Arc 1: Yeru

***

Plip, plop, plip, plop, plip, plop, plip, creak, creak? The door's opening? did they come back, they just left, they NEVER come back until the next day, maybe a customer? I need to make myself presentable. There's only 3 months left until my contract expires, not much time left either for ***'s birthday.

"Hmm... You." She's talking, her voice sounds so rich, if that makes any sense.

"Yes, M'lady?" A noblewoman?

"Is this really one of their merchandise or is this some sort of disposal area, from how disgusting it is the latter seems more probable."

"It is one of theirs, M'lady. ****'s is mostly known for their excellent and attractive slaves but less well-known are their more 'defective' merchandise." Well ouch, calling someone defective is rude you know.

"And father suggested me to choose of these... Does he expect me to somehow fix them?"

"*Gulp* Uhh, uhm. I apologize but it seems unlikely to be the case, M'lady."

"I know."

"..." Ugh...so are they just going to stay here?

"Tsk where on earth is their master." Her voice really is just so elegant or maybe classy?

She's kind off like a cat or a wolf? She just has this cold atmosphere. Ooh, black eyes how rare, usually you'd find them on foreign nobles but she's speaking the Trsid language pretty well and her dress looks so expensive. Could it be she's a... ☆FOREIGN PRINCESS☆

A foreign princess, I bet she has hundreds of maidservants at her beck and call, wears expensive jewelry, trendy clothes and eats the most delicious food. I really want to be her servant but I don't have any cosmetics to make myself prettier. Hmm, maybe posing cute works!

Laying down should be good. I've seen others do it multiple times and they always got bought. Heh, the floor might look gross but I've spent the last year scrubbing it, killing all the ickies and sleeping on it, so there's no wa- skrt, skrt, EEK! What on Gren! A roach how?! What horrible timing is this. It's getting closer ew, ew, ew, ew-

SPLAT!

...Huh?

"How deplorable, to think such a highly regarded enterprise would not even think of the well-being of their clients even allowing them to step in such a sickening coop."

She... killed it? That's so- COOL☆ Kyaa! Rather than a foreign princess she's more like Prince Charming♡

BANG!

"Huff, Huff, Haah, Hah. Oh Dear." Master? What is he doing here?

"M'lady, hahaha I apologize this portion of merchandise are for the lower-class and those with 'certain' tastes." Woah, he definitely ran he's sweating a lot.

"We have more attractive merchandise, the ones were famous for. I'm sure a refined lady like you would prefer them over these types. Come I will present them to you."

"Tsk! Are you deciding on what I should like?"

"Ah, No, no, Of course not, hahaha..."

"Hmph, I refuse then, having seen your merchandise I do not expect much from your more 'Attractive Sort' anyways and this one seems much more... amusing to keep."

"Oh, could it be you fancy her?"

"It seems as though, Yes I do, but more importantly the contract. I would like to sign immediately."

"Ah, yes the contract please follow me."

...I just got signed.

WOOHOOO! I got signed! I should probably call her M'lady right? Oh, this feels so formal and so special! I feel like some sort of high-class servant with this, Hehehehe, I'll finally be able to eat delicious food like Rese, Tan or, umm, hmm, Pizaz! I heard they use a lot of ☆Tomatoes☆

Hehehehe, tomatoes, yum.

MWAHAHAHA, huh? She's staring at me, why? Uhh, M'lady if you don't follow master I'm not going to be able to become your servant you know.

"Yeru its time for you to wake up."

Yeru?, M'lady never named me Yeru until 3 years later. Wait 3 years later? Isn't that in the future?

"Yeru you FELL ASLEEP! WAKE UP!"

Me? falling asleep while working. Impossible...heh HOLY CRAP! I need to Wake Up!

BAM!

Ouch! Ugh... I fell. Did I really fall asleep while standing? Nevermind that. Why did I have to remember that today...

AHHH! Forget that Yeru. Just Hurry!

***

...I need to focus on the guest list. I'll focus on Sher later. First things first finding Yeru she should be the one who dicussed the theme with my father.

Fuh~ finding her is difficult though since she's the type to roam around.

"..."

Oh. Rickard how strangely convenient.

"Rickard."

"Oh, M'lord, Is there anything I can help w- ugh!"

"...Hm? Is there anything wrong?"

"Ah, nothing M'lord but it seems as though you're... incensed."

"So there is something then... No, I am not incensed, enraged, annoyed, outraged or anything related to that emotion. Rather have you seen Yeru?"

"Ah, Uh, Yeru? Yes, I have seen her, she was by the fountain, it seemed as though she was... playing with the water."

"...Playing, how?"

"She was splashing it, M'lord"

"..."

"..."

"Thank you for telling me, Rickard. Keep it a secret for me will you? I will double this month's salary for you."

"Of course, M'lord."

"Oh, and tell Dren to prepare a Pizaz with a lot of ketchup and two glasses of Tan Juice. Have it sent to my quarters."

"Yes, M'lord."

By the fountain, playing with the water and even splashing it?! What on Gren is she thinking! At least only Rickard seems to be the only one who saw it or there would have been starving rats squeaking about it to their masters by now.

