I became the contracted maid of the (villainous) Duke due to personal circumstances

“Ruru, I need you to run an errand. Forget about cleaning for now,” the older maids told her.

So, with cleaning tools taken away by the senior maids, Ruru found herself wandering through the Eighth District carrying a heavy package. Today, as usual, they were being unkind to her.

It seemed an outside contractor had left their tools behind and asked for them to be delivered. However, the package was surprisingly heavy, and the map they had given her was incredibly confusing.

“I can’t find it at all. Are you sure it’s the Eighth District?”

This area wasn’t known for its safety, so she wanted to finish her errand as quickly as possible.

“How much longer will this harassment go on? I think it’s about time they got bored of it,” she muttered to herself.

Lost in thought while holding the map, Ruru suddenly noticed another girl in a similar maid outfit running towards her. It was Harriet. She had a panicked expression at first, but when she saw Ruru, she let out a sigh and then remembered something, her face turning sour.

“Oh, Harriet? What’s going on?”

“I finally found you… Why did they send you here?”

“Huh? I was asked to deliver some tools to the Eighth… I mean, Seventh District.”

“It’s the Seventh District. They intentionally made it confusing. Even that map is for the Seventh District.”

“Ah, I see. No wonder the map seemed odd…”

Ruru had initially thought this was just a form of harassment, making her carry a heavy load all the way to a distant part of the city. However, it seemed the situation was a bit more intricate.

“By the way, it turns out the forgotten items aren’t urgently needed,” Harriet continued.

“Forgotten items? You mean the tools?”

“Well, not really tools, more like junk. They left behind some exchanged pipes. Someone said it’s not a big deal and that they could just have you bring it.”

“Why did you come all the way here to tell me this? Isn’t it time for cleaning now?”

Ruru blinked a few times and looked at Harriet.

“I-It’s dangerous, you know! A girl walking alone in this unsafe part of town.”

“Are you worried about me?”

“N-Not really. I mean, it’s not like I wanted to do this as a thank-you for the cabinet incident! And those senior maids went a bit too far, I thought!”

She averted her gaze somewhat, but it seemed that Harriet had some willingness to make amends. Despite her harsh tone and apparent dislike of Ruru’s quick rise in the maid hierarchy, Ruru could tell that deep down, Harriet wasn’t a bad person.

Feeling grateful that Harriet had come to check on her, Ruru said, “Let’s head back soon! I used a little excuse to sneak out. I was thinking about asking Orian for an alibi, but she’s not here…”

“Is Orian off today?”

“Yes. She wasn’t in the dormitory, so it seems like she’s out. She often goes somewhere on her days off. She might seem a bit absent-minded, but she has a clever personality, and she might even have a crush or something, who knows?”

Whether she felt guilty for skipping work or found it awkward to be kind to Ruru, Harriet kept her responses brief as the two hurriedly walked through the town.

On the way, Ruru had been preoccupied with the complicated map, but she couldn’t help but notice that the two maids in their uniforms attracted a bit of attention. Although it seemed like a shortcut to cross through the back alleys, that area looked suspicious, and they didn’t have the courage to venture down strange paths as two girls.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar man approached Ruru and Harriet as they walked down the street.

“Excuse me, ladies.”

“Yes, what is it?”

He spoke suddenly, catching them off guard.

The man was of average height and appeared to be in his middle years. While he had the tanned skin commonly seen in the neighboring country of Arlock, he spoke fluent Wisterian. He eyed the two girls cautiously before he quickly changed his demeanor.

“Hello there. You two are lucky. Would you like to buy this accessory? I’ll give you a good price.”

“What…?”

(Looking at his attire, could he be a traveling merchant…?)

However, this was a bit different.

The pendant he pulled from his pocket had a large blue gem embedded in it.

“If you buy it now, it’s only 10,000 Galons,” he offered, a surprisingly low price for a genuine gemstone. But after exchanging glances, Ruru and Harriet both shook their heads.

“We’re in a hurry.”

“Yes, sorry.”

In Eight Street, were salespeople this pushy with their sales pitches? Not wanting to engage with such a shady character, the two tried to brush him off and make a quick escape. However, the man grabbed Harriet’s hand.

“Come on, it’s not a big deal. You girls work in fine households, don’t you? You must be earning decent wages. Be generous to the unfortunate folks from the lower ranks…”

The man seemed to have assessed Ruru as affluent based on her high-quality attire.

It was neither a merchant’s pitch nor straightforward begging; it was more akin to extortion. Harriet boldly responded.

“Let go!”

