Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Crisis (1)
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"...Probably that pig bastard Ethan didn't know a damn thing from the start and wasn't deliberately training Lilith for anything sexual."
That was the first conclusion I'd reached after seriously deciding to play the role of Ethan's exclusive maid.
Sure, the pig had started tormenting Lilith from age nineteen onward, but I doubted it began as some deliberate sexual humiliation from the outset.
In fact, from the occasional flashback scenes of Lilith while playing the game before, the level of bullying had grown progressively harsher and more depraved as Ethan aged.
Setting aside the in-game age, his mental maturity was more like subtracting five years—putting the current Ethan at elementary or maybe middle school level in knowledge and refinement at best.
No way that dumb-looking pig bastard had some special advanced education in sexual matters alone.
It made more sense to assume he'd started fixating on Lilith just to get her attention, and then some trigger turned it into sexual harassment.
Or maybe as he grew up, he naturally awakened to lust and, conveniently having Lilith as a plaything, began treating her like his personal sex slave.
So what if I just gave zero reaction to whatever crap Ethan pulled from the beginning?
Attention-seeking thrives on the target's responses, after all.
Act completely indifferent, and his attempts to bully for attention would fizzle out fast.
Endure the first few times, and the failed attention-grabber would probably try something else to catch my eye. Time a mild reaction for then, and maybe that little shit wouldn't devolve into the irredeemable trash from the original game.
"For now, let's go with maximum ignoring."
There was no escaping the exclusive maid position at this point anyway.
So I'd have to make the best of it here, aiming for the most peaceful path possible.
Sure, I'd win a straight-up fight with that pig bastard nine times out of ten, but considering the Blackwood family's power and Duke Harold, I had no capacity to handle the fallout on my own.
Reforming Ethan wasn't my goal anyway. Who cared how he turned out?
I was just testing the waters because him growing up even slightly less deranged would benefit my survival.
Plus, Aeria had testified for me at the disciplinary committee, and surprisingly, up close, he might not be rotten to the core.
...That was the naive mindset I had when I first accepted the role of that damn pig bastard's exclusive maid.
It only took a single month for those easygoing thoughts to flip 180 degrees.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
About a week had passed since I'd been forced into Ethan's exclusive maid role under Duke Harold's pressure.
In the game timeline, Lilith Rosewood had finally reached her nineteenth birthday, properly an adult now.
Just like Ethan, who had celebrated his a little over ten days earlier.
'Fuck.'
And naturally, in this game world, Lilith's body hitting adulthood wasn't a good thing.
For other characters, maybe, but Lilith becoming "legally an adult" meant her future was pretty much set in stone.
To me right now, "aging" just hammered home how unsafe things were getting.
Both Ethan and Lilith had passed the age where they could be seen as children or adolescents.
From this point on, Ethan's sleazy tentacles would start reaching out in earnest.
'Gotta stay on high alert. One slip, and I could end up naked on a leash, paraded through the mansion.'
That pig bastard was more than capable of it. Of course, if it happened, I wouldn't stay quiet.
The silver lining: I hadn't run into Ethan much at all over the past week.
Normally, exclusive maids were selected from candidates, specially trained, then assigned.
But this rushed reassignment meant I started first, with training afterward.
During that week of special training under Melissa, I'd at least absorbed all the knowledge needed to serve as Ethan's exclusive maid.
Having the basics down meant no one could nitpick later.
Even if I somehow escaped the "training" aspect, the position itself would likely stick.
No harm in knowing the fundamentals of attending the Blackwood heir.
Unfortunately, Lilith was still a debt maid, and legitimately escaping the mansion required over six more years.
"...Hoo."
Anyway, excluding training, today was my first real day facing that pig bastard on duty.
I took a deep breath in front of Ethan's door, then knocked three times right on his wake-up time.
-Knock, knock, knock.
"Young Master Ethan."
"......"
"Young Master Ethan? Are you inside?"
"......"
I could definitely hear movement from inside.
Well, with Ethan's personality, sleeping until afternoon wasn't out of character.
He was probably still buried in bed, lazing around.
By mansion rules, maids or butlers could only enter a noble's room after knocking and getting a response from inside.
Except for exclusive maids, exclusive butlers, head maids, or head butlers.
