The day stretched endlessly within the Xu Mansion.
Lin Xueya quickly learned that being a maid here meant one thing: ceaseless labor.
From dawn until dusk, her ears twitched at commands: "Sweep the hall," "Polish the vases," "Wash the linens," "Carry the trays." The list went on, like an eternal punishment.
But unlike the others, she had a secret.
Every act of service triggered a faint glimmer in the corner of her vision.
> [Task Completed: Delivering breakfast trays with steadiness.]
[Reward: +1 Dexterity.]
> [Task Completed: Polishing vases with elegance.]
[Reward: +1 Grace.]
Each reward was small, a single point. To anyone else, invisible. But to Xueya? It was progress—measurable, undeniable, intoxicating.
The others toiled and tired, yet she grew stronger with each bow, each brushstroke of a cloth.
She hid her smile beneath lowered lashes, ears drooping in feigned exhaustion whenever someone glanced her way.
Play the meek rabbit. Grow in the shadows.
---
Morning brought her first experiment.
As she swept the corridor outside Madam Xu's quarters, she deliberately slowed her pace, tracing the broom carefully across every plank.
The system chimed.
> [+1 Obedience.]
A thought struck her. She reversed the broom, sweeping the same section again with exaggerated care.
A pause. Then—
> [+1 Grace.]
Her heart skipped.
So it works… even if I repeat the same chore, as long as I change the way I do it.
Suppressing the grin that threatened to crack her meek mask, she swept again, this time balancing the broom lightly with her fingertips.
> [+1 Dexterity.]
She nearly laughed aloud.
Oh, this is beautiful. Endless loopholes!
But she quickly caught herself. Another maid passed by—Mei Yun, the sly cat-girl. Her amber eyes narrowed, a knowing smirk twitching at her lips.
"Working hard, little rabbit?" Mei Yun purred.
Xueya ducked her head. "J–just trying to keep up."
"Mm." Mei Yun's tail swished lazily as she leaned closer. "Don't burn yourself out. The master doesn't pay extra for shining floors."
Xueya forced a nervous smile. "O–of course."
Only when the cat-maid vanished down the hall did Xueya let her smile drop.
That one's dangerous. Too sharp. Too curious.
But the discovery was worth the risk. With subtle variations—pace, posture, focus—she could squeeze the system for more rewards out of a single task.
It was like finding gold in the dust.
---
By midday, her "tests" expanded further.
Pouring tea for Madam Xu? She balanced the tray with one hand.
> [+1 Balance.]
Folding linens? She tried it with eyes half-shut, focusing only on the feel of the fabric.
> [+1 Perception.]
When she carried a water jug across the courtyard, she deliberately walked the longest path, bowing twice at passing servants.
> [Hidden Task Completed: Excessive Diligence.]
[Reward: +2 Obedience, +1 Endurance.]
Her pulse quickened.
The system rewarded creativity.
Not just the action itself, but how she performed it.
So that's how I'll grow. By finding cracks no one else can see.
The thought thrilled her. But it also chilled her.
Because each new stat, each invisible step upward, widened the gap between her and the others.
And beastkin weren't supposed to have systems at all.
If anyone discovered the truth, the Xu family wouldn't see a diligent maid. They'd see a threat. A curiosity to be dissected—or destroyed.
So she bowed lower. Smiled softer. Hid sharper.
---
Evening descended with a crimson glow bleeding through the latticed windows. The maids gathered in the dormitory, collapsing onto straw mats with weary groans.
Shu Ling, the cheerful dog-maid, flopped beside Xueya with a dramatic sigh. "Ugh! My paws are killing me. If I scrub another chamber pot, I'll—" She caught herself and glanced nervously around before muttering, "—I'll run away to the kennels."
A few girls giggled. Mei Yun smirked in the corner, sharpening her nails lazily with a small file. Bai Ronghua entered last, her fox ears proud, her uniform unwrinkled despite a day of orders.
Her gaze swept the room, lingering on Xueya.
"You. Rabbit."
Xueya stiffened. "Y–yes, Head Maid?"
"Your work was… acceptable today."
Gasps echoed among the others. Bai Ronghua rarely praised anyone.
But her lips curled in a smirk. "Don't let it go to your head. One mistake, and you'll be cleaning dung in the stables."
Xueya bowed meekly. "Of course, Head Maid."
Her ears drooped, face the picture of humble obedience.
Inside, however, she whispered silently to herself:
Acceptable? No. It was flawless. Because I'm not just cleaning floors… I'm building a foundation. Stone by stone, stat by stat. And one day, even the heavens won't look down on me again.
As the dormitory lights dimmed, she lay on her mat, pretending to sleep.
But her mind raced with numbers, possibilities, and the faint glow of system text only she could see.