Exclusive Maid (3)

“First, my qualifications.”

The first justification I presented to Harold was my experience as a maid.

“Qualifications?”

“While I’m deeply honored by your high evaluation of my abilities and would gladly accept the position as the young master’s exclusive maid, I’ve only just begun accumulating proper experience as a maid-barely a year at most.”

“Experience doesn’t necessarily prove competence. Just look at your seniors who were sent to Silverwood-doesn’t that speak for itself?”

“However, the young master has already celebrated his nineteenth birthday some time ago, whereas I haven’t even reached my nineteenth birthday yet-the same age as him.”

“……”

“Don’t you think, my lord, that I’m far too young to be an exclusive maid for Young Master Ethan? I worry whether someone as inexperienced and younger than him-rather than a maid with the maturity to gently correct his mistakes-can truly fulfill such a role.”

To be fair, Lilith’s birthday was only a few days away, so calling myself “younger” was a slight exaggeration.

Of course, Harold wouldn’t remember the exact birthdays of every servant, so I deliberately avoided mentioning that detail.

Playing up even a single year of youth would give me an advantage in escaping Ethan’s exclusive maid position.

“I’m concerned about the psychological impact on the young master if he were to hear such audacity from a maid younger than him-claiming she would guide and serve him.”

“Hmm…”

Well, what do you think?

Harold, for whatever reason, had placed me in this irregular position, so I had no choice but to counter with the most reasonable arguments possible.

Surely even he had considered that assigning someone too young to his son might negatively affect his emotional development.

According to the game’s official timeline, Ethan was undeniably nineteen years old at this point. Mentally, he might be younger, but that was irrelevant.

Though this was likely just a setting forced by the game developers to bypass Korean censorship, the fact remained that there was almost no age gap between Ethan and me.

And Harold didn’t see his son as a mere thirteen-year-old brat either.

Nor did he view him as a full-fledged nineteen-year-old-somewhere in between, perhaps.

After all, unlike Ethan, Harold’s own time had continued flowing during the five years his son was cursed and asleep.

No matter how young Ethan looked, as a father, accepting him as perpetually thirteen would be difficult.

Thus, when I presented this irrefutable logic, Harold had no choice but to nod.

“You speak of my son as if he were a proper nineteen-year-old young man.”

“…I’ve heard that Young Master Ethan was asleep under a curse, but that doesn’t change the fact that his birthday has passed. When he first came into this world, I was still in my mother’s womb-that remains an undeniable truth.”

“Hmm… I see.”

…Did he just make a strangely ominous expression?

Praying it was just my imagination, I waited for Harold’s response as he opened his mouth again.

“Yes, you’re right. It seems you alone truly see my son for who he is.”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

“No need to dwell on it. So, is that the only reason you shouldn’t be Ethan’s exclusive maid?”

…What?

Did my desperate pleas actually get through?

Now that Harold’s expression had softened slightly, I relentlessly continued listing reasons why I was unfit for the position.

“…This is rather embarrassing to admit, but not long ago, I was the foolhardy girl who recklessly charged alone into battle against a Hookfang. Had I died in such a reckless act, I would’ve been remembered as nothing more than a foolish junior maid whose name you wouldn’t even recall.”

“Indeed. Yet thanks to your courage, the commercial district was spared significant damage despite the appearance of such a dangerous monster.”

“…And not long ago, I resorted to violence against my senior maids and incited insubordination. How can someone as socially inept as me-who couldn’t even maintain order among fellow maids-guarantee that I won’t make mistakes with the young master?”

“Those maids disrupted organizational cohesion, stole valuables, and framed others. Without you, we might never have caught them-nor recovered my wife’s necklace.”

“…Though you may have momentarily forgotten, I was sold here as a debt maid to pay off my father’s gambling debts. Someone as lowly and desperate as me lingering by the young master’s side would undoubtedly bring nothing but bad influence.”

“Hmm. On the contrary, taking responsibility for a debt that wasn’t even yours shows remarkable accountability.”

“……”

“Well, anything else to add?”

…Fuck, what now?

No matter how hard I tried, every excuse I came up with was being shot down one by one.

I never expected to easily win a verbal debate against Harold, the head of a noble house.

But having every single one of my prepared excuses dismantled was beyond what I’d anticipated.

‘Why the hell is he suddenly so fixated on this? Originally, Lilith wouldn’t even have been considered for the exclusive maid position in the bad ending route.’

I couldn’t think of any more excuses to refuse the position.

