Episode 3

 

 

The path to the temple was bathed in bright sunlight, illuminating Anette’s way.

“The world is still beautiful.”

She was truly grateful to be alive. Looking up at the shining sun, she walked forward with determination.

After escaping from the orphanage where she had been abused, she always tried to stay positive.

To her, everything in the world looked beautiful.

The temple was not what she had imagined.

She had expected something like the temples she saw in Greek mythology comic books, but the building in front of her looked more like a massive castle.

Standing at the grand entrance was a knight in silver armor.

The knight had a stern expression, but Anette confidently approached him.

“I heard the temple is hiring maids, so I came to apply.”

“……”

“I’m good at cleaning!”

The knight looked down at the scruffy girl wearing an old robe.

There were always women applying to be temple maids, but most of them quit quickly.

Lately, fewer and fewer people have been applying.

The pay was lower than what noble households offered, but since most noble families only hired through connections, commoners without ties had no choice but to apply for temple work.

Some also applied in hopes of seeing handsome priests and knights up close.

But the work was much harder than expected, and most quit within days.

Recently, a large number of maids had resigned, leaving the temple short-staffed.

The knight led the small girl inside, but he could already tell—she wouldn’t last a week.

“Wow! I got the job so easily!”

Anette grinned. She had worried about a tough interview, but getting hired was a breeze.

The knight silently took her to the head maid of the knights’ quarters.

The temple was divided into two sections—one for knights and one for priests.

The knights were the ones in desperate need of maids.

The head maid was an older woman, around the age of Anette’s mother.

She didn’t ask many questions. Instead, she simply led Anette to her room and handed her a uniform.

The room was surprisingly large, much bigger than the inn she had stayed at the night before.

“Is it okay for a maid to have such a big room?”

There was no private bathroom, but the space was cozy and comfortable. The bed was soft, and the large window let in plenty of sunlight.

It was even better than the place she used to live in on her own.

Humming a tune, Anette changed into her new maid uniform.

She had imagined something short and revealing, like the ones in comic books, but she quickly realized how wrong she was.

The uniform was a long black dress with sleeves covering her arms and a high collar reaching her neck.

It looked more like a nun’s habit than a maid’s dress.

She tied a white apron around her waist, neatly styled her hair, and put on a white head covering.

“Nice! I look professional!”

Her beauty almost made her feel guilty about wearing a maid’s uniform, but she decided to ignore it.

Still humming, she left her room. The excitement of a new job filled her with energy.

For someone who had worked herself to death in her previous life, she was surprisingly enthusiastic.

She had always been hardworking—so much so that her former coworkers had jokingly called her a workaholic.

Headmaid Anna looked at Anette.

She was too beautiful to be working as a maid. Her unusual hair color also stood out.

Another one that wouldn’t last long.

Plenty of young women had applied to be maids before, mostly hoping to see handsome knights.

But no matter how beautiful a maid was, the knights never paid attention to them.

They had sworn vows of purity.

Some knights did break their vows, but they only sought women outside the temple.

And the work was exhausting.

Most applicants quit within a few days, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of chores.

The remaining maids were either desperate for money or older women working to support their children.

With the temple’s reputation spreading, even young applicants had become rare.

Since Anette would likely quit soon, Anna decided to push her hard from the start.

“Anette, right?”

“Yes!”

“You’ll be doing laundry today.”

“Laundry? Alright!”

Anette replied cheerfully.

It was going to be hand-washed.

A washing machine would’ve been nice, but of course, there was no such thing here.

Still, she didn’t mind. She was used to hand-washing clothes.

But she had never done this much laundry at once.

“Wow, that’s a lot.”

“You don’t have to finish everything today, but the bed sheets must be done by tonight.”

“……Alright.”

Anette stared at the enormous pile of white sheets.

Anna glanced at her expression and turned away.

Judging by the look on her face, Anette would probably quit by the end of the day.

She led Anette outside to the washing area, a large open space with running water.

Most laundry was done inside, but washing the heavy bed sheets was easier outside.

This was also a test.

Usually, new maids quit after being given this task.

Sometimes, knights came here after training to wash up, ignoring the maids completely.

Many women, embarrassed by their indifference, resigned immediately.

“Ugh, there’s so much.”

Anette filled a giant wooden tub with water and tossed in the sheets.

She lifted her skirt to her knees and stepped inside.

There was a washboard nearby, but she knew that stepping on the fabric was the fastest way to wash large items.

She felt like an actress in a laundry detergent commercial.

Humming, she worked hard, changing the water several times and stomping on the sheets energetically.

Just then, she sensed someone nearby.

“Wow… impressive.”

Turning her head, she saw a towering man, easily over 190 cm tall.

He was a knight, judging by his silver training uniform.

But he was only wearing the pants.

His upper body was bare.

Anette quickly looked away but couldn’t help sneaking glances at his muscles.

It was the first time she had seen a man’s bare body in real life.

And his was exceptionally well-built. This was an opportunity she couldn’t miss.

The man poured cold water over his head, and droplets ran down his sharp jawline onto his chiseled chest.

Anette swallowed hard.

“Wow…”

She was captivated. Was he trying to seduce her?

But then, he slowly turned his gaze toward her.

She gulped again.

His sharp features and piercing blue eyes gave off a cold, intimidating aura, but he was undeniably handsome.

His black hair and blue eyes made him look even more striking.

“You…”

He walked toward her slowly.

“Is this… a green light?”

Reincarnated with a fresh start, she had always wanted to experience dating.

And this man, with his broad shoulders and muscular frame, seemed like a perfect candidate.

She had never done it before, but she had heard that bigger was better.

However, contrary to her hopes, the man looked down at her with an expression of pure annoyance.

“Stop staring.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t look at me.”

“……”

How rude.

She had heard that handsome men could be arrogant, but this was ridiculous.

It’s not like looking at him would wear him out.

She had been excited for nothing—this was not a green light.

“I’m sorry.”

She forced herself to bow her head, though her mood soured.

She preferred kind, obedient men—not rude ones like him.

“Are you the new maid?”

“Yes. So what?”

“Stay out of my sight.”

Was he telling her to quit?

No way.

She had to keep this job. Free food and lodging? That was a dream job.

She planned to save up, open a café, and maybe even learn how to make desserts.

She couldn’t quit.

“Sure, I’ll make sure to avoid you.”

The knight seemed satisfied and turned away.

Anette watched him walk off.

His back muscles were impressive.

“And that butt… very firm.”

She planned to avoid him.

But that very night, fate brought them together again.