Chapter 3

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Kerry, a maid of the Hybel family, was born and raised in one of the poorest and most crime-ridden areas of the Grandia Kingdom until she was six years old.

At that time, the lives of the people were in chaos due to the local lord's tyranny, who deceived the royal family and the government and imposed harsh policies, making every day a struggle to survive.

With their crops and other food supplies taken as exorbitant taxes, people began to steal from others and passing merchants, and even sell their own children when necessary.

In such a town, Kerry endured the abuse of her violent parents. Her father, who took the food she needed during her growing years and ate it right in front of her to satisfy his sadistic desires, and her mother, who would lash out violently at her own daughter at the slightest provocation.

When people lack food and clothing, they forget about manners. Kerry, in her childhood, was covered in bruises and was so emaciated that her ribs were visible, a pitiful sight.

However, heaven did not abandon her. As the saying goes, ill-gotten gains do not last, and the lord's tyranny finally reached the government. His family was judged by the kingdom's law, and a new lord was appointed.

Still, reforms take time. Even with a new lord, Kerry's physical condition finally reached its limit, and she lay down in the cold winter streets.

Exhausted to the point where she no longer had the will to live, she was about to give in to the comforting embrace of sleep.

"Are you okay?"

It was Charlotte who saved her, a young noble girl who visited the territory with her father, the Duke of Hybel, to broaden her horizons.

A young girl like herself, but with a world of difference in their backgrounds. To Kerry, who had been forced into poverty since birth, the nobility were just objects of exploitation. The beautifully dressed girl in front of her, who looked worried, seemed like an enemy.

"Father, can this girl become my personal maid?"

It was Charlotte who saved the dying girl. She provided food and clothing to Kerry, who was nothing more than a dirty commoner, and gave her a job and, most importantly, the warmth of human kindness, showing her a side of the nobility she had never seen.

If one were to call it the arrogant charity of a powerful person, that would be the end of it. At first, Kerry thought it was just a noble's whim or a way to keep a pet, but it didn't take long for her to be drawn to Charlotte's young yet considerate and kind heart.

"Hey, Kerry. No matter what happens, we'll always be together, right?"

"Of course, Miss! I will always serve Miss Charlotte."

Charlotte, who never lost her compassion for anyone, no matter how poor their background or circumstances, was deeply trusted by all the servants, including Kerry. By the time she was fifteen, the two were already bound by a friendship that transcended their social status.

No matter what happens, I will stay by this kind person's side and support her. I will spend my life repaying Charlotte, who saved me from a living hell.

With Charlotte, who gave her a conscience as a human being, Kerry resolved to walk together. A few years after making this decision, the situation began to change dramatically.

"My sister-in-law is so cruel...! Just because I'm an outsider in the Hybel family, she's telling me to leave... I don't have anywhere to go, and I don't have my parents anymore...!"

Lily, who had been taken in by the duke's family, was crying and holding onto the hand of her sister-in-law's maid, unable to bear it any longer. From that moment on, Kerry began to hate Charlotte.

How could someone as kind and virtuous as Miss Lily be mistreated? It was unthinkable that she was the daughter of a noble! She seemed to be a saint on the surface, but behind the scenes, she thoroughly bullied those she didn't like, no better than the corrupt lord from her hometown!

Feeling betrayed, Kerry began to look at Charlotte with intense hatred. She even went as far as to talk to the Duke of Hybel directly and have herself removed from Charlotte's personal staff, who she saw as a manipulative and evil person.

"Kerry... um..."

"I will be removed from your personal staff today. Thank you for everything."

When she reluctantly went to the corner of the house where Charlotte was confined to give her a final farewell, Kerry didn't want to see the expression on the young lady's face.

Ignoring the choked sobs and the desperate call of her former mistress, Kerry left with a sense of relief, determined to get used to being Lily's personal maid.

...

Knowing oneself and knowing one's enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles. This is the power that Zeo, a high school boy, obtained after being reincarnated into another world, embodying the words of Sun Tzu.

Name: Z

Race: Chimera Baby

Level: 13

HP: 54/54

MP: 48/48

Attack: 35

Defense: 33

Magic: 33

Agility: 35

SP: 32

Skills:

[Status View: Lvl--] [Language Understanding: Lvl--] [Appraisal: Lvl--]

[Skill Purchase: Lvl1] [Fire Breath: Lvl2] [Electric Breath: Lvl3]

[Cold Breath: Lvl2] [Invisibility: LvlMAX] [Flight Enhancement: LvlMAX]

Titles:

[Reincarnated] [Cowardly Chicken] [Young Lady's Pet]

First, the [Status View] skill allows him to quantify his and his opponent's abilities, and the [Language Understanding] skill allows him to communicate even with completely different scripts and words from Earth.

Furthermore, the [Skill Purchase] skill, which uses skill points (SP) obtained along with experience points from defeating monsters, allows him to increase his options, and the [Appraisal] skill allows him to determine the details of objects, such as whether they are poisonous or edible.

