Upon seeing that the first signs of daybreak had already begun, Lia immediately dropped the cigar to the nearby astray and quickly stood up
"Welp, I guess it's time for work"
--"Really? That's a shame. We were just In the heat of our discussion too. If you want, I could stop the flow of time so that we could talk longer?"--
A chuckle escaped from Lia's lips
"The way you're so casual about it reminds me of a certain someone...But as much as I enjoy talking to you, the thrill I feel when working is much better so I would have to refuse"
--"Hoh?...losing to mundane chores is quite offending, but I guess I'll let it slide. If you're going then I guess I shouldn't bother you any further"--
Standing up from the chair, Dina stretched her body for a while, which looked quite erotic. Lia wondered if she was doing this on purpose to insult her small childish body
'One day Lia...You'll have a figure like that soon...'
--"It's funny how clear I could read your thoughts even without using my powers...But anyway, I'll revisit you if I have the free time, So don't go dying yet ok?"--
"Wow, that was quite the tearful farewell"
Dina stuck out her tongue and snapped her fingers which caused her and other furniture she brought to be surrounded by a bright light. Making them vanish instantly without a trace afterwards
Lia stared at the spot that they were in just now and thought to herself
'That couldn't be achieved using the magic that I know off...so it must've been something else...Jeez, it seems that I was taking you too lightly'
When Lia thought back on it, she realized that she was basically talking casually to the one that's heavily revered by all creatures of this world, which made her shiver a bit
"Well, whatever..."
After giving herself a good slapping in the cheeks, Lia started to prepare herself for work
She first checked the smell of her breath, she couldn't just waltz in the job smelling like an exhaust of a car after all
"Uwa..."
Just as she expected, her breath smelled like smoke. Knowing this, Lia walked to one of the nearby cabinets and grabbed a suitcase
Opening it, one could see a huge variety of things that were being kept, Most of them were ordinary things being used in everyday life such as quills and papers but there were other things that looked to have belonged from an occult, such as rusted old knives and a black skull.
Ignoring the other Items, Lia grabbed a jar containing multiple tiny orb-shaped things that had a blue hue and made her way to the bathroom
Opening the faucet, Lia filled a cup full of water and dropped a few of the orbs which caused the water to have a similar hue
In this world, the concept of brushing one's teeth does not exist. But that didn't mean people don't clean their mouths. The orbs that Lia dropped in the water were known as "refreshers" which are small seeds that were derived from a certain plant
Once the seeds were dropped into water, the seeds would undergo a certain reaction which would make it a substance that's similar to mouthwash
After gargling it a few times, she checked her breath once again which smelled like mint. Feeling satisfied by this, Lia exited the bathroom
"Now then..."
She reached her pockets and grabbed a small watch that she uses for work, Since the way of telling time here is exactly the same as the one in her previous world, it was one of the things that She didn't need to adjust to ever since coming here
"Four-thirty huh?... I guess the assembly has started"
The wake-up call for the household servants is conducted at four-thirty in the morning. In this time, all of them would gather in the main hall and assign their daily task, But since Lia's circumstances is a bit different, she would report directly to Her master, So the call time didn't really matter
"But still..."
She could've opted to rest, especially since she didn't sleep a wink due to her reunion with Dina. But the Idea of sleeping never really appealed to her old life as Junko or now as Lia
"Sleep is an absolute waste of time! Imagine the amount of work that I couldn't accomplish because I spent eight hours lying around doing absolutely nothing?!" Was the sentence that she would usually say to people when they tried to get her to stop working
But in her previous life, no matter how eager her mind is at work, her body wouldn't respond the same way so she would usually collapse midway. However, in her new life in a fantasy world, the limitations in her human body were freed by an elixir from the heavens
Opening the drawers on one of the cabinets, Lia saw layers of small bottles that were filled with some sort of honey-like fluid. Written in the bottles were a few words that were of the Imperial tongue
Calypsus Energy Potion. It said
Lia's pleasure was reflected in her eyes as she looks the bottles like a wild animal, she took a bottle and chugged it down in one swift motion
"Fwah!"
