I Wasn’t a Maid, I Was a Spy
Episode 1
It had been a hard, unfortunate life.
I lost my parents when I was young. After that, I drifted between the homes of distant relatives who never really cared about me.
To gain independence quickly, I dropped out of high school. But I couldn’t get a proper job. I only worked part-time, struggling every day.
Then one evening, on my way home, an accident happened.
‘I thought I lived as best as I could…’
Yet, in the end, my life could be summarized in just three lines.
So empty. So unfair. If I knew it would end like this, I would have lived lazily!
But regrets always come too late. A huge truck rushed toward me, and right there—
I died.
Or… I should have.
“Hey, look!”
“You’re finally awake!”
…What’s going on?
I blinked stupidly, unable to understand the situation.
A New Name
My name was now Lillian.
My job? A maid.
Two days ago, “I” had slipped on the stairs while cleaning, hit my head, and fainted.
That was the short history of the body I had possessed.
‘Do you know how scared we were when you stopped breathing at first? And then you didn’t wake up for two whole days!’
The maid who had been by my bedside when I first opened my eyes chattered nonstop, explaining everything I needed to know.
Thanks to her, I quickly guessed the situation.
‘So… the real Lillian died then?’
Most likely, yes. When she stopped breathing, her soul must have left. And just as I died in my world, I slipped into her body here.
‘Wait, let me go fetch the Head Maid!’
The girl ran off in a hurry.
Soon after, the Head Maid entered. A strict-looking middle-aged woman, she quickly checked my condition and said bluntly:
“Be back at work tomorrow.”
And before I even thought about it, I nodded. Somehow, it felt like I had to.
And that is why now—
“Ugh, so heavy!”
—I was scrubbing laundry like my life depended on it.
Scrub, scrub—
‘Is this really right…?’
I crossed into another world… only to do laundry?
In novels, isn’t this the part where someone calls you “My Lady!” and you wake up in luxury? But me? I opened my eyes and became a maid, not a noble.
Apparently, this “possession” thing chooses people at random.
‘Tch.’
It felt unfair, but there were still advantages.
Like now—
“Hey, Lillian, about you…”
It gave me a chance to naturally gather information about the real Lillian.
‘If I suddenly acted differently, people would get suspicious.’
I knew nothing about her at first. Only her body’s daily habits kept me moving like normal. But that wouldn’t last forever.
‘Should I just say I lost my memory?’
I considered it.
But when the Head Maid looked at me coldly after I woke up, I gave up on that excuse. If she thought I wasn’t in my right mind, she would throw me out immediately.
‘And in a strange world like this, I can’t afford to be thrown out.’
So, I decided the safest thing was to keep my head down and survive quietly.
(Not because I was scared of the Head Maid. Definitely not!)
“Um… after collapsing, I’ve been thinking a lot. About who I was to everyone else…”
“Ohh—”
“And honestly, after hitting my head, my memory feels a little fuzzy. Not serious, of course!”
“Oh, that must’ve been tough!”
The other maids sympathized and kindly began to talk about “me.”
“To be honest, you were kind of clumsy at maid work.”
“Like you only learned it halfway somewhere else.”
“But you were hardworking! Even if you were shy, you always helped others quietly.”
“Right. And you’re strong too. Tough and healthy.”
“You’ve only been here for three months. Give it time, you’ll get better!”
Their words shifted from criticism to encouragement. But I only memorized the useful parts.
So—Lillian was a quiet, shy, but hardworking maid.
Not a bad reputation. And actually, kind of like me.
“By the way, Lillian, your laundry skills got a lot better.”
“Really?”
“Before, it was either still dirty or you scrubbed so hard the fabric tore.”
“R-Really? Haha…”
Lillian, you were really bad at this, huh.
Awkwardly, I smiled and silently thanked the laundry shop owner I once worked for in my old world.
‘Thank you, boss! Because of you, I might not get fired here!’
Life at the Mansion
After laundry, there was cleaning, then dishwashing.
This mansion was huge, and the chores never ended. Still, rest breaks and meals were guaranteed.
And while I worked, I listened carefully. Valuable information always slipped out during daily chatter.
“At least the Grand Duke Pelium’s mansion is better than most. At my last job, four people had to clean an entire estate!”
“Four? That’s insane!”
“And they were super picky about it too.”
“Ugh, I don’t even want to imagine.”
Meanwhile, I tucked away the important detail: This is Grand Duke Pelium’s mansion.
It sounded like the kind of setting my friend used to talk about—one of those romance-fantasy worlds with northern dukes and such.
“When will His Grace return, I wonder?”
“No idea.”
“Probably soon.”
“When he does, the Head Maid will be even more on edge.”
So, the Duke was away. No wonder I hadn’t seen the master of the house at all.
Then, one of the younger maids spoke shyly:
“But… isn’t our Duke really handsome?”
At once, the older maids shook their heads firmly.
“You haven’t seen his true self.”
“Be careful. More than one girl got kicked out for trying to get close.”
“Remember Karen? She was dismissed for that exact reason.”
“A rose is most beautiful when admired from a distance.”
…Noted.
So the master of this house was as dangerous as he was handsome. The safest plan? Stay invisible.
“Lillian, done there? Let’s take a break.”
“Ah, right!”
I hurried to gather the cleaning tools and followed along.
And I thought to myself—
‘This isn’t so bad.’
Honestly, compared to my old life of failed interviews and endless part-time jobs, this maid life was like stable employment.
The mansion treated its workers fairly, too. Meals, rest, decent coworkers… and best of all—
‘The pay is high!’
I overheard the maids saying this estate paid twice as much as others.
‘If I work here for a few years, I could even afford my own house?’
Decision made.
I clenched my fist. I didn’t know why I ended up in Lillian’s body, or where exactly this world was…
‘But if fate put me here, I’ll start a new life!’
That was exactly two days and seven hours ago.
The Secret
Until I found it.
[ From now on, report every conversation the Grand Duke has. Without exception. ]
At first glance, it looked like a silly note. But when my eyes scanned it, my mind instantly recognized the hidden code.
And I froze.
“…Lillian. You were a spy?!”
