212-Looking around Mina at night




 
 The sun has set, and as night falls, the Throwlett family compound, which had been enveloped in bright sunshine, is shrouded in darkness.

 As I am on patrol duty this evening, I walk down the dark corridor with a candle-filled lamp in my hand, illuminating the dark corridor.

 I can't hear any of everyone's voices that were so lively during the day.

 I don't hear Alfried-sama and Silvio-sama's joyful frolic from upstairs, Erna-sama and Nord-sama's calm voices leaking from the living room, or the sound of Elinora-sama swinging her sword or anything else.

 The mansion is enveloped in a silence that seems to be a complete change from the daytime.

 The walls of the corridor are lit by several lamps, sometimes by light mages, but the interior of the mansion is a bit unreliable due to the large interior of the mansion.

 This is no surprise since we don't live at night, so there is no need to brighten up the mansion more than necessary.

 It's a good idea to use a candle, let alone a magic tool, but you also need money to use a candle. It can't be helped.

 However, from my point of view as a weak maiden who either patrols at night or is a weak maiden, I still want the night to be a little brighter as well.

 Recently, I heard that the reversible lamps invented by Alfried-sama and sold by the Triera Trading Company are doing extremely well. Can't we take this opportunity to clean out the lamps in the mansion and switch to light magic tools?

 No, but I heard that the stove's magic tool that Bartolo-san asked for the other day cost eighty gold coins. When the woman's kagura clothes are added together, it is lightly heard that they cost more than a hundred gold coins, and as expected, it may be impossible for the time being.

 The magic tools of the stove are said to be essential for making fried bread and fried foods, so it can't be helped if you can't buy the light magic tools. Kagura clothes are also a substitute that you would never be able to get under normal circumstances.

 Ah, imagining delicious fried food like fried bread and fried food made me hungry.

 I managed to hold back the saliva that was about to leak from the corner of my mouth and went upstairs, holding back my legs that were about to go to the kitchen.

 The second floor of the mansion is mainly a private space, the bedrooms of the Nords.

 We maids are well aware of this, so when we are not working, we refrain from interrupting your time on the ground floor.

 Of course, we will go out as soon as you call us, but we are rarely called in because you, the master, don't like to keep maids around more than necessary.

 I've heard that maids in other mansions are called in many times, are made to wait for long periods of time for no good reason, and because of this they are sometimes forced to work late because they can't finish their work during the day.

 But I'm glad to see that none of that is the case at the Throwlett family mansion.

 We don't have to work late, and the wages are good. Besides, the best thing is that the food is delicious.

 Isn't it one of the strengths of the maids here to be able to eat Bartolo-san and Alfried-sama's food first?

 There aren't many maids, so there's a bit more work to do per person, but I think the working environment in the Rowlett family is great.

 The only downside is that my coworkers like Saara and Mel-san are too good at what they do.

 And because of that, I'm a little frustrated that they treat me like I'm the least able child.

''I think I'm a more capable maid than everyone thinks I am...''

 I mutter to myself with a slight pout of my lips.

 When I go upstairs, a long hallway leads to the back of the house.

 There are lamps installed in some places, but the lights are still lonely. The farther you go, the more dark it feels like the wind is getting.



 My own weak voice echoes down the dark corridor.

 A maid making her rounds in the middle of the night. It's the same situation as mine right now.

 Now if I can hear even the sound of footsteps behind me, it's perfectly identical to the gossip I've heard.

''Well, that's not possible, though!

 As I muttered to myself to cheer myself up and walked, I suddenly heard a gurgling sound from behind me.

''--?

 The moment I heard that sound, I felt my heart leap with a thud deep in my chest.

 Wait, wait, was that a noise?

 I scream in my mind as my eyes widen and I can't move for a while.

 Then, just as my jumping heart calms down a bit, I slowly turn around.

 I try to illuminate it with the light of the lamp, but there's nothing there.

 It's just a beautiful red carpet as usual.

''.......What. Is it my imagination?''

 I exhale in relief.

 The moment I remembered the ghost story, I was in a hurry because I heard a noise behind me.

 If Mel or Saara had seen me, they would have absolutely laughed at me.

 It's embarrassing that I was aware of it and freaked out about it in the night, even though it was a story I had dumped on myself.

 I decided to ignore the surprise and get down to the business of looking around.

 Let's go around to the study, the storage room, and the playground.

 First, I check out the study room.

 When you push the wooden door open, you hear a creaking sound.

 In the daytime, it wouldn't bother you, but in the dark and quiet, it's oddly eerie.

 The light of the lamp illuminates the study, which is wrapped in pitch blackness.

''........There's no one there, right?''

 I whisper a small word to myself to announce my hope.

