Episode 3: Mansion Rules for New Servants (Part 1)
Sasha had indeed arrived at the “first room on the second floor” just like the note had said.
But…
“Why is this room so fancy?”
It was way too large and luxurious for a simple servant’s room.
Inside, there was a huge bed with soft lace curtains, and next to it, a wooden desk decorated with jewels. There was even a small hallway leading to another room—which turned out to be a dressing room!
“W-What is this…”
Seeing all the expensive accessories inside the dressing room, Sasha became nervous.
“Did I enter the wrong room?”
She looked around but this was the only open door.
“Why would they give me a room like this?”
A new maid, all alone in a big, empty mansion, placed in such a fancy room filled with luxury?
Could this be…?
A thought flashed through her mind.
“Wait—I never even had a proper interview! This must be a test from the master!”
Suddenly everything made sense.
“If that’s the case, I’m ready! I’ll prove I’m trustworthy!”
Feeling confident, Sasha changed clothes and lay on the bed.
Being in such a beautiful room even made it easier to fall asleep.
She hoped she would meet the master tomorrow.
The next morning
“Um… is anyone here?”
Sasha woke up to sunlight and started walking around the mansion, looking for someone.
But just like yesterday, the mansion was silent—so quiet her voice echoed.
What should I do?
At first, she thought the master was just busy yesterday. But now she was getting worried.
“Maybe… I’ve already been fired.”
Fear started creeping into her thoughts.
“No! There must be another reason.”
She tried to calm herself and focus on what she could do.
“Maybe this is still part of the test. Yesterday they tested if I was trustworthy, so today might be another test.”
That must be it. Or at least, she hoped so.
“A maid’s job is to take care of the mansion, right?”
With that, Sasha started moving busily.
The mansion was huge, but poorly maintained.
The walls were peeling, and junk was scattered everywhere.
Even the cleaning tools were rusty and unusable.
“Right… the master said they were away for a long time and just returned.”
So Sasha made up her mind.
She would clean the entire place—make it shine again—and prove that she was needed here.
“I’ll show them how valuable I am!”
With determined eyes, she looked around. She decided she would clean the mansion until it was spotless before the master returned.
Sasha began sweeping and scrubbing the dusty floors.
She gathered all the useless junk into one pile—just in case the master wanted to look through it first.
After finishing the first floor, she went up to the second floor. The luxurious room she stayed in caught her eye again.
“Let’s clean every corner!”
Even if it looked clean, she knew dust often built up in hidden places.
She started with the floor, then rearranged the furniture neatly.
When she moved to clean the jeweled desk…
Creak.
“Huh?”
A drawer, which had been tightly shut, suddenly slid open on its own when she touched it.
She thought maybe it was just loose—until she saw what was inside.
“A… mansion diary?”
It was a thick leather-bound book—so big it looked more like a dictionary.
On the cover, written in elegant script, were the words:
“Rules for New Mansion Servants.”
“What’s this?”
Sasha opened it out of curiosity. The first page greeted her with a message:
For new servants living here, please read the following rules carefully.
All mansion residents must know these rules. The mansion is not responsible for any accidents caused by breaking them.
- Behind the mansion is an old guardian tree.
It’s been there since before the mansion was built—over a thousand years old. It’s older than all of you, so never cut or damage it. If lightning strikes it or something happens, do not come near the mansion for a while. - If you find a weird-looking paper in the basement trash, burn it immediately.
Don’t open it. Don’t be curious. There’s no portrait of a headless knight inside, so don’t try to check what helmet it wore. - Don’t walk in the garden around midnight.
If you do and see a strange animal, don’t panic. Don’t run. Just go back inside and stay in your room until sunrise. - Never be alone during a full moon.
Always be with at least one other living thing. If you have to be alone, go to sleep before midnight. But don’t just lie in bed—put a doll your size under the covers and sleep in the closet. If you hear rustling, do not leave the closet. - You can store animals or things in the empty greenhouse in the garden,
but never leave a living person in there alone with the door shut.
If you do end up alone in there, never look away from the scarecrow in the corner. - If you hear screams or crying late at night, ignore it.
Do not try to find out where it’s coming from. - Even if you break all the other rules, you must follow Rule 0.
(No further details given.)
Sasha’s hands trembled slightly as she read the book.
She’d worked for the Security Bureau before, and they had lots of safety rules—but never anything like this.
“What the…?”
She muttered, clutching the book.
“They even included how to handle unpredictable situations?!”
She was amazed. This wasn’t just a list of things to avoid—it also told you what to do if weird things happened.
“Rules 4 and 7 kind of contradict each other though… Should I act like I know or like I don’t?”
After thinking, she decided it was safest to just avoid the garden at midnight altogether.
“Next, I should check what supplies the mansion needs…”
As Sasha carefully placed the rulebook back into the drawer—
BANG BANG BANG!
Someone knocked loudly on the front door.
Meanwhile…
Lady Rubia, the ruler of the village of Steinhau, was sitting in her office flipping through paperwork.
Her short red hair shone like ripe tomatoes in the morning sun.
“A couple ran away from home because their parents disapproved, and they’re hiding in our village? What do they expect me to do about that?”
She sighed nearly every minute.
So many problems in this small village. Even tiny issues needed her attention.
“Still… the most important task should be finished by the end of the month.”
She lifted her head and looked out the window.
“That’s my moneymaker right there!”
She smiled sweetly, gazing at the mansion on the hill.
Yesterday, she couldn’t see it because of the fog, but today, under the clear sun, it was perfectly visible.
Only 10 days left. Then she could sell that “haunted eyesore” for a nice price.
A satisfied smile spread across her lips.
