The Unbound World’s “Normal” is Difficult - Vol 2 Chapter: 7.1 - Normal care(3)

Chapter 7: Normal care(3)

“You want me to help with the chores at the mansion?”

Early the next morning, having forgotten all about her role as a camouflage for Lucas’ territory inspection, after enjoying a hearty meal and a pillow fight with Elma, Irene opened her eyes wide in surprise at the words that were told to her as she finished changing her clothes.

“No, no, it’s just a matter of showing off the skills you’ve honed as a maid at the palace to the inadequate servants at my mansion and give them ‘guidance’,” said Deborah, who had walked into the guest room early in the morning.

Deborah, having noticed that Lucas had left on horseback early in the morning, had discarded even the little politeness she had managed to maintain up until then and stormed into Irene’s presence like this.

Deborah continued with a malicious smile on her puffy face.

“Hey, isn’t this also for your benefit? After all, no matter how much His Highness is a playboy, it’s a bit suspicious for an unmarried daughter to go on an overnight trip with him alone, right? Oh, it won’t do to say that your glasses are the same. Such a thing won’t work as an excuse. If you can be seen working properly as a maid here, people around you will surely feel reassured. In other words, it’s a camouflage.”

In reality, the fact that Lucas and Irene were in a romantic relationship was the camouflage, but it’s impossible to explain that.

Seeing Irene hesitate for a moment at her reaction, or rather, taking it as hesitation, Deborah raised her voice even more.

“Hey, I really thought hard about this. You two, being maids from the capital, should be able to handle at least this much without breaking a sweat,” she said, showing a piece of paper titled “Request List.”

The list contained an overwhelming number of tasks that would normally not be requested of guests; such as, picking beans, doing laundry and cleaning the floors.

Quickly scanning the list, Irene looked up at Deborah with a straight face.

“I decline. We would like to return the favor for being allowed to stay here in some way, but this is going too far. We are planning on going to the market fair after this, thank you very much,” she said firmly in a manner befitting her strong personality.

However, Deborah, who was the type to show her strength to those lower in status, returned with a disdainful look.

“Oh! Going to the market fair, are you? Going on a date with His Highness, perhaps? Ignoring the modest request of the daughter of the lord who is lending you a room to stay in overnight?” she said, with a hint of sarcasm. “That must be the attitude of a maid from the capital these days, no, the daughter of a baron’s household.”

“This has nothing to do with being from the capital or a baron’s household.” Irene tried to explain.

“It has everything to do with it. So the daughter of Baron Neumann looks down on the daughter of Margrave Frenzel from the borderland, is that it?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

Irene tried to calmly counter, but Deborah shut her up with arrogant and pompous words.

Elma, who was standing by, couldn’t help but speak out against Deborah’s discrimination based on social status. However, before she could, the servant accompanying Deborah whispered to Elma.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that Miss is jealous because the guest is so beautiful. Even though she knows she’s not attractive herself, she has an exceptionally high pride and often picks fights or causes problems for pretty girls. Thanks to her, all the young and cute servants have quit.”

Well, it’s just the peak of the harvest season now, so their families are probably relieved.

The servant who said this was about the same age as Elma’s mother. Being the personal maid of the lord’s daughter, she was probably a leader among the servants, but the fact that she spoke so confidently about her mistress being “ugly” showed that the relationship between the employers and employees in this mansion was quite dysfunctional.

“If you defy her, it will only get worse, and she’s clever enough to use manipulative tactics, so it’s best to just obediently follow along. If you can help out, that would be great, since we are honestly short on staff here. Just do your best and get by as best you can.”

The servant spoke so comfortably to Elma, like she was one of the mansion’s maids. However, it seems that she had no intention of helping in this situation. There was a cold expression on her originally kind-looking face, as if she had given up on everything in regards to her mistress.

Meanwhile, Deborah’s chubby jaw trembled as she finally broke down in tears.

“Ah, how low. Really, how low. I don’t know what Baron Neumann’s household is like, but if they were able to raise such a lewd daughter, I can only imagine. Just because you serve as a maid in the royal palace, you think you’re better than us? Are you saying that even showing off your skills to poor girls of the same age in the borderlands is beneath you?”

“That’s why–!”

“Understood.”

Finally, Irene tried to argue with her anger showing, but a dignified voice resounded, interrupting her like a splash of water.

It was a slightly lower, pleasant-sounding voice that was uncommon in a young girl. It was Elma.

The normally unassuming maid in glasses–who was supposed to be plain–stood with an unusually beautiful posture and spoke to Deborah.

“If I may be presumptuous, Deborah-sama, earlier you said, ‘You two are maids from the capital.’ In other words, this is not meant to be a form of harassment towards Irene, but rather, you merely wanted to see the daily work of both myself and Irene.”

“Hmph, I’ve been saying that for a while.”

Of course, Deborah had no regard for the maid in glasses, but she nodded to smooth things over in the face of Elma’s determination.

“Of course, I’m expecting both of you to do as I ask. Well, it’s not like either of you are particularly important or anything–”

“In that case, both I and Irene will get to work immediately.”

“Hmm?”

Deborah gave Elma a bewildered look as she confidently declared her intentions despite her submissive posture.

“What did you say?”

“We have already finished tasks such as bean picking, floor scrubbing, laundry, replacing the flowers in the vase, peeling vegetables, making the bed, refilling and replacing the water in the cosmetics bottles, cleaning the lamp wicks, and organizing the closet and silverware. In addition, we have also been given permission to go to town.”