#002 Did I save the young lady?
Despite being warned not to provoke Miss Ruby, who was quite sensitive, I ended up spraying her entire body with tea.
“···.”
She just stared at me without saying a word, her head dripping wet.
In that moment, various thoughts flashed through my mind.
Imagining having my head chopped off on the guillotine, or being trapped in the basement and tortured every day.
‘Dying, so anticlimactic.’
Just as I was giving up on everything, the head maid, Merilda, who had heard strange sounds from below, came up and opened the door.
“Miss Ruby, are you okay···!”
Her face turned very pale, and she rushed towards Ruby. Judging from the situation, she instinctively realized that I had poured tea on her and gave me a terrifying look.
“···Amber, go back to the lodging and wait for disposal. Right away.”
Merilda spoke to me as calmly as possible, but even from her outward appearance, I could tell how much anger she was suppressing.
“···Yes.”
She quietly closed the door, and as she left, I could hear Merilda continuously apologizing to Ruby.
“I’m sorry, Miss···! It’s my negligence for not properly educating him···!”
Each step descending the stairs felt impossibly heavy.
***
Back in the lodging, I began packing my belongings casually.
‘How many days can I endure if I go outside?’
Even if I were fortunate enough to be chosen as Ruby’s exclusive maid here, I couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t commit the same mistake today. I was so clueless that I almost felt like I wasn’t cursed.
In the midst of giving up everything and preparing to survive outside, Amber rushed in with an urgent expression.
“Amber, something big happened!”
One of the candidates called my name and barged into the room with an uneasy expression.
“What’s going on? Ruby is going to kill me or something!”
I felt like I was trapped and helpless, unable to escape, but she shook her head and replied.
“It’s not that. It’s about the tea you spilled. It seems there was something in it that shouldn’t be consumed.”
“What?”
Following her to the living room, I saw a tribunal surrounding the candidate I had paired up with earlier.
Even Ruby, who rarely came out of her room, was present, indicating that the situation was unusually serious.
One of the candidates pointed a finger and shouted, “I saw it clearly. This woman put something strange in the tea!”
The person accused was the woman I had paired with, the cold and reserved candidate who made the tea to entertain the lady.
After hearing all the testimonies, Merilda, with a serious expression, addressed the candidates.
“Candidates, examine her pockets.”
“Ugh…”
She couldn’t resist, and her arms were seized as they searched her pockets. When they opened it, an oddly-shaped vial rolled onto the floor.
Merilda, smelling it, froze her expression.
“This smell, could it be Tephros’s…?”
As I played the game, the familiar word reached my ears, making my body twitch.
‘Tiplos…!’
Also known as ‘Master Herb,’ Tiplos was a plant classified as a deadly weed in the game.
It was an item that could only be obtained in the late stages of the game, growing in highly dangerous exploration areas.
Despite its irresistibly sweet fragrance, consuming this plant not only resulted in permanent vision impairment but could also lead to fatal blindness in severe cases.
No wonder the tea she gave me had an excessively sweet scent; she must have added this.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Merilda looked at the restrained woman and asked,
“Which family’s concubine are you…? Who ordered you to do such a thing…?”
However, the woman didn’t respond to Merilda’s question. Instead, she glared at me angrily and hurled curses.
“Everything went wrong because of that pink-haired wench… If she hadn’t spilled the tea…”
“Answer the question! Why did you plan such a thing…?”
“Don’t know? If you think about what your Sarka family has been up to, you’ll figure it out. Such women deserve to go blind!”
The noble maiden Ruby, belonging to the Sarka family, was infamous for its poor reputation, built on the blood and bones of numerous people.
Due to this, many families held grudges against the Sarka family, and even individuals appeared seeking revenge, sneaking into the mansion to target Miss Ruby’s life.
“It seems words won’t work. What shall we do, Miss Ruby?”
As Merilda asked her, Ruby turned her head quietly and said,
“It doesn’t seem like a matter to be quietly overlooked. Report it formally to the guards, Merilda.”
Agreeing with Ruby’s words, Merilda gestured, and the servants seized the woman, dragging her outside the mansion.
Even as she was being dragged away, she continued to curse incessantly at me.
“If your girl hadn’t done something stupid, we would have succeeded… Damn woman…!”
···.
Ruby confirmed that she was being drawn towards it and quietly headed back to her room.
As I watched the situation unfold, Merilda called me quietly.
“Amber, could you come with me for a moment?”
She led me to a quiet place.
···The incident you caused today should have resulted in your immediate dismissal, regardless of the reason. You understand, don’t you?”
···Yes.
No matter how kind a noblewoman may be, she would never tolerate a maid pouring tea on her.
If a servant who should provide impeccable service couldn’t even handle basic tasks like serving, there would be no reason for them to be hired from their perspective.
As I wondered what punishment would be given, Merilda let out a sigh and explained.
“But, thanks to you pouring the tea today, Miss was able to protect herself. It may have been a coincidence, but I can’t help but be grateful.”
Merilda, who showed a slightly softened expression for the first time, looked at me and added.
“I’ve decided to give you another chance, Amber.”
“Really…?”
As if not believing me, Merilda smiled slightly and nodded.
“Regardless of what anyone says, you’re considered Miss’s benefactor. You will continue to be a maid candidate and take the test.”
“Thank you, Head Maid…!”
I was relieved. At least I had another chance.
I never imagined that spilling tea would actually help Miss.
“But remember, if you want to be selected as Miss’s personal maid with your current score, you’ll have to work twice as hard as everyone else.”
“…Yes. I understand.”
“Living for a long time exposes one to ominous events like this. Truly…”
She, who had worked as a maid for the family for decades, said it was the first time encountering such an incident.
“By the way, now is…”
As Merilda spoke like that, she squinted her eyes deeply. Seeing her contorted expression, I instinctively recoiled and asked.
“Could it be that your anger hasn’t subsided yet?”
“Hmm?”
Seeing me flinch slightly, she seemed to understand the reason, relaxed her expression, and tilted her head.
“Oh, no. I tried to control my temper. As I age, my eyesight isn’t what it used to be, and if I don’t squint like this, I can’t see things far away very well.”
She responded with relief, making it clear that it was just my misunderstanding.
“Ah, I see… If it’s about time, it just passed midnight.”
“Can you see that clearly? I envy your youth…”
However, looking at Merilda’s contorted expression from earlier, a vague suspicion or thought crossed my mind.
‘Wait, could it be that she squints due to poor eyesight?’
The image of Ruby, the 17-year-old in the game, who always squinted when looking at people, flashed through my mind.
The tea I spilled earlier contained a substance that could have a severe impact on eyesight.
If Ruby had drunk it instead of me today, she would have suffered terrible damage to her eyesight at a young age.
With significantly impaired vision, she would naturally squint when looking at others.
‘So, is that why she always had that expression in the game…’
Now that she has protected her eyesight this time, even as she grows to 17 years old, she would maintain a calm expression like she does now.
“I can’t believe such a coincidence can happen…”
Lost in my thoughts, I noticed Maid Manager Merilda lingering around, not yet leaving.
“Merilda? You’re still here.”
She made a troubled expression and grabbed my hand.
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“Follow me, Amber, the candidate.”
“What?”
She led me to the kitchen, where various tea leaves were lined up.
“As a gesture of gratitude for the favor you received, it’s only fitting to show it properly.”
Merilda opened the tea cabinet and laid out the ingredients, saying this.
“Although it’s embarrassing to say this in exchange, I’ll teach you the special black tea recipe that you like.”
Surprised by her words, I blurted out.
“What!? Can you really tell me that?”
Extracting the flavor of tea is considered the most reliable indicator of a maid’s skill. Even among the maids within the mansion, it was natural not to share recipes.
“Technically, it’s prohibited, but I’m now at an age where my hair is turning white. It’s better to retire without telling anyone than to keep it a secret.”
“To give me something so valuable…”
“Then focus now. I’ll only show you once.”
The black tea she made according to the recipe she taught me was excellent. It had the perfect balance of sweetness and a subtle aroma that filled the mouth, a tea with the golden ratio of taste and fragrance.
Although my hospitality skills were still unsteady, I was now able to make a tea that Ruby would like.
———-
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