Emma The Ordinary Maid

In my spider form, I hid within the strands of the long green hair of a maid I had been hitching a ride on for some time. Every step she took felt like a small earthquake shaking me to my core. Luckily, I was beginning to grow accustomed to this and could adapt to the situation. 

As we rounded the next corner, my eyes caught sight of a familiar figure, another maid, one with brown hair and small bear-like ears atop her head. She was the very same maid who had accidentally bumped into me yesterday, the one whose scent had made Fenrir uncomfortable. 

I leapt nimbly from the maid's hair, sneaking into the ceiling and concealing myself within the narrow spaces there. From this vantage point, I watched her closely, trying to find anything she might be hiding. 

The girl picked up a basket filled with dirty laundry piled so high it nearly obscured her face. She then hurriedly walked, struggling under the weight of the basket. 

I quickened my pace, crawling across the palace's ceiling and walls, occasionally leaping from one spot to another. At first, this made me nauseous and disoriented, but fortunately, I quickly adapted. 

"Though it was somewhat dizzying, I was getting the hang of it."

The maid eventually stopped at a table at the end of the corridor, placing her basket down with a soft thud and letting out a long sigh. 

"I just finished the upper rooms, and now I have to go to the laundry room again?" she complained, rubbing her stiff neck. "Since when did being a maid mean working nonstop like this?" 

She began sorting the laundry, separating the very dirty items from those that could be washed normally. Her hands moved deftly, even though her face showed exhaustion and a faint hint of irritation she couldn't quite hide. 

I observed her carefully, searching for anything unusual, magic, odd behavior, or anything suspicious. But so far, she just seemed like a hardworking girl who liked to grumble. 

After finishing her sorting, she carried the basket to the laundry room a few meters away. I decided to keep following her. Inside the room, she began immersing the dirty laundry into a tub filled with soapy water. 

Rolling up her sleeves and tucking away parts of her conspicuous uniform, the girl started washing the clothes. Her gentle scrubbing produced a chemical reaction with the soapy water, creating thin bubbles that floated delicately like small clouds. 

"Always laundry… why doesn't anyone want to share this task?" she murmured softly, her tone carrying a hint of bitterness. "It's not that I dislike it, but sometimes I wish I could do something easier and more enjoyable." 

After finishing the washing, she sat on a small stool to rest briefly from the long and exhausting task. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, her gaze drifting blankly to the corner of the room, perhaps lost in thought. 

From above, I continued to watch her from the ceiling, my small body hidden behind golden ornaments deliberately placed in the room as decorations. 

"She really seemed like just an ordinary girl."

After a few minutes passed, the maid finally stood up, cleaned her hands with a handkerchief from the table, and then placed the washed clothes into a clean basket in the corner of the room. Meanwhile, she stacked the dirty laundry baskets in another corner. 

The girl then pulled the knob on a door in the corner of the room that led directly outside. A gentle breeze entered, filling the room. She carried the clean laundry outside without hesitation. 

I followed her out before the door could close again. Once outside, the girl began hanging the clean clothes under the bright sunlight. Although it was winter, the sun shone warmly enough, thanks to Loki's magic, making it reasonable to air-dry them. 

Whoosh.

A breeze that should have been mild almost sent my body flying. Thankfully, the coarse bristles on the ends of my legs kept me anchored to the wall. "Ugh… I shouldn't have come here. In my current form, even a simple breeze feels overpowering." 

The sun had shifted lower by the time the girl finished hanging the clothes. Not long after, another maid, equally as beautiful, approached her and called her name. "Emma, the senior maid wants us to help the cooks in the kitchen." 

"Alright, alright. I'm just about done here," Emma replied, forcing a stiff smile at the other girl. 

"Okay, I'll see you in the kitchen. Bye, Emma." 

"Bye, Ellie." 

After they waved at each other, Emma's smile immediately vanished, replaced by an expression of frustration and exhaustion. Her shoulders slumped as she let out a small huff of frustration. "I just finished, and now I have to work again? My workload keeps increasing every day." 

"Oh well, it can't be helped. At least this job has low risks, commands some dignity, and most importantly… pays really well." 

After venting, the girl quickly made her way to the kitchen. I leapt down, landing gracefully atop her head, and hid within her glossy brown hair. 

Her small steps moved quickly through the grand palace corridors. Several maids bustled along the way, making the hallway appear lively, unlike the quiet corridors near my room. 

Upon reaching the kitchen, Emma joined several other maids already busy preparing dinner for the palace's residents. She approached the cook and assisted with various kitchen tasks. 

I continued to observe her, trying to catch anything that might be hidden behind her routine. She chopped vegetables quickly, placed them on a tray, and hurriedly cleaned the table covered in leftover scraps. 

"Emma, don't be slow! We need to finish this before evening," said another maid, an older one with a firm voice. "Remember! There's still plenty left to do." 

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Emma replied, slightly irritated, though her hands never stopped working. 

I watched her every move, looking for any opening. But there was nothing suspicious—no magical aura, no strange behavior, just a girl busy with her chores, occasionally grumbling. 

***** 

From morning to noon and then noon to evening, the girl showed no signs of doing anything suspicious. Or perhaps not yet. Realizing this left me frustrated. Was she really not a spy? Or was I overthinking, assuming that anything that disturbed Fenrir's nose had to be connected to the gods? 

At the moment, the girl was merely sitting and enjoying a cup of warm tea she had stolen from the kitchen. Besides stealing tea, she was also stealing some time to relax near the clothesline. 

