The young master from the capital.  

A nobleman of Hazefield Manor, rumored to have retreated to the countryside for convalescence due to worsening madness. 

To many, he was a terrifying monster with blue blood. Yet, perhaps he was merely another aristocrat, prone to hysteria at the sight of filth. After all—  

“Who’s in charge of the third floor? Maureen? Where is she right now?”

Michelle, the senior maid, was acting like a madwoman herself, frantically searching for the person responsible for cleaning.

“What’s got him upset this time…? Right, Maureen. Lead the way, now!”

The expressions of the staff emerging from every corner were grave. Maureen, the maid in question, was pale-faced and flustered as she stammered an explanation.

“I—I cleaned so thoroughly that you could see your reflection…”

Seven or eight staff members followed Maureen as she hurriedly led the way upstairs. Caught off guard, Emily ended up tagging along.

“…What could be the problem this time? I really don’t understand.”

Emily agreed with Maureen. To her eyes, the second room on the third floor was spotless, without a speck of dust.

“Find it. We need to figure out what’s bothering him this time.”

Six maids began combing through the room as though conducting a crime scene investigation. Emily hesitated about whether she should help, but decided against it. Being the bold newcomer who pointed out her seniors’ mistakes on her first day didn’t seem like a wise choice. 

Standing by the door, she clasped her hands together and watched the others with a guilty expression, as though she were the culprit.

“Is it this…?”

“That’s not a stain. It’s sunlight reflecting from the other side.”

The maids moved like detectives, inspecting every surface of the furniture and carpet. After several rounds of bickering, Michelle’s sharp voice pierced the room, silencing everyone.

“Maureen! How could you drop the cleaning supplies?!”

Even the workers standing by the door turned to look. Michelle held up a small tin of wax and shook it accusingly at Maureen.

“You left this behind the third picture frame above the fireplace?”

Emily was impressed. How had the young master noticed such a small tin hidden behind an even smaller frame? The high-born truly had extraordinary perception.

“I was sure I put it away…”

“No excuses!”

Michelle continued to berate Maureen for a long while before she turned her frustration on Emily.

“And you—yes, you. Follow me.”

Satisfied with Emily’s meek and timid demeanor, Michelle marched out of the room, continuing her explanation.

“You’ll be responsible for the path leading from the front of the manor to the main gate. As you’ve seen, there can’t be a single speck of dust left behind for the cleaning to be considered complete.”

The standards were unimaginably high. Emily took note and followed the senior maid down the central staircase. Despite being a semi-basement, the lighting was so good it felt as bright as the first floor, making it seem more comfortable than her own home.

“Your other cleaning areas will include the lounge, the sewing room, the staff dining room, the kitchen, and the pantry, in that order. Now, let’s head to the annex. That’s where the women’s quarters are.”

“Yes.”

Keeping pace with Michelle’s brisk steps, Emily followed her to the back of the manor, where a three-story brick building came into view. Though it was meant to house staff, it was far more impressive than even the wealthiest homes in Tollum.

“In the afternoon, you’ll be helping with errands in the kitchen. Your room is at the end of the third floor.”

When the door opened, a young maid stood up from her seat.

“Hannah, this is Emily.”

“Hi, Emily.”

The maid named Hannah greeted her cheerfully, her dark brown hair framing her face. Emily was pleased to finally encounter a bit of kindness and responded with a smile—until…

“She’s from Tollum.”

“Oh.”

Hannah’s nose wrinkled at the mention of Emily’s hometown. Emily’s smile faded as well.

“So, they really couldn’t send anyone from the capital?”

“Don’t say unnecessary things.”

“…Understood.”

While Hannah answered obediently, Emily stood awkwardly. Soon, another maid entered and handed her a bundle of clothes.

“Wear your own undergarments. The top is for morning work, and the bottom is for the afternoon.”

Even as Emily accepted the heavy bundle, Michelle continued talking.

“When the bell rings, head to the staff dining room for lunch. Afterward, start on the errands immediately.”

Leaving Emily standing there, the two maids exited the room like a receding tide. The only ones left in the now-quiet room were Emily and the young maid, Hannah.

“Well, that explains it.”

Hannah, whose slightly upturned nose gave her a haughty appearance, smirked as she sat back on her bed.

“You walked in through the front gate, didn’t you? It caused quite a stir.”

Realizing the meaning behind her words, Emily sighed. Thinking back, she had indeed entered through the front gate, unaware of her place, like a guest.

“They thought someone important from the family had arrived. I peeked out the window, and there was this scruffy country girl. It was ridiculous.”

The girl in front of her clearly didn’t realize she was just as much a “scruffy country girl” herself. 

However, starting an argument on her first day wouldn’t be wise, so Emily gave a vague response instead.