“If you want to be released, pay up. You’ve got money, don’t you? Around 10,000 Galons…”

“As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t have any.”

In a desperate attempt to help her colleague, Ruru hurled the heavy package she had been carrying toward the man. It hit the top of his foot, causing the package to fall, and loosened his grip on Harriet. The two made a run for it.

“Get back here!”

“We’re not waiting for you!”

The man continued to chase after the two.

“What’s going on? Who’s that guy?”

“Extortion? Is it this unsafe around here?”

Though they might have been scared and crying if it were a one-on-one situation, Ruru and Harriet ran together, shouting loudly to dispel their fear.

Eventually, the man stopped chasing them.

Turning around and ensuring their safety, Ruru and Harriet, still out of breath, exchanged words, asking, “What was that all about?” Then, in the corner of the street behind them, they heard a voice.

“Hey.”

“Eek!”

Startled, the two of them clung to each other. They thought the man had caught up to them. However, when they looked back, they saw their master with his dazzling silver hair. Harriet seemed to relax, collapsing to the ground. The Grancia family carriage was parked on the street.

“What are you doing here of all places…? No, let’s talk inside the carriage.”

Told to get in, a flustered Harriet was taken aback. She thought there was no way she could ride in the carriage of her esteemed master.

“Oh, no, that’s not necessary at all. We can walk home.”

Ruru nodded in agreement.

“Yes, please don’t worry about it.”

“We really appreciate it.”

Though it felt somewhat forceful, seeing the concerned expression on Gerald’s face, Harriet’s cheeks turned slightly red.

“Alright, then, um, we’ll take you up on your offer,” Harriet said hesitantly as she climbed into the carriage. As Ruru tried to follow, she heard Gerald mutter, “Stopping by was the right choice,” while he stood in front of the door.

(What was Gerald doing in this corner of the capital?…)

Sitting face to face with him inside the carriage, Ruru and Harriet were promptly subjected to an interrogation. Gerald provided them with an explanation for why they had just experienced such an ordeal.

“Wysteria Kingdom’s gold coins are valuable, so foreigners are pouring in, looking for high-quality gold. They target people who seem to have money and snatch their coins to exchange them in their own country.”

“…”

Ruru and Harriet seemed a bit puzzled.

They were wondering if Gerald was explaining that they had almost been sold fake jewelry.

Gerald offered a more simplified explanation.

“Let’s say that man tried to sell you something for 10,000 gallons. If he obtained gold coins and took them back to his country, he could get more than 20,000 gallons for them here.”

“Twice the value? Why?”

“High-quality gold is precious. The gold from his home country, Arlock, is all subpar, and Arlock coins are just filled with impurities like iron and copper.”

So, one Wysterian gold coin was equivalent to two to three Arlock coins. Gold coins are forbidden to be taken out of the country, so some unscrupulous individuals attempt to hide them and leave the country, hoping to exchange them for a large sum. This leads to a shortage of gold coins in the country.

“If this continues, we might run out of gold coins in the country.”

“…I see. The issue is that the number of gold coins is decreasing, right?”

Gerald mumbled tiredly, seemingly not directing his words to anyone in particular. He glanced briefly at Harriet, who was listening intently, her face serious.

(Well, it seems like these eyes aren’t missing anything.)

Ruru and Harriet were both maids, so the intricacies of the coin trade weren’t particularly interesting to them. Inside, they were probably thinking something like, “Oh, Lord Gerald is so amazing~” or “I’m so lucky to be able to talk with him so closely~.”

“So, what were you doing in a place like that, Ruru?” Gerald asked.

“Uh, well, I was running an errand.”

“I see. What kind of errand? We’ve received reports that you were helping with cleaning, but I didn’t know you had left the estate. Also, you’re a housemaid too, aren’t you? What are you doing wandering outside the estate during work hours?”

Harriet, who had stiffened up and turned pale, quickly tried to defend herself.

“Please forgive us, Lord Gerald! The older sisters asked Ruru to do some errands… Since this area has poor security, I was worried and followed her!”

“I see, Ruru.”

“Yes, um, well… Yes, that’s right.”

“I see. I’ve noticed that you’ve been tired lately, but you’ve been taking on errands… You work as my personal attendant. It would be troublesome if your primary duties were affected.”

Gerald reached out and gently touched Ruru’s cheek, smiling at her with an affectionate expression that seemed as if he were addressing a lover. His eyes carried a mischievous glint.

(Hey! Harriet is right here too! Cut it out!)

If I get stuck in a situation like this, I’ll end up giving her another misunderstanding.