"Ah… this is nice," she muttered contentedly as she sipped her stolen tea. "Taking a break in the middle of all this busyness is such a relief." 

She then glanced around, her eyes narrowing sharply. "It doesn't look like anyone saw me, right? Hopefully not, or I'll get fired if they find out I've been slacking off." 

I could only shake my head, frustrated with her. As I noticed the sun dipping lower, I remembered my promise to study with Loki again, and I also needed to inform Fenrir first. In the end, I decided to leave the girl. 

I moved my small legs and prepared to head to Fenrir's room before heading to the library. Loki hadn't told me where he'd be waiting, but based on our previous encounters, I was confident he'd show up at the library eventually. 

*****

[PoV Maid]

Night had fallen as I opened the door to my room and stepped inside. As usual, my bear ears caught the sound of cheerful laughter bouncing off the walls.

"Are you done with your tasks, Emma?" asked Anneke, one of my roommates. She had pink hair and snake scales covering parts of her body.

"Haaah~," I sighed, releasing my weariness with the exhale. "As you can see, Anneke, I'm here, which means I've finished my tasks."

"Did everything go well? You look… tired, you know?" Anneke asked with genuine concern.

"Yeah, a little," I replied, heading to the wardrobe to change out of my uniform and into something more comfortable for relaxing.

"This job is exhausting, but the pay is excellent," chimed in another of my roommates, Anitra. She had bright orange hair and stunning blue eyes.

"That's why we all need to support each other. Didn't we promise that?" Gutner, the last of my roommates, responded to Anitra's comment. Gutner was a beautiful girl with jet-black hair and a calm demeanor.

Anitra and Gutner were Jotnar with humanoid forms, which meant they lacked any distinct animal traits. They could easily pass for humans in their current appearances.

We all smiled widely at Gutner's words. At moments like this, she felt like a caring mother figure. Truthfully, we were all new servants, recently recruited by King Loki to replace those who had decided to retire.

We had undergone a brief period of training over several days to adapt to the job quickly. However, no amount of preparation could make the overwhelming workload any less daunting.

"Maybe we just need more time to get used to the work," I commented as I flopped onto my soft bed.

"Aaargh, damn it!" Anitra suddenly exclaimed, venting her frustration. "I've got seven younger siblings and parents to support at home. I have to endure this for as long as I can."

"You think you're the only one?" I retorted. "I have eight siblings and parents who still need money. Luckily, my older brother is also working to help with our finances."

Anneke let out a long sigh, forcing a wry smile onto her lips. "It seems like we're all the breadwinners for our families."

Anneke's words struck a deep chord, and we all fell silent, reflecting on the families we'd left behind. The job was undoubtedly demanding, but the pay was enough to feed seven to ten mouths at home.

Working as a servant required a high level of integrity and loyalty, and the selection process was incredibly rigorous. We had been trained to handle various tasks simultaneously with meticulous precision.

"If only a prince or at least a handsome nobleman would suddenly appear and propose to me, life would be so much easier," Anitra mused as she reclined on her bed, folding her arms beneath her head as an extra pillow.

"There you go, daydreaming again. You should cut down on that and focus on building a realistic future for yourself," Gutner advised.

"It's fine to daydream once in a while, isn't it?" Anitra grumbled, clearly displeased with Gutner's advice.

"Speaking of princes, have any of you seen the handsome man who was with Loki this morning?" Anitra asked, her face lighting up with excitement.

All eyes turned to her with curiosity. I tried to guess who she was referring to. "Wait, do you mean the man who was touring the castle with Princess Linnie yesterday?"

"Exactly!" she exclaimed, brimming with enthusiasm. "Did you see him too, Emma?"

"Yeah, I accidentally bumped into him yesterday while rushing to the kitchen after being summoned by the head servant," I admitted, recalling the encounter.

"Ugh, I'm so jealous!" Anneke groaned softly, then flashed a mischievous grin. "If I were in your position, I'd have tried to charm him a little."

"I doubt that's possible," I replied with a hint of pessimism. "There was a wolf-girl clinging to him like glue. She gave me such sharp, intimidating looks when I bumped into him."

"A wolf-girl?" Anitra repeated, her eyes narrowing as if trying to recall something. "Ah, I think I know who you mean," she exclaimed, her eyes widening.

Anitra shifted her position, leaning against the wall. "I saw her in the garden with Princess Linnie earlier. They were laughing together, but for a moment, I caught sight of her sharp golden eyes."

"You're right," I agreed. "Her glare was so intense it gave me goosebumps when the man approached me. Do you think she's his lover?"

"Who knows? Either way, it's none of our business."

"What do you think, Gutner?" I asked, noticing her serious expression as though she was deep in thought.

"I haven't seen them," she replied.

"I see…" I felt a twinge of disappointment. "That's a shame. He was a handsome man and seemed kind. But that wolf-girl is definitely a problem if anyone wants to approach him," I added, glancing at Anitra.

"Tch, don't look at me like that. I just like to daydream. Besides, I'm well aware of my status as a mere commoner," Anitra grumbled.

That night, before we drifted off to sleep, we talked about the man and gossiped about the wolf-girl by his side. Our conversation veered into other topics as well, filling the hours until we finally succumbed to sleep.

But from time to time, I noticed a troubled look on Gutner's face as we discussed the two guests brought by Princess Linnie. Seeing it made me a little worried, knowing that Gutner was usually so composed no matter the situation.