As Ethan's exclusive maid, tasked with cleaning his room, collecting laundry, or whatever, Lilith could enter at her discretion, permission or not.
Response or no, I stepped right into Ethan's room without a second thought.
-Click.
"Young Master Ethan, it's time to wake up..."
"Waaah!!"
"Kyaaah?!"
The moment I entered Ethan's room unguarded, a sudden yell erupted from beside the door.
Catching me off guard, I startled at the unexpected voice and tumbled backward.
When I came to, there was that little brat grinning smugly right in my face.
"Hahaha! Gotcha, maid!"
"...Young Master Ethan?"
"Falling over from just that? What a dummy maid!"
"......"
'Fuck, I wanna deck him.'
Seeing Ethan's smug face after he'd scared me into falling made disgust surge in my head instantly.
My resolve to handle things smoothly nearly crumbled on day one.
'He's still just a kid. Normal boyish prank. Endure it, endure...'
Boys that age pulling pranks for attention wasn't rare.
Sure, no noble kid his age would do it, but with zero refinement like that pig bastard, it fit perfectly.
Getting worked up over every little thing like this, and I wouldn't last as exclusive maid.
Reacting angrily was exactly what the little shit craved deep down.
I stood up casually, pretending nothing happened, reacting as flatly as possible.
"Young Master Ethan."
"Yeah?"
"It's dangerous, so please refrain from such risky pranks in the future."
"No way!"
...Yeah, figured he'd say that.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
About a month had passed since I began my full duties as Ethan's exclusive maid.
The obstacles I'd anticipated from day one were piling up, and now my mental stamina felt like it was hitting its limit.
The reason? Obviously that damn pig bastard I had to face daily.
'I wanna quit.'
Exclusive maids didn't have to stick 24/7 like the stereotype suggested, of course.
Who'd clean the room or haul laundry? How would meals or sleep work?
Exclusive servants only needed to attend during three main situations.
One: when the noble was eating.
Two: when the noble went out.
Three: when the noble directly summoned them.
Outside those, no need to hover—maid or butler alike.
But those three required presence unless ordered otherwise.
Some nobles avoided summoning to preserve privacy.
Others skipped exclusive servants altogether to dodge the hassle.
Of course, none of that applied to me as that pig bastard's exclusive maid.
Against my wishes, Ethan summoned me constantly via exclusive maid call, dragging me to him whenever.
"Lilith, the young master was looking for you earlier?"
"L-Lilith... Young Master Ethan is calling..."
"Miss Lilith Rosewood, a message from the young master."
...Goddamn that little shit.
For nearly three weeks straight, defying my desire to avoid him, he'd been calling me every hour or so.
Enough to shatter my initial mindset of playing it smooth.
He'd even barge into the adjacent exclusive maid waiting room constantly.
When I carried his laundry to the wash maids or fetched cleaning tools, he'd summon me mid-task, disrupting everything.
And for what? At least say something meaningful.
No, just childish crap like hiding behind doors to scare me or tripping me—shit that left the victim feeling like garbage.
Playing along with that brat's games worked once or twice, max.
Several times a day, every day for a week? Impossible not to boil inside.
'Shouldn't have reacted on day one.'
If I hadn't dramatically fallen back, I wouldn't have to watch him gloat through rounds two and three.
...What can you do? Blame my own stupidity for entering his room thoughtlessly that first day.
A commoner maid couldn't just punch the noble young master, after all.
"Haaa..."
Bracing myself inwardly for whatever nonsense this time, I sighed amid the tension.
Keeping minimum maid decorum, I entered Ethan's room.
"...What is it this time, Young Master?"
"......"
"......?"
I'd braced for him to jump out yelling, but after opening the door and stepping in, no sign of the pig bastard.
Scanning the room, the damn brat wasn't even there—vanished.
Had he summoned me for a prank, then forgotten and wandered off?
Amusement at Ethan's no-show to his own exclusive maid was short-lived.
Suddenly, something popped from behind the door and groped my butt.
-Smack!
"...Eek?!"
"Gotcha! You let your guard down!"
Startled by the palm sneaking under my skirt, I let out a girly yelp on reflex.
The culprit—that pig bastard who'd slapped my ass—was already bolting downstairs, fleeing.
"...Fuck."
......That goddamn little shit.