They left their master's office...
[Chiyo: Follow me.]
Then Chiyo positioned herself in front of Lior, beginning to walk down the long corridor they had crossed earlier.
Lior felt uncomfortable after having been with his master; it had been a rather unpleasant experience. He also felt uncomfortable with the clothes he was wearing, as he felt exposed—his outfit was for a woman, and he was not a woman.
The cat boy noticed something quite unpleasant during the introduction.
"It seems my master has a fetish for his maids… that includes me."
It was easy to imagine him as a degenerate, but the way he acted went beyond that.
"Besides, his personality is strange. He exaggerates the way he speaks in moments of calm, but becomes a completely different person in moments of seriousness."
[Lior: That really scared me…]
When Akuma stood in front of Lior and placed both hands on his cheeks, the cat boy had been paralyzed with fear, able only to stare at the other's face with his mouth slightly open.
"I'm scared of what he might do…"
His bipolarity was a serious problem, since his reactions were impossible to predict.
[Lior: My master is deranged…]
[Chiyo: Hey.]
[Lior: Nyah?]
Chiyo came to an abrupt stop, and Lior reacted the same way.
[Chiyo: Look at this door.]
[Lior: …]
As Lior stopped, he was addressed and looked to his left.
[Chiyo: The cleaning tools are inside. Go in and bring them out.]
[Lior: …]
[Chiyo: Do it the way a maid would.]
"…"
Lior merely nodded with his body, knowing he could not disobey. Earlier, Chiyo had already hit him, and the threat she had made about a whipping punishment seemed very real.
The servant boy approached the door and opened it, finding a fairly small space containing multiple brooms, mops, and buckets, as well as several shelves with cloths and cleaning accessories—something quite simple and orderly.
[Chiyo: Bring a mop and a bucket. I'll show you where to find the water, the herbs, and the vinegar.]
[Lior: …]
Lior went to where the mop was and grabbed it. Next to it was a wooden bucket, which he picked up and lifted. He turned around and headed back toward the exit.
[Chiyo: Close the door.]
[Lior: …]
After leaving the small room, Lior leaned the mop against a wall and set the bucket on the floor. He turned around elegantly and closed the door, then returned to pick up the bucket and the mop again.
[Chiyo: You're fairly decent, but you still lack discipline.]
[Lior: …]
[Chiyo: Follow me.]
Chiyo resumed walking, while Lior followed her with the bucket held in his right hand and the mop in his left.
They walked and walked until they finally reached the main staircase they had climbed earlier.
Both of them carefully went down each step, then headed toward a corridor on the opposite side of the previous one.
They walked and walked down a long hallway until they reached the far end of the mansion.
There were two doors there, which Chiyo quickly opened.
Inside was a rather large room, with tables, shelves, and above all—
[Lior: More… maids…]
It was a kitchen—a large kitchen. Inside were several maids cleaning, organizing, and cooking, along with a man who was most likely the mansion's chef.
All the maids were focused on their work, but they were interrupted by the sound of the doors opening. All the staff turned to look at the two people who had just entered.
"…"
An uncomfortable silence settled in.
[Chiyo: She is the new maid.]
"…"
[Chiyo: She'll learn quickly. Continue with your work.]
Chiyo didn't hesitate when she spoke; she already seemed used to this.
But…
All the staff stared at Lior from head to toe. The gaze of each maid lingered on Lior's body—more specifically, on his chest.
It could be said that… something didn't quite add up.
[Chiyo: Get back to your work. Don't waste your time on nonsense.]
Even though everyone was curious about the new maid, their work mattered more than that, which was why Chiyo ordered them all to work properly.
Everyone present returned to their tasks. Chiyo and Lior headed toward a shelf on the left side of the room.
As the two maids walked, Lior began to hear whispers and murmurs. Each maid talked about the new recruit chosen by the master. It seemed to be common knowledge that the new maid wasn't actually a woman, but a man. This made all the staff present start talking improperly about Lior.
"What the hell…" Lior thought as he walked.
Now he was the weirdo who dressed like a woman.
"I guess I'll have to get used to this."
Lior couldn't turn back; he simply couldn't. His master was the reason he was dressed this way, and he couldn't disobey orders.
[Lior: Tsk…]
"How annoying."
Had they never seen an effeminate man before? What a bunch of idiots.
"Besides, I look way cuter than you."
His body was very well-shaped, just a bit undernourished. His hips were divine, and so was his waist.
[Lior: Hah… jealous.]
"…"
Lior had strayed from the main point.
"…"
Chiyo stopped in front of the shelf full of small ceramic bottles, grabbing one in particular. Then she quickly headed back toward the exit, with Lior following, carrying the mop and the bucket.
"I look stupid," Lior thought.
Chiyo and the cat boy finally left the uncomfortable place.
[Chiyo: The vinegar is on that shelf. Next time, you'll do it yourself.]
[Lior: …]
[Chiyo: The herbs are outside, as you can imagine.]
