I really don't like being dragged around one bit - it always reminds me of the crap I went through with my family, and even now, thinking about it pisses me off. I badly wanted to yank my hand away from that brat, but I didn't have an ounce of strength left, so I just let myself get pulled along like I was being chased by a ghost.
How the hell does someone with cracked ribs move around like nothing happened? Must be magic or something. This world does feel like one of those isekai anime, especially since I can use those crazy-ass skills like before. People here probably can pull off stuff like that too… Maybe. I haven't looked into it much, so I'm not jumping to conclusions yet.
Just as I'm mulling this over, the girl hands me off to two maids and stands there like she's waiting for something.
- Could you two please take care of this kid for me?
- Yes, my lady, - the maids reply in unison.
"Take care"?! This ain't good…
No need for me to guess what's next. They drag me to a bathroom and start trying to strip me down, so I crank Shadow Enhancement to max to scare them off. They flinch, but instead of attacking me, they sweet-talk me, saying they're just helping me clean up.
Seeing no malice in their actions, not even in the smallest details, I deactivate the skill but not without turning back to warn them. Honestly, I don't trust this whole "being pampered" thing one bit.
- Stay… away… I… can… handle… it…
I toss the filthy, tattered clothes to the side and slip into the warm bath they prepared, starting to scrub myself down. The whole process isn't fast or slow - just enough to wash off the grime and loosen up my aching body after a month of scraping by on the streets.
It's not that I'm lazy about hygiene, but the conditions for a proper bath out there? Basically nonexistent. So I've stayed filthy as hell, soul and all, no matter how much I stood in the rain…
Does relaxing in this bath feel good? Hell yeah, it does… But it probably won't stay fun for long, so I need to finish quick before something bad happens…
…
Right after I'm done, the maids come back with an outfit I wouldn't be caught dead wearing.
For fuck's sake, the only guys who wear skirts are Scots or Spartans, and I'm neither, so this is absolutely unacceptable. Even the shoes and socks are for girls. I'd rather go naked…
But life's a bitch - kids don't have the strength to fight adults, and causing a scene here would be like shooting myself in the foot. So I begrudgingly put on the damn outfit and get led to that brat's room, my face twisted in disgust.
Her room, to put it bluntly, is so gaudy it's painful. The decor and furniture are just… too childish. A princess bed, toys strewn everywhere, and a built-in closet stuffed with ridiculously frilly clothes - even a slob like me can't stomach it. The only decent thing is the tea table and chairs, which look completely out of place. As soon as I enter, I head straight for them, climb up, and sit there with a look of pure revulsion at everything around me.
When the girl sees me perched on the chair, she does the same, staring at me like she's trying to spook me. Sorry, kid, but when it comes to out-psyching children, nobody beats me…
Realizing her staring's doing jack shit, she says something that nearly makes me jump:
- You don't belong here, do you?
I take back my earlier confidence. Something's off about this kid. This kind of calm isn't normal for a child, and being in what feels like a lion's den leaves me no choice but to nod slightly. No way I'm stammering through an explanation and risking suspicion about my identity - past or present.
Letting her guess and stay unsure is probably better.
What follows is a barrage of questions I can only answer with "yes" or "no." Anything tough to answer? I skip it outright - talking's too much of a hassle.
As she grills me, she stares like she's sizing something up, then asks a question I can't dodge.
- Do you have a name? - she asks, curious.
- No…
- Alright… I'll call you John Doe, how's that?
What the hell kind of half-assed name is that?
"What kind of idiot gives a shitty name like that?"
- Hey, you're being rude to the person trying to save you, you little punk!
Wait, hold up. Did I just… say a full sentence?
No, that's impossible. My mouth didn't move an inch. So why…?
『Voice Mimicry activation protocol recorded. From now on, the user can mimic and modify speech based on their memories. Language Comprehension activation protocol recorded. Synergized with Voice Mimicry. The user can now communicate freely with any race based on their thoughts.』
Got it. No barriers now. Perfect.
But I can't just "talk" like that - I need a cover.
I slip off one shoe and sock, put the sock on my hand like a puppet, bite my finger to draw blood, and dab two eyes on it. Then I mimic my voice - deep, cold, and dry. Enough to scare any kid like they've seen a ghost.
"Alright, whatever. Just stop talking. Your voice is annoying as hell."
To my shock, not only is she not scared, she seems *excited*… What the hell? Is this kid the weird one, or did I mess up somewhere?