“You don’t have to worry so much,” Ruru protested.

“Don’t say that. We need to take action quickly,” Gerald replied.

“Action? What kind of action are you talking about? No, I’m fine, so please don’t worry about me!”

Ruru tried to communicate with her gaze, hoping that Gerald would understand her concerns. However, Gerald continued to smile and gaze at her with a composed expression.

Meanwhile, Harriet looked at Gerald with an astonished expression, seemingly taken aback by his affectionate behavior.

That evening, Gerald appeared in the servants’ dining hall. His sudden appearance surprised everyone, and some started to stand up, thinking it was not the time for meals.

Gerald reassured them that there was no need to worry and approached Ruru, who was sitting alone. The sudden appearance of their master caused Ruru’s spoon, which she had been holding, to slip from her hand.

“Why did you come here all of a sudden?” Ruru asked.

“I came to check on you because I was worried. Is that a problem?”

Gerald bent down and lightly touched his forehead to Ruru’s. Startled by this unexpected gesture, Ruru looked up, relieved that her meal had not been completely spilled.

“Imagine yourself in my shoes, walking through such a dangerous area,” Gerald continued, his sweet voice resonating in the now silent dining hall.

Several maids were trembling in response to Gerald’s words. However, most of them were wearing expressions of anger. Gerald’s attitude, which seemed as if he were treating Ruru like a lover, was causing a commotion. Ruru couldn’t help but quietly criticize him.

“Hey, seriously, what are you thinking? This is only making it harder for me to work!”

For the master to be so affectionate with one of the maids was a major issue. Gerald, however, continued making bombshell statements without concern.

“In truth, I don’t want you to work at all. Why won’t you accept my proposal of marriage?”

He had said it. In front of everyone. The atmosphere in the dining hall became tense.

Why on earth would he bring up such a topic here and now? The shock was evident on the faces of the servants. Of course, it was shocking. Moreover, proposing marriage, not as a mistress but as a legitimate wife? Unable to scold her master in front of them, Ruru gave a seemingly reasonable response.

“N-No, it’s impossible! Our social status is completely different.”

Upon hearing her answer, Gerald furrowed his brows, looking melancholic.

“Six years ago, when I was on the verge of ruin, your brightness was my hope. When no one paid any attention to me, it was you who found me.”

He took Ruru’s hand, bringing it to his lips to place a gentle kiss on her fingertips.

The dramatic performance in Gerald’s eyes made it seem like he was playing a role.

Ruru couldn’t help but perceive it as the expression of a deceitful con artist. However, for those who had heard Gerald’s story about his near downfall, they were struck by his words and displayed deeply moved expressions.

At this point, Ruru could see through Gerald’s intentions:

Gerald’s favorite maid was his childhood love.

Ruru, who refused his proposal due to the difference in their social statuses, was playing the role of a modest lady, trying to convince everyone that she wasn’t a scheming woman trying to manipulate Gerald. Whispers among the maids reached Ruru’s ears.

“What’s going on? Is Gerald-sama in love with her?”

“So, she supported him when they were kids?”

“Wow, they’ve been in love for so long… What a beautiful and pure love!”

(It sounds right but feels strangely different!)

Ruru couldn’t help but think that the story being spread was far from the truth.

Indeed, simply confronting and punishing those who bullied Ruru would likely only fuel the negative perception of her as a scheming woman. That’s why Gerald is emphasizing that he is the one deeply in love with Ruru, hoping to set the record straight and dispel any misconceptions about her intentions.

Therefore, I… I dislike you because—”

Using the word “dislike” in front of everyone might not be a good idea.

“Uh… it’s not suitable for me to be with someone like Gerald.”

“Whether it’s suitable or not is for me to decide.”

“I want to keep working.”

“That’s why I gave you work, right? Well, it seems like you’re doing things other than what I asked for…”

When some of the maids tensed up and lowered their heads, Gerald seemed satisfied with the intimidation tactics he used.

In a hushed voice, he muttered to Ruru, “Did this make it easier for you to work now?”

Ruru, whether she accepted the proposal or not, was being shaped into someone acceptable to the other servants. What on earth was he doing? Angry and trembling with frustration, Ruru could only glare at Gerald as he walked away.

I understand how you feel, being left alone in this situation!

The debt was still substantial. She couldn’t endure being made to work as Gerald’s exclusive maid and be constantly watched over. She needed to quit as soon as possible. To do that, she realized she had to reconsider her role as Gerald’s maid and how she handled his unpredictable bonuses.

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