It had a bitter taste, But Lia thought that it was a small price to pay.
"Guh..."
Her body was suddenly assaulted by an uncomfortable feeling as her body grows hotter, this lasted for a few minutes but after that, all that Lia could feel is absolute bliss as the fatigue in her body faded away and was replaced with vigor
"This really is the stuff"
Lia had been drinking bottles of energy potion's ever since she discovered it, her fellow maids would at first look at her with horror when she drank multiple bottles but soon stopped.
'Well...I guess it's only natural'
She continued to be lost in thought but immediately regained focus. She grabbed a fresh uniform from another cabinet and dressed up for work. She hid her weapons in the usual spots as she looks into a mirror in order to ensure that she looked alright
And after doing so, she walked closer to her sack bag and gently patted it while saying
"See you later, Kibisis"
The bag seemed to wiggle a bit which made Lia smile. She then exited her room and proceeded to work
(---)
The Rosenblade Manor is considered to be one of the biggest structures in the entire Cyprus Empire and is also named by the people as one of the country's national heritage, Having popularity that's only second to the Royal Palace in the capital
Spanning over thousands of miles, the place has three floors and is divided into four areas. The first area is the outside of the manor which is widely covered by the Rosenblade Garden. In here, one would usually see a diverse species of plants and animals or sweaty knights that were loudly training
The second part of the manor is the main building which is where guests usually indulged, one could find an enormous amount of gorgeous ornaments, historical momentoes, the grand bathhouse, and other things to keep visitors entertained.
The third part is the left-wing, which is considered the heart of the manor, for here is where most of the essential rooms are located and where the busy household servants would usually work.
One could find the Kitchen, Clinic, Dining Areas, an ominous library, multiple rooms in which the servants get their cleaning utensils, and the rooms of the family members
And lastly is the right-wing in which the rooms of all of the household servants and visitors are located
In order for Lia to get into her master's office, she would have to walk all the way from the right-wing to the uppermost part of the left. And while doing so, she had hoped to at least help someone out while working but...
'No good...they still don't wanna share it with me...I don't get it...back in Japan or Victoria people would gladly hand me their tasks...Why can't everyone here just do the same?!"
Lia was at her wit's end, though she had said that she only need be patient, the current situation was giving her flags that were saying their treatment would never change no matter how long she waits
Lia placed her hands on her chin as she continued walking
'Their attitudes are way too formal...what can I do about this? Every plan that comes to mind seems to have an improbable chance at working...So I guess it's really all about the waiting gam-'
"Come on! Pick up the pace will you?!"
She suddenly heard a shout that resonated throughout the area. Lia figured that the voice came from the kitchen, which was close to the stairs of the left-wing area
Thinking that it might be a dire situation, Lia erased her presence and silently hid on a barrel at the nearby entrance. She looked around once more and confirmed that there were no approaching servants. Seeing this, she slowly peeked inside the room
"You've been working for ten minutes already, and you're not even halfway in gutting the fish!"
"I-I'm very sorry!"
Lia saw multiple servants who were eying on Katharine with an annoyed expression. Judging by their workstations, Lia concluded that they were finished with their prep work and were waiting on her
"Your sorry's are worthless, Just hurry up and cut the damn thing already!"
"Yes sir!"
Katharine tried to work faster, but her knife was cutting only slowly cutting against the flesh of the huge fish
The fish that was twice the size of Katharine is known as the Xing fish. It is one of the main recipes used to create the Xing soup, which is a delicacy that came from the east. It was cheap, so the common folk would usually serve this at their homes
'Since they're cooking a dish like that then I guess the food is for the servants...but...why is Katharine filleting the fish alone?'
Due to the sheer size of it, people considered it optimal that at least two people should help each gut the fish
With the use of magic, it's possible for a single person, but due to safety reasons, magic cannot be casted freely in the manor unless authorized by the master herself
'And not to mention...the knife she's using is no good. It's old, and it isn't built for the job...'
