“Hualí, it’s time to get up. There’s Apprentice Maid training soon!”
Outside the door came Maid Chief Jeilinfa’s urging, followed by the light footsteps of lady’s leather shoes tapping along the corridor, gradually fading toward the end.
“Okay, got it!”
Inside the room, Hualí replied anxiously, hurriedly pulling on the black and white lace maid uniform Jeilinfa had given her last night.
“How do you even wear this outfit?!”
Though Jeilinfa had demonstrated how to put on the maid uniform last night, and Hualí had tried to learn seriously, all that complicated knowledge had turned into a jumble after just one night.
After all, she had nowhere else to go now.
She’d signed the Contract and decided to treat being a Maid as her temporary job, but remembering all the details was another matter.
Finally, after much effort, Hualí managed to wear the maid dress properly.
Staring at herself in the full-length mirror, she felt something was missing.
Missing… what?
“Ah! The headband!”
Snapping back to her senses, Hualí let out a delicate yelp.
She finally found the lace headband accidentally covered by the bedding and, facing the mirror, carefully put it on, securing her long, soft pink hair.
“It’s a bit tight…”
She loosened the black bow at the collar of her maid outfit.
“That’s much better~”
Hualí giggled in satisfaction.
But the next moment, something came to mind, and her smile vanished.
“What am I even happy about?!”
The pure white cotton socks that came with the maid uniform barely reached above her ankles, while the black and white lace-edged long skirt covered her pale legs. Hualí knelt on the floor, knees pressed down.
Supporting herself, she reached under the bed and felt around until she pulled out a long Black Wooden Case, over a meter in length.
She opened the lid.
There, lying silently at the bottom, was the Saint Sword—‘Phillips’—the symbol of the Human Race Hero.
Its sharp blade glinted coldly, as if unwilling to remain dormant.
“Uuuu~”
Hualí hugged the Saint Sword and squeezed out a few tears.
“Guh… It’s not my will to abandon you. Please don’t blame me, okay?!”
That day, the Heroine said she wanted to go out and see the world, but after defeat, she became a completely different person.
The once-glorious Saint Sword ‘Phillips’ had now become a ‘useless’ relic, and Hualí, once a revered Hero, had fallen to the point of being the ‘plaything in the palm’ of the evil Blood Queen.
Shared hardships, almost the same predicament—they seemed to tie Hualí and the Saint Sword closer than ever.
As if to comfort her, the Sapphire embedded in the sword’s hilt shimmered with a faint glow.
Hualí wiped the tears from her sweet little face.
“Are you saying it’s all because Sidella is too powerful, and you don’t blame me? Uuu, Saint Sword, you’re so kind…”
Hualí’s face twisted in sorrow as she continued.
“But ever since I got the big soft bed yesterday, I can’t fall asleep at night without you propping up the bed legs…”
Saint Sword: “???”
The Sapphire’s glow flickered madly, as if cursing.
“But it’s fine!”
Hualí stood up, hugging the Saint Sword, patted the dust from her knees, and struck a confident pose.
“I’ll bury you for now, and when I save enough money, I’ll dig you out. Then together, we’ll defeat Sidella!”
Being a Maid and all that—it was just temporary endurance.
The tiny Hero Hualí will never yield to the evil Blood Queen!!!
Once she made up her mind, Hualí struggled to move the heavy bed aside and began digging a hole under it, gripping the Saint Sword.
Sword met cement and stone with violent clashes, sparks flying everywhere.
The Saint Sword’s blade was nearly blunted from digging.
Hualí pouted, full of disdain.
“Useless Saint Sword~”
With a ‘clang’, she finally carved out a pit large enough to bury the sword horizontally.
A rolling piece of stone revealed a thumb-sized black hole that caught Hualí’s attention.
“What’s this?”
Hualí stared blankly, lying down to peer inside.
At that moment, a girl’s voice, stretched to the limit of patience, echoed from within the hole.
“Why are you digging the floor? Don’t you know you live on the second floor?!”
“S-sorry!”
***
Wearing her maid uniform, Hualí stepped out the door and ran into Maid Chief Jeilinfa, who had been waiting in the corridor.
Before she could greet her, she was briskly dragged toward the kitchen.
“Eh, I haven’t eaten yet!”
“Still thinking about food? That comes after morning chores!”
As professional Maids serving Her Majesty the Queen, they had to rise before the Queen awoke every day, preparing a sumptuous breakfast with utmost respect.
And a cup of freshly brewed tea or coffee, just the way Her Majesty liked.
Led by Jeilinfa, Hualí arrived at the Crown Kitchen inside the palace.
Every corner of the kitchen was filled with Maids in matching Royal Maid Uniforms.
The only thing that set Hualí apart was her pink hair; the other busy Maids all had flowing silver hair, shimmering like moonlight.
Unlike Hualí, who was of the Human Race, the other Maids were true members of the Blood Clan.
“Careful, some of the vegetables being washed are for lunch. Remember to use Magic Ice Blocks for freshness!”
“How many times do I have to say it? Her Majesty doesn’t like Broccoli! If the guards bring more, just toss them!”
“That’s not how you cut the fruit plate. Here, let me show you one more time!”
Within the orderly workflow, Jeilinfa still managed to spot every flaw.
She navigated the crowded paths with practiced ease, pinpointing each Maid’s shortcomings.
Hualí followed behind, wide-eyed.
Once the Maids were less busy, Jeilinfa finally found time to teach Hualí what it took to become a proper Apprentice Maid.
Washing, cooking, brewing tea, cleaning… and so on.
All in all, it was a bunch of chores that weren’t very difficult.
“Doesn’t sound so hard.”
Hualí put her hands on her hips in confidence, her little nose held so high it was nearly sky-bound.
“All right, what do you need me to do today?”
She answered herself.
“Since it’s the first day, should I start with washing vegetables? Leave it to me!”
“Wait!”
As Hualí rolled up her sleeves and charged toward the sink, Jeilinfa grabbed her by the back of her maid uniform.
“Even if you’re an Apprentice Maid, your duties are different from theirs.”
Hualí blinked, tilting her head in confusion.
Huh?
“Didn’t you just say you were hungry?”
Jeilinfa pointed to the side, where fresh, green Broccoli piled up.
“If you’re not picky, you can eat those.”
“After Her Majesty finishes breakfast, I’ll teach you your real task—using your body to serve Her Majesty.”