【Congratulations, dear host, on completing the plot task, “Please the Imperial Envoy Selina (Completed).” The system rewards will be settled shortly.】
Selina, who had shown no reaction before, suddenly completed the task upon learning that Ximo was Xiliya’s personal maidservant.
Of course, Selina knew what a personal maidservant meant. Since Ximo was not just an ordinary maid in the residence but one of Xiliya’s people, her coming over specifically to serve her made the intent to please obvious.
However, Ximo couldn’t feel happy at all right now, because she could sense the chill behind her was about to condense into something solid, giving her a piercing cold sensation that made her heart race.
“Alright, it’s actually not anything shady. I mainly wanted to understand the situation with the beastmen tribes around Camberlan City from Miss Xiliya, after all, Miss Xiliya is the head of the City Guard, right?”
“No problem,” Xiliya nodded. “I assume Lady Selina already has a basic understanding of the situation in the city?”
“The ones who have been harassing Camberlan City are the beastmen clan’s tribal leader Samuer, and he’s been secretly recruiting soldiers and buying horses in the shadows, preparing to wage war against the Empire.”
Xiliya’s tone was resolute, and Selina’s expression changed instantly. After all, harassing a border city was different from eyeing it covetously and preparing for war.
After entering the city, Selina had found it strange. She had inquired everywhere and heard plenty about the beastmen clan harassing the border city, but something so important—why hadn’t the City Lord of Camberlan City reported it even once?
Hearing Xiliya say this now, Selina immediately realized the gravity of the matter.
“Is the source reliable? Are you sure the beastmen clan intends to wage war on the Empire?”
Xiliya smiled faintly. “Lady Selina, I can stake my life on it—this is absolutely true.”
After all, in her previous life, while Xiliya was still studying at the Imperial Magic Academy, the beastmen clan had directly launched a war against the Empire. At that time, the war on the Empire’s western front was already intense, and the beastmen had taken advantage of the weakness, forcing the Empire into a two-front battle.
The Northern Border Beastmen consisted of independent tribes with loose connections between them. For them to launch such a unified war, they must have prepared far in advance. Moreover, Xiliya was now certain that Samuer was wildly ambitious. The fact that Masha was an inside agent had been uncovered by the Empire only after the war with the beastmen clan broke out in her previous life.
As for the final outcome of that war, Xiliya didn’t know, because she had died before it ended. But from the situation at the time, the Empire, pinched on two sides, was already showing signs of fatigue, with large swaths of territory occupied and even the capital in a state of panic.
Xiliya could assert that if things developed as they had in her previous life, the Empire’s defeat was a foregone conclusion.
“I’ve already had the City Guard compile all the intelligence on Samuer, along with records of all the beastmen clan’s attacks on Camberlan City in recent years. If Lady Selina wishes, I can take you to the City Guard today to review these materials.”
“Miss Xiliya, you’ve been too thoughtful. I need to handle this as quickly as possible—you’ve helped me greatly.” Selina nodded, her favorable impression of Xiliya rising several notches.
If what Xiliya said was true, Selina thought Xiliya was now the best candidate for City Lord of Camberlan City. The royals needed someone who could defend the border city in that position.
“This afternoon, I’ll head to the City Guard, then write an urgent letter to the royals—alright, that’s enough, thank you, Ximo.”
Selina stopped Ximo’s movements, and the little maidservant, who had been massaging her legs guiltily, immediately stood up and retreated to the side.
“Then I won’t disturb Lady Selina anymore.”
Xiliya was still smiling. Though she had been talking to Selina the entire time without her gaze ever falling on the little maidservant kneeling on the floor, the cold sweat sensation on Ximo’s back never faded.
Seeing Xiliya about to take her leave, Ximo perceptively prepared to bid farewell to Selina as well. Selina, deep in thought about the beastmen clan issue, paid no attention and didn’t notice the little maidservant’s extremely tense expression.
“Why are you leaving?” Xiliya blocked Ximo’s path at the door. “Not continuing to serve the honored guest?”
“I’d better not disturb Lady Selina while she’s thinking…”
The little maidservant looked pitiful, but Xiliya didn’t soften because of it. She turned and left without a word, and Ximo followed behind her with some guilt.
“Didn’t Madam Masha assign you any other work? Why are you following me?”
At the room door, Xiliya blocked the entrance and closed the door, showing no intention of letting Ximo in. Ximo hurried forward two steps and grabbed the hem of Xiliya’s skirt.
“Master, I was wrong. I just wanted to help you… please Lady Selina a bit.”
“After all, she’s the envoy sent by the royals to decide the City Lord candidate, so…”
The excuse was easy to come up with—and it wasn’t entirely an excuse. Hadn’t the system tasked her with pleasing Selina to compete for City Lord?
“You’re quite the busybody.” Hearing Ximo’s explanation, Xiliya was stunned. She hadn’t expected the little maidservant to go find Selina for her sake.
This made her think of herself from her previous life. Though it was a bit unreasonable to say so, Xiliya didn’t want to see Ximo with that cautious, fearful expression.
In her previous life, she had done the same, thinking she could improve her image by pleasing Selina. Looking back now, it had been foolish—it only made Selina look down on her more, and Selina wasn’t the type to like being fawned upon.
She didn’t need to please Selina; she just needed to show Selina that she had the strength to be City Lord. That’s why she had the City Guard prepare those materials in advance.
Ximo’s current appearance only reminded her of her own panicked and incompetent self from her previous life. She didn’t want Ximo to show such a helpless expression either.
“I have to remind you, Ximo—this kind of pleasing won’t work on Selina. But since you did it for my sake, this matter…”
Ximo’s eyes lit up. “So this matter is settled just like that?”
“Of course it isn’t settled,” A cross-shaped vein popped on Xiliya’s forehead. “Don’t you remember what I told you yesterday?”
“You’re my maidservant alone—you can only serve me. And yet the very next day, you run off to serve someone else.”
Xiliya grabbed Ximo’s wrist, dragged her into the room, and locked the door behind them.
“But considering your intentions were good this time, I can go easy on you.”
Xiliya’s tone softened. “Ximo, you must be tired after massaging Selina for so long, right?”
