Anna was bored out of her mind. In the forest, there were countless things to keep one's interest, if only they chose to look. Hunting one's own food, patrolling her own territory, observing the animals and birds, singing, maintaining her home...
That last one made her stop. She grew angry, about the man named Endeavour, who came in, invaded, attacked her as she protected Ochako, and then set her and her home on fire... before becoming sad that all her memories were reduced to ruins because of him. All her happy dinners, just her and Mat'...
However, before she could think about it any more, there was a knock at her door. Entering, a small girl entered. She was slender as she was short, with blond hair and big, fairy-like wings. The blonde wore a European maid outfit, and bowed in respect. After that, she moved forward and placed the tray on a nearby table. "Here you go, Mistress. This should satisfy you until dinner. Make sure to let us know what you like and what you don't so we can tailor to your preferences in the future."
Before she could ask the girl to stay, she bowed and left, presumably to do other duties.
Turning to the tray, Anna found that it contained a variety of snacks, from fruit, stuff she never really had in the Red Forest, to baked goods and sweets, things she didn't really like. Anna much preferred the small skewers of meat, and some of the hardy vegetables. They reminded her of Anya, and home in the Forest, before it was all burnt down, and so it reminded her of happy memories.
In a few hours, eventually it was time for her first dinner... and it was nothing like she expected. Usually, as Saiko explained, they ate at a long table, especially if they had company, but not when it was just the two of them. Instead, they sat at a large round table with a device in the center that could allow them to rotate it, in order to share food.
It turns out that Anna shared an appetite with her biological mother, as the appetizer course alone would be on par with an entire meal for Anya and herself, but even then she would still remain hungry.
"How was life in Russia?" Saiko asked, wanting to know more about her daughter.
"It was cold. Hard. But fulfilling, and thrilling. Never a dull moment. My Mat'... I'm sorry, Anya did everything she could to take care of me. Taught me Russian, Reading, hunting, attunement to one's environment... and how to survive."
"What was she like?" Saiko asked, a bit quieter.
"Kind. Warm. Always there. We only had each other... but... she wasn't always there..." She started to tear up.
Her birth mother did not respond, which was a silent invitation to say more, and so she did. "She protected me when I made a mistake. She took a charging los'... sorry, elk, and... She died singing my favorite lullaby, to try to comfort me."
"She sounds like a... brave woman."
"She was." As they ate, Anna finally took off her mask, after exposing the most heartfelt moments to her, and placed it onto a side table. Saiko was finally able to see her face... and it was a spitting image of her own, albeit, a bit more defined. Her time in Russia had influenced her looks, but it was clear there was still a tiny bit of scarring, although it would fade over time. Burn scarring.
"What happened to you?"
Anna paused, before explaining, "There was a man, a slovoch..." She spat the russian word bitterly. "He broke in, tried to force my malen'kiy tsvetok away when she was still injured. He then lit me on fire, and burnt my home down."
Saiko almost sounded relieved: "So, even if you were to go back... you have nowhere?"
"No... I could rebuild. But it wouldn't be the same." Anna responded, picking up a glass and viewing the contents, and taking a sip.
The night went on, and they continued to talk. Anna gave information about the class she was in, under a temporary scholarship, and how she was catching up quickly. It turns out Saiko was horrified by how far behind she technically was, but then sighed in relief when she reported her progress. She would not be far behind. Eventually, the topic came to her quirk.
"So, your quirk... I've heard only from UA, but it's creation?"
She nodded, "Yes. I can make things from my body. It was very useful for survival."
"I can imagine." She pondered for a moment. "Tomorrow I would like to have a doctor identify what your quirk is. Just so I can help you learn it better, if possible."
Not responding with her own concerns, the girl just finished eating quietly, even after her biological mother left to go "work".
This was not the kind of life she signed up for. She didn't even have a chance to ask about what she wanted to.
At the end of the dinner, each of the staff members lined up, and introduced herself. Including Sebas and the blonde, fairy-like one. After introductions, Sebas continued, "Each of these dishes was made exclusively by each one of us. Which was your favorite?"
Anna thought for a moment, before choosing the one that stuck out the most. "I liked the lamb plov. It reminds me of better days."
