From afar, Aisha, a long-haired girl with jet-black hair and deep blue eyes, watched as Luna, Nyx, and Aria stepped into the carriage and departed toward the academy.
She exhaled gently, a small smile touching her lips, before turning back toward the palace and walked through the palace gate
…
Aisha stood in the Lockheart palace corridors, sweeping the corners of the high ceiling with a long duster.
Work in the Lockheart palace is rather simple, she thought with a smile.
Every day, I wake up at six, have breakfast until eight, and work until two. Then comes my one-hour break , perfect for sneaking into Luna's room and wriggling in her bed. Hopefully she never finds out. Aisha chuckled, then went on, After that, it's back to work from three to six , and that's when the day finally ends.
It is that simple. Even though it's ten hours a day, it doesn't feel exhausting, not with such tasty food here, that management allows us to eat as much as we want.
Aisha's smile widened, and a quiet chuckle slipped out. This is rather leisurely work. You just dust from time to time, so I enjoy it.
But that's not the only reason I'm still here. My Lady Luna… Aisha slowed her dusting, a faint blush blooming across her cheeks. A tender smile lingered as the memory surfaced. Four years… has it really been that long?
Aisha kept working, her mind adrift in gentle reminiscence, the smile never leaving her face.
…
Four years ago, a younger Aisha stood before a poster in the Adventurer's Guild.
The Guild was as bustling as ever , voices clashing in arguments, mugs of beer clinking, adventurers swapping stories of their expeditions while sitting in round tables scattered around the room. Packed to the brim, the place thrummed with life. Here, people came to take commissions or hand them in at the reception, where workers behind the stalls checked the jobs and paid out the rewards.
Aisha pulled down the pinned notice on the wooden board near the reception, she read the bold header: "Lockheart's Maid Recruitment."
"Huh," she murmured, eyes skimming the details.
Ten hours of work… free breakfast, dinner break, and evening meal… not bad.
Her eyes froze on the pay. Five gold coins per month!
Looking up from the paper, she quickly did the math in her head.
I earn fifty silver coins at the Mayward Marquess, that's six hundred silver a year… But at the Lockheart Duchy, five gold a month means… sixty a year! Are they hiring a maid or a noble?
Yes! Why? Why would you pay a maid that much?
She shrugged with a mischievous chuckle. "Well, not my problem. Let's go!"
She strode out of the guild into the busy street. Voices clashed, footsteps hurried by , and she raised a hand to hail a carriage. One rolled to a stop, the driver, a brown-haired man with sharp green eyes, leaning out.
"Fifty bronze coins," he said.
So expensive? It's only an hour's walk from here! Aisha blinked rapidly him, while tilting her head
Aisha sighed, pulling out one bronze coin, worth fifty units, and slapped them into his hand.
"Here. Now take me there," she grumbled, sinking into the seat and muttering about the ridiculous price.
…
The carriage rolled to a halt near the gates of Lockheart Palace.
"Miss, we've arrived at your destination," the driver said, tipping his old, worn-down hat in affirmation.
"Alright," Aisha mumbled, rubbing her eyes after dozing through the ride. She stepped out, one hand held onto her hand-held chest, as they had first stopped by her house to pick up a few things.
I hope you burn in hell with that pay of yours, she cursed the driver in her head.
"Thank you," she said, shooting the driver a brief glare as he turned the carriage and headed back toward the city.
Aisha walked down the polished stone road, her eyes fixed on the palace ahead.
White as fresh cream and twice as pretentious, it loomed in the midday light, tall windows glittering like it knew it was better than everything around it. The front garden, bristling with roses from blush to brazen red, tried its best to soften the building's haughty airs as she strolled along the black iron fence.
The roses smelled like they were trying too hard, but the place still had its charms.
Reaching the gates, Aisha admired its beauty for a moment before two knights stepped forward.
"What brings you here, madam?" one asked.
Glancing down at the job commission in her hands, she replied, "I'm here to apply for the maid position."
"I understand. Please, come in," the knight on the right said with a nod. Both pulled the gates open, and one of them escorted her through the palace grounds toward the Head Maid's office.
Aisha added inwardly Alright, let's see how fancy you are inside
…
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Three sharp knocks echoed down the corridor as the knight's voice rang out.
"Ms. Vii, I've brought a job applicant for the maid position."
