10.Beautiful Eyes

(T/N: POV changes to a new character- Mary)

A maid’s routine was always the same unless there’s a special schedule.

After waking up at 5:30 in the morning, they first had to complete simple preparations, have breakfast with the other employees, and help their master wake up.

Once the lord, the lady, and all the family members were awake and vacated their bedrooms, the maid’s morning routine would begin.

As they worked steadily according to their responsibilities such as changing the beddings, arranging the rooms, cleaning the lobby, and preparing the drawing room, it was already close to noon.

During the day when the master finished eating lunch, the maids could also enjoy a heavenly break.

The salaries of the maids working in the mansion were quite generous for a commoner, and the higher the status of the family, the better the treatment was. In addition, such families generally looked for people through connections.

Especially if they were from a prominent family in the Grenferg Empire like Ingord.

“Mary? Your job is the easiest and simplest out of all our tasks. You’ll only do this at first, then I’ll give you extra work when you get used to it. Of course, your salary will go up accordingly.”

“Yes, yes. “

I can’t believe I’m in Ingord!

Holding my pounding chest, I followed Mrs. Colento, the head maid of Ingord, as she went upstairs. The magnificent mansion with a splendid interior was no match to the house of a viscount in the outskirts of the empire.

My mouth was already parched at the sight of all dazzling appearances. I couldn’t believe that the size of wealth could be this different even if they’re of the same nobility.

Can a humble child like me step in here?

“You’re going to work with Susan. She came in four months earlier than you. She’s outgoing and flexible so it’ll be easy to get close. Ask as many questions as you can and learn everything quickly.”

“Yes”

“Oh, and….”

“Susan is in a little different position from us…It’ll be good for you to be at least sensible.”

“A little different position? What do you mean?”

“You’ll find out naturally when you’re together. Well, go and do your work.”

Did she come from a fallen noble family? That’s often the case, but I heard that they would usually work as a lady-in-waiting rather than a maid. Then what’s there to be cautious about? Mrs. Colento’s last words bothered me, so I couldn’t get into the bedroom easily where I promised to help.

Let’s calm down, Mary. So what if she’s from a fallen noble family? We’re both maids now!

I bravely walked into the bedroom. As soon as I entered, I ran to the woman I saw and bowed down.

“Hello! I’m Mary. I’ll be working with you starting today. Nice to meet you!”

It is said there’s nothing more important than the first impression in human relationships. But was it because I greeted her too suddenly and loudly? The answer came one beat late.

“Oh, you’re the one who replaced Reina. Let’s get along, I’m Susan.”

Her voice sounded so soft and gentle that it tickled my ears. In response, I lifted my head, encroaching on my anxiety.

“Yes, yes. Thank you, Susan sunbae.”

(Note: Sunbae is to address a senior, who worked there before her.)

“Sunbae? We don’t use that disgusting title here. Just call me Susan.”

“I–Is that so? It seems difficult to drop the formalities right away…Then I’ll call you sunbae until I get used to it.”

Susan, who smiled as if letting me do whatever I wanted, walked to the side of the bed and turned her back against me.

She was a woman with a little, or rather quite a strange atmosphere, with a strikingly beautiful face. I was a little dazed as she stared at my sunbae’s face who straightened the creases on a summer pillow.

Susan had a pure white skin that was pale enough to not feel any life. If she sat still with her eyes closed, she would look like a corpse.

Hmm. A corpse sounds too frank, so let’s change it to a doll.

A marble sculpture created by a craftsman that one could feel the vitality of life. She was certain that it would be a more plausible description.

The reason for comparing her to a doll was not just because of her cold, inhumane atmosphere.

Her intense red hair greatly contrasted with her skin color, but another reason was her eyes that seemed deprived of life. Her clear green eyes felt like well-polished glass beads.

But Susan’s eyes that I faced while helping her to make the bed…It’s kind of weird to say it’s just green.

“Susan sunbae, I’ve never seen anyone with unique eyes like yours.”

Her eyes under the sunlight were closer to greenish-gray than green. It was strange. The whites around them were not clean and seemed to give a rather marbled look.

With a hazy, quaint hue, it’s like a forest covered in fog. Observing her carefully, the number of times she blinked was significantly less compared to ordinary people.

Is Sunbae a real person? Isn’t she more like a vampire?

“Not like a monster? I can’t make eye contact whenever I look in the mirror because I find it ugly.”

“Monster? Where in the world can you find a monster with such beautiful eyes?”

