Slap!

  ?The sting on my cheeks woke me up instantly.

  ?“Wake up, Lassandra!” I whispered to the reflection in the mirror.

  ?I quickly combed my hair, tying it into a high, practical ponytail. I stared into my own green eyes, clenching my fist.

  ?“You can do this.”

  ?Whatever today’s assignment was—cleaning the massive ballroom, scrubbing the endless hallways, or battling a mountain of dishes—I would handle it. It didn’t matter. I had survived worse.

  ?I grabbed a piece of hard bread for breakfast and glanced out the window.

  ?The garden below was breathtaking. The morning sun turned the dew on the roses into diamonds.

  ?It wasn't quite as wild or beautiful as my hometown, Oryndel, but I had to admit, this place had its charm. Regardless of the rot festering inside the mansion, the outside world remained annoyingly perfect.

  ?Breakfast done. I reached into my drawer.

  ?A simple silver necklace lay there.

  ?It wasn't expensive—just cheap metal—but my mother gave it to me for luck before I left for this hellhole. And something told me I was going to need a mountain of luck today.

  ?I tucked it into my pocket. Better safe than sorry.

  ?Shoulders squared, I stepped out into the corridor.

  ?The hallway was already buzzing. Maids were trickling out of their rooms, chatting softly.

  ?“Good morning!”

  ?“Morning!”

  ?Ahead of me, a girl was chatting happily when—bam!—someone tackled her from behind.

  ?“Lenent! Don’t jump on me like that—move already!”

  ?“Sorry, sorry~!”

  ?Lenent and Candace. Honestly, it was impossible to see one without the other. They were joined at the hip even before I arrived here. A truly blinding, sparkle-filled friendship.

  ?I couldn't help but smile. They were always so high-energy.

  ?But the moment they noticed me watching...

  ?The smiles vanished.

  ?Whisper, whisper.

  ?They exchanged guarded glances and slipped away like shadows, putting distance between us.

  ?“Hmph. Fine, be like that!” I pouted internally, though it stung.

  ?Just as I was fuming, a slow, heavy voice groaned right behind my ear.

  ?“Good... morning...”

  ?My heart leaped into my throat.

  ?I spun around, clutching my chest.

  ?“Oh... Aisha. Good morning.”

  ?Aisha stood there, blinking slowly. With her curly blonde hair and big amber eyes, she looked like a porcelain doll. But her utterly lifeless expression killed the vibe instantly. A classic deadpan beauty.

  ?She rarely spoke more than necessary. I think she started acknowledging me back when I helped her carry some heavy linens...

  ?I scanned the hallway nervously. “You know you shouldn’t talk to me, Aisha. The others will start targeting you too.”

  ?“It’s fine,” she drawled, pointing lazily down the hall. “They just like barking. Let them bark.”

  ?She said it so casually.

  ?But in this mansion, gossip wasn't just noise. It was a weapon. Sharp enough to cut careers—and lives—short. I was sure she knew that.

  ?“More importantly, we should get going. I don’t want Madam Isabella breathing fire on us.”

  ?“Yeah... I don’t want that either.”

  ?We reached the main corridor, waved goodbye, and took our places in the formation.

  ?This was the daily ritual. The Judgment.

  ?Every morning, all the maids lined up to wait for Madam Isabella’s orders. This was where your fate was decided—you might get lucky with light dusting duty... or you might get sentenced to the latrines.

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  ?“Isn’t she shameless?”

  ?The whisper drifted from my right.

  ?“Yeah, totally. I never knew she was such a slut.”

  ?You realize I have ears, right? You’re standing right next to me!

  ?“I feel so sorry for Lady Elda. Imagine a lowly maid clinging to your husband like a leech...”

  ?“Right? Disgusting.”

  ?Oi. I’m standing right here, you idiots.

  ?I stared straight ahead, keeping my face blank. But inside, I was screaming.

  ?“Line up! Silence!”

  ?A sharp voice sliced through the air like a whip. The whispers died instantly.

  ?Madam Isabella had arrived.

  ?I snapped my back straight like a soldier.

  ?Isabella adjusted her glasses, her eyes scanning the line like a hawk looking for a mouse.

  ?“I see you all had a nice rest yesterday,” she began, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “If you have enough energy to gossip this early, I’ll assume you have enough to do your jobs perfectly.”

  ?She opened her notebook—the Book of Doom.

  ?I felt her gaze linger on me for a second—a cold, calculating look—before she moved on.

  ?“Aisha. Garden duty.”

  ?“Yes!” Aisha chirped—surprisingly energetic for her—and bolted immediately towards the exit.

  ?The list went on. And on. Until finally...

  ?“Lassandra.”

  ?“Yes?” I answered instantly.

  ?Giggle.

  ?I could hear the snickers behind me. Ignore them. Just ignore them.

  ?“You’re not yourself today. I called you twice,” Isabella sighed, shaking her head. “Anyway. You’re on laundry duty.”

  ?“Understood.”

  ?The groups dispersed. Chatter filled the halls as everyone left for their stations. But I stood still.

  ?“Madam Isabella?”

  ?“Yes, Miss Lassandra?” She looked at me over the rim of her glasses.

  ?“Who... is assigned to laundry with me?”

  ?She looked at me blankly.

  ?“You’re alone.”

  ?My brain froze. “...Excuse me?”

  ?“You heard me. No team today.”

  ?What?

  ?Laundry for the Viremont estate was a massive task. Usually, it was a squad effort—a leader, washers, dryers. But no group meant...

