CH 40

“Please release all the servants who were punished for failing to prevent the escape of the monster.”

Those who are imprisoned.

All I saw was Ella, but she wasn’t the only one who was punished.

Argen frowned at my words.

“It’s off topic.”

“I apologize.”

As expected, will this not work?

It was a crazy sound. 

Until now, even if Argen was generous to the arrogant maid, it was unclear whether he would leave the maid alone who dared to talk about the owner’s decision.

“Why? Isn’t she a maid who has nothing to do with you?”

Argen showed pure curiosity instead of expressing displeasure with my presumptuous request.

“…We don’t have anything to do with each other, but.” 

Ella just talked to me a few times and was a maid without much connection with me. In addition, some don’t even know each other at all.

But—.

<I heard the monster was looking for the pink-haired maid!>

My head was ringing as if Ella was screaming in my ear.

According to the original story, Richard can’t escape now.

Besides, does he get better when he’s with me? There must be my influence on his escape.

‘I must have unintentionally helped.’

It’s my fault that Ella was imprisoned. So I couldn’t pretend I didn’t know.

“I need to be sure that the Marquis doesn’t harm me.”

“What kind of certainty is that for you?”

“The Marquis may not know, but the unexpected actions of the high person give a certain kind of certainty to a mere maid like me.”

I hesitated for a moment.

“The fact that they are safe is also evidence of reassurance for me, who are in the same position. That’s why I’m asking you this favor.”

Argen, who heard my request, looked indifferent.

“I wonder if you’re valuable enough to make me grant all those requests.”

“The value is up to the Marquis to judge, but I think I can keep the underground monster from escaping.”

I looked back at the memories of the day Richard ran away many times.

—Obviously, it was my power that kept Richard from escaping.

If I can use that power, I might be able to play the original work as Argen wants.

Of course, if I stay here without running away, the original won’t change.

“Rosie, as you said, if that monster really likes you, it will be worth it.”

“….”

I bowed my head deeply when Argen put the lie that I had randomly told in order to live.

You don’t believe me anyway—.

“I just think it’s worth appointing me as the exclusive maid among many maids.”

“You’re good at talking.”

Argen gently pressed his temple down after saying that.

I didn’t miss the moment his face frowned.

“…Are you sick?” 

“No.” 

I asked him because he didn’t look good, but I didn’t know such a sharp reaction would come back.

While suppressing the pain and pretending to be calm, he suddenly showed displeasure when I asked if he was sick.

“I understand your request, so go ahead and leave, Rosie.”

So, are you going to listen to me or not?

I had to leave the room without receiving any confirmation.

******

When I became Richard’s exclusive maid, I was deeply troubled.

I pondered the vague contents of the original story in my head and wondered if there was anything that could be of any help to me.

‘Come to think of it—’

I think the time has come for ‘that person’ to enter this mansion.

The person who greatly contributed to Richard’s escape from this mansion.

At the same time, a person who will decide my life.

“I heard new male servants came in yesterday?”

“That’s right. It would be nice to have fewer workers there.”

Just in time, the maids who were working cleaning the window near me brought up the story.

I turned my head and asked them.

“What do you mean?”

“R, Rosie—”

“Is it true that new servants came in yesterday?”

“…I heard you became the exclusive maid.” 

The news that I had become an exclusive maid spread quickly, so the maids around me felt sorry for me.

“It’s okay, Rosie. You’ll just have to keep an eye on him so he doesn’t escape.”

“That’s right, Rosie is good at work.”

“No, guys. I’m fine. But what do you mean a new servant came in?”

“Rosie. I guess you didn’t know because you weren’t interested in this kind of thing? Was it three or four? I heard he picked new servants.”

Is he already picked it up? 

As in the original story, there was no progress in the relationship between Argen and Richard, so it was impossible to understand the flow of the story.

So I thought it might be at the beginning, but the spy—.

‘Maybe not this time, but maybe the next one?’

