Chapter 1: The Maid

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A week had passed since I regained consciousness after being possessed.

“Chloe! Hurry, hurry! You’re too slow!”

“I’m sorry!”

I cleared the leftover dishes of the Count’s family members while being nagged. Every day since the possession a week ago had been hell.

“This one! Over there! That one! Over there!”

“Uwaaah!!”

I had worked many part-time jobs, but this was an entirely different level of discomfort and difficulty compared to restaurant work. I couldn’t get my bearings, forcibly adapting to this world.

“Can’t you do it properly?! How did someone like you even become a maid…!”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Apologizing became a daily routine. Perhaps because I had lost my temper right after possessing her due to the sheer disorientation, it was perceived as defiance. I was already firmly on the bad side of the other maids.

It didn’t take long after the possession to realize this was the world from that novel.

Because the memories of this body’s owner slowly etched themselves into my mind.

‘This is the Sergia County. My name is Chloe Bayella, a 16-year-old low-ranking maid.’

Let’s briefly recall the novel’s plot.

Judith came to the Count’s family as an illegitimate child after her mother died.

Abused by her unwelcoming family and bullied by the maids who used her as a stress reliever.

Living through such abuse, Judith awakened her powerful magical talent, abandoned the Count’s family, and ended up under the care of a Marquis family.

But the Marquis family, initially kind, was actually conspiring with the Count’s family behind the scenes to conduct human experiments on Judith.

All so they could possess her immense magical power.

Unable to trust people anymore, Judith fled constantly. She avoided pursuit, slept in stables, and was stoned by villagers who called her a beggar, always on the move, never finding rest.

She met people along the way, but they all met unfortunate ends.

Having fled to the ends of the world and finding nothing, Judith lamented her life and became the witch destined to destroy the world.

This was the plot of Part 1 of this insane novel.

‘What was I thinking reading this crazy novel?’

It’s not like I asked to be possessed; I just woke up and found myself in this body.

And the biggest problem for me was this body’s owner, Chloe Bayella.

She was the crazy maid who truly began the systematic abuse of Judith.

She meticulously abused only the parts hidden by clothing to avoid detection by the Count’s family.

She was a madwoman who even waterboarded the child, spouting nonsense about relieving stress.

Ultimately, when the entire Count’s household searched for the escaping Judith, Chloe was the one who found her…

Only to become the first victim of Judith’s rage-fueled magic, torn limb from limb – a pathetic, trashy, third-rate villain.

That was this body’s owner, Chloe Bayella.

‘Then maybe if I just don’t bully her, it’ll be fine?’

The timeline was still Judith’s childhood. And I hadn’t yet been assigned as Judith’s exclusive maid.

I had absolutely no intention of walking willingly into such an obvious death flag.

I just needed to prevent Judith from running away to the Marquis’s family. There should still be time before Judith awakened her magical talent.

Because the novel stated the abuse went on for a long time. Since it hadn’t even started yet, I figured I had some time.

I didn’t know how much I could change the original story, but at least here in the Count’s estate, if I cherished Judith, I could avoid my death flag.

‘A fate of being torn apart and burned to death? Absolutely not.’

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For now, since I wasn’t Judith’s exclusive maid yet, I threw myself into my maid duties.

First, I decided to improve Chloe’s situation, who was apparently bullied for not fitting in with the other maids.

“Leave it to me!”

“Uh, okay…”

I took over tasks from my seniors.

“Please take a break! I’ll go handle it!”

“Oh… alright… thank you…”

Whenever I thought the seniors needed help, I ran over and worked like crazy. I didn’t have much experience navigating social hierarchies, but I could manage this much with some tact.

Thankfully, did my efforts pay off? I heard whispers that my reputation among the senior maids had improved. Just when I thought I could keep living like this, working hard…

An event not mentioned in the original story occurred.

Judith’s previous exclusive maid threw herself from the roof of the annex building.

“They’re saying it was suicide?”

“Suicide…?”

Judith’s exclusive maid killed herself. Before anyone could even ask the obvious question – why? – the Count’s family was busy covering it up.

With no proper investigation, the maid, ruled a suicide and having no hometown, was buried in the Count’s family cemetery.

A chill ran down my spine. According to the original story, I would soon replace that maid and become Judith’s exclusive attendant.

But who would want to take a position where the predecessor committed suicide? The visceral aversion was unavoidable.

