"I'm scared! What are we supposed to do!?" It was the morning following the Baron and Baroness' death, and it was time to wake up the Countess.

"Don't panic! Take deep breaths, dear." The head maid was doing her best to keep everyone's nerves in check so that no one would act out. "So long as you serve her properly, no harm will come to you."

"But, yesterday… All that blood and-"

"Focus!" The head maid clapped her hands to draw our attention. "I'm sending you three because you all proved the best at adapting to the Baroness' whims and the Baron's mood. Rely on each other and make sure to cover for any faults so as not to incur the Countess' wrath. Not just your futures, but potentially the lives of all of us depend on how you three do. There is no second chance. Understood?"

"Yes, head maid!"

"Good. Now, it's time to wake the Countess. Compose yourselves before departing." She looked at me and gave a nod, "Lead them well, Tress."

"I will, head maid," I answered through the lump in my throat. I was being forced to lead the others since I was the best at reading the Baron and Baroness. It wasn't something I was particularly proud of since it didn't do much to get me extra pay like the other maids who were far better at sweet-talking. All I did was get in trouble the least. As I led the other two to the third floor I stopped them just outside the door to the master bedroom to give one last piece of advice before we started. "Even if she's just a child, she's from a noble upbringing. If you think something isn't right with her words or actions it's the safest bet to just agree with her. Nobles like it when they're fawned over and validated."

"But, what happened yesterday-"

"Was because the Baron overstepped himself!" These two were still too nervous but I didn't have enough time to properly calm them down. "The higher their rank, the more the noble hates when lesser people talk back to them. Find a flow that makes her happy and ride it as far as you can!"

"O-Okay!"

"…Okay." I turned back toward the door, tried to swallow despite my mouth being completely dry, and knocked. "Madam, we're here to help you prepare for the day. May we come in?"

"Enter." Her voice sounded upbeat which was a good sign that we might make it through the first day. But when I opened the door and entered the room…I had no idea what I was looking at. There was nothing wrong with the room, I'd seen it quite a few times when I served the Baroness. The master bedroom was built with a very open design with most furniture pushed as far back against the walls as they could go so that the large middle of the room was completely open. White tiles spotlessly glinted in the sunlight that peaked in from the eastern side of the room as both the east and west sides were primarily window doors that led to large balconies; the east enjoyed a view of the garden while the west overlooked Solfin and the ocean. Marble columns lined the doorways to the balconies with arches going over the room's curved ceiling to provide support. The bed was large and covered in scarlet bedding that glowed in the sunlight. All the drapes, carpets, sheets, and anything else possible were the same scarlet red. Because of this, the Countess stood out even more against the starch white and scarlet red of the room in her…unusual attire. Why was she wearing a pink dress? "I hope everyone got enough rest last night?"

"Of course, Madam." I gave a bow with my greeting and…wait… She's already dressed? "Was someone here before us who helped you dress?" As far as I knew, the head maid only sent us three! Was someone already pulling underhanded tricks?

"Ah, right." She sounded amused as she looked down at herself. "I usually get up earlier than most." Her eyes flicked up to us and I felt a chill run down my spine. "I got bored of waiting so I dressed myself. I guess I should have told you that earlier."

"Not at all, Madam!" Shit! Shit! Of course she'd wake up earlier than normal nobles; she fought in the war! Knights are known for waking up extremely early in the morning so it's obvious she'd have that habit too! "We should have been more attentive. I apologize for our shortcomings." I sent a stern look to the other two and we all bowed our heads low.

"…" Why was she being so silent? I can feel drops of sweat trickling down my forehead. Please let this pass. Please let this- "It's alright." Those two words felt like salvation. "I'll be sure to mention my usual sleeping routine to the head maid and have her adjust your times accordingly. Rise."

"Thank you for your generosity, Madam." She didn't sound mad, but then again that just made things even scarier. Her mood flipped faster than a thief's fingers yesterday so this could just be a calm before the storm. "May we help you finish preparing for the day?"

"Of course," she said and motioned toward the Barone-…to her jewelry cabinet. Never let that kind of slip out! Never! "You all served the previous Baroness for years, right? So, I'd like to see what would go well on me." There was a playful innocence in her voice that…felt weird.

"Right away, Madam." This was our first test. Up until now, the Countess had always worn dresses that looked good on her but now was different. Her dress was puffy and filled with frills and lace accents that gave off a cutesy feel despite the Countess' face and hair being of a more mature nature. The clash was terrible, but what was even worse was the color of the dress itself. Where on Pianeta did she find a dress so garishly pink? None of that mattered, though, since the Countess decided on the dress it was our job as her maids to match what she wanted. The three of us went over to the jewelry cabinet and started looking through it while the Countess walked over to a tall mirror to look at herself. I dared to take a glance at her while looking through the cabinet and her eyes were staring at us from the reflection in the mirror. "…" I don't think she caught me looking back. She didn't say anything.

