Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Exclusive Maid (3)
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"First, my experience."
The very first argument I made to Harold was about my experience as a maid.
"Experience?"
"Since you hold my abilities in such high regard, Master, I too wish to gladly accept the position of Young Master Ethan's exclusive maid. However, the time I've been seriously building my career as a maid is barely just a year."
"Having a lot of experience doesn't necessarily prove you're good at your job. You can see that just by looking at the senior maids who went to Silverwood, can't you?"
"But Young Master Ethan already celebrated his nineteenth birthday not long ago. Meanwhile, I haven't even reached my own nineteenth birthday yet—I'm still the same age as him."
"……."
"Don't you think, even from your perspective, Master, that I'm too young to be an exclusive maid for Ethan? I'm worried whether someone like me, who's even younger than him and lacks the experience and maturity to cover for his mistakes, can really handle the role."
In truth, Lilith's birthday was only a few days away, so calling myself younger was a bit of an exaggeration.
Of course, Harold probably didn't remember the birthday of every single servant, so I deliberately avoided mentioning that part.
Pretending to be even a year younger would be far more advantageous in escaping the role of Ethan's exclusive maid.
"I worry about the emotional hurt Young Master Ethan would feel upon hearing such arrogant words from a maid younger than himself, claiming she'll serve at his side."
"Hmm…."
Well, what do you think?
Whatever your reasons, Harold, if you've arbitrarily placed me in the exclusive maid position with your unusual actions, all I can do is respond with perfectly reasonable, conventional logic.
Harold had probably considered this issue at least once. That attaching a maid too young to his son wouldn't be good for his emotional development.
According to the official lore from the game company, Ethan's canonical age at this point was definitely nineteen. Though his mental age might be even younger.
It was a contrived setting the game company from my past life had slapped on to dodge Korean censors, but objectively, the age gap between Ethan and me was practically nonexistent.
And Harold didn't see his son as just some thirteen-year-old kid either.
Not quite as a nineteen-year-old young man, but somewhere in between.
For one, the fact that the Blackwood Duke's only son had been asleep for five years due to a curse could be a weakness in maintaining power in various ways.
More than anything, unlike Ethan, Harold's time had steadily marched on during those five years his son lay cursed in slumber.
No matter how youthful his appearance, it would be hard for a father to simply accept his son as thirteen years old.
So when I thrust this utterly reasonable logic at him, Harold had no choice but to nod in agreement.
"You speak of my son as if you're seeing him as a proper nineteen-year-old young man."
"…I've heard the stories that Young Master Ethan fell under the curse and has been asleep, but that doesn't change the fact that his birthdays have passed. Nor does it change that when he first came into the world and saw the light, I was still in my mother's womb."
"Hmm… I see."
…Did he just make a strangely ominous face?
I hoped it was just my imagination as I waited for Harold's response. Then his mouth opened toward me once more.
"Yes, exactly. You're the only one who's truly seen my son for who he is."
"Pardon? What did you just…."
"No need to mind it. So, is that the only reason you think you can't be Ethan's exclusive maid?"
…What?
Did it work, at least?
Against a Harold whose expression had become somewhat readable, I relentlessly preached why I wasn't suited to be his exclusive maid.
"…It's embarrassing to say it myself, but not long ago, I was the foolish woman who recklessly charged alone at the Hookfang to fight it. If I'd died from such a dangerous act, I'd have ended up as just another nameless junior maid you wouldn't even remember."
"Indeed. Wasn't it thanks to your courage that the Hookfang appeared in the commercial district without any notable casualties?"
"…And recently, I used violence against my senior maids and committed insubordination. If I lack the social graces to disrupt order even among fellow maids, what guarantee is there I won't err with Young Master Ethan?"
"Those maids who disrupted the organization's unity, stole valuables, and framed others—if not for you, we might never have caught them. We wouldn't have recovered my wife's necklace either."
"…Perhaps you've momentarily forgotten, Master, but I'm a debt maid sold to cover my father's gambling debts. A lowborn maid like me, with nothing to lose, would surely only bring negative influence if placed at Young Master Ethan's side."
"Hmm. On the contrary, becoming a debt maid to repay your father's gambling debts—which weren't even your responsibility—shows a sense of duty."
"……."
"Well, do you have more to say?"
…Fuck, now what?
No matter how desperately I dredged up excuses, they were all getting shot down one by one.
Of course, I hadn't expected to easily win a verbal debate against Harold, the head of a great house.
But having every single excuse I'd prepared thoroughly refuted like this was beyond my expectations.
'Why is this bastard suddenly so obsessed? Normally, Lilith wouldn't even be considered for Ethan's exclusive maid.'
