The Peaceful Life Of A Maid Who Hides Her Power And Enjoys It - Chapter 2
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 2
That day, just past noon.
Naturally, we were sued by the Baron for assault and intimidation charges.
Damn it. I hadn’t even finished collecting all the laundry yet!
“Miss Daisy, who works as a maid for the Weatherwax Family. And the person behind you is the Head Maid here. Is that correct?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m Officer Thomas. Please follow me for a moment.”
The Head Maid and I were each called to the investigation room. No, to be precise, the Head Maid only answered a few questions the officer asked, and only I had to be called to the investigation room.
In the investigation room I arrived at, there was a different man sitting there, not the officer.
The man, who had created quite a heavy atmosphere, shuffled through documents and finally spoke his first words.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Daisy Pager. I’ll get straight to the point. We’ve discovered something unusual about your identity. This might be unpleasant, but we must address this matter.”
I could feel the man probing my reaction with his sharp gaze. I shrugged my shoulders to indicate I didn’t mind.
“First, when were you employed at this estate?”
“Ten days ago.”
“What kind of work were you doing before you came to this city?”
However, I had to close my mouth before long.
This question was troublesome. The reason it was troublesome was simple. To answer it properly, the story would become very long.
I am Daisy, a maid. But before working as a maid, I had a different name.
Andert, the Emperor’s Sword.
One of the heroes of the turbulent times who stood at the forefront of the 10-year Mage War, protecting humanity’s fate.
That was me.
* * *
Ten days ago, at the Employment Office in the city.
“Next interviewee.”
When I quietly raised my hand, a stern-looking woman wearing wire-rimmed glasses looked at me.
“Come in.”
I followed her and stepped into the office. As I sat in the simple metal chair placed in front of the desk, the door closed as if it had been waiting.
In front of me sat a woman with an even more stern expression than the secretary who had guided me, rapidly shuffling through documents.
I could see signs of fatigue from endless interviews on her face as she sipped her coffee.
I looked down at the number pinned to my chest.
‘Interview number 38.’
It was a number sufficient to cause fatigue.
“Nice to meet you. You’re quite a beauty.”
The interviewer, who had examined me thoroughly from head to toe, spoke first.
“What’s your name?”
A good question.
“Daisy Pager.”
My name is Andert Pager.
To hide this name, I chose an alias that anyone would feel was maid-like.
I guarantee there are over a thousand maids named Daisy in this world.
Daisy was an excellent mask that would guide me into the world of harsh labor. Even an interviewer well-versed in employee interviews would be weak against familiarity.
“You have the same surname as the hero of the Mage War. Though it’s a common surname found everywhere. What about your family?”
A good question.
“One younger brother.”
My younger brother died in battle long ago while defending our hometown.
That child’s name was Andert Pager.
I had lived for years under my brother’s name, having changed my originally female body into a male body using ancient magic.
I had abandoned the name I received from my parents long ago. So long ago. Long enough that I no longer missed it.
“What about your hometown?”
This was also a good question.
My and my younger brother’s hometown is Quin, an unfortunate island where people can no longer live.
Quin Island, at the southernmost tip of the Empire’s southern archipelago, literally became a sea of fire overnight. The Empire sent troops multiple times, but it was useless.
The culprit was Mephistopheles, the great mage who massacred tens of thousands of humans to gain immortal power.
Thus, the great mage Mephistopheles became humanity’s primary enemy in an instant.
To annihilate this vicious murderer, thirteen nations led by the Empire joined forces to form the organization called the 【Magic Alliance】.
The winner of the 10-year war was the Magic Alliance, but the damage was enormous.
Four years after the war’s end. Now the world was stretching again toward a future where life could sprout, overcoming past pain.
Even so, my burned hometown would never return.
“What’s your height?”
“170.”
“That’s quite tall for a woman. It will definitely be an advantage in the job you’re applying for.”
Good praise.
“We’re almost done. There aren’t many questions left. You have no experience working as a maid, so what kind of work did you do before?”
This was an even better question.
“Unemployed.”
I was one of the commanders of the Magic Alliance.
And I roamed the battlefields together with Raphael, the hero called by the turbulent times.
“I can’t entrust my back to anyone but you, Andert. You’re the only one I can trust. It might sound ridiculous, but I often think that if I had a lost brother, it would be you.”