[Lior: …]
"Yeah…"
Chiyo and Lior arrived at the great main hall, where the large front door was located.
That was when—
[Chiyo: Leave everything here and follow me. I have to show you where the aromatic herbs are.]
[Lior: …]
"Sure…"
Now that Lior understood it, in this world—being in a fairly ancient era—there was no industrial soap or anything like that. That was why they were looking for different things to clean with.
"How messed up," he thought.
"…"
Lior set the bucket and the mop down on the floor and proceeded to follow Chiyo, who was holding one of the two doors of the "grand front door."
Both of them exited the mansion.
"Now that I think about it… I haven't even bathed or gotten myself properly ready to work."
Chiyo didn't wait even a second to carry out her master's order, which meant that Lior was now taking on a huge and rushed responsibility.
As Lior thought about that…
[Chiyo: We've arrived.]
[Lior: Huh?]
[Chiyo: Here's the rosemary. It'll be very useful to you. Memorize its location.]
Lior had been very distracted and hadn't even noticed that they had already reached the destination Chiyo had in mind.
[Chiyo: Over there is rue, and over there is lavender.]
[Lior: …]
[Chiyo: Did you understand?]
[Lior: Yes… miss.]
"…"
[Chiyo: Take a few. Quickly.]
Upon receiving the order, Lior hurried to gather the herbs.
They all smelled very nice and had a beautiful appearance. They were very well cared for; it was clear how much effort the staff put into maintaining the garden as a whole.
After Lior picked some herbs—lavender and rosemary—he returned to Chiyo.
[Chiyo: Very good. You're quite obedient, little kitty.]
[Lior: Mmm…]
[Chiyo: Follow me.]
Chiyo turned elegantly and headed back toward the main door, with Lior following close behind her. The walk was fairly short, since the herbs were located to one side of the mansion's exit, quite nearby.
But…
Ahead…
As Lior and Chiyo passed in front of the mansion, Lior managed to notice something at the far end of the grounds.
[Lior: Ah…]
At the other end of the area, many slaves were working. They carried large sacks that, by their appearance, were clearly heavy.
There stood the butler Lior had seen earlier, holding a whip in his hands. From time to time, he lashed slaves who couldn't bear the weight—or simply for standing still.
[Lior: …]
Gender didn't matter; all the slaves were subjected to severe torture, so each one tried to hurry as much as possible. It was a horrible, cruel sight.
[Chiyo: You could have been there.]
[Lior: Huh?]
[Chiyo: Remember that you're a maid only because the young master chose you. Otherwise, you'd be working just like them.]
[Lior: …]
[Chiyo: Be grateful for his mercy, filthy cat.]
Chiyo took advantage of the moment to rub in the fact that Lior was nothing more than a slave. If he misbehaved, something like forced labor or a bit of "discipline" would surely be his punishment.
[Lior: …]
Lior was mentally exhausted, but—
[Chiyo: We've arrived.]
He was quickly pulled out of his thoughts. The maids had reached the "grand front door," as Lior had come to call it.
Chiyo opened one of the two doors and stepped aside to let Lior pass.
Lior entered with the rosemary and lavender in his hands, and then Chiyo closed the door after both of them were inside.
[Chiyo: Throw the herbs into the bucket and add vinegar. Now we need to go to the well.]
[Lior: …]
Lior proceeded to do as ordered, adding the herbs first and then the vinegar from the small ceramic bottle.
[Chiyo: Good. Now hand me the bottle and follow me.]
Once again, Chiyo set off, with Lior holding the bucket and the mop. They walked and walked until they reached the end of the hallway that, earlier, he had traversed partway with the red-haired woman.
There was a wooden door there which, when opened, led to the outside of the mansion. Outside stood a well, which Chiyo and Lior approached.
Chiyo began turning a crank to lower a bucket tied to a rope. When she heard it hit the bottom and knew it was completely full, she pulled it back up.
She then took the bucket and poured a considerable amount of water into the bucket Lior was holding.
The catboy had set the mop aside to focus on holding the bucket, tilting it slightly so it could better receive the water.
After pouring enough water, Chiyo placed the bucket back into the well and picked up the bottle of vinegar she had set aside.
With the bucket now full, it felt a bit heavy to Lior. His body was weak and hungry, since only a few hours earlier he had gotten out of the carriage, and since then he had done nothing but move from one place to another.
[Lior: That doesn't change the fact that this body is really weak, nya.]
His body was thin and malnourished, though he still had enough flesh and muscle to handle something as simple as a bucket.
Lior picked up the mop he had set aside and turned back toward Chiyo.
She was waiting for Lior to recover himself.
[Chiyo: Let's go.]
Chiyo resumed her usual walk, with Lior following behind her.
"…"
They entered through the door they had crossed earlier, and Chiyo stopped to close it. She took a moment, then turned back toward Lior.
[Chiyo: Since you're here, you're going to start working now.]
