“…This freaking sucks.”
My inner grumbling kept slipping out as I tackled the stairs I hadn’t finished cleaning yesterday. Even after sleeping it off, the fire burning in my chest hadn’t cooled one bit.
“I must’ve been insane. Kneeling there like some beggar—pathetic.”
Sure, thanks to swallowing my pride, I’d managed to save two years’ worth of wages. That certainly counted as prosperity in my book, but my bruised ego wasn’t healing anytime soon. Not to mention the irritation of knowing the next three months of labor would be unpaid.
“Who puts something so precious right at the bottom of the stairs anyway? It’s almost like they wanted someone to break it. Wait—was that the actual plan?”
Just as my simmering irritation escalated into conspiracy theories, he appeared again—right on schedule.
“You missed a spot. There’s a clump of wax there.”
“Yes, yes, I was about to clean that.”
At this point, minor criticisms didn’t even register. I kept cleaning half-heartedly, expecting him to leave once he’d reached his daily quota of nitpicking. But surprisingly, the Beast lingered around, pacing restlessly.
What’s he still hanging around for?
Wait…
Is he monitoring me now? Did breaking one stupid vase get me a personal overseer?
Oh, absolutely not.
I sharply lifted my head, facing the Beast head-on with a bright smile—though the vein throbbing angrily on my forehead probably gave me away.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why is someone as busy as you wasting precious time loitering around here? Don’t tell me you’re worried I’ll break something else?”
“No, it’s…”
His flustered expression confirmed my suspicion. Jackpot. Irritatingly, the lion-headed brute’s eyes darted anxiously before blurting out nonsense.
“The weather is nice today.”
“And what does that have to do with me?”
“Well…wash my bedding and dry it outside.”
“Me?”
“Isn’t that your job? Handling chores around the castle?”
“It is, but…”
Hello, I’m clearly busy scrubbing these stairs. You can see me, can’t you? And yet you’re deliberately adding more work to my pile?
But what could I do? Such was the tragic fate of being at the bottom.
“Fine, yes, of course. It must be me. I’ll finish this wax first and—”
“Do it, and I’ll overlook yesterday’s incident.”
Wait, did he just—
“Hold on. Are you saying I don’t need to pay back the vase’s value? That my salary stays intact?”
“What, you don’t want that?”
“Nope, I absolutely love it! Now that you mention it, the weather today truly is beautiful! Perfect breeze, ideal laundry-drying weather, isn’t it? I’ll have your blankets fluffy and fresh by this evening. Just grab them from your room, right?”
“Yes.”
Wow. This was a jackpot. Three months’ salary for just washing some blankets? Thank you very much. Suddenly in high spirits, I practically skipped toward the Beast’s room, even throwing in a twirl along the way.
Of course, I had no idea that Kalz, watching my antics from behind, finally burst into laughter. Nor did I know it was the first time in a very long while he’d laughed so openly.
***
Smacking the thick blankets hanging on the clothesline with a wooden stick, I watched the sunlight scatter tiny dust particles, sparkling like glass shards.
“Haha, pretty.”
Why hide it? My mood was soaring so high, even the glittering dust seemed adorable.
Humming cheerfully as I shook out the blankets, I noticed a pair of small feet and the hem of a familiar dress beneath the fabric.
“Ah, Sunbae! Did you come looking for me? Sorry, Kalz-nim suddenly asked me to wash his blankets. I’ll finish up quickly and get back to cleaning the stairs.”
“…”
No response came, but I was used to her silence by now and continued chattering casually.
“Actually, Kalz-nim offered to forget the vase incident if I did his laundry. I have no idea what brought on his sudden generosity, though. Yesterday he was being such a pain—I mean, he seemed really angry. Maybe his ancestors scolded him in a dream or something? Anyway, it’s all great news!”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Oh please, no apologies necessary. After all, it’s water under the bridge now—wait, huh?”
Who just answered me?
Startled, I immediately pulled aside the blanket barrier. Marianne stood there, gazing up at me with an unexpectedly gentle expression.
“W-was that you speaking just now, Sunbae?”
“And…thank you for covering for me. It was my fault.”
No doubt about it. Marianne’s soft, trembling voice was clearly audible.
“You could speak all along? Then why didn’t you until now… Oh.”
She hadn’t been mute—she had simply been giving me the cold shoulder. If Marianne had been human, I would’ve figured out much sooner that she was just sulking.
Foolishly, I had just assumed Almond could talk because he was a parrot, and Marianne couldn’t because she was a rabbit. How stupid could I be?
“I’m sorry about that—and for not properly teaching you your job.”
As I sighed at my own idiocy, Marianne softly repeated her apologies. Her drooping ears and lowered eyes looked genuinely crestfallen.
Wait, this wasn’t the time to wallow in guilt. I needed to support this small senior who had bravely stepped forward first.
