“What is so important?”

I suddenly asked without realizing. I didn’t do anything yesterday.

I just patted her head a bit as instructed and stayed by her side until she fell asleep, that’s all.

“You think I’d tell you that?”

Felix’s warning-like voice made me unconsciously shrink back.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not that bad.”

I was the one who was taken aback by his additional words. He was usually the type to coldly dismiss things.

“My lord?”

Even Ianathas seemed confused, looking at Felix with a strange expression. Felix frowned and sighed in response.

“Did you see that woman, Reniel? Tell me everything.”

Does he really not remember? Or is he testing me? But if I reveal it was a woman here, I’ll end up worse than Head Maid Mariben.

“Reniel’s movements in the corridor and the time that woman fled from this room are suspiciously similar.”

Ianathas added those words.

Not knowing what I was supposed to have stolen, I shook my head and said:

“The only person I saw was Sir Ianathas. He escorted me to my room yesterday, remember?”

At those words, Felix stared at me with a strange expression. He clearly still hadn’t let go of his suspicions.

My palms were clammy, probably from cold sweat.

I forced a smile and looked Felix straight in the eye.

But he clearly said he didn’t remember anything about last night! He said he thought it was a dream because of the sleeping pills!

“What if there’s even the slightest lie in what you just said?”

“Why would I lie?”

At those words, Felix’s expression seemed to soften a little.

“Reniel, who do you belong to?”

I didn’t know why such a question came up, but there was a set answer for times like this.

“I belong to you, master.”

“Really?”

“Of course. My liver and gall are all yours, master!”

Saying that, I could clearly see Felix’s suspicious gaze softening.

Ianathas also seemed relieved by my answer, smiling with his eyes like a fox and staying quiet.

“From now on, you’ll be in charge of my room.”

“Yes, master.”

And so I became solely responsible for Felix’s room.

****

My salary increased.

It naturally went up, perhaps because all the head maids and deputy maids disappeared, or because I was put in charge of managing the duke’s room.

The head maid position was still vacant, and I became the deputy head maid. My salary increased fivefold.

And Felix really seemed to not remember that incident accurately and thought it was a dream.

“Hmm hmm hmm. Mm. Hmm.”

So I was in a very good mood. I was going to run away anyway. Until then, I had to save up my salary to the very last penny.

By the time Felix recalls something, I will have become a dead person.

“You’re noisy.”

“Ah! Master! When did you arrive!”

I was humming to myself while cleaning the room, so I didn’t notice Felix entering.

“Do I need to inform you when I’m coming?”

“No! Usually the knights let me know. So I can go greet you at the main entrance!”

“What good would someone like you do greeting me?”

“I need to take your clothes, of course. While you climb the stairs, I take your clothes and hear your schedule. Now that I’m the deputy head maid, I think I should do well from the start so that you’re not inconvenienced!”

That’s how it was supposed to be originally. But for some reason, the knights didn’t report anything to me when he passed through the main gate, so I ended up encountering Felix while cleaning the room.

Actually… the reason the knights didn’t inform me was obvious. Felix probably came to observe without telling me, to test me.

Seeing him reveal himself now, it seemed the test was over.

Anyway, all I did during the two hours I’ve been in this room was hum songs and clean.

“Would you like to see the bed sheets? Aren’t I better than the previous head maid?”

I showed Felix the sheets I had folded on the bed.

I had made the corners of the bed so neat, it was as if the bed had been carved and sliced with a knife.

Felix, who had OCD, had the bed made up in black, and I had managed those black sheets so neatly that I was very satisfied even after I finished.

“I also straightened out the canopy curtains and creased them. All the crease intervals are uniform!”

He then looked indifferently at the canopy curtains I was pointing to with my hand.

“Oh, and I also cleaned the ceiling above the canopy. Look!”

The ceiling that you see right when you lie down was pitch black.

When the black curtains were drawn in his room, it was filled with nothing but darkness, to the point where there wasn’t a single spot of light anywhere.

“I also took out all the whiskey from the cabinet and cleaned it. The whiskey was a bit out of order, so I classified it by year and separately by alcohol content.”

“You did something I didn’t ask for.”

Even as he said that, he checked the whiskey I had put in the cabinet with his eyes. Judging by his gradually relaxing expression, he didn’t seem to mind.

