Try not to stand out as much as possible.

At 4 AM, it was still dark outside with no sign of dawn.

The guest house on the west side of the mansion was also enormous in scale.

Amidst the maids scattered under the housekeeper’s command, decorating the banquet hall, I firmly resolved to myself.

‘Live quietly, just quietly.’

“Heidi! Come help hold this!”

Marie, who was hanging ribbon decorations on the terrace, called for me desperately.

As I held the ribbon to keep it from dragging on the floor, Marie opened her mouth while examining my complexion.

“Though days with banquets are tough, it’s nice that we get to eat lots of delicious food. Cheer up.”

Marie warmly comforted me, probably thinking I was unusually quiet because I woke up so early today.

‘That’s not it, Marie…’

I’ve learned that talking too much causes problems…

If Marie knew who I’d met and what nonsense I’d spouted in the past few days, she’d be shocked silly.

“We’ll get to eat lots of delicious food in the evening.”

“Are you going to take some food with you today too?”

“Well, I’d like to, but I think it would spoil if I left it in the dorm. I’ll just eat it myself.”

Marie smiled brightly, saying ‘I should have days where I get to enjoy tasty food alone too,’ as she dusted off her hands, looking at the completed decorations.

“Great. We’re in the final stages now!”

The banquet preparations were only finished around noon.

As soon as that was done, I crouched down next to the thick grass beside the garden terrace, avoiding the housekeeper who was trying to assign more work.

“Heidi! Heidi! Where has that girl gone?”

Seriously, what kind of mansion is this to have so much work?

Moreover, whatever Dietrich had said to the housekeeper, she believed my abilities were truly extraordinary.

Thanks to that, she kept looking for me at every turn, which was absolutely miserable.

“Phew, so tiring.”

Still, this patch of grass was perfect for hiding.

Not much sunlight penetrated here, so it wasn’t too hot or too cold.

Just as I was about to catch my breath.

Rustle.

A rustling sound came from right next to the grass where I was hiding.

‘What’s that? Could it be a mouse?’

I hated mice more than anything in the world.

Anxiously wondering if it might be a mouse, I gently tapped the grass next to me.

“…Young Master Yurian?”

The golden hair visible through the thick grass was familiar to me.

I gaped at Yurian crouching under the grass, arms full of books.

As I stared at him in surprise, a look of dismay crossed the child’s face.

“…Please be quiet. I’m just hiding for a moment.”

His whispered breath trembled slightly as he pleaded.

Though I didn’t know why, it seemed Yurian was hiding from someone.

And it wasn’t long before I found out who.

“Young Master Yurian! Young Master Yurian, where are you?”

In the distance, through the garden, a stern-looking woman with silver-rimmed glasses and her hair tied up in a high bun was searching for Yurian.

In her arms were a cane and books.

I looked back and forth between the woman and Yurian, realizing what the situation was.

“Did you run away because you don’t want to study?”

As if I had hit the nail on the head, Yurian glared at me sharply.

It was as if he was saying ‘How dare you speak to me like that?’, but because his features were so cute, it wasn’t scary at all.

“I didn’t run away. I was just trying to rest for a bit, but she keeps making me study…”

“I thought we agreed to call that running away.”

“I really don’t like you.”

Though this was only our second meeting, Yurian seemed to have taken quite a liking to me.

Even after saying he didn’t like me, he didn’t dole out any particular punishment.

I smiled broadly, bringing my hand to my mouth.

“Alright. Shh, it’ll be our secret, okay?”

Perhaps surprised that I would keep his secret, Yurian’s teal eyes settled calmly.

The child seemed to have assumed I would naturally tell on him.

“Why? Why aren’t you telling my mother? If you told her where I was and what I was doing, you could quickly gain her trust. Becoming a trusted maid in the Delgado mansion is a very good thing.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

Now I understood.

Yurian felt he had no one on his side in the Delgado mansion.

It made sense, as ordinary maids wouldn’t think to take Yurian’s side in order to curry favor with the Duchess, the real power in the Delgado mansion.

Reporting Yurian’s every move and action would be more valuable.

However, I was no ordinary maid.

I was a maid who knew the original story, mind you!

