Episode 6

The maid who attended to me every morning was named Hendel.

When I told her she had a pretty name, she teared up again, saying it was the first time I had ever asked her name, then served me with the same care as before.

But I couldn’t simply enjoy it. I had to stare intently at Hendel’s cheek reflected in the mirror.

Hendel’s cheek, lightly dotted with freckles. Her face was small, her frame was slight, and even her cheeks were tiny.

‘How am I supposed to hit a kid like this?’

Of course, Hendel wasn’t the only maid. But all of them looked frail, and I felt like if I slapped any one of them, they would all collapse.

Most importantly, I really wasn’t inclined to commit violence against someone for no reason.

That was the problem.

What was I going to do from now on?

I let out a deep sigh at the troublesome dilemma. Hendel, who was arranging my hair, asked me with a worried expression.

“Miss? Are you feeling unwell? If you’re still not feeling well, perhaps you should have your meal in your bedroom……”

“No. I’m fine. I just have something to think about.”

Something like how to hit you as gently as possible…….

I swallowed a sigh and looked down at my hand. With its long nails, it seemed like it would not only slap a maid’s cheek, but scratch her too.

I’d rather just slap my own cheek…….

……Huh? My own cheek?

Following the flow of my thoughts, I suddenly realized something.

That’s right……! I can just hit myself! Come to think of it, how would the mission window know whether I’m a maid or not?

It was an impulsive choice.

Slap!

Without thinking too deeply, I even forgot Hendel was there and roughly slapped my own cheek. A dizzying pain, strong enough to make stars burst before my eyes, spread across my face.

Ignoring Hendel, who let out a low scream behind me and shouted, asking why I had done that, I stared into the air.

At that moment, there was a beep, and a new window appeared.

Error

‘Not a maid.’

A few seconds later, the window disappeared again.

……Ah, right. Of course it wouldn’t be solved that easily.

If a trick like this could clear the mission, Renee would have managed it long ago.

“Miss! Your cheek is swelling!”

Only after realizing I had failed did Hendel’s voice finally reach my ears properly.

When I stared into the mirror, I could see it clearly. Renee Blair, with one cheek swollen puffy.

‘Wait a second…….’

Hold on. It said there was an error because I wasn’t a maid. Then…… shouldn’t it work if I become a maid?

“Right now……! Should I call the family physician right now? No, I’ll call him!”

That’s right……! I just have to be a maid!

How do I become a maid? I’m the little master of this mansion. If I consider myself a maid, doesn’t that make me one?

Having thought that far, I muttered as if possessed by something.

“From now on, I’m going to be a maid.”

“……Pardon?”

Hendel looked at me as if she were looking at someone who had lost her mind. Regardless, I raised my palm while muttering “I’m a maid” under my breath like a chant.

And then I struck again.

My own cheek.

* * *

To state the conclusion first, I failed.

The error window that appeared again mocked me by saying I was not a maid.

No, why? The second-highest-ranking person in the mansion personally appointed me as a maid!

Thinking it might be because I had said it only in my head, I tried saying, with an extremely serious expression, “Renee Blair, I appoint you as a maid,” but the result was the same.

All that increased was Hendel’s horrified gaze, as if asking whether I had gone insane.

“Haa……”

My poor, innocent cheek had been hit three times and had swelled up so much that it was even slightly bruised.

Only then did I give up and think of another way out. Since the authority of the second-in-command wasn’t enough, it naturally occurred to me to borrow the power of the first-in-command.

Reden, the first-in-command I had seen that morning. He probably handled the management of the servants too.

‘Should I ask Reden to hire me as a maid?’

……No. He’ll treat me like a strange person.

‘Then what if I ask him to leave the management of the servants to me?’

The thought flashed through my head like lightning. And that thought seemed absolutely wonderful.

If I became responsible for managing the servants, then I would be able to hire myself as a maid.

It seemed like quite a plausible idea, so I was about to put it into action immediately. That is, if Hendel, who had been fidgeting anxiously beside me, hadn’t suddenly dropped to her knees.

“Miss, if you’re angry, please just hit me instead……!”

It was nonsense, but delivered with sincerity.

What are you talking about, seriously? Can’t you see I’m doing everything I can not to hit you?

Though my thoughts were blunt, I gently took her hand and helped her up.

“Don’t say that, Hendel. Why would I hit you?”

Of course, Renee Blair has probably been hitting you all this time…….

Swallowing words I could neither laugh off nor say aloud, I looked Hendel in the eye.

In any case, one thing was certain.

Now that I had possessed her, Renee Blair would no longer treat Hendel—or any of the other servants—cruelly.

Hendel’s dark brown eyes trembled slightly, as if tears would spill from them at any moment.

It wasn’t as though I had lived my life forming good relationships with people, so whenever someone cried, I was always at a loss for what to do. To stop her from crying, I patted the back of her bony, rough hand, as if to tell her she had worked hard until now.