- Whoa, how'd you do that? Teach me!
- Listen, princess, first, this isn't something a boring, ordinary person like you can learn, and I don't know how to teach it. Second, can you lower your voice? That screeching is unbearable.
- Hmph…!
- And I've got a question for you… Wait, what's your name?
- You dare ask the name of a noble like me directly? Normally, you'd be done for, but I'm in a good mood, so I'll humor you. I'm Luna d'Auvergne, from one of the four most prominent ducal families in the Munacht Empire!
- Yeah, yeah, whatever… What's the real reason you saved me?
I can sense her hesitate, like she's hiding something, but then she says with a dodgy attitude:
- Well… I felt sorry for you, and I wanted someone to hang out with, so I saved you!
- So you want me to serve you in exchange for saving my life?
- Duh, what else? I'm not some saint who saves people who almost killed me for free!
- Fine, I'll do it… Damn it…
And just like that, my life takes a huge leap forward, but now I'm stuck serving this noble brat. It's a hassle, but at least it's less miserable than before… Mornings are spent prepping everything with the other servants, waking her up, eating breakfast in the kitchen, then rushing to her room to wait for her private tutor until noon. After serving her lunch, I get a short break before watching her practice dancing and a million noble etiquettes until the afternoon. Then it's tea time in the garden, bathing, dinner, and the day's done. Nonstop for two years, it's not too taxing, and it's kind of a privilege since she lets me join in on her lessons. It's more fun than I expected, and now I can even speak properly without relying on Voice Mimicry.
Not talking about the place I'm working at would be a big oversight.
This is a sprawling mansion - not as huge as the Hinesburg estate but no less grand and beautiful. The gardens are always bursting with color, the mansion itself is ancient yet cozy, and the decor matches every angle perfectly, making it feel more like an art museum than a home. The staff here always wear smiles and treat everyone warmly, even me, which is… weird as hell. But at least they don't treat me like crap. Sometimes they even cover for me when I screw up, big or small…
What's weirder is that, aside from the staff (including me) and the "young mistress," there's barely anyone else here. I haven't seen Luna's parents at all, which is odd. Leaving a kid to live like this at her age can't be good… Not seeing parents for so long can mess with a kid's head, so I hope they come back soon… Maybe.
Sometimes, Luna dresses up all "fancy" and heads out - parties one day, ceremonies the next… I don't care much, partly because she doesn't ask me to come, partly because I hate socializing. But every time she returns, she's pissed off about something and slams her door shut.
I'm the only one who goes in to comfort her or talk. At first, she got mad when I pried, but over time, she opened up and spilled everything. From "petty" stuff like being badmouthed behind her back to being openly humiliated by other nobles in ways straight out of some ancient romance novel drama - whether it's about her engagement to royalty or the fact that her parents were victims of the Hinesburg incident, which I caused, both intentionally and not.
To keep things fair (not that it's really fair), I share some of my "personal" stuff too, obviously tweaked for safety. From how my "older brother" (past-life me) lived a miserable, joyless life to how my "younger self" (current me) was adopted by a rich but shitty family and escaped disastrously - I tell it all. She listens, maybe not catching the deeper meaning, but she gets the surface stuff. Every time I finish, she hugs me and pats my head to cheer me up. It makes us both a little happier, and we end up talking until the early morning…
…
Like any other day, after her etiquette lessons, Luna heads to the garden for her usual afternoon tea. I want to join, partly because I'm her servant, partly to keep her from feeling lonely during these moments. Having company's a plus, after all. But for some reason, she doesn't want me there and acts all sneaky, like she's hiding something. Whatever. I need some alone time to check if my magic control and that mute-ass system are still working smoothly.
I haven't touched it much since starting this job, but that doesn't mean I've been slacking. Stamina, endurance, mana control - I've been training all of that after finishing my work for that damn "mistress." Training alone is fine, but honestly, it's not that effective.
"System, open status panel."
『Opening user status panel…』
「 [Name]: John Doe
[Race]: Human
[Level]: 5
[Mana]: 60
[Stamina]: 30
[Skills]: Appraisal/Language Comprehension/Voice Mimicry/Swordsmanship {Basic}]
[Magic Type]: Shadow Magic {Special}
[Magic Skills]: Shadow Explosion; Shadow Enhancement」
Aside from that shitty name, it's… not bad, I guess.
Right after checking, I hear arguing outside in the garden, so I head out to see what's going on…