"..."
"Bring her in," came Vii's muffled reply.
At her voice, the knight pushed the door open and stepped aside, revealing Ms. Vii in full view to Aisha.
Her long black hair cascaded like silk all the way to the floor, and her pale face, framed by sharp blue eyes, was strikingly beautiful.
A sharp sense of familiarity jolted through Aisha. Oh, we look very similar.
"Please, come in," Vii said, seated behind her desk as she finished the last strokes of her writing with a quill dipped in ink.
She tapped the quill three times against the table, a quiet signal of her work's completion, before setting it gently back into the ink bottle. Lifting the page, she blew softly across it, clearing away the faint traces of dust she might have left. Then, with care, she placed it atop the neat stack of papers on her desk.
Aisha stepped inside, her gaze sweeping over the room.
Two shelves flanked the walls, crammed with so many documents they looked ready to burst. In the center, a desk sat with an air of quiet authority, and behind it, Ms. Vii waited , framed by a massive window spilling sunlight into the garden beyond, as if the flowers themselves were eavesdropping.
Her boots sank slightly into the plush red carpet as she walked forward, the softness almost suspicious in its welcome. She kept her eyes on Vii, though part of her attention lingered on an odd realization , they looked far more alike than coincidence should allow.
Aisha stopped right in front of Vii, looking at her anxiously. Each second felt heavier as Vii prepared herself. Then, in a monotone, tired voice, she said,
"Now, I'll ask you a few questions. You have to answer them, and if you do so correctly, you will be hired on the spot."
Aisha nodded in affirmation, swallowing her saliva in a silent gulp.
"Can you read and write?" Vii asked.
Aisha responded with a nod.
"Can you do proper room cleaning, laundry, and meal serving?"
Another nod. Vii's tired eyes lingered on her.
"Can you do special work, like cleaning chimneys or assisting with formal events?"
This time Aisha nodded excitedly. "If I can reach the chimney without falling in, sure," she added with a quick grin.
Vii exhaled quietly before asking the final question.
"Are you alright with being a permanent worker? Once you are hired, you cannot resign until you reach your retirement."
Aisha hesitated, her thoughts flicking to the commission notice. There was nothing like that written there! Well… five gold coins per month had to have some catch.
"Yes, ma'am! At this pay, you could chain me to a mop and I'd still agree," she said brightly , then quickly straightened her posture, pretending she hadn't just said that.
Vii chuckled softly. "Is that so? Then… you are hired."
"Please ask the knight right behind the door to lead you to your dormitory. You start work at eight in the morning tomorrow. Clothing will be waiting in your room for you. Thank you for applying as our maid in Lockheart Palace. You should go now , I have work to do."
With a wide smile and a faint blush, Aisha replied, "Yes, ma'am!" She turned sharply and sped out of the room.
The knight waiting outside already seemed to know she'd been hired. "Please follow me. I'll lead you to your dormitory," he said, before heading down the corridor.
Aisha followed after him, humming to herself, her steps light with excitement.
…
The next day, in the dormitory , in Aisha's personal room , she changed clothes and slipped into her maid dress.
The black skirt ended just above the ankle, a crisp white apron tied with a perfect ribbon at the back , tidy enough for work, long enough for mischief.
Soon after, Aisha was sweeping the floors of the palace's fourth and final floor, a grin and a blush on her face.
This work is easy compared to what I had to endure at the Mayward mansion! Ugh, those people…
She scoffed at the very recollection of their name. Not to mention their low pay compared to the Lockheart Duchy! Heavens, this is a whole different world.
I get free meals here! Free meals! She almost laughed aloud at the thought. At Mayward's, we had to buy our own food with our pathetic wages , unthinkable!
Here, this was luxury.
Aisha's grin widened from ear to ear as she hummed to herself. This is what a good job environment looks like , free food, good pay, and even free accommodations!
Who cares about working here for the rest of my life? The pay is worth it! Hehe!
She smiled as she swept the corridor, though her attention kept drifting to one peculiar thing , a little girl, maybe four years old, peeking at her from the far corner since she'd started.
Who is that kid? She had gorgeous pink hair and had been lingering there for at least an hour. What is with her?
Well, as long as she didn't disturb the work, I didn't care.
But… each time I drew closer, the girl would hide behind the wall, only to reappear later at another far-off corner, watching her again.