Honestly, aside from the age argument, most of my points had been flimsy to begin with.

Of course, since Harold was the one who assigned me as exclusive maid, he must have already considered everything about me.

But why he was so insistent on placing me in this role-that was the baffling part.

“……”

As I fell silent, Harold read my expression and posed a question.

“You still seem convinced you don’t belong in this position.”

“…My apologies.”

“Then let me ask you this: if not you, who do you believe should take the role of Ethan’s exclusive maid?”

“……!”

…Did it work?

For a moment, I thought my repeated pleas might have gotten through.

I scrambled to devise the best possible way to escape the exclusive maid position.

For Ethan’s exclusive maid, someone other than me…

Isabelle and Katarina’s faces immediately came to mind, but of course, I had no intention of naming them.

Isabelle had helped Lilith since her probationary maid days-I didn’t want to risk her becoming Ethan’s slave.

And someone as fragile as Katarina would be broken far quicker than Lilith if she became Ethan’s exclusive maid.

The problem was, beyond those two, I barely knew any senior maids. I couldn’t suggest Melissa, the head maid, either…

At the very least, I needed to emphasize my unsuitability, so I had to think of someone as distant from me as possible.

“First, there should be a sufficient age gap for Young Master Ethan to trust and rely on them.”

“…Are you saying anyone older would do?”

“Not exactly. But a reasonable age difference would allow them to both earn the young master’s trust and provide proper guidance. A maid too close in age wouldn’t dare discipline him.”

“…Go on.”

“In my opinion, an exclusive maid isn’t just someone who blindly obeys and agrees with the young master. They must correct his mistakes and reprimand him when he behaves unbecomingly of a noble. But could someone as young as me, Isabelle, or Senior Katarina truly fulfill that role? I can’t guarantee it.”

“……”

“That’s why I say it again: the exclusive maid position requires someone with more experience and maturity than me. Someone who can offer unconditional loyalty while also disciplining him when necessary-someone who can play a motherly role, for example…”

“…A motherly role… you say?”

Ah.

Fuck.

I’m fuckedI’m fuckedI’m fuckedI’m fuckedI’m fucked.

“Did you just say someone who can play a ‘motherly role’ is needed?”

Fuck. He definitely heard that.

What do I do? What the hell do I do?

You crazy bitch, you should’ve stopped while you were ahead. Are you out of your mind?

Did you lose all sense of self-preservation? Mentioning Ethan’s mother in front of Harold? Tanathia, the ultimate trigger?

And what was that? A “motherly role”?

You should’ve thought before speaking. Do you even have a brain?

Saying Ethan needed someone to fill a motherly role was tantamount to demanding a replacement for Tanathia.

After spouting such nonsense in front of Harold, the chances of leaving this room unscathed were practically zero.

There was no way Harold would let a lowly maid who dared suggest replacing his wife-whom he still mourned nearly a decade after her death-walk away unharmed.

At this point, accepting or refusing the exclusive maid position was irrelevant.

This was a matter of life and death.

I could vividly picture Eiria being punched in the solar plexus and sent flying in the underground etiquette training room.

That might very well be me in a few minutes.

“M-M-My lord… I… I-I-I’m s-s-sor-“

Desperate to survive, I tried to force out an apology, but my mouth refused to cooperate, frozen in terror.

Before I could finish, Harold spoke first, calling my name.

“…Lilith Rosewood.”

“Y-Yes, y-y-yes yes yes…”

“I… share your opinion.”

“……Huh?”

“That’s why I placed you in Ethan’s exclusive maid position. Understood?”

“……”

…What the hell is he talking about now?

There’s no way Harold would let an insult to Tanathia slide, so why is he suddenly circling back to the exclusive maid talk?

But pointing out my own blunder would be like putting my own neck on the chopping block.

For now, it was better that he hadn’t addressed it directly.

“Lilith Rosewood.”

“…Yes.”

“After hearing everything you’ve said, I can’t think of any maid more suitable for Ethan’s exclusive maid position than you.”

“…I-I see.”

“The personnel decision stands. Starting tomorrow, you will serve as Ethan’s exclusive maid. Make sure you’re prepared.”

“Y-Yes, u-understood.”

“You may leave.”

“I-I’ll take my leave.”

My mind was already a chaotic mess from the realization of my fatal blunder.

In no position to refuse the position now, I hastily retreated from Harold’s office.

“Haaah… I-I’m alive…”

For some reason, that bastard didn’t bring up my slip-up-thank god.

…I really thought I was dead for a second there.