After breakfast, Kyra went to inform the Princess about Valeria’s absence and the substitute she picked for her.

  Oriana, naturally, was overjoyed hearing that she was off the hook for one day and immediately went back to sleep, giving herself the rest of the day off. Being free from the Commander’s watchful eye, she intended to spend most of the day in bed, getting some long overdue rest.

  Kyra, on the other hand, despite being released from attending to the Princess, still had the Pace’s share of chores.

  Being a personal maid to someone from royal family was a trade off to a certain degree. On one hand, she had a lot more privileges among staff and the pay was significantly higher, but it also meant more work, as she still had to help with cleaning and maintaining the Pace.

  The Golden Pace was true to its name, and the interior was full of vish, gilded decorations. While the splendor of it all was most impressive to the eyes of its guests and renowned residents, for the staff it was nothing but a nightmare to clean.

  Kyra looked at the intricate design of the odds and ends put on dispy around the hallway and sighed. This was the part of the job she hated the most.

  Nevertheless, she grabbed the cleaning supplies from the storage and got to work right away.

  Polishing the vases and making sure that even the tiniest figurines were back to their original glory was second nature to her at this point, despite all the tediousness of the process. That’s why, shortly after she started, her mind began to wander.

  She thought about Lin Xuen and the effect she had on her. She recalled every meeting and every time they passed each other in the hallways.

  She dreamed about her mesmerizing eyes and delicate lips, and her dark hair glistening in the sun like the surface of calm waters.

  Ever since the day she arrived, Lin Xuen didn’t leave Kyra’s thoughts even for a moment. Her image was always there, lingering somewhere at the edge of her consciousness, waiting to take the main spotlight the second something reminded her about the Dragon Princess.

  Kyra was impressed with how many things in the Pace made her think about someone who only got there just a few days before.

  What am I even doing, falling in love with THE Imperial Princess.

  Love.

  Kyra never knew the feeling before meeting Lin Xuen. It wasn’t something she wanted, nor hoped to experience. She accepted the idea that something like love was not meant for her in this life.

  Even when she thought about the possibility of having feelings for someone, she always assumed it would be one sided. Not in her wildest dreams had she expected, however, to fall in love with someone so out of her reach.

  Time to get off cloud nine, Kyra. This case is hopeless. Someone like you will never be good enough for someone like Lin Xuen.

  A tiny needle stabbed her heart as she finished the thought.

  Unfortunately, no amount of reason could win against the love-struck yearning she felt inside.

  Kyra grunted, overwhelmed by her own feelings, and pressed her forehead against the heavy suit of armor she was just cleaning.

  — Have you finally decided to confess to Mr Tin-man? — Livia asked jokingly, who just came out from the corner and caught Kyra hugging the armored mannequin — Judging by your face, I’m guessing you didn’t get an answer?

  — Ha. Ha. Very funny.

  — I know. I’m amazing. Anyways, what’s with the sulking? — Livia put her arms on her sides and looked at her curiously.

  — Nothing… I was just thinking about what we talked about in the kitchen earlier — Kyra lied.

  — The Prince? Nasty business with this guy, isn’t it? I can’t say I envy our little Princess Menace.

  — So you believe what Pau said?

  — Why shouldn’t I? Those rich bastards love their money and will do everything they can to get even more. Stealing, lying, cheating, killing… It’s nothing new. Why would Void magic be any different?

  There were no doubts that a lot of nobles rose to power through means that would make most lose sleep at night. The race to the top of the societal dder was a nasty one, and wasn’t made for the faint of heart.

  Kyra, however, couldn’t believe that any of them would be willing to go as far as making a pact with the Void. After all, it meant that the person would have to forsake their afterlife in the Elysian Fields among the Gods. She had seen the very worst the nobility had to offer, and yet she still wanted to believe that there were some things too sacred, even for them.

  — Not all of them are like that. — she said.

  — Yes, Oriana treats you well, and she would never betray your trust. — Livia gave her the look of a disappointed mother. — You might feel like this now, because everything is fine, but if there was ever the need, she would disregard you like one of her broken toys to save her own skin. No matter how you look at it, they are the masters, and we are the servants. They own us. We are nothing more than pythings to them. That’s why us little folk should stick together. We need to keep each other’s backs, because no one else will.

  There was a grain of truth in Livia’s words, and Kyra knew that. But there was also everything that Oriana did for her. She couldn’t just dismiss every bit of kindness she received from the Princess, just because she belonged to royalty.

  Nonetheless, she decided not to argue with Livia any further, as she knew she wouldn’t be able to convince her.

  — I will always have your back, Liv. If you ever need anything, you can count on me.

  — Is that so? How about you introduce me to your sister, then?

  Kyra rolled her eyes.

  — I know, I know… I’m just joking. You can count on me too. — Livia added, seeing her friend’s reaction — Well, enough of that lollygagging. I have to get back to work, I don’t want the Head Maid to yell at me again.

  The women were about to part ways, when Livia turned to Kyra again.

  — Oh, right. Apparently that locust Scipio is here, so be careful when cleaning on the first floor.

  Lord Scipio was known to everyone working in the Golden Pace. As a high ranking noble, he frequently visited to talk about his business ventures with the King and Gideon. To the staff, he was known mostly for his short temper, and a tendency to get into an argument with anyone of lower status.

  Kyra never met the man himself, but she had seen other maids crying their eyes out in the kitchen after having the misfortune of running into him.

  She thanked Livia for the warning, and went back to work with a newfound determination to finish before she got the chance to encounter the infamous Lord.

  DannyTheDaikon