Is There Water Nearby?
A thick river mist clung to the surroundings. From somewhere nearby, I heard a loud splash, as if something had jumped into the water. Startled, I whipped my head toward the sound.
“W-what was that?”
Common sense told me no one would be swimming at this hour.
‘An otter? A duck?’ My mind naturally went to water-dwelling animals.
As the fog began to thin, the silhouette of the mansion finally revealed itself. The sky was a bruised purple, the sun just beginning to peek over the horizon. Beneath it stood a massive, solitary manor.
“So this is where I’ll be working…”
I was a bit shocked. It was old. Incredibly so. The building—which might have once been white—was covered in dingy gray stains. If I hadn’t known people lived here, I would have mistaken it for a long-abandoned ruin. The image of a luxurious, grand capital estate I had conjured in my mind vanished instantly.
‘I had high hopes since they mentioned magic.’
I still didn’t truly understand what kind of world this was. I had simply assumed I’d been time-warped into something resembling the Middle Ages. However, the fact that nineteen was considered adulthood was strange; in Earth’s medieval history, adulthood was closer to twelve.
Now, though, the realization hit me clearly: this was not a world that existed in Earth’s history. Medieval history didn’t include magical contracts or automatic gates.
‘It’s okay. Who cares if it’s old?’ As long as there was no one like Joffrey, I was grateful.
Taking a deep breath, I bravely pushed open the front door of the mansion. Since the main gate had opened automatically and no one was there to greet me, I figured they expected me to see myself in.
Screeeech— THUD!
Perhaps I had been a bit too “brave.” The door broke.
“…Again?”
A disaster on my very first day of employment. Right then, my eyes met someone standing inside. It was an elderly man with white hair. Half of his face was draped in deep shadow. Clutching the broken door, I watched him warily. To any observer, I was a criminal caught red-handed destroying property.
“I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to break the door! I’m truly, deeply sorry!”
Apologize first. That was the rule. As I bowed my head hurriedly, the weight of the door shifted in my hands. Another grotesque, twisting sound echoed.
Crr-crack!
A moment ago, only one of the hinges supporting the door had snapped. Now, they were all so warped that the entire door leaf was about to come off completely if I pulled even slightly.
“This is, well—” Sweat trickled down my back. “I’ll fix it! I’ll put it back the way it was! Please, just don’t fire me—!”
“Incredible! You have marvelous strength!”
The old gentleman’s voice burst out, sounding genuinely impressed.
“Pardon?”
“You must be the new arrival, Miss Liliata Hayes? I am Eren, the mansion’s butler.” He offered me a bright smile. “Welcome to the estate, Miss Hayes.”
“Oh, uh… thank you.” I tried to reach out to take his hand but stumbled. I couldn’t let go of the door. “Mr. Butler, since I’ve already been rude, may I just… finish this?”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t think I can leave it like this.”
If the door was flimsy enough to break like this, it was bound to fall eventually anyway. I’d fix it properly later. I put some strength into the half-attached door.
Riiiiiip—!
With the satisfying sound of old hinges popping out, the door was fully detached.
‘Someone might get hurt if it falls.’ I propped the peeling, weathered door against a corner of the entrance.
Eren stood there, his jaw practically hitting the floor. Thinking that was that, I turned around, but felt a slight snag. Simultaneously, the sound of fabric ripping filled the air.
Gasp.
I inhaled sharply. Starting from my right shoulder down to the top of my left chest, my clothes were torn in a long, tattered diagonal.
“Oh dear…”
Don’t panic. Stay calm. I crossed my arms over my chest to cover the tear. As long as I didn’t move my hands, it looked perfectly fine. Good. Perfect.
Pretending nothing was wrong, I turned back to Eren with a smile. “I am the new maid, Liliata Hayes. I look forward to working with you.”
I believed that I would be sharing the mansion’s chores with this kind-looking butler.
“Actually, today is the day of my retirement. I only stopped by to see the Master briefly. I was just on my way out.”
“Retirement? Then is a new butler coming?”
“No. Because you are here, Miss Hayes.”
“Excuse me?”
“Due to… difficult hiring circumstances, things have turned out this way. Until we can find someone else, you must take responsibility for the mansion alone.”
Old and dilapidated or not, a mansion was a mansion. A large mansion.
“By myself…?”
The road ahead looked bleak.
“So, a new servant has entered that place?”
At the question from the person sitting in the seat of honor, the noblewoman who had brought Liliata in the carriage bowed her head.
“Yes. A mere girl from a rural peasant background.” She handed over the employment contract bearing Liliata’s signature.
“What did you think of her? Does she look like she’ll last?”
“I doubt she’ll last a month.”
“And the other applicants?”
“The sinister rumors have scared them all off. No one else applied.”
“It seems there’s a rat spreading tales.”
“My apologies. I will tighten security.”
“You had better. Unless you want to be the one sent inside that place yourself.”
A flash of terror crossed the noblewoman’s eyes. “I will handle it thoroughly.”
The person in the seat of honor nodded at her resolve. “In a month… make sure her funeral is a generous one.”
‘For your personal quarters, I recommend the west wing of the first floor. It’s not far from the kitchen, gets great sunlight, and having the stairs right next to it is convenient.’
Before leaving the mansion, Eren had given me some helpful tips. We couldn’t talk for long because of his train schedule, but that information alone was enough.
“Wow, this is nice.”
I decided to take the room he suggested. It was larger than I expected—it even had a separate study and bedroom. When I opened the windows, sunlight flooded the space, making it glow. The dark wood furniture, various fine paintings, and ceramics gave the interior a very high-end feel.
“This would make a great vase.” I picked out a ceramic piece I liked and set it on a shelf.
“The bed is so soft!”
The bed was my favorite part. It was just firm enough yet cozy, making me feel like I could fall into a deep sleep instantly.
“I’m so glad I came to the capital.”
The fact that I was the only servant in the mansion weighed on me a little, but…
‘It’s not a big family. He said I only need to serve the Young Master staying on the second floor.’
Eren had explained that the Young Master came from a very prestigious family and was staying at this villa to recover his health. And while outings were restricted, I could have anything I needed delivered.
As a 21st-century Korean college student, delivery apps were basically an extension of my soul. Tteokbokki, chicken, gopchang! I thought of my dear late-night snack friends. And incredibly, delivery was possible at this mansion!
I examined the ‘Magic Paper’ Eren had left behind. He said this paper was enchanted so that if I wrote down what I needed, a courier would bring it. I could even leave a note saying ‘Emergency Request’ for items I needed immediately.
“They deliver whatever I want, and it’s free?”
Even without a salary, I felt full already. The only problem was that I didn’t know how to read or write the language of this world.
