliya again?
Ximo didn’t dare let her guard down and eyed the golden-haired woman warily.
“Ah, it’s like this,” the woman noticed the caution in Ximo’s eyes and smiled as she explained. “My name is Selina. I’m a traveler who’s only recently arrived in Camberlan City.”
“I’m quite interested in folklore and history, so I want to investigate and learn more about the Camberlan Family.”
“The Camberlan Family has been rooted in the Empire’s Northern Border for over a hundred years. I’m very interested in such ancient clans. I recall that the eldest daughter of the Camberlan Family is indeed named Xiliya Camberlan, right?”
A traveler? Interested in the Camberlan Family?
Selina’s explanation sounded reasonable, but Ximo still felt something was off. There was a sense of incongruity about this person. She had no intention of revealing anything about Xiliya to someone so suspicious.
After sizing her up for a moment, Ximo finally realized what it was—the woman’s poised and elegant smile and bearing didn’t match her plain attire at all.
“I’ve already looked up a lot about the Camberlan Family’s history in books, so now I’m more interested in the family’s current situation and its heir. After all, you can’t find that kind of information in history books.”
Seeing that Ximo kept staring at her, Selina assumed she was still doubting her reasons and added more explanation.
Wanting to know about the Camberlan Family’s heir… Ximo suddenly realized something, but she controlled herself and didn’t show any surprise in front of Selina.
“I see, what a coincidence then. I’m actually a maid of the Camberlan Family. What do you want to know?”
Ximo changed her attitude and dropped her wariness toward Selina.
“What a coincidence!” Selina was delighted inwardly. “Anything will do. For example, how do you view Xiliya Camberlan?”
“Let me think…”
Ximo racked her brains for compliments. For someone like her, whose high school essays could be spotted as fabricated stories at a glance, coming up with praise that wouldn’t seem obviously fake was quite challenging.
Just then, Xiliya finished paying and walked out carrying large and small bags. She spotted Ximo at first glance, chatting amiably with Selina.
Seeing her little maid striking up a conversation outside while she was just settling the bill, Xiliya narrowed her eyes slightly. But just as she was about to interrupt, Ximo’s eloquent voice drifted into her ears.
“The Young Miss is very gentle. She never puts on airs in front of us servants and sometimes even cares about us…”
Gentle? So that’s how Ximo saw her?
Xiliya froze, her steps halting.
Ximo carefully chose her words, trying to shape Xiliya in the other’s mind as approachable yet capable.
“The Young Miss only recently took over as City Guard Captain, and she already led the City Guard to repel several attacks from the Northern Beastmen. Don’t believe me? Go ask the City Guard or people near the city outskirts.” Of course, Ximo didn’t forget to highlight such an advantageous fact.
“But…” Ximo paused. “The Young Miss can be too strict sometimes. She’s very demanding with the rules for us…”
Ximo knew that only praising Xiliya’s virtues would seem too fake, so she added “overly strict.” Besides, for someone about to become City Lord, that trait hardly counted as a flaw.
Selina nodded thoughtfully. “From what you’re saying, it seems like you really like Xiliya Camberlan.”
“Mm-hmm, everyone in the mansion likes the Young Miss.”
Xiliya, who was hiding inside the shop eavesdropping, heard this, and her eyes flickered slightly.
After Selina politely said goodbye and left, Ximo finally breathed a sigh of relief. There shouldn’t have been any slip-ups in what she said, right?
“I didn’t realize that’s how you see me, Ximo.”
A pair of arms wrapped around Ximo’s neck from behind, and Xiliya pressed close to her face, her lips curving into an irrepressible smile.
“Eh? You heard all that just now, Master?”
“I came out after paying and happened to overhear. I didn’t catch much,” Xiliya lied smoothly. “Who was that person earlier?”
Ximo’s expression turned serious. She explained the whole sequence of events and her suspicions to Xiliya.
“So you suspect she’s an envoy sent by the royals to handle the City Lord issue?” Xiliya pondered. “You’re right. Now that I think about it, her profile does look familiar. In my previous life, the envoy sent by the royals was also named Selina.”
Ximo let out a smug “Mm-hmm” and puffed out her chest like she was claiming credit. She knew she was spot on. There was no way Masha would send someone to inquire about Xiliya. That person clearly was just pretending to be a traveler. It seemed this world had its own version of undercover inspections to gather folk opinions.
Xiliya glanced at Ximo’s prominently protruding chest but didn’t focus on the royal envoy.
“So, were those words you said earlier sincere, or did you just say them to deal with Selina?”
“Eh? Of course they were sincere… though the strict part was fake. The rest is all true!”
Ximo averted her gaze guiltily. She had thought of “strict” so quickly because Xiliya’s punishments for her were still fresh in her mind.
Xiliya was in a great mood and automatically ignored the little maid’s shifty eyes.
“Hearing you say that puts me at ease—so I’ve changed my mind.”
“Eh?”
For some reason, hearing Xiliya say that filled Ximo with a bad premonition.
“So, let’s go buy those home clothes we didn’t get earlier.”
Xiliya wrapped her arm around Ximo’s waist, ready to head back into the shop for round two. But Ximo naturally understood what “home clothes” euphemistically meant—it probably meant she wouldn’t be leaving Xiliya’s room for several nights again.
“What’s wrong? You don’t want to?” Xiliya stopped.
“No, I’m totally willing…”
“Good then. Let’s go~”
