He harbored a humble dream.
It was the simple aspiration of purchasing land in the countryside and cultivating his own farm.
To achieve it, he toiled tirelessly, day and night.
Before even reaching his thirties, he had successfully brought this dream to fruition.
Though it was merely a small house, even smaller than Jjanggu’s (TL Note: A popular Korean cartoon character, Shin-chan in some regions, known for his family’s modest home.), with only a small vegetable patch instead of a sprawling farm,
Regardless, he had realized his ambition, and it was finally his turn to savor it.
Yet, perhaps even that modest joy was too extravagant for a modern office worker.
Upon waking from his sleep, he found himself inexplicably in a public laundry area.
‘A laundry area, out of nowhere?’
Perplexed, he surveyed his surroundings, only to witness women, clad in maid outfits straight out of a novel, vigorously swinging washing bats.
With every strike, water splashed in vibrant arcs all around them.
As he stared blankly at the scene, he murmured softly.
“What a peculiar dream.”
“A peculiar dream? What peculiar dream are you on about!”
“…?”
Startled by the sharp voice, he turned his head.
A towering woman, whose imposing physique brought to mind Kang Ho-dong (TL Note: A famous South Korean comedian and former ssireum (traditional Korean wrestling) champion known for his large build.), loomed over him.
“Do you know me?”
When he posed the question with a bewildered expression, the woman bellowed.
“Get to work, now!!!”
“Ugh.”
Her voice, as grand and commanding as her stature, made him instinctively wince.
It was so loud that his ears throbbed.
‘If I fight her, I’m guaranteed to lose.’
Driven by instinct, he swiftly bowed his head.
From behind him, he could still sense her presence, as though she were monitoring his every move.
‘She’ll likely persist until I start doing the laundry.’
“This really is a strange dream…”
It wasn’t a dream of a plummeting elevator, but one where he was threatened into doing laundry.
Grumbling inwardly, he picked up a piece of laundry.
Having observed his parents perform it in his youth, hand-washing proved to be no difficult task.
He scrubbed the garments vigorously against a hard stone, then beat them repeatedly with a washing bat, before gently rinsing them in the flowing water.
With practiced ease, he completed all the laundry before him, then mused.
‘When will I finally wake up?’
Just then, the large woman called out.
“Hey! Grab those and follow me, quickly!”
“…”
At her shout, he gathered the laundry.
He then followed the women in their maid outfits to a sun-drenched area.
There, a clothesline awaited.
Without understanding why, he hung the wet garments on the line.
Still, the dream persisted.
As time wore on, he tidied the dishes.
Even after arranging the bedding, he remained trapped within this dream.
“Hah, hahh…”
He wiped the trickles of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
Following the bedding, it was an incessant string of cleaning tasks.
Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.
The relentless forced labor made his lungs feel as though they were on fire.
‘Wait, my lungs feel like they’re burning…?’
Perhaps, this entire ordeal wasn’t a dream after all.
Indeed, for a mere dream, everything felt far too vivid and real.
From the dull ache in his arm muscles to the occasional spasms in his calves, every sensation was undeniably present.
More crucially, however.
‘My voice was never this thin.’
It had been a deep, resonant voice, like a cavern.
But now, it sounded exactly like…
…a woman’s voice.
Typically, dreams are woven from one’s own experiences.
Yet, he had never once heard a voice like this before.
‘Could it be?’
He immediately sought out a mirror.
As he happened to be cleaning the Great Hall, locating a mirror proved to be no difficult task.
Rushing to it, he gazed into the reflective surface.
What he saw utterly astonished him.
Golden hair cascaded to her waist, framing pale violet eyes.
Her jawline was soft, like sunlight gently spilling.
A woman of exquisite beauty stared back from the mirror.
Unbelievable as it was, she appeared to be his own reflection.
‘This stunning beauty couldn’t possibly be making such a bewildered expression.’
‘I’ve truly become a woman.’
‘Is this even possible?’
‘Is this really not a dream?’
‘Could I have been transmigrated?’
‘Into what?’
‘Which novel?’
‘No, more importantly,’
‘What about my house?!’
‘I worked so hard for that house!’
Her mind became a tangled mess, like unorganized computer cables.
-*Clap!*
‘Calm down,’ she thought, clapping her hands to dispel the chaotic thoughts.
‘If this isn’t a dream, then this situation is truly dire.’
Let’s set aside the fact that a house worth hundreds of millions (TL Note: Roughly hundreds of thousands of USD) had vanished entirely.
The true danger lay in her very life.
Judging by her surroundings and the garments she wore, this was undoubtedly the Middle Ages.
