maid chapter 30

“What’s that?”

“A weapon!”

Ellie replied energetically, adjusting her grip on the shovel. While others had armed themselves with brooms and dustpans, Ellie deemed them insufficient. If she couldn’t knock it out in one blow, she’d only make it wary.

Daniel recalled the rat he’d seen earlier: coarse fur, long tail, pointed snout. He winced.

“To… catch the rat?”

“Of course! They’re giving us a bonus…!”

Ellie was excessively enthusiastic. If a rat didn’t appear, she seemed ready to breed them in her room just to claim the reward. A rat-infested attic. The thought made Daniel’s stomach churn. He grimaced and remained silent.

Ellie, consumed by her zeal, finally noticed his expression.

“Diana, are you… afraid of rats?”

Daniel pressed his lips together. It wasn’t that he feared the small creature. Absolutely not. It was simply unpleasant and repulsive. But emphasizing that would only make him sound cowardly. Ellie’s eyes, initially questioning, now held certainty.

“Really?”

Her voice was laced with a strange mix of satisfaction and amusement, as if she’d discovered a weakness. Daniel retorted curtly.

“It’s not that I’m afraid…”

“It’s okay, it happens! Don’t worry, just trust me!”

But Ellie seemed determined not to listen. She brandished the shovel with renewed vigor.

Daniel sighed and shook his head. He hoped she wouldn’t hurt anyone with that thing.

Chaos erupted. Perhaps the sudden hunt had instilled a sense of crisis in the rats. Screams echoed through the mansion as rats appeared everywhere.

“Eeeeeeek! Don’t come near me, don’t come near me!”

“Where, where is it? Block it there!”

Half the staff, blinded by the promise of money, chased the rats, while the other half fled in terror. Ellie, naturally, belonged to the former group, and Daniel to the latter.

The spoils of the brave hunters piled up in the backyard. Yet, there was no sign of victory. Instead, accidents, like injuries and broken furniture, doubled.

This couldn’t continue. Three days into the war, Mrs. Wise admitted defeat. The rat catcher, handsomely compensated, declared confidently.

“Trust me!”

Relief washed over the maids’ faces. Only Ellie, who had secured the largest bonus thus far, pouted. Goodbye, little squeakers. Goodbye, my special bonus.

The professional was indeed different. The rat catcher declared the war over after just two days. The maids, cleaning up the chaotic interior, flocked to the good news.

“Wow, we’re saved.”

“I’m so hungry.”

Ellie rubbed her empty stomach. With rats rampant, they hadn’t been able to bring in fresh supplies, subsisting on scraps of bread for days.

However, the rat catcher added a grim warning.

“Unfortunately, this building is so old… if you light a fire and cook again, the rats will return.”

“What?”

The maid at the front asked, wide-eyed. If they couldn’t light a fire, they’d have to abandon the mansion. The rat catcher rubbed his hands together and continued.

“It’s only natural in a mansion this size without a single cat. Of course, ten or twenty ordinary cats wouldn’t be enough. But one clever one should suffice.”

Sarah sighed as she listened. He was trying to sell them a cat. While she suspected it was a sales tactic, she couldn’t ignore the problem.

“Wait a moment.”

While she went to fetch the housekeeper, the rat catcher produced a cat. A black cat with a red collar. The maids took turns petting it.

“Cute.”

“What’s its name?”

“Hunter.”

The rat catcher replied gruffly. Amanda happened to be holding the cat at that moment. Ellie quickly crouched beside her, scratching the cat under its chin.

A maid waiting her turn shook her head.

“We should change its name.”

“Yes, we should.”

Her partner agreed. Ellie nodded in assent. Hunter for a rat-catching cat? It was far too unimaginative.