Chapter 1

"Please leave quickly. I have always thought that a dowdy maid with a plain face like yours does not fit in this mansion."

In the end, it was a declaration of dismissal.

Between the head maid and Nina, there was a pot that had broken spectacularly.

"Head maid, I didn't break this pot... I have never even entered the treasure room where it was placed."

"Be silent. Several maids have witnessed you dropping and breaking this pot and then hastily fleeing."

"Such...!?"

"Anyway, this is a final decision. If you leave this mansion, the noble Markwood family, I will let it go without further action."

"But, but, I really didn't do it..."

"Or are you going to compensate for this pot with your meager salary? It is said to be worth 30 million gold at market price?"

"Such... I can't do that."

"Then, pack your things and leave as soon as possible. By today. And from now on, all conversation with other servants is forbidden. Understand?"

As if to signal the end of the conversation, the head maid stood up, opened the door, and stood to the side.

She was clearly telling Nina to leave.

Nina, shocked, slowly stood up and slowly walked out into the hallway.

Even so, she bowed her head and said,

"Thank you for taking care of me for so long. I wish you all good health and happiness—"

Bang.

The door was closed.

"......"

Nina walked to her room, not even sure if she was walking.

This was the annex of the Markwood mansion, where the rooms of the live-in maids and butlers were located.

There were many types of maids: housekeeper, lady's maid, kitchen maid, laundry maid, parlor maid, nursery maid... In total, there were 30 maids.

In addition to these, there were butlers, footmen, cooks, and boys.

The Markwood family was wealthy enough to employ so many people.

Eventually, Nina reached her room.

Her belongings were few, and the room was filled with a bed, a writing desk, and a closet.

The travel bag she took out to pack her things was well-maintained—she hardly ever used it, but it was the one she brought when she first came to the mansion five years ago.

—Nina, I was going to buy you a big travel bag when you grew up, but you ended up working at such a young age. There's nothing I can do, but this is a hand-me-down from when I was a child. It's still usable, so take it with you.

The travel bag given to her by her master, who had trained her to be a perfect maid.

"Master, I'm sorry..."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she packed her things.

"I... I could still work for the mansion... but I have to leave..."

She started helping with housework at the age of three and was recognized for her talent by her master at five, starting to work with her.

At ten, she received her master's seal of approval, and Nina came to the Markwood mansion alone.

Five years later—now, Nina is fifteen.

She never imagined she would be dismissed in such a way, accused of a crime she did not commit.

"If my last task is to 'leave,' I have to do it properly."

She remembered her master's teachings.

—A maid must always do her job perfectly. You must not stand out; that is the job of the masters.

She tidied her appearance in the small mirror.

Her dull brown hair was tied in pigtails, and she quickly fixed any loose strands.

Behind her glasses were sky-blue eyes, and her eyelashes were wet with tears. She tried to wipe them away with a handkerchief and return to her usual self.

She had no civilian clothes. A maid's uniform was acceptable to wear in town, and maids had almost no days off—some took vacations, but Nina, who didn't want the mansion to get dirty or other servants' work to be delayed if she took a day off, never took one.

Nina put on a coat over her maid's uniform.

"Oh, right... I need to hand over my duties—"

—From now on, all conversation with other servants is forbidden.

Right, she couldn't talk to anyone anymore.

"......"

She had to leave without properly handing over her duties.

"But at least I can do this much."

She took out the notes she had compiled—names of guests visiting the mansion, their characteristics, food preferences, and points to be careful about.

If she could pass them on to someone, they would surely be useful.

Nina bowed to the room where she had spent five years.

The sheets were perfectly taut, and not a speck of dust could be found in the corners, a room perfectly cared for.

She loved keeping the entire mansion in this condition.

"—Hey, look."

"—Oh... isn't that Nina who got fired today?"

As she stepped into the hallway,

"—I always thought it was strange that such a plain girl was in the prestigious Markwood mansion."

"—Shh. She might hear us."

"—It's fine. She's no longer part of the mansion, right?"

The other maids were giggling.

They wore maid uniforms, but their carefully maintained hair and subtle accessories showed their desire to become the mistress of a noble.

If they became a noble's mistress, they could live a life of luxury.

Of course—her colleagues' work level was questionable, and Nina had covered for all their slacking.

Still, Nina approached one of them.

