Chapter 7

“Lita, are you awake? Thank goodness. You’re up sooner than I thought.”

“The doctor said there’s nothing wrong. He thinks you just overexerted yourself lately.”

“…”

I must have fainted.

‘Well, the quest notification was shocking enough to warrant it.’

Honestly, I just wanted to stay sprawled out forever. However, since all servants were required to accompany the funeral procession, I had no choice but to drag my heavy body out of bed. At the very front of the long procession, a servant held the flag of the Rubel family high; behind them followed the coffin and the direct family members. Further back were the relatives and us, the employees.

“It’s raining so hard. I suppose Lord Robert’s heart isn’t at peace even on his day of departure…”

“Would you be at peace in his shoes? If he had at least completed the succession before passing, Lord Hereis would have become the heir.”

Shrouded in black cloaks, we walked near the very end of the line alongside the other servants. My roommates were whispering through the rain, clearly worried about their job security.

“We don’t know for sure yet, do we? The family council might still elect Lord Hereis.”

“That’s unlikely. It’s rare for a nephew to take the seat when the former head’s younger brothers are still alive and well.”

“Then it’ll be Lord Carlo or Lord Jeffrey… ah. Hmm… effectively, it’ll be Lord Jeffrey.”

“Most likely, yeah…”

Jeffrey Rubel. The youngest of the Rubel family who had been wandering aimlessly abroad, only returning for the funeral. Just as my roommates predicted, he was the protagonist destined to inherit this Dukedom. The reason the notorious idler Jeffrey would leapfrog his older brother Carlo to take the seat was simple. He was the only legitimate son remaining among the direct descendants. Carlo was the child of the head-before-last and a maid, whereas Jeffrey was the child of the second wife.

While some factions argued that Jeffrey was unfit to lead a Ducal house, the majority would eventually agree—mostly because of the vassals’ ambition to rule the Duchy themselves using the foolish Jeffrey as a puppet.

‘Normally, this would have nothing to do with me…’

But with a quest like that, I couldn’t help but be concerned. According to the quest, if I had to become the mistress of the Rubel family, I’d have to sedu— fli— seduce… damn it, this is driving me crazy. I need to find another way. This isn’t it.

“If Lord Jeffrey becomes the head, it might actually be good for us.”

“Because he probably doesn’t have many servants of his own, so he’ll keep us on to maintain the mansion?”

“Exactly!”

“K-keep your voice down, Isabella!”

Isabella, usually the composed one, had chimed in with a bit too much excitement. Fortunately, the sound of the rain was thick enough that no one nearby seemed to catch the details.

“Oh, my. I shouldn’t have done that during the procession…”

“Just thank the heavens, Isabella.”

One month has passed since the funeral. Without any surprises, Jeffrey Rubel was selected as the head of the household. It had already been over three weeks since he took up residence in the mansion. Despite having a new master, a sense of stillness and silence permeated the estate. It made sense, considering how many people had left since the event.

‘Is this all of it? I really lived quite simply.’

I stuffed my few belongings into a reasonably large suitcase and headed for the main gate.

“Lita, I never imagined you’d be the one leaving the mansion…”

“I thought if anyone left, we’d all leave together.”

I picked a suitable response. I waved my hand and stepped through the door.

“Haha, even on a day like this, you’re acting so cold.”

Hearing my reply, they offered light smiles and bid their farewells.

“Safe travels! Keep in touch!”

“I’ll come visit, so write down your address and send a letter!”

I didn’t really intend to keep in touch, but I nodded anyway. The massive gates groaned shut, leaving me alone outside the estate. The rainy season had passed, and the clear sky was pouring down bright sunlight. Well… alright. Let’s start this new chapter.

“Wow, I’m screwed.”

-LOL

-LMAO

“Usually it’s supposed to be ‘Poor’ by this point, right? This is my first time seeing ‘Very Poor.’”

-Who knows?

-Time to restart the game.

“No way, I just finished the prologue. Why would I restart? My mental strength will recover the moment the heroines show up. People these days just have no patience, that’s the problem.”

