Elowen stood with a faint headache building behind her eyes.

  In front of her stretched a crowd of new staff sent by the Merchant Guild. More than half had already completed verification and were now inside the estate grounds. She and Morris were assigning roles as quickly as possible.

  When Rias had asked her to step away for a while, Elowen had left the main building and returned here to assist Morris. There were very few people capable of handling management properly. At the moment, only three individuals could be considered heads of operation: herself, Head Butler Morris, and Guard Captain Jack.

  It was not enough.

  Even the current batch of three hundred strained the structure. Master Exis had stated clearly that the number would rise beyond fifteen hundred within the week.

  Fifteen hundred.

  Her brows tightened slightly whenever she remembered that number.

  When she had asked the Guild Master why such manpower was necessary, his answer had been simple. It was the owner’s demand.

  Elowen had tried to argue. Five hundred staff members would already be more than sufficient for a capital estate. This was not a border fortress.

  Exis had only sighed. He claimed he could not intervene. The new owner had a troublesome personality and would not easily change her mind.

  Elowen had only spoken a few sentences to Helena so far, yet she understood what he meant. Helena carried a presence that was difficult to categorize. At times she seemed harmless, almost easygoing. At other times, she felt like someone who could overturn an entire system without hesitation.

  That uncertainty made Elowen cautious.

  If the master had been a typical arrogant noble, Elowen would have known how to handle it. She did not enjoy dealing with such people, but her reputation and demeanor were intimidating enough to establish boundaries.

  Helena was different.

  Elowen herself had entered into a special contract with the Merchant Guild. She and Morris had been appointed head maid and head butler of this estate under specific terms. Both were retired adventurers. Elowen had been a warrior-class fighter; Morris, a mage-class practitioner. Elowen had held the higher rank and was widely known within the kingdom for her strength.

  After marrying Morris, she chose to settle in the capital. She no longer wished to take on bloody commissions. Adventuring paid well, but it drained something from a person over time.

  They had savings, but savings did not last forever.

  And so she pursued something unexpected.

  She had always wanted to become a maid.

  Elowen had been born in a small rural village. As a child, she once watched a noble caravan stop there for the night. The glossy carriages had fascinated her. The nobles inside had seemed distant and frightening. But the individuals dressed in black and white uniforms standing behind them caught her attention.

  They looked composed. Refined. Important in a different way.

  She had watched them from behind her parents, too shy to approach.

  The real turning point came the next morning. The entire village was filled with excitement. Elowen had asked her mother why everyone looked so happy.

  “Clara, the chief’s daughter, has been chosen to serve as a maid in a noble’s mansion,” her mother had explained.

  At the time, Elowen did not understand why that mattered. She did not even fully grasp what a maid was.

  But as she grew older, she began to see the difference. Whenever Clara returned to the village on leave, she brought gifts for her family. People treated her with respect. She was no longer just a villager. She carried a different air.

  Slowly, the word “maid” stopped being just a word. It became a goal.

  Elowen left her village determined to become one.

  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Reality was harsher than she expected. She lacked education, connections, and experience. Applications were rejected without consideration. Some establishments did not even glance at her credentials.

  She tried working at inns as a waitress to survive, but that was not the same. It paid the bills, but it did not resemble the refined image she carried in her mind.

  The world did not shape itself according to childhood dreams.

  Elowen did not particularly enjoy serving people. Yet the idea of becoming a maid never left her. It stayed somewhere in her chest, quiet but stubborn.

  As she grew older, another problem appeared. It was not her skill or lack of effort. It was her height. And her presence.

  Elowen was tall. Broad-shouldered. When she entered a room, people straightened instinctively. Her gaze alone could make someone nervous. That might have been an advantage for a man. For a woman seeking a refined maid position, it worked against her.

  Once again, doors closed.

  There were moments when she wondered if she simply was not meant to be a maid. Maybe she would remain a waitress forever. Even at the inn, however, customers treated her more like security than staff. When arguments broke out, people looked to her to step in.

  Eventually, frustration pushed her in another direction.

  She discovered her talent in Physical Enchantment.

  After quitting the inn, she registered at the Adventurer’s Guild. When asked to choose a specialization, she selected the warrior path and was taught the basics of Physical Enchantment.