"What do you want?"

The maid, who looked annoyed, was offered the notebook by Nina.

"This is not a conversation but a monologue. It's a list summarizing the guests who visit the mansion. I think it will be useful."

"......"

"......"

"......"

"I'll leave it here."

Since the other maid refused to take it, Nina placed the notebook at her feet and turned away.

Nina had come to the mansion as a lady's maid, recommended by her master.

She was proficient in languages and etiquette.

Nina worked well as a lady's maid, but she also noticed other issues.

The hallways were dirty, the food was served carelessly, and the young masters' education was lacking.

All of this was because the head of the family, the earl, prioritized appearance when hiring maids.

Of course, there were maids who needed to look good for the guest rooms.

However, because even the maids who didn't interact with guests were chosen based on appearance, work was often delayed.

Nina solved these problems.

Despite the vast size of the mansion, Nina was the only servant who could handle all the tasks.

(What will happen after this...)

For a moment, Nina thought about what would happen to the mansion after she left, but she quickly shook her head.

(The head maid will surely make sure the mansion runs smoothly even without me.)

She didn't think the head maid would worry about her.

Surely, the head maid understood—Nina thought, but unfortunately, the head maid did not.

Nina followed her master's advice to "not stand out" and did everything secretly.

It took a year for the lady of the house to even notice Nina's existence and learn her name—despite being a lady's maid.

As she walked, thinking about the future, Nina noticed a smudge on the window and wiped it with a handkerchief from her pocket, picked up a fallen leaf, and put away a mop that had been left out.

Each action was smooth, and it seemed as if she was just walking.

After she passed, the hallway was spotless.

It was understandable that the other maids didn't notice her level of work.

The other maids didn't understand how amazing Nina was, and Nina didn't boast about it.

It was a sad misunderstanding.

"..."

Suddenly, Nina looked at a corner of the hallway. It was the spot where there had been a mysterious stain when she first came to the mansion. She remembered spending time removing it.

The window on the other side was high, so she had to ask the gardener for a ladder to clean it.

The servants' meals were pre-made and eaten during free time, so they were often cold. She discussed with the cook to create menus that could be eaten cold.

That cleaning storage room...

The door at the end of the hallway...

The ceiling...

Even in the servants' quarters, Nina had put in a lot of effort.

Needless to say, she had put even more effort into the main mansion.

"..."

The last place Nina passed was the kitchen of the servants' quarters.

Roy, who was also the cook for the main house, was preparing meals for the servants.

At this time of the morning, he should be here, and the sound of a knife chopping could be heard from the kitchen.

(Roy is a genius cook.)

Even the lady of the house would have a maid knock before entering the main kitchen.

Nina had heard that he was a cook who treated everyone with respect and had the skills to match.

(He is strict about ingredient procurement and needs to get high-quality seasonal ingredients at the perfect time...)

She thought she should say something.

But she shook her head and quickly passed by the kitchen.

"?"

Roy briefly turned his head but that was all.

Nina left the mansion and stepped out onto the main street.

This was the capital of Crescent Kingdom, "Crescent City."

It was bustling with many people.

"Where should I go..."

But Nina was alone.

She stood alone, looking at the bustling street.

"I see... I always thought working in the mansion was everything for me."

At first, she helped with housework because she was happy to be praised.

After being recognized for her talent as a maid by her master, she absorbed knowledge quickly.

It was fun.

Most of her salary was sent to her family in the countryside, but she saved a little, and she had managed to save 500,000 gold.

If she saved, she could live for half a year.

If she found a place to live, she could last a year.

"Should I go back home? No. It would only be a burden."

Her family was a farming household, not very wealthy, and her return wouldn't increase their income.

She would just be in the way.

"Hmm..."

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a handbell.

"—Ride, ride, the shared carriage is leaving! The destination is the kingdom's main artery, the commercial city of Fullmoon! A picturesque commercial city where all kinds of rare items from the kingdom gather! Perfect for a little sightseeing—"

It seemed to be a shared carriage touting for business.

Nina suddenly realized she knew almost nothing outside the mansion.

Sightseeing.

She wanted to see things she had never seen before—

It might have been just a whim.

Perhaps she wanted to distract herself from the sadness of being fired as a maid.

"Hey! I want to ride!"

Nina took a step forward—thus, the maid set out on her journey.