The Beast's Vigil
The newly arrived maid, Malena, possessed the solid, muscular frame forged by years of relentless training, impressive height, long limbs that moved with fluid grace, and a razor-sharp aura like a honed blade. Everything about her screamed former mercenary.
Her seemingly indifferent face carried an atmosphere remarkably similar to Mathias’s. The first impression was favorable.
“Have you heard the rumors about me?”
“I have.”
“And yet you still intend to serve me?”
“They’re paying me. When you’re told to work, you work. I’m hardly in a position to pick and choose.”
“Did they tell you how I recently tore my personal maid’s mouth open with a knife?”
“I heard you used a butter knife, so the wound was jagged and left an untreatable, disfiguring scar.”
“She’s missing now.”
“I’m aware of that too.”
“You speak as if it has nothing to do with you.”
“Because it doesn’t.”
“Now that I am your master, isn’t it possible the same thing could happen to you?”
Malena slowly looked Odeliana up and down, then answered in a tone that suggested the matter was of little importance.
“I suppose I’d have to accept that risk as well.”
“Oh?”
“Well, I imagine I could stop you before you did anything drastic, my lady. And if your madness overtakes you and you lose your reason, I will restrain you.”
“Restrain me?”
“Isn’t that part of my job?”
“Are you not afraid of me?”
“There are many frightening things in this world, my lady.”
Though the reply was careless, it didn’t feel arrogant. On the contrary, her relaxed attitude made the corners of Odeliana’s mouth lift. She was not looking down on the small mistress she would serve; she simply saw no reason to be afraid.
“It’s normal for those whose minds are unsound to become objects of terror. Is it different because you were a mercenary?”
“There’s no shortage of lunatics in my old line of work.”
“That’s true enough.”
“You seem familiar with that world.”
“Nothing special. I simply had the chance to encounter quite a few.”
“Well, nobles have always been our primary clients.”
“The work of a maid and the work of a mercenary are entirely different. And as you can see, my body is badly impaired. With limited mobility, I’ll be quite a handful. Can you manage?”
“I have to manage. I took the money.”
In the end, every thread of their conversation led back to money. Even if the work was difficult, she had accepted payment and therefore had to do it. Living to eat had never been easy. Though it might have sounded materialistic, there was no discomfort in her attitude.
On the contrary, Odeliana found herself drawn to it. There was no pretense, no fawning attempts to read the room and curry favor. Instead, the woman was almost excessively honest.
“Very well. I will watch how you do from now on. You may go.”
Malena gave a respectful bow and left the room. Mathias, who had withdrawn to lean against the wall, stared fixedly at the spot where she had stood.
“Mathias, what do you think of her?”
“She is a person with far too many risk factors to keep close with any peace of mind.”
“Her body certainly bears the marks of someone who has wielded a sword for many years. To survive as a woman in that world, she must be quite skilled.”
The unusually thick arm, the powerfully developed shoulders and back—these were the unmistakable physical signatures of those who lived by the blade. Moreover, Malena carried rough scars on her ankles and neck that spoke of years far harsher than her hands alone revealed.
“Will you keep her by your side?”
“You don’t seem pleased.”
“If someone like her were to turn, even I would find it difficult to respond.”
“True. She looked like a highly trained professional. It seems my brother was looking for someone who could protect me in an emergency, not merely attend to me.”
“Perhaps he was simply concerned for this disciple who stays at your side, Master.”
“Well, that isn’t wrong either.”
What Odeliana needed now was someone of unshakable integrity. In that sense, Malena would require some time to evaluate.
Her straightforward, unadorned manner was appealing, but the way she clung to money gave Odeliana slight pause. Regrettably, Odeliana herself had none, and although Blair had money, there was someone in this household whose influence outweighed even his.
“Mathias, keep an eye on Malena for the time being. Pay special attention to whether she has any private contact with my family. Blair would have chosen someone trustworthy, but… one can never be too sure.”
In the end, the only way to know if someone was reliable was to keep them close and see for oneself.
I hope she proves to be someone who can stay with me for a long time…
The female mercenary who had lived in circumstances similar to her previous life had caught her interest. She wanted to keep her around. Praying that Blair had brought her a proper person, Odeliana swallowed the bitter taste that lingered in her mouth.
Malena possessed monstrous strength far beyond that of an ordinary woman. The power born of her larger frame had served her well in the brutal mercenary world, but it proved equally excellent for handling household chores.
While others grunted and struggled to lift a single water bucket, she could carry two full ones in her hands while balancing a laundry tub on her shoulder. She opened honey jars whose sticky lids resisted ordinary strength with ease, and she could saw down the overgrown trees in the rear garden without any help from the male servants.
Among the servants of the annex, Malena’s reputation rose with each passing day.
Because she overflowed with strength and stamina, she not only completed her own tasks but helped with everyone else’s. Far from being ostracized as an outsider, she was increasingly sought after. She was diligent, well-mannered, and handled her work so flawlessly that even Odeliana had no need to correct her.
Malena was thoroughly satisfied with this peaceful maid’s life. While her fellow maids pitied her for being relegated to the annex, she rather liked the quiet, simple existence in the isolated building far from the splendor of the main mansion.
It was more peaceful than her mercenary days. A warm back and a full belly. The workload was far lighter than what she had endured as a mercenary. She received generous meals three times a day, slept beneath a soft blanket, and the mistress she served—despite her infamous reputation for madness and difficult temper—proved extremely quiet and perfectly sane.
She finally understood why positions attending to nobles’ menial tasks were so popular and fiercely contested.
This was the best her life had been in recent years. Good enough that she could happily wash her hands of her mercenary past and settle down here for good. Of course, nothing was entirely perfect. If she had to name one flaw…
Deliberately leaking his presence… It isn’t even teasing.
The boy who guarded her mistress’s side. Perhaps the single most irritating and nerve-wracking presence in the entire mansion. A man who emanated an extraordinary aura, just like his somewhat peculiar master.
She had realized his gaze monitored her every move the moment he began deliberately allowing her to sense him. To be exact, after the first day he had repeatedly shown his presence only to hide it again, as if determined to drive her mad.
Yes—deliberately. He would radiate his aura like a warning that he was watching, then erase every trace of himself like a hunter with prey in sight. He was no ordinary madman. This sixteen-year-old boy was more skilled at concealing his presence than any veteran assassin.
Deciding this could not continue, Malena chose a direct approach.
“How long do you intend to stalk me and play these childish games?”
The boy sat perched on a tree far taller than himself, looking down at her. Facing that cold countenance completely devoid of laughter, she felt every trace of warmth flee the air.
“Who would want to waste time like this?”
The innocent boy who showed only gentle smiles to his master was nowhere to be found. All that remained was an arrogant face etched with annoyance—an insolent youth.
“My master doesn’t trust you, and neither do I. What else am I supposed to do?”
He leapt down from the high branch and landed before her. Rather than the feather-light movement, it was the complete absence of sound upon landing that left Malena speechless.
This was not skill acquired in a day or two. Beneath that youthful face lay the unmistakable scent of an expert who far surpassed veteran mercenaries.
“If you’re going to monitor me, why not keep hiding your presence? It’s not as if you’re merely toying with me…”
“So that you remain aware you are being watched.”
“……”
“Stop doing anything unnecessary. Focus solely on your duties.”
It was a brutal threat that clashed with his refined features. Chilling someone to the bone with such a calm voice was a talent in itself.
Once Mathias had departed, Malena, who had stood rigid as a wooden post, muttered with a sense of injustice.
“What exactly did I do to make him so eager to devour me?”