  ?Just me. Against the entire mansion’s filth.

  ?“But—”

  ?“But what? Do you have a complaint, Miss Lassandra?” Her tone dropped an octave. Dangerous.

  ?I swallowed my anger. It tasted like bile.

  ?“...No, ma’am.”

  ?“Good. Then excuse me.”

  ?She turned and walked away gracefully, heels clicking on the marble floor, as if she hadn't just sentenced me to death by exhaustion.

  ?I waited until she turned the corner before exploding.

  ?“That old witch...!”

  ?I clenched my fists, trembling with the urge to smash a nearby vase.

  ?Who dumps all the laundry on one maid?!

  ?But then I remembered: The vase was worth more than my entire life’s wages.

  ?I uncurled my fingers.

  ?Phew. Calm down, Lassandra. You need this job.

  ?The laundry room greeted me with a literal mountain of fabric.

  ?I don't remember seeing this many clothes in my entire life. Did they change outfits every hour yesterday?!

  ?I looked left. I looked right.

  ?Empty.

  ?“So I’m really doing this alone? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  ?Summoning every ounce of willpower, I hauled the heavy baskets outside to the washing yard. I mixed the soap, filled the tubs with water from the pump.

  ?I took a deep breath, staring at the enemy.

  ?“Okay. Let’s do this.”

  ?Scrub. Rinse. Wring. Repeat.

  ?Scrub. Rinse. Wring. Repeat.

  ?My arms felt like lead. My back screamed. Even after washing, I had to hang them up one by one on the lines. Just looking at the wet pile was killing my soul.

  ?Nearby, other maids were taking breaks, laughing, enjoying the sun. They glanced at me, whispered something, and laughed harder.

  ?And here I was, holding another pair of Master Wilkram’s silk underwear.

  ?I want a break too... ‘Whatever today’s assignment is, I'll handle it’ my ass.

  ?I sighed deeply. Why was I so confident this morning? Past-Me was an idiot.

  ?I tossed a wet shirt into the clean basket. “This won’t end until midnight...”

  ?Honestly? Being a nanny was way easier than this.

  ?That’s right. I wasn't even supposed to be scrubbing floors. I was a nanny. Aelira’s nanny. But since my charge wasn't here right now, Isabella decided to "borrow" me as a regular maid.

  ?It was a demotion, plain and simple. A punishment.

  ?Was this impossible workload because of the rumors?

  ?I wouldn’t be surprised if Lady Vivianne pulled some strings. Or maybe Celdric himself did it to isolate me.

  ?“It’s not my fault...” I muttered to the soapy bubbles.

  ?“Master Celdric keeps calling for me... If I say no to one of the strongest men in the Empire, I’ll be kicked onto the streets.”

  ?“And if I lose this place... I might never find work again. The coin stops flowing to Oryndel. My mother, my little sisters... they rely on every dalma I send.”

  ?A single maid denying the heir of Viremont? Yeah, right. That’s a one-way ticket to the grave. Or worse.

  ?I scrubbed harder, taking my frustration out on a stubborn stain. My hands were numb from the cold water.

  ?What’s his real reason, though?

  ?I had seen the way he looked at me. It wasn't lust. It was... something else. Something calculating. Like he was looking for a key to a door I didn't know I was guarding.

  ?I held a sheet up to the wind to dry.

  ?I hated this feeling. Like I was missing a piece of the puzzle. Or maybe I was just overthinking it to escape reality.

  ?I paused, wiping sweat from my brow.

  ?Ahh... things were so much simpler back in Oryndel.

  ?Just work, then home. The smell of night orchids drifting through the window...

  ?“I hope I can show those flowers to my Lady Aelira one day,” I whispered, a small, genuine smile touching my lips. “She always loves hearing me talk about them. Her eyes light up so brightly...”

  ?Just thinking about her warmed my chest. I wondered how she was doing in the capital. Was she eating enough? Was Master Zaek remembering to feed her?

  ?My legs screamed in protest, so I stood up and stretched.

  ?Crack.

  ?Now that I think about it... She’s never left Isen, has she? The capital might be too hot for her delicate health...

  ?It sounded like a silly worry, but the temperature difference was drastic.

  ?“Why didn’t Lady Vivianne let me go with her...? Is it really just because of the rumors? Or did she want me here to suffer?”

  ?“Maybe it's because you're talking to yourself like a creep.”

  ?“GYAAH!”

  ?I jumped, nearly falling headfirst into the laundry tub.

  ?I spun around, heart hammering.

  ?“Aisha! You scared the life out of me!” I panted, clutching my chest. “Where did you spawn from?! And what about your assignment?!”

  ?Aisha stood there, holding a basket of her own. She blinked slowly.

  ?“It's finished. The garden didn't take long.”

  ?“I see...”

  ?Of course. It made sense. Since they left me alone to rot here, they probably stacked the other teams with extra people to finish early.

  ?“Want me to help?”

  ?My brain short-circuited. I stared blankly into her green eyes.

  ?“What? ...Are you serious?”

  ?She didn't answer. She just rolled up her sleeves, revealing pale, slender arms.

  ?“Yes. I'm free, after all. And watching you struggle is painful.”

  ?“Oka-yy...”

  ?She sat down next to me on the wooden stool, grabbed a shirt, and started scrubbing with surprising efficiency.

  ?I watched her for a second, stunned.

  ?In this cold, hostile mansion, where everyone whispered behind my back and plotted my downfall...

  ?Suddenly, it felt a little bit warm.