“Please leave immediately. A common, unsophisticated maid like you had no business in this mansion.”
In short, the sentence was, “You’re fired.” That was the sentence.
A beautifully broken pot stands between the head maid and Nina.
“Head maid, it wasn’t me who broke that vase… I have never been to the treasury where it is kept.”
“Shut up! Many maids saw you drop it and dash away.”
“It can’t be…!?”
“Anyway, it’s decided. When you leave this mansion, the glorious house of the Earl of Mirkwood, you will be free from any charge.”
“But, maam, I didn’t really do it…”
“Or are you going to compensate me for this pot with your small salary? A pot worth 30 million gold?”
“No, that isn’t…”
“Then pack your things and leave. Today. And from now on, you will not speak to any of the other servants—very well.”
As if the conversation ended there, the head maid got up, opened the door to the room, and stood at the side.
She wants her to leave.
Nina, shocked and overwhelmed, got up and walked sluggishly down the hallway.
Still with her head down, she said,
“Thank you for all your help and support over the years. I wish you all the best, health and happiness in the future.
Bang.
The door closed.
“…”
Nina walks to her room, not sure if she is walking or not.
It’s an annex to the Earl of Mirkwood’s mansion, with rooms for the maids, butlers and other servants.
There are housekeepers, lady’s maids, kitchen maids, scullery maids, parlor maids, nannies—there are many kinds of maids.
There are 30 in total.
There are also butlers, footmen, cooks, and boys.
The Earl of Mirkwood was wealthy enough to employ such a large number of people.
At last Nina arrived at her room.
Nina’s luggage was very small in a room that had only a bed, a desk, and a closet.
When she took out her travel bag to pack her things, she found that it was well taken care of; although she rarely used it, it was the bag she had brought with her when she came to the mansion five years ago.
Nina, I was going to buy you a big travel bag when you grew up, but you had to go to work as a small child. This is a hand-me-down from when I was young, but it still works, so take it with you.
A traveling bag was given to her by the master who trained her perfectly in the art of maids.
“…I’m sorry, master.”
As she packs her bags, tears of regret come to her eyes.
“I… I could still work for the manor. Now I had to leave… “
At the age of three, she began helping around the house, and when she was five, her master recognized her sense of domesticity and she began working with him.
When she was ten, her master gave his consent, and Nina came alone to the mansion of the Earl of Mirkwood.
Five years later, Nina is now 15 years old.
She never thought she would be thrown out of the manor for committing ・・・・・・・ a crime she did not commit.
“If my last job is to get out of here, I have to do it right.”
She recalled her master’s teachings.
—A maid always does her job perfectly. One must not stand out; it is the master’s job to stand out.
She cleans herself in a small mirror.
Her dark brown hair is pulled down on both sides, and she quickly ties all the loose ends.
Her eyes are sky blue behind her glasses, and her eyelashes are wet with tears. She wipes them with a handkerchief and tries to restore them to their original state.
She has no clothes of her own. With a maid’s uniform, she could be out and about in the city, and maids rarely have the day off—some do, but Nina doesn’t, because she doesn’t want her day off to ruin the villa or disrupt the other servants’ work. ..
Nina put on a coat over her maid’s uniform.
“Oh, right… I guess I’ll have to take over then—”
—From now on, you are not allowed to talk to the other servants.
That’s right, she’s not allowed to talk to anyone anymore.
“…”
She will have to leave without being able to take over.
“…But at least this …”
She pulls out the notes she has compiled—a list of the names and characteristics of the guests who visit the mansion, their eating habits and what they need to be aware of.
If she gives it to someone, they will find it useful.
Nina bowed to the room in which she had spent the last five years.
The sheets are taut, there is not a speck of dust in the corners, the room is perfectly maintained.
She liked keeping the whole mansion in this condition.
“—Hey, is that…”
“Oh… Isn’t that Nina who got fired today?”
Outside in the hallway,
“I was wondering how it was possible for such an unassuming girl to be living in the Earl of Mirkwood’s mansion.”
“—Shh. She can hear you.
“—It’s okay. She doesn’t have anything to do with the mansion anymore, does she?”
The other maids laughed.
They wore maid’s clothes, but their carefully groomed hair and sophisticated accessories showed that they wanted to be more than just a maid.
Being the mistress of a nobleman meant that luxury was within reach.
Of course, the standard of their work was not as high as one would expect, and Nina covered up all the times they were careless.
Nevertheless, Nina turned to one of them.