Zeo used these four skills to survive in a world infested with monsters.

(And there's a new item with a name... and the title [Young Lady's Pet]... Well, I guess you could say I'm being kept by a young lady.)

The name is a mandatory item for human adventurers, but even though Zeo was reborn with his memories, his status had no name. The title [Reincarnated] also speaks volumes about his past death.

(Well, that's fine. More importantly, the skill I can use for information gathering is this one.)

The skill Zeo focused on was [Invisibility]. He originally obtained it along with [Flight Enhancement] to survive in the harsh wild and eventually reached level 10, the maximum level, through continuous use.

...As a result, he earned the title [Cowardly Chicken], a cowardly fugitive.

(While the young lady is out, I can use this [Invisibility] skill to explore the mansion. First, I need to know my enemy.)

At this stage, the enemy is Lily, who drastically changed the attitude of the people around her, and everyone who allowed it.

First, I need to check the environment around Charlotte... not just her words, but also the surroundings.

(Well, let's go and check it out.)

Activating the [Invisibility] skill, Z's body instantly became transparent and blended into the surroundings. In this state, it would be impossible for any creature that relies on sight to detect him.

Zeo's body, which can walk on two legs except when running, is capable of basic manual tasks. Opening the door handle and stepping out of the room was no problem.

Moving silently and cautiously down the long, wide corridor, he saw the familiar figure of a blonde maid.

(That's the unfriendly maid from before... Let's start by checking her status.)

Name: Kerry

Race: Human

Level: 5

HP: 14/14

MP: 10/10

Attack: 8

Defense: 8

Magic: 12

Agility: 9

Titles:

[Duke's Maid] [Ungrateful] [Disloyal]

(Level 5... She's trash.)

These stats are not much different from when Z was at level 1, and she has no skills. However, with such ominous titles, Z needs to be somewhat cautious.

He also used [Status View] on other people in the mansion, and while there were some differences, the stats were similar. Some maids and drivers had titles like [Ungrateful] and [Disloyal], indicating a common trend.

(The young lady's father and mother aren't here... Even if I'm invisible, I can't just open doors carelessly.)

According to what he heard, there are also a brother and a sister, but he didn't see any stats that matched. If Charlotte follows her usual schedule, she won't be back for a while. Just as he was about to explore further, the atmosphere in the mansion became hectic.

"Lily has returned."

"We need to welcome her quickly!"

It seems the girl who caused all the trouble has come home. This is convenient for Z. By checking her status, he can determine if Lily is really the cause of Charlotte's troubles.

Z followed the direction the maid was heading. Reaching the large lobby with the main entrance, he saw the butlers and maids lined up on either side of the door, ready to welcome their mistress.

"Welcome back, Miss Lily!"

"Thank you, everyone!"

The one welcomed by the many servants was a pink-haired young lady accompanied by a handsome butler.

(That's the young lady's sister-in-law... She looks pretty normal... Oh, but the pink hair doesn't suit her.)

Compared to Charlotte, who could be described as a pure goddess far surpassing any idol, Lily looked like an ordinary Japanese girl with pink hair. She was also on the small side, but compared to Charlotte, who had a slender yet well-proportioned body, the difference was stark.

(At least, it doesn't seem like she's being discriminated against because of her appearance.)

Z was thinking some incredibly rude thoughts, but he was shocked by the conversation of the two nearby maids.

"Lily is so cute today."

"Even though she's a cousin, she's definitely from the Hybel family. She's so different from the other young lady (laughs)."

"Really, really. Maybe the other one is the cousin?"

(These girls must have rotten eyes!)

He couldn't think of anything else. What did they do to have such an opinion? Perhaps the aesthetic sense in this world is different from Earth's?

Incidentally, these two maids also had the titles [Ungrateful] and [Disloyal]. Z decided to give them a light punishment for mocking Charlotte.

(First, let's check Lily's status. Whether she has malicious intent against the young lady or is unaware... The response will differ based on that.)

Z didn't want to punish the wrong person and potentially make the kind-hearted Charlotte sad. To clearly determine if Lily was good or evil, Z activated [Status View] from a distance.

Name: Lily Hybel

Race: Human

Level: 8

HP: 14/14

MP: 348/450

Attack: 8

Defense: 8

Magic: 290

Agility: 8

Skills:

[Divine Right of the Crown: Lvl--] [Emotion Amplification: Lvl9] [Light Magic: Lvl1]

Titles:

[Duke's Daughter] [Ungrateful] [Villain] [Bond Breaker]

[Parent Killer] [Unjust] [Personification of Power Hunger] [Just a Bitch]

[Former Commoner] [Delusional Woman]

(She's pure evil!?!)

If you're interested, please check out the novel "I Was a Noble's Daughter and an Unmarried Mother, But My Daughters Are So Cute That Being an Adventurer Isn't Hard."