Translator and Editor: Maru and Aki

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Chapter 19

The housekeeper closed the door and asked.

“What do you wish to do first? Are you going to unpack now or later?”

“I’ll do it later.”

The maid replied in a pleasant tone as if she was relieved.

“I like how hard-working you are. In that case, let’s go down.”

She put down her luggage and went down the stairs.

“Lizzy, isn’t it?”

“Yes. You can call me Lizzy. There’s nothing special about it.”

“It’s easy to memorize.”

Lizzy. Such a common name for a daughter of a farmer who lived in the countryside.

The housekeeper murmured the maid’s name a few times. After saying it thrice, she was already used to it.

Shortly after, they arrived on the first floor.

If the owner’s space was full of splendor and dignity, the servant’s area was dark and dusty.

As expected from Marquis Jean’s servants.

“There is dust everywhere.”

“Huh? Um, I guess so. At least, we can still put the furniture to good use. Is there anything you particularly need?”

“This one is all worn out.”

The maid grimaced with a face full of dismay.

What the hell is this mansion? Does the master of this household pay them poorly? The new maid had these questions written all over her face.

As the housekeeper’s gaze was on the anxious maid, she quickly comforted her.

“Don’t worry about anything. You can be at ease here.”

“Can I really do that?”

“Of course! There are bad rumors about this mansion, but they’re all just lies.”

“The rumors are all lies?”

The new maid followed the housekeeper into the kitchen.

“That’s right. Lies. Ah, here is the kitchen.”

In the kitchen whose walls were white, there were regular saucepans and silver kettles, and various shapes of baking pans were hung on its walls.

However, even those oven pans were crooked.

The chef, who was already inside the kitchen, waved his hand with a broad smile as he noticed their arrival.

“Huh? Isn’t she the new kid?”

“Yes. I’m giving her a brief tour of the mansion.”

“What do you mean the rumor was a lie? Cough, cough.”

When the new maid asked, the chef made an expression as if he understood the new maid’s concern, and then, he continued to cook.

The rumor surrounding Marquis Jean was quite malicious, so it would take some time to explain the situation.

“If you have any questions, go ahead and ask.” The chef said as his hands moved busily to cook.

“I mean—cough, cough. I’m not feeling well—cough. Wouldn’t it be better if we talk outside?”

“Hmm? It’s fine. I’m not such a heartless person. You can just stay here. Hahahaha.”

The chef turned away with a warm smile. He then bent over to check the oven. He was baking bread as a side dish for the salad.

Thereafter, the housekeeper who was standing behind the chef said,

“I’m going to show her around first. We’ll come back to you after we’ve gone around the entire mansion.”

However, at that moment, the chef suddenly took a few steps backward as he was taken aback.

“Ooops!”

The kitchen was filled with a rattling sound. He accidentally dropped the bread he was trying to take out of the oven.

The sickly maid shouted with her eyes wide open.

“Oh my god! What do we do?!”

The maid freaked out as she looked alternately between the housekeeper and the chef.

“Indeed. What do we do now?”

“This is what cooking is like, hon.”

They looked at each other and smirked. There was no tension on their faces as if nothing just happened. The housekeeper cast a side glance at the chef and grabbed the new maid by the shoulder.

“Let’s get out of here. We shouldn’t be here any longer. The chef seems to be busy right now.”

“Hahahaha. That’s right! My hands are full right now.”

The housekeeper and the chef exchanged banter as if it was a laughing matter. Their unbothered attitude was bizarre.

“That’s enough, let’s go.”

The new maid kept looking back even when the housekeeper urged her to get out. Meanwhile, the chef kept his eyes on them as if to wait for them to completely be out of sight. However, he didn’t pick up the bread on the floor until the end.

“You said you were curious about the rumor, right?”

“Huh? Yes…” The maid turned her head away from the chef at the housekeeper’s relaxed voice.

After the kitchen, the next place they went to was the semi-basement. As they walked down the dark stairs leading to the semi-basement, the housekeeper said.

“Master Carlyx is scary. He’s the worst. He’s a monster and so on. You don’t have to worry about these rumors.”

“Really? Actually, I’ve been reluctant to work here because of those rumors.”

“No. Don’t worry.”

The housekeeper shook her finger lightly. She seemed to recall her past experience.

Carlyx Jean.

Although he was a distinguished figure respected by noble families, the mansion was never visited by anyone. There were no low-ranking nobles in his estate, let alone important guests.

Before the housekeeper arrived, she was also hesitant to work here. But then she realized…

This is heaven!

“At first, I thought I’d die easily here because I thought my master was a dangerous man. And so, when I was left alone with him for the first time, I was very nervous.”

“Really?”

“Yes. With his cold personality, anyone would be scared to meet him. But then I realized something more important!”

“Something more important?”

“My master doesn’t care. No matter what I do.”

“He doesn’t care?”

“Yes, not at all. No matter what I do, no matter what the chef cooks, or whether the gardener mows the grass or not.”

“…It’s okay to slack off at work?”

“He’ll just let it slide even if I slack off. Even so, he’d still pay my salary accordingly.”

The housekeeper suddenly paused and gestured her chin at the door next to her.

“This is the butler, Tyler’s, office. Just avoid coming here as much as you can.”

“Pardon? Cough—why?”

“Because my master doesn’t care, the butler does all the work in his place. Still, my master is the only one who can fire us, so don’t worry too much.”

The housekeeper smirked. Meanwhile, the new maid only nodded vigorously.

“If you don’t want him to nag you, just avoid him.”

He was always cautious and nosy.

At the thought, the housekeeper showed signs of annoyance and guided the new maid to the basement. On their way, they passed by a wine cellar, but they didn’t enter because it was part of the butler’s area. Other rooms in the basement included the lamp room, boiler room, and food storage room.