“…That’s how it happened. The hired carriage dropped me off there.”

“No excuses!”

Apparently, Hannah had taken a liking to imitating Michelle’s tone. Emily suppressed a bitter smile and asked.

“Where’s the staff entrance?”

“Over there, past the incinerator and around the back. You’ll learn when it’s time to go home, so why bother asking now?”

Though grumbling, Hannah answered her questions readily.

“Got it. Then, Miss Hannah from the capital, why don’t you show this country girl how to put on a maid’s uniform? Show me how generous and refined you are.”

“Fine.”

Despite Emily’s teasing tone, Hannah didn’t seem to catch on and simply puffed herself up with pride. She even stood by to supervise while Emily changed, offering tips.

“Make sure you wear your cap properly so your hair doesn’t fall out.”

“Thanks.”

Though blunt in her tone, Hannah didn’t seem like a bad person.

But when Emily went down to the staff dining room for lunch—

“There’s no room. You can eat standing over there.”

The room was crowded, but there were still a couple of empty seats scattered about. Emily hesitated by the door.

“Or you could go eat in the kitchen.”

Hannah’s comment, as she took one of the remaining seats, felt like a signal. It carried an unspoken message: don’t even think about taking the other empty chair.

Emily nodded obediently.

“That sounds better.”

Sitting in the corner of the kitchen near a sack of flour, Emily ate her lunch while trying not to get in the way of the busy kitchen staff.

Surprisingly, the meal was delicious. What kind of meat was this? What kind of wheat made the bread so soft? And what spices had they used on the boiled beans to make them taste so good?

The afternoon passed in a blur of activity.

The work was far from easy. Emily had expected it to be challenging, but not to the extent where she felt completely lost. Even simple errands left her head spinning.

Most of the trouble came from her unfamiliarity with the names of items. She had to ask twice, sometimes three times, to clarify what she was supposed to fetch.

After enduring countless sighs and cold stares from everyone she encountered, Emily once again enjoyed a quiet meal in the kitchen before finally finishing her workday at eight in the evening.

Back in her room, she tried to sit on her bed for a moment’s rest, but Hannah’s nagging about cleanliness forced her to get up and wash herself.

Late at night, the communal bathroom was empty. To Emily’s surprise, the large oak tub was filled with hot water. Having grown up using damp towels for washing, she found the luxury overwhelming. Even the scented soap felt like an extravagant indulgence for a servant.

“……”

As Emily admired the manor’s opulence, her thoughts wandered to the young master she had encountered earlier. Among all the precious and expensive things in Hazefield Manor, he seemed to be the most noble of all.

That someone like him suffered from madness was heartbreaking. Emily couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy, though the feeling quickly passed. He was far beyond someone she could pity.

Besides, she didn’t have the luxury to dwell on such thoughts. She had to start cleaning at six tomorrow morning, which meant waking up at five-thirty. Emily sighed deeply at the thought.

* * *

In the misty morning, Arthur stood on the estate grounds, watching the hunting dogs frolic in the fields.

The dogs were tearing apart a rabbit, their play brutal and vicious. He’d heard they were intentionally kept hungry. Though they were supposed to catch rats and thieves, their real purpose was to serve as a silent warning from the steward: escape was not an option.

“Young master, are you alright?”

The speaker was Paul, the gamekeeper. Though he had likely played a part in the steward’s schemes, Arthur saw no reason to express his feelings toward a mere subordinate.

“What is it?”

Despite his casual tone, Paul’s face was filled with trepidation as he stammered.

“About yesterday… Did everything meet your expectations?”

“Ah.”

Arthur’s lips curled into a faint smile, and the man, reassured by the gesture, grinned back.

“I made sure to inform you at the right time, didn’t I? Did you get a good look at her face?”

The gamekeeper even added proudly.

“They say she’s the prettiest girl in Tollum. The whole town talks about her.”

Arthur nearly laughed at the absurdity. Here, he was nothing more than a libertine.

“Indeed.”

If he was to make use of the reputation thrust upon him, he might as well do it properly. Arthur’s smile widened as he indulged the simple-minded gamekeeper.

“She’s quite pretty. Once she’s scrubbed clean, that is.”

Though all he could recall was her ill-fitting, oversized clothes. Even if she had three eyes, it wouldn’t matter.

An outsider from beyond the manor.

Paul and the staff had schemed to pacify him by selecting the “prettiest” girl they could find. She was clearly no one’s pawn, which made her the perfect candidate.

Arthur asked lightly.

“What do girls like her enjoy?”

He had no time to waste on subtleties. He needed to win over the country girl and escape this place.

If he didn’t, it was only a matter of time before he became a prisoner in his own room again.