Chapter 2
That day, just past noon.
Needless to say, we were sued by the baron for assault and intimidation.
Damn it. I hadn’t even finished hanging up the laundry yet!
“Weatherwoods family maid Daisy. And the lady behind you is the head maid of this estate, correct?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Officer Thomas. Please come with me for a moment, both of you.”
The Head Maid and I were each called into separate interrogation rooms. Or more precisely, the Head Maid only answered a few questions from the officer, while I was the one dragged into the interrogation room.
In the room I was taken to, a man who wasn’t an officer was sitting there.
The man, who had created an intensely heavy atmosphere, rifled through some documents before finally speaking.
“Nice to meet you, Daisy Farger. I’ll get straight to the point. We’ve found something unusual about your identity. It might be unpleasant, but we have to address this matter.”
I could feel him probing my reaction with his sharp gaze. I shrugged to show I didn’t care.
“First off, when were you hired at this mansion?”
“Ten days ago.”
“What were you doing before you came to this city?”
But I soon had to shut my mouth.
This question was a hassle. The reason was simple. Answering properly would make the story way too long.
I am a maid, Daisy. But before I became a maid, I had a different name.
Anderter the Emperor’s Sword.
One of the heroes of that chaotic era who stood at the vanguard of the ten-year Mado War, safeguarding the fate of humanity.
That was me.
* * *
Ten days ago, at the city’s labor office.
“Next interviewee.”
I quietly raised my hand, and a stern-looking woman with silver-rimmed glasses glanced at me.
“Come in.”
I followed her into the office and sat down on the simple iron chair in front of the desk. As if on cue, the door closed behind me.
In front of me sat a woman with an even sterner impression than the secretary who had guided me, quickly flipping through documents.
Her face, sipping coffee, showed signs of exhaustion from the endless interviews.
I looked down at the number pinned to my chest.
‘Interviewee 38.’
A number plenty exhausting enough.
“Nice to meet you. You’re quite the beauty.”
The interviewer, who had scrutinized me from head to toe, spoke first.
“What’s your name?”
A good question.
“Daisy Farger.”
My real name is Anderter Farger.
To hide that name, I chose a pseudonym that anyone would immediately associate with a maid.
I guarantee there are over a thousand maids in this world named Daisy.
Daisy was the perfect mask to lead me into the harsh world of labor. No matter how seasoned an interviewer is in hiring servants, familiarity is their weakness.
“You share a surname with a hero of the Mado War. Even if it’s a common one found everywhere. What about your family?”
A good question.
“One younger brother.”
My younger brother died long ago defending our hometown.
His name was Anderter Farger.
Using ancient magic, I had transformed my original female body into a male one and lived for years under my brother’s name.
The name my parents gave me had been discarded long ago. Truly long ago. Long enough that I no longer missed it.
“And your hometown?”
Another good question.
My younger brother and my hometown was Queen Island, now an island of misfortune where no one can live.
Queen Island, at the southernmost tip of the Imperial Southern Archipelago, had literally turned into a sea of flames one day. The empire sent troops multiple times, but it was no use.
The culprit was the great mage Mephisto, who massacred tens of thousands of humans to gain immortality.
In that moment, the great mage Mephisto became humanity’s archenemy.
To exterminate this vile murderer, thirteen nations, led by the empire, united to form the <Mado Alliance>.
The Mado Alliance emerged victorious after a ten-year war, but the damage was immense.
Four years after the war’s end. Now the world was shaking off the pains of the past, stretching toward a future brimming with new life.
Even so, my burned hometown wouldn’t come back.
“And your height?”
“170.”
“Quite tall for a woman. It’ll definitely be an advantage in the job you’re applying for.”
Good praise.
“Almost done. Just a few questions left. You have no prior experience as a maid—what have you been doing until now?”
An even better question.
“Unemployed.”
I was one of the commanders of the Mado Alliance.
And I roamed the battlefields alongside Raphaelo, the hero summoned by the chaos of the era.
“I can’t entrust my back to anyone but you, Anderter. You’re the only one I can trust. It might sound ridiculous, but sometimes I think that if I had a lost brother, it would be you.”
