Chapter 12: Maid’s Death… Labyrinth Management (2) 

Suddenly, Eliza declared that she would start managing the labyrinth (?) for me.

To be honest, I was filled with the urge to ask her what she meant by “labyrinth management.”

But I couldn’t.

Because I didn’t have the authority to do so.

‘Managing my labyrinth exploration…?’

To anyone else, this might seem like a somewhat bizarre situation.

After all, how could a maid, a servant, dare to use the word “management” toward her master?

Anyone who understands the relationship between a servant and their master would find this highly unusual.

For a maid to act so boldly toward her master, she should normally be punished with a hundred lashes to the backside.

‘I can’t even bring myself to say anything.’

But the reason she could act this way was simple.

Eliza, the maid, held far more authority than I did, the illegitimate child of a noble family.

Isn’t that obvious?

She was, after all, the head maid of the household.

Despite her young age, she held the position of head maid, which only proved how exceptional her abilities were.

Moreover, considering there was no separate butler overseeing the mansion, she was effectively managing not just the maids but the entire estate.

Given how skillfully she handled all these responsibilities, her reputation only continued to rise.

Naturally, her authority was anything but low.

It couldn’t be.

At the very least, it was far higher than mine, a mere illegitimate child with a hollow noble title.

And let’s not forget, the family we belonged to was the Kalts family, the family of villains who stood in the protagonist’s way.

So her saying something like this wasn’t all that strange.

‘Even if my authority were higher, I’d still have to listen to her.’

And even if my authority were higher than hers, I would still have to obey her.

Let me remind you, Eliza is the hidden boss of this chapter.

She’s a formidable opponent who pushed the monstrous protagonist to the brink multiple times.

Not to mention, she has assassination skills that could quietly take out anyone who crossed her.

Provoking such a woman would be the act of a madman.

And I’m no madman, so I had no intention of doing so.

‘Hmm… This situation is really not good.’

For various reasons, I couldn’t defy her.

I had no choice but to accept her so-called “labyrinth management.”

This situation was far from ideal.

‘But why is she suddenly acting like this? She usually respected my personal life.’

I couldn’t help but feel a bit puzzled.

She was the head maid, but she was also my personal maid.

When she became head maid, she didn’t need to keep her position as my personal maid, but for some reason, she chose to retain it.

However, she had never interfered much before.

She respected my personal freedom and maintained the boundaries of a maid.

But now, she was openly trying to interfere.

This wasn’t a good sign.

‘Was entering the labyrinth the trigger?’

Perhaps the reason was my labyrinth exploration.

Starting to explore the labyrinth was no small matter.

In a way, it could be seen as a challenge to her authority.

She might have thought that I, who had always been weak, was gaining powerful abilities in the labyrinth and could potentially threaten her.

Of course, even if I gained something in the labyrinth, I doubt I could ever match her strength.

But from her perspective, it was better to be safe than sorry.

So, keeping an eye on me after my labyrinth explorations might be one of her reasons.

‘And I also teamed up with the protagonist.’

Another reason was likely my alliance with the protagonist, Ribel.

Eliza and Ribel were fundamentally incompatible.

After all, Ribel is the protagonist, and Eliza is the hidden boss of this chapter, standing in his way.

Their personalities and values were destined to clash.

In the story, they were bound to fight eventually.

Unsurprisingly, even when I was Ribel’s childhood friend, Eliza and Ribel would clash whenever they had the chance.

Perhaps Ribel’s very existence irritated her.

In that context, my closeness to Ribel must have displeased her.

‘What should I do?’

That’s probably why she’s taking such a hardline approach now.

It’s practically a declaration that she’ll keep a close eye on me and kill me if I step out of line.

This situation is giving me a headache.

A hidden boss sticking to me like glue to monitor my labyrinth exploration?

How am I supposed to handle this?

“Master, do you dislike the idea of going to the labyrinth with me?”

