Home/The villainess's personal maid is very good at her job/ch 2

Episode 2

"This is a contract independently developed by Illinia. It's rare and carries strong binding force, so we only use it for important transactions."

Recalling the explanation of the man who had introduced himself as 'Theo,' vice-captain of Illinia, Janet swallowed hard.

'Important transactions.'

That word lingered in her mind.

Since they had used a magical contract reserved for important transactions, it meant that her deal with Illinia was indeed an important one.

But—

'Why, exactly?'

Why would they enter into such an important transaction with someone like me?

To be honest, when she had first gone to Illinia to commission their services, Janet had only anticipated two outcomes.

Acceptance or rejection.

Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined entering into a contractual relationship with Illinia.

And with content like 'protect Lady Julietta Ludwig,' no less.

'Could there be some kind of relationship between them?'

Illinia and Lady Julietta.

Or—

Theo and Lady Julietta.

'……No. What does that have to do with me anyway?'

Whichever was the truth didn't matter. Even if there was no truth at all, it didn't matter.

What mattered was that she had seized a precious opportunity.

Hoo.

Janet let out a relieved sigh.

'He said he'd submit the application and recommendation letter on my behalf, so I should just wait quietly.'

Yes. Let's wait.

What she needed to do now was not to question the contract, but to await good news.

---

And then, a few days later.

"A letter for Miss Janet Graham from the Grand Ducal House of Ludwig."

"……Thank you."

Somewhat dazed, Janet received the letter.

She stood at the gate for a long while, until the postman who had bowed to her disappeared from view.

'It's real.'

It really came……!

Inside the elegant envelope was an employment contract sent by the Ludwig household.

An employment deposit of 30 million Ecl.

A monthly salary of 6 million Ecl.

Bonuses and additional allowances paid separately.

Annual raises commensurate with years of service.

Free room and board.

Janet quickly ran the numbers in her head.

'Even just the base salary comes to 72 million Ecl per year.'

Including the employment deposit, that meant she could earn over 100 million Ecl in a single year.

Add to that the success fee she'd receive from Illinia—essentially a severance package of 500 million Ecl—and……

'……Perhaps I might even be able to purchase a baronetcy.'

'Purchasing a baronetcy' was the ultimate goal of Janet's plan to gain independence from Graham.

For now, becoming Lady Julietta's handmaiden had allowed her to escape the immediate crisis, but that was merely a temporary measure.

While unmarried women over eighteen could freely engage in economic activities, the head of the household held absolute authority over marriage matters.

'What kind of law is this……?'

The moment Janet was dismissed from her handmaiden position, or if Julietta were to marry, Viscount Graham would inevitably push for Janet's marriage.

Perhaps, at that time—

'He might bring in someone even worse than Count Verdin.'

Janet needed a way to completely free herself from Graham's grasp.

A legal way to become independent from Graham.

And that was how she had arrived at the idea of 'purchasing a baronetcy.'

About six years ago, the 'Ashleyad War' had broken out.

It was a war fought between the Empire and the Yuperion Magical Kingdom over the 'Ashleyad Region,' a contested borderland that both claimed as their own.

The war, which had dragged on for three full years, ended in the Empire's victory—but the military funds expended had been astronomical.

To cover the deficit, the Emperor began selling 'baronetcies.'

Of course, the price was exorbitant.

Even if it was a non-hereditary title, it was still the purchase of a noble rank.

Even as Janet planned to 'buy a baronetcy and become independent,' she couldn't shake the feeling that it was a far-fetched dream.

But—

'Now it's not just an impossible dream anymore.'

Gulp.

Janet's eyes sparkled with hope as she swallowed dryly.

She clutched the contract tightly to her chest and turned back toward the house.

But only for a moment.

Halting in her tracks, Janet looked up at the Graham manor.

'Come to think of it, the Viscount and his wife said they'd be away today.'

The couple, who had left early that morning after dressing to the nines, said they wouldn't return until tomorrow evening.

'If so…….'

A faint smile formed beneath her narrowed eyes.

