Vinoria made an irritated groan as she woke, pulling herself from the recurring nightmares of her past. The pull of her hair, the force of the beatings, the constant scolding, belittling, and insults being sent her way. She could still feel them as if they were yesterday. 

  Sunlight broke through a small gap of the curtains, lighting the room up and making everything visible. Her bed was pressed into a corner, covered with simple colored sheets and a regular cotton blanket. Off to the side of her bed was a small nightstand which housed her work clothes. At the end of her bed was a small footlocker which held more personal clothing, such as sleeping garments and other items of sorts. Also placed along the wall was a small mirror to ensure she was presentable before coming out of the room.  

She got up from her bed, not willing to spend another thought on the horrible experience. Vinoria changed into her working clothes; A long sleeved, white collared shirt with rolled up cuffs that matched the black suspenders and tie, with a pair of silk white gloves. 

She hastily exited her room, quickened pace continuing as she headed towards the mansion’s kitchen. Today was an important holiday, which was shown by the extra amount of staff. The family came to see Frederick, the Master of the House. Adam, the Chef of the House, along with some of the staff were finishing the morning meals, while others started preparing the food for later. The sound of pots and pans echoed in the air, and started to resemble a professional kitchen. 

The area itself was quite maneuverable for Vinoria to get around. In the center of the kitchen was an island fixture, where the food was being prepared. Countertops lined the walls, with stoves, ovens, and sinks accompanied in between. Next to the door, where she entered, was a busy part of the kitchen, as this was where the spices and other ingredients were kept.

On the other side of the kitchen was Wayne Redcrown, begging one of the staff for a snack. He was the grandchild of Frederick, small and topped with a head of shaggy hair. His mother, Lucindia Redcrown, quickly rushed in to stop him. A slender blonde woman who married into the family. She is rather unpleasant to the staff, much like the rest of the family. 

“Wayne!” Lucindia then grabbed the boy by his arm, “We do not beg for food, only these people beg. This is why it’s important to work hard, and not be like the-.” She stopped herself at the sight of the servant’s arrival. “Oh, I’m sorry, Vinoria, I didn’t see you come in.” She said, trying to act innocent with her high-pitched voice, which caused some of the staff to roll their eyes as they continued with their work.

“No worries, ma’am. Much is to be expected from young master Wayne”. The servant replied with a gentle smile as she set her gaze on the child. He looked back at her shyly. 

Once the mother dragged the boy out of the kitchen, Vinoria turned herself towards the chef, Adam. The man was a tenuous brunette, who often wore glasses accompanied by a brown striped shirt. 

“The preparations for today’s meals are coming along smoothly, I hope.” Vinoria spoke to the chef as she eyed the items placed on the island table.

“Smooth as always, V. The meals should be ready by dinner time.” Adam replied in a playful manner, maneuvering around the kitchen as he continued the preparation. There were a few close calls as he almost bumped into some of the extra help.

Vinoria lightly smirked at the man’s behavior and the staff that was startled by him. “Of course,” she nodded, as some of the stacked pots fell over, once again causing people to panic a little. “As smooth as always.”

The man quickly went over to help pick up the pots. “You’ll see, V. Also yes, the extra help is proving to be very useful, thank you very much.”  He quickly stood up tall and straight, puffing up his chest to look confident. The woman looked at the rest of the staff, scrambling around the kitchen, trying their best to keep up with the chef. She then gave a nod of approval before she took her leave. 

Walking down the hallway, Vinoria passed the Housekeeper, Gale Nekari. She was slightly taller than the servant, with amber colored hair at the shoulders; she wore a simple long black dress that kept her distinctive from the others. Gale was trying to give instructions to the maids, but they were distracted by the sight of Vinoria walking by. They wore a similar outfit, a black dress with white accents along the collar, sleeves and pockets. 

“Hi, Vinoria~” the four ladies had spoken up simultaneously. Their voices synced at a higher pitch than normal.

“Girls!” The woman snapped her fingers in front of the maids, trying to grab their focus. “Pay attention! The rest of the family is coming. It is essential for the house to be in perfect shape.”  After giving the maids their instructions, she approached Vinoria. “Miss Miao,” Gale huffed, trying to contain her frustration. “I do apologize about their behavior. I understand you must be extremely busy.” 

Vinoria waved to the four as she passed. “That is quite alright.” She then leaned to the side and caught the maids still peeking at her. “Hello, ladies.” Those two words made them squeal with delight, which only made Gale speak up again to remind them of their job here at the mansion.

After a small smirk at them, Vinoria continued down the hallway towards the servant entrance. After seeing that some of the family had already arrived, she wanted to know when they should expect the rest. She made her way to the security booth at the front gates and spoke with the guard, Curtis Richards. Curtis was a larger built male with short gray hair, while wearing what looks to be a traditional security outfit. 