“…Do you know when the Marquis will hire servants?”

“That’s what we don’t know either. It’s not that we hire people on a regular basis, we hire people when we need them.”

“That’s right. However, because the pay is so high here, there aren’t many open positions. So there won’t be a lot of hiring, right?”

If so, the spy is very likely to have come in at this time.

“But Rosie, now that you’re a maid like this, can we treat you like before?”

“No. Just do what you’ve been doing.”

They jokingly offered comfort as if they were worried about me.

I was grateful for their efforts to lighten the mood, but it was not comforting.

A maid even gave me a gift.

“It’s a hairpin I bought last time I went on vacation, Isn’t it pretty? Rosie, I think it’ll look good on you.”

“Why is this—”

“Rosie, you helped me before. It’s a gift. Don’t hesitate to accept it.”

I unintentionally accept the gift. It was a hairpin that looked like a binyeo. (비녀 mean Korean traditional ornamental hairpin)

“Ah! Do you want me to put it on you?” 

The maid kindly put a pretty hairpin in my hair. She said that it suited me well. 

“Thank you, but I really don’t need this.”

If something comes, something must go.

I couldn’t give something back now, so I tried to refuse, but the maid whispered with a solemn face.

“No, you’ll need it. It’s a secret….”

The maid secretly put her mouth close to my ear.

“Actually, when you turn the pin, the knife is hidden.”

“….?”

Why on earth do you have such a knife?

I wondered, but I thought it would be good to keep it, so I decided to shut up.

“Thank you. I’ll take it well.”

It was a friendly atmosphere.

The sunset was falling like that.

“I’ll go now. I have to go get the meal.”

“Goodbye, Rosie.”

The maids around me look at me pitifully, perhaps because they feel bad for me.

As I went down the stairs like that, I could see a servant looking around.

I wondered whether he didn’t know the way because he couldn’t do it.

“Come to think of it, I heard that new servant recently came into the Marquis.”

Did he forget the way because he seemed clumsy?

I approached the man wandering around the hall.

“Excuse me—” 

“Huh!” 

As I approached, the man was surprised as if he had been caught committing a crime.

“W, what is it!” 

“I didn’t mean to surprise you. I’m sorry. You looked like you were in trouble, so I wanted to help you—”

“I, I don’t need it!” 

I tried to help, but I was puzzled when the man got angry; I was puzzled.

Smiled awkwardly, said okay, and stepped down.

As expected, being nosy doesn’t suit me.

The man also left in a hurry, probably because of me. It looked pretty suspicious.

‘Suspicious.’

I waited for a long time to see the man leaving his position urgently and went downstairs to bring Richard a meal as scheduled.

******

Clank.

Richard stared at the restraint balls on his wrists and ankles.

“…As expected.” 

It was the point at which the part that had been long thought became certain.

The last time he escaped, he tried to take the maid with him but failed miserably. The reason is the scent emanating from the maid.

Unlike before, he lost consciousness as soon as he smelled the scent.

After that, when he woke up, he felt as if it had blocked his magic. As if it locked the lock.

The funny thing is that the lock is suddenly unlocked, and Richard’s power returns at some point.

The problem is it will soon put the power to sleep again.

Richard pulled out the restraint ball from his wrist and repeated folding and unfolding his hand.

Rosie would be surprised if she knew.

In the meantime, whenever the power returned, Richard worked to neutralize the power of the restraint ball.

He casually tried to use magic.

Magical power slowly bloomed in his hand, then extinguished like a candle when it blew it out.

At first, he thought it was because of the restraints, but again, the maid must have done something to his abilities.

‘It’s difficult.’

This will interfere with his escape.

Richard thought as he kicked the restraint ball he had pulled off again.

Now it was time for the maid to come.

As he had expected, there was a scent that he liked to smell when the maid came.

The closer it got, the stronger the scent.

Richard felt the sensation and smiled pleasantly.

It was then.

“Rosie!”

The unpleasant voice of the man welcomed her.