Just like that, the original story took a large step closer to me.

“Chloe… Chloe Bayella?”

“…? Yes! Yes!”

“Pay attention.”

Right after the funeral, the head maid called me for a private meeting. I had an idea what it was about.

I could feel the original story closing in.

This must be the meeting to assign me as Judith’s exclusive maid.

“Well… as you know, the position of Lady Judith’s dedicated maid is currently vacant.”

The funny thing about this mansion was that they still attached ‘Lady’ to Judith’s name, despite her being illegitimate.

It was absurd how they always ignored and abused her, yet still insisted on calling her ‘Lady’.

“So… I would like you to take that position.”

I had no choice. If things were going to follow the original plot anyway, I just had to do as I decided and protect Judith as much as possible… I had to twist the original plot as much as possible to survive.

“I’ll do it.”

“…You accepted so quickly. I was going to give you some time to think.”

“It’s alright.”

“…Then I’ll be counting on you.”

And so, I was appointed as Judith’s exclusive maid. I packed my belongings from the dormitory and followed the head maid to the annex where I would be working.

The appearance of the annex I followed her to was beyond imagination.

‘It looks haunted…’

“Doesn’t it look haunted?”

Did she read my mind? The head maid voiced my exact thoughts.

It truly looked like a haunted house straight out of a horror story.
It wasn’t managed properly at all; vines grew on the walls, and the eerie atmosphere emanating from the cemetery right in front made the annex even gloomier.

“Lady Judith’s room is the attic on the third floor here.”

The annex, unlocked and entered, was covered in dust and cobwebs, a hygienic nightmare – had it been managed at all?

Climbing the creaking stairs, I found the attic room at the end of the third floor.

Perhaps sensing our presence from the attic, a blonde girl opened the door and peeked her head out.

“That is Lady Judith.”

“…Haaah…”

A sigh escaped me first. It wasn’t a sigh out of pity for Judith.

It was a heavy sigh born from disgust at this d*mned Count’s family.

Judith’s condition was abysmal. So poor, it made me wonder if she ever truly had a dedicated maid.

Her hair was matted, and her entire body was covered in grime from lack of washing.

“Well then, I’ll leave her in your care.”

The head maid patted my shoulder and went down the stairs.

Only after the sound of the annex’s large door closing echoed up to the third floor did reality sink in.

The fact that I was now Judith’s dedicated maid.

Trying to make myself seem smaller so as not to frighten her, I slowly approached Judith. As the distance closed, Judith flinched, looking at me.

When I was just a few steps away, Judith hid inside the attic. Opening the attic door to find the hidden Judith, I was left speechless by the scene before me.

The attic was coated in dust, the yellowed bedding reeked of mold, and the wooden bowls held remnants of food swarming with mold and insects.

‘Is this an attic or a garbage dump…’

As I stepped into the attic, Judith, standing in front of the bed and looking at me, trembled visibly.

“…Hello..?”

“He..llo..?”

Informal speech slipped out before I knew it. However, as a maid, using formal language with Judith was basic etiquette, so I composed myself and spoke again.

“Hello, Lady Judith.”

“…”

She just stood there, looking up at me. I lowered my head to meet her eyes. As if uncomfortable making eye contact, her pupils couldn’t meet mine properly and kept darting around nervously.

Letting out a small sigh, I lifted my head and scanned the room again.

‘This is absolutely not an environment for a child to grow up in.’

There was so much to do. First, clean the room, then wash Judith, and prepare her meals. And I had to do all of this alone.

I looked down at Judith, still standing motionless. The original Chloe would have slapped her cheek and started the abuse right here, but…

Lowering my head again to meet Judith’s gaze, I raised my hand. She tensed up, flinching as if expecting to be hit.

Seeing that, I let out another small breath and gently stroked Judith’s dirty cheek. Surprised by this, Judith’s eyes widened as she stared at me.

“I’ll start with cleaning.”

I took out the dusty cleaning tools from the corner, tied up my hair, and prepared to clean.

It starts now.

While avoiding my death flag, I also wanted to plant at least one good memory in Judith amidst the hardships she would inevitably face.

I tightened my apron strings and steeled my resolve.

My goal is to make Judith’s childhood happy.

For the short time I can look after you, Judith, I will protect you.

So please.

Don’t kill me later.