  She understood it almost immediately.

  Whether it was talent or luck, she could not say. Within three days, she grasped the core principles. Within a year, she reached B-rank using nothing but Physical Enchantment. Soon she touched A-rank. Three years later, she stood at S-rank.

  She had not reached the formal title of “Myth,” but rumors claimed she was close. To become Myth-class, one needed a legendary feat. Slaying a herd of adult dragons. Stopping a catastrophe alone. Something that would enter history.

  Elowen did not chase titles. She simply fought.

  She faced giant monsters that specialized in brute strength and met them head-on. Even then, she never felt she had reached the limit of her Physical Enchantment. It flowed through her like instinct.

  It was during those years that she met Morris.

  He was six years younger. Talented. Handsome. Known for being “colorful.”

  In another life, people would have called him a playboy. Female adventurers and staff often hovered around him. From the outside, it looked like he entertained them all.

  In truth, Morris struggled with something else. He could not maintain a lasting relationship. His girlfriends rarely stayed longer than two months. He was not malicious. Just dense. Emotional timing was not his strength.

  With each breakup, his reputation worsened. Womanizer. Unreliable. Careless.

  The reality was less dramatic. He simply did not know how to hold onto someone.

  One night, Elowen was drinking alone at a tavern, as she often did. That day she had taken on a particularly brutal commission. She drank more than usual. Her frustration showed clearly on her face.

  By coincidence, Morris was at the same tavern that night. He had been dumped earlier that day.

  Both were drunk.

  Morris, heavy with emotion, sat at a table and only then realized who occupied the seat across from him.

  Elowen.

  Known in some circles as the Beast Incarnate.

  His legs nearly gave out.

  They made eye contact.

  Neither spoke at first.

  Elowen raised her hand and called for the staff. “Bring me more,” she said in a low tone. Then she pointed at Morris. “And bring some for this puny one.”

  Morris blinked. Puny?

  He was average height. Not small. And he was A-rank himself.

  The waiter hurried to bring several high-quality bottles. Elowen drank from them as if they were water. She slid one bottle toward Morris.

  He hesitated.

  He had heard rumors. Stories that she once tore an adventurer in half for disobeying her during a mission. He had never verified them and had no intention of testing their accuracy personally.

  Elowen picked up another bottle and extended it toward him again.

  Morris glanced around as Elowen’s voice thundered once more.

  “I’m speaking to you.”

  He flinched and quickly grabbed the bottle from her hand.

  “C-c-can I get a glass, please?” he asked the waitress quietly.

  There were no glasses on the table. Not one. Elowen had been drinking straight from the bottle the entire time.

  “Why do you need a glass?” Elowen said. “Just drink it. Like this.”

  She tilted her head back and emptied an entire bottle in one go.

  Morris stared.

  Is she part dwarf? he wondered. Who treats a full bottle like a sip?

  He looked down at the heavy bottle in his own hand. It was not small. After a moment of hesitation, he shut his eyes tightly and started drinking.

  The next thing he remembered clearly was the two of them leaning across the table, talking far too loudly.

  Elowen was telling him about her failed dream of becoming a maid. Morris was complaining about his string of disastrous relationships. The alcohol stripped away pride and reputation. Titles did not matter. S-rank, A-rank, Beast Incarnate, Womanizer. They were just two people venting.

  Somewhere between bottles, they started laughing.

  They discovered similarities neither expected. Both had chased something that did not work out the way they planned. Both were tired of being misunderstood.

  After that night, they began taking missions together.

  It took time. There was no sudden confession or dramatic moment. They simply grew used to each other. Fighting side by side made trust natural. Trust slowly turned into affection.

  Eventually, Elowen decided to step away from adventuring.

  She was tired of blood.

  She and Morris still needed work. Being S-rank meant they received offers constantly. Positions as royal knights. Security for high-ranking officials. Command roles in elite units.

  All of them required strength.

  None of them felt right.

  After considering everything, Elowen chose the one position she had wanted since childhood.

  A maid.

  Not because she lacked strength.

  Because she chose it.

  It was her dream that she had almost forgotten.