4.
Ellie answered with an uncertain tone.
“But I’m… temporarily employed, right? Would it be okay for me to ask to be sent to the kitchen?”
If she had previous kitchen experience, she might have brought it up, but she had worked as a house maid at the Baron’s mansion. She had barely secured even this temporary position by leveraging her short career—would going to the kitchen make that worthless?
Diana got a headache from this reasonable objection. For someone temporarily employed, being picky about work could easily get her dismissed without seeming strange. Even if they reluctantly sent her to the kitchen, her life wouldn’t be particularly comfortable going forward.
When he remained silent, Ellie asked in return.
“What about you going instead?”
Diana glared at her with fierce eyes. Pretty but too scary. Ellie mumbled hesitantly.
“No, I was just asking…”
Diana pondered for a long time. Honestly, he had thought it would be easy to drive her away. She looked innocent, so he expected she would leave crying with just a little pressure.
But Ellie Brewer was stronger-willed than she appeared. If that was the case, he planned to ignore her and wait for her to give up and leave on her own, though participating in hazing didn’t feel particularly pleasant.
But unintentionally, he had heard her pitiful circumstances. At this point, he didn’t want to forcibly drive Ellie away. She must be as desperate as he was.
There was one last option. He could give her some money and tell her to go back to her hometown. But that might raise unnecessary suspicion. Honestly, it made no sense to pay dozens of times a maid’s salary just to have a room to himself.
Even if he sent her away, another new maid might come in. If he had to share a room with someone, perhaps the seemingly naive Ellie Brewer would be better.
Having reached a conclusion, Diana spoke again.
“Alright, let’s do this.”
He didn’t plan to maintain this life for long anyway. The goal was to achieve his purpose as quickly as possible and leave the mansion. There couldn’t be a more certain solution than that.
“You can share a room with me until they reassign rooms. I’ll also help you adapt to life here.”
Ellie’s face brightened instantly. Of course, it seemed presumptuous since it wasn’t his house, but if he was going to help her adapt, she couldn’t ask for more. He also seemed popular among the maids. However,
“But.”
There was that dreaded “but” again. When Ellie openly showed her annoyance, Diana’s eyes immediately sharpened.
“Don’t like it?”
“No, no. Go on.”
Ellie gave him an obvious smile. Of course, it was clearly insincere, but that wasn’t Diana’s concern.
“I hate sharing my privacy with anyone. So, changing clothes, washing, things like that—let’s avoid doing those around each other.”
Instead of answering, Ellie just pouted her lips. Was he trying to drive her away over something so trivial? What’s the big deal about seeing each other when they’re both women? She wondered if all women from the capital were this finicky.
When she remained silent with a sulky expression, Diana pressed for an answer.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Ellie quickly cleared her expression and nodded eagerly. She didn’t understand why Diana was being so sensitive, but perhaps her standards were different from Ellie’s, who had shared a room with four siblings.
Though not entirely convinced, he had obtained her agreement, so that was enough. Diana promptly turned around, removed her hat, and untied her apron.
“Then I’ll go wash up first. Ah, the washing time here is…”
He stopped abruptly as he turned around with clean clothes in hand.
Ellie was standing there, casually removing her clothes. Her worn corset barely covered half of her chest, which was large for her frame. Ellie tilted her head with her upper body fully exposed.
“What?”
Diana threw the apron in her hand at Ellie and quickly turned her head away.
The white bundle of cloth landed on Ellie’s pale chest. Facing the bewildered Ellie, Diana raised her voice.
“You said you understood!”
“Oh, you said you don’t like showing your body to others. I got it.”
“No, I meant…!”
Diana, who had been shouting while resolutely facing the wall, clamped her mouth shut. In her excitement, her real voice had come out too much. He cleared his throat with a “Ahem” and continued.
“I also don’t like seeing other people’s bodies.”
“What…? Who’s like that?”