Raphaelo, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, was the hope of the Mado Alliance and the savior of humanity.
We repelled all enemies, gathered precious allies, and advanced step by step.
Until finally, we returned to my hometown, which had become the stronghold of the great mage Mephisto…
But at that end, the final fate given to me was death.
“Damn it, can’t you let go of my hand? Wait! Stop right now, Anderter! You can’t die! I won’t let you die like this! Come back right now, Anderter Farger!”
Yes, I had definitely died.
I stepped into the enemy lines alone, thinking it was my noble sacrifice for humanity.
‘So why did I come back to life?’
After a full four years had passed.
Even the male body I had tempered with ancient magic was gone without a trace. Only the frail female body remained.
“What made you apply for this job?”
Ah.
A good question.
“Money.”
The answer is money.
Hero, noble, commoner—whatever, everyone needs money to live.
This truth applied even to me, who had miraculously come back to life after the final battle with the great mage Mephisto.
I needed money.
Not too much, not too little—just enough to live for three years.
“Last question. What kind of mansion would you like to work in?”
An important question.
“One so grueling and nasty that if two work and one dies, no one would notice.”
“What kind of employer do you want?”
“A vicious one who squeezes their servants dry.”
The interviewer looked at me like I was some crazy bitch. But only for a moment.
“You did well. The interview ends here. You’ll hear from us within a week, so prepare yourself. And take this book with you.”
Passed? Before leaving the office, I took the small book the interviewer handed me.
『The Art of Speaking Politely』
When I glanced at the title and looked up, the interviewer’s eyes were gleaming like she was eyeing a golden piggy bank.
‘Why a golden pig of all things?’
I wouldn’t get the answer to that question until a week later.
At the second job of my life, where I became a maid.
* * *
The labor office contacted me just one day later.
The interviewer who called me handed me a note with an unfamiliar address and added a brief explanation.
“You’re extremely lucky. It’s rare to find a job in just one day. The place you’ll be working is a grand mansion in the bustling heart of this city, owned by Viscount Weatherwoods. The Weatherwoods family is one of the empire’s most esteemed houses. Working for such a family is an honor in its own way.”
I nodded and reached for the note, but the interviewer gripped it tightly with her fingertips and said to me.
“I have one piece of advice for you. At least hold out for a week before quitting. If you quit too soon, it damages our labor office’s reputation.”
I nodded again, but she still didn’t let go of the note.
“Didn’t you read the book I gave you yesterday? Maids must be courteous. Answer with words, not just actions.”
I recalled the book I’d used as a pillow while sleeping on a park bench the night before.
Of course I hadn’t read it.
“Yeah.”
“With respect, please.”
“Yes.”
“It would be better to answer a bit more kindly. Adding ‘Understood’ wouldn’t hurt either. At least as a maid. Try again.”
This stern glasses-wearing interviewer.
I was annoyed, but I knew it was sincere advice. Still, unable to suppress my rebellious streak, I pressed my lips together tightly for five seconds before forcing them open.
“Yes, understood.”
I hate speaking at length. Because this voice wasn’t familiar to me.
It wasn’t just the voice. My reduced height, softened features, and smooth skin all felt unfamiliar.
To me, who had lived for ten years as Anderter Farger, as a commander of the Mado Alliance, and as a man, this female body felt like it belonged to someone else.
It was hard to believe I’d been a woman fourteen years ago—like forcing my body into an ill-fitting mold.
“You did well. Much better.”
But I couldn’t keep being at odds with my own body forever.
Since I’d taken the maid job, it might be good to get used to it slowly. Very, very slowly.
“Go on. I hope Midwintree becomes your new hometown.”
After leaving the labor office, I asked street vendors for directions and found my new workplace.
“Ah, that place? That mansion’s easy to find.”
It was so famous that it was a breeze to locate.
Truly a breeze.
In the middle of the crowded bustling district.
The mansion’s gloomy grandeur, worthy of being called a ghost mansion, exuded an overwhelming presence impossible to ignore.
