Volume 6 Chapter 11
by Golden DragonVolume 6 + Chapter 11: Congratulations
Elly stared at her badge, frozen in place.
Her mind had gone blank.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
For some time now, she had felt as though the will of the world itself was opposing her, some mysterious force preventing her from reaching the reality of becoming official.
Deep down, she had even prepared herself to struggle forever between promotion and failure.
Yet today, the princess had come to tell her that she had already qualified.
How could such a shock not leave her stunned?
“…Am I dreaming?” Elly murmured. “This is the kind of thing that only happens in dreams.”
“It’s not a dream, Elly.”
Xia Yi raised her hand and pinched the little green dragon maid’s cheek.
“Ah!”
Elly cried out, clutching her cheek. The sensation was real.
“Your Highness, you’re not playing a trick on me, right? Today isn’t April Fool’s Day, I’ll take it seriously!”
“April Fool’s Day is long over,” Xia Yi reminded her.
“Then how could I just become an official member like this? Your Highness, what about the other requirements? I understand, you’re going to make me assist you in committing crimes in the Dragon Palace, right?!”
“Crimes? Elly, what exactly do you think of me? Have I ever done something that excessive?” Xia Yi sighed helplessly.
“There’s really… no cost?”
“None.”
“But where does my qualification come from?”
“Elly, have a little more confidence. You’ve always had great potential, everyone can see it. We’ve gone out on missions together so many times, and I’ve personally witnessed your loyalty to the dragon royal family and your courage in facing difficulties!”
Xia Yi patted Elly’s shoulder.
“Although you’re not the sharpest, that won’t stop you from becoming an excellent royal maid! Lift your head, Elly, be proud of yourself. Even your entire clan will shine because of your excellence!”
“I… I…!”
Elly’s breathing quickened, her body trembling.
This time, it wasn’t fear, it was excitement.
“Waaah!! I did it, I did it!!”
Tears streamed down her face as she held up the badge with both hands and dropped to her knees, overwhelmed with emotion, as if she had been granted salvation.
“Father, Mother, Grandpa, Grandma, little brother, uncle, aunt, cousins, auntie, uncle-in-law… I did it! I finally earned the recognition of the dragon royal family, made a name for myself in the Northern Imperial Capital, brought honor to our ancestors, and became an official member of the Royal Maid Corps!”
From this moment on, Elly was no longer a trainee maid.
“The people of Vog Village would surely be proud of you if they knew,” Xia Yi said.
“Waaah, Your Highness, thank you, thank you!!”
Elly hugged Xia Yi’s leg, overwhelmed with emotion.
“If it weren’t for you, I could never have become official. Thank you for recognizing me! From now on, I’ll brave mountains of blades and seas of fire for you. If you tell me to go east, I’ll never go west, if you tell me to stand on my head, I’ll never stand upright!”
“Elly, you’re so happy you’re starting to talk nonsense.”
“No, I mean every word… waaah…”
“Alright, Elly, come with me,” Xia Yi pulled her up. “There’s more waiting for you.”
…
…
Following Xia Yi, Elly arrived at the Royal Maid Corps’ lounge. For the moment, no one else was there.
Inside, she saw a maid uniform perfectly tailored to her size. It wasn’t the trainee version, it was the formal uniform.
“That’s yours, Elly. Go put it on,” Xia Yi said.
“Yes!”
Filled with joy, Elly changed into the formal maid outfit.
She ran excitedly to the mirror and looked at herself.
Though the difference in color was subtle, its symbolic meaning was enough to completely transform her spirit.
“Surprise!!”
Xia Yi suddenly shouted.
From a lounge that had seemed empty, members of the Royal Maid Corps emerged from all directions.
Elly was stunned.
They gathered around her, surrounding her completely.
Even Lucia, who usually wore an icy expression, held a small party popper that Serra had forced into her hands and pulled it with a pop, sending streamers into the air.
Everyone gathered around Elly, applauding.
“Congratulations, junior,” Atiya said with a bright smile, clapping the most enthusiastically.
“Congratulations, Elly,” Serra smiled warmly and gracefully.
“Congratulations, Elly,” Lucia’s tone was softer than usual.
“Congratulations, Elly.”
Xia Yi joined in the celebration.
Other members of the Royal Maid Corps also offered their blessings.
Surrounded by everyone, Elly smiled from the bottom of her heart, as if at a graduation ceremony.
“Thank you, everyone!”
Having already cried once, her nose grew sore again.
“The princess really favors Elly,” Lucia murmured.
Originally, Elly was supposed to undergo further observation before entering the assessment phase.
But this afternoon, Xia Yi had suddenly approached her and, after presenting Xia Lulu’s authorization, allowed Elly to skip the assessment and become official directly.
Strictly speaking, Elly had long been qualified. Lucia knew this well, her promotion had been delayed only because she kept taking the blame for Xia Yi’s various antics…
In a sense, if the princess didn’t favor Elly so much, she wouldn’t have brought this unlucky little maid along every time she stirred up trouble.
“Everything is changing, Lucia. Without realizing it, the princess now wields considerable influence,” Serra said. “She’s even formed a group centered around herself, and Elly is one of them.”
“…Yes. Her Majesty the Queen must be very pleased.”
Lucia nodded.
As she looked at Xia Yi, she suddenly recalled something and turned to her sister.
“Serra… isn’t ‘that’ day approaching?”
“‘That’ day? You mean…”
Serra paused for a moment.
Then she remembered the important occasion and nodded.
“Yes, it’s almost here. It was around this time last year as well. With everything going on lately, the princess has probably nearly forgotten.”
“I can vaguely sense that Her Majesty is also greatly anticipating its arrival,” Lucia said.
Though the two red dragon sisters didn’t say it outright, both knew in their hearts.
That would be the most important day of the year in the Dragon Palace.
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