"The rice dish?" Sebas asked, and the small girl from before stepped forward. She curtsied in an expression of extreme politeness. "As I introduced myself before, I am Tia Fae. I made that dish."
"Why?" Anna asked, genuinely curious on why a Japanese maid would decide to make a traditional Russian dish."
"To make this place a home, you need to see it as one. That's what Mom always told me. So, I made something that would remind you of that."
"Thank you." She said, genuinely appreciating the gesture, even though she still didn't feel like this was "home".
Sebas clapped once, and the rest left in an ordered fashion. "It is clear that it would be best if Tia were to be your specialized attendant, as she can identify your desires much better than the rest of us can."
"Um... thanks?" Anna said, confused, but Tia's response was more in line with what he was saying. "I will do my best to see to your needs, Mistress."
"Okay then..." She was still not very comfortable with the whole Master/servant thing, so she just said, "I'm going to get ready for bed then."
"I see!" Tias said, as Sebas left for his own duties. "I shall draw a bath immediately."
"I'm sorry?" Anna asked, "A... bath?"
"Well, the bed was freshly washed for you. I assume you wouldn't want to get in bed while you are dirty from your day at school?" She fluttered her wings to reach eye level.
"That... makes sense." She was surprised by the action, before the blonde responded.
"Excellent. Do you know the way back to your room?"
"I do..."
"Good. I shall meet you there. The bath should be ready by the time you get there!" Faster than she could move, the maid flew out of the room at a rapid pace. Anna picked up her mask, and took it back to her room, where she placed it on the side table.
Entering the bathroom, she was surprised to see Tia already have the bath filled with bubbles, some floating into the air. She turned when Anna opened the door, "Ta-da! Here you go!"
"What..."
The blonde maid seemed disappointed by the lack of appreciation, but then had an epiphany. "Have you... not had a bubble bath before?"
She shook her head. "No. I only used the nearby stream. When it was warm enough."
That shocked her. "Then you need to enjoy this."
"Okay..." She stood there awkwardly, as Tia stayed standing. "Um... are you going to... stay here?"
"That is one of my duties as your personal servant."
It felt like a major invasion of privacy. And an act from those who are intimate with each other. No matter how much she was friendly now, it was far too soon for that kind of action. "Um... no. I don't need help with that."
She looked dejected, as if she was torn between loyalties, before bowing in understanding. "Very well. I will wait outside." And left the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Going out of the bedroom door for a moment to get a quick drink of water while she was free, Sebas interrupted her. "Ah, Fae. How is she? You are not attending her as a personal servant should."
"She requested that I do not do the normal duty."
"I see. Well, if it was her request..."
Tia admitted what they had all picked up on during her time here. "I think she doesn't like how royalty is treated."
"Well, that is her mother's preferred method of treatment. Don't presume or push on possible boundaries. After all, we are learning just as much about her as she is learning about this manor." Sebas admitted. "Still, be at the ready should she require anything."
"I will! I was just getting a glass of water. While she was busy."
The old man nodded, and let her go.
When she returned, she found her charge in a set of soft pajamas while sitting on the bed, looking at the mask. She carefully ran a hand along it, feeling every imperfection and texture. She hummed quietly, before turning to look up at her.
Tia had to ask, "That mask... did you make it?"
She nodded. "Yes. It was something Mat' taught me. How to make pretty masks. But... this one is the last one I made with her. The others burned down when my house did."
The blonde moved over and viewed it while remaining at attention. It was porcelain white, and, even though it was handmade, was rather pretty, even if it had a few scratches and chips... indicating use.
"Mat'?"
Anna apologized, "Sorry, it's a habit. It's Russian for Mom. The woman who raised me, Anya, was one I cared for and loved deeply. I call her Mat' because it was what she was."
That made sense to the blonde. "She sounds wonderful."
"She was. She taught me to hunt, survive, to create, to sing..."
"That was beautiful today." Tia interrupted, before apologizing profusely.
Anna laughed, "don't worry about it..." However, she yawned, betraying the fact that she was tired, and pulled the blankets over. Tia watched as she fell asleep, and noticed her grip on the mask slipping. Catching it before it could hit the floor, the maid placed it onto the bedside table, then left for the evening, letting her sleep.