Chapter 05

Mary, who had been about to argue further at Melissa’s angry voice, shut her mouth.

“Normally, this is something that deserves strict punishment,” Melissa said. “But considering all the hard work you’ve done in this mansion so far, I won’t dismiss you immediately.”

At Melissa’s words, Mary and Dorothy let out sighs of relief—but she wasn’t finished.

“However, for abandoning your post without permission and then lying about it, your wages will be cut in half for the next three months.”

“Head maid!”

The shocked cries of Mary and Dorothy echoed through the break room.

“And from now on, the two of you will work on the first floor under my direct supervision. Don’t even think about going near the young master’s room. I can’t leave girls like you around him.”

“Head maid, please, no!”

“Please forgive us just this once!”

“Silence! You should be grateful you’re not being thrown out! I’m warning you—if something like this happens again, you’ll spend all day doing laundry!”

Melissa’s voice was firm. There wasn’t a maid anywhere who could overturn a decision she had made.

Mary and Dorothy, who knew that fact better than anyone, could only sniffle as they left the room.

I tried to leave before the two came out—

But I was a step too late.

“You…”

Mary and Dorothy noticed me standing outside the door and spoke with voices full of hostility.

No, seriously.

They were the ones who abandoned their duties during work.

Shouldn’t they be apologizing to me instead?

For a moment, tense silence filled the air. Neither Mary nor Dorothy said anything, but I could feel it.

Their inexplicable hatred toward me was enormous.

And then—

Thud.

A deliberate impact slammed into my shoulder.

I staggered from the sudden contact.

After intentionally bumping into me hard with their shoulders, Mary and Dorothy walked right past.

Seriously… what’s their problem with me?

I rubbed my shoulder with a dumbfounded expression.

“There are people like this in every world.”

I muttered, recalling the people in my previous life who had treated me badly for no reason.

What hurt more than the shoulder they hit wasn’t the pain—

It was the bitterness of being reminded, once again, of an unpleasant reality.

* * *

“…Last time, you were grinning to yourself creepily.”

“Huh?”

“So why are you sighing so heavily now?”

From the darkness, Kallios asked.

Since I’d started this job, it was the first time he had spoken to me first.

For a second, I wondered if he was worried about me…

“I don’t want to hear it, so go outside and rest.”

He said coldly.

“Yeees.”

Right. Of course.

No way he’d actually be worried about me.

“…Sigh.”

“What? Are you doing that on purpose?”

“No, it’s not that…”

I couldn’t tell Kallios honestly what had happened in the break room, so my voice trailed off.

Ever since the conflict with Mary and Dorothy, my mood hadn’t recovered.

Thinking about having to keep working with people who openly hated me made me sigh over and over.

“If it’s not that, then what?”

“I’m just… tired from working.”

Pressed again, I accidentally blurted out my real feelings.

“What?”

Kallios asked shortly, then fell silent.

Ah, right.

The contract also had a clause saying employees weren’t allowed to show negative emotions or attitudes in front of their employer!

I hurried to fix my mistake.

“I’m sorry. My thoughts are just a bit complicated right now… sigh—ah, sorry! That slipped out without me realizing. I really won’t sigh anymore, Young Master.”

Kallios inhaled deeply, as if suppressing frustration.

“…I’m asking why working is hard.”

“It’s nothing important, Young Master.”

“Hurry up and answer. Otherwise, I’ll shut your mouth so you’ll never sigh again.”

Why does he want to know so badly?

Since when did he care about my problems?

I was puzzled by Kallios’s persistent questioning after I failed to dodge the topic.

But I couldn’t tell him the truth about Mary and Dorothy.

Kallios was already practically imprisoned in this room because of his illness.

Most of the servants who worked under him had been forcibly transferred elsewhere. If he learned even the remaining maids were neglectful, it might seriously wound his pride.

“Well…”

“Speak.”

This won’t work.

I’ll just make something up.

“…Maybe because I haven’t been here long, but… I’m having trouble getting along with people.”

“What?”

After hearing my answer, Kallios went quiet again.

…Was I too honest?

For some reason, I could almost picture his expression.

He was probably regretting asking.

After an awkward, sweat-inducing silence…

“Hah. I thought it was something serious.”

Hm?

Breaking the silence, Kallios let out an incredulous laugh. Then I heard him flop back onto the bed.

Soon after came the sound of him pulling up his blanket, as if preparing to sleep.

…Huh?

What is this reaction? Why does it feel strangely annoying?

“…Excuse me, Young Master. Why are you reacting like that after hearing my story?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Huh?”

Kallios yawned loudly, making sure I heard him.

“Because your personality is bad, and you’re probably ugly too. Makes sense people wouldn’t like you.”

Excuse me???

Where did ugly suddenly come from?

Have you even seen my face?

Have you?!

I clenched my teeth.

“…Y-You’ve never even seen my f-face…”

“I feel like I can tell without looking. Don’t you know the saying, ‘A person’s face follows their heart’?”

He continued:

“A kind-hearted person becomes beautiful along with their heart, while someone with a nasty personality ends up ugly too.”

His strangely calm tone made every word sink deep into my ears.

“A maid like you, who talks back to her master and spends work hours having suspicious thoughts? It’s obvious. You’re definitely ugly.”

Excuse me?

“…I feel awkward saying this myself, but…”

I tried to hide my irritation as I defended myself.

“Not long ago, another maid told me I’m actually pretty.”

I emphasized pretty.

“That maid should visit a doctor.”

“I’m serious, you know? I’ve never heard anyone call me ugly.”

“Sure. There’s no way to verify it.”

Kallios even snorted with laughter.

He’s doing this on purpose.

He’s deliberately provoking me.

“…Why can’t you verify it? You could just check for yourself.”

I felt around the bed where Kallios was lying until I found his hand.

Then I pulled it toward my face and said:

“Feel it yourself!”

“What are you doing?!”

Startled, Kallios yanked his hand away.

“I’m giving you the chance to confirm it personally!”

“Are you insane? Get away from me!”

Suddenly my face squished like a steamed bun.

Kallios was forcefully pushing my face away with his palm.

“Ugh—Tilda said so too! She said I have a high nose bridge! And full lips!”

“Get away!”

Kallios shoved me hard.

I dramatically rolled right off the bed.

Ow—my butt!

Groaning, I rubbed where I’d hit the floor.

Kallios, breathing heavily after pushing me away, shouted:

“You! Don’t come near me from now on. Stay away! Understood?”

Seriously.

This is unfair.

I only wanted him to know the truth about my face!

“Are you not answering?”

“Yeees.”

But what could I do?

I was only a maid, after all.

I had no choice but to obediently agree.

And so, the false accusation hanging over my face—

That I was ugly—

Remained unresolved to the very end.

* * *

Ow… my butt.

Quite a while had passed, but the spot where I’d hit the floor still hurt.

‘It’s not bruised, is it? Or cracked a bone or something?’

Grumbling internally, I carried the dishes from Kallios’s finished meal down to the kitchen.

“Hey, wait a second.”