Isabella’s P.O.V.
I am Isabella Helflore from Liedsenberg, northern district
I am currently the personal maid of Prince Louis, the 1st
He is the air to the throne and also has very much potential as a ruler according to his father
Not to say, generous of heart
In other words an important person
And I was given the responsibility to serve him to death
But I am... a failure
A good maid is supposed to know its master’s wishes before they order it
But I can’t read master at all
So I am very happy when the master orders me when he does
I specialize in nearly every task and was trained to fulfill my master’s every wish
I am also very good at, according to my aunt, wearing my mask
This is a technique nearly every maid has to learn in order to be a professional
It requires you to hide your true emotions and express the emotion which your master whishes you to
It is similar to acting rather you aren’t just hiding your emotions, you are destroying them
They don’t exist to you and they don’t exist to them (For the meantime, of course)
Then you can make them again which is relatively easier
It is truly a difficult technique to master but I managed to do it in order for my brother to live freely
My mother’s mask was fused with her face and now she doesn’t have many emotions left
But that is a sign of how much hard work she had exerted in making her mask
I admire her for this so I also attempt to always wear it
And I have or at least I hope so
And that brings me to last night
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
He asked me to hug him
That is completely normal request
A maid’s duty is to satisfy its master’s desire
That also consists of satisfying his/her urges
While it is rarely her a male master asking for this is completely normal
This is also quite important for a maid as this might determine the maid’s position in the house
So unsurprisingly my mother also trained me in this field too
But...
That night while he was hugging me my mask tore
Sometimes the wearer isn’t completely able to cover his/her face and the mask tears itself in moments of surprise, joy, and anger
For sometimes the mouth and face is saying something while eyes have something else
My emotions should have been of joy, not extreme, but still of joy
But the emotion of surprise, which should have been dead and buried by now, showed itself
In my eyes...
As my master suddenly held me in his arms I experience something which can only be described as...confusing
It wasn’t unpleasant, by any means
Quite opposite of it, It felt good
But it also felt wrong, at the same time
It is, as I said, confusing
And I am not sure of what action I should take next, regarding this matter
But what I am sure of is that master tore my mask which I strived so hard to build with such ease
It all points to the incompetence of my mask
That, in turn, leads to the conclusion that I am not working hard enough
I have worked hard enough
There is no place for failure
“Master, May I come in?”
“Yes”
I opened the door
And just as I had expected master is practicing magic on a table at the corner of the room, near the window
I always thought magic exists
But I never would have thought it could only be done with the help of what my master calls ‘Playing Cards’
It also seems he has returned to normal
He avoided me after that night when he held me, for few days
“I have delivered the report to his majesty”
“Yes, Thank you”
“It’s my pleasure. Is there anything else I can do?”
He thought for a moment while rubbing his chin
“No, That’s all”
I want some more orders so I can train myself, though
“Are your shoulder’s aching, Master?”
He swung his shoulder without leaving his sight from his ‘cards’
“Not particularly, no”
Hmm
Then I will focus on cleaning the room
But there is no cleaning needed as the master cleans it himself
Not to mention his room is not so big
At first sight, it only seems slightly bigger than my room
It also doesn’t have much furniture either
I am curious to know why but I can’t ask him
I am a maid
I need to know my place
“Isabella, What is your ring size?”
“I am afraid I don’t know”
Why is master asking me that?
“Then...What type of ornaments do you like?”
...
“I am afraid I don’t know”
“Seriously ( `д´ )!!!”
“I have never had the liberty nor the interest in these types of things”
“Huh? But what do you spend your monthly wages on?”
“I give half of them to my mother and the other half is saved up for my brother’s education”
“So you don’t buy anything with it?”
“Yes”
“What about clothes?”
“I have my maid dresses and nightgowns”
He made an obvious face of pity and then tried to hide it
I don’t know what is there to pity about me
I am a maid
This is what I deserve
Normal people would have just laughed at that
Just like my old lord
But...
“Let’s go to the town and get you some clothes next Sunday”
“B-But master-”
“That's an order,” He said forcefully
(⁄ ⁄ º⁄ _ ⁄ º ⁄ ⁄)
In front of me was a man who accepted me the way I am
It doesn’t matter to him that I am a maid
He still cares about me
Even though, knowing who I really am
He still thinks of me as a...
A human...
“Yes...of course, master”