“…What?”
Nina held out a notepad to the maid, who gave her a disapproving look.
“This isn’t a conversation, it’s a monologue. It’s a list of the guests who have visited the mansion. I’m sure you’ll find it useful.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“I’ll put it here for you.”
When they didn’t accept it, Nina put the notepad at their feet and turned her back on them.
On her master’s recommendation, Nina came to the mansion as a maid.
She is fluent in languages and has good manners.
Nina worked well as a maid, but other things bothered her.
The hallways were dirty, the food was not good, and the boys were not well behaved.
All this is because the earl, the head of the family, hires the maids according to their “appearance”.
Of course, there are maids who must look good.
But even the maids who had no contact with the guests were chosen for their looks, which caused the work to stagnate in many places.
Nina solved this problem.
Even in such a large mansion, Nina was the only maid who could do all the work.
(After this… I wonder what will happen next).
For a moment, Nina wondered what would happen to the mansion when she was gone, but she quickly shook her head.
(I’m sure the maid will make sure the villa runs smoothly after I leave).
She’s sure they don’t want to worry about it either.
Nina thought the maid would understand, but unfortunately, they didn’t.
Nina followed her master’s instructions so as not to attract attention, and did everything in secret.
Only after a year of work did the mistress notice Nina’s presence and ask her name—even though she was just a maid.
While thinking about the future, Nina wipes the fogged windows with a towel from her bag, picks up the fallen leaves that have blown into the mansion, and mops up the mop that has been left outside.
Each of these actions is leisurely, “like a walk.” That’s exactly how she does it.
After the walk, the hallway is spotless, without a single speck of dust.
Somehow, it was inevitable that the other maids would not notice her when she reached that level.
The other maids did not understand Nina’s grandeur, and Nina was not impressed.
It was an unfortunate misunderstanding.
“Oh…”
Nina looked at the corner of the corridor. That was where the mysterious spot was when Nina first entered the mansion. She remembered that she had taken the time to remove it.
The window was high up, so she asked the gardener to lend her a ladder and wipe it off.
The servants’ meals were often cold because they ate leftovers when they had time off, so she talked to the chef about designing a menu that could be eaten cold.
The cleaning area…
The door at the end…
The ceiling…
Even though it was a servants’ dormitory, Nina did a lot of the work herself.
Besides, the mansion had been cleaned with more care than here.
“…”
The last place Nina passed was the dormitory’s kitchen.
Roy, who was also the cook of the mansion, cooked for the servants.
He must be here at this time of night, and you can hear the sound of knives being used in the kitchen.
(Mr. Roy is a genius cook).
Even the mistress had the maid knock once when she had to go to the kitchen of the main house.
Nina had heard that he was an obliging cook, and she knew he was very good.
(That’s why he’s so strict about buying ingredients, he has to get the best seasonal ingredients at the right time…)
—Shouldn’t I say something?
Nina thought about it, but shook her head.
She briskly walked past the kitchen.
“?”
Roy glanced back at her, but that was all.
She left the mansion and walked out into the street.
This is the Crescent City, the royal capital of the Kingdom of “Crescente.” .
There are a lot of people.
“Where should I go?”
But Nina was alone.
She watched the traffic, all by herself.
“I understand… All I ever wanted was to work at the mansion. “
At first, she was happy for the praise and helped with the housework.
As her master discovered her talent as a maid, she soaked up more and more knowledge.
She enjoyed it.
Most of her wages went to her parents in the country, but Nina did not spend what little remained, so she was able to save money.
The amount was half a million gold pieces.
If she saved enough, Nina could live for six months.
If she had a place to stay, she could stay for a year.
“…Do I have to go home? Not.I don’t want to bother them.”
Her parents are farmers, not very rich, and she can only help with the housework, so moving in would not increase their income.
Even if she returned home, she would have nothing.
“Hmm …”
Then the sound of handbells rang in her ears.
“—Here’s a ride. Here’s a ride. The destination is the trading city of Furmun, the main artery of the kingdom. A quaint trading town where you can find rare items from all over the kingdom! Come along for a little sightseeing tour.”
Apparently, they were told by the coachman to ride together in a horse-drawn carriage.
Nina was surprised to find that she knew little about the city other than the mansion.
Sightseeing.
She wanted to see something she had never seen before.
It was just a whim.
Or maybe she just wanted to drown her sorrows over being fired as a maid.
“Hey! I’d like to go for a ride!”
Nina made the first move—and so off the maid went.