Hendel’s eyes fixed on me. I answered with a smile.

“Earlier, I only did that because I was sleepy. So don’t worry too much. I’ll take care of my hair myself, so Hendel, go do something else.”

“……How could I do that, Miss? I’ll put your hair up beautifully for you……”

“It’s fine! I’m going to see Reden anyway. Go on.”

“Then at least let me put some ointment on……”

“Ahem, Hendel.”

Faced with my firm wall of refusal, Hendel pressed her lips tightly together. She looked as if she were holding back tears. Before long, she composed herself and went outside.

At the same time, I turned so quickly toward the mirror that it almost made a whooshing sound.

I combed my half-done hair with the spirit of someone going into battle. Because my hair was curly, it didn’t comb well, and dozens of strands were pulled out, but that wasn’t what mattered.

From now on, I was going to the study where Reden Blair would be.

And I intended to somehow sweet-talk him into giving me authority over the servants.

* * *

In front of the study door.

I was nervous. So nervous that I felt nauseous. I moistened my dry lips with my tongue, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

What if Reden refuses? Then I’ll secure it somehow by making a deal. If it doesn’t work, I’ll make it work.

But things didn’t go well from the very start. No matter how long I waited, there was no response.

‘Is he not inside?’

“What are you doing here?”

A voice rang out from behind me so suddenly that my heart nearly dropped.

“Wah!”

Startled, I finally screamed and, without realizing it, reached my hand backward.

It was to push away whatever was behind me. But I swear, I meant to push very lightly. Just to ask him to step back a little.

Thud.

But perhaps I failed to control my strength, because the sound that rang out when I shoved him was rather heavy.

Gasp, that wasn’t what I meant to do.

Startled by the sound, as if I had pushed him with all my might, I turned my head and saw it.

Reden, stumbling backward after being shoved by me.

And Reuden, whose foot caught on my leg and tipped backward…….

He fell backward with a thud. A deathly silence wrapped around the corridor.

In that silence, I broke out in a cold sweat.

I’m done for. I came here to win him over, and instead I shoved him right off the bat.

“Haa…….”

I flinched at the sound of his deep sigh, then stealthily looked at Reuden and screamed inwardly.

Reuden’s eyes were practically dead.

‘I didn’t mean to……! I didn’t push him on purpose……!’

A rush of emotions swept over me, both aggrieved and apologetic.

This wasn’t the time for that.

I stood still like a block of wood, then came to my senses and held out my hand to Reuden. It meant he should take it and get up.

But Reuden stared at me coldly, then got up on his own. As if he had no need for my hand. Only my outstretched hand was left awkward.

‘Well, if it were me, I probably wouldn’t have taken it either…….’

I clenched my awkward hand and apologized to him.

“Sorry. I was so startled.”

“You were startled?”

He spoke as if sneering.

“Of course I was startled! A voice suddenly came from behind me……!”

“You’re so good at reading presences it’s uncanny, and now you’re startled?”

After speaking sarcastically, Reuden turned away from me as if he had nothing more to say and went into the office.

I stared blankly after him, then hurriedly followed him in.

The office was as spacious as my room.

‘It’s just a place to work, but it’s needlessly huge.’

In one corner of the wide room stood a luxurious sofa, and along the edges were shelves packed with books that looked difficult at a glance.

And as soon as I entered the office, my gaze was stolen by the mountain of documents piled on the long desk.

Sunlight seeped in from beyond the balcony behind the desk, casting the shadow of those documents like a gigantic mountain. The shadow was taller than me, and for a moment, I felt sick of it.

Ugh, does Reuden do that every day?

I couldn’t quite hide my disgusted expression as I looked at the documents as if they were bugs, and then I saw something familiar between them. It was Reuden, already sitting with proper posture and silently working.

But he didn’t look at me. Even though he clearly knew I had followed him, he didn’t take his eyes off the documents. It seemed he was neatly ignoring me, but that was fine.

I approached him.

“I have something to say, Reuden.”

“Do it later. I’m busy.”

“No, it’s simple. You just have to give permission, Reuden.”

Reuden didn’t answer, but I wasn’t the type to back down over that.

“I’ll take charge of managing the employees from now on. Hand the authority over to me.”

“…….”

“…….”

“……What?”

Only then did he look at me.

When I kept meeting his gaze without looking away, he must have finally realized he hadn’t misheard, because he asked again.

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. I’ll manage the employees from now on. So hand over the authority.”

“……What are you plotting this time?”

“I’m not plotting anything! Just give me permission. You’re handling even those petty little tasks, aren’t you?”

You workaholic. I swallowed the rest with effort and waited for his answer.

But the answer that followed left me flustered.

“Yes, I am handling them. Because you don’t.”

“Uh…….”

So that was why?