“I think that covers everything. If there's anything you still don't understand, don't hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you very much, Head Maid.”
From early that morning, I had been subjected to an intensive crash course on the duties of a maid. By the time the sun had set, the handover was finally complete.
“It’s already quite late today. Take some tea to the young master, then extinguish the lights in his bedroom before you retire.”
“Yes, Head Maid.”
The moment I unexpectedly became the young master's personal maid, my treatment within the estate changed overnight.
My room was moved from the annex to the main mansion, and my simple servant's uniform was replaced with a far more elegant maid's dress.
On top of that, a personal maid ranked above the other maids and was expected to remain constantly by her master's side. Naturally, that meant living on the same floor as him.
So that's why they assigned me a room near Lys's bedroom. I never intended to get this close... sigh...
Suppressing the complicated emotions swirling inside me, I carried a tray of freshly brewed fragrant tea to Lys's study.
Knock. Knock.
“Come in.”
The study was spacious and dignantly furnished, with moonlight spilling through enormous windows. At its center sat Lys, buried beneath mountains of paperwork.
“Young Master, I've brought your tea.”
I placed the teacup gently on the desk, bowed politely, and turned to leave.
“Where are you going?”
His voice stopped me in my tracks.
Turning around, I found those unfathomable violet eyes fixed squarely on me.
“My work here is finished, so I was going to excuse myself.”
“Is it? I seem to recall you still have one task left... You're leaving already?”
Tilting his head ever so slightly, Lys asked in a strangely suggestive tone.
He wasn't wrong.
Delivering his tea had just been completed.
Which meant only one task remained—
Turn off the lights in the young master's bedroom.
But...
“That can only happen after you've gone to bed, Young Master...”
“What should I do? I'm not sleepy.”
Lys answered with a faint smile and an apologetic shrug.
...What is this ominous feeling?
It sounded suspiciously like he was saying:
"If I don't sleep, neither do you."
“If you drink some warm tea, you'll surely get sleepy.”
If this kept up, I might end up pulling an all-nighter against my will.
Sensing the approaching disaster, I hurriedly recommended the tea with my warmest smile.
“I've heard lullabies are the best remedy for sleepless nights...”
For a moment, it looked as though he would obediently pick up the cup.
Instead, he set it back down and spoke meaningfully.
“So they say.”
“Haha... Who would dare fill the Young Master's head with something so ridiculous?”
“My mother.”
“...Wow, Madam truly was a wise woman! I completely agree!”
I switched sides so quickly it could have won an award.
Lys stared at me in silence, his gaze unbearably piercing.
I hadn't expected him to suddenly bring up the late Duchess Cassio, who had passed away years ago. Cold sweat instantly formed on my back.
Wait... Why did he suddenly mention a lullaby?
Don't tell me...
He's expecting me to sing one?
“Exactly. Then, Eil, sing me a lullaby. Once I get sleepy, I'll head to bed.”
“...You're joking, right?”
People said the worst assumptions always came true.
After fourteen years as an assassin, this was the first time a target had requested a lullaby.
I'd heard every final request imaginable.
"Please spare me."
"Tell my family I love them."
But this?
This was absolutely a first.
“I never joke, Eil.”
His lazy voice drifted clearly into my ringing ears.
At the same time—
Tap. Tap.
The tip of his fountain pen rhythmically struck the desk.
He was unmistakably urging me on.
Urgh...! I may be disguised as a maid, but at my core I'm still an assassin! Asking me to entertain my target like this... absolutely not!
“Young Master... the truth is, I'm terribly tone-deaf. If I sing, whatever sleep you have will run away instead. Please reconsider your command.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Putting on the most pitiful expression I could manage, I acted as though I were on the verge of tears.
Lys frowned sympathetically.
Did... did he actually give up?
Just as I secretly smiled in relief—
“I should've realized sooner that you had no talent for singing... I'm sorry. I was raised too comfortably to have a good eye for these things.”
...
...Huh?
Wait a second.
Haven't I heard that line somewhere before?
"I suppose you were raised too comfortably to have good judgment."
...!
That was what I had said to him back in the Black Forest!