“And also…”

“That’s enough. I don’t know why you’re acting like a dog waiting for its owner.”

When he clicked his tongue and said that, words spilled out of my mouth without me realizing.

“That’s right. Would you be uncomfortable with that?”

I said that honestly because it was true that I had been waiting. Above all, I had to get along well with Felix for a while.

There was no reason not to wait when he had raised my salary and entrusted me with work. Moreover, he was an employer who promised me the best work-life balance.

Of course, I would run away before the original story really begins, but until then, he was truly the most satisfactory master.

“…What?”

“How long do you think I waited for you while cleaning this place? I cleaned hard hoping you would be pleased. Didn’t I clean better than Head Maid Mariben?”

“What, should I praise you or something?”

“Hehe, yes.”

I didn’t expect praise, but I said that thinking it would be gratifying to receive praise from him, who was clear about rewards and punishments.

Then his expression subtly distorted and he sighed.

“…Just get out.”

“Are you going to change clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll help you.”

“Why you?”

“Well, I’m the deputy head maid and your person.”

He frowned again at my words, as if agonizing.

“I’ve never let anyone change my clothes.”

“You’re joking, right? I’ve never heard of a noble changing clothes alone.”

I quickly headed to the wardrobe he had been eyeing. Then I opened it.

It was filled with nothing but black clothes, always awe-inspiring. The only colors allowed in his clothes were red and gold.

“Where are you going?”

“Business site.”

Then he would wear a neat and simple but appropriate suit.

I immediately prepared a black shirt and pants. And for the outer coat, I picked one that was moderately fancy with noticeable gold epaulettes.

“Master, when the tailor’s staff comes next time, can I order one with silver epaulettes instead of gold?”

“Why?”

“I think silver would suit you well too. What do you think?”

“…Do as you please.”

I was looking at his strangely softened appearance when our eyes met. When I reflexively smiled, he frowned with a strange expression.

“That’s enough with the clothes. Get out.”

“But I should help you…”

“From tomorrow. I’m tired today.”

“Yes, master.”

So I had to leave the room as if being chased out.

Felix looked at me leaving the room reluctantly as if looking at a strange animal, then quickly averted his gaze.

****

“Ugh…”

I came to the secret room with a first aid kit and food at dawn.

“Oh no.”

Judging by Thanasis’s appearance, it was clear that Felix had come and gone in the meantime.

Thanasis’s appearance today was much more miserable than the first day I came.

When I turned on the light, what I saw were bruises all over his face, traces of what was clearly a nosebleed, and split lips.

“The master came and went, didn’t he?”

Thanasis raised his head at those words.

The muzzle seemed to have been broken or burned, lying scattered on the floor with traces that looked like it had been burned.

“Get lost.”

He glared at me saying that. Black blood was caked on Thanasis’s silver hair.

“You won’t kill me, right?”

“The dog and its owner are both equally insane.”

“Am I a dog? Then what kind of dog would I be? A Chihuahua?”

My voice trembled, but I joked because Thanasis didn’t seem to have the strength to kill me.

“You speak well while trembling.”

Of course, he couldn’t fail to notice even the slightest tremor.

Thinking I should feed him first, I approached Thanasis, who was tied and fixed to the wall, holding the tray.

Looking at his abdomen, it seemed Felix didn’t intend to kill him yet, as the wound was sutured.

However, it looked a bit creepy, as if it had been stitched up roughly and messily.

“You need to eat.”

Then Thanasis stared at me blankly.

“You…”

As he was about to say something, I opened the lid. The smell of food filled the room enough to be fragrant.

That was natural. There were foods I had specially requested from the cook placed here.

I brought only delicious and fragrant foods that Thanasis wouldn’t be able to refuse no matter how firm he was.

Then I picked up a piece of bacon and met his eyes.

“Why does it smell so sweet?”

“Do you like pork? That’s fortunate. Actually, I was a bit worried you might like beef because you have refined tastes. I’ve only eaten beef a few times in my life.”

Saying that, I tried to hand him the piece of bacon with relief.

Then Thanasis frowned and bit my wrist holding the fork.

“Eek!”

I screamed and trembled without realizing.

Thanasis looked at me with a blank expression and said, as if expecting to touch me once more:

“Touch me instead of the food. It hurts less every time you touch me.”