"Um... Teacher,"

As I left the nurse's office, instead of going straight back to the classroom, I went to the school's archive room. Inside the archive room was a teacher responsible for it, sitting a few steps in.

"May I help you with something?"

The teacher asked me in a gentle tone.

"Well..." I looked at the cabinets that were closely attached to the wall. Besides the current students' files, there should also be the files of the graduated students. And it's not just the students' files, there might also be the school's secrets, things unknown to the public.

Speaking of which, it made me slightly interested. It reminded me of spy movies where the protagonist always tries to steal enemy's classified documents to thwart their evil plans.

Of course, I didn't really want to be that person who ruins the enemy's plans. It's not that I'm afraid of death, but I just don't have any motivation to play with my life like that. On the other hand, if there were secret transactions happening in the school that nobody knows about, should I unearth them and bring them to light?

Would that be going too far? After all, everyone has their own past that they don't want to mention.

"Student?"

I felt someone patting my shoulder, bringing me back to reality.

"Ah... Sorry, I spaced out a little."

"Ahhaha... It's not good if you get so distracted during class, you know."

The teacher smiled bitterly.

I nodded. "I will pay attention."

"Then, what brings you here? Students usually don't venture into this area, after all, it's a restricted area of the school."

The teacher looked puzzled and serious.

"Well, actually, there is something very important I need to do here."

"What is it?"

"I want to see the personal files of all the first-year students."

"The personal files of all the first-year students!?" The teacher looked surprised, eyes wide open.

"Is it not allowed?"

"It's not about whether it's allowed or not, it's about the privacy of the students."

The teacher seemed troubled.

"But this is the only method I can think of. I've only met this person once and I don't know her class. Besides, there are six classes in the first year, and I can't guarantee that I will find the person I'm looking for just by looking through the windows. Instead of making a big commotion, it would be better to search discreetly, so that it won't cause too much trouble for both parties. After all, the person I'm looking for is a girl, and there tends to be rumors when people of opposite sexes interact. So, in order for both parties to be unaffected in their school lives, this is the best method."

I blurted out all of a sudden. After listening to me, the teacher was silent for a while. After about ten seconds, the clock in the teacher's world started ticking again.

"Are you okay, teacher..."

"I'm fine..." The teacher wiped the sweat off her forehead, "but I'm afraid I can't help you."

"Is it because I've said too much, or because I've been rude? If so, please allow me to apologize."

I bent down to apologize, but the teacher quickly gestured with her hand. "It's not because there's anything wrong with your behavior, or because you said too much. Actually, I think students who can express their opinions or requests fluently are remarkable and worthy of praise."

The teacher unexpectedly smiled with relief, but then her expression changed to a slightly cold one. "To access the school's archives, you need the principal's written permission stamped."

"I see..."

"Of course, even if the principal gives verbal consent, it's not effective. You must submit a written application approved and stamped by the principal to have the right to access the school archives."

"I see..." I felt a bit troubled. Anyway, once the trouble is resolved, everything will go smoothly as I want. So, I lifted my spirits.

"Thank you, teacher. I'll take my leave then..."

I bowed in gratitude, turned around, and left the archive room, a restricted area of the school.

I followed the principle of "no pain, no gain" and went to the principal's office alone. I had never been to the principal's office, but I heard it was spacious and had a solemn atmosphere, making it a bit overwhelming.

I swallowed my saliva, stood in front of the principal's office door, and my heart started beating fast. I tried deep breathing to calm my nervousness.

"Okay," I gathered my courage and knocked on the door,

After a few seconds, the door opened and in front of me stood... a maid? I thought I was seeing things, so I rubbed my eyes. But when I looked again, she was still dressed in a maid outfit.

How could there be a maid in the principal's office?

This maid had fair skin, and her maid outfit was not the conservative kind that reached the ankles. It was more like the length of a maid in a maid cafe, reaching the thighs.

The colors were blue and white, with a lot of lace, but still relatively normal.

I looked at her face, and she was truly indescribably beautiful. Her hair flowed naturally over her shoulders, and her hair was incredibly smooth. There was even a hint of a shampoo-like fragrance in the air.

It smelled so good, I couldn't help but take a sniff. This kind of scent could easily become addictive, so I quickly regained my composure. But why would there be a maid in the principal's office? Does the principal also enjoy having servants?

"May I ask what you need?" the maid asked with a smile. I couldn't help but blush when I looked at her enchanting smile.

"Um... I came to see the principal about something..." I stammered nervously.

"I'm sorry, but my master is not in the office," the maid said apologetically.

