Three days had passed since that unknown promise was made.
Keeping in mind that, as a trainee maid, I had to wake up early in the morning, I hurriedly washed and finished preparing myself. Just then, someone knocked on the door and spoke.
“Yvonne, Lady Juliet is looking for you. Hurry and go to her.”
The voice of the head maid was clear, urging me to come out, though she didn’t sound particularly concerned about my well-being.
Even so, she was of a higher rank than me—shouldn’t I follow her words?
That thought crossed my mind for a moment, but the face and words of the maid I had seen in the dining hall lingered in my mind. Just this once, I decided to keep the promise.
So, I didn’t respond to the call and simply sat on the bed. Before long, the hallway grew silent.
‘Are they waiting for me to come out?’
I couldn’t hear any movement in the quiet corridor—just like the worn-out clock in the room that never stopped ticking.
Ten minutes passed.
Then, the sound of footsteps echoed—sharp, deliberate. It seemed they had been waiting but eventually gave up and left.
‘Now, the only thing left…’
…was to visit Lady Juliet, who had summoned me late at night.
“Remember, Miss Yvonne, above all else, ‘Lady Juliet’s orders’ take priority. Even if you’re cleaning a window, you must stop immediately and go to her when she calls.”
On my first day of work, Susan had emphasized this as she explained my duties.
“Lady Juliet has no personal maid. She used to, but for certain reasons, she doesn’t anymore.”
The head maid had been more passionate when talking about ‘Lady Juliet’ than when explaining working hours or other minor details.
“If there’s one thing you should know about her, it’s that she loves ‘strawberry tarts,’ ‘sherbet,’ and ‘madeleines.'”
Since I might be called upon at any moment to bring her something she wanted, I made sure to remember her preferences.
‘It’s late, but I should go, right?’
Perhaps she had called for me over something trivial. Maybe, now that three days had passed since my arrival, she had gotten curious and wanted to see my face.
“Lady Juliet’s room is on the far left of the third floor.”
As soon as I resolved to go quickly, I recalled the layout of the mansion that I had been shown with great effort.
Thanks to my good memory and the tour I had taken while listening to the head maid’s explanations, I didn’t lose my way after leaving my room.
I was lucky in many ways.
And so, under the silent mansion, I arrived at Lady Juliet’s door and knocked twice, just as I had been taught.
“Come in!”
She was said to be in her early twenties, so I had expected a mature tone, but the bright and lively voice that greeted me made me doubt my ears for a moment.
“You called for me, Lady Juliet.”
As I stepped inside, I saw her wearing a pink nightgown adorned with lace, kicking off her slippers one by one.
It was as if she was trying to throw them onto the highest branch of a tall tree—the slippers arched through the air before landing on the floor.
If the master of the mansion, her father, the Marquis, were to see this, he would surely scold her, saying, “What an unrefined act!”
But who was she? She was the sole lady of this mansion. If she wanted to throw her slippers, the best course of action was to accept it as natural and move on—it would make working here much easier.
“So, it’s you? The new hire.”
When I looked at her, trying to ignore the slippers scattered on the floor, I noticed her violet eyes gleaming.
“There’s only a limited number of staff, so when did they decide to replace one? Did someone quit without me knowing? If so, hiring a new person makes sense.”
She twirled a strand of her silver hair around her finger, then flopped onto her spacious bed.
“You do know, don’t you? How I chose you?”
Suddenly, she said something incomprehensible.
It wasn’t Lady Juliet who had picked me—it was the head maid, Susan. I clearly remembered that during the interview, it was the head maid sitting across from me.
“Judging by your expression, you don’t seem to know. The final decision on hiring staff isn’t up to the head maid—it’s up to me. Even if she hires someone, if I don’t like them, it’s as if they were never hired.”
Hearing this for the first time, I couldn’t help but feel bewildered.
“When you had your interview, I was probably watching from somewhere. Perhaps from a prepared room.”
After casually revealing this, she scanned me up and down and muttered, “Not very useful, huh?”
‘But why doesn’t she speak in the third person?’
Before I came here, I had heard rumors—Lady Juliet was known for speaking in the third person and was said to have a dual personality.
Moreover, even today, while receiving an explanation from the head maid, an additional remark was made: “The young lady only speaks in the third person.”
“Ah, using my brain after so long is exhausting. I should eat something.”
It seemed she intended to have a late-night snack before sleeping. If that was the case, I silently sent my condolences to the head chef, who had probably just finished cleaning the kitchen.
“Hey, what was your name again?”
