~Chapter 8~
“…That’s it?”
Even if it was written in a rush and kept secret, there wasn’t even a simple “How are you?” How disappointing.
As I clicked my tongue and folded the note in half, a tiny spark flickered at the edge of the paper.
“Tsk, geez.”
Even in a hurry, my uncle always made sure to be thorough in this kind of thing.
He’d been in the underworld longer than I had, but honestly, he was still way too cautious. Sometimes, I even wondered how he managed to become a member of Lethe’s information guild.
“Let’s see… the letter of recommendation…”
I watched as the small flame fully consumed the note, then checked the envelope he had sent me.
“Ooh, not bad. This is practically flawless!”
The recommendation letter was so well-forged that even I, someone who spots fakes easily, was almost fooled.
And if I couldn’t tell it was fake?
That could only mean one thing:
“Wow, this recommendation!”
A regular hiring clerk wouldn’t have a clue it was a fake.
Not to mention—I’d specifically asked for it to be forged as if it came from a noble in the North.
These days, if the East was known for business and tourism, then the North was the so-called “Land of Opportunity.”
A city where anyone with talent could succeed.
Well, that’s what they told clueless commoners, anyway.
“…They call it ‘opportunity,’ but really?”
Any noble in the Laut Empire knew the truth.
Half the people chasing those “opportunities” were folks with scary pasts.
Just like how Count Chester in the East was called the casino king, Grand Duke Fernand in the North was still known as the head of the underworld.
Still, it wasn’t entirely a lie.
Whether it was shady or not, if someone managed to return with a northern noble’s recommendation letter…
“You’re looking for a maid job? Please, come in!”
…it meant that person really had skills.
“For someone of your caliber to walk in during times like this! You have no idea how thrilled we are.”
Even the veteran hiring manager looked giddy with excitement.
“Do you have a specific estate you’d like to work at? If not, I can show you the best ones available.”
“I do have one in mind.”
“Great! If it’s a place we work with often, that’s even better. Which one is it?”
The clerk clutched the letter excitedly, eyes sparkling, curious to know which mansion this rare gem wanted.
With my usual sweet smile, I replied:
“The Chester estate.”
“…Pardon?”
“I’m here to apply for a maid position at Count Chester’s mansion.”
The sparkle in the clerk’s eyes shattered instantly.
Of course, I knew why. I just smiled sweetly, pretending not to notice.
“Ahem, well! I’m sorry, but that estate isn’t exactly looking for experienced maids right now. Here, let me show you some other places…”
The veteran clerk flipped through a mountain of files and laid out several options on the table in front of me.
“How about one of these?”
“No thanks. I want to work at Count Chester’s mansion.”
“Are you sure? Not a single one of these others catches your eye?”
He pushed the files closer to me like playing a hand of cards. I just shook my head firmly.
“Hmm. Honestly, I didn’t want to say this and hurt our agency’s reputation, but…”
He scratched his head with a troubled look.
“Everyone we’ve sent to that mansion in the last few years has quit within a short time…”
Yes, I already knew that.
Of course I didn’t say it aloud, but I was well aware.
And I could understand where the clerk was coming from. The job agency’s reputation was tied to how long a hire lasted at a job.
“But I don’t have a choice. If I want the Star of India, I have to get into that mansion.”
So I waited patiently for him to finish his explanation.
“At most, people stay a year… And recently, only untrained maids have worked there, and even they transfer as soon as they hit the one-year mark…”
“That’s fine.”
Actually, that’s perfect.
Less chance of someone else showing up and becoming my competition.
More importantly, this was all part of my plan.
“To be frank, they haven’t really found anyone who fits the profile they’re looking for. That’s probably why even people like you who think they can tough it out quit pretty quickly.”
That part was news to me. Still, since I wasn’t there for a long-term job, it didn’t really matter.
“It’s okay.”
The clerk let out a sigh, realizing I wasn’t going to change my mind.
He then pulled out a sheet of paper, saying there was a special questionnaire for the Chester estate.
The paper looked so worn out and torn in places that it practically screamed “tragic history.”
“You’ll go through our interview first. Then you’ll have a second interview with the mansion’s butler.”
I sat up straight in my chair.
“A forged letter and two interviews… Hmph.”
It was more work than usual for a fake identity, but I wasn’t worried.
All I had to do was answer like a maid would.
I looked at the clerk with innocent eyes, and after some hesitation, he finally asked the first question:
“There’s a young master who only eats fruits and vegetables and refuses to touch meat. How would you get him to eat it?”
…So basically, there’s a spoiled brat sitting in front of me?
The question was so annoying it almost made me forget I was supposed to answer from a maid’s perspective.
“Do I… have to feed him?”
“…”
The clerk paused. Oops.
Okay, the question was a little weird, but I tried to think of a more reasonable answer.
“I’ll just figure out what kind of meat he likes.”
Maybe he just didn’t like pork or beef. Maybe he’d eat chicken or lamb?
I’d have the cook prepare all sorts of meat dishes, serve them elegantly, and if he didn’t eat any…
“Oh well. More for me.”
Just as I was about to say something potentially stupid, the clerk called my name:
“Miss Iris.”
His eyes still screamed “Please pick another job!”
Almost like he wanted to say, “You’ll never survive at the Chester estate with that attitude.”
“Looks like I’ll have to shut down all the other options first.”
With my experience in deception, I knew that cutting off all escape routes made people easier to steer.
So I changed my approach. I needed to seem slightly flawed.
“What if I disguised it to look like fruit? Like sugar sculptures, but shaped like apples—only it’s meat.”
The clerk blinked.
“You’re saying you’d… trick the master?”
“If he doesn’t know, then technically I didn’t trick him. Besides, he’d be healthier!”
“Oh… ahem. I see. That’s one way to look at it.”
Finally, the clerk picked up the Chester estate’s questionnaire seriously.
He even shoved the other job files under the desk to keep me from glancing at them again.
“Tch. As if I cared about those anyway.”
Feeling slightly offended for no reason, I was just about to pout when he asked the second question.
“Are you physically strong?”
Now that’s a more normal question.
Since I’d already eliminated the other choices, I shifted my tone right away.
“Of course! I have…”
Years of training running from dangerous men who tried to catch me in the middle of the night!
“A body of steel! I can go without sleep for a day or two and still run!”
“Well, the Chester estate isn’t that harsh. They don’t push the staff that hard. It’s not like maids have to run or anything.”
The clerk clicked his tongue, clearly unimpressed.