-Boomer vibes.

“The question now is which route to take… What do you guys think?”

-I thought you were going for the Edelina True Ending?

-Or maybe try a completely different heroine?

-How about Mina?

• I like Arianne!

“I do want to see Edelina’s True Ending like I originally planned. But the fact that the prologue branched off like that makes me think it’s related to a Hidden Route.”

-True.

-Hidden Route then?

“If I can aim for it, I’m gonna try~.”

“Uh-uh! Spoilers are a bannable offense. Here we go again.”

-Gasp

-Alert! Alert!

-It’ll be hard without spoilers though.

-Is it completely impossible?

-Not completely

-Has anyone even cleared it yet?

-Someone posted something about it on the fan cafe.

Ding-ling—

“Oh, she’s here already. The first one is definitely Mina… Huh?”

“Hello.”

Phew. Glad I got here before Mina. The person who showed up at the protagonist’s house was, well, me. I stood boldly before the flustered face of the protagonist and spoke.

“You’re…”

“Are you, by any chance, looking for a maid?”

The day I received that quest, after Robert’s funeral, I agonized over it. About the contents of this bizarre, grotesque quest.

Become the Mistress of the Rubel Ducal House…

As if trapping a man in a woman’s body wasn’t enough, now they wanted to force me into a marriage.

‘I have absolutely no clue what the intention behind this is.’

But look at that reward.

Success: Return to the user’s reality.

What else could that mean? It meant they’d send me back to my original world! So, no matter how crappy it felt, what choice did I have? I had to do it, right?

‘I’ve put together a rough plan, but…’

There were too many variables to know if it would work. Still, I had to struggle. I refused to just sit still and wait for death.

“You… Belita, was it?”

“Yes.”

“How did you find this place?”

…That was something I couldn’t explain to him. Before coming here, I had visited the Head Maid to ask for a letter of recommendation.

“Lord Hereis disappeared so suddenly after that day without a word… we don’t know where he is either. The Duke said the young master is a grown man now and not to worry too much, so we haven’t even thought about searching for him yet. I’m so worried…”

I see. I did recall reading that Hereis vanished as if fleeing from the shock of Robert’s death.

“Ah. It’s alright. Could I ask for a letter of recommendation for now?”

“I can give you one, but… are you really going to be okay?”

It was a bit awkward, but I was fine. After working hard to raise my affection levels, the roommates’ scores had passed fifty, and a notification had popped up.

And in that shop…

I had wondered why they sold stuff like this. After hearing the Head Maid’s words, I bought one of every item. Even if I’d played the game before, a Location Tracker was practically essential in a dating sim full of auto-travel, random encounters, and skipped scenes. That’s how I found my way here. Of course, I couldn’t say that, so I simply held out the recommendation letter bearing the Head Maid’s seal.

“I’ve come with a recommendation from Head Maid Francisca.”

“From the Head Maid?”

“Yes.”

The protagonist hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“It’s not that I need a maid right now…”

“I have personal circumstances that require me to work here. Please, I beg of you!”

As I bowed my head to show my desperation, my body suddenly moved out of my control. This sensation?

Regarding Belita’s proposal…

It was a choice. Because of the change in my behavior, just like back at the cliff, the protagonist was given a prompt! My fate now rested on Mo Je-won’s decision.

-You gotta accept.

-Is this a branching point?

-I think there really is something up with Belita.

-Is she a Hidden Character?

“There’s no reason not to accept~.”

Fortunately, the moment Mo Je-won clicked the first option, the protagonist swung the door wide open to let me in. Simultaneously, my body became free again.

“Come in for now.”

Stepping into the protagonist’s home, I looked around. The house itself looked nice, but as expected of a man living alone, it was a mess. Compared to the Ducal mansion, it was a cozy interior closer to a modern Western-style house. However, it was also a familiar space.

‘It’s the background that appeared most frequently in the game, after all.’

Of course, depending on how things progressed, it might only be a temporary stay.

“Sorry the place is a bit cluttered. Have a seat.”

