working as a lady's maid; service in the inner chambers
Historical term for a female attendant serving in the private quarters of a noble or high-ranking household, especially in the Edo period. Often associated with the Ōoku of the shogun's castle.
In the Edo period, women who worked as lady's maids in the Ōoku followed strict rules.
I heard that when she was young, she served as a lady's maid in a samurai household.
Compound of 奥 (oku, 'inner part') and 勤め (tsutome, 'service, duty'), with rendaku voicing to づとめ. The reading おくづとめ is the standard historical form.