"E-Elf?"
An Elf in a maid's uniform was watering the garden, manipulating a Water Spirit. Her radiant golden hair was so dazzling that even Vanessa, who also had blonde hair, couldn't help but feel envious.
What truly astonished Vanessa was the Elf's maid uniform.
Even though the weather is so hot that you'd sweat just standing still...
The uniform's neckline plunged so low that her nipples would be visible with the slightest movement. The sleeves were completely absent, exposing her armpits. The skirt was so short that it revealed more than half of her thighs.
"Huh...?"
Vanessa, with her sharp eyes, noticed a white liquid trickling down the Elf's thigh. At first, she tilted her head in confusion, but her face quickly flushed crimson, and she averted her gaze.
Having steeled her resolve, she wasn't afraid, merely embarrassed by the unfamiliar situation.
She glanced toward the mansion. Now that she looked closely, she realized that over half the maids were wearing extremely short maid outfits, similar to the Elf's attire.
"My apologies for making you wait so long at the entrance in this sweltering heat," Head Maid Yuria said as she approached. Despite the oppressive heat, not a single bead of sweat glistened on her skin.
"Oh, it's no problem at all. We experience this kind of heat every year."
Vanessa followed Yuria into the mansion and was immediately struck by the cool air inside, a stark contrast to the autumn-like warmth outside.
"I-is this magic?"
"No, it's a machine called an air conditioner."
"A machine..."
Yuria pointed to the ceiling where the air conditioner was installed. The units were not only in the lobby but also in the hallways and every room, even the warehouse. This extravagance revealed the extent of Yujin's wasteful and lavish lifestyle.
"This is your room, Vanessa."
The children's rooms were located nearby.
"...Are you sure I can use such a nice room?"
The room contained a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. It also had an air conditioner, though of a different design than the ones outside. A private bathroom was attached to the room. Most importantly, it was a single-occupancy room.
Before coming here, Vanessa had heard that maids in noble households often shared multi-person rooms with other maids.
"In our mansion, each maid has her own room as a rule. There are exceptions for apprentices and children, but since you'll be working as a full-fledged maid right away, this applies to you."
Yuria explained in detail how to use the air conditioner.
"Since you don't know how to manipulate Mana yet, don't set the air conditioner too low when you sleep. You might catch a cold."
"Still no Mana? I know absolutely nothing about it."
"Don't worry, I'll teach you step by step."
"...Do maids need to know how to use Mana?"
"It's a basic requirement in our mansion. It's essential for maintaining our appearance and preparing for emergencies. Next, you'll need to change into your maid uniform and greet the Master, but perhaps a bath first would be best?"
Vanessa set down her luggage in the room and followed Yuria to the underground bathhouse.
In the changing room, Vanessa hesitated to undress. It was the first time she'd had to undress in front of someone since she was a child.
Yuria, on the other hand, undressed without the slightest hesitation. She neatly folded her clothes and placed them in a drawer.
"Beautiful..."
Even another woman couldn't find fault with her figure. Yuria was startled to see that Vanessa was completely hairless down there. In this world, women typically groomed their underarms, but rarely went so far as to remove pubic hair.
"Vanessa, would you like some help?"
"Ah, no. I'm fine."
Vanessa undressed.
Yuria's gaze swept over her body from head to toe. Apart from her hands, there were no scars. Even the scars on her hands could be easily removed. However, the pubic hair was excessively curly and looked unkempt, so some trimming would be necessary.
"You have a beautiful body. You've clearly taken good care of yourself."
"Th-thank you."
Instead of taking Vanessa to the bathhouse, Yuria led her to the salon.
"Our maids must strive for beauty for the Master's sake. Don't forget to take meticulous care of your hair."
With each snip of Yuria's scissors, strands of Vanessa's golden hair fell away. She wielded the sharp razor with practiced ease, removing even the finest stray hairs. The grooming was complete in less than three minutes.
Vanessa stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror.
Just a little haircut... and this is me...?
Under Yuria's guidance, Vanessa learned the fundamentals of personal grooming: how to style her hair, bathe properly, and trim her nails.
Yuria was kind and patient. She didn't just give orders; she explained the reasons behind each task, teaching Vanessa with gentle care.
After her bath, Vanessa dressed in her maid uniform and followed Yuria to the Master's chambers.
"Hmm? Head Maid?"
"Is that a rookie beside you?"
Vanessa and Yuria encountered two maids in the hallway. One wore a short maid uniform, while the other wore a long uniform similar to Yuria's and Vanessa's.
"I'm Vanessa. I've just become Master Sung Yujin Prucus's maid."
"I'm Hami. I'm with the AM Unit."
Hami was a stunning beauty with curly auburn hair tied back. Her skirt was so short that her black panties were visible.
"I'm Ruria. I'm a Kitchen Maid."
Ruria was a gentle-looking beauty with neat, short black hair.
"Hami, Ruria, Vanessa needs to see the Master. Save the chatting for later."
"Heh. The Master? Then we shouldn't keep her."
"Oh my. Let's talk later."
They left with enigmatic smiles. Vanessa, quick to catch on, blushed.
Vanessa tensed as she met Sung Yujin Prucus, the master of the mansion.
The Master was much younger than she had expected. Yet she couldn't afford to underestimate him. In this world, nobles were different from commoners. To commoners, nobles were more terrifying than monsters.
