Chapter 07
“I—I’m not involved in anything!”
What kind of terrifying words were those! I quickly waved my hands, denying it. We’re just employer and employee!
I insisted strongly, but the butler didn’t seem to believe me. His suspicious gaze toward me hadn’t wavered at all.
Taking out his pocket watch, Normington muttered as he checked the time.
“Anyway, we need to hurry if we’re to carry out the master’s orders. The city’s dress shops close early.”
“The city?”
“Yes. So change your clothes and let’s go.”
“Y-yes.”
Damn this rigid class society!
When the carriage arrived in the city, it dropped Normington and me off and then left. I briefly considered escaping, but Normington held onto my arm tightly, making that impossible.
As instructed by his master, Normington led me straight to a high-end dress shop catering exclusively to noblewomen. How did he know it was the best? Well, he had overheard the maids back at the estate talking about it.
Regardless, we boldly opened the shop’s door.
Jingle! The sound of the bell announced our entrance, and a stern-looking woman immediately appeared. Normington spoke without hesitation.
“I’d like to order dresses for this young lady. Five in total. The deadline is next week.”
The woman frowned sharply as she looked at me. It was obvious from her expression that she was displeased.
“This place isn’t open to just anyone. You’re obviously a commoner…”
“This is an order from Viscount Croydon.”
“…….”
Her expression changed subtly. She seemed curious—why would Viscount Croydon personally order dresses for a common maid? I pretended not to notice and glanced around the shop. I wasn’t planning to stay long anyway; dresses were the last thing on my mind.
Finally, she spoke reluctantly.
“Since this is an order from Viscount Croydon, we’ll do it… but if people learn that we made dresses for a commoner, our clientele will be very upset.”
“……What are you trying to say?”
“Pay double the usual cost. Also, I’ll come to the Underwood estate myself.”
The Underwood estate was where Eiden Croydon lived. I silently watched the conversation unfold while they discussed the arrangement.
I raised my hand quietly.
“……Um, excuse me.”
Both the shop owner and Normington turned to look at me. I calmly asked, under their watchful eyes:
“Where’s the restroom?”
Their expressions turned strange.
“……Out the back door, then the right-hand door.”
“Thank you!”
I needed to let out a proper scream to relieve some stress.
While I, Luana Polly, was away, Normington scrutinized the fabrics with the sharp eye of a skilled butler. But in his mind, other thoughts were racing.
“What on earth is going on between Luana Polly and my master?”
Normington couldn’t understand it. He didn’t get why his master would want to have a common maid’s dresses made, let alone why he would take her to a charity party.
Frowning and pressing his fingers to his brow, Normington’s imagination ran wild. He pictured his master with Luana Polly, already in the study, acting unusually close. Five custom dresses, the invitation to the charity party… the pieces all fit together in his mind, building a scenario.
‘No way…’
In Normington’s imagination, Luana Polly became a young maid pregnant with the master’s child.
‘Makes sense…’
He recalled recent moments of her looking weak, barely eating, or startling whenever the master called her. His imagination painted scenes of the two laughing and playing together. Luana’s belly was swollen… and the child resembled Eiden Croydon, with purple eyes like hers.
“That can’t be true!”
“Ah!”
Mrs. Penelope clutched her chest in surprise. Normington, with eyes wide open, made a firm decision.
“I need to go look for the maid. It’s been a while, and since she hasn’t returned, she must be lost. She’s terrible at finding her way.”
“…Oh, y-yes. Please do.”
Mrs. Penelope replied, but he didn’t hear her. He had already dashed out of the shop.
Right now, there was only one thought in Normington’s mind:
I must find Luana Polly!
For the sake of his master, he resolved firmly to find her.
“Ughhhhhhh!”
Eiden Croydon, you crazy bastard!!!!
I couldn’t bring myself to say the rest out loud, so I shouted it in my head.
“It’s disgusting—I’m running away!”
I vented my frustration in a back alley near the dress shop.
‘This isn’t the time for this.’
Now was the perfect chance. My chance to escape! I recalled my original plan to flee to the neighboring city by carriage.
As I turned a corner to find a coachman, Normington suddenly appeared from the alleyway.
“Luana Polly!”
“Ah! You scared me…!”
Normington approached quickly, a grim expression on his face, and grabbed me.
How did he know I was here?
“There’s no time. We must go back quickly.”
‘I can’t!’
But resisting was useless; I was just a frail maid.
“Y-yes…”
I had no choice but to let him pull me along.
Over the past few days, I had tried my best to escape. I had done everything imaginable, yet Normington always found me.
‘How does he manage to find me so easily?’
I grumbled while stomping on the wet mop.
‘But really… what does it mean?’
I recalled Eiden Croydon’s words. The quest log had said: “The first person to be killed by an outsider from the world beyond.”
Then, even if the person I killed wasn’t Eiden Croydon, would the resurrection ability still have appeared?
There was no way to know now—how disappointing.
Sighing, I poured out the dirty mop water. It smelled exactly like my future: grimy, sticky, and unpleasant.
My life from now on would be filled only with such foul, sticky hardships.
But before that…
Please, let me escape.
I prayed earnestly to the gods.
