Chapter 8

My name is Betty, a 12-year-old maid of the Berze Family. No… perhaps it’s more accurate to say I *was* a maid.

Honestly, I took pride in working for the Berze Family. The work was easy, and above all, the facilities were top-notch, so I wanted to stick around and live there forever.

But thanks to that darn old butler’s orders, I’ve been tragically forced to follow the Family Head, no, the former Family Head, to the countryside.

It’s not that I dislike the Family Head. He was the only noble who wouldn’t punish us even if we stepped on his foot by mistake or got caught gossiping about him. Some say it’s because he has zero interest in his subordinates, or that he sees us as less than ants, but at least I’ve never seen him lose his temper.

Well, he’s generally that kind of mild-mannered person… but…

“Um, Family Head, no, Raul-sama…?”

“What is it?”

“Are you… feeling unwell?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“Your expression has been… off since earlier…”

“If I had to say, it’s neither good nor bad.”

Honestly, this is so awkward I could die. I’d rather sit next to the coachman uncle—that would be 10,000 times more comfortable. From the start, the Family Head doesn’t exactly have a bright appearance.

Pale skin with no vitality, hollow eyes devoid of warmth or light, shadowed eyelids, an androgynous face that could belong to either a beautiful woman or a handsome man, a black tied-up hairstyle more fitting for a woman, a cold low voice that’s oddly clear, and a slender yet well-proportioned body.

Honestly, he’s beautiful, but he’s so gloomy and scary that you could mistake him for a ghost.

“…But if my face and expression are making you uncomfortable.”

Suddenly, the Family Head crouched down and buried his face between his knees. Then, with those hollow eyes barely visible over his knees, he stared at me and said:

“Raul-sama…?”

“If I do this, you won’t see my expression, so it should be less uncomfortable for both of us.”

And just as I’d heard, he was an eccentric beyond imagination. The Empire’s greatest oddball, whose actions and words were impossible to predict.

But… somehow, he didn’t seem cowardly or sinister. Unlike what the other maids and servants said.

—

Time passed, and night fell, making it impossible to see ahead. We had to get out of the carriage and camp out.

I and the coachman uncle were fine, but I was worried about the Family Head.

“Uncle Coachman… do you think someone like Raul-sama will be okay camping out…?”

“Kid, do you know how many years he’s spent on the battlefield?”

“Ah…!”

The Family Head casually dipped the end of a log in whale oil and lit it with a flick of his finger.

“…Does everyone who goes to the battlefield end up like that?”

“At least I can’t do that.”

We hadn’t eaten all day, so I was starving. Whether it’s the Family Head, the coachman uncle, or me, everyone needs to eat to live.

“Uncle, there’s a box of ingredients in the back of the carriage. Can you get it out?”

“To think food would come up in the middle of a forest like this.”

“Whether you’re noble or common, no one can live without eating, right?”

“Listening to you, I’d think you were a mercenary who’s been on the battlefield for ten years.”

The coachman uncle clicked his tongue and pulled out the box full of ingredients.

“Huh?”

The box the coachman uncle pulled out was completely empty.

“I’m sure we loaded a box full of ingredients last night…!”

“Must be the work of those who dislike the Family Head. Probably the maids serving the young lady.”

“Huh…? Why would they…?”

“How should I know what those sneaky people are thinking? Maybe they’re trying to look good for the next Family Head or something. Anyway, a bunch of hyenas.”

Whether they were hyenas or wolves, I didn’t really care.

The important thing was that I was going to starve.

“…What’s going on?”

“Raul-sama, it’s just that…”

“It seems we have no food.”

“I’m sorry! I’ll take responsibility and go pick some fruit or something…!”

“Enough.”

Now I’m doomed. Even if he doesn’t get angry when someone steps on his foot, he’s bound to get mad if he’s starved.

“Does anyone have any food they dislike?”

“Yes…”

“If not, I’ll go catch something.”

With those words, the Family Head walked into the forest. Bare-handed, without any proper hunting tools.

“Will he be okay…”

“Yeah. I wonder if he’ll even make it back without a torch.”

“Or if he’ll even succeed in hunting…”

“…Seems like food is more important than your master.”

“We’re just trying to survive, aren’t we?”

Less than an hour later, the Family Head returned with an expression as if nothing had happened. At first, I thought it was a miracle he came back safely, wondering how anyone could hunt in such darkness.

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything like a wild boar.”

That was until I saw the bag he set down.