It was an era where taking a life was considered trivial.
Thus, to survive, she had to remain acutely vigilant.
Fortunately, having delved into numerous web novels, she had some idea.
She had a rough sense of how to proceed.
It was akin to a devoted fan of Bear Grylls suddenly finding herself stranded in a jungle.
“First, I need to gather information.”
“I must discern what kind of place this is, and what sort of world I’ve stumbled into.”
‘At least I’m a maid; that’s a small mercy.’
‘They’ll at least provide food and shelter.’
“So, for now, I’ll perform my duties as a maid and systematically collect information.”
‘I’ll cling to life, survive against all odds, and then again!’
‘I’ll buy a house…!’
With a tentative plan now formed, she began mopping with renewed vigor.
****
A month elapsed.
In that span of time—brief if considered short, yet long if considered extensive—she came to realize just how humane and upright the company she had always detested truly was.
At the very least, a semblance of moderation existed there.
Even when they drove employees to exhaustion as if they were disposable, there was at least the mercy of a break if one appeared on the brink of collapse.
Here, however, it was different.
This accursed mansion regarded people as mere cogs in a machine.
What concern would there be for a commoner’s well-being in the Middle Ages, an era devoid of human rights?
They simply worked them until they were spent, then replaced them.
“Ariel.”
“…”
“Ariel!”
“Oh, yes.”
By now, she ought to have grown accustomed to it.
Yet, the new name still failed to truly register with her.
Ariel belatedly glanced sideways.
Seeing her utterly exhausted state, a fellow maid flinched and spoke.
“Are you alright? Do you want to rest today?”
‘How much pay would be docked if I took a day off?’
In response to her colleague’s words, Ariel shook her head.
“I’m fine. If I can just endure today, things are supposed to get easier starting tomorrow…”
“Oh, really? I don’t think so. Starting tomorrow, we’ll be busy again, preparing for the Empire’s Founding Festival.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you know? Next month is the Founding Festival.”
“Hah…”
Ariel, letting out a sigh so profound it seemed to pull the earth down, mopped with aggressive force.
While she had once snapped a mop in a fit of frustration and been severely reprimanded, the mop and the floor remained her only outlets for pent-up anger, a habit she occasionally indulged in.
“Finished?”
“Yes.”
Having completed her mopping, Ariel recalled something on her way back to the storeroom.
‘A full month.’
For that extensive period, she had toiled within this mansion.
Despite the arduous labor, she had ceaselessly endeavored to unearth the information she sought.
What she had managed to uncover, however, was remarkably sparse given her efforts.
Firstly, this was a Grand Duchy.
Having enjoyed fantasy novels, she was well aware of the esteemed position held by a Grand Duke.
Perhaps for that very reason, she had never once caught a glimpse of the Grand Duke throughout her entire month of service.
Furthermore, it was rumored that the Grand Duke had a daughter.
Even less was known about her than about the Grand Duke herself.
Whenever she inquired with her colleagues, they were quick to hush her.
Unsurprisingly, Ariel had never seen her.
Lastly, there was talk of a twelve-year-old sibling.
Again, nothing was known about them either.
This meager collection comprised all the information she had managed to glean over a month.
This was primarily because, with no time to gather information, she would collapse into sleep as if fainting the moment her work concluded.
The scant details she did acquire were thanks only to a garrulous maid who freely chattered.
“Did you know?”
The woman prattling beside her even now was that very talkative maid.
Not knowing her actual name, Ariel had arbitrarily dubbed her with this nickname.
“This time, the Head Maid is selecting a dedicated maid for the Young Lady.”
Though she mostly spoke of trivialities, the maid occasionally divulged such enticing tidbits.
“The Young Lady… you mean the Grand Duke’s (TL Note: The Korean term ‘daegongnyeo’ refers to the daughter of a Grand Duke, or a Grand Duchess in her own right. Given the context of ‘Young Lady,’ it likely refers to the Grand Duke’s daughter here.) dedicated maid…?”
“Exactly! Everyone is clamoring for the position. The pay is double, and most importantly…”
She glanced around.
Having surveyed her surroundings, she gestured.
Ariel subtly drew closer to her.
She then leaned in and whispered softly into Ariel’s ear.
“They say the Young Lady’s personality is so peculiar that there’s hardly any work involved.”
“Really?”
“Shh! What if someone hears us! Anyway, I’m going to apply. What about you?”
“Me…?”
-*Knock, knock, knock.*
“Head Maid, it’s Ariel.”
“Come in.”
The moment permission was granted, Ariel opened the door and stepped inside.