Janet pulled the employment contract from the envelope she had been holding against her chest. After checking the remaining contents, she resealed the envelope and placed it back in the mailbox.

After confirming that the tip of the envelope was sticking out just enough.

'Hmm. This should catch their eye right away.'

Janet leisurely made her way back into the empty house.

---

That evening.

"Janet! Janet!"

At the clamorous call, Janet stopped eating.

……Looks like I won't be finishing this.

She glanced at the half-eaten meal and was just about to rise from her seat when—

"Where the hell are you—! Oh, there you are!"

The owner of the loud voice appeared with even more noise than his voice had suggested.

Simon Graham.

The precious only son of Viscount and Viscountess Graham.

"Brother. What brings you—"

"Oh! Oh! My adorable and impressive little sister!"

"……Pardon?"

What a dreadful way to address someone.

At the title that was unpleasant just to hear, Janet's brow furrowed.

Whether he noticed or not—

The excited Simon waved the paper rolled in his hand and exclaimed.

"When did you pull off something this impressive?! A handmaiden for the Grand Ducal House of Ludwig? And the exclusive handmaiden of a Grand Duchess?!"

Ooh.

His eyes, exaggerated with admiration, were brimming with greed.

"An employment deposit of 30 million Ecl? As expected of the Ludwig Grand Ducal House. They sure know how to spend big!"

His tone suggested the money was as good as his own.

And sure enough—

"Hey, hey, Janet. How about we keep this money a secret from our parents?"

"Keep it a secret from our parents?"

"Yeah!"

At Simon's enthusiastic reply, Janet blinked once. She feigned surprise, but her true feelings were entirely different.

'Just as I expected.'

Simon had not deviated one bit from Janet's prediction.

"If our parents find out you received this much money as a deposit, they'll take it all away in a heartbeat! So don't do that—leave it to me instead! I'll double it…… no! I'll triple it for you! How about that?!"

What a joke.

Janet barely suppressed a sneer.

Simon was a gambling addict.

A severe addict who, if he had no money in hand, would even steal and sell his parents' clothes to scrape together funds for gambling.

The problem was that his gambling skills were abysmal.

He never once came back with winnings; it was a blessing if he didn't return with more debt.

Simon's gambling addiction was likely one of the reasons the Graham family's finances had deteriorated.

Janet fell silent as if pondering.

Then—

"……Alright. Let's do that then."

"Wh-what? R-really? You're actually going to keep it from our parents?"

"Yes. You said you'd triple it for me, didn't you?"

"Oh, uh, yes! Of course, of course. I'll triple it and give it back to you! Just trust me!"

At Simon's eager nodding, Janet smiled sweetly.

"Then, you'll have to sign my guardian consent form, Brother."

"Guardian consent form?"

"I'm still not of age yet, you see. To find employment under the age of eighteen, I need my guardian's consent. There should be documents inside that envelope—didn't you see them?"

At Janet's question, Simon tilted his head and examined the envelope.

It seemed he had only looked at the part explaining the employment deposit and hadn't even taken out the guardian consent form.

"The guardian consent form also contains information about the deposit, so if you asked our parents to sign, they'd naturally learn about the money's existence."

"Ugh. That would be a problem."

"Exactly. So I'm asking you, Brother. The adult heir of a household is recognized as a sibling's guardian, you know."

To Simon, who wore an expression of having never heard such a thing in his life, Janet handed a pen.

"Here. Hurry up and sign."

"R-right."

Somewhat swept along, Simon took the pen and hesitantly signed the guardian consent form.

'For some reason, I feel like I'm being dragged along……?'

……No. It's probably just my imagination.

The Janet he knew was not the type of person to manipulate anyone.

No matter what she was told to do, she'd just nod blankly and say "Yes, yes." That was her.

"Done."

"Wow. Thank you, Brother."

At Janet's innocent smile, just like always, Simon thought of course and let it go.

Soon, his head was filled with thoughts of the 30 million Ecl that would soon fall into his grasp.

'That money will never find its way into your pocket, Simon.'

Utterly unaware of Janet's true intentions.

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