The Monster

It’s been three months since I became Lady Katarina’s exclusive maid.

To be honest, this little lady is quite the handful.

But I was already used to such antics—thanks to my younger sister from my past life—so none of it fazes me.

One thing worth noting:

Our lady loves to cling to me.

Every night we have to bathe together, and without fail, she insists on head pats before bed.

…The more troubling part is that she now refuses to eat anything unless I cook it.

No matter what the head chef prepares, it simply won’t do.

Thankfully, my training hours have been reduced lately, which gives me time to cook.

We’ve even added bedtime storytelling to the routine…

Fairy tales? She’s not interested in the slightest.

But shoujo novels? She’s absolutely hooked.

Funny thing—my little sister was exactly the same.

It’s thanks to her that I binge-read so many girly romance novels back then.

Now I can tell them to Katarina from memory.

Ahem… I’m getting off track.

The point is—Lady Katarina hasn’t seemed herself lately.

Ever since she returned from the Duke’s office yesterday,

She’s been listless and distracted.

It’s only been three months since I began serving her,

But even I can tell when something’s off.

“My Lady Katarina… is something troubling you?”

Propping her cheeks up with her hands, she gave me a dispirited glance.

“Mother’s birthday is coming up soon…

I wanted to go out and buy her a present,

But Father won’t allow me to leave the estate!

He says there are too many monsters appearing lately,

And it’s too dangerous to go outside!”

Increased monster sightings…

Even among the maids, the rumors are everywhere.

It must be serious.

No doubt the Duke is simply worried for her safety.

That’s why he won’t let her leave.

It’s just unfortunate timing.

And perhaps she understands that, too.

Which is why she’s holding in her frustration without complaining.

But seeing her like this… it’s hard to bear.

“Then, allow me to go out and buy the gift on your behalf.”

I offered the suggestion without hesitation.

“You’ll go… Ailena?”

“Yes.

It’s a shame you can’t pick it out yourself,

But I’ll make sure to get something worthy.”

“But… aren’t there monsters outside the territory?

What if something happens to you?”

“No worries!”

I flexed my arm proudly, showing her my bicep.

“I’ve trained long and hard. I’m not the same as I used to be!”

Even under the brutal drills of that demon-like knight commander,

I can now hold out for a full minute!

“If anything, running into monsters is perfect for me.

I’ve learned some new magic spells, but they’re too powerful to test during training.

This would be a perfect opportunity to try them out on a real target!”

“Pfft.”

Finally, she smiled.

Smiling suits her best.

“Come on, I don’t see any muscles at all.”

Wiping a tear from the corner of her eye,

She nodded in agreement.

“I’ll allow it. But please—be careful.”

After discussing the gift specifics with Lady Katarina,

I set out for the town in a carriage.

Originally, we were supposed to shop within the city.

But the sapphire ring she had her heart set on had sold out there.

That left us with no choice but to search the smaller town further away—

Hoping that one last piece might still be in stock.

Naturally, this route was longer—and far less safe.

Please, let me not run into any monsters or bandits…

BANG! BANG!

Just as I was praying, the entire carriage jolted violently.

“What’s going on!?”

I threw open the window and leaned out—

Only to be greeted by a grotesque, pitch-black beast.

Its body was twice the size of the carriage, and its mere shadow swallowed me whole.

The pressure was overwhelming.

“ROAR!”

With a single bellow, the horses panicked, struck by pure instinctual terror.

I shouted for the coachman to halt,

Then drew the dagger I kept strapped inside my leg and jumped out.

Thump. Thump.

My heart pounded.

My breath quickened.

My hands were trembling.

No matter how confident I had sounded earlier,

Now that I was facing a monster for real, the fear hit me hard.

…After all, these creatures were the ones that had killed my father.

Who wouldn’t tremble before such a foe?

The monster seemed to notice my fear.

It grinned wide, mocking my weakness.

…So you think I’m easy prey, huh?

Haaah…

I took a deep breath to steady myself,

Fixing my eyes on its every movement.

The beast raised a massive claw and swung it down at me.

I heard the whistle of air being torn.

But compared to the swift slashes of the knight commander,

This was painfully slow.

I could see it clearly.

I locked onto that claw, timed it—

Then dashed out of range in a burst of speed,

And drove my dagger into the back of its leg.

“GYAAAH!”

The beast howled in pain.

It turned to face me,

Its grin long gone, replaced with furious glare.

I could feel magic starting to swirl around it—

It was preparing a spell.

But I wouldn’t give it that chance.

My magic was already charged—

And I released it all at once!

“Thunderclap!”

In an instant, the sky exploded with lightning.

Multiple bolts struck the monster with precision,

Ripping through its fur and scorching its flesh.

The stench of burning meat filled the air.

It didn’t even get a chance to scream—

It died then and there.

Whew…

I wiped the cold sweat from my brow and sighed in relief.

…Surprisingly, that was easier than expected.

Maybe that thing wasn’t all that strong after all.

Still, my training must be paying off.

…Next time I learn an advanced spell,

Should I sneak out and find some monsters to practice on?

“You really are something, little lady…”

The coachman’s awestruck voice pulled me back to the moment.

“Ahem. It was nothing.

More importantly, can the horses still run?”

“No problem.”

“Then let’s keep moving. I’m kind of on a tight schedule.”

“Alright. Hop in, young miss.”

But just as I placed my foot on the carriage—

A chill ran down my spine.

The kind of bone-deep cold I’d never felt before in my life.

…It felt like something… was moving beneath the ground.

I stared down.

The earth looked like it was cracking.

“Look out!”

In the blink of an eye, the ground split open—

And a mole-like monster burst out, its claws aimed right at my face.

…Too fast to dodge!

“Radiant Shot!”

At the last possible second, a beam of light struck the creature mid-air,

Knocking it away.

I snapped back to my senses and hurled a fireball.

The mole landed in a heap—charred and smoking.

Only then did my heart return to its rightful place in my chest.

…But now’s not the time to relax.

I turned toward the direction the light beam had come from.

“Phew… Glad I made it in time.”

A girl about my age stood there.

She had soft pink hair, and while her outfit was simple,

She carried a budding beauty that was impossible to hide.

She walked toward me, her smile warm and radiant.

“You’re not hurt, are you?”