“It’s Yvonne, my lady.”
“Right, Yvonne. You’ve just been hired, but it’s always best to know everything about the one you serve. So, let’s test that. Tell me, what do I like?”
It felt like being subjected to a leading question, but since it was expected of me to respond sincerely, I quickly went through my memory.
“Lady Juliet likes strawberry tarts, sherbet, and madeleines.”
I repeated exactly what I had heard from the head maid.
“That’s generally correct, but that’s not ‘me.’ I don’t really like those things. And today, I want walnut pie. Bring it to me immediately. That’s what I want to eat.”
Not a single one of the previously mentioned strawberry tarts, sherbet, or madeleines had ever passed her lips.
‘Walnut pie in the middle of the night?’
I began to feel sorry for the head chef, who was probably still stuck in the kitchen past working hours. It reminded me of myself, working overtime despite it being the end of my shift.
“Oh, and one more thing!”
She added with an excited tone.
“I’ll have walnut pie again tomorrow afternoon. So, bring it to me as a snack then.”
One walnut pie. Then another.
I memorized the increasing quantity and scheduled time and gave a slight nod. When I did, I saw her face light up with joy.
“Great. Head to the kitchen right now. Hurry! I want walnut pie this instant. And while you’re there, bring back some fresh fruit juice too.”
I wasn’t sure about the chef’s exact working hours, but all employees probably finished around the same time. If that were the case, the kitchen might be completely empty by now.
“What are you doing, just standing there?”
She urged me impatiently.
“By the way, just how many days have passed? If I can suddenly move again, that must mean something shocking happened. Did I see something else?”
Leaving her mumbling absentmindedly while clenching and unclenching her hands, I exited the room to ask the head chef for walnut pie and fresh fruit juice.
‘The kitchen is on the first floor, right? Finding it might take a little time.’
Since places like the kitchen, which I rarely needed to visit, were only explained when cleaning assignments were given, all I knew was that it was located “on the first floor.”
But I couldn’t afford to keep my employer waiting. I had to find the kitchen quickly without wasting too much time.
‘I’ll start with the first floor.’
Under the dark sky veiled with rain, I relied on the dim lights glowing within the mansion as I walked. Just then, sensing someone nearby, my gaze instinctively shifted in that direction.
“Oh, it’s Miss Yvonne.”
The owner of the familiar voice smiled brightly, his eyes curving gently.
“Good evening, Leon.”
Seeing a familiar face, I couldn’t help but return the smile.
“Yes, good evening, Miss Yvonne.”
His green hair, reminiscent of vast meadows, shimmered faintly under the moonlight. His golden eyes, as if made of sweet honey, reflected my image.
His name was Leon.
Like me, he had started as a probationary employee. We were hired on the same day, yet in just half a day, he had already won over everyone’s hearts.
“How old is he? What do you think?”
“I just ran into him a moment ago, and he greeted me! Just looking at him brightens my mood. Now, this is what I call workplace morale!”
During dinner, nearly everyone in the dining hall had brought up “Leon” as a common topic of interest.
‘Of course. Who wouldn’t like someone kind to everyone?’
I, too, understood why everyone was so fond of him.
With his delicate features, his ability to handle tasks effortlessly without being asked, and his natural sociability—who could possibly dislike or resent someone like him?
Even though it had only been half a day, I already had a feeling. Leon and I might get along well as colleagues, and perhaps, in time, we could become reliable workplace allies.
“I had a separate task assigned to me after dinner, so I finished it and was on my way back to my room. But what about you, Miss Yvonne? What brings you here at this hour?”
As his curious gaze turned toward me, a desire to share everything welled up inside me.
How could I possibly come up with an evasive answer in the face of such a gaze, one as pure as a child’s?
“Lady Juliet was looking for me, so I am on my way back. She said she absolutely wanted to have walnut pie and fresh fruit juice, so I was just about to stop by the kitchen, even though it’s late.”
At that, he let out a short “Ah,” as if briefly processing the information, before making a suggestion.
“In that case, may I accompany you to the kitchen, Miss Yvonne?”
When he made the offer, a thought crossed my mind.
How did he know the exact location of the kitchen so soon, when even I, who was hired the same day, wasn’t entirely sure?
TL/N: THIS GUY IS KINDA SUS. THO, I THINK HE’S THE ML,,,LOL. (NOT A SPOILER, I’M READING THE NOVEL WITH Y’ALL 😭)
* * * *
If you want to support the Translator, Translator’s Ko-Fi:
