Maid.
What a magnificent word it was.
Surely, this most noble and beautiful word in the world must have been the finest masterpiece created by God after shaping existence itself.
Always dedicating unwavering loyalty to their master,
Providing unconditional love to the children of the estate, becoming their steadfast protector,
Such a sublime image was nothing short of pure devotion.
Of course, in reality, a maid was merely a housekeeper hired for money, but what did that matter to me?
In my heart, the maid was already a noble, devoted, and beautiful profession.
No mere reality could ever tarnish the Maid Spirit (TL Note: A self-coined term referring to the narrator’s fervent idealization of maids and their duties) within me.
Yet now, confronted by this grotesque and defiling spectacle before me, I could feel my Maid Spirit raging uncontrollably.
“Alright then! Shall all you masters join in?”
“Yes~!”
“Now, the magic spell filled with love!”
““Be.come.de.li.cious~❤””
This was a cafe located in Hongdae.
Recently, thanks to a social media platform called ‘Inbyeol’ (TL Note: A Korean slang term for Instagram), various themed cafes had begun to emerge, and this trend eventually led to the proliferation of maid cafes, previously thought to exist only in Japan, even in Korea.
A friend, who often watched anime, had suggested we come, so I had reluctantly agreed to visit, but…
“Meow~ It’s truly a delight to see Master eating, meow~”
“Hey! You damned Master! It’s not like I made this especially for you…!”
How utterly lamentable this situation was!
This cafe was defiling the very essence of a maid.
How could a maid, whose duty it was to meticulously manage the estate and assist their master, possibly wear such revealing clothing and audaciously speak to their master with such impudence…!
A true maid, by definition, should always greet their master in impeccable attire, without any undue exposure, and assist them to the best of their abilities.
Yet, how could they so insolently interrupt their master’s meal with idle chatter…!
Indeed, this cafe was an affront to maids.
It dared to claim the name of a maid cafe, yet it was nothing more than a place utterly devoid of understanding or respect for what a maid truly represented!
“Oh my, Master, you look quite unwell, don’t you? In such cases, I shall cast a magic spell to heal you. Fufufu.”
“No…”
“Pardon…?”
“This… this isn’t a maid!”
“Hey! What the f*ck are you doing?!”
Unable to endure any further insult, I ultimately seized the table and flipped it over.
Consequently, after paying over a million won (TL Note: Roughly 1,000 USD at the time of writing) in damages, my friend and I were unceremoniously expelled from the cafe.
****
Late at night, on a street in Hongdae.
Having been kicked out of the cafe, my friend and I trudged wearily towards the station.
“Hey, you crazy bastard, are you actually insane?”
“No, those bastards are insulting maids, dammit.”
Ah, my anger still simmered, unabated.
How dare they masquerade under the name of ‘maid’ with such a grotesque display?
No matter how hard I tried to compose myself, I couldn’t quell the Maid Spirit raging within me.
“This won’t do.”
“What won’t do, you bastard?”
“I can’t possibly leave that vile cafe be. One million won (TL Note: Roughly 1,000 USD) to flip a table and break a window? Then, damn it, if I pay ten million won (TL Note: Roughly 10,000 USD), I can flip ten more tables!”
“Hey, you crazy bastard! If you’re so unhappy, then why don’t you just become a maid yourself!”
‘Wh-what… did you… say…?’
As I listened to my friend, who was frantically trying to calm me down, a shock akin to a lightning bolt struck my mind.
Was this how Newton felt when he saw the apple fall from the tree?
Along with the powerful jolt that coursed through my head, I was struck by a profound realization.
That’s right, I just needed to become a maid myself…!
****
A maid cafe nestled in Hongdae.
Today, as on many days, numerous people queued, patiently waiting to enter this cafe.
Requiring waits of anywhere from one to three hours, this cafe had, by now, earned a reputation as Hongdae’s premier establishment.
“No, Oppa (TL Note: A Korean term used by females to address an older male friend or brother), you’re not even a `ssipdeok` (TL Note: A derogatory Korean slang term for an otaku or hardcore fan), so why did you suggest coming to a place like this?”
“Haha, it’s not just any ordinary maid cafe, so just wait a little longer.”
Mi-yeon, who had recently been a high school senior preparing for university exams, continued to grumble as she looked at her boyfriend, who had brought her here.
While she didn’t necessarily hold a negative view of otaku culture, she felt that coming to such a place for a Christmas date was simply too much.
Moreover, her current situation, queuing for a maid cafe, filled her with profound embarrassment.
If this line hadn’t been so diverse, spanning all ages and genders, but instead filled solely with otaku dressed in anime character apparel, she would undoubtedly have stormed off in anger.
“Oh, it’s our turn now. You’ll be incredibly surprised once we go inside, Mi-yeon.”
“No, a maid cafe is just a maid cafe. How special could it possibly be…?”
Guided by her boyfriend’s hand, Mi-yeon grumbled as she stepped into the cafe,
and found herself utterly speechless at the sight that unfolded before her eyes.
This was no cheap, caricature-like establishment from a cartoon.
Instead, a beautiful Victorian-style cafe, reminiscent of 19th-century Europe, greeted them, where staff dressed in traditional maid uniforms welcomed the guests.
“Welcome, Master. We are truly grateful for your visit on such a cold day.”
And the one who greeted Mi-yeon was a silver-haired beauty with an ethereal, almost neutral appearance.
As she (Maria) exuded a mysterious aura, lifting her skirt slightly in a curtsy, it made one wonder if she was not a maid at all, but rather a princess from a film.
“I am Maid Maria. A table has just become available inside. May I escort you there?”
“Yes, ye-hes…!”
“Haha.”
Mi-yeon was someone who frequently watched princess animations produced by a famous company known for its giant-eared mouse.
Moreover, during her second year of high school, she had used money saved from part-time jobs to collect Gothic-style ball-jointed dolls, which was why Mi-yeon’s boyfriend had brought her to this cafe.
And just as he had anticipated, Mi-yeon was utterly captivated by the 19th-century British scene unfolding before her.
****
After once again escorting a newly arrived Master to their seat, I surveyed the cafe’s magnificent interior.
The grotesque and insidious den of harlots that had existed last year was now gone.
Now, in its place stood a grand salon, meticulously recreated from 18th- and 19th-century Europe, a place for nobles to gather, and we were the noble maids who managed this salon and served our Masters.
‘Yes, truly magnificent, no matter how many times I behold it.’
‘This was what a proper maid and a proper cafe should be.’
As I indulged in my admiration for the perfect maid cafe, the gentle chime of a bell announced the arrival of a new Master.
To greet the new Master, I turned and walked towards the entrance,
“Welcome, Ma…”
But the sight of the Master who had just entered the cafe rendered me utterly speechless.
“Maria… Sister Maria…!”
Her eyes were heavily shadowed with dark circles, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.
Clutched tightly in those hands was a kitchen knife.
Her face was undeniably one I remembered.
Once a guest entered this establishment, they became a Master of this cafe.
It was unthinkable for a maid to forget a Master’s face.
That Master’s name was surely Master Choi Ha-eun. She was undoubtedly the Master who had visited our cafe on November 29th and ordered a strawberry cake.
However, while her face was the same, the deep dark circles under her eyes and the restless, darting pupils presented a stark contrast to her previous appearance.
“Sister Maria…! You said I was your Master…! My maid…! Why are you calling other people Master…?”
“Master Choi Ha-eun. We are truly grateful that you have visited our establishment once again. While I am indeed Master Choi Ha-eun’s maid, I am also the maid to everyone who enters this cafe.”
“Sh-shut up! Sister… Sister Maria is my maid alone! I’ll make it so!”
Shouting thus, Master Ha-eun lunged towards me, brandishing the kitchen knife.
I hastily attempted to evade the Master’s attack, but if I moved, the couple Masters behind me might be endangered.
For the safety of my Masters, I had no choice but to accept the Master’s blade.
“Eh…? Why…? Sister Maria, why didn’t you dodge…?”
‘It hurt.’
‘I wanted to scream in agony right then and there.’
‘I felt like collapsing to my knees, pressing on the wound, and weeping uncontrollably.’
‘But I couldn’t.’
‘For I was not the only one suffering from the knife that had pierced me.’
With both hands, I embraced the Master, who still clutched the knife and wore a tormented expression.
“Si-Sister Maria… why…?”
“Just as I endure this pain now… you, Master, must have suffered greatly as well…. Though I do not know what transpired, there must surely be a reason why you… have come to this state…”
The Master who had visited last month was a girl with an innocent expression, finding joy in a single small strawberry cake.
Yet, the image of that girl was utterly absent from the Master before me now.
I did not know why the Master had become so twisted.
“As a maid… I should have intervened if my Master was acting wrongly… but merely intervening would not have resolved the matter….”
However, if sacrificing myself could restore my Master to her former self, I would gladly offer my own life.
“Ah, Sister Maria…! I… I’m so sorry!”
“Have you… finally opened your eyes…? Please… I hope that from now on, you will not lose this feeling, and only… walk the righteous path….. I wish…..”
‘Ah, my eyes were closing.’
‘As my vision blurred, the pain in my abdomen, as if my senses were fading, also began to recede.’
‘So this was how I would die.’
‘Yet, even as I lay dying, I couldn’t help but wear a faint smile.’
‘Yes… this was what it meant to be a maid…’
‘Me, fulfilling my maid’s duty even in death…’
‘Even I have to admit… it’s truly… magni…ficent…❤’