****

Huff, huff, huff, hah. My physical condition truly is horrid. I have to take breaks just to walk to the garden.

Now to find her. By the fountain, so in the garden and around... here. There she is and her hands are soaked. How troublesome, just like a naughty child.

"YERU!"

"EEK! M'lord!"

"What on Gren are you doing here! Haven't I told you to only come here at night?! You know full damn well how many rats are roaming around here, they could have followed you and if they had squeaked it would become extremely difficult to remove them."

"I apologize M'lord! It's just I heard people talking around here and my curiosity got the best of me."

People talking? Hmm... she was in the garden a while ago wasn't she?...Could Yeru have heard them talking?

"People talking? Were you able to recognize who they were?"

"You seem quite... interested? M'lord."

"...Hmph, do remember you're at fault here so hurry up and tell me."

"Ah! Yes, M'lord. I apologize I recognized them as one of our maidservants and the heiress of your father's new business partner, Lady Odilon. They were talking about Marigolds, well mostly Lady Odilon, it seemed as though she likes them."

Marigolds?, that is suprisingly...cute.

"Marigolds, hmm... Yeru tell the gardener to grow some Marigolds around here, tell him that I will double his salary."

"Oh, that's quite suprising M'lord after all you do not like flowers...at all."

"Yes, but father has told me to get along with Lady Odilon and planting some of her favorite flowers should be a good start."

"Ah, is that so? What a smart move M'lord as expected of the heir to the Patique's!"

"...Don't butter me up. I almost forgot why I needed you for, follow me I need to dicuss with you about my birthday celebration."

"Of course, M'lord." drip, drip, drip...? Oh, I forgot her hands are wet.

"Tsk, have you not been warned to avoid soaking your hands with water...here wipe your hands with this."

"Ah, yes, M'lord, I apologize. It's seems even after years I'm still amazed at what you have given me."

"If you're amazed then I hope you could at least take care of it."

"Haha, yes, M'lord."

****

"...sip, sip, as sweet as usual."

"...sip, clank, urgh!"

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"My hands... have been acting up for a while, M'lord. It's been interfering with my work lately."

"...Your hands only? Is there no problem with your legs?"

"No, M'lord."

"Hm, I'll schedule a meeting with your doctor next Sunday."

"..."

"...sip"

"...Thank you...M'lady. I truly owe you a huge debt. Choosing me as your personal servant despite being a slave, clothing me, feeding me and even... gifting me equipment to replace what I lost."

"...Hmph, that is expected as your master I bought you therefore, it is my duty to take care of you until we part, taking care of one's slave is the least a master should do anyways."

"Haha, Yes, you are a wonderful master afterall, M'lady none could ever hope to match you!"

"...I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is one, M'lady."

"Hah, let's talk about the most important thing right know, my birthday celebration. What theme have you and father chosen? Black and White should be good. It's formal enough to discuss with our business partners."

"...We've chosen a Masquerade Party, M'lady."

"...What?! A masquerade? Why on Gren would you think that would be a good theme!"

"M'lady, please do remember that were having your birthday celebration not some business discussion. Your birth is a joyous occasion, as heir to the Patique's you're turning 15 the age where you'll discover yourself, become mature and find...romance."

"..."

"...*munch*, yum lots of ketchup"

"Urgh, can't we just change the theme? It just doesn't feel right for me to have a Masquerade party. I'm sure I'll get lost in the sea of masks."

"No we cannot, we have ordered everything needed to the masks and the curtains, reserved the most famous performers, bought the ingredients for the menu we will serve and, we have also hit the budget for your preparations."

"...Budget?"

"Yes, budget your father set a budget for your birthday celebration. A budget of $1,000,000 to be exact."

"...I don't know whether I should be annoyed by my father's pettiness on putting a budget for my birthday or amazed that you used exactly $1,000,000 just for the preparations."

"Amazed M'lady, I'd rather you feel a positive emotion rather than a negative one."

"...Hmph, amazed it is then."

"Haha, are you blushing M'lady?"

"...No, not at all... anyways the guest list, let's discuss that. At this rate I might finish this next Sunday."

"Ah, yes let us discuss it, M'lady after all inviting Lady Odilon is a priority no?"

"...Uh-huh, wait what?"

"Haha, M'lady, you really are cute."

****

"Regin 'Akris' Patique, the first son to Kerin 'Kitsu' Patique and Harya Patique. Hm... rather than son should I say...daughter. It's quite a wonder why they decided to change her public gender."

"That's 'cause they're a patriarchal family so only sons can inherit but thing is Regin or rather Akris is the only legitimate child and Lord Patique's infertile so they had to change her gender. Theres more too it but I'm lazy, but that's basically the jist of it."

"...You sure are into gossip, huh."

"As your personal butler learning the latest trends, me- news, gossips and rumi- rumors (what is wrong with my mouth) are the basics on what I should do, M'lady."

****

Pizaz- Pizza

Tan Juice- Orange Juice

Author's Note: I apologize for the late upload. I wrote 1,600 words but Webnovel lagged or smth and restarted leaving me with 600 words. ;(