Chapter 2
It was just past noon that day.
As expected, we were reported by the baron for assault and threats.
Damn it. I hadn’t even finished collecting the laundry yet!
“Miss Daisy, a maid working for the Weatherwoods household. And the person behind you is the head maid here, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“I’m Officer Thomas. Please come with me for a moment.”
The head maid and I were taken separately for questioning. Well, to be precise, the head maid only answered a few questions, and I was the only one brought into an interrogation room.
When I entered, it wasn’t a police officer sitting there, but another man.
With a heavy, serious atmosphere, he flipped through some documents before finally speaking.
“Nice to meet you, Miss Daisy Fager. I’ll get straight to the point. We’ve found something unusual about your identity. This may be unpleasant, but we must address it.”
I could feel his sharp gaze probing my reaction.
I shrugged, signaling I didn’t care.
“First, when were you employed at this mansion?”
“Ten days ago.”
“What kind of work were you doing before coming to this city?”
But I soon fell silent.
This question was troublesome.
Simple reason: answering it properly would take a very long story.
I am Daisy, a maid.
But before I became a maid, I had another name.
Andert.
The Emperor’s Sword.
One of the heroes who stood at the forefront of the ten-year Magic War, protecting humanity’s fate.
That was me.
***
Ten days earlier, at a labor agency in the city.
“Next applicant.”
I quietly raised my hand, and a strict-looking woman with silver-rimmed glasses glanced at me.
“Come in.”
I followed her into the office. As I sat on the simple metal chair in front of the desk, the door closed behind me.
In front of me sat an even stricter-looking woman than the secretary who had guided me.
She flipped through documents while sipping coffee, clearly exhausted from endless interviews.
I glanced down at the number pinned to my chest.
“Interviewee number 38.”
No wonder she looked tired.
“Nice to meet you. You’re very beautiful.”
After carefully examining me from head to toe, the interviewer spoke.
“What’s your name?”
Good question.
“Daisy Fager.”
My real name is Andert Fager.
To hide it, I chose an alias that sounded unmistakably like a maid’s name.
I guarantee there are over a thousand maids in this world named Daisy.
It was the perfect mask to guide me into the harsh world of labor.
Even the most experienced interviewer would be weak against familiarity.
“You share a surname with a hero of the Magic War. Though it’s quite a common name. What about your family?”
Good question.
“I have a younger brother.”
My younger brother died long ago while protecting our homeland.
His name was Andert Fager.
Using ancient magic, I had changed my original female body into a male one and lived for years under my brother’s name.
The name my parents gave me—I abandoned it long ago.
So long ago that I no longer miss it.
“Where is your hometown?”
Another good question.
My hometown, along with my brother’s, is now an uninhabitable island called Quin.
Quin Island, the southernmost of the empire’s southern archipelago, suddenly turned into a sea of flames one day.
The empire sent troops multiple times, but it was useless.
The culprit was the archmage Mephisto, who slaughtered tens of thousands to gain immortality.
From that moment, Mephisto became humanity’s greatest enemy.
To defeat him, thirteen nations united under the empire to form the Magic Alliance.
The war lasted ten years.
The Magic Alliance ultimately won—but at a devastating cost.
Four years after the war’s end, the world was finally beginning to recover and move forward again.
Of course, that didn’t bring my burned homeland back.
“What’s your height?”
“170.”
“That’s quite tall for a woman. It’ll definitely be an advantage in the job you’re applying for.”
Nice compliment.
“We’re almost done. Just a few questions left. You have no prior experience as a maid—what have you been doing until now?”
An even better question.
“Unemployed.”
I had been one of the commanders of the Magic Alliance.
And I fought on the battlefield alongside the hero of that chaotic era, Raphael.
“I can’t entrust my back to anyone but you, Andert. You’re the only one I trust. It may sound strange, but sometimes I think… if I had a lost sibling, it would be you.”
Raphael, the supreme commander of the allied forces, was humanity’s hope and salvation.
We defeated countless enemies, gathered precious allies, and advanced step by step.
At last, we returned to my homeland, which had become Mephisto’s stronghold.
But at the end of that journey—
The fate given to me was death.
“Damn it, let go of my hand! Wait! Stop right now, Andert! You can’t die! I won’t let you die like this! Come back, Andert Fager!”
Yes.
I definitely died.
I stepped alone into enemy territory, believing it to be a noble sacrifice for humanity.
…So why did I come back to life?
After four whole years.
And the male body I had trained with ancient magic was gone.
Only a weak female body remained.
“What made you apply for this job?”
Ah.
A very good question.
“Money.”
The answer is money.
Hero, noble, commoner—it doesn’t matter.
Living requires money.
That truth still applied to me, even after surviving the final battle with Mephisto.
I needed money.
Not more, not less—just enough to live for three years.
“Last question. What kind of household do you want to work in?”
An important question.
“A place so harsh and terrible that if two people worked there, one might die without anyone noticing.”
“…What kind of employer do you want?”
“A ruthless employer who squeezes their workers dry.”
The interviewer looked at me like I was insane.
But only for a moment.
“Good work. That concludes the interview. You’ll hear from us within a week, so be prepared. And take this book with you.”
Did I pass?
Before leaving, I accepted the small book she handed me.
“The Art of Speaking Politely.”
When I looked up after reading the title, the interviewer was staring at me like I was a golden pig rolling around.
…Why a golden pig?
I would find out a week later.
At my second job in life—
As a maid.
***
The agency contacted me the very next day.
The interviewer handed me a note with an unfamiliar address and added a short explanation.
“You’re very lucky. It’s rare to find a job in just one day. The place you’ll be working at is a large mansion in the city’s central district, and the owner is Baron Weatherwoods. The Weatherwoods family is one of the most prestigious in the empire. In some ways, working there is an honor.”
I nodded and reached for the note, but she held onto it tightly and said:
“I have one request. Stay at least a week before quitting. If you leave too quickly, it’ll hurt our agency’s reputation.”
I nodded again.
But she still didn’t let go.
“Didn’t you read the book I gave you yesterday? A maid must be polite. Answer with words, not just actions.”
I remembered using the book as a pillow on a park bench the night before.
Of course, I hadn’t read it.
“Okay.”
“Use polite language.”
“…Yes.”
“It would be better if you answered more kindly. Adding ‘Understood’ wouldn’t hurt either. At least as a maid. Try again.”
What a strict woman.
I knew it was sincere advice, but I still felt a bit rebellious. I pressed my lips together for five seconds before forcing them open.
“Yes, understood.”
I don’t like talking much.
This voice still isn’t familiar to me.
Not just my voice—my shorter height, softer features, and smoother skin all feel unfamiliar.
After living for ten years as Andert Fager—a commander of the Magic Alliance, and as a man—this female body feels like it belongs to someone else.
It feels like I’ve been forced into an ill-fitting frame.
To the point that I can hardly believe I was originally a woman fourteen years ago.
“Well done. Much better.”
Still, I couldn’t keep rejecting my own body forever.
Since I had become a maid, I figured I’d slowly get used to it.
Very, very slowly.
“You may go. I hope this place—Midwintry—becomes your new home.”
After leaving the agency, I asked street vendors for directions to my new workplace.
“Oh, that place? It’s easy to find.”
Apparently, the mansion I was headed to was quite famous.
And it really was easy to find.
Right in the middle of the bustling city—
Stood a gloomy mansion that wouldn’t look out of place being called a haunted house, radiating an overwhelming presence that was impossible to ignore.
