The One I Want
"Do you know how to brew tea?"
"Is there anything else you wish to ask?" The interviewer regarded me with an air of refined elegance.
I swallowed once and asked her, "By any chance... what would an ordinary person usually receive as salary?"
"You certainly have quite the fondness for money," the woman said, regarding me with a smile that resembled a sneer, and continued. "It varies greatly depending on the occupation, but for a typical job a commoner might hold, one could earn around one gold coin per month. If you're skilled at your work, you might manage a few extra silver coins on top of that."
Her tone felt like a jab that said, Ten gold coins for a commoner like you? Don't be ridiculous.
I swallowed dryly at the reality of wages that proved far more meager than I'd expected.
Whatever. Let's just get hired first.
After countless part-time jobs at convenience stores, bars, and grilled-meat restaurants—and even a full-time café position at the end—I had suffered through them all and learned the value of money down to my bones.
I didn't know where this place was, but it was obvious that positions offering such generous pay were anything but common.
Having firmed my resolve, I straightened my back, lifted my head, and looked at the woman with serious intent.
The interviewer's eyes trembled, as if slightly flustered by my sudden change in attitude.
Riding that momentum, I gave her a single polite bow.
"Please excuse me. It was rude of me to ask such an improper question. Allow me to greet the interviewers once more. My name is Alice."
I had been through countless interviews in my previous life. There was no way I would fail something as simple as a maid interview.
"Let me greet the interviewers once more. My name is Alice."
Head Maid Rosea felt a wave of bewilderment as she watched the girl offer a courteous greeting before her.
Just what is this child?
Only minutes earlier, the girl had worn dry, indifferent eyes that suggested the interview meant nothing to her, along with questions so improper they had made Rosea frown. Yet now she was displaying a surprisingly convincing demeanor.
It was as if she had worked for years, the habit of treating others with absolute respect etched into her very skin.
Such a mindset was essential for a maid. No matter how capable one might be, without the willingness to serve under another, none of it held meaning.
Even so, something about it still displeased her.
The girl named Alice had completely reversed her attitude the instant she heard the salary offered here. Wasn't this revealing her intentions far too blatantly?
If only she had held her tongue, she might have stood a chance.
With a touch of regret, Rosea clapped once. A maid immediately wheeled in a large table on casters.
Upon it lay various items: a massive blanket that could easily cover three grown adults, an assortment of fruits and potatoes, a knife placed beside them, a copper kettle filled with vigorously boiling water atop a preheating magic tool, an empty teapot, tea leaves, and glass cups.
The three candidates stared at the head maid with puzzled expressions at the sudden appearance of the objects.
"You may consider this a light test. Please come forward one by one and show us what you can do."
What was being evaluated was perfectly clear. These were tasks a maid would perform countless times in the future.
Brewing tea might be rare, but basic cleaning and food preparation would be daily duties. They were not grand tasks, but then again, the position of maid was never about performing grand tasks. It was enough to demonstrate diligence and grace even in the simplest of chores.
"Then, we shall begin with Miss Drianne."
The girl named Drianne, who had shown signs of anxiety ever since arriving, rose with a trembling body and slowly approached the table, hugging the large blanket to herself.
"I-is it just to fold this?"
"Yes. Do it however you are comfortable."
At Rosea's words, Drianne spread the blanket wide across the floor and began folding it with slow, careful movements. Her small frame strained as she folded the enormous blanket in half, then in half again.
"H-huh?"
But when she tried to repeat the fold once more, panic clearly flooded Drianne's face. The blanket could no longer be folded any further.
Of course that would happen if you keep folding such a large blanket only in half.
Rosea let out a deep internal sigh at the utterly predictable sight.
From the beginning, placing a blanket meant for covering people onto the floor had displeased her. There was no need to watch any longer, but to preserve the young lady's dignity she remained silent, observing as the girl folded and unfolded it over and over.
After struggling for a long while, the young lady finally returned to her seat with a face flushed bright red.
Without lingering on her, Rosea turned her gaze to the freckled girl.
"It is Miss Enri's turn."
"Y-yes...!"
The girl named Enri picked up the fruit and knife. She peeled the skin reasonably well, yet there were clumsy aspects, and above all her heavy nervousness was unappealing.
Not to my liking.
While maids were typically a commoner's occupation, things were different in Valaxar. The previous Grand Duke's wisdom had been to prioritize those with ability and honor regardless of class. Grand Duke Arvian, who inherited those words, made little distinction between commoners and nobles.
That was why there were no mere "maids" in the Valaxar Grand Duchy. It meant that even commoners could sufficiently serve within it.
Even so, that did not mean just anyone would do. If the family's servants displayed unsightly behavior, it might be overlooked once or twice, but repeated occurrences would eventually direct the criticism toward the family itself.
As someone who had devoted twenty years to Valaxar, in noble society where rumors spread faster than words, she could tolerate no flaws whatsoever.
Anyone who joined the Valaxar Grand Duchy must maintain the appropriate level of dignity.
In that sense, the girl named Enri fell short of the passing mark.