“Good morning, Curtis, I hope all is quiet.” Vinoria spoke softly, walking up to him. “Do you have an estimate on when the rest of the family shall arrive?”

Curtis turned around from looking down the driveway, “Oh Vinoria, nice to see you this morning. Thomas is picking up some of the family right now. If I were to guess, I expect them in about 30 minutes.”

Thomas Watkins, the estate’s valet, was a tan male with dark hair who always dressed for the part. He tends to be very flirtatious with everyone, but was still a good friend nonetheless. Vinoria would often recall a memory of Thomas coming to her sad after hitting on Adam, just to find out he had a girlfriend. 

“Thank you for the warning, I will make sure to let Fredrick know.” Vinoria replied, “If there are any complications, please alert me as soon as possible.” 

“Well, of course, Vinoria, I only wish the best inside.” Curtis gave a quick chuckle as he turned back towards the driveway. Seeing how everything was going according to plan, Vinoria then started to walk towards the side of the mansion.

The woman then followed the sound of gardening equipment around the edge of the house. There she found Robin Dashings, a dark skin male with black hair who normally wears overalls. He was shaping the bushes, with a lawnmower ready to be used nearby. As Vinoria got closer, she paused for a moment to gaze upon one of the flower beds. Peony flowers, one of her own favorites. They bloomed vibrantly with their peach color, reminding her of simpler times. After taking that moment, she then approached Robin.

“I hope the family’s desire for perfection isn’t too much for you, Robin.” Vinoria spoke up, watching the gardener focus on his work.

“Well, of course not, Vinoria, just putting the finishing touches. Though I think I speak for all of us when I say, ‘I can’t wait for all this to be over, and go back to normal.’” The man said with a playful smirk, “Anyways, I hope to be done within the hour, no worries, Vinoria.”

Walking back into the house, she passed the housemaids who caught sight of her. They all turned their heads as she passed by, and stopped paying attention to what they were doing. They waved again to Vinoria, without speaking this time, so they do not attract the unwanted attention of Gale after what happened earlier.

Giving a quick nod to the girls, Vinoria then made her way into Frederick's room. As she entered, she saw the old man on his chair near a bookcase. Jazmee, the nurse, was next to him checking his health. She had fair skin, with her dark brown hair pulled nicely back into a bun, and wore blue scrubs that always seemed to fit well on her. 

Vinoria watched from a distance, giving them space. She bowed and spoke. “Good morning, Miss Tyco.” She stood back upright, but kept her head lowered. “How is he this morning?” 

“He’s doing well, Miss Miao, though he has to remember to take his cholesterol medicine.” She pauses and turns to Frederick. “He also has to remember to get up and move around more. Get some exercise.”  

The man chuckled, amused by the nurse’s words. “Hah! With my age? Not much reason to move around anyways.“

Jazmee rolled her eyes, scoffing at Frederick with a reply. “Well, you won’t make it to the end of the day if you don’t, sir.” 

The old man giggled alongside the nurse. “Well, if that is the case I’ll just come back and haunt the mansion like a ghost!” He said jokingly, and made a spooky gesture with his hands towards Jazmee. 

Vinoria had to suppress a smile as the jokes continued. As much as she enjoyed it, maintaining her composer was a must. 

Jazmee packed her items and turned to exit the room, making a comment while doing so, “You still need to remember to take the medicine on time, Mister Frederick Redcrown.” She pauses and faces the man once more, “-and please, even if it’s arm circles or a walk around your bed, do try to move around more.” 

While the nurse passed Vinoria, the servant bowed again. “Do not worry, Miss Tyco. I’ll make sure that he does.”

Jazmee stopped in front of Vinoria, giving her a nod with a slight smile. “Please see that you do, Miss Miao. I must be off now. I will see you both again next week.” With that, the nurse left, leaving the two in the room. 

Vinoria felt a slight nudge against her arm. She looked over to see Frederick with a smirk on his face. ”You like her.” He said in a playful tone.

“I respect her.” Vinoria huffed and looked away, correcting him. “She’s a member of the medical community. She has studied long and hard for the benefit of others, and that deserves nothing but respect- How many times do we have to go over this?” She turned her gaze back to the old man, expressing her frustration of this topic being brought up again and again. 

“Ah yes, there is certainly tons of respect coming from you. No doubt about that.” A few seconds of silence passed, only for her to see his smirk growing wider. “Respect and your fondness for her.”

“Let’s go get you some exercise, Grandpa.” The servant sighed and guided him out of his room, hoping to put an end to the conversation.

“Don’t ignore me because I’m right!” Frederick chirped, as he ignored her statement as well.

“I’m not avoiding anything. I just have a job to do. Now come, the family will be here soon.” Vinoria helped Frederick exit the room, and into the living area, where the family that came early were waiting.