 If there's a suspicious person or something, there's nothing a weak maid can do about it.

 Well, we have the strongest masters here, so I don't think those rogues will be able to take them on then, but I don't think I'll be safe. That's why I always think that you shouldn't have any kind of prowler in your life.

 The candlelight illuminates the interior of the study, where there are several bookshelves crammed with books.

 I slowly make my way to the interior of the room to fulfill my rounds of work.

 Then the door creaks shut behind me on its own.

''Hee!''

 A pathetic short scream escaped at the sudden noise, and my body jerked.

''And the door was closed by the wind, wasn't it? Seriously, you scared me.

 I say approvingly as I stare at the door.

'Huh? But I don't think the window in the hallway was open...? No, no, I'm sure I opened it halfway, and the subtle flow of air pushed it shut.

 I feel like the door to the study was opened all the way open exactly, but I don't care.

 Because I feel like the more I think about it, the more scared I get.

 The inside of the study is filled with a unique smell of paper. There is no one in the room and nothing suspicious, except for the ponderous books and furniture.

''........No problem, right?''

 After carefully checking the room, I muttered to myself and left the study.

 Then, as I reached for the doorknob to close the door, it moved by itself and slammed shut.

''..........''

 I hadn't even touched the doorknob, nor could I feel the flow of wind.

 The door had moved perfectly and closed on its own.

''...What...what is this? It's convenient, but I'm scared!

 I look at the door that closed by itself and shudder to myself.

 What should I do? Strange things are happening in the Rowlettes' house. This has never happened before, so why is it? This mansion is a new house that Master Nord built a little over ten years ago.

 It's not like there's some sort of curse, such as the suicide of the previous owner. So why does the door close and open on its own?

 I want to cry to Saara and Mel, who are sleeping in their quarters.

 I want to run out now and ask them to look around with me, telling them that a bizarre phenomenon has occurred.

 But if I do that, I'll get the reputation of being a bad maid again.

 I don't want to do that.

'But do your best, Meena. You are a girl who can do it if you try. Crying because the door moved on its own once or twice is breaking the name of an excellent maid.

 I tell myself that in a healthy way, and I start to resume my rounds by myself.

 I'm actually very scared, but I'm trying to avoid being called a crappy maid.

 I walk out quickly and check the storage room.

 I leave the door open all the way, glancing around, but this time it doesn't close on its own.

 And the door to the next room, the playroom, was also uneventful and still.

 It's tempting to wonder if the door is just my imagination after all, but after seeing the way it moved so clearly earlier, it's impossible to assume that it's just my imagination.

 I continue down the corridor with my mind tightened.

 The next room I see is Alfried-sama's room.

 Master Alfried often stays up late because he can use the magic of the light that lights himself up.

 If it's too late, I go to warn her to go to bed, but today she seems to have gone to bed early.

 ...I can't believe she's sleeping so early at a time like this.

 When you're up late, the light leaks through the gaps in the door, brightening the corridor nicely.

 And if I had just said something like, "It's late, please go to bed," I could have alleviated my fears. It's only at times like this that I go to bed.

 I walk past Alfried-sama's room with a little disappointment.

 Next is Silvio-sama and Elinora-sama's room, but those two are the ones who go to bed early, so naturally no light is leaking from the door.



 Gotori, Gotori, Gotori........

 As I muttered that thought, I heard another sound from behind.

 And this time, it's not just once. It is heard intermittently as if you were walking.

''.........Who is it? Lady Elinora? Or is it Master Alfried?

 I turn around fearfully and ask, but there's no answer.

 I just hear the gurgling and heavy footsteps, which is eerie.

 I stick out my lamp to illuminate the rear.

 But there's no one there. No one is there, even though I can still hear what sounds like footsteps from deep in the darkness.

'Yah, yah, yah, this is bad! Isn't the situation perfectly similar to a ghost story!

 Eerie footsteps. The unseen footsteps terrify me, and I move forward at a faster pace to escape from the direction of the footsteps.

 Still, the footsteps continue to sound as if they are following me. It's as if they are chasing me.

 What should I do? I want to run into Nord-sama and Erna-sama's bedroom down the street.

 I know they wouldn't be mad at me if it was those two! This is already an unusual enough situation.

 If the frail maid asked for help, those two would not be dismissive, unlike their colleagues!

 I almost cried out in fear as I made my way to Nord-sama and the others' bedroom.

 Then the sound of footsteps coming from behind me came thumping in, and my back suddenly felt heavy.

 What is this? My back is very heavy.

''Kyah!''

 The sudden weight on my back and my legs cowering in fear causes me to fall down the hallway.

 Not good. This pattern is exactly the same as a ghost story. Which means I'm here to turn around and have my soul drained by a ghostly presence....