When the Master took hold of her chin, Vanessa felt her heart pounding. His hand slowly caressed her face, and she felt her body slowly growing warm.
Ah... I'm going to...
But Sung Yujin lowered his hand, postponed the encounter by two days, and left the mansion, citing a heretical cult gathering.
Vanessa felt restless, but she quickly regained her composure. The embrace had merely been delayed. In two days, if she wished it, she could accept the Master's embrace of her own will.
"Vanessa, I'll give you a tour of the mansion. You can familiarize yourself with the place today and start working tomorrow morning."
Vanessa followed Yuria closely.
The Head Maid's demeanor seemed sharper than before, making it difficult to strike up a conversation.
The mansion was far larger than it appeared from the outside. It housed facilities such as a Training Room, swimming pool, banquet hall, bowling alley, karaoke room, sauna, and more. Maids who finished their duties early spent their leisure time as they pleased.
"Oh, you must be the rumored Rookie Maid."
Vanessa encountered a maid with long, deep blue hair. She was cleaning the first-floor corridor and wasn't even wearing a proper maid uniform. If not for the maid cap on her head, Vanessa wouldn't have recognized her as a maid at all.
"I'm Vanessa, the maid in charge of the children's education."
"I'm Melissa, leader of the AM Unit. But as you can see, I'm currently cleaning the corridor."
Melissa spoke with unwavering confidence. Vanessa immediately sensed that she came from no ordinary background.
"...Melissa, what is that you're wearing?" Yuria asked. Melissa straightened the mop in her hand and stood tall, showing no trace of embarrassment.
"Can't you tell? It's a swimsuit. I'm heading straight to the pool after work. Besides, it's been unusually hot today, hasn't it?"
She was wearing a black swimsuit and not just any swimsuit. It was incredibly skimpy, even more revealing than a micro bikini.
Most of her large E-cup breasts were exposed, barely concealing her nipples. Her pink areolas were fully visible, and the shape alone revealed that her nipples were hard and erect beneath the flimsy fabric.
The situation below was even more dire. Her dark pubic hair was completely uncovered, and her thick, pink right labia minora protruded sideways.
Vanessa blushed deeply, her gaze dropping to the floor in embarrassment.
"Melissa, please get dressed. If anyone else sees you like this, they'll question your dignity."
"Dignity? Who cares? We're not expecting any guests anyway. Besides, Master likes it."
"..."
Yuria sighed softly.
As Vanessa lowered her gaze, she noticed a green-haired woman emerging from the adjacent room. Wearing a thin robe, she had a decorative collar around her neck and walked close beside Melissa, playfully resting her head against Melissa's calf.
"Mmhm."
"Ah, it's dinner time. Head Maid, since the cleaning is finished, I'll take my leave now."
Melissa, lightly touching the decorative collar, departed with the woman.
Vanessa's mouth hung open at the sight before her. Her mind struggled to comprehend what she had just witnessed.
"Vanessa, there's no need to be afraid. Despite appearances, Melissa is capable and kind. She won't refuse if you ask for help. The woman beside her is Nella, Melissa's partner. They simply enjoy consensual roleplay together, so there's no need to concern yourself."
"Ah, yes..."
Vanessa was stunned.
Later, she had dinner in the dining hall. She tried fried chicken, a dish she had never tasted before. It was incredibly delicious, and she immediately thought the children at the orphanage would love it.
But chicken wasn't the only treat available. She sampled fruits she had never seen before, salads, drinks, wine, beer, snacks, ice cream a feast fit for a noble.
After dinner, Vanessa joined the other maids at the swimming pool. The hot weather made the pool a popular spot. After returning from the pool, she retired to her room for the night.
Vanessa woke up early, as she had grown accustomed to doing at the orphanage. She made her bed and tidied herself up.
Knock, knock, knock.
Around 7 AM, a knock sounded at her door.
When she opened it, she found a woman with long, braided brown hair. Her droopy eyes made her look older than the other maids Vanessa had seen, though she was likely only in her late twenties. Like the others, she possessed striking beauty.
"Vanessa? I'm Fatima. I'm the childcare supervisor. I'm so glad we'll be working together."
"The pleasure's all mine, Fatima. Please tell me what I should do first."
"Wake the children, serve breakfast, and oversee their morning lessons. Oh, and for the time being, you'll need to train with the Head Maid in the afternoons."
"Do you think I'll be able to handle it?"
"Of course. The children are all well-behaved and follow instructions, so it won't be difficult at all."
Vanessa followed Fatima to the children's room. The children, each asleep in their own beds, looked utterly adorable.
Fatima first turned on the lights and drew back the curtains.
"Girls! Time to wake up!"
Most of the children, still drowsy, burrowed deeper under their blankets and squirmed.
Vanessa had to wake each child individually. During this process, she noticed that there were no boys among them.
As Vanessa ate breakfast with the children, she introduced herself. The girls welcomed her warmly. Their lively chatter reminded her of the orphanage.
Vanessa exchanged belated greetings with the other two education maids and observed the morning classes.
The morning curriculum was divided into three sessions.
Vanessa had assumed she would be teaching the children basic subjects like reading, history, and arithmetic. The first two periods unfolded exactly as she had expected.
That is, until the third period arrived.
"Today's practice session is for enunciation. We must practice diligently so the children can speak clearly."
Fatima distributed small honey candies to the children. Vanessa had never seen sweets used for speech practice before.
At that moment, Vanessa still didn't know what enunciation meant. It was a word she