Unlike my worries about whether Nocturne had heard what I said, the banquet ended very well.

Nocturne left without any suspicion, and the banquet concluded without any particular issues.

The problem came afterwards.

After the banquet ends, an endless cleaning hell unfolds from the next day.

How did I know?

I didn’t really want to know either.

The end of each day was always accompanied by swollen calves.

Today too, I was dragging my swollen legs and munching on raisin bread I received for dinner while moving to the maid’s quarters.

The path to the quarters, slipping out from the back of the mansion, was perfect for eating snacks while walking as it offered a good view of the sunset.

Walking in the refreshing evening breeze tickling my cheeks, I felt much better.

“Hmm, I’ll go to sleep as soon as I get there today!”

Just thinking about washing my feet and going to sleep as soon as I returned to the quarters made me feel like the fatigue from the tiring day was already fading away.

Just as I was about to arrive at the quarters while humming a tune.

“Heidi.”

At the low, slow voice, I slowly turned my head to see Dietrich, whom I hadn’t seen since the end of the banquet, leaning crookedly against the wall of the quarters.

“No, what are you doing there…”

I was about to ask what he was doing, but I stopped abruptly.

Come to think of it, there was nowhere in this mansion that Dietrich couldn’t go.

Still, isn’t it a bit strange to see the young master of the duke’s family standing at the maid’s quarters?

Fearing someone might see, I hastily grabbed his arm.

It took quite a bit of strength to drag his much larger frame.

Only after confirming that we were far from the quarters did I realize I had been holding his wrist for a long time.

After letting go of his hand as if throwing it away, I realized he had followed along quite docilely.

Did the sun rise in the west today?

Or perhaps the person I dragged along wasn’t Dietrich?

Hurriedly checking his face, it was indeed Dietrich, so beautiful it could blind you.

“What are you staring at so intently?”

“Just checking if it’s really you.”

Dietrich ran his hand over his face at the staring gaze.

It seemed like he was checking if there was any dust on it.

“I’m fine. Handsome.”

“…You, don’t say that.”

“Huh? Say what?”

“That handsome stuff.”

What’s he talking about?

I tilted my head with my hands on my hips, not understanding.

“Why? If someone’s handsome, you call them handsome, what else would you say?”

Isn’t it funny to call a handsome person ugly?

“I can’t lie.”

His ears seemed to be slightly red as he turned his head away sharply.

Of course, there was a very high possibility that it was my imagination.

After all, Dietrich wasn’t someone who showed interest in people other than swords until he met the female lead.

“…Anyway, follow me for a bit.”

I stood there shaking my head at the order to follow without even revealing the destination.

That was only natural.

I was off work!

My legs were already so swollen that I desperately wanted to rest in the quarters.

“No.”

“No?”

His well-defined eyes narrowed in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected me to refuse.

“I’m tired.”

“What?”

“Being a maid isn’t easy. It’s too exhausting.”

It wasn’t an excuse, but the truth.

It required great stamina to do menial work nonstop from early morning till late at night.

After work ended, everything from my waist to my toes ached.

I patted my arms and showed him my callused hands.

His eyes widened slightly as he looked at my hands, red and swollen from scrubbing all day.

“See? Looks tough, doesn’t it?”

I expected Dietrich to reply gruffly, saying what did my exhaustion have to do with him, but he was strangely silent.

After staring at my hands for a long while, he slowly spoke.

“Then become my lady’s maid.”

“…What?”

Although his slow and leisurely voice wasn’t hard to understand, it was difficult to believe what I heard.

I rubbed my ears and examined his expression.

Could it be that the person in front of me wasn’t Dietrich?

But that’s not it. Only Dietrich could be this handsome yet so unlikable.

“Can you do something about that expression that says you don’t understand and find this ridiculous?”

“Was it obvious?”

“So, are you going to do it or not?”

Honestly, it was an appealing offer.

In this strictly hierarchical society, the difference between a lady’s maid and a regular maid was enormous.

Unlike maids who did all sorts of menial tasks and chores in the mansion, a lady’s maid was a higher-level job that attended to nobles.

However, I was curious why he suddenly made this proposal.

“I’d love to, but why so suddenly?”

It didn’t make sense for a commoner with unclear status like me to become a lady’s maid.

“Forget it if you don’t want to.”

I take back what I said about him being less gruff than usual.

As he tried to leave without even looking back after making the proposal himself, I grabbed his arm firmly and persistently pressed on.

“Why? Didn’t you say you don’t use lady’s maids? So why are you trying to make me your lady’s maid?”

“Don’t be so annoying.”

“You came to me first!”

Finally stopping due to my persistence, he hesitated before speaking with a sigh.

“…said.”

“What? I couldn’t hear clearly.”

“…I said you said it was hard. And I sometimes need it too.”

“Heard what? What do you need?”