A rich scent of lavender permeated the air.
‘They really ought to use it more sparingly.’
The scent was so pungent it made her nose tingle, causing her to frown as she approached the table where the Head Maid was seated.
“Hello.”
“Oh, Ariel. You’ve grown even thinner than before.”
“…”
‘And you’re still as massive as a house.’
“So, what brings you here?”
Adjusting her monocle with a hand, the Head Maid asked with a tone of annoyance.
Ariel gazed steadily at her, then spoke softly.
“I heard you’re recruiting a dedicated maid for the Grand Duke’s daughter.”
“What?”
The Head Maid’s face, previously etched with annoyance, suddenly transformed.
Her eyes instantly blazed with fiery intensity.
‘Did I do something wrong?’
As Ariel trembled with unease, the Head Maid rattled the bell on her desk.
Ignoring Ariel’s startled reaction, a group of maids entered the room.
The Head Maid spoke.
“You lot, go fetch some tea. Ariel, you come and sit here.”
“Yes? Oh, yes.”
Completely bewildered by the turn of events, Ariel cautiously observed the situation, then scurried to a chair as instructed by the Head Maid.
The Head Maid then slid open a drawer beneath her desk and pulled out a thick stack of papers.
From the context, it appeared to be a contract.
“I’m not ready to sign yet. First, I need to know the terms…”
“Terms? You’re asking about the terms?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Hmph, honestly. I’ve never seen anyone volunteer to be the Young Lady’s dedicated maid without even hearing the terms.”
Muttering this, she spread three fingers wide.
“Three times.”
“…?”
“I’ll pay you three times your current salary.”
“…I’ll do it. I’ll take the position.”
Ariel immediately replied.
She had a good reason for her haste.
Ariel was utterly exhausted by the grueling intensity of the labor.
The dark circles beneath her eyes were clear proof of her fatigue.
Though it wounded her male pride, she sometimes found herself weeping in bed.
If things were this bad already, how could she possibly handle the preparations for the Founding Festival, the largest celebration in the Empire?
‘Does someone want to die?’
Yet, fortunately, the dedicated maid for the Grand Duke’s daughter supposedly had little to do.
And with three times the salary?
‘I absolutely have to take this.’
Ariel clenched her fist, and the Head Maid burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahahah! Excellent. It’s perfect timing, as I needed someone. Here.”
She then handed a pen to Ariel.
‘Is a contract really supposed to be made so lightly?’
Taking the pen, Ariel tilted her head in confusion.
Then, just as she slowly prepared to sign the contract, she paused.
Stopping her hand, she asked.
“But Head Maid.”
“What is it?”
“I heard that the dedicated maid’s job isn’t particularly difficult… so why is the salary three times higher? Is it perhaps…”
‘Is it an extremely strenuous task?’
The Head Maid shook her head.
“No. There’s no difficult work. The reason the salary is three times higher is due to the Young Lady’s personality. I can’t tell you more before the contract is signed. But one thing is certain: the workload will be less strenuous than what you’re currently doing.”
“…Then.”
‘Indeed, I must take this job.’
Nodding, Ariel moved her hand once more.
As the Grand Duchy used the Imperial Standard Contract, there was no need for her to read it thoroughly.
Besides, she couldn’t even read the characters in the first place.
Ariel wrote her name on the contract in squiggly, worm-like script.
“Good!”
The moment Ariel put down the pen, the Head Maid quickly snatched the contract away.
She then briefly scanned the contract, smiled sweetly, and said.
“You’ll start work in two days. I’ll be in charge of your training.”
“Ah, yes. But Head Maid…”
“Ask away.”
“What is the Young Lady’s name?”
“What? You’ve worked here for a month and still don’t know?”
“…I apologize.”
The Head Maid clicked her tongue and said.
“Luen Krosiss. Remember her name even after you die.”
“Ah, yes. Luen Krosiss.”
‘Luen Krosiss?!’
Ariel’s eyes shot wide open as she silently repeated the name.
And for good reason.
Luen Krosiss was none other than the main villainess from the novel, *The Duke’s Inner Workings*, which she had read before being transmigrated here!
The villainess of all villainesses, she tormented the protagonist until she went berserk.
Ultimately, she was murdered by the protagonist’s party.
‘No way… the novel I transmigrated into is *The Duke’s Inner Workings*?’
“W-wait, Head Maid. Is it possible to cancel the contract?”
The Head Maid then held up two fingers.
Ariel looked up at her, bewildered.
The Head Maid smiled wryly and said.
“The penalty for breach of contract is double your salary.”
“Ah.”
‘Please, no.’
