The sun had yet to rise, but the three of us were already standing stiffly in the middle of the head maid’s office, awaiting our first assignment.

“How was it yesterday?” the head maid asked, her arms crossed as she eyed us critically.

“We learned a lot, ma’am. We’ll be sure to carry out our tasks properly,” we answered in unison.

“Good,” she replied curtly. “Starting today, the three of you will be working under Hana. You’ll be assisting her. Obey her instructions and report any issues to her directly.”

“Yes, Head Maid,” we responded, nodding respectfully.

“Then go. Find Hana and ask her what you need to do,” she added with finality, already returning her attention to the documents on her desk. Taking that as our cue to leave, we bowed and exited the room.

We were headed toward the servant’s quarters to look for Hana when we spotted her walking toward us from the hallway.

“There you three are,” she called out with a cheerful smile.

“Good morning, Senior Hana,” I greeted her.

“Come with me. We’re heading to the kitchen to help with preparations.”

We followed her through the quiet halls until we reached the bustling kitchen. Inside, the atmosphere was chaotic but efficient—servants dashed back and forth chopping ingredients, washing dishes, and tending to large pots bubbling over open flames.

As we stepped inside, we immediately noticed an older man commanding the attention of everyone around him. He exuded authority, and though no one spoke, the kitchen hummed with focused energy. Everyone kept their heads down, working diligently. It was clear this man was the head chef.

Senior Hana approached him with a calm and respectful tone. “Head Chef, what can we do to help?”

The man turned to face us, his sharp eyes narrowing beneath his chef’s hat. His slicked-back white hair glinted slightly under the lantern light. The moment his eyes landed on us, the girls beside me flinched—his presence was that intense. But Hana stood her ground without the slightest hint of fear.

“You knew I was busy, and you still interrupted, Hana,” he said with a glare.

“I have the new hires with me. I wanted to ask where they can be of use,” she explained.

The chef gave a low hum and finally turned his attention to us, scanning us from head to toe. “Ah… the new girls from yesterday?”

He exhaled through his nose before continuing, “Have them assist wherever they’re needed—but not with the dishes I’m preparing for the master or Lady Anavriel. I won’t risk any mistakes on their food.”

With that, he turned back to his work without another word.

Senior Hana smiled brightly, clapping her hands together. “Well, you heard him. Grab a knife and join the others. Let’s get to work on those vegetables over there.”

She pointed us toward a long counter on the far side of the kitchen, where piles of fresh vegetables were stacked high. Several other kitchen staff were already seated and chopping away.

We followed her lead, tied on our aprons, and got to work.

.

.

.

We spent the entire day in the kitchen, and it was far more grueling than we had anticipated. As soon as we finished one task—like cutting vegetables—we were immediately swept into the next, such as washing piles of dishes. And with the sheer number of servants and household members, the work never truly stopped.

Just when we thought we could finally rest, it was already time to prepare lunch. The cycle repeated: chop, stir, serve, clean. Then came dinner prep—and again, we had to start over.

It. Was. Exhausting.

The only time we could truly rest was during meals, but even then, we had to eat quickly and get back to work. By the time everything finally settled down, the sun had long since set.

Back in our room, we wiped down our tired bodies and collapsed onto our beds.

“My whole body hurts…” Alice groaned.

“Me too…” I agreed with a weary sigh.

“I’m tired too,” Jane chimed in, though she seemed more composed. “But I think I’ll get used to it eventually.”

“Oh shut it, just admit you're tired like the rest of us!” Alice snapped playfully, and Jane just laughed.

“I mean, yeah, I am tired,” she admitted. “But I kind of enjoyed it. Thinking about that makes me feel a little less exhausted.”

Alice just pouted in response. “Well, once I marry a nobleman, I won’t have to do any of this anymore!”

Jane and I both chuckled at her ambition.

“I’m cheering for you, Alice,” I said, smiling. “And if you do marry someone rich, please hire me too. Just give me a super easy job.”

“Of course!” Alice said proudly. “And I’ll even sponsor Jane’s studies so she can go to the academy she loves so much.”

Jane smirked. “Oh yeah? And how do you plan to meet a nobleman while working in the kitchen?”

Alice paused for a moment before flashing a grin. “Easy. I’ll get assigned to serve the food during a noble gathering or banquet. That’s my chance.”

Jane burst into laughter while I just shook my head in amusement.

We talked about everything and nothing until we slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, before the sun had even risen, we were awakened by Senior Hana.

“You’re all on kitchen duty again today,” she said as she pulled open the door.

“But I won’t be joining you this time—I have other tasks to handle,” she added with a hurried smile before dashing off.

We stared after her, stunned.

“Wait, weren’t we supposed to follow her?” one of us mumbled.

Still processing her sudden absence, we hesitantly made our way back to the kitchen. Before we could even fully step inside, one of the kitchen staff barked at us.

“What are you standing around for? Get to work!”

Startled, we jumped into action, rushing to our stations to peel and chop vegetables just like the day before. But this time, there were no helpful smiles or gentle corrections—only constant yelling and impatient scolding.

It was a long day.

When we finally returned to our room in the evening, our bodies were sore and our moods low.

“Why was everyone yelling at us today?” Alice complained, flopping onto her bed.

“I know, right? It was worse than yesterday,” Jane added, massaging her arms.

“Maybe because Senior Hana wasn’t with us…” I murmured.

We all groaned in agreement.

A knock interrupted our grumbling. I dragged myself up and opened the door to find Hana in her pajamas, smiling gently.

She stepped into the room and sat on the edge of my bed. “So? How was it working in the kitchen without me?”

“It was awful! Everyone kept yelling at us to hurry up,” Alice complained.

Hana gave her a sympathetic smile. “Don’t take it too hard. That’s just how it is in the kitchen.”

“Really?” Jane asked.

Hana nodded. “Yes. You’ve seen how many servants live here, haven’t you? The kitchen needs to work fast to feed everyone on time. Otherwise, it would throw off the entire day’s schedule.”

I sighed, thinking to myself, Why does this place even have so many servants?

“But don’t worry,” Hana said cheerfully. “I’ll try to get you reassigned to different tasks soon.”

Alice sat up immediately. “Wait, really? We’ll be reassigned?”

Hana nodded. “Yes. Just hold out a little longer.”

That little bit of hope was exactly what we needed. Our spirits lifted—if only just a little.