“No, it’s really my fault. You must’ve been furious with me after that first day in the garden, right?”
Marianne trembled visibly, clearly recalling an unpleasant memory.
Crap, that must’ve been awful. Panicked, I quickly rambled, “I totally understand! I’d have been furious too! Really, I’m sincerely sorry! Truly!”
At my frantic, rapid-fire apology, Marianne sighed softly, shaking her head.
“It’s okay. You didn’t know any better. I forgive you.”
“Really? Thank you so much!”
Hearing Marianne say “forgive” instantly lifted an enormous burden off my chest. Every icy glare from her had left me feeling guilty enough to want to lock myself up. But now, those days of being hated by my adorable senior were officially behind me!
“Then… can I call you Marianne sunbae from now on?”
“Just Marianne is fine.”
“Alright! And feel free to call me just Briel.”
Grinning broadly, I crouched down to match Marianne’s eye level and carefully extended my hand.
“Then let’s properly introduce ourselves again. I’m counting on you, Marianne.”
“Likewise, Briel.”
Marianne smiled gently and shook my hand with her small paw, which felt soft and warm like a ball of cotton.
But just one day after our emotional reconciliation, my work assignment changed. The timing felt terribly unlucky—I’d finally started talking with Marianne comfortably. Still, at least I’d managed to satisfy one burning curiosity before leaving.
“Marianne, actually, I’ve been wondering about something…”
“What is it?”
“Um… What animal are you exactly? Wait, is that rude to ask?”
“It’s fine. I’m a dwarf rabbit. We naturally have short ears.”
“Ah, I see. That’s such a cute and pretty name! Just like yours, Marianne.”
Marianne had blushed adorably at my compliment. Thinking about it, dwarf rabbits were the inspiration for that famous electric mouse from a certain monster-catching anime, weren’t they? No wonder it became such a global hit. With cuteness like Marianne’s, success was inevitable.
Anyway, starting today, my workplace was the garden.
“Hahaha! Briel, huh? I’m Jack!”
Jack, the castle’s gardener, was… a giraffe. The very giraffe I’d mistaken for a lawn decoration.
“Nice to meet you! It’s been ages since we’ve had someone new join the castle. Hahaha!”
“Likewise. I’ll do my best.”
I didn’t mind Jack speaking informally right away. Even his hearty laugh resonating through that long neck of his was oddly charming.
But…he was way too tall. Making eye contact meant constantly craning my neck upward. Could I claim work-related injuries if my neck gave out?
“Feel free to ask anything! About gardening, about me, or even other things!”
“Thank you.”
Neck pain aside, Jack seemed friendlier from the start compared to Marianne. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to have overheard my previous complaints about the gardener’s sense of aesthetics.
“Let’s trim the front lawn this morning. Want to join me?”
“Of course. I’ll work hard!”
The task was simple: Jack pushed a lawnmower, and I followed behind, pulling weeds left behind by the mower. As I worked, I carefully looked for the right moment to ask a sensitive question I’d hesitated to ask anyone else. Jack had encouraged openness, and his easygoing personality seemed reliable enough.
Still, maybe some casual flattery would soften things up?
“Wow, you’re really good at this. The lawn is so tidy already.”
“Haha! This is nothing! I’ve been gardening since I was thirteen.”
“Really? Since you were young? So, you’ve always worked here at the castle?”
“Nope. At first, I managed a tiny garden at a neighbor’s place. I moved here when I was twenty.”
“Oh, I see. Then how long have you been working at this castle?”
This was it—my real question. How long had it been since the castle fell under this enchantment? Asking like this should get me at least a rough estimate.
“Let’s see… I became a giraffe about eight years after coming here. After that, I haven’t really kept exact count, but I’d say…”
Jack mimed counting on imaginary fingers, then grinned mischievously.
“Maybe about…eight hundred years?”
“Eight hundred years?!”
Holy crap! Everyone here was at least eight centuries old? Forget elderly—they were practically ancestors! One careless remark, and I’d end up labeled the rudest brat ever!
My horror-stricken reaction made Jack burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Relax, it was a joke!”
“A joke? Ah…right…hahaha…”
If you’re the only one laughing, does it still count as a joke?
Calm down. Let’s not get upset. The fact that he felt comfortable enough to joke around was something to be grateful for.
“Okay, maybe not eight hundred years exactly, but it has been so long it’s tough to pinpoint exactly. I’d say it’s close to a hundred years now.”
“A hundred years…right.”
Because of Jack’s exaggerated joke, a hundred years suddenly seemed short. Still, objectively, it was incredibly long. Long enough for magic to be the only reason everyone here was still healthy and alive, far exceeding normal human lifespans. Realizing this made me feel strangely uneasy.
Oblivious to my complicated feelings, Jack flashed another toothy grin.
“Looks like we’ve finished tidying the front yard. Shall we move on to the next job?”