[Lior: …]
[Chiyo: Your duty is to clean this entire hallway. After you finish this one, you have to continue with the other one that connects to the kitchen.]
[Lior: …]
After finishing part of the explanation, Chiyo slipped one hand into a pocket of her apron and pulled out a dry, thick cloth.
[Chiyo: Afterwards, with this cloth, you'll clean every window in these hallways.]
[Lior: …]
[Chiyo: You have to finish before nightfall, because after that you'll have to help me with some other things. Your duty is to learn, help, and serve. Don't forget your place.]
[Lior: …]
[Chiyo: The floor must be spotless by the time I come back. You have to clean thoroughly, since this is your master's mansion. If you're useless at this, they'll simply discard you, so do it properly.]
[Lior: …]
"Thanks for reminding me once again that I'm trash."
Lior stood there holding the bucket in one hand and the mop in the other.
After finishing her instructions, Chiyo gave Lior a rather intimidating look and walked away down the same hallway.
"…"
As Chiyo walked farther and farther away, Lior set the bucket on the floor and properly grabbed the mop, dipping it into the mixture of water.
Once the mop was thoroughly soaked, the catboy pulled it out and began scrubbing the floor.
"This is going to be a lot harder than it looks," he thought.
He had been tasked with scrubbing almost the entire first floor—at least he hadn't been given the job of cleaning the main hall.
"Besides, there's a huge carpet that covers that whole place, so I don't think it'd be very nice to have to clean that."
That carpet was enormous and extremely luxurious. What would happen if someone accidentally stained it? Surely, that person wouldn't make it out alive.
"Literally wouldn't make it out alive."
The rules of this mansion were incredibly strict.
"Uh… but… now that I think about it… they didn't even tell me the rules."
Chiyo was supposed to be his guide, and earlier she had told him she would explain the rules of the mansion, but in the end she hadn't said anything. Lior would have to guess what was right and wrong on his own.
[Lior: Plus, I'm worried about being way too ignorant in this world.]
Lior knew nothing about the history, the customs, the culture (though he could guess a little), or the geography of this world.
All he could do was make assumptions based on what he had seen and experienced so far. The most accurate conclusion he could reach was that he was in the middle of a medieval era, in a magical world with different mythological races.
[Lior: Even I'm an unreal being, nya…]
He was a beastman, of the cat sub-race, as far as he could tell.
His body was fragile and delicate, perfectly suited to fit into a maid's uniform. His dignity and pride no longer really mattered—he had lost them the moment he realized he was a slave.
[Lior: I'll have to… adapt, nyo? Ugh… I'm still not used to the unconscious nyas.]
The only way to survive in this new world would be to adapt, since he could no longer return home.
[Lior: I don't even know how I got here.]
The last thing he had seen from his world was his bed. How he wished he could see his family again, even just once—if only to say goodbye.
If there were some way to return…
[Lior: Well… I don't think there is one. I have to stop being so naive.]
Life is harsher than one thinks—something his parents used to tell him often, especially in those moments when laziness took over.
Surely…
[Lior: I'll learn the meaning of that here…]
Being a slave in the medieval age was the worst fate one could be given—that much was clear. But Lior hadn't lived long enough yet to truly feel how clear that was. So far, he had suffered a few blows, but nothing beyond that.
[Lior: Time flies. I'll probably get used to it quickly… well, I have to get used to it quickly. It's actually an obligation, nya.]
Living in a parallel world is surely the dream of many, but Lior had never really been interested in that. He only wanted to enjoy his youth before it slipped away.
Even though he didn't have a clearly planned future, he wanted to discover his own strengths and what suited him best. That's why, when he went to university, he would study whatever pleased him most. In the end, what he wanted least was to waste his family's money.
His parents were very hardworking. Being a teacher is a difficult profession to carry out. Between planning classes, attending meetings, dealing with parents, dealing with students, and receiving a decent salary, time was never enough. They always gave their best to keep their family afloat. They wanted their children to study and become professionals.
But…
Now Lior…
He was no longer with them. He could no longer fulfill those dreams. He could no longer be by their side.
Feeling guilty for not being able to be there was such a disastrous, horrible, disgusting sensation. Lior despised that feeling.
Just thinking that… he would never return.
[Lior: Ahg…]
It caused him agony… an agony that consumed him from the inside out.
"…"
[Lior: I have to keep going… and keep going…]
"Maybe someday… perhaps… I'll return."
Perhaps… someday…
[Lior: I just have to hold on to that hope… and maybe one day I'll achieve it.]
Life is harsh, and Lior will have to learn that the hard way.
[Lior: For now, I just have to mop the floor. Mop and mop… the order is to mop, so I have to carry it out. And maybe… someday I'll make it back.]
For now, all Lior had to do was soak the mop in the water and pass it over the floor until it shone.
[Lior: Mop… nya…]
Mop and mop.
Until the end…
"..."