Huh…
…
It's been a whole week! Does this kid have nothing better to do? Every now and then, she pops up to peek at me while I'm working on the fourth floor. She's kinda cute when she does that…
But every time I try to get close, she bolts like I'm some kind of Legion soldier! Preposterous!
…
It's been a whole month! A whole month! Aisha screamed silently inside her head.
What's wrong with that kid? She's so cute, so gorgeous... and such a scaredy-cat! I just want to be friends with her, but she keeps running away like a little mouse.
Today, I'm going to catch her and find out who she is!
Yes, today's the day!
Aisha turned around just as she spotted the girl watching from afar. Knowing she was up to something, Aisha intentionally tripped and fell flat on her face, startling the girl.
Seeing Aisha fall, the girl rushed over, kneeling right in front of her. Aisha turned her head, clutching her bleeding nose.
Fuck! I miscalculated... didn't mean to faceplant!
Aisha glanced up at the girl. Long pink hair framed her gentle face, and her almond-shaped eyes , a mesmerizing grey-blue , glimmered in the light.
The girl, noticing the blood, pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and proudly announced,
"You're mine now!"
She stood up and dashed away. Aisha called after her,
"Wait! Who are you?"
Without looking back, the girl replied simply,
"Luna."
Hiding behind a corner, the girl peeked out as Aisha pressed the handkerchief to her nose.
The whole ridiculous situation made Aisha chuckle. Luna, seeing that, ran off, disappearing for the day.
I've never met such a cute kid... Luna… Luna?
Wait , is this the handkerchief?
Aisha looked down at the now blood-stained cloth in her hand, the one with the crossed swords pointing upward, sitting on the floor, anxious and scared.
She's master's daughter...
…
It's been two months since i've been hired, Luna keeps coming to me every single day now, after that day she doesn't hide as much as she used to, she just comes up to me and sits beside me on the chair watching me work.
Aisha dusting off the high ceiling with a long duster she keeps stealing glances at Luna with a blush,
Luna keeps eating an apple cut out rabbit, as she observes Aisha at work.
Aisha heart beats harder each time Luna looks at her, swallowing her saliva she tries to focus on her work, but the same thought of Luna watching keeps appearing in her head.
As Aisha was getting further away from Luna, each time Luna jumps off her chair placing her plato on it and picking it up, struggling she walks past Aisha placing it and taking the plate jumping on it and watching Aisha work.
The act of doing it Aisha couldn't help but feel anxious, not knowing why
…
It's been half a year since I started working here, and Luna keeps getting closer and closer. Yesterday, she hugged me! Gosh! She hugged me! I could die now!
Aisha smiled from ear to ear as she cleaned the pots on the shelves in the corridor.
Luna just sat on her chair, swinging her legs back and forth, blushing as she looked at Aisha.
Aisha worked diligently, her face all red and smiling wide, the corner of her mouth twitching as she thought, She's so lovely, I can't! I possibly can't fathom how much I love her! I don't know why, but I've come to love Luna.
She's like the light in my dark room! I don't know if it's something about her spirit, but just being around her made me fall in love...
Done watching, Luna jumped out of her chair and skipped over to Aisha, who was still working. She hugged Aisha's legs from behind, cheeks flushed.
Startled, Aisha shrieked, looking down at Luna, hesitating, unsure if she could pat her head. Luna tightened her hug like she was signaling something. Now Aisha couldn't help but pat her head.
Patting her head, her heart nearly burst, pounding harder and harder with each second. What is this? This isn't the feeling I've had before. I don't understand…
Looking down, she couldn't help but smile from ear to ear, her blush deepening.
Luna looked up at Aisha's face, thought for a moment, then smiled, revealing pristine white teeth and a rosy blush.
That one simple act solidified the feeling in Aisha's heart, chaining her to Luna forever.
…
And that's what made me stay at Lockheart Palace. Mhm! Besides the agreement, she made me stay for life, Aisha thought as she swept the floors of the corridor, chuckling as Ms. Vii approached from afar.
"Aisha, you're needed in the Grand Hall. Please come with me," she said in a gentle yet tired voice.
"Of course, Ms. Vii," Aisha replied, a smile lighting her face and a slight blush blooming from the memory of Luna.
Heh, I really do love her, Aisha thought as she followed the Head Maid toward the Grand Hall.