The other servants should have known this, so Lia couldn't help but wonder why they're treating her that way, but this was immediately answered
"Good grief, I guess you people from Vanis really are incompetent"
"You tell me...But we shouldn't have expected more from treacherous scum like them"
"Kgh..."
Katherine looked as if she was about to say something but was stopped by the expression of her co-workers. She looked down and continued her work on the fish
The servants saw this as an opportunity and hurled out more insults at her while laughing
'I see...So it's that kind of problem huh?...'
Lia waited around and watched quietly as the servant continued to ridicule her. At one point, Lia had expected her pent up anger to burst but she held it in and continued on with her duty
"...Lovely"
She couldn't hold the words from her mouth and muttered it softly, the sight of the hardworking maid that's pushing on as her colleagues encourage otherwise was a marvelous sight, which made her feel some sort of affinity for her
A few more minutes passed until she was able to finally fillet the first side of the enormous fish. She looked extremely drained out as she wipes the sweat that gathered in her forehead with a napkin
"Come on you fool, at least finish it-"
Before the servant could speak Lia quietly patted his back and said
"That's enough"
"Huh? Who the hell are yo-!"
All eyes suddenly turned on Lia as if they were staring at a ghost, their face suddenly went pale upon the realization of what's happening and immediately bowed their heads
"Next time, please watch your tone when speaking to someone, ok?"
"I-I Understand!..-Please forgive me, I didn't realize...M-More Importantly, What brings you to the kitchen today, Ma'am Lia?"
The servant tried to speak clearly but the sense of dread that he was feeling right now made him unable to do so
"Oh, I was just passing by. While on the way though, I couldn't help but hear the lovely words of encouragement that you guys were giving to your colleague here..."
Lia pointed at Katharine, who seemed to be panicking at the moment, She hastily waved her hands around and said
"M-Miss Lia, I don't know what you heard but It was nothi- "
"Miss Lia? I'm hurt, I thought we agreed to be more casual to each other, we are friends are we not?"
Sweat began to form at the foreheads of the servants upon hearing this
"But I didn't really"
"Now then!"
Lia blatantly shouted in order to prevent her from talking any further
She walked closer to the fish and grabbed the old knife from it
'I knew it, This is a terrible knife...But...It's surprising that Katharine was able to do the job using this...'
Putting the knife back down, she looked around the servants who were still bowing, No rule in the manor states that they should do this but Lia thought that her reputation must be the driving force
"There's no need to lower your heads, please, do raise them up"
The servants hastily complied and slowly lifted her heads, Lia could clearly see the panic on their expression as she looks at them coldly
"Now then...You there"
Lia pointed at a female servant who looked to be the most nervous out of all and asked her to step forward
"Yseh...Eherm...Y-Yes?"
'Hrmmm...she doesn't seem like the bullying type...I'm guessing that she was swayed by the bandwagon to join them...Good, people like you are Ideal for interrogations'
Lia cleared her throat and said
"Now Now there's no need to be nervous, I just wanna ask you a simple question, would you mind?"
"No...Not at all"
"That's lovely, Now then..."
Lia pointed at their workstations and said
"From the looks of it, it seems like you were finished with your work. If that's the case then why did none of you helped Katharine here?"
Her voice was firm and very authoritative, Though Lia was a mere child, everyone in the room could feel a strange atmosphere that is enveloping around her that forces them to obey
The servant was overwhelmed by this atmosphere and darted her eyes around, seeking to ask for help but her fellow servants turned their heads away
"Hello? You shouldn't turn your eyes away when talking to someone you know?"
This was the final push for the servant, she couldn't bear to be under this intense pressure any longer
"I-It's because Ron ordered us to"
She pointed at the servant named Ron who looked pissed at the accusation
"You damn snake!"
"I had no choice! You guys were-"
"Ok ok, thats enough"
Lia clapped her hands twice, which immediately stopped their banter
She looked at Ron for a moment and smiled, which sent him shivering
"I'll have a nice talk with you later, but for now..."
