The only comforting thing was that I was genuinely improving day by day.
—…Nod.
“Wow, really? Thank you!”
On the fifth day, Marianne finally gave me an approving nod on the first attempt.
Each time she’d stomped her hind feet impatiently and squeaked at my subpar cleaning, my pride had shriveled. Now, seeing her acknowledge my efforts filled me with a sense of reward.
Of course, Marianne herself showed zero emotional reaction to her junior’s improvement.
—Tap.
“Yes, understood.”
I easily interpreted her subtle gesture as a command to clean the adjacent rooms as well. Being able to understand Marianne’s intentions from just a wave of her paw was itself a significant improvement.
“La-la-la, la-la-la-la~”
Shaking dust from the curtains, I found myself humming a cartoon theme song I watched as a child. Back then, I couldn’t understand why a protagonist would happily sing while cleaning. Yet here I was, doing exactly the same thing.
With Marianne’s approval secured, maybe all I needed now was the right opportunity and a sincere apology to at least become a decent colleague.
If I reached that point, only one thing at work would continue to bother me—the irritating master who appeared every single day without fail.
“The sheen on this wall doesn’t match the other one. Do it again.”
“Are you only cleaning the top part of the frame? Wipe underneath as well; there’s dust left.”
“Planning to skate down the hallway? How is anyone supposed to walk on this slippery floor? Are you trying to cast some spell to make people fall?”
Somehow, he always knew exactly where I’d be cleaning and appeared just to pepper me with complaints. Then he’d stroll off, looking thoroughly pleased with himself—as if he had some strange illness where he’d die if he didn’t nag someone at least once a day.
Who even claimed the Beast was generous toward his employees? They call this lenient? Seriously?
I shot a resentful look toward Butler Squawk, who’d accompanied him. He avoided my gaze, mumbling awkwardly.
“Uh… Perhaps he’s just being stricter because you’re new, checking your abilities and all that…”
“Please, spare me.”
Because of this, every day I nervously awaited his arrival, wondering what he’d criticize next.
The truly maddening part, though, was that whenever I fixed what he pointed out, the result genuinely improved.
Even Marianne’s praise today came from the meticulous effort I’d made to avoid the Beast’s criticism. Should I be grateful for that or something?
“Sunbae, I’m finished… Where are you?”
After completing the room cleaning, I stepped out into the hallway, looking for Marianne. Ah, spotted the cute little cleaner! Marianne was diligently polishing the grand staircase with her small hands.
So, today was staircase-cleaning day.
My heart leaped with excitement at the thought of finally doing it.
No point hiding it. Cleaning these grand stairs had actually become a hobby of mine ever since I possessed this body. Polishing the majestic staircase made me genuinely feel like a rich family’s son, and I enjoyed it immensely. I hurriedly stood behind Marianne.
“I’ll help you, Sunbae.”
Glancing around, the steps and underside of the railing gleamed brightly, but the top was noticeably duller. Marianne probably couldn’t see or reach that high. Even if she did, it would’ve been difficult for her.
Marianne eyed me doubtfully, but this time I was completely confident. I immediately started polishing.
Ah, this is satisfying!
Pride swelled inside me as the wooden railing handle began to shine beautifully under my skilled touch. What was the Beast doing now? He should hurry up and witness this masterpiece. Today, he’d have absolutely nothing to criticize.
“…”
Meanwhile, Marianne continued fidgeting anxiously, unable to see exactly what I was doing due to her height.
Relax, Sunbae. I’ll surprise you with a grand reveal afterward, so stop worrying!
However, my fluffy sunbae wasn’t patient enough. Marianne stepped back determinedly, then leaped upward with all her might.
Isn’t that a bit too high?
My hand shot out instinctively to catch her, but Marianne neatly landed atop the railing before I could even react—a perfect landing, ten out of ten. But the problem was, the railing was far smoother than she expected.
The polished railing combined with her jelly-less, fluffy paws became a deadly combo, sending Marianne swiftly sliding downward.
“Beeeeep—!”
“Sunbae!”
I hurriedly dashed down the stairs, but catching up was impossible.
—Crash!
When I reached the bottom, Marianne stood dazed, staring at scattered fragments. Those shards were undoubtedly from the incredibly expensive-looking antique vase placed at the foot of the stairs.
“What was that noise?”
And at that exact moment, the Beast made his grand entrance today. Talk about awful timing.
Marianne turned ghostly pale, trembling visibly at Kalz’s arrival. If he scolded her harshly now, her lovely fur would surely be soaked in tears. I couldn’t allow that.
“Ah, well… it’s nothing serious, just a small mistake.”
“Of course, it’s you again.”
Kalz’s lips twisted into a delighted smirk as soon as he spotted me. Clearly, he was thrilled to have found something to criticize.
“Don’t tell me you broke this?”
“Yes, I did. I tried to polish it spotless and ended up using too much force.”
“Excellent job!”
Without hesitation, he unleashed a torrent of complaints.
“Do you even know what kind of vase you’ve broken?”
“Obviously not, that’s why it broke.”
“How impressive. This vase was crafted by Bluebell, an extraordinary artisan who died young, leaving only a few pieces behind. I personally traveled to the neighboring kingdom to acquire it at an auction—personally!”
Wait, was smashing such a precious vase really something to get so fired up about? Why not do a happy dance while you’re at it, huh?
Anyway, judging from a glance, the vase was obviously expensive. And since I’d been caught red-handed, I had no choice but to bow my head sincerely.
“I’m truly sorry.”
“If apologies could fix everything, what would we need Imperial Law for?”
“Ugh, there he goes again with that damned Imperial Law…”
“What was that muttering just now?”
“I’m extremely sorry, sir.”
“Exactly how it should be.”
God, this is infuriating! Did people come first, or pottery? I was about to snap and give him a piece of my mind, but Marianne’s trembling figure suddenly caught my eye. Seeing her pitiful state quickly cooled down my temper.
Fine. Let’s endure this. Wrapping things up quickly was clearly the smarter move.
You can do this, Briel.
“I sincerely apologize. There’s nothing more I can say.”
“…At least you recognize your mistake.”
Surprisingly, since I wasn’t arguing back as usual, our confrontation didn’t drag on.
He probably felt awkward himself, realizing anyone watching would clearly see him as a ruthless employer. Serves you right, jerk.
But it was too soon for me to celebrate this minor victory.
“Good. If you acknowledge your mistake, naturally you’ll also compensate me.”
“What? Compensation?”
“Did you really think just saying sorry would be enough?”
“Ha… alright. Then deduct it from my salary, please. Preferably over 12 months… no, make it 24 months.”
“Setting aside the fact you’re not formally employed, are you sure? Even without interest, two full years of work wouldn’t cover the cost. You’d leave empty-handed.”
“What?!”
“Actually, you should count yourself lucky if you don’t end up in debt.”
“Y-You… You—”
Scam artist! A con man who exploits innocent employees has appeared! Someone, bring the Imperial Law! Imperial Law, right now!
But I couldn’t actually shout it aloud, because there was a possibility he was telling the truth. Wasn’t I already dragged here over one painting in the first place?
As I stood speechless from shock, he smiled in deep satisfaction.
“So? You were saying something just now…?”
“…I love you, Master ♡.”
Don’t look at me like that. In a capitalist society, human dignity always comes second to money. That’s just reality.