Seemingly frustrated that I couldn’t understand at once, he removed my hand from his wrist and exclaimed irritably.

“Ah, you just said it was hard! And I think I might need your help too!”

For the first time, his voice, which always dripped with coldness enough to give chills, raised loudly.

Although it was a shout mixed with irritation, why did it feel lively, I wonder.

I tilted my head with a dumb expression.

“My help?”

As if he had never uttered the word ‘help’ in his life, he clicked his tongue awkwardly, “Tsk.”

It was awkward for me too.

Help, he says.

‘Could it be because of what I said at the banquet hall?’

Could it be that Dietrich hadn’t forgotten the small comfort I offered him on the night of the banquet when he looked so lonely?

To me, who only knew Dietrich’s personality as it appeared in the original work, his embarrassed appearance was unfamiliar.

And, it was new.

I fell into a daze, thinking.

‘A lady’s maid? If I become one, it would be a bit easier.’

I didn’t know for sure, but it seemed like it would be better than what the maids do.

‘But…’

I was concerned about the unfavorable gazes that would pour down if I became Dietrich’s lady’s maid.

This wasn’t simply because I was afraid of being disliked.

The only way for me, who had no particular connections, to become a lady’s maid was through Dietrich.

In other words, nepotism.

No one would look kindly upon me, who had risen from a maid to a lady’s maid by seducing one young master.

And this was absolutely not good for Dietrich either.

Even if I was a cherished maid, in this strictly hierarchical society, using his power to make me a lady’s maid would obviously be fatal to his reputation.

I looked at him, who was still turning his head away and avoiding eye contact, and said.

“No. I won’t do it.”

“…Why won’t you do it?”

He had an expression of genuine incomprehension.

Thinking I was throwing away a good opportunity, he emphasized once again.

“I’m offering to make you a lady’s maid.”

“Yes, I know. You’re offering to elevate my status from a maid to a lady’s maid.”

“Then why are you refusing? Are you stupid?”

I’m not stupid.

Of course, I want to do easier work too.

But thinking about the aftermath that would occur if I agreed to become a lady’s maid, I felt like doing so would indeed be a stupid thing.

“I’m not stupid.”

“Then be a lady’s maid.”

“No.”

A hellish back-and-forth began.

As if competing to see who was more stubborn, we repeated ‘do it’ and ‘no’ until we both finally got tired.

“This is exasperating. Why are you so stubborn?”

“What about you? Won’t you even try to listen to what I’m saying? I’m telling you there’s a reason I won’t do it.”

I shouted at Dietrich, who was glaring at me with an expression of weariness.

“Ah, if I become your lady’s maid, it’ll cause trouble for you!”

“…What?”

“If I, who has no connections, become a lady’s maid thanks to you, your already bad reputation will get even worse. Everyone will feel wronged and find it ridiculous that the ice-cold young master, who never showed a shred of humanity, made his favored maid into a lady’s maid. They’ll say it’s discrimination.”

“I don’t understand.”

Though he said he didn’t understand, his expression was hard to describe, mixed with a strange emotion. I unconsciously took a step back.

“What? Are you angry because I said I won’t be a lady’s maid?”

I blurted out nonsense, my ears inexplicably heating up.

Normally, he should have responded with a condescending voice saying, ‘Why are you asking such an obvious question?’

When it started to feel uncomfortable, he slowly asked.

“Do you dislike the idea of me being troubled?”

What is he saying now?

It was such an absurd question that I immediately retorted.

“Of course! Is there anyone who likes seeing people get into trouble?”

“What does it matter to you whether I’m treated like a bad person or not?”

His personality is thoroughly twisted.

He frowned as if he didn’t like even being cared about, his expression quite skewed.

“It’s because you’re not originally that bad of a person!”

“Are you serious? You thought I was nasty.”

Dietrich was better at self-awareness than he appeared.

Feeling like my inner thoughts had been completely exposed, I awkwardly scratched the back of my head. He let out a small chuckle.

I had no idea which part had caused his laughter.

I mumbled in a voice so small it was as if I was shrinking away.

“I didn’t always think that…”

“Anyway, what you’re saying is that if I, who’s already selfish and cold-blooded, arbitrarily raise someone’s status, everyone will think even worse of me, right?”

“Exactly. That’s why I’m declining the lady’s maid offer.”

After firmly refusing, I felt relieved.

I don’t know what exactly a lady’s maid does, but I’m getting used to the maid’s work, so it should be fine to continue as a maid.

“Alright, then go and rest.”

Nodding in understanding, he coolly turned around.

His back, disappearing quickly with large strides as if telling me not to speak to him, somehow looked like he was in a good mood.

‘What a strange person.’

Did he come all the way here just to ask if I wanted to be a lady’s maid?

As I returned to the maid’s quarters, I prayed to the darkened sky.

Praying that I wouldn’t regret today’s choice.