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Chapter 3
“Sorry, your voice was too quiet. I couldn’t hear you.”
“Eh?”
When I leaned closer to listen, the girl jumped like a spring. She quickly stepped back, avoiding my eyes, and fidgeted with the doll in her hands.
“S-sorry. I’m just… really shy with people. You’re the new head maid, right?”
“Yes, yes, that’s me!”
“I… I’ll show you around the mansion. Also, we’ll be sharing the same room.”
Roommates?
And not a monster—but an actual human?
“Please take care of me!”
I couldn’t hide my happiness. With a big smile, I shouted it out loud.
But the girl only gave a tiny nod instead of replying, then led me out of the parlor.
She must really be shy.
I felt a bit awkward. No—actually, I didn’t even have the time to feel awkward.
Because the moment we stepped outside, the monsters came into view again.
“……”
I forced myself to ignore them, staring instead at the back of the little girl in front of me, as if her small head was my only lifeline.
Still, it wasn’t easy to ignore the dozens—no, hundreds—of eyes watching me like I was some rare spectacle.
‘Why are they staring at me like that? Like they’ve never seen a person before…’
At least this time, unlike when I entered earlier, the path wasn’t blocked. The monsters stepped aside to give us space as we walked.
Watching her small pink head move through the crowd, I thought:
‘How does such a timid girl live in a place filled with monsters?’
Maybe it meant that these monsters weren’t actually dangerous.
And if they could stare at me, then I could stare back too, right?
Besides, I had added that special clause in my contract just in case.
So, I boldly looked around, hoping to spot another human among them.
But no luck. Just monsters. Everywhere.
“Um… are there no other people here?” I asked.
My tiny, cute roommate blinked in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected me to talk to her.
“Ah—well, the head cook is human. But having humans here is… really rare.”
I see. The duke must have unusual tastes.
Still, that was a relief.
So far, it was me, my roommate, and the cook. That made three humans in total.
The mansion was, of course, enormous.
Which also meant it was dirtier than I imagined.
After the tour, we finally reached our shared room.
My roommate gestured for me to sit. Then, for the first time, she looked straight into my eyes and handed me a piece of paper.
“You must follow these rules. If you’re confused about anything, ask me.”
It was the official “Rules of the Vermanion Mansion.”
But no matter how I looked at it—
“This looks really suspicious!”
“P-please, calm down!”
I had jumped up and shouted, while she trembled and lightly tugged at the hem of my dress, clearly worried I’d crumple or tear the paper.
‘Come on, I’m not that reckless. Do I really look so scary?’
I sighed, cleared my throat, and sat back down.
‘Okay, let’s go through this carefully.’
Rule 1. Always use polite speech.
That was fine. Everyone here was considered an equal servant, except for the duke.
But Rule 2…
It said to always work in pairs or trios.
And then:
“In case of an incident, remember that no one will be able to help you.”
What on earth was that supposed to mean?
“Um, what does this part mean?”
Didn’t she just tell me to ask if I had questions?
Pointing at Rule 2, I asked her directly.
She didn’t hesitate—in fact, she pulled her chair closer, eager to explain.
“Oh, it means you must never work alone.”
“…Sorry?”
She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Her eyes sparkled with sincerity.
“If you work alone and disappear, no one will ever know.”
“Ah… I see. Got it.”
That sounded… pretty terrifying, but I let it slide.
Maybe my roommate was more used to this place than I thought.
Right. As long as I followed the rules, I’d be fine.
I promised myself I would always make sure tasks were assigned in pairs or trios.
I asked her about the other rules too. She patiently explained everything, while I took careful notes on another sheet of paper.
[My Notes]
-
Rule 3: There is no butler.
→ Because… there just isn’t one. (?) -
Rule 4: Asking for someone’s name is very rude.
→ They’re all too proud to share their names. (?) (Makes no sense ;;) -
Rule 5: There are no mirrors inside the mansion. If you find one, do not look at it. Calmly turn it around.
→ Supposedly, there’s no reason to ever see a mirror anyway. (But sometimes the duke has one in his room??) If I ever go there, I must never look into it. Just turn it around.
Honestly, none of it made sense. If anything, I felt even more confused.
Did I really need to take notes on this?
So weird. Way too weird.
‘Don’t tell me I got scammed again for five million francs…’
…No. No way. I already managed to get back at that bastard, Baron Armond.
I tried to reassure myself, but for some reason, my eyes still grew damp.
With a sigh, I shoved both the rules and my notes into the desk drawer, then dragged myself to the bed and collapsed.
“No, it’s fine. I added that clause—no one here can harm me…”
“…Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“Ahh!”
When did she sneak up on me? I didn’t hear a sound, yet my roommate was suddenly standing right beside me.
Her curious eyes demanded an answer.
So, I repeated the clause from the contract, word for word. I’d read it so many times, I could never forget it.
“Oh, I added a special clause in the contract. No one is allowed to harm me.”
“…R-really?”
“Yes.”
Why did she look so shocked?
Wait—don’t tell me she didn’t add that clause when she signed her contract?
She bit her nails, muttering under her breath:
“Watching… not… shouldn’t… dangerous…”
I leaned in, but I still couldn’t make out her words.
Then suddenly, her head snapped up.
“Did you say harm?”
“Y-yes?”
“That’s not good.”
Eh? What’s not good?!
Her face had grown pale and serious. Her brows furrowed deeply as she hugged her battered doll tightly to her chest.
That doll again… it really bothered me.
But I couldn’t deal with it today. Tomorrow, maybe.
For now, I needed sleep.
Oh! And we still hadn’t even exchanged names.
I’d asked her about so many rules, yet I hadn’t introduced myself. How rude of me!
I quickly held out my hand.
“My name is Shasha.”
“…!”
Thump!
She dropped her doll for the first time since I met her. Her eyes went wide—so wide it didn’t even seem human.
Right, the rules said servants hated giving out their names.
But—
“Among people, it’s only polite to exchange names.”
I didn’t know why she looked so moved, but it honestly made me a little sad.
Her yellow eyes trembled. Then, blushing, she whispered:
“M-my name is… Eki.”
Oh my gosh. Even her name was cute!
“Nice to meet you, Eki.”
“Me too… Shasha.”
Right then, I knew.
We were going to be very close friends.
Smiling warmly at her, I drifted off to sleep.
And so, I never saw the way her black pupils suddenly thinned into sharp slits.
