Chapter 38

It's been a while. How have you all been? I'm doing well.

This time, the book adaptation of "Maid" has been decided, so I thought I'd write an extra episode to announce it, and here I am, putting pen to paper.

The details are in the afterword.

"Wh-What!? What is this, there's nothing left at all!"

The scream-like voice came from a house in a certain rural town.

She had just placed a large travel bag at her feet, having just returned home after a long journey—she had visited home a few times, but this was her first proper return in five years.

"Well, what can I do, Mona. Dad's not feeling well..."

"That's right. Basically, the money you sent is this family's. I should be free to use it as I please."

Mona, who had worked as a maid at the Markwood Manor and had finally returned home to get married, looked up to the sky and put her hand on her forehead.

"I'm disappointed... I didn't earn a fortune, but I don't think the monthly allowance I sent was that small, right?"

Indeed, Mona's earnings were just a bit higher than the average maid's.

But five years of sending money should have added up to a considerable amount.

Enough to replace the creaky table and the squeaky door.

She looked around the house.

The house, which made a living as a hardware store, had aged five years more since Mona left, and there was a thin layer of dirt everywhere.

There was nothing new.

On the creaky table, there was a pot—where the family's money was kept—containing only a few silver coins.

Her parents knew she was coming back this year to get married.

"...I thought they might have saved some money for the wedding. I was a fool to think that."

"Hey, Mona. Don't get the wrong idea! Now that you're back, you'll live and work in this house! You're the one who's a burden!"

"Hey, Dad—"

"I'm the one who feeds you, who can only clean and do laundry!"

"Dad, come on—"

"—I'm coming out. Don't touch my luggage."

"Wait, Mona!"

Mona left the house, leaving her father behind.

Maybe it was her fault for not talking about money during her previous visits.

But she never imagined her parents would be so unplanned.

"Ha..."

Compared to the capital of Crescent Kingdom, Crescent Town was unbelievably quaint.

The people on the street were dirty with dust, and the houses were worn out.

Still, it was a hub connecting several scattered villages.

"Mona-nee! You're back?"

A few children came running. They were all dirty and wearing tattered clothes, but no one seemed to mind.

Two of them were her younger brothers.

They had grown quickly during the time she hadn't seen them, but they were still playing around with the other children.

Mona was much older than them.

"By the way, Lucas' brother wants to see you, Mona-nee."

"Sure, I was just about to go."

"You're getting married, right!?"

"Yep."

"Are you going to have a baby!?"

"Stop saying silly things and go play."

"Be-eh!"

The children stuck out their tongues and scattered like they were running away.

"Nothing's changed, huh..."

As she walked down the bumpy road, she saw a money changer's shop.

"Hey, Mona! You're back?"

A slender, kind-looking young man noticed Mona and came over.

Mona's fiancé, Lucas, who had been with her since childhood.

"I'm back. And—"

They walked through the town, talking.

Mona told him that the money she had sent was gone.

"Isn't that terrible? No matter what, a parent should think about using some of it for their daughter, right?"

"Well, if I could have taken over the family business, it would have been fine..."

Lucas, being the second son, would leave home after getting married.

He was supposed to take over Mona's family's hardware store.

So, from the perspective of Mona's parents, they would suddenly have to support two more people.

"That's true, but... I did bring some money back, just in case. I have to hide it from Dad, though."

"...Mona, you've become tough."

"Huh!? N-no, my arms aren't getting bigger or anything!?"

"No, not that. When you were in this town, you were so quiet, and I had to protect you... but when you went to the city and became a maid, you got stronger and stronger."

"Oh... I guess so."

The world of maids is harsh.

Relationships are formed in the small mansion.

If you were timid, you'd be given the toughest jobs, and you had to speak up when you needed to.

And it wasn't just that.

"...I got a junior, too. Well, I was quickly overtaken by her. Still, I was her 'senior' in name, so I had to stretch myself and work hard."

Mona recalled.

A girl who, despite being small, had incredible maid skills and made the mansion shine.

Where was Nina now?

"Hmm...? Oh, right. If the house is dirty, I'll just work hard!"

"Huh?"

"Heh heh heh... You said I can only clean and do laundry, didn't you? I'll show you what happens when you master those skills!"

"Mona!? You've really changed, haven't you!?"

Mona rolled up her sleeves and rushed back home, burning with determination.

From then on, Mona cleaned the house like a demon. "Stop it" or "The dust is flying" or "It's too noisy" were ignored at first, but as her father's complaints grew louder,

"Ah!? I'm going to live here! I don't want to live in a dirty place!"

When she glared, her father was shocked and never complained again.

From then on, the house was unrecognizably clean.

"Phew. What is this? It looks like a new house."

"Right?"

Her two younger brothers were also surprised by the transformation.

"Take off your clothes. Next is you two."

"Ew."

"No way!"

Despite their protests, she washed them from head to toe.

The soap she brought back was effective.

As a result, the rumor "The hardware store people are so clean" spread through the town.

Her father was still sulking, but her mother seemed happy—she borrowed the soap and cleaned herself up, and she was lively at the well meetings, being the center of attention.

"Next is... the store."