“Ah… no, it’s not that. I was just wondering if it’s okay for you to go to the labyrinth.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… you’re a maid, aren’t you?”

As I was deep in thought, Eliza stared at me with her usual expressionless face.

I asked her if it was really okay for her to go, given her status as a maid.

It wasn’t common for a maid to enter a labyrinth, so I used that as an excuse to question her.

“Don’t worry. As a maid, I’ve already mastered basic combat skills.”

“A maid who knows combat…? I’ve never heard of such a thing…”

“Of course. Only a genius maid like me could do such a thing.”

“…”

This is insane…

Despite my words, Eliza seemed determined to follow me.

A genius maid who knows combat? 

What kind of nonsense is that?

“I’ll take my leave for today. Let’s head to the labyrinth tomorrow morning.”

In the end, I failed to dissuade her.

Eliza bowed to me and left.

I considered trying to persuade her further, but I had no idea what might happen if I provoked her, so I gave up.

It seemed like I would have to go to the labyrinth with her starting tomorrow…

‘Maybe I should just run away?’

Am I crazy? 

Going into the labyrinth with a hidden boss?

I had no intention of entering the labyrinth with her.

Who knows what kind of trouble I’d get into if I went with her?

Going with her would be like choosing a bizarre method of suicide.

So, I decided to seize the first opportunity to leave this mansion.

Even if it meant sleeping on the streets, leaving this mansion was the right choice.

Now that I’ve fully realized this world is a dark fantasy, I don’t want to stay in this mansion for a second longer.

‘It’s a shame, but this is the right decision.’

Of course, it wasn’t an easy decision.

Even though the Kalts family is a villainous household, it’s still the family I’ve lived with for 20 years.

Despite being treated poorly, being a noble still guaranteed basic necessities like food, clothing, and shelter.

I had hoped to stay with the Kalts family until I could establish myself in the labyrinth.

But what could I do?

I was planning to leave eventually anyway, and this was something I had to do.

I didn’t regret my decision.

‘I’ll wake up early tomorrow and leave.’

I’ll wake up before her and leave the mansion.

Even if she’s Eliza, she won’t be able to chase after me if I leave the mansion.

She can’t abandon her duties as a maid to wander around looking for me.

And once I’m out of the mansion, her interest in me will naturally wane.

With that thought, I fell asleep.

###

And I woke up before dawn.

‘Phew… It’s been a while since I’ve woken up this early.’

I’m not usually an early riser, but in this situation, I couldn’t afford to sleep in.

The sun hadn’t even risen yet—it was the perfect time.

‘Pack everything and leave.’

I took out the backpack I had prepared earlier and started stuffing it with supplies.

I packed food, the money I had saved up, and the axe and shield I had obtained from the dungeon.

Though modest, my preparations gave me a sense of stability.

‘Let’s not steal anything.’

I briefly considered stealing some valuables on my way out, but I decided against it.

If I did that, the Kalts family might officially hunt me down.

There was no reason to take such a reckless risk.

‘It’s sudden, but I’m finally free.’

My steps felt light as I left.

The farther I got from the mansion, the lighter I felt.

Is this what freedom feels like?

After 20 years of being bound, I’m finally liberated.

“Are you that happy to go to the labyrinth with me?”

“…?”

“Well, I understand. I am the perfect maid, after all.”

I found Eliza waiting at the mansion’s entrance.

Why is she here?

I was so shocked I couldn’t even speak.

Was she really waiting here since before dawn?

As the head maid, she usually woke up early, but not this early…

“Uh…? Y-yeah. Shall we head to the dungeon?”

“Of course. I’ll manage your labyrinth exploration perfectly.”

Thankfully, I managed to play it off.

I acted as naturally as possible, pretending I had also come to go to the dungeon with her, and she believed me.

It was a relief, but at the same time, it wasn’t.

“Shall we go?”

“Y-yeah.”

And just like that, I found myself in the worst possible situation: exploring the labyrinth alone with the hidden boss.

What am I supposed to do now…