A week and a half had passed since being summoned (abandoned). Surprisingly, Eidrich seems to have completely forgotten about me. The estate’s atmosphere remained calm as usual. The lad seems to be diligently learning from privately assigned tutors inside the mansion's study, or being trained at the training ground near the garden. Sound of swords clashing could be heard every day.

Which is good for me, as my works usually involves cleaning, I naturally wouldn’t have the chance to cross path with him, unless I became nosey again. Hey, let’s just call it, information gathering.

I’m still adjusting to my new body, habits from when I was a man still remained as exhibited by the way I walk, sit, heck, specially during eating. Catheline was shocked the first few times I had dinner with her. As a former male gym-addict, I eat with the sole reason of reaching my daily protein and caloric intake, never caring about flavor.

Thus, the tip to consuming tasteless food is to not slow down. You can imagine her face when I wolfed down a bowl of bland vegetable soup in less than 2 minutes, then burped without an ounce of femininity. Not that I ever had it in the first place.

“L-Lyrina? Would you like some of my portion?” Catheline had asked with a worried look, offering to share some of her soup, perhaps mistaken that I had a big appetite?

“Thank you senior, but I’m already full” I politely declined, wiping my mouth with the shirt sleeve, which again made Catheline speechless. My stomach felt full with just one bowl, given that Lyrina’s body is small and slender (by my standard). Still, manual labor requires a lot of energy.

My manner of walking, like a duck and crude habit of manspreading when sitting down still remains, amazing how the mind still remembers involuntary movements, right? Well, that earned me some stern lectures from the senior maids about how a lady should conduct herself with grace or whatever. Should maids even have to care about etiquette? Faced with their persistence, I will try my best to follow their imparted guidance…

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*Munch, Munch, Gulped…

Most likely, having blown her fuse, Catheline had later asked me about my parents, one evening, perhaps seeking the root causes of my crude manners. Well, the maids had known about my status as a debt maid, but not how I came to be one. Therefore, I simply told her about how my father sold me to the duke’s estate to settle his debt, not that I can recall anything else about Lyrina’s mother. I just respond with a “No” when asked if I had ever had any friends, if I had ever received education (at the church) etc. Which is the only answer I can give since I have no memory of being Lyrina.

Catheline cried while hugging me, mumbling about how she will always support me as an older sister from now…not that I feel sad. Lyrina’s story, or at least the bits that I’ve pieced together, are definitely not mine. Then why am I also weeping?

The scene of two maids, hugging each other with tears streaming down their faces was a melancholic sight to behold…

*Beep

Note from a certain Goddess "Maidens in tears, beautiful, more! more!"

What the-

Charm +2

"....."

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

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I’m currently tasked with helping the maids moves boxes of food ingredients from a merchant’s carriage stationed outside the main entrance, back to the manor’s kitchen. The distance was considerable, requiring a number of round trips. I had asked senior Pasha, who is effortlessly juggling two big boxes, as to why the carriage couldn’t just parked right up to the kitchen’s storage room. She answered that it was for safety purposes, hence us trusted maids, were the ones who gets to have all the fun, doing back-breaking works…

The estate’s entrance guards standing at attention, has been sneaking glances at me whenever I walked past them, bashfully turning away when I met their gazes. If you have time to ogle, then help me with these heavy boxes, you scum…

As I was about to finish the final trip with senior Pasha-

*Neigh, Neigh, Trot, trot

A sturdy-looking carriage with simplistic designs, pulled by two powerful white horses, bearing the Dawnspear crest, arrives through the entrance gate. The guards snapping to attentive salutes as it drove past. Murmur arises amongst the maids as if they had recognized the modest-looking vehicle.

“?”

“That’s master Rafford’s personal carriage, he travels light” Perhaps, sensing my curiosity, Pasha whispered in my ear.

“Senior, but what about his entourage, his guards?” Is this guy not one of the most important people in the Kingdom?

“If there’s another carriage beside the master’s own, it means the Kingdom is at war”

The carriage finally rolled to a stop in front of the mansion. There appears to be…the mansion’s butlers, and Eidrich, standing at attention, awaiting the arrival of the infamous duke. The carriage’s door was opened by an attendant who was also the coachman. Out came…another Eidrich? No, an older, more dignified version of Eidrich.

Taller than the already tall, yes you heard it right, towering over Eidrich, stood Rafford Dawnspear. A muscular, light golden-haired beast of a man. His face, handsome despite numerous battle scars, emits pride, and an imposing aura dwarfing out Eidrich’s. Making the young Dawnspear looks as if he was but a tiny cub standing next to a full-fledged adult lion.

Eidrich, along with the butlers, greets the master of the house with respect and reverence.

“Father, welcome back” Eidrich muttered, trying to match up to his father’s gaze, without much success.

“Hmm” A deep grumble, Rafford seemingly appraises his youngest son without uttering a single word, before walking past him into the mansion. Leaving behind a dejected looking Eidrich…

-As if sensing my gaze, Eidrich directed his sight to my whereabouts and for a brief moment, our eyes met.

“!” I flinched reflexively; the event of the past week still fresh. I hurriedly averted my face, hiding behind my lanky senior.

“Lyrina, we should get going…” Pasha, tugging my sleeves urging me to make haste, oblivious to what just happened…

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With the unexpected return of the duke, the mansion is bustling with activities, the staffs working with even more fervor, despite already being a hardworking bunch. As I later learned, Rafford, although a man of high standards, is a disciplined and modest man, detesting extravagance and instead prefers practicality. As clearly shown by the mansion’s lack of expensive furnishing, despite it being ridiculously huge. A lineage, stemmed from generations of war and battles, bred hard efficient men like Rafford. As a fellow man(former), he has my utmost respect. Eidrich’s insecurity somehow seems understandable.

Well, respect or not, my manual labors doubled. I often time lost my mind, becoming one with the cleaning brush, scrub, scrub…scrub…

“Lyrina?”

“Scrub…”

“Lyrina!”

A high-pitched voice belonging to senior Catheline, snapped me out of trance. Her voice seemingly coming from outside the bathing room which I’m currently tasked with cleaning.

“Um, how may I be of help, senior Catheline?”

“Ahh, no before that, was Lyrina saying something weird repeatedly while working…” She’s mumbling something to herself.

“Pardon, senior?” Still not quite hearing her, the senior maid enters.

“N-never mind, anyway the- “

“What are you-?” Catheline gave me an incredulous look, her face turning beet red.

“Yes?” Oh, I appear to be squatting down while cleaning, due to the lack of small sitting stool, blatantly giving a clear view of my undergarments to petite maid. I hurriedly adjusted my form.

“Sorry for my unsightly appearance, senior” I nonchalantly apologized. What’s the big deal? When I was a man, I could even walk around the gym half naked without anyone batting an eye…

“H-have some modesty, or at least pretend to be ashamed!” Ahh, I was scolded. Catheline can’t help but sighed, when faced with my shameless demeanors.

“Anyway, have you done anything silly lately?”

“Come again, senior?” Catheline had a worried look on her.

“The head maid is asking for you, she’s inside the main living room…”

“Did she disclose any reasons, senior? I haven’t seen her in a while…”

“Not really, but she’s talking with young master Eidrich”

“She’s with master Eidrich?” I asked, nearly shrieking, the color drained from my face.

“Yes, she said to be there, immediately-”

Is this future-villainous bastard snitching on me?