"...!!"
The children each held a small honey candy on the tip of their tongue.
"Alright, let's begin~!" Fatima said brightly, clapping her hands to gather everyone's attention.
Soon, the classroom was filled with careful, exaggerated pronunciation.
Vanessa barely clung to her confusion as she approached Fatima.
"F-Fatima-ssi, wait a moment. Does enunciation mean... speaking clearly?"
"Yes. It means shaping words so people can understand you," Fatima replied. "The candy helps everyone notice where the tongue rests. Vanessa-ssi, you've never taught this before, have you?"
Of course not. Her life in the orphanage had been far removed from formal lessons like this. Her knowledge of education was limited.
Vanessa glanced at the girls sitting on chairs, holding the honey candies with serious expressions. Some practiced vowels slowly, while others repeated short phrases after Fatima, trying not to let the candy slip.
It's natural to eat candy because it's sweet and delicious, but... using it for speech practice?
Vanessa felt a wave of embarrassment at having misunderstood the mood.
"It's the opposite of playtime," Fatima said confidently. "Clear speech is one of the ways children learn confidence. We're just practicing the technique openly, that's all."
"..."
Vanessa broke into a cold sweat at Fatima's calm declaration. Is this really something people here practice so diligently?
"Vanessa, you've never led enunciation practice before, have you? Perfect timing. I'll show you how it's done with the model phrases. Watch carefully and remember it if you want to try it later."
Fatima waited for Vanessa to steady herself, then wrote several syllables on the board.
She demonstrated each sound slowly, showing how to place the tongue, relax the jaw, and breathe from the stomach. Then she had the children repeat after her in rhythm.
"Everyone, rushing is dangerous for pronunciation. Don't force it. I'll explain the details later. Practice at your own pace."
Fatima continued to guide the room.
Even if I avoid it now, I won't learn anything.
Vanessa steeled herself and stood beside Fatima. She flinched in surprise as nearly twenty pairs of the trainees' eyes turned toward her. Though she thought she was used to being watched, having grown up in an orphanage, the attention still made her nervous.
Two screens, one at the front and one at the back of the classroom, flickered to life, displaying sample mouth shapes and written phrases.
"It's the Head Maid's training video!"
"I want to speak that clearly too..."
Vanessa paid close attention. Her mouth fell open as she stared at the screen at the back of the classroom.
On the screen, Yuria stood with perfect posture, demonstrating the same phrases in a calm voice. Her lips moved precisely, and every syllable came out clean.
"Vanessa, don't just stare blankly. Try to imitate the Head Maid."
"Y-yes..."
Snapping out of her daze at Fatima's urging, Vanessa repeated the phrases. Her voice trembled at first, but the words grew clearer as she followed the rhythm.
The children listened closely and copied her. When Vanessa made a mistake, Fatima corrected her gently, and when she succeeded, the room applauded.
Vanessa, who had been trying to imitate Yuria, was deeply shocked. It wasn't because enunciation was more difficult than she'd imagined. The real shock came from seeing how seriously the mansion treated even a simple children's lesson.
Vanessa's face flushed crimson with embarrassment, as if she were the one being examined. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, she felt a small sense of pride.
The practice ended with every child reading a short sentence clearly from the board. Vanessa now understood exactly what an "enunciation lesson" was.
"Well done, Vanessa. You looked a little strained, but I'm sure you'll master it quickly. Now, next..."
Fatima moved on to rhythm exercises, having the children clap while reading short passages aloud. The classroom filled with bright voices instead of nervous silence.
After a long period of practice, Fatima finally closed the lesson book and smiled.
"Haa... haa... Well, did you hear yourselves clearly?"
"Yes!"
The trainees answered enthusiastically.
"..."
Vanessa felt her head spinning.
Lunchtime.
Vanessa's eyes widened as she looked at the food placed before her on the table. Today's lunch menu was samgyetang, a dish she had never seen before. A whole chicken lay submerged in a black bowl.
Although chicken had been served for dinner the previous night, the visual impact of samgyetang was far greater. Moreover, the soup contained medicinal herbs.
Vanessa glanced around. All the maids were holding black bowls containing whole chickens.
We're just maids... Why are they giving us such luxurious food...?
Vanessa, who had grown up in an orphanage, had never eaten a whole chicken by herself, let alone had the chance to eat her fill of food. Yet in this mansion, the maids were provided with abundant meals. Yesterday, this morning, and at lunch today it was shocking to be able to eat meat-filled dishes continuously, even while the Master was away.
"Hello, Vanessa."
A maid sat down across from her. Vanessa had never seen this maid before, with her navy blue hair. The maid was wearing an extremely short uniform, so short that her undergarments were visible.
"Yes, hello. Um..."
"I'm Kelly. I'm a cleaning maid."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Kelly."
"...Yeah, she really does have that teacherly vibe."
Vanessa continued her conversation with Kelly over lunch. Kelly casually shared information about the mansion: the AM Unit trained daily, some maids were dating each other, and there were days when they had to work completely naked except for their shoes. The details were both fascinating and surprising.
Vanessa realized Kelly was being considerate of her as a rookie.
"You're getting training from the Head Maid this afternoon?"
"Yes, since I'm new. I'll have to get training from her every day for a while."
"Hmm. Since we're getting along so well, how about I give you some advice as a ???"
"Advice?"
"Try your best not to make any mistakes. Well, since it's your first time, the Head Maid probably won't scold you too harshly."
"...Was the Head Maid a scary person?"
"No. She doesn't usually get angry even if you make mistakes, and she's surprisingly good-natured most of the time. But today, she'll likely be a bit on edge."
"I noticed she seemed a bit tense since last night. Could it be... her time of the month?"
Women have a period once a month when their moods can become particularly sharp.
Kelly shook her head, dismissing Vanessa's suggestion.
"No, the Head Maid's cycle is a mystery. No one knows when it is except her. Oh, wait maybe the Master knows?"
"Then why..."
"Because Master isn't here. The Head Maid gets a bit on edge when Master's away. She's probably worried about him. She's always been overly protective of him."
"I see."
After lunch, Kelly led me to the lounge on the 3rd floor.
The lounge was already filled with maids chatting and relaxing in small groups. One maid was napping on the sofa, while another was completely engrossed in a drama on TV.
But what truly surprised Vanessa was something else entirely.
"Aaaahng!"
"Uuuuhng...!"