The protagonist gestured toward a rectangular six-person dining table. Just as we sat down to talk, the bell hanging on the door rang.

Ding-ling—

Looks like the next guest has arrived. When the protagonist opened the door, a pink-haired woman bounded in like a rabbit and dove straight into Hereis’s chest.

“Lord Hereis!”

The woman clinging to the protagonist was Mina Ploca, one of the heroines. She was the daughter of the Ploca family, vassals of the Rubels, and the older sister of the protagonist’s squire, Drott Ploca.

“Mina? How did you…”

“I begged Lady Rachel, and she finally told me! I’m sorry for coming unannounced! I was just so worried, I couldn’t stand it…”

“Ah, so my mother did.”

The protagonist’s voice dipped into a slight gloom. However, he quickly erased that trace of emotion and thanked Mina for her concern.

“There’s absolutely no need to thank me! Oh… your complexion is so dark.”

Ever since Robert’s death, the shock had caused the protagonist to remain holed up in his house. What made it worse was Mo Je-won’s failure to manage his character’s Mental Strength—the protagonist was unshaven, and a musty smell clung to him from not washing properly. To endure all that while clinging to him… I suppose this is what it takes to be a heroine.

As soon as Mina followed the protagonist into the house, she came face-to-face with me standing awkwardly in the room.

“He-Hereis-nim. Who is that woman?”

“She applied to be a maid. Since I’ve left the estate to live alone now, I thought I might need someone, so I was planning to accept her.”

“You’re going to hire someone to work in this house? Don’t worry about that! I’ll be your maid, Hereis-nim!”

This was exactly why I had tried to get here before Mina. I knew for a fact she’d try to make sure I couldn’t even set foot in this place. Even if she tries to force me out, I’m already inside, so I have a reason to insist on staying. The protagonist, surprised by Mina’s declaration, asked back.

“You?”

“Yes! Despite how I look, I’ve received all the proper training. I’m a talent who was almost chosen as a lady-in-waiting for the Princess. So, kick a woman like that out of the house immediately!”

The protagonist looked at me with a suggestive gaze, seemingly swayed by Mina’s sharp remark. It was silent pressure telling me to leave on my own. But I couldn’t just walk out quietly. On the other hand, I wasn’t sure if it was even possible to kick out a heroine. So, for now…

“I apologize, but wouldn’t you still need an employee to handle the cleaning and cooking? I imagine it would be difficult for a young lady to handle all of that herself.”

“W-well, that’s true.”

Choosing coexistence was the right move. Mina, apparently not wanting to take on the burden of cleaning the whole place, hesitated without a retort.

“Th-then, the authority over this house belongs to me. You are a subordinate under my command.”

There are only two employees, and you already want to establish a hierarchy…? Well, at least she’s simple-minded. That’s a relief.

“How about I take charge of managing the residence while the young lady focuses on attending to Lord Hereis? We can divide the labor.”

I had no desire to wait on that guy anyway. I’d much rather clean. I figured this was a win-win path for both of us.

“That sounds great! You’re quite smart!”

“I’m not sure why this is proceeding while excluding me, the actual owner of the house.”

“Do you dislike it?”

Mina looked up at the protagonist with her trademark “wronged puppy” eyes.

“Really…?”

Unable to withstand that sparkling, desperate gaze, the protagonist reluctantly gave his permission.

“Sigh. I’m counting on you. Both of you.”

“Yay!”

“And Belita, let’s have a word in private for a moment.”

Mm, I think I know what this is about. It’s probably regarding the wages. At this point in time, the protagonist has no money. Since he’s currently in conflict with Lady Rachel, it’s difficult for him to receive support from the family. He has to live solely on a knight’s salary, which, being a public official’s pay driven by a sense of duty, is quite meager. Furthermore, he’s not alone anymore; hiring me would make things very tight. Especially since Belita is an experienced, elite maid with a recommendation from the Ducal Head Maid—her market value is higher than a typical servant’s.

“What kind of salary were you expecting?”

Are you kidding me?