"What about this one, Madam?" The older maid pulled out a shimmering pearl necklace that had a pink diamond as its centerpiece set into a silver pendant. It certainly matched the dress, but again, it looked terrible on the Countess. But if the Countess liked it then it must be correct.

"Oh my~. It looks so pretty!" She sounded happy and her smile brightened when the maid brought it over… But why was I still so uneasy? My instincts as a maid helped me get this far when serving the Baron and Baroness, and they were telling me this wasn't right. But the Countess seemed extremely satisfied with the necklace so why did I feel like something was amiss?

"These too, Madam!" The other maid took out some earrings that somehow perfectly matched the dress' pink color.

"Those are also very beautiful~." She was pleased…

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"Then for your makeup-"

"No." The Countess' words halted the room. They were said with an upbeat tone but something underneath made us freeze. "I don't want any makeup, today."

"But, you would look so beau-" No, you idiot! Did you not listen to me, earlier!?

"Indeed, you look so pretty that you don't need makeup, Madam!" I butted in between the Countess and the maid. I sent a warning glare to the maid which made her realize her mistake and she instantly shirked away. Luckily, I found some pink shoes that might fit the Countess and brought them out to distract her, "These are the same color as your necklace and would match perfectly."

"Yes, they would." She sat down on a plush chair and extended one of her feet out to me. I knelt down and slipped the shoes on and luckily I was able to fasten the strap tight enough that it would just barely fit her feet. Now we cou-

"!?!" I looked up and felt like a knife was stabbing me through the throat. The Countess' face was calm with a bright smile, but her eyes…

"Is something wrong?" Her eyes were like shards of glass being forced back into place; like something fake pretending to be whole. There was an expectation staring down at me but I had no idea what it wanted.

"…N-No, Madam." Control yourself, Tress! She's probably just trying to test your nerves! Don't panic. Panicking means you've lost and I can't afford to lose! My little brother won't last another winter outside the walls and the increased pay of being the Countess' personal maid will be enough for me to rent a room in the city for him. "I was just lost in thought over how beautiful you are." I won't let her shake me.

"…" She's silent again. I can't read her expression at all; it just looks like she's pleased with our work so why does it feel like I have a knife to my throat? "Then, let us prepare to depart." Suddenly, she stood up and walked toward the door. "By the time we arrive, there should be a large enough crowd for me to give my speech regarding the city's change in leadership, and denouncing the Baron for his crimes." She did a twirl when she got to the door and looked back at us. "I can't wait to make my first impression on my people."

"I'm…sure they will love you, Madam." My gut churned at her words. She looked so terrible that anyone with common sense would realize it, but that's what the Countess wanted and it was our job as maids to follow her wishes. I motioned to the other two and we quickly fell in line with the Countess as she made her way to the stairs and entrance hall. Along the way, waiting on the first floor, was that man from yesterday; Carl I think his name was.

"Are yo-…?" Why are you showing such a dumbfounded expression so openly? I know she looks bad, but it's what she wanted! So can't you just- "Did you fall in pink paint or something?" What are you doing!?! Are you trying to get us killed!?!

"I asked the maids to help me out earlier. Doesn't everything look beautiful?" She says she likes it… She says she likes it, so why do I feel like I want to throw up? Everything points to her being satisfied yet my instincts are telling me that I need to speak up and stop her. I can't!

"…Uh-huh." Carl's expression changed? He looks resigned for some…reason? Why did two Hellhound knights start walking behind us? "Be safe on your outing then." His nonchalant manner of speaking would have gotten him slapped by any other noble.

"Thanks, I'll be back soon." But the Countess let him go. She was fine being nonchalant with her knights…with her people? Now that I think about it, I saw her talking with that aide, Jeremy, yesterday and she also talked informally with him. Did she like that kind of speech? She didn't say anything about it to us.

"Got it." Carl gave a nod to the knights and they started following us even closer!? Why!? The Countess was pleased that we matched her outfit so why am I sweating so much!? Why are the knight's hands resting on the hilts of their blades as if ready to draw!? Do the other two not notice what's happening!? This is wrong! We did something wrong and I don't know what!

"Goodbye." Why did she say that!? Was that directed at us? We didn't do anything wrong! We just matched her dress like she asked!... Like she asked? The Countess…never asked us to match the dress, she asked us to match her. Even though she motioned to the jewelry cabinet, she never said to find jewelry that matched the dress! When we brought out pieces that matched the dress she only commented on how pretty they looked but never on if she personally liked them! She said to find things that go well with her! Her!

"…Ma-" But what if I was wrong? The Baron and all of the nobles he mingled with hated it when a servant spoke out of line so I quickly got used to keeping my thoughts to myself. How dare a commoner think they know better than a noble. But the way she interacts with her people speaks otherwise to what I'm used to.

"…" The knights behind us got closer as the Countess neared the front door and I felt in my soul that I wouldn't live if she stepped outside looking like that.

"M-Madam!?" my voice came out in a shriek as I struggled to control my racing heart. The other two maids looked at me in horror; like I was crazy.

