Chapter 19: Chapter 19 - Head Maid ( Part 2 )
The Royal Palace of Seraiya was an embodiment of beauty.
At least that is what people always said.
They described the bright white walls shining under the rays of the morning sun.
They talked about the gardens decorated with flowers from all corners of the kingdom.
They praised the crystal fountains, marble halls, and golden decorations.
People created poems about it.
Artists created paintings about it.
Rich people tried to create something similar to it.
Not Jennie.
For Jennie, it was too clean.
Too suspiciously clean.
No place shone like this.
While walking through the palace corridors under the escort of a Royal Guard, Jennie found herself looking at the marble floor.
Her reflection was perfectly visible.
It disturbed her.
In her past life, battlefields had been filled with blood, mud, and broken armor.
This floor was shining as if a person needed to ask for permission to walk here.
Jennie looked down.
Then looked again.
This floor was cleaner than most of the temples.
Either whoever takes care of it was extremely talented...
Or extremely terrifying.
She would find out the answer several minutes later.
---
The guard accompanying her was visibly nervous.
He wasn’t nervous about Jennie.
No, he was nervous about something else.
Just about this fact, Jennie paid attention to the fact.
The guard was a seasoned knight.
One side of his face was cut with a scar.
His armor showed that he participated in many battles.
And yet there was something unusual in his expression.
Jennie raised an eyebrow.
"Are we walking towards the dragon?"
The knight blushed.
"No."
"Toward the demon?"
"No."
"A secret dungeon under the palace?"
"No."
Jennie crossed her arms.
"And why do you look like you’re on your funeral?"
The knight coughed.
"I am not."
"But you definitely are."
"..."
"..."
"...A little bit."
Jennie became very interested.
"What exactly am I walking into?"
The knight didn’t reply immediately.
For several seconds, it seemed to her that he won’t say anything.
Then he sighed.
"Lady Martha."
It meant nothing to her.
But clearly, everything to him.
---
They kept walking.
Several servants of the palace passed them.
All of them had an impeccable discipline.
All uniforms looked perfect.
All movements were precise.
All postures looked elegant.
Jennie watched how a maid fixes the position of flowers.
Then another maid fixed the first maid’s work half an inch.
Then third maid fixed the second maid’s work.
They all looked at the flower like generals considering military tactics.
Jennie slowly looked away.
She wasn’t mentally ready for this profession.
---
After several minutes, they came to a huge pair of oak doors.
The knight stopped.
Just then, Jennie heard the voice from behind these doors.
The calm voice.
Not loud.
Not angry.
But somehow terrifying.
"You call this folded?"
The woman replied almost immediately.
"I-I apologize!"
"No."
The calm voice answered.
"You apologize only after fixing the mistakes."
A pause followed.
Then:
"Fix it."
Jennie heard the noise of frantic movement.
Beside her, the knight whispered a prayer.
It was real.
Jennie stared.
"You’re praying."
"I am."
"Should I pray as well?"
"... Probably."
---
The doors opened.
Jennie entered the room.
The interior of this room reminded about the training grounds.
But not for the soldiers.
It was a training grounds for the maids.
Rows of tables filled this room.
There were stacks of towels, cleaning things, silverware, tea sets, uniforms, sheets, curtains.
Everything which could be imagined.
Almost thirty maids formed there.
Jennie noticed something odd immediately.
Nobody looked relaxed.
Nobody.
All maids stood even straighter than royal knights.
A small wrinkle in their uniforms would cause a national emergency.
Then Jennie saw the reason.
In the center of the room stood an old woman.
Her silver hair was tied to the back of the head.
Gray eyes.
Perfect posture.
An immaculate black uniform.
White gloves.
Glasses on the nose.
She wasn’t tall.
She wasn’t physically intimidating.
But somehow...
This room was revolving around her.
Jennie had faced emperors before.
She faced ancient monsters before.
She faced the generals commanding hundreds of thousands of people.
But none of them had this kind of strange aura.
The aura of someone who will absolutely judge your breathing.
---
The woman turned.
She looked at Jennie.
Silence followed.
The room became so silent that Jennie could hear the birds flying somewhere outside.
The woman with the silver hair walked forward.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Each step was performed perfectly.
Without any wasted movements, without wasted breath.
Jennie understood why the knight prayed just now.
---
"You are Jennie Queens."
The voice was calm.
Precise.
Measuring.
"Correct."
The woman nodded.
"Martha Morius."
Simple.
Direct.
Without any unnecessary words.
Jennie appreciated this