When I asked back in surprise, sunbae just smiled faintly. Judging that she smiled purely out of courtesy, I seemed to have touched a part she shouldn’t have.

“I wonder how he would react when he hears it.”

Who was the person she was referring to? After the bedding was all organized, Sunbae, who checked the room’s condition as a whole, opened her mouth.

“Mary, do you know the structure of the house? First of all, this is the bedroom of Duke Richton.”

I was surprised at the unexpected fact and stuttered like a fool.

“H-here? I’m sorry. I didn’t even know….”

No wonder it was incredibly antique. The wallpaper, carpet on the floor, chairs, and frames were of the highest quality that one could even die just by looking at them.

In particular, the murals embroidered on the ceiling were delicate and elegant enough that one had to stand and appreciate them for a long time.

It was a scene that could not be found at the mansion where I used to work even after I rinsed my eyes repeatedly.

“His Excellency’s bedroom and office… I’m going to clean them up by myself if possible. In the meantime, you can clean the room on the third floor of the west side with other people. They’re probably less than thirty.”

“Is there a reason? I thought it would be better to familiarize myself with the matters concerning the Duke.”

“Reason? A reason…”

The advantage of working in Ingord’s mansion was that the only master to serve was the Duke. Anyway, a low-level maid like me would not be able to help him directly, but it was very important to pay attention to the master from the perspective of an employee.

Above all, the notoriety of Duke Richton Ingord was even more familiar to me, who grew up in the countryside.

It’s better to deal with it on my own rather than being caught on the wrong side. Unlike Mary who waited nervously, Susan’s reaction after a short thought was cold enough to make my teeth chatter.

“There’s no such thing. It’s simply stubbornness.”

S-Stubbornness?

That’s how she disparaged the Duke…Would Duke Richton, who was notorious throughout the empire, bending his arms inside? Maybe he has a very smooth relationship with the employees of the mansion. Indeed, just maybe.

(Note: Bending his arms inside meant being affectionate to those close to him.)

“D–do you have any other advice?”

Susan, who fixed the tilted table clock last, looked back at her bluntly.

“Mary, are you a spy?”

Spy? She tried to say no, but her throat was blocked perhaps because of fear. Susan, who was looking at her face, shook her head little.

“As long as you’re not. You’ll be able to live here.”

“S-s-sp-spy. N,-no,”

“I’m glad then.”

I was really not. Maybe because I was parachuted through Mrs. Colento that I received that kind of suspicion. I thought my first impression was the worst, so I left the bedroom sullenly as if I was half-kicked out.

(Note: Parachute meaning someone being appointed to a job through a high-ranking official.)

Fortunately, the work in the mansion was much easier than I thought. After learning about the house’s structure and cleaning routine from Susan, I went down to the first floor for lunch.

I tried to pretend to be close by tearing the bread, but Sunbae did not join for a meal, saying she had something to see. Looking at the responses of other employees, she seemed to skip meals frequently.

“Ingord is the noblest of the nobles. Even the knights are all good-looking.”

Tall young people were busy chatting over the wide window next to the table. They were not wearing their armors, but the solid appearance and atmosphere alone seemed clear that they were knights.

“Well, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

Among them, a man, who stood out particularly, was a knight with a more vivid impression and brighter red hair than Susan. He looked like an antique piece of marble.

“Who is that guy?”

“That guy?”

“That guy, the tall knight with red hair.”

Mrs. Colento, who turned her head towards the window, narrowed her eyes.

“Oh, you mean Sir Kean. As you know, His Excellency is the commander who leads Ingord’s Knights of the Black Hawks …Sir Kean is the Deputy commander.”

“What? He looks ridiculously young. Is that possible?”

“Well, he certainly has the ability. Yes, ability.”

I felt like no matter who heard it, there was only ability. He was capable enough to become the Deputy commander at a young age.

He was also tall and had a handsome appearance that everyone would envy. As she stared blankly at Sir Kean, the maid who approached the side burst into laughter.

“He looks like that, but he drops people’s heads like an apple. You’d better not get too close. Or are you more attracted to young dangerous men?”

Perhaps because it was such an unrealistic explanation, I didn’t feel bad about it. He had an impression that didn’t feel violent for such a poor evaluation.

Soon after, Susan appeared in the garden. She was holding a bucket of wastewater in both hands, and somehow, the atmosphere was fierce.

‘Did you clean the other room by yourself?’

Sunbae, who talked to Sir Kean, looked quite unhappy throughout the conversation. Then, as if something didn’t go well, she poured the bucket of water straight down into Sir Kean.

…Water?

“Oh my.”