First floor, second floor, and basement. After they finished going around these floors, she noticed that there was no exhibition room, a place where nobles usually stored their precious valuables or portraits that were handed down through generations.

“Do you have any questions?”

“No.”

The new maid, who made eye contact with the housekeeper, quickly lowered her head.

Perhaps it’s because it’s been a while? The maid coughed much less than before, and her short, but firm answer sounded as if she had already gotten used to this place.

I must be overthinking, right?The housekeeper brushed off her suspicion and led the new maid back to the first floor. They then headed to the restaurant, their last destination.

When they entered the restaurant, a long table that was enough for ten people was seen first.

However, upon closer look, there was a lot of dust here and there. There was also a bookcase filled with spider webs.

The new maid heaved a sigh and said,

“Now, this is my last question.”

There was a strange glow in the new maid’s eyes. The housekeeper tilted her head when she saw the new maid looking around carefully around the restaurant. Then, the new maid pointed to one place.

“Is that bell working?”

It was such a basic question.

Every area of a noble had one bell connected to the restaurant. When the nobles needed help, the bell would notify the servants who were inside the restaurant or resting room.

If this was truly a ‘noble’ space, that much should be essential.

“Huh? Is it working?”

And the housekeeper answered,

“I guess, no?”

The housekeeper looked at the new maid just like a rabbit caught in a trap.

‘What am I going to do if you’re this inflexible? I understand what you’re thinking, but this place is not a noble area in the first place.’

And so, the housekeeper said this as if to slap some senses to the new maid.

“Who has the time to check and fix it? We just let it be.”

***

May delivered the letter she had received from Daisy to Carlyx.

Carly, who tore the envelope neatly with a paper knife, raised his eyebrows. It was difficult to understand the letter.

Didn’t she say she went out?

“Why are you asking me to gather the servants in the main hall?”

So, Carlyx called Tyler first.

The absurdity that filled his mind soon turned into an emotion he was unfamiliar with.

Daisy Colin. I really can’t understand you.

What are you up to this time?

***

The servants gathered in the main hall for the first time. They lined up with a serious expression.

At that time, the new maid walked down the stairs leading to the main hall.

Everyone knew a little bit of information about the new maid. One was that she was the first maid hired by Tyler after a woman married to Marquis Jean entered the mansion.

Hiring a maid was supposedly the duty of a housekeeper, but it somewhat became Tyler’s duty because he was much closer to the madam.

Another was that the maid questioned everything she was unfamiliar with in detail as if she were a child, perhaps because she was still new. The servants only knew that much.

“What are you standing there for!”

“Come on! He’ll be here in a minute.”

Some of the servants, who started to become a little anxious due to the current situation, frowned at the new maid who just smiled at them without answering. However, that slight smile suddenly turned into a bright smile.

Because of that, a maid, who got slightly scared of the sudden change, asked.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“Why, you ask? Because it’s fun.”

The maid, who stopped halfway down the stairs, said in a small voice.

A strange silence ensued.

The servants became tight-lipped as if they were possessed. Their instincts told them to not say anything.

“Thank you for explaining various things to me today…”

The new maid slowly lowered her handkerchief and took off her white hat with her slender fingers.

“It’s a complete mess.”

The servants were startled to see her fully exposed face. Their eyes widened as if they had seen a ghost.

They were hit with a great desire to escape.

Their pupils shook like an earthquake.

She was not a maid, rather, she was Marquis Jean’s wife.

Daisy Colin, no, Daisy Jean.

She spoke with a gentle expression.

“All of you will be fired soon.”

Among the frightened and bewildered people gathered in the main hall, she was the only one with a calm face.

“You said there’s a place I had to check. Is it this?”

Marquis Jean, who was standing next to the front door, laughed vainly.

“Madam…”

Tyler was stunned. It almost seemed as though there was a halo on top of Daisy’s head. It was something he had never seen ever since he started working as a butler.

Something that he didn’t see even when Carlyx returned from the battlefield!

‘That’s why madam asked me to lie about hiring the new maid!’

Daisy was able to meticulously formulate a plan even when it had not been long since she moved in.

An unknown emotion permeated Tyler’s senile eyes. It was the first time he felt such deep respect towards someone.

Daisy, who walked among the servants, said with a deep smile.

“Let’s move to another place first. I want to sit down.”

Most of the servants walked as if they had sandbags attached to their ankles. Only a few servants were quite calm, as if they thought this would eventually pass without any problem.

Just how much have they disregarded their jobs? Based on their reactions alone, it’s obvious that they never fulfilled their responsibilities.

Carlyx followed them and leaned against the bookshelf at the entrance of the library.

Perhaps because the servants were wary of Daisy, they didn’t notice Carlyx and Tyler’s presence.

“So, I’ll introduce myself again…” Daisy, sitting on a comfortable sofa, said gracefully.

“My name is Daisy Jean. I’m the new wife of Marquis Carlyx and the new madam here.”

Haa! Daisy, who let out a small grunt, added with a smile.

“Until just now, I was a maid named Lizzy.”

Daisy and Lizzy! How could I miss that!!!

The name ‘Lizzy’ was common, but it was also plainly similar to ‘Daisy’.

“Hmm. Where should I start?”

Daisy scoured through the servants. At that time, May approached her with a proud look. She put a cup of warm tea on the table.

“Thank you, May.”

Daisy calmly took a sip of tea. She crossed her legs and looked at the housekeeper first.

“The brooch in your room.”

“…What brooch are you talking about?”

“Stop playing dumb. You must be wearing it often since you left it on your dressing table.”

Don’t you think so? Daisy tilted her head.

The housekeeper broke out in a cold sweat.

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