"Alex."
"Y-yes, Head Maid!"
The monster—no, Alex, snapped his legs together and stood stiffly upright when I called his name.
"Hm…"
I turned the pages of the report. Alex shuddered, and the chandelier hanging from the ceiling swayed dangerously close to his face.
That's going to fall one of these days.
"Chandelier. Hold it steady."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Alex hurriedly grabbed the chandelier and forced a strained smile at me once it stopped moving.
'Well, that should do.'
The ceiling was lower than his height, so he stood awkwardly while glancing nervously at me. I decided that was enough for now.
To explain how I even came to know his name, we need to rewind a few days.
Alex's height wasn't officially measured, but even at a glance, he was well over four meters tall.
That's why I had assigned him, along with the slime monster, to clean the exterior walls of the mansion.
But when I went to check the second day, suspecting he might slack off… sure enough, he looked down at me with disdain.
"Head Maid, forgive me, but this rag is far too small for me. If I try to scrub the mansion walls with it, my arm will come off first."
He tossed aside the perfectly laundered rag I had prepared, onto the ground, no less.
As if that wasn't enough, he leaned lazily against the mansion wall and even crossed his legs.
'What's his problem?'
With a body that looked like a tree from head to toe, he was neither intimidating nor impressive. Honestly, if he kept his mouth shut, I could barely tell him apart from an actual tree next to him.
But then I discovered his weakness.
For all that size, the ground under his feet wasn't caving in. The grass beneath him wasn't even bent.
Meaning? Despite his size, he was ridiculously light.
I waved him over casually.
"Come here and sit down for a moment."
"…?"
He blinked in confusion but obeyed. As expected, calm words spark curiosity.
The giant sat down on the lawn, yet the blades of grass beneath him didn't even flatten.
That's when I quickly wrapped dozens of wet rags around his arm.
"W-what are you…!"
In a flash, I tightened them firmly and lifted his arm to scrub the mansion wall.
'Perfect!'
It polished beautifully! He was basically a giant scrubbing brush.
After using Jameson's tentacles as cleaning tools on the first day, I had discovered a whole new world.
These monsters were far too convenient for cleaning!
One more free cleaning tool acquired.
Even the slime monster, who had been sprawled lazily on the lawn, soon ended up holding a rag and wiping away grime.
And the next day, Alex came to me.
"Head Maid."
"Yes?"
"My name is Alex."
"Oh, I see, wait, huh?"
He announced it with a solemn expression, hand placed firmly over his chest.
…Wasn't he the one who swore never to tell me his name, out of pride?
Anyway, back to the present.
While I was reviewing the paperwork, Alex wavered as he held the chandelier steady. Too light for his size, that much I already knew.
I closed the report, one I had already checked dozens of times.
"I inspected the mansion exterior earlier."
"Yes, ma'am."
"It's much cleaner than yesterday."
"R-really?"
Alex looked moved, almost to tears.
"Yes. But on the far right corner of the second floor, there was still some mold buildup. Please focus on that area."
"Understood, Head Maid!"
"Good work today, Alex."
"Thank you!"
Alex bowed his massive head gratefully, only to bump into the chandelier again.
The impact left a dent in his wooden face.
'Good thing it's not flesh and bone.'
I pretended not to notice and turned away as a sigh escaped from behind me.
Later, at six in the evening, after the day's work ended.
The servants confirmed the human Head Maid had gone to the dining hall before gathering quietly in the corridor.
They spoke in hushed tones, fearing she might overhear.
"…We can't keep living like this."
"How are we supposed to endure being ordered around by such a lowly creature?"
"She's a mortal who won't even live a hundred years!"
"I've been shoveling horse dung in the stables for a week straight!"
Complaints turned into outrage, voices gradually rising.
Some even admitted, in despair, that they had already surrendered and given the Head Maid their names.
One monster's eyes brimmed with tears at the humiliation.
"No matter if Master hired her, she's still human."
"Exactly. If a human is needed, we can replace her with another!"
The loudest protester was
With countless tentacles for arms and a cephalopod-like face, he had once ruled the cosmic seas, feared as the terror of the deep.
He trembled as he recalled the horrific moment when his tentacles had been plunged into a bucket of water.
Back then, he had frozen in shock. In fact… when drenched, he had almost felt a strange peace of mind. But still, he had been utterly humiliated.
He had even tried to kill the human maid in retaliation, yet his mind nearly shattered the moment he felt murderous intent.
Why?
Sure, he was bound to the Duke and couldn't use his full power anymore. But killing one mere human shouldn't have been impossible.
The answer was clear.
"She must be under a contract with Master. One that prevents us from killing her… that wretched little creature."
Jameson wrapped his tentacles around his shoulders and trembled.
The other monsters fell silent.
Where was the terror of the seas now?
Once, he had sunk countless ships crossing into the cosmic sea, swallowing sailors whole. He had been called the Kraken.
And now? Reduced to scrubbing floors because of a human woman.
The corridor fell still. Morale plummeted.
One monster finally spoke up.
"If we explain how much we're suffering, Master won't ignore us. He couldn't have foreseen this outcome."
The words spread like wildfire.
"Yes, exactly!"
"Let's tell Master!"
"Yes! Yes!"
They marched upstairs with renewed confidence. But once they reached the Duke's chamber door, they froze.
No one wanted to knock.
Creeeak—
The door opened from within. The Duke himself appeared.
The monsters, who had lined up neatly, instinctively stepped back at the sight of him.
"What is this?"
His voice was so devoid of emotion, so flat, that it made the very air freeze.
Though quiet, every monster heard him. A chill ran down their spines.
Jameson forced himself to speak.
"Master, it's about the human Head Maid you hired."
"Yes."
"She keeps mocking us. She plunges my arms into water buckets, uses us as rags… This is unacceptable!"
Unable to meet the Duke's gaze, Jameson stammered, then struck his chest in frustration.
The Duke leaned against the wall, listening silently.
…He must be on our side!
Encouraged, the other monsters spoke up.
"I've never walked on land before, and now my feet are blistered!"
"I've been shoveling dung nonstop in the stables!"
"I clean the mansion exterior every day… actually, it feels strangely fulfilling."
"Silence! Why are you even here?"
Their bickering filled the corridor.
The Duke frowned at the noise.
"My contract with the Head Maid only states that you may not harm her. Beyond that, do as you please."
His tone was weary, as though dismissing a trivial matter. He waved a hand and closed the door.
"…Ah."
The monsters blinked.
Then realization struck.
That contract only protected the Head Maid from physical harm.
Their lips curled into sinister smiles.
---
End of Chapter 5
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