 I knew that, but I couldn't help but look back because I was worried about my back.

 My head moves back slowly, thinking it's no good, and--

"...Meena, what's wrong with you, sitting here? Besides, you've been moving around a bit and making a lot of noise earlier, haven't you?

 Before I could turn around, I didn't have to look back as Elinora-sama appeared ahead of me.

'What, Lord Elinora? Why are you here?

'Why, I was just down in the kitchen for a bit of fruit juice, you know?

 I look up, stunned, and see Elinora-sama in her pajamas with her reddish-brown hair down, and she says while putting her hands on her hips.

 Her voice is powerful in that same usual dignified appearance.

 Just hearing Elinora-sama's voice made me feel like I was freed from my fear.

 As I look up with feverish eyes, Elinora-sama narrows her sharp eyes and looks into the back.

''........Hey, Al. You're in there, right? What are you doing?

Huh?

 With Master Alfried behind you?

What--?

 The moment I wondered, I could feel a somewhat unnerving atmosphere from behind.

 And then the back that had been feeling the weight of the weight became light as if it were a lie, and I could feel the suspiciousness distant.

''Wait a minute!''

 Elinora-sama immediately ran into her room, grabbed her wooden sword and began to follow the signs.

 She didn't know if the other party was a suspicious person or Alfried-sama, but her appearance seemed terribly reliable.



 ◆



 Yucky, yucky. We're playing with Meena, but at the end of the game, sister Elinora shows up.

 I was going to tell the story and say that Meena is a moving doll when she fell and turned around, but since Sister Elinora came and ran away, she's looking like a complete villain.

 I would have preferred to tell the story right then and there and be taken aback by Sister Elinora.

 But when I heard Elinora sister's intimidating voice at night, I instinctively wanted to run away.

 A sense of impatience like that of encountering a dangerous and fierce beast attacked me so fiercely that I ran away....... d*mn, Elinora sister, when did she sneak out of her room? I thought she was asleep in her room.

'I know you're there, Al!

 Even though it's the middle of the night, Elinora's sister is screaming after me.

 It's late at night and she can't even see a few meters away, so how can she tell where I am at the end of the corridor?

 As usual, Elinora's sensing ability is strange.

 What are you going to do to escape in transition? No, that would leave the Knight behind.

 No, let's get rid of the idea of protection. This is a dark corridor with poor visibility.

 No matter how much of a sister Elinora is, a doll that doesn't breathe is indeed imperceptible and surprising, isn't it?

 I'd like to see Elinora's sister get a little scared.

 Since it's dark, I'm a little more bullish than usual, and I'm going to move my knight with my psychic to get behind Elinora's sister--.

''Humph! What is it? I felt something oddly soft slicing through me, didn't I?

'Ahhhh! Sister Elinora slashed my Knight!

 I yell out in shock as the Knight is slashed.

 I can feel it for sure because I'm using a psychic to penetrate the Knight's magical power. It's as if the head and body have been carefully severed. You can feel the magic power that you put on the knight dissipating.

You're not going to be able to get your hands on any of them. I mean, it was Al after all.

 Sister Elinora, who is holding a wooden sword in her hand, enters brother Silvio's room nearby and brings out a magic tool for lights.

 Then the corridor we are in is illuminated, and the figure of the Knight lying on the floor is clearly visible.......

''Ah! My Knight is now a Dullahan!

 I had expected it, but I couldn't help but cringe at the sight of Knight's so painful appearance.

'Dullahan? What kind of demon is out there? Or rather, it's not a doll. So that's what I cut up. No wonder I thought it was so soft.

'This is terrible, Elinora! It's nice not to be beheaded for a bit of knighting!

You shouldn't have let a doll run after me in my blind spot in the dark. There was a strange sense of malice in the doll.

 Gunkunu, or rather, why do you say you have a wooden sword?

 The thought of sister Elinora bringing out a wooden sword even though she had detected her brother's presence at night is strange.

''That doesn't mean you have to cut...''

 I worked hard to raise him. Stitched him back together until he could stand, practiced until he could walk.

 And as of this evening, he finally learned to walk. You're bouncing around us with gusto.

 It's a shame that the knight I loved so much as my own child has been so cruelly beheaded.

 I looked up in protest as I held the knight who had become Dullahan in my arms, and sister Elinora let out a breath and

'You're not a girl, so don't sulk over a broken doll. This much........

..........

 Huh? Could it be that Sister Elinora is going to fix it for you?

I'll ask my mother to fix it for you.

Let's just say I'll fix it.



 After this, I was pissed off at my Nord dad for hearing the commotion. Especially about me abusing my magic to scare Meena and causing a commotion.

 Mother Erna also lectured me on how to use magic, and I had to make new sweets for Meena as an apology.