"…What is it?" the Countess asked with one foot hovering out the door but not touching the ground.

"I…believe I need glasses!" If I was wrong then I would probably lose my life for daring to speak against her, but if I was right and did nothing then I would die for not speaking out which it seems like she wants!

"Glasses?" Her face is unreadable. That smile is unreadable! If I'm damned either way then at least I'll pick the option that gives me the best chance at surviving! I won't abandon my little brother to die alone in the slums outside the walls!

"Y-Yes...because…that dress looks hideous on you!"

"!?!" The faces of the other two maids went white and they started shaking in fear. They probably wanted to reprimand me to win points with the Countess but were too afraid to even speak. I heard Carl stifle a laugh. Was that a good thing? Nobles like amusing things, so if I was at least amusing I would be kept alive.

"…" Her silence is like a noose around my neck. If I chose wrong… "Really?"

"…?" She…didn't sound mad? She sounded curious! Curious is good! "Yes, Madam. I think my eyes are going bad because now that I see you under a different light I can see that your dress doesn't match you." The lump in my throat never left but I wouldn't let it stop me from continuing, "I b-believe we should choose something else."

"Hmm." Her smile…softened? It can do that? "Then, what would you suggest?" As she brought her foot back inside, I felt the knights that were behind us start to move away! I guessed right!

"Since you will be addressing the common folk, your red and black dress would be perfect to show your status as owner of Solfin while setting yourself apart from the previous Baron." There were still hurdles to climb, but it finally felt like I could breathe. "Though, that would mean you would be wearing the same dress two days in a row."

"I don't mind," the Countess said and gave a casual shrug before heading back toward the stairs. The other two maids looked completely stunned by what just happened so I cleared my throat to draw their attention since the Countess was about to leave us behind.

"T-Then we'll get the dress prepared!" Luckily they were quick to recompose themselves and followed my lead. "T-Though it may delay your departure s-since it's stained in…" No! Don't lose your voice now when we're this close!

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that." We don't? The Countess explained when we reached the third floor and reentered the master bedroom, "I'm used to washing blood out of clothes so it was easy to clean it just enough to not be noticeable."

"…A-Ah." She really isn't like other nobles. "That's…wonderful?"

"Indeed it is." The Countess looked to the other two maids and ordered, "Tell the coachman we'll be a bit late, and see to it that Carl has made all the proper preparations with the guards."

"At once, Madam!" the two spoke in unison before hurriedly leaving the room. Now, I was alone with the Countess.

"Will you help me get changed, Tress?" She used my name.

"At once, Madam." It's obvious she sent the other two out because she has something to say to me privately.

"You know," she began as I started untying the back of her dress. Even the strings were pink. "I'm actually borrowing this dress from a friend. I wanted to see how it looked on someone like me, but…" My breath caught in my throat as I finished untying the dress and it fell to the floor revealing her scared body. "I guess I can't pull off the cutesy look."

"…While you might be able to pull off this kind of dress, I'd advise anything other than pink as the color." For the first time in years, I allowed my personal thoughts to come out as I brought out the red and black dress. Scarlet really is a nice color to hide blood.

"Fair, though I think I'll stick to the styles I already own." The air in the room was no longer suffocating. As I helped her put on her elbow-length black lace gloves, she asked, "Can you pick out some jewelry that would go well with me, Tress?"

"…" I should do as she says…but… "I would advise against wearing jewelry for your speech, Madam."

"Really?"

"The Baron strangled the wealth out of the people…out of us." The Countess doesn't want lapdogs licking her feet, she wants competent people offering legitimate help. "If you appear before them covered in jewelry then it will leave the impression you are no different from the Baron. Your dress is fancy enough to be recognized as a noble while appearing with little to no jewelry and makeup will show you aren't obsessed with wealth."

"Very good." She gave a satisfied nod and added, "I'm glad you're a fast learner, Tress. I look forward to you taking care of me as my lady-in-waiting."

"…!" Me!? While I was already leading the other two, this would solidify my position at the top of the maids who directly served the Countess. The position of lady-in-waiting had always been left vacant as the Baron didn't want to give a commoner that title since no higher-ranked noble would ever send their daughter to be a Baroness' lady-in-waiting despite how much he wanted them to. He also felt extreme jealousy whenever someone got too close to the Baroness; even if they were just maids which was why he often rotated us around. While my duties would increase, my pay would more than double and I'd be above even the head maid in power! "I would be honored, Madam!"

"You're resourceful and are the only one who figured out what I really wanted which means you're also quick. Don't disappoint me, Tress."

"Of co-… Got it."

"You're learning~." The amused laugh the Countess gave didn't match how frightening she was, but dealing with that was part of my job. While I don't think there will ever come a time when I'm not afraid of her, at least now I can interact with her in a way that won't get my head immediately chopped off. Her reign definitely won't be clean, but I can at least save myself and my brother. We will survive the Countess' new Solfin.