Chapter 1

“Catherine. Please check if the Young Lady has coughed.”

“Yes, Susan.”

While I was adjusting my attire in front of the mirror, I reflexively responded to the voice calling me. My long black hair, as dark as the night, contrasted sharply with my blood-red irises and sharp nose. My skin was immaculate, as white as snow. Honestly, my appearance was a bit too beautiful compared to the ordinary nobility, which I wasn’t too fond of.

I walked quietly on the antique wooden floor, remembering how back in the day, just walking on it would produce a creaky sound that would get me scolded. As I reminisced about those times, I made my way down the corridor. A faint sunlight peeking through the morning haze spilled in through the large windows, illuminating me. In my childhood, I would stumble and break my nose in surprise from this light, but now I was too old for such mistakes.

At the end of the corridor, there’s the Young Lady’s Room. Since I entered this mansion, I’ve dedicated fifteen years solely to attending to her.

“Young Lady, have you coughed?”

“…Catherine?”

“Yes, Young Lady. It’s Catherine.”

My tone was stiff, not very maid-like. No matter how hard Susan and the Young Lady tried to correct me, I couldn’t let go of this way of speaking. Even though I wore a maid outfit and had been stripped of my masculinity, I didn’t want to forget that I was ‘a man’ in my past life, so I stubbornly maintained this speech.

“Please come in.”

With her permission, I slowly opened the door and saw the Young Lady half-asleep with her eyes half-closed. Though her eyes were half shut, her silver-white hair glinted in the sunlight coming through the window, and the wall-like beauty peeked through her half-closed eyes. Normally, she would welcome me with sleepy nods, but today she looked oddly cautious as she stared at me.

“Young Lady?”

I tilted my head as I called her, and the Young Lady took a cautious step back. Why was that? It was the first time since that fateful day when she avoided me like that.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I want another maid to wait on me today, can you step aside?”

“…Understood, Young Lady.”

I lightly bowed my head and turned my gaze away from her wary expression.

“Bessie, please attend to the Young Lady.”

“…What?”

“I’m counting on you.”

As I asked Bessie, who stood by the door, for her help, I began to hurry back to my room. I heard the wooden floor creaking beneath my feet, but I paid it no mind and quickened my pace.

The Young Lady doesn’t honor me. She doesn’t look at me like that. She dislikes being served by anyone other than me. Her stride isn’t that big. She drinks water as soon as she gets up. But even though five minutes have passed since she woke up, the water bottle still sloshes around with water.

Then, who are you?

#

Of course, it was the Young Lady. Lilian Beon Portus. The noble daughter of the House of Marquis of Portus, and the one I’ve attended since I was six. That’s why she can’t trust anyone but me. If another maid attempts to serve her, she inevitably gets hurt.

The Young Lady’s cruelty is locked away in the corners of her heart, only to be unleashed when I am gone. When she stands in social gatherings or official venues that I can’t attend, she always displays her cruel side to the fullest. She once poured hot tea on a young noblewoman from another house and kicked the shins of a suitor she didn’t like with all her might.

The Marquis of Portus has no interest in such a Young Lady. The Marchioness of Portus is far too busy meeting young men. After all, there’s a reason a mere maid has been serving the little Young Lady since she was six.

When the Young Lady was six, I was ten. A child raising a child. Looking back, it’s laughable, but at the time, I took it seriously. A ten-year-old was supposed to care for a six-year-old. No matter how much my mind is in my mid-twenties, there are limits to what a child’s body can do.

“Catherine. Susan is calling for you.”

“Yes.”

“By the way, where’s Sally?”

Sally, my roommate and the cleaning maid, came to mind, and I flinched slightly.

“I… I don’t know.”

“…Catherine, you’re still terrible at lying.”

“Uh.”

A chill ran down my spine as I avoided Serin’s scrutinizing gaze and started to quietly sidle towards the door. But Serin, as if sensing my movement, tightly grabbed my arm. Her warmth tickled my skin. Even though I had become a woman, I still had a low immunity to other women, which made me flinch.

“Before you go, you should tell me where you’ve been.”

“Ugh, it’s just….”

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll keep holding onto you.”

With her two hands firmly grabbing my arm, I sighed deeply.

“…Sigh. Sally went to town. I heard she has a date with Brian.”

“What? Brian? The son of Gardener Tom?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

As I nodded, Serin’s eyes grew even wider. Her eyes were already large, and at this point, I worried they might pop out. Of course, that would never happen, but still.

“Well, if it’s a date, there’s nothing to be done. After you finish with Susan, can you come to the laundry room? Unless the Young Lady calls for you, of course.”

“Understood.”

I nodded, and Serin chuckled while she patted my shoulder. Then she passed me and went back to the laundry room.

Realizing my conversation with Serin had dragged on a bit, I hurriedly arrived at the maid’s room and knocked on the door. A voice responded from within.

“Come in.”

“…It seems you recognized me well.”

“There’s no child trained like you other than you.”

“That’s true, but….”

Susan smiled brightly and removed her glasses. With her wavy blonde hair and intelligent green eyes, she looked scholarly with glasses, but without them, her sharp gaze pierced through me.

“The Young Lady’s day to go to the Academy is approaching, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“The maid who will accompany the Young Lady will be you. As you know, the master has no interest in her, and the Marchioness is even less so. And among us, you know the Young Lady best, so… I’m sure the Young Lady will appoint you.”

Well, who knows? I muttered to myself in self-deprecation and nodded. Ultimately, my opinion didn’t carry much weight. Susan decides, and if the Young Lady tells me to do it, I just follow along. After all, I am a maid.

“Is there any problem?”

“No, there’s nothing.”

“…You keep everything bottled up inside. It might be good to let it out a bit and feel relieved.”

“I’m really fine, Susan.”

With my stubborn answer, Susan sighed and put her glasses back on.

“…Sigh. Alright. Departure is three days away, so make sure to get everything in order before then. Also pack the items I told you to.”

“Yes.”

After hearing my honest response, Susan sighed and waved her hand, telling me to go. I bowed to her and left the room. Next, it was off to the laundry room.

Remembering Serin’s request, I headed straight to the laundry room. As I quickly turned the corner, I suddenly bumped into something.

“Ouch.”

“…Young Lady.”

“Catherine?”

Her naive eyes seemed so unlike the Young Lady. Who on earth is this person? I hid the rising doubts in my heart and lightly bowed my waist toward her. Then I asked her.

“Where are you heading?”

“Huh? Just wandering around.”

The Young Lady hates leaving her room.

“By the way, this mansion is really big!”

The Young Lady has often remarked that the capital mansion is bigger than this one, criticizing this mansion as too cramped.

“The flowerbeds are lovely too, aren’t they?”

The Young Lady always loathed the flower beds her mother cherished, even going so far as to say she wanted to burn them all down.

“What am I even saying?”

As I watched her cover her mouth and giggle, I nodded blankly. The Young Lady doesn’t laugh like that. She always smiles in an elegant, restrained manner, typical of nobility.

“…Catherine.”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

I slightly bowed my head as she called me, but I no longer looked at her. My Young Lady was no longer here.

“What do you think about the Demon King?”

“…I don’t know.”

Stumped by her sudden question, that was my hesitation-laden answer. I could have given a more substantial reply, but I didn’t want to engage in more conversation.

“Young Lady, I have work to attend to, so I must be going.”

“Huh? Oh.”

Giving her a light greeting while she stared at me with a dazed expression, I stepped away from her.