No way...
Had he been holding onto that grudge this whole time?
“Don't be too discouraged. I'll hire the finest music teacher in the Empire for you.”
“Yes, thank—... Wait, what did you just say?”
At this point, I genuinely wondered if I was hallucinating.
First he demanded a lullaby.
Now he wanted to assign me a music instructor?
What kind of nonsense was this?
“Once you've had proper lessons, you'll be able to sing confidently.”
“No, really... I'm perfectly fine...”
“It pains me to think my personal maid would lose confidence simply because she's tone-deaf. Don't feel pressured.”
With a generous smile, Lys leisurely sipped his tea as though he were doing me a great kindness.
This blasted young master...
Does he actually know I'm the assassin from the Black Forest? Otherwise, why would he tease me like this...?
...
No.
That couldn't be.
I had worn a hooded robe that day. There was no way he could have recognized me.
Still...
I never should've saved him back then.
Maybe I should just kill him now...
"The reward is ten million gold coins!"
"Ten million!"
"Ten million gold!"
"Ten million...!"
At that very moment, Death's booming voice echoed vividly through my mind.
...
Right.
If my precious ten million gold wanted something...
How could I possibly refuse?
“...Now that I think about it... I was actually in the mood to sing.”
“Oh? That's convenient.”
In the end, everything had gone exactly as Lys wanted.
Running away would've only earned me mandatory music lessons anyway.
Ahem.
A veteran assassin never despaired, no matter the circumstances.
With the solemn determination of someone heading into battle, I cleared my throat.
“♪ Little bunny, bunny dear, where are you going? ♪
♪ Hop, hop—no... crawling along... going off to sleep... ♫
♪ Even the bunny's sleeping now... so why aren't you...? ♪”
“...Eil.”
Lys tilted his head.
“I think those lyrics are a little strange.”
You're more concerned that the bunny is crawling than the rest of it?
Meanwhile, having completed my mission perfectly, I proudly shook my head.
“That can't be. You're simply tired, Young Master. I think it's best you go to bed now.”
“...Is that so?”
Finally, Lys rose from his chair.
Thank goodness.
Another minute, and I might actually have thrown one of my sleep-poison needles at him.
Quietly following him toward the bedroom, Lys suddenly turned around as though he'd just remembered something.
“Eil, I think Del is still outside. Could you bring him in?”
“Certainly, Young Master.”
Bringing Del back?
That sounded easy enough.
Back in the assassin corps I hunted tigers.
Catching a fox should be nothing.
...
A few minutes later, I realized just how horribly mistaken I had been.
“Del! Please stop running...!”
Awooooooo—!
For some inexplicable reason, every time I got close, Del let out an excited howl before shooting away like a lightning bolt.
“Urgh! Is that really a fox? There's no way!”
Nobody told me this little monster was this fast!
“Hah... huff... I'm running out of... no... not stamina... money... I need... hazard pay... extra compensation...”
Only after chasing him all over the forest for what felt like forever did I finally manage to catch him.
“...Somehow it feels like I was the one entertaining Del instead of the other way around.”
After countless hardships, I returned to the bedroom with the fox.
Lys had already fallen asleep.
Del, exhausted from all the running, curled up on the bed and immediately began snoring softly as well.
Silently, I crossed the room and extinguished the candles one by one.
Finally... today's over.
If I hadn't suddenly become a maid, I would've been off work hours ago.
Now all that remained was returning to my room and organizing today's report for Death.
I'd unexpectedly become the young master's personal maid.
The target apparently kept a very unusual fox as a pet.
And several other noteworthy developments.
For only the first day of the mission, my report was already becoming absurdly long.
All right... time to head back to my room...
"...?"
Just as exhaustion urged me toward the door, an uneasy feeling crept over me.
The young master's bedroom was on the fifth floor—the highest level of the mansion.
Inside were only three living beings.
The sleeping target.
Del.
And me.
Which meant...
There shouldn't be anyone else's presence here.
Unless, perhaps, ghosts had somehow overcome their fear of heights.
...I did say rescuing people wasn't exactly my hobby...
