Chapter 6

Alma is a maid who works at the castle's laundry.

This workplace has good pay.

In exchange, she has to endure the intense workload due to a chronic shortage of staff and the constant fear of encountering the Monster Margrave at any time.

Even Alma, who had only been hired half a year ago, had seen several colleagues leave because they couldn't handle the intense workload and fear.

"First, you need to make the detergent foam with a little warm water."

"Okay."

On this day, Alma was making the detergent foam with yet another new recruit.

Her flaxen hair was lustrous, and her skin, dotted with light freckles, was white and smooth.

Could such delicate, unblemished hands really do laundry?

Ignoring Alma's concerns, the new recruit, Fiona, was splashing the water and detergent with both hands.

"You apply this liquid and wash the clothes. The pond water is quite cold, so don't be surprised."

"Wow, it's really cold. Is it groundwater?"

"Who knows? Maybe."

Because of the cold water and strong detergent, the maids' hands are always rough.

The detergent seeps into the cracks and hurts, and wet clothes are heavy, making laundry a very demanding and labor-intensive job.

But for Alma, this was the best working environment.

Since it's a job at the castle, the pay is better than working in the town.

Some people laugh at laundry as the lowest of jobs, but the lord never comes near the laundry.

It's a very safe and rewarding job.

(I'd rather keep doing laundry than risk losing this good job by accidentally meeting the lord.)

Alma watched Fiona, who was diligently moving her hands.

She's a good girl, no matter how many times I see her.

Like Alma, who had to work to support her younger siblings after her father died, Fiona probably has her own reasons.

"Do you just scrub everything like this?"

"For this basket, yes, but for some items, you need to use chemicals to remove stains or boil them in hot water."

"You also do sorting?"

"I haven't done that yet. I'm still just washing. You'll get to do those jobs as you gain more experience."

"I see..."

Fiona's hands and mouth were always moving.

Soon, other maids joined in, and the conversation expanded to topics about the town and love.

The laundry room was buzzing with excitement.

(Fiona, you're not just an ordinary girl.)

The cold water didn't bother her, and the work seemed to fly by.

She should just stay and work here long-term, not just for a short period.

*

One morning,

Fiona came to work carrying something strange in both hands.

"What's that? What happened?"

"I thought about making a simple washing machine. Your hands get so rough, right?"

"A washboard?"

Indeed, what Fiona was holding was a wooden tub.

It's often used in the laundry to make detergent foam or for light washing.

The wooden tub had a lid, which made sense, but the rod extending from the lid was a mystery.

"I tried to make something like that, but it doesn't turn well."

Fiona grabbed the mysterious rod and started to rotate it in a circular motion on the lid.

The tub made a clunking sound, as if something was catching.

What was happening?

"It seems something is catching somewhere. But it does turn, so I thought I'd bring it to try it out."

"What, what? I don't understand at all."

Fiona placed the washboard by the pond, looked puzzled for a moment, then said, "Oh, right," and removed the lid.

"Um, you put the laundry, water, and detergent in here, put the lid on, and turn the handle."

It seemed to have a double-layered structure.

The inner layer was a basket made of thin wood, connected to the handle to rotate independently.

"Are you, by any chance, really smart, Fiona?"

The mesh of the basket helped the detergent foam, and the clothes rubbed against each other to remove dirt.

By changing the water, you could rinse, and by draining it, you could wring out the clothes, all without exposing your hands to the cold water.

Why would a genius who could invent such a thing be working as a laundry maid?

"It's not that. The part that catches is heavy, so it might be easier to wash the old way."

"Can I see it too?"

"Sure."

Looking at the lid and the body, it wasn't a particularly complex structure.

"Can I take it apart a bit?"

"Sure."

It seemed to be assembled with brute force rather than precision.

This was clearly the reason it wasn't turning smoothly.

Alma ran to the shed and brought a small knife from the tool box.

She also secretly picked a small branch from a nearby tree.

She carved grooves into the tub and reassembled it with the cut branches as parts.

Now it turned more smoothly.

"Are you the genius?"

"No way. I just used to work at a furniture shop."

Her main job was cleaning and laundry, but she often saw craftsmen at work.

She just made a few adjustments, but the real genius was Fiona for creating this.

"Let's try it out."

"Sure!"

From that day on, the washboard became a popular item that everyone wanted to turn the handle.

*

The head steward, who usually ruled over the servants, was inexplicably in the laundry shed where the lowest-ranking servants gathered.

After a cough, he said something that plunged Alma into despair.

"Whoever made that tub, step forward."

"Wh-what!?"

She blurted out the words and quickly covered her mouth.

She had heard the unprecedented news that the lord was coming to see the washboard and had hidden in the shed to protect the castle's laundry function.

This backfired, and all eyes were on Alma and Fiona. How heartless.

"Those two?"

(We're fired...?)

Was it wrong for a mere laundry maid to try to make things easier?

The branches used as parts were, after all, the lord's property.

Alma's actions were almost theft.

She couldn't remember what happened to those who stole from the nobles in the Argaud territory.

"..."

Fiona, usually so composed, was also looking down.

But unable to bear the silent pressure, she quietly confessed, "It was me."

"The lord has summoned you. Answer his questions to the best of your ability."

"Yes."

To the best of your ability? It sounded considerate but was an unreasonable request.

Fiona was afraid of the lord, known as the Monster Margrave.

That's why she had only a short-term contract.

It was too cruel that her contract might end before it was due.

"Hey, me too!"

Alma shouted at the steward and Fiona's back as they headed for the exit.

"I helped make the washboard! So I'm going with her!"

"Very well. Come along."

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward without thinking.

She nodded reassuringly at Fiona, who looked surprised.

(It's okay. I won't let Fiona face this alone.)

After all, Fiona was Alma's junior.

Protecting Fiona was Alma's job.

Even if they were fired, at least they would face it together.