Chapter 1: Sione Sianella(1)

She looked exactly like a goblin peeking its head out of its cave, keeping a wary eye on its surroundings.

I mean, I’m not even her natural enemy.

Why on earth is a noble acting so cautious around me?

“Isn’t it your duty? Hurry up and clean it.”

“…Yes, excuse me for a moment.”

“I dislike having things noisy around me, so make sure you finish as quickly as possible.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Good, as long as you understand.”

How is it that someone, especially a noble, can spit out such unpleasant words?

Aren’t nobles supposed to value manners more than anyone?

I should avoid talking to Sione as much as possible.

Otherwise, I might end up dying either from the crime of disrespecting a noble or from sheer frustration.

I unlocked the tightly shut window and started cleaning the room with all my might.

The condition was so bad that I couldn’t help but wonder how the other servants had been cleaning before I got here.

It looked more like an abandoned storage room than a noble’s living quarters, given the sheer amount of dust flying around during cleaning.

And the maddening thing was,

no matter how much I swept, cookie crumbs kept appearing. How much had Sione Sianella stuffed herself with snacks?

After cleaning to the point of exhaustion, there was only one place left.

Now it was time to clean the bed.

But who was my master? The useless noble Sione Sianella.

Despite all the hints I gave, she stubbornly remained lying on the bed without a care.

This is driving me crazy.

I can’t just pick her up and throw her out the window.

Her first impression wasn’t great, so naturally, I didn’t find her pleasant either.

“Lady Sione Sianella, could you please step aside so I can clean the bed?”

Peek.

There she goes again, like a hobgoblin.

It was even more ridiculous that she just stared at me without saying a word.

“I will finish quickly. Please, I ask for your cooperation.”

“Haa…”

Sione sighed deeply, as if the world was weighing on her shoulders.

She slowly got up and shuffled over to a luxurious chair beside the table, slumping into it and glaring at me as if I had done something strange.

“What are you staring at like that?”

“Excuse me?”

“Clean the bed.”

“…I will clean it as quickly as possible.”

“Don’t just say it, show me through your actions.”

If I listened to any more of her nagging, I felt like I would lose my mind.

I decided to just let it go in one ear and out the other.

I hurried toward the bed.

Unsurprisingly, the bed was filthy beyond words.

Crumbs were scattered everywhere, strands of her greasy hair were stuck to the sheets, and there were even visible stains where she had spilled food.

At this point, I figured I’d have to change the sheets entirely.

But the problem was Sione Sianella.

From where she sat, she looked at me with an annoyed expression, as if asking why it wasn’t done yet.

She didn’t seem like the type to wait until I finished changing the sheets.

“Would it be alright if I changed the sheets?”

“I thought I told you to finish quickly.”

“But changing the sheets—”

“Did I ever say not to change them?”

“…Pardon?”

“Change the sheets. Quickly.”

She even jerked her chin to emphasize her point.

I barely suppressed the urge to run over and punch her square in the chin.

Even when orcs spat at me to provoke me, I didn’t get this angry.

This woman has a bottomless ability to infuriate people.

As I stood there dumbfounded, apparently my expression wasn’t to her liking either, because she picked a fight again.

“Do you have time to be dazed?”

“I’ll be right back.”

I hurried out of Sione’s room.

On my way to fetch new bed sheets, I quietly whispered to myself in Korean, the language of my homeland, which I hadn’t used in a while.

“Shibal…”

Of all people, I had to end up with that crazy woman.

I have no clue how I’m going to rehabilitate this brat.

“Haa… what’s a slave got to worry about anyway? When they say jump, you jump.”

Since there was no one around in the hallway, and I couldn’t sense anyone nearby, I figured a bit of talking to myself would be fine.

I just wished there was at least one person who could listen to my lament. It would be nice to have someone to talk to at a time like this.

I quickly fetched the bed sheets and returned to Sione’s room.

Sure enough, as soon as I entered, she glared at me like I had done something wrong again.

“You’re much later than expected. Considering it’s your first day, I’ll let it slide this time.”

“…I am deeply grateful for Lady Sione Sianella’s boundless generosity.”

No matter how annoyed I was, I never forgot to respond properly.

Thankfully, it seemed to be the right reaction because Sione didn’t say anything else. She just waited in silence until I finished making the bed.

“All done. Thank you for your patience.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

As soon as I said that, Sione dashed toward the bed, though her weight made a much heavier sound than her dainty run implied. She dove into the sheets again, like some kind of hermit retreating back into her cave.

I began tidying up the rest of the room. After ensuring that the room was well-ventilated, I closed the windows and packed up the cleaning supplies. Just as I was about to head out the door…

Peek.

That brat poked her head out of the covers again, staring at the back of my head.

It was impossible to ignore her gaze.

I turned back to face her.

“Do you have any other instructions?”

“Since you’ll be coming back anyway, bring me some refreshments while you’re at it.”

“I will do so.”

Sione nodded, looking satisfied.

Just as I was about to grab the door handle and finally leave her room, Sione popped her head out of the covers again.

“You know to bring a plate full of them, right?”

“…I will make sure of it.”

She really is something else, isn’t she…

As I walked down the hallway, I whispered quietly in Korean, something I hadn’t done in a while.

“Shiiibaaal…”

How am I going to rehabilitate that brat, Sione Sianella…

Damn it, I have no idea.