"Shasha. I heard you're quitting after today."
"Yes, that's correct, Baron Armond."
A finger adorned with a ring set with a large gemstone gripped the handle of a teacup.
That handle…
When I cleaned it, the empty space had seemed enormous.
'It's actually quite snug.'
Slurp—
As the teacup slowly touched the Baron's lips and fell away, I clenched my hands tightly on my lap.
I had to resist the urge to wipe the glossy tea from his lips.
"Why are you leaving?"
"I feel that I am lacking for working at Baron Armond's mansion. I wish to leave to gain a little more learning."
Learning from maid work?
Sheesh. She's just politely saying she's quitting.
Not that the Baron would understand.
"Your pay was 1,000,000 Francs per month, wasn't it?"
"…Yes, Baron."
Are you serious?
A million Francs was barely enough for a single household to live on for a month.
I had shot him glances a few times, but honestly, I didn't even want to answer.
After being possessed into this body, I realized I had already been employed here as a maid, without even a proper contract.
Sure, the pay was 1,000,000 Francs—but every break and meal time was cut from my salary, and even the lodging fees were taken.
And the supposedly "welfare-friendly" monthly leave? Unpaid!
But now, I was leaving, so I let it slide.
"I'll raise it to 1,200,000 Francs per month."
Ha. Funny.
Not funny at all.
"I'm sorry, Baron."
The Baron's eyes widened in surprise, as if he was seeing for the first time.
I felt my brows crease unconsciously, so I forced a small smile.
Yes, if he had really intended to trap me, I would've already been employed elsewhere.
The Baron's fingers spread wide, almost impatiently.
"I'll raise it to 1,500,000 Francs."
"I'm sorry."
Go ahead and try your best. Do you think I'll say yes?
Everyone before had only done the minimum for their pay.
I alone had polished and scrubbed meticulously—how exhausting it had been.
Damn… this occupational hazard from my previous life!
In my early twenties, I had been the successful owner of a cleaning company.
And I was dragged into this world just as I was about to buy my own house.
Well… thanks to that, I had even gone out to buy cleaning supplies and seen an incredible notice.
I got accepted without even trying much—so maybe it worked out in the end.
'Thank you, Baron.'
Lost in thought for a moment, I noticed the Baron's face across from me had turned bright red.
Like an angry toad.
"Where on earth have you been employed that you can refuse 1,500,000 Francs?! Just because you're good at cleaning, you dare—dare, as a mere maid—do this!"
"The House of the Duke Verma-nion."
"…What?"
The Baron, who had been shouting just moments ago, suddenly sank back as if his earlier anger had been false.
But the spit he had flung while upset glistened on the table.
Ugh, disgusting.
'…'
My gaze kept drifting to the filthy table.
Honestly, I was done with him, no longer his maid…
Sigh.
That occupational hazard again.
I dug into my pocket and pulled out two neatly folded towels and a bottle of liquid.
Splash—
I poured the liquid twice on the table and wiped it clean with a towel.
Then once more with a dry towel.
'Done.'
Looking at the perfectly clean table, I smiled with satisfaction.
Then…
I lifted my head and saw the Baron watching quietly, mouth agape.
Ah, right. I was in the middle of telling him I was leaving.
Hmm. Hmm. Where had I gotten?
Ah yes! When did you ever pamper me?
"The Duke of Verma-nion said he will pay me 5,000,000 Francs per month. And I only showed him a little cleaning during the interview."
"…."
"Even though I am inexperienced, I was employed as the Head Maid."
How about that?
The Baron wouldn't dare try to trap me now.
Five million Francs—enough to hire three maids at a million each and still have two million for his own indulgences.
"Th-The House of Verma-nion…"
As expected, the Baron could no longer speak. Trembling as if something had struck him, he covered his mouth.
Probably realizing the value of the sum.
"Well then, I shall be going. Baron. Thank you for everything."
"Thank you," my foot.
It had been dirty, and I never wanted to see him again.
Armond, or Almond, or whatever his name was…
I bowed my head so as not to see his face and left the reception room.
Heh, my steps felt light.
I held the black envelope containing the contract, personally handed by the Duke, and recalled the day of the interview.
Sure enough, the Duke's mansion.
Even something as simple as hiring a maid involved meticulous interviews.
The Duke Verma-nion's staff led each candidate to a separate room without a word.
Even that gave off an elegant air.
The unusual part: if a candidate cleaned the empty room alone, the next day a letter would arrive notifying whether they passed.
Naturally, I had passed.
The final interview was with the Duke himself.
First impression…
Absolutely incredible.
Silver hair fluttered in the gentle wind through the reception window.
Red eyes, unfocused as if bored, met mine, and my breath caught.
"I've come to see you, Duke."
"Sit."
A voice flat and emotionless, without even a single inflection.
The first truly mesmerizingly beautiful person I had seen in this world.
Honestly, I was so nervous I struggled to close my mouth.
Luckily, the Duke's gaze quickly fell to my resume.
"Where did you work?"
"I'm currently a maid at Baron Armond's mansion."
"I see."
A simple acknowledgment. I didn't yet know if the Duke had liked me.
Of course, I had decided the moment I entered the room that I wanted to work here.
"I absolutely want to work here."
"Any particular reason?"
"This place is… very—"
"Very?"
I took a deep breath.
Calm, calm.
But I could no longer hold back my excitement.
"Dirty. Even this reception room!"
I wanted to emphasize my cleaning skills—but really, I just couldn't stand it anymore.
From the moment I saw multiple handprints on the door handle, I should have guessed.
No, what shocked me most wasn't the Duke's appearance.
It was the window behind him—so filthy it was almost opaque.
That was the most shocking part!
I walked toward the window as if drawn.
Oh my.
Not long after, I was struck with horror.
The streaks of water…
"Who cleaned this that left water stains everywhere?"
Up close, it was even worse.
Better they hadn't cleaned at all.
The mop should have been wrung out at least five times, then wiped with a dry cloth to leave no streaks.
This… looked like someone had just smeared a wet mop on the glass.
I made a decision.
'Clean it.'
Yes, it must be done.
If I ignored it, dozens of streaky windows would haunt my dreams.
From my always-ready bag, I pulled out a cloth.
Rolling up my sleeves, left hand held the wet cloth, right hand the dry.
Ready.
A deep breath, and I began cleaning the nearest window.
…But I was angry from the start.
"Not even the corners cleaned."
Whoever did this had barely wiped the center carelessly—and still got paid? No conscience.
"Is there no Head Maid here? No one manages this?"
Just bringing a mop felt like too little.
If I had known, I would've brought a sharp tool to scrape the frames!
After fussing and cleaning two or three windows, I realized—this was the interview.
Ah.
"Passed."
---
End of Chapter 1
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