Raphael, the supreme commander of the allied forces, was the hope of the Magic Alliance and humanity’s salvation.
We defeated various enemies and gathered precious allies, moving forward step by step.
And finally, we returned to our hometown that had become Mephistopheles’ Stronghold, but…
At the end, the final fate given to me was death.
“Damn it, can’t you let go of this hand? Wait! Stop right now, Andert! You can’t die! I won’t let you die like this! Come back right now, Andert Pager!”
Yes, I had definitely died.
I had stepped into enemy territory alone, thinking it was a noble sacrifice for humanity in my own way.
‘But why did I come back to life?’
After a full four years had passed.
Moreover, the male body I had trained with ancient magic had disappeared without a trace. Only a weak female body remained.
“What motivated you to apply for this job?”
Ah.
A good question.
“Money.”
The answer is money.
Whether you’re a hero, noble, or ordinary citizen, you need money to live.
This was a truth that applied even to me, who had luckily come back to life after the final battle with the great mage Mephistopheles.
I needed money.
Not more, not less, but just enough money to live for exactly three years.
“This is the last question. What kind of estate would you like to work at?”
An important question.
“An estate so difficult and harsh that if one of two workers died, no one would notice.”
“What kind of employer do you want?”
“A vicious employer who squeezes their employees dry.”
The interviewer looked at me with the gaze of someone observing a crazy person. But that was only for a very brief moment.
“Thank you for your time. The interview ends here. You’ll be contacted within a week, so please be prepared. And take this book with you.”
Did I pass? Before leaving the office, I took the small book the interviewer handed me.
『The Art of Speaking Gracefully』
When I skimmed the title and looked up, the interviewer’s eyes looking at me were like those of someone watching a rolling golden pig.
‘Why specifically a golden pig?’
I could only get the answer to that question after a week had passed.
At my second workplace in life, where I got a job as a maid.
* * *
The Employment Office contacted me within a day.
The interviewer who called me handed over a slip of paper with an unfamiliar address and added a brief explanation.
“You’re very lucky. It’s rare to find a job in just one day. The place where you’ll work is a manor located in the busy district of this city, and the owner of the estate is the Weatherwax Baroness. The Weatherwax Family is one of the most prestigious and historic families in the Empire. Being able to work for such a family is nothing short of an honor in some ways.”
When I nodded and reached for the slip of paper, the interviewer gripped the paper tightly with her fingertips and said to me.
“I have one request for you. Last at least a week before quitting. If you quit too early, it damages our Employment Office’s reputation too.”
I nodded again, but the interviewer didn’t let go of the slip.
“Didn’t you read the book I gave you yesterday? A maid must be polite. Answer with words, not actions.”
I recalled the book I had used as a pillow when sleeping on a park bench last night.
Of course I hadn’t read it.
“Yeah.”
“Use formal speech.”
“Yes.”
“It would be better if you answered a bit more kindly. Adding ‘I understand’ wouldn’t be bad either. At least as a maid. Try answering again.”
This nitpicky glasses-wearing interviewer.
Though I was annoyed, I knew it was genuine advice. Still, out of unavoidable rebelliousness, I pressed my lips tightly shut for 5 seconds before reluctantly opening them.
“Yes, I understand.”
I dislike speaking at length. Because this voice isn’t familiar to me.
It wasn’t just the voice. The shortened height, softened features, and tender skin were also unfamiliar.
Having lived for 10 years as Andert Pager, as a commander of the Magic Alliance, and as a man, a woman’s body felt like someone else’s.
To the point where it was hard to believe that I had been a woman 14 years ago, it felt like forcibly squeezing my body into an uncomfortable mold.
“Well done. That’s much better.”
But I couldn’t remain estranged from my own body forever.
Now that I’d gotten a job as a maid, it seemed good to slowly get used to it. Very, very, very slowly.
“Go on. I hope this place, Midwintry, becomes your new hometown.”
After leaving the Employment Office, I asked street vendors for directions to find my new workplace.
“Ah, there? That estate is easy to find.”
Perhaps because the place where I’d gotten a job was quite famous, it was very easy to locate.
Really easy.
Right in the middle of a district bustling with people.
The gloomy manor’s appearance, which wouldn’t look out of place being called a haunted mansion, emanated such an overwhelming presence that it was impossible to ignore.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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