I couldn't think of any more excuses solid enough to refuse the position.
Besides, aside from the age issue, my arguments so far had been a bit forced.
Well, he was the one who designated me as exclusive maid in the first place, so he must have thought this through knowing everything about me.
That just made his decision to put me there all the more baffling.
"……."
With nothing more to say, I quietly fell silent and watched Harold's reaction. This time, he read my expression first and posed a question.
"Your face still says you think you're unfit for the role."
"…I'm sorry."
"Then let me ask you this instead. If you don't take Ethan's exclusive maid position, who do you think should replace you?"
"……!"
…Did it work?
The thought that my repeated pleas might have gotten through to Harold flashed across my mind.
I racked my brain for a way to escape this exclusive maid role somehow.
For Ethan's exclusive maid position, someone other than me….
Isabel and Katarina, my closest associates, immediately came to mind, but I had no intention of naming them.
Isabel had helped Lilith since her trainee days; I didn't want to put such a gracious friend in a position where she might become Ethan's slave.
A fragile girl like Katarina would be swept up by Ethan far quicker than Lilith if she became his exclusive maid.
The problem was, excluding those two, I barely knew any other senior maids. And I certainly couldn't suggest Head Maid Melissa….
For now, to emphasize my unsuitability, I needed to conjure an image of someone as distant from me as possible.
"First, there needs to be an age gap that Young Master Ethan can trust and rely on."
"…So you're saying anyone older would do?"
"Not at all. But a suitable age difference would allow him to trust and depend on her while also aiding in her support role. A maid too close in age wouldn't dare discipline him properly."
"…Continue."
"I believe an exclusive maid isn't someone who just obeys and affirms everything the young master says. She must caution him against wrong actions and boldly scold him if he behaves unbecoming of nobility. But can young maids like me, Isabel, or Senior Katarina truly fulfill that? I can't guarantee it."
"……."
"That's why I say again: Young Master Ethan's exclusive maid needs someone with a bit more experience and maturity than me. Someone who can offer unconditional loyalty while occasionally disciplining him—like a mother figure…."
"…A mother figure?"
Oh.
Fuck.
I'm screwed. Screwed screwed screwed screwed screwed.
"You just said with your own mouth that he needs someone who can play a 'mother-like role,' didn't you?"
Fuck. He heard it clearly.
What do I do? What the hell do I do?
You crazy bitch, you should've stopped there. Are you in your right mind?
Have you lost all sense? Mentioning Ethan's mother in front of Harold? The ultimate berserk trigger, Thanacia?
And what? A 'mother-like role'?
I should've thought before speaking. Do I even have a brain?
Saying Ethan's exclusive maid needs to fill a mother-like role was tantamount to telling someone to replace Thanacia.
Spouting such nonsense in front of Harold meant I could kiss goodbye to leaving this room unscathed.
No way he'd let a lowly maid who dared suggest replacing his wife—whom he hadn't forgotten after nearly a decade—walk away free.
At this point, it wasn't even about accepting or refusing the exclusive maid role.
It was a life-or-death situation.
I could practically picture Aeria flying through the air after getting punched in the solar plexus by Harold in the underground etiquette classroom.
A creeping sense of crisis told me that could be me in just a few minutes.
"M-Master… S-Sor… sor, sor…."
Desperate to survive, I tried to force an apology from my lips, but my tension locked my jaw, refusing to let more words out.
In the end, before I could finish, Harold's mouth opened first, calling my name.
"…Lilith Rosewood."
"Y-Yes, y-yesyesyes…."
"I had the same thought as you."
"…………Pardon?"
"That's why I placed you in Ethan's exclusive maid position. Do you understand?"
"……."
…What the hell is this guy spouting now?
No way Harold would just let an insult to Thanacia slide.
Why circle back to the exclusive maid topic so suddenly?
But bringing up my slip-up again to Harold would be like shoving my own head into the guillotine.
It was actually fortunate that he glossed over it like this.
"Lilith Rosewood."
"…Yes."
"I've heard everything you said, but no other maid comes to mind who fits Ethan's exclusive role better than you."
"…I-I see."
"The personnel transfer stands. Starting tomorrow, you're Ethan's exclusive maid. Understood?"
"Y-Yes, understood."
"You may go."
"I'll… I'll take my leave."
My mind was already a chaotic mess of emotions from the fatal blunder I'd made.
In this state, I couldn't dare refuse the exclusive maid role, so I hurriedly fled Harold's study.
"Haa, haaa… I-I lived…."
I don't know why, but thank fuck he let that slip-up slide without comment.
…I really, truly thought I was done for.