Surviving As A Maid

Chapter 1

Prologue

Isn’t this just too cruel?

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! You must stay conscious!”

“Just one more push!”

“Your Majesty, the baby isn’t breathing! Please! You must push!”

As I stood amid the bustling room, a woman I had never seen before lay on a large bed, gripping the wooden bedpost and straining with all her might. Several people were tending to her, and they were all focused on the blood-stained lower section of the bed.

It dawned on me that I was witnessing childbirth. I could hear someone exclaiming that they could see the head, but I was in disbelief. The only other time I encountered childbirth was during a video shown in a sex education class at school, which I had slept through. Yet here I was, watching it firsthand. I silently hoped for someone with a walkie-talkie to show up, declare the area off-limits to civilians, and lead me out. Alternatively, I hoped that this was all just a dream.

Please let this not be what I think it is. If I’m being rational, it could only be one thing... But then again, is it really rational to think like that? It doesn’t make any sense!

“Ash! What are you doing?! Get more hot water! Now!” someone yelled.

There was no time for panic. I realized I was the person being addressed as “Ash” when a maid covered in blood nudged me. I found myself carrying a large basin of hot water through a crowd of maids and was thrown into action before I could fully grasp the situation. Unfortunately, my limbs moved precisely as directed, making the experience eerily vivid. Everything—the queen’s groans, her laborious struggle, the intensity of the scene—became overwhelmingly real.

I couldn’t determine what stage of labor the queen was in, but she seemed to be having a difficult time. The faces and voices of those surrounding her were filled with desperation. The queen was drenched in sweat, and her swollen face was reddened from burst blood vessels. After several trips to fetch water, I turned to leave with the empty basin when a cheer erupted from behind me.

The distinct cry of a newborn followed the sound of gentle patting.

“It’s a prince, Your Majesty!”

“Congratulations!”

“Congratulations, Your Majesty!”

Midwives, nurses, and seemingly high-ranking maids who had assisted with the birth simultaneously offered their joyous congratulations, bowing deeply.

A midwife swiftly cut the umbilical cord and wrapped the newborn, still smeared with traces of blood and birth, in a soft towel. Gently, she handed the baby to the queen, who was reeling from the strains of labor on the bed. Only then did I fully see the queen’s face and realize she had not uttered a single scream during childbirth. Despite the flush and swelling from childbirth, she appeared to be a young woman with a fairly composed and tidy appearance.

Holding her newborn, swathed in a towel, she had an expression that was unusual for a new mother. I didn’t know much about childbirth, but her face appeared remarkably tranquil and devoid of emotion. It made it hard to believe that she had just gone through labor and was holding her newborn child. Perhaps it was due to exhaustion.

“His Majesty...” she whispered weakly.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I have already sent a message to His Majesty, and he will be here shortly,” a maid assured her. “Rest until His Majesty arrives. You’ve lost a lot of blood.”

As the conversation continued in hushed tones, a maid who appeared to be in charge quickly ushered the others who had been assisting with miscellaneous tasks into the room next door. We were instructed to wait there until the king arrived to see the newborn prince. The maids, exhausted from their duties, gathered and seated themselves.

In the meantime, I searched for a mirror, eager to see my own face. But once I couldn’t find anything that would show my reflection, I approached a nearby maid.

“Are there no mirrors here?” I asked.

“A mirror?” she echoed, puzzled. “Why?”

“I think I look like a mess right now.”

“You’re right. You should tidy up your hair. There should be a big mirror in that small room over there.”

I thanked her and entered a barely noticeable door at the end of the room. We were ushered into what appeared to be a waiting area for the maids, and the place I was directed to resembled a bathroom. It indeed contained a mirror.

There, I saw my own all-too-familiar face, utterly unchanged. I was dressed in a plain black dress, similar to the other maids. However, it was something I would have never purchased with my own money. I felt as though if I opened the door and stepped out, I would find myself in a building somewhere in Seoul.

Even as I moved through my tasks in a daze, my hands and feet felt too real. They were somehow too much a part of my own body. Am I supposed to feel relieved? Isn’t life being too harsh on me? This has to be some fantasy world or some other realm. It was definitely not Seoul, South Korea, based on a few observations.

I had just witnessed a woman I’d never met giving birth in front of me, people were addressing her as “Your Majesty,” and everyone was wearing maid uniforms like those I’d seen in manhwas! If this wasn’t a movie set—and it certainly didn’t feel like a dream—then it must be a fantasy world.

It’s okay. I’m cool with it... No, I need to get out of here! This can’t be real! During middle and high school, I used to read fantasy novels, daydreaming about being whisked away to another world. My longing for escape was partly a result of the relentless exams, but deep down, I yearned to be transported to a realm where I was essential. I vividly recalled wishing for a magical portal to open in some obscure alley, especially during my college entrance exams. But in reality, no handsome men were coming to fetch me with sweet nothings like “I have come for you” coming from their lips. There weren’t any owls flying around with letters in their mouths either.

Having come to terms with the absence of knights or princes in my life, I spent my entire twenties accepting reality. And yet, why now, of all times, have I been transported to another world?

“And I even look the same!”

This was just too cruel.