Seven quails, two rabbits, a freshwater fish, edible mushrooms, and various fruits.

…How on earth did he catch all this? It’s so dark you can’t see anything without fire. And how did he catch birds without a bow?

Wait, more importantly, where did that bag come from? He definitely left empty-handed.

“Raul-sama, isn’t this too much for us to eat…?”

“The fruit is for the horses. They seem tired from the heat, so I thought it’d be good to give them some fruit.”

“Understood. Then we’ll prepare the rest, so you should rest a bit, Raul-sama.”

“No.”

The Family Head strangled the live quail and pulled out a small knife.

“I’ll do it. You’ve been driving the carriage all day, so you should rest.”

The meal the Family Head prepared was quite luxurious. The meat, drizzled with juice from some unknown fruit, had no trace of gaminess or foul smell.

“…Raul-sama, this is truly amazing. I’ve never tasted such delicious meat in my life.”

“You flatter me too much.”

“It’s not flattery… By the way, aren’t you going to eat, Raul-sama?”

“One fruit is enough for me.”

The leftover meat naturally went to me and the coachman uncle, and we ended up overeating in the middle of the forest.

“…You eat well.”

“My motto is to eat as much as I can when I can, since I never know when I’ll go hungry.”

“Is that so.”

It was meant to be a lighthearted joke, but the Family Head neither laughed nor got angry. He just crouched there, staring at the campfire.

Seeing him like this made me think that his infamous titles might be exaggerated. He wasn’t cowardly, didn’t look down on his subordinates, and didn’t shirk his duties. In fact, he was quite the opposite.

“Um…”

Just as I was about to ask him about it, my stomach growled.

“Can I go to the restroom for a bit?”

“Don’t go too far.”

“Understood.”

Of course, I’m a lady too. I couldn’t let an outsider hear the sounds of a delicate girl like me doing her business, so I walked a bit further away.

“Phew…”

But then, the bushes and trees around me started to rustle.

“What kind of wind is this noisy…”

“Grrrr…!”

Sadly, it wasn’t the wind—it was a magical beast.

“Damn dwarves…!”

And I knew exactly what kind of beast it was. A giant tiger with horns, a Horned Tiger, a well-known magical creature whose hide and horns fetch a high price.

Of course, they’re so strong that only a party of skilled adventurers could hope to take one down.

And now, that Horned Tiger was…

“Even I can tell there’s not enough for 15 servings.”

It seems the smell of my business attracted not one, but fifteen Horned Tigers.

I guess this is why the Family Head told me not to go too far. They say if you listen to your elders, you’ll get candy even in your sleep. Well, these tigers must’ve listened well, because they got meat in their sleep.

“Grrrr!!!!”

As the Horned Tiger charged at me, I closed my eyes tightly.

“In my next life, I’ll be born into a noble family! Damn it!”

“Quite a modest dream.”

“…?”

When I opened my eyes, the Horned Tiger that was about to attack me was rolling on the ground. Its head was completely gone.

And there was the Family Head, staring at me with blood on his hand.

“To have such a modest wish is quite humble.”

“R-Raul-sama…? Did you just kill that Horned Tiger…? In one hit…?”

“If I hadn’t killed it, it would’ve bitten your neck. I personally didn’t wish for that, so I used force. Is there a problem?”

It wasn’t that there was a problem.

I was just curious how he killed a Horned Tiger that wouldn’t flinch even if hit with a mace.

“Stay behind me.”

Then, the Family Head walked toward the group of Horned Tigers, holding a cane.

“I respect the deep and strict laws of your world, which I know well. And I apologize for the rudeness of my servant who entered your territory without permission.”

He raised his blood-stained right hand.

“But if you insist on showing your petty fangs, I will respond in kind. Little kittens.”

The terrified Horned Tigers fled like scared cats, and I finally let out a sigh of relief.

It seems the Family Head’s infamous titles weren’t entirely exaggerated.

Dragon Slayer, End of Giants, Sea Fisher, Demon of the Land, and Giant Hunter. I think I’m starting to understand how he earned those titles.

“…Raul-sama. But how did you know I was so far away and come so quickly?”

“I heard your voice and the beasts’ roars.”

It seems the Family Head has exceptionally good hearing.

“And the smell was also an important clue.”

“Huh…?”

Once I understood what he meant, I couldn’t help but scream in embarrassment.

“AAAAAH!!!”

And I think I’m starting to understand why he’s called the Frustrating Human.

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