"Where did she go?" I asked. The word "master" in the maid's previous sentence made me wonder if the principal is a maid enthusiast.

"She went to another affiliated school for some discussions," the maid replied.

Why did I have to be so unlucky at this crucial moment? It seemed that I wouldn't be able to access the student records room this week.

"It's said to be an important matter, so it will take some time. She's probably not coming back for five or six days," the maid explained.

"Five or six days? That long?!" I couldn't believe it. This meant that I couldn't wait for so long. Waiting for such a long time would not only be agonizing, but it would also demotivate me.

"That's unfortunate. Is there something urgent you need from my master?"

"It's not that urgent, really. I just don't want to wait for that long. And waiting too long not only feels agonizing, but it also wears down a person's spirit," I replied.

"In that case, it might be troublesome. How about I help you call her, and you can talk to her over the phone?" The maid turned and picked up the phone on the desk.

"No... no need to trouble yourself. I think... the principal must be busy with important matters. I don't want to disturb her abruptly," I quickly stopped her.

"You're right. I didn't consider everything properly," the maid apologized as she put down the phone receiver.

It was a relief that she didn't make the call because I wasn't mentally prepared to speak to the principal.

"Well then, I'll come back to see the principal in a few days..." The principal wasn't here, so staying here wouldn't help.

"I brewed some black tea. If you don't mind, please come in and have a taste," the maid offered. I had tried black tea before, but the fact that it was the maid who brewed it made me curious about its taste. Even though it might taste the same as when others make it, I felt a sense of anticipation for this unique service. It would be a loss in life if I didn't seize this opportunity.

"That would be great," I said as I stepped into the principal's office. The maid led me to the leather sofa and then closed the door behind her.

Why did she close the door? Sitting on the leather sofa should have been comfortable, but because of my nervousness, I couldn't feel anything.

I clenched my thighs, feeling somewhat uneasy.

"Please, enjoy..." The maid held a tray and placed the golden-rimmed porcelain teacup on the glass table in front of me.

This cup looked quite high-end, and I was afraid that if I picked it up, it would slip from my hand and shatter. I couldn't afford to pay for that.

"Don't you like black tea? Or do you think it's not good?" The maid asked curiously.

"No... it's not that..." I shook my head, but I couldn't tell her that I was afraid of breaking the cup and having to pay for it.

"Then... please go ahead. Although I may not be the best at brewing tea, I have confidence that my tea will be appreciated by anyone who tastes it."

The maid smiled and said, since she said so, it would be impolite not to try it out. So, I decided to give it a try. However, I was still worried about dropping the teacup, so I held it carefully and didn't take my eyes off it. I took a sip and didn't taste much. I was so focused on looking at the cup that I didn't pay attention to the taste.

"How is it? Does it suit your taste?" the maid asked.

"Um... it's... very delicious... I've never had such a tasty tea before," I could only pretend and nodded, speaking words of appreciation.

"Thank you for your praise, but I don't think it has reached the height I want yet. There is still room for improvement," the maid criticized herself too harshly.

"I think this tea is already brewed very well. There is nothing else to improve," I said.

"Thank you for saying that. It may mean that my efforts have paid off, but perhaps I need to work even harder to make the master appreciate the tea I brew," the maid replied.

"The principal doesn't like the tea you brew?"

"Every time the master drinks it, her expression remains the same. I don't see any joy or enjoyment on her face. I think maybe the tea I brew isn't good enough," the maid replied.

"But... I think it tastes really good. I'm not an expert in tea, but I can tell that you brewed it with a lot of care and had a good grasp of the time and water. If someone says it's not good, they must be talking nonsense," I said.

"Seeing you say that makes me very happy. I am more determined to brew a tea that the master will approve of," the maid said with a glimmer of determination on her face. But I didn't think she was really amazing; I actually felt sorry for her.

Unconsciously, when I picked up the teacup again, I found it empty.

"Shall I pour another cup for you?" the maid asked.

"No, thank you. I feel like I've disturbed you for too long. I should take my leave," I said.

As a student, it was unusual for me not to go to class and instead enjoy tea like this. If my homeroom teacher found out, they would scold me to death. I walked to the door and opened it.

"You can come and have a seat here whenever you have time. You're always welcome," the maid said.

"Um, okay..."

After I left and closed the door, I couldn't believe that there was a maid in the principal's office, and she was so attractive. Moreover, the tea she brewed was delicious. This suddenly made me want to have a maid as well. However, when she mentioned coming to sit here, I thought it would be better to decline. The principal's office was a solemn and serious place, not suitable for students to linger.