Chapter 25: Special Day [1]
"So, not only did you return... but you managed to defeat Aleck?"
"Yeah," I replied, trying to keep my voice even.
Hans Taylor, the head butler of the Draken estate, studied me with narrowed eyes. He didn’t look impressed. If anything, his expression only grew grimmer by the second.
"Then I suppose you’ve already figured out Aleck’s true identity."
"I have."
Of course I had. But the way Hans looked at me made it feel like I was on trial.
He took a step closer, voice low and heavy.
"If that identity is ever exposed... you understand the consequences, don’t you?"
"Yes," I answered firmly—maybe a bit too quickly.
I wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t bluffing, just laying it out plain. The Draken house hadn’t gone through all the trouble of hiding Alice behind the mask of Aleck just for me to come along and unravel it with a loose tongue.
If that secret got out to outsiders—especially the other noble houses—it wouldn’t just be my head on the chopping block. It could trigger political backlash, assassinations, maybe even a civil conflict. So yeah...
The consequence would be death. No second chances. No appeals.
That warning? It was very real.
"Anyway," Hans continued, shifting topics but not tone, "I received a report from the Evans Baron house. About the small monster outbreak you mentioned—Evans’ territory, wasn’t it?"
My spine straightened, nerves firing. Crap. That.
"Oh, that! Hahaha—yeah, why would I lie about something like that?"
My laugh was stiff. Awkward. Completely unnatural.
Because I had lied.
When I’d begged for permission to leave the North weeks ago, I’d made up that entire monster outbreak story to justify my absence. At the time, Hans hadn’t believed a word of it. But now... he had a report in his hands confirming it.
Funny how that works, huh?
I forced a tight smile, remembering how I’d covered my tracks.
When I was on my way back from the South, I made a split-second decision. If I couldn’t make Hans believe the lie—I’d turn the lie into the truth. So I tracked down Knight Captain Darion, bribed him with a favor I’ll definitely regret later, and ordered him to draft a fabricated report about a small-scale monster surge near the Evans Barony.
I had it sealed, stamped, and sent straight to the Draken Duchy.
Simple enough, right?
Well... not exactly.
Because to make the report fully convincing, it needed more than forged details and made-up casualty numbers. It needed the Evans family seal. And that’s where things got... complicated.
You see, my father didn’t know I’d left the North in the first place. And if he found out I’d stepped foot outside our territory without his permission?
Let’s just say I’d prefer the monster outbreak to be real.
So no—I couldn’t risk going back to the Barony.
What did I do instead?
Well, for starters... I improvised.
You see, after possessing Julies Evans body, I got most of his memories.
...And from those memories I know someone who could helped me.
Egan, a scribe who now worked under the Evans family steward. We weren’t close, but I’d once helped him cover up a scandal involving a merchant’s daughter and an expensive vase.
Well old Julies did but you get what I’m talking about right? I’m Julies Evans now, so it’s same thing.
Long story.
Anyway, I sent a letter ahead through a courier hawk, asking for one thing: a stamped document from the Evans family archive. Nothing too formal. Just enough to back up the fabricated report.
A few days later before I could arrive at Darken Duchy, a wax-sealed envelope arrived in Darion’s camp. Inside was a folded parchment—detailed enough to look official, vague enough to avoid direct scrutiny.
The seal? Authentic.
And just like that, my lie turned into truth.
At least on paper.
Hans flipped through the report again, his fingers tapping against the leather cover. His sharp eyes flicked toward me, unreadable.
"Hmph. I suppose I should apologize for doubting you," he said, though his tone carried no actual apology. "The timing of your return just happened to line up with the official report. Fortunate."
I bowed slightly, wearing my best humble smile. "Just doing my part."
"Mm."
He clearly didn’t buy the coincidence, but he wasn’t pushing it. For now.
Hans closed the file with a quiet snap and folded his arms behind his back.
"One more thing."
"Of course."
"You are now officially Lady Draken’s attendant. That makes you part of the inner circle. Which means you’ll be under constant observation."
Hans didn’t say it like a threat—it was more like he was reminding me not to trip over my own feet.
"As a servant, especially a personal servant, your top priority is to assist your master. You must anticipate their needs and act accordingly."
I nodded with a grin, trying to appear confident.
How hard could it be?
Honestly, being a servant sounded kind of chill. I mean, I just had to follow her around, right? Maybe hold her coat, fetch tea, bow politely when someone noble passes by? Easy.
But Hans’s next words crushed that illusion like a bug under a boot.
"You’ll be busier than you think. Lady Alice enjoys fencing—so you’ll need to inspect her weapons every morning. That includes checking sword grips, sharpening blades, and making sure the hilts aren’t loose. You’ll also be managing her wardrobe—choosing dresses for events, coordinating jewelry, inspecting fabrics for wear, and more..."
Wait. What?
He continued like a machine, listing task after task. Makeup assistance, schedule memorization, dealing with tailors, maintaining correspondence with boutique shops, monitoring daily caloric intake for optimal dueling performance—was that even a thing?
"...and all of that is just the daily routine. On special days, the workload will increase. Considering the Lady’s age and social standing, such days will be... frequent."
My whole body stiffened.
It felt like I was back at my old job, staring at the mountain of reports and emails at 11 PM, wondering where my life had gone wrong. The unpaid overtime flashbacks hit like a truck.
"Can I ask one question?" I said, raising a hand hesitantly.
"Go ahead."
"What exactly are these... ’special days’?"
Hans paused, which was somehow worse than him answering outright.
"It’s better you learn that firsthand," he said. "Coincidentally, today is one."
Perfect.
Day one on the job and I’d already landed in a boss-level event.
I forced a smile, but my stomach twisted.
"I see. That’s... great news."
"Follow me," Hans said, turning sharply on his heel. "I’ll show you what needs to be done."
As I trailed behind him, all I could think was:
Why does it feel like I just signed a contract with the devil?