Lia's knives were built for combat, so it would be inappropriate to use them on the fish. She walked around the kitchen and grabbed a knife that was suitable for the job
The servants looked shocked, and one of them said
"Miss Lia you don't need to bother yourself with frivolous tasks like these. We can-"
"Frivolous? are you out of your mind? This is the most important part of cooking a Xing soup, If anything, the things you were doing are the ones that are considered secondary."
"That's-.."
In the face of the truth, the servant could only hold his tongue
Lia then walked closer to the fish, and Katharine
"Mi- I mean...Lia, you really don't have to. I'm fairly used to this kind of treatment"
Her eyes looked sad, but Lia immediately cheered her up with a pat on the shoulders
"Whether you're used to it or not is irrelevant, I can't forgive them for a stunt like this"
"Lia..."
Putting the knife down at the board, Lia lifted the enormous fish to its other side. The loud sound that is created as it was dropped echoed in the entire room
The servants could only look in shock, the fish weighs more than a hundred pounds, and yet the child easily lifted it without breaking a sweat
"Now then..."
Lia then grabbed the knife and took a deep breath before starting with the other side
And after doing so, she brought down the blade sideways and hacked the scales of the fish. Her hands were swift and made quick work of it, completely making the skin smooth in a matter of seconds
She then brought the knife near the fish's head and gave a slice, the knife was met with a heavy resistance, but Lia still looked calm as she continued her work. She then touched the fish and sliced it once more, completely removing it from the bones
"Now for the easy part...."
Taking the sliced part of the fish, Lia quickly divided them into multiple portions. The servants who were watching couldn't help but be amazed by Lia's skill as she cuts through the fish like butter
"Twenty-four...and twenty-five. Ok, that's good enough you guys can start with the-..."
Lia saw the servants who were staring at the sliced portions like a hungry child. To be honest, this made Lia want to finish the entire dish, but she held herself back
She snapped her fingers which seemed to free them from the trance like state and said
"You can start cooking the dish you know?"
"R-Right!"
The other servants then quickly return to their perspective works
"Now as for you..."
Lia signaled the servant named Ron with her eyes to go to the back part of the kitchen, Ron saw the message and immediately walked to the back, while Lia closely followed
His colleagues could only look in silence
After confirming that no one was in the room, Lia cleared her throat and said
"Ok...Ron is it? I'll call you Sir Ron is that acceptable?"
"Y-Yes"
Ron's heart was beating incredibly fast as he wondered about the punishment that's about to befall to him
"That's lovely, Now I'll make this quick Sir Ron since you've probably got more things to do...From which city were you born?"
"T-The Imperial capital..."
"I knew it...If that's the case then It'll be strange for you to not hate the people from Vanis"
Ron tightly clenched his fist as an image that he didn't want to remember suddenly appeared on his mind
"Those animals burned our homes and slaughtered the people we love...It's only right for us to-"
Lia raised her hands and signalled him to be quiet
"I won't tell you some sort of self-righteous speech about how you should forgive the people of Vanis. The war crimes that they committed during the revolution is despicable after all"
"Then you should understand!"
"Please don't raise your voice. While I sympathize with your experience, I absolutely cannot forgive you for bringing your personal feelings at work"
"W-What are you..."
Lia looked at him with her green eyes that seemed to pierce his very soul and sent shivers down his spine
"Look...I don't care what tragedy may have befallen on you in your past, but you should learn to suppress those stubborn emotions of yours when it comes to doing your work. I'm sure that you know this right?"
Lia took out the old knife that Katharine used and directed it at him
"Eek!"
"Point is...If you ever do something as unprofessional as this ever again then you'll be in deep trouble, you understand?"
"Y-Yes!"
Shen then snapped the old knife using both her hands and handed it to him
"Good, Now throw this piece of scrap at the garbage now would you"
The butler quickly grabbed the broken knife and hurried off, Lia could only watch him as he scurries away
"Good grief...what a troublesome situation"
Lia then followed suit and went back to the kitchen, she was greeted by Katharine, who gave her thanks. And after accepting them, Lia exited the room and proceeded to her master's office
The servants couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the girl who came and go like a storm
And on the last minute, while walking, Lia suddenly realized that something was wrong
'Wait...I stood out again!...'