I shrugged my shoulders lightly and whispered in Yurian’s ear.

“Well, I’m not inclined to tattle to the madam.”

“…I don’t understand.”

“Sometimes there are things we don’t understand. And I don’t want to be a maid favored by the madam. I just want to be a free maid.”

I want to be someone who can make my own decisions, not someone who is favored by others.

At those words, Yurian’s pupils widened slightly before shrinking again.

After silently observing me, Yurian casually remarked.

“You’re strange.”

“That’s right. It’s my charm.”

Perhaps we were too engrossed in our conversation.

Yurian and I didn’t realize our voices were gradually getting louder.

By the time we noticed the tutor approaching, having heard our voices leaking through the grass, it was already too late.

Yurian, who had noticed the tutor’s footsteps, muttered with a pale face.

“Oh no. She must have heard us talking. I’m going to get beaten.”

Startled by the mention of getting beaten by the tutor, I looked at the child to see Yurian trembling.

Just as the tutor was about to part the grass with a rustling sound.

Yurian squeezed his eyes shut. At the same time, I jumped to my feet.

“…You, what are you doing?”

I stretched my maid’s uniform to the sides as much as possible, tapping Yurian hidden behind me with my foot to signal him.

I wonder if he understood my signal to ‘Run away.’

After hesitating for a moment, I felt Yurian slip away through the back of the grass with a rustling sound.

‘Thankfully it’s not very bright here.’

Fortunately, the tutor didn’t seem to notice Yurian escaping behind me.

She just looked dumbfounded at the sight of an impudent maid hiding in the grass.

“Are you slacking off right now?”

The tutor, who wasn’t even my employer, glared at me with her arms crossed.

“What an ill-mannered maid. I’ll have to speak to the head maid about this.”

Then she raised her chin haughtily as if she were the mistress of the mansion.

It was an infuriatingly arrogant attitude, but I needed to buy time until Yurian was completely gone.

I’m not sure why I’m acting this way myself.

‘Still, I can’t just abandon a child trembling in fear.’

I bit my lip hard as I looked at the long cane visible in the tutor’s arms.

I might just get a scolding from the head maid, but Yurian would likely be beaten until his calves were bruised if he went back.

“I’m sorry. I was just resting for a moment because I was so tired…”

“Hmph, you’ve only delayed the time it takes to find the young master. Get out of my way.”

I stood there blankly until the tutor, who had turned away primly, disappeared from view.

And after she was completely gone, I hurriedly looked back.

The spot where Yurian had been crouching was empty.

It seemed he had managed to slip away safely.

I left the grass with relief, heading back to the mansion.

The tutor was still circling the garden, looking for Yurian.

‘Yurian, hide somewhere no one can find you!’

Hoping that nasty tutor would spend all day searching fruitlessly for Yurian, I returned to the mansion.

Perhaps because the tutor had tattled to the head maid that day, I had to work overtime until late.

“Heidi. Just hang in there a little longer.”

With Marie’s farewell as she headed to the dormitory first, I was left alone to sweep and mop the corridor.

It was already dark outside, and night had fallen on the quiet mansion.

The lamps lit in each corridor were shining brightly, but the empty hallways were desolate.

I cleaned the corridor as perfunctorily as possible.

Though there wasn’t much left to tidy after cleaning all day, I couldn’t voice any complaints since I was being punished.

Having woken up early, my eyelids were growing heavy and drowsiness was overtaking me.

I swayed unsteadily holding the broom, dozing off several times.

Thump, thump, thump.

The sound of someone’s light footsteps approaching could be heard, but I had no energy to pay attention.

The sound soon disappeared.

Dong, dong, dong.

‘Finally finished!’

Only when the clock struck midnight did the cleaning come to an end.

As I was tidying my appearance to return to the dormitory after finishing the corridor cleaning all alone.

“Huh?”

There was a note stuck to the ornamental cabinet right next to the corridor stairs where I had been standing.

Puzzled by the note that hadn’t been there before, I approached it curiously.

Neat, adorable handwriting was scrawled on the white note.

A small smile floated onto my face as I carefully examined the note.

It was such an adorable note that instantly washed away all the weariness of the day.