"You have worked hard. Please return to your seat."
"...Yes."
Having apparently sensed her failure, Enri's voice was thoroughly deflated. After confirming she had sat down, Rosea spoke again.
"Next candidate, please step forward."
The girl named Alice, who had posed an impolite question from the very first meeting. There was no need to even observe her. She was already far behind the other candidates in both character and dignity, so Rosea had already mentally classified her as rejected.
Nevertheless, she had called her forward because the fair and great Valaxar Grand Duchy must give everyone an equal opportunity.
"Yes."
Alice rose and approached the table, grasping the blanket that was several times larger than herself.
"I just need to fold this blanket, correct?"
Rosea felt puzzled by Alice's unexpectedly calm face. Was she hiding something, or had she simply reached enlightenment? Not even the slightest trace of tension could be seen on Alice's expression.
"As you wish."
The moment the words left her mouth, Alice seized one end of the blanket and flicked her wrist, shaking it out with a large flourish. Then she caught the opposite side as it flew back from the recoil and began arranging the blanket with swift, masterful hand movements.
She did not simply fold it in half; she divided it properly according to its large size. In the blink of an eye, Alice placed the neatly folded blanket on the table and dusted off her hands. Organizing a blanket large enough for three people had taken her roughly ten seconds.
......
At the completely unexpected result, Rosea found herself staring blankly at Alice's handiwork for a moment, looking rather undignified.
The blanket had been folded so impeccably that it seemed as if every previous wrinkle had vanished. Moreover, those distinctive sharp creases somehow soothed the heart and captured her gaze.
It looked as though the blanket had been tended every morning for many years by someone with genuine skill.
"...Not bad at all."
Though genuinely surprised, Rosea nodded while carefully concealing her expression. This interview was merely to assess the fundamentals. Naturally, folding a blanket was hardly noteworthy. A maid would perform such a task multiple times a day. She could not offer praise for something so trivial.
"However, simply being good at folding blankets is not enou—"
"Here you are, interviewer."
Alice's snow-white palm cut off her words. Resting upon it was a raw potato with its skin peeled flawlessly.
She peeled it in that short time?
When Rosea glanced at Alice's other hand, she saw the crude knife and a single continuous potato peel removed without a single break.
"If it's potatoes, I actually know how to prepare several dishes. It's a shame the circumstances don't allow me to demonstrate."
Alice set the potato down with a face that genuinely looked regretful.
"You know how to cook, you say."
"Yes. For potato dishes, I've tried frying them. I've also steamed them quite often."
It was indeed surprising, but Rosea could immediately understand from Alice's reply.
She must have worked somewhere before coming here.
Given the lack of a family name, this girl was likely a commoner. That would explain her proficiency in household tasks, and her confidence with potato dishes probably stemmed from earning money through related work. Potatoes were one of the few ingredients commoners could easily obtain, and many began working at a young age to support their livelihood.
But if that were the case...
"Then, by any chance, do you know how to brew tea?"
This, at least, should be impossible.
Tea was the leisure and daily ritual of nobles—a beverage that commoners without funds would not casually touch. No matter how well one worked, without the refinement befitting the Valaxar Grand Duchy, she could not be accepted. Had they wanted only capable workers, they would have hired laborers from the lower classes. There would have been no need to embarrass so many noble young ladies.
"Tea?"
For the briefest instant, Alice's amethyst eyes sparkled like those of a child receiving a gift.
Could she possibly know how to brew tea?
Alice immediately moved the kettle from the preheating magic tool onto the stand on the table.
"I'll let the water cool slightly. Brewing tea with boiling water can cause a loss of nutrients."
"Proceed as you see fit."
"Also, might I warm the teapot a little? A cold teapot can ruin the flavor."
"...Bring a warmer."
At her command, one of the waiting maids quickly fetched a warmer. While the preheating tool was for boiling water, the warmer was simply for gently heating objects. Normally Rosea would have ignored such a request from a candidate, but an inexplicable sense of anticipation for the girl named Alice made her comply.
Alice placed the teapot on the warmer while allowing the kettle of boiling water to cool to the proper temperature. After a short wait, having confirmed both temperatures, she measured out the tea leaves, spread them evenly inside the teapot, and poured the hot water over them with graceful motions.
She stirred the water and waited another three minutes before finally pouring the tea into a glass cup and presenting it.
.....
A rich, savory aroma incomparable to the tea brewed by the other candidates rose gently from the cup. Rosea lifted the glass and took a slow sip. A clean, subtle flavor unlike anything she had tasted before spread across her tongue.
"...How can it taste like this?"
The method of brewing tea should not differ all that much. Just what subtle differences in those simple actions could create such a distinct difference in taste?
"The quantity of tea leaves, the temperature of the teapot, the temperature of the water—every single factor is important. The way the water is poured over the leaves matters as well."
Alice answered with a gentle smile.
Rosea simply stared at her in silence for a long while. In her twenty years serving the Grand Duchy, through the countless maids she had hired and dismissed, she had never once felt such an intense emotion.
This child. I want her.