Ellie frowned. Well, not wanting to show your own body was one thing, but absolutely refusing to see someone else’s body was something else entirely. Maybe she smelled bad? Ellie lifted her arm and sniffed her armpit. Still clean.
Diana was dumbfounded by each of her uninhibited actions. Just wait until she later claims she was deceived and blames him. He gritted his teeth and said,
“I don’t like it, that’s all.”
Embarrassed by his extreme reaction, Ellie hastily covered herself with the clothes she had taken off. Only then did Diana creakily move toward the door. He tried his best not to look in Ellie’s direction as he continued.
“So I’ll go wash up, and you change during that time. If you’re still undressed when I come back, I’m really going to kick you out.”
So petty, really. Instead of answering, Ellie stuck out her tongue at the back of his head. Diana stopped in his tracks and said,
“Answer me.”
“Fine, I understand.”
Only then did he leave the room. As soon as the door slammed shut, Ellie threw her clothes on the floor. What a well-raised young lady, when she’s just a maid like me anyway,
Nevertheless, she had successfully secured a job today, and far from being kicked out, she was even going to receive help. Such good fortune doesn’t come by often. Ellie’s spirits lifted again, and she resumed unpacking her belongings.
* * *
When Diana returned, Ellie was already asleep. It was a bit ridiculous that she went to bed without washing, but it was her first day, so she must have been tired. He quietly sat on the edge of the bed.
Sharing a room with a woman. For him, it was truly a bolt from the blue. Diana stared at Ellie’s back as she lay turned away. The round line of her shoulders visible beneath the thin nightgown. The image of her chest from earlier lingered in his mind like an afterimage. He let out a deep sigh.
In contrast, the dress he wore was made of such thick fabric that it could hardly be called a nightgown. Diana listened to Ellie’s steady breathing for a moment, then lifted his skirt. A device that restricted his knees from fully extending was revealed.
Just wearing it while living normally caused considerable pain. If he didn’t remove it even while sleeping, his legs would soon swell up so much that he couldn’t walk. Diana glanced at Ellie from the corner of his eye, then carefully loosened the restraining device.
Even as he hid it under the bed, Ellie showed no signs of waking. Fortunately, she seemed to be a very deep sleeper. Anyway, until now, he had maintained a lifestyle of going to bed later and waking earlier than anyone else, so not much would change.
Diana tried to comfort himself as he lifted his swollen legs onto the bed. From his thighs to his calves, there were pressure marks everywhere. As blood flowed back into his legs, the pain intensified. As he massaged his cramped leg muscles, Ellie suddenly stirred and mumbled in her sleep.
“Mmm…”
She rustled and turned over to face the opposite direction. Diana watched her intently, holding not only his movements but even his breath.
Ellie scratched her chest as if uncomfortable. The improperly tied ribbon came loose, revealing glimpses of her skin. Naturally, since she had taken off her undergarments, body contours he’d rather not see were clearly visible.
Diana couldn’t even turn his head away for fear that Ellie might wake up.
“Mmm…?”
Fortunately, Ellie murmured and pulled the blanket up to her neck. Only then did Diana release his held breath.
Even if she wasn’t dangerous, it was clear that continuing to live like this would cause him to suffer a nervous breakdown. Diana resolved once more: finish the job as quickly as possible and leave this place.
Unaware of his thoughts, Ellie breathed evenly in deep sleep. Diana stared at her for a while before extinguishing the dim candle. Even though shallow sleep had always been his norm, now it would be even harder to fall asleep properly.
Just as he was about to lie down, Diana suddenly frowned. He glanced at Ellie’s sleeping face once more, then immediately thrust his fingers into his scalp.
With a swish, a long bundle of hair fell onto the bed. Diana scratched his head vigorously while rotating his stiff neck. The short blonde hair that barely covered his ears sparkled in the moonlight.
Diana, or rather, Daniel, continued scratching his head for a while before putting the wig back on. He immediately lay down on the bed, but naturally, sleep didn’t come.
Only Ellie’s peaceful breathing, as she slept obliviously, filled the quiet attic room.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