Mona went into the store where the hardware was displayed. Her father, who was working the counter, said,

"What!? What is it, Mona!?"

"...Go out for a while."

"Huh?"

"I'm going to clean! Go outside and kill some time!"

"You, talking to your father like that—"

"Here, take this allowance. See you!"

She handed her father a silver coin and kicked him out of the store.

"......"

Her father stood on the street, looking like he had been snatched by a fox.

The store was cleaned.

It was sparkling.

Even with the same items on display, they looked of better quality, and sales were increasing.

"Dad, maids are amazing. Since Mona came, the house is clean, and sales have increased..."

"......"

"Maybe we should talk about it? Dad, about the allowance Mona sent, which was saved for the wedding and to buy clothes..."

"...Can I say it? I paid a large sum of money to a store that ran away in the middle of the night, and nothing was left."

Her father placed a silver coin on the table, the one Mona had given him.

He hadn't used it and had kept it.

"—Ah, I see. You were embarrassed to tell the truth about being scammed, so you tried to be tough and push through, right?"

"Mona!?"

Mona, holding a rag, appeared from the shadows.

"Dad, you're so stupid."

"———!"

Her father's face turned red and started to tremble.

But Mona gently placed her hand on his arm.

"...Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Mona..."

"But you were probably scammed with a deal like 'You can get this fabric at this price, which you can't usually get!' right?"

"!??!??!??! How did you know that!?"

"This stupid dad! You should know that if it's a good deal, there's a catch, especially after doing business for so long!"

"B-B-But, that guy is an old acquaintance, he's never scammed me before!"

"Wasn't that person in debt or something?"

"Ugh..."

As her father's mouth opened and closed, a voice came from outside, "Excuse me."

"Ah, a customer! Work! I'm going!"

He walked away with his shoulders hunched.

"...Well, you can't help it. Don't use the hard-earned savings for something like that..."

"Mona, don't say that. Dad was thinking of you, even if he's like that..."

"Ugh..."

Her mother, who had been hit where it hurt, was flustered but said,

"Still, city maids are amazing! The house is unrecognizably clean!"

"......"

"Huh? Mona?"

"...I still have a lot to learn."

Compared to before, the house was unrecognizably clean.

But it could be even cleaner.

Mona knew this—she knew because she had seen a maid who had made the house unbelievably beautiful.

The church bell rang.

People gathered.

Today was Lucas and Mona's wedding.

"Good for you, Lucas. You've come back with a hardworking wife."

"Don't let her boss you around."

"Hey, you're the one who's already bossed around, aren't you?"

"Ahaha, you're right."

Lucas, the groom, was talking to the guests.

He was wearing better clothes from a rental shop, and Mona had paid for them.

"Ha..."

Indeed, Mona was a hard worker.

The hardware store had become clean and beautiful, and several discerning shopkeepers had asked Mona to clean their stores.

As the stores became cleaner, their sales increased, and more and more shopkeepers asked Mona for help, and she was busy working every day.

She was now the top earner.

"Hey, don't look so gloomy, groom! Did you go to the barbecue? They've prepared so much delicious food. You should thank your wife!"

"A, ah... No, I haven't. Did they prepare a barbecue?"

"Wow, it's monster meat. They're cutting and roasting it and distributing it. The kids are thrilled."

A question mark appeared in his head.

Monster meat? He didn't order that...

"What's going on? Did Mona arrange this?"

Lucas tilted his head.

He hadn't heard about anything like this.

But if it was Mona—she had worked as a maid in Crescent City and knew the city—she might have done something like this.

"—This one is done."

"—Take it! Astrid! Next meat!"

"—I understand. But this monster meat is quite tough. Roy, can you help with the preparation?"

A chef and three girls seemed to be in charge of the barbecue.

Lucas was about to ask them where the meat came from, but he stopped.

It was almost time for Mona to finish getting ready.

"Hmm hmm hmm..."

"Oh, you're in a good mood, Mona."

"Of course. It's a once-in-a-lifetime wedding. When else would I be this happy?"

"Sure, sure. —Oh, right. I'll go call your parents. Wait here. Wash your face, okay?"

"Okay."

The neighbor lady, who was helping with the wedding, went out, and Mona washed her face with lukewarm water in a basin.

She was already in her undergarments.

All that was left was to put on the outfit for the day, tie her hair, and put on makeup to complete her preparation.

"Where's the towel, where's the towel..."

As Mona reached for the basin, a towel—no, a soft cloth towel—appeared from the side.

"? Do we have a towel like this?"

As she thought this, her hair was touched, and a comb started to run through it.

"Oh, didn't the neighbor lady go to call my parents?"

When she wiped her face, it felt so good, and there was a nice smell.

That's strange, Mona thought. Such a high-quality cloth shouldn't be in her house. No, it shouldn't even be available in this rural town—only in a noble house in Crescent City.

She wiped her face and looked to the side, where the basket with today's outfit—her outdoor clothes—should have been.

But it was different.

There was a dress made of pure white fabric, so bright it was blinding.

And it was adorned with lace, as if made by a top-notch seamstress.

"Eh!? What is this!?"

In the next moment, Mona noticed a soft feeling