“I was thinking that Lady Selina seems quite tired. May I offer you a massage to help you relax?”
Selina merely waved her hand to indicate it wasn’t necessary, but Ximo didn’t want to let this opportunity slip away.
“You are a distinguished guest at the Camberlan Mansion, and Madam instructed us to take good care of you. Please don’t stand on ceremony…”
“Very well, then.”
The envoy from the Imperial Capital turned out to be surprisingly easygoing. Since Ximo had put it that way, Selina no longer insisted. The little maid let out a silent “Yay!” in her heart, stepped forward, and began kneading Selina’s shoulders and back.
Only then did Ximo notice Selina’s tall and slender figure. Even with one sitting and one standing, Selina still appeared quite tall. She even thoughtfully tied her long golden hair into a single ponytail to make the massage easier for Ximo.
Ximo hadn’t expected Selina to be such an amiable person. Based on the descriptions from the System and Xiliya, she had imagined Selina as a rigid and stern type.
The two exchanged no words. During the massage, Selina simply stared quietly out the window without speaking to Ximo, as if lost in thought.
Five minutes passed… Ten minutes passed… Ximo’s hands began to ache slightly, but she still hadn’t heard the crucial System notification.
What’s going on? I’ve been so attentive, and it’s still not enough?
Not enough, darling. The envoy from the Imperial Capital doesn’t even feel like you’re flattering her. How are you this bad at being a lapdog?
This isn’t enough fawning?
Ximo grumbled inwardly in frustration. Through the mirror in the room, she caught sight of Selina’s vacant eyes, lost in contemplation. It seemed the other woman truly wasn’t paying any attention to her.
Ximo realized that Selina, as a royal envoy from the Imperial Capital, must have enjoyed far better conditions than this small Border City offered. She had probably received more attentive service before, so Ximo’s level of massage didn’t catch her eye.
Ximo didn’t know that Selina was simply deep in thought and hadn’t noticed her. Though she wielded great authority, Selina wasn’t the type to indulge in luxuries. Back in the Empire, she had always been responsible for cracking down harshly on corruption and graft for the royal family, making her one of the current Queen’s most trusted subordinates.
Ximo felt that to make the other woman sense the flattery, she needed to be even more diligent and earnest… After pondering for a moment, Ximo came up with an idea.
She was currently standing behind Selina, kneading her shoulders, so Selina couldn’t see her actions. Thus, Ximo spoke up: “My lady, shall I massage other areas for you?”
“Hm? That’s enough, really. You don’t need to be so diligent…”
“How could I not? You’ve been rushing around the city today and must be fatigued. Let me massage your legs.”
Without waiting for a response, Ximo changed positions. The advantage of leg massages was that she would enter Selina’s line of sight, ensuring the other woman noticed her this time.
Ximo knelt on the cushion beside her, removed Selina’s shoes, and cradled her long, slender legs.
Ximo wanted to appear extra eager, but she wasn’t skilled at massages and could only imitate the techniques she had seen at a blind masseur’s shop in her previous life.
The technique itself didn’t matter much. Ximo carefully smoothed down her skirt and tucked it beneath her, so the cute little maid knelt nearby giving her a massage—anyone would feel pleased by that… But Selina still didn’t spare Ximo a single glance.
She loves her work too much.jpg
After a while, with no System notification in sight, Ximo grew anxious. Just as she racked her brain for other methods, a knock sounded at the door.
“Please come in—”
“Lady Selina, I’m… here.”
Upon pushing open the door and seeing the scene inside, Xiliya paused mid-sentence but finished it anyway.
Earlier in the drawing room, seeing Masha’s schemes backfire had put her in a great mood. Though she wanted to share the joy with her little maid, Selina had asked her to come by later as she had something to discuss.
Coincidentally, City Guard soldiers had come to report to Xiliya at that moment, so she had no choice but to handle work first before thinking of her little maid. To her surprise, upon arriving at Selina’s room, she witnessed this scene.
Selina hadn’t called her here just to show her this, had she?
Like in those certain NTR stories where they make the cuckold watch the yellow-haired guy steal his girlfriend on-site… But Xiliya knew Selina wasn’t that type, so the issue must lie with her dear little maid.
“You’re here, Miss Xiliya.”
Selina’s eyes lit up upon seeing Xiliya, but the latter stood at the doorway with no intention of entering.
“I haven’t interrupted you two, have I?”
“No, this maid just came to give me a massage. I wanted to refuse at first, but she said it was Madam Masha’s order, so I reluctantly accepted.”
“Oh, I see.” Xiliya nodded, a flash of killing intent in her gaze toward Ximo.
Ximo was her personal maid. Plus, she had just told Annaer yesterday not to assign Ximo any other work. How could Masha possibly command Ximo?
Ximo naturally recognized her dear master’s voice at the door. Though she didn’t turn around, she sensed the chilling intent that made her back crawl.
Oh no, why did Xiliya suddenly come to Selina’s room? She hasn’t been smeared by Masha in this life, so she shouldn’t need to butter up Selina to salvage her image, right?
But I’m just doing my maid duties, so it shouldn’t anger Xiliya… Ximo thought as she continued cradling Selina’s legs.
“It’s like this—I have some matters regarding the City Guard that I want to discuss with Miss Xiliya, so…”
It seemed Selina had sought out Xiliya herself, and her implication was that the massage service could end now as she needed to talk business.
“No problem, let Ximo continue. After all, we can’t neglect the Camberlan Family’s hospitality, can we?”
Xiliya smiled as she spoke: “Ximo is my personal maid anyway. Unless it’s some royal secret, I think it doesn’t matter if she stays to listen while you talk to me, Lady Selina.”
“Is that so?”
Selina glanced at Ximo in mild surprise. She hadn’t realized Ximo was the young lady’s personal maid. In that case…
Suddenly, the System notification rang in Ximo’s mind.
【Congratulations, darling! You’ve completed the plot task ‘Curry Favor with the Imperial Capital Envoy Selina (Completed).’ Rewards will be settled shortly.】
What the—? What’s going on?
