14. A beastkin's tail is one of the erogenous zones, it's even written that way in the Kojiki.
"Once your duties are done, you can stay here."
"Ah, got it."
After a bit of commotion, I got a tour of the servants' quarters from another staff member at the archduke's estate. Some servants apparently lived off-site and commuted, but most bunked in the on-site dorms. Huh, pretty good perks... But even so, did they really give a private room to a lowly maid like me? What about everyone else...?
"Huh...? W-Wait, this is a private room for me?"
"...Hah, who the hell would wanna share a bed with a filthy beast like you?"
"Pardon...?"
"You'd better not get any funny ideas. Here in Claudia lands... nobody looks kindly on 'beastmen who couldn't even become human—with their damn tails and all.'"
"......"
BAM! The door slammed shut, leaving me alone inside.
......Actually, your boss seemed pretty sweet on me, though? Oh ho, is this the infamous murahachi—that shady social lynching from ninja society?!
Well, I get it... Truth is, the Claudia Archduchy borders the north—beastkin territory—right on the frontline. That's why I hid my beastkin traits and took the long way around, looping through the eastern provinces instead of coming straight down from the north... Even if I kinda blew my cover in the end.
Anyway, beastkin lands are barren as hell. The folks who live there are tough as nails. Now imagine if those same beastkin spotted softer, richer prey to the south, overflowing with food... What would they do? Obvious answer: wait for an opening, sneak in, and plunder all that sweet loot.
And wouldn't you know it—the clans right across the border from Claudia are the fiercest of the bunch: tigers, bears, wolves. No wonder this place has taken a beating from beastkin raids. Sure, Lily Claudia's been in charge for the last two years, and things are safer now... but that's just a blip. From the chatter I overheard in the village, they got plundered hard before that. Explains why everyone shits on the archduke holed up in his attic penthouse at the top of the tower.
So no matter how much I plead I'm a good-hearted defector, in an empire already rife with xenophobia and other-race hate—especially here in a duchy constantly invaded by armed bandits—I'll always get treated like a black-hearted red spy bastard. (Though honestly, I am a black-hearted red spy bastard... Wait, more like blood-red? Puh.
Point is, everyone around Lady Lily Claudia is at maximum hostility and disgust toward me right now. Kinda funny, though. What the hell does that ditzy girl see in me to act so friendly? As the archduke's daughter, shouldn't she hate beastkin too? What a space case... Still... it's been a while since anyone's showered me with unconditional affection like that. Makes my chest feel a little warm...
Hm...? Nah, probably nothing.
###
And the next day rolled around.
Hmm... So what the heck does a servant—or maid, whatever—actually do? Like I said before, all I know about maids is calling the boss "Master♡," drawing hearts on omelets... and firing off a mighty moe moe kyun from the front lines. That's it.
They hired me, fine—but nobody told me my damn job! What am I supposed to do? No way this is "rookie exemption" or some crap... Is this another round of their shady murahachi? Like when a defeated salaryman refuses voluntary resignation and comes back to find his desk mysteriously missing its computer...!
Screw it, if no one tells me, I'll just roll around in bed...
BANG! Someone flung the door open without even knocking. It was that same servant from yesterday.
"Hah... The sun's been up for ages, and you're still rolling around in bed like a beast? Don't you savages even know the basic common sense that 'when morning comes, you get out of bed'?"
"No, wait—that's not it, I just don't know what I'm supposed to do..."
"Do I have to spoon-feed you every little thing? Sigh... Put on the work uniform from the wardrobe and go see the young lady. She's looking for you."
"Ah, got it."
"Tch."
BAM! The door slammed again.
......Aigoo, at this rate she'll smash the damn door. And a little privacy would be nice. Barging in without knocking... What if I'd been doing something embarrassing? Oh, right—in this neck of the woods, if I complain about privacy, they'll just say "animal ears = no human rights." Scary place... Claudia Archduchy!
I opened the wardrobe. Classic maid outfit hanging there. Never thought I'd wear something like this in my life... Sure, I've done infiltration gigs and worn all sorts of getups in this body, but a maid dress? First time. What's next, nurse...?
Musing idly like that, I straightened my outfit in front of the full-length mirror in the room.
"......Whoa, even I gotta say it suits me."
The girl in the mirror—black hair against porcelain skin—fit the maid dress's black-and-white aesthetic perfectly. And those blood-red eyes added just the right sophisticated accent...
Kya, aesthetically flawless...!
Feels like I've awakened to something new. Is this what they call "lookism"? I've glanced in mirrors before, but I always stuck to the same ninja garb—no trying on outfits. Maybe after this mission, back in the village, I should raid Kasumi's closet for some fancy traditional wear...?
Hmm...
......
....
Oh, right—Lily wanted to see me.
I stopped admiring the mirror and headed to the office where Lily was staying.
And...
"Perfection...!!"
Lily's sky-blue eyes sparkled as she echoed my exact thoughts. Hell yeah, you see it too? I nailed it... I'm perfect right now! Dangerous—my lips are curling up. Who knew it'd feel this good to have my ideal beauty call me aesthetically perfect?
"Uhehehet..."
"Puhuhu..."
We both started giggling like idiots... but suddenly, Lily's face hardened.
......? What? Something off? I checked my outfit meticulously, though.
"Hey, um... where's your tail?"
"Oh, the tail? No hole for it, so I just tucked it inside the skirt..."
"Wait, wait!! You have no idea! You're not perfect right now!!!"
"Whaaat...?!"
"Tailor! Get the tailor here NOW!!!!"
With that furious command from the archduke's daughter, the tailor soon came panting into the estate's office. Hoo boy, the underling life... Tough gig.
"Y-Yes, Lady, you summoned me urgently—what is it?"
"Make tail holes in all this girl's clothes!"
"......Ugh, is that really necessary? Having a tailed savage roam the archduke's manor already rubs people the wrong way..."
"Listen here, old man tailor. I've been too lenient, and now my words are a joke to you? Wanna taste a year of unpaid leave?"
"I'll get right on it..."
The tailor grumbled another ugh, glared at me, and vanished to do his job.
......Puh, scratch what I said about tough gig. Spinning like a top! Everyone in this mansion hates my guts—what a delightful place. Especially when the lady of the house likes me way too much...
And sure enough, Lily looked genuinely sorry for me.
"S-Sorry... That must've been unpleasant, right?"
"Nah, it's fine... I'm used to this kinda treatment."
"You can't get used to treatment like this...!!"
She's right, in theory... but I'm good. I've never left a single human bastard alive who treated me like that. Same goes this time. Once I take you out first, Lady—owner of this land—I'll clean up the rest and bounce. So no biggie?
"I'll keep that in mind... milady."
"Don't call me milady... Call me Master?"
"M-Master..."
"Good girl, uhehe~..."
I slurred "Master♡" just a tad, and Lily lit up, petting my head.
......Heh, delightful. In all my time in this world, I've petted others plenty... but no one's ever petted me. How to describe it? Just... an indescribably novel feeling.
"Your tail okay? Not uncomfortable...?"
"Ah, yeah... If it's a hassle, I can use Henge to hide it for a bit."
"No way!!"
"......Pardon?"
"You gotta keep your tail out... 'Cause, 'cause I need to pet it...!!"
......What the hell, this girl? You seriously off your rocker? My old life's dialect popped into my head from sheer absurdity.
Does she even know what touching a beastkin's tail means? To us beastkin, tails have two roles. One: balance, for superior equilibrium compared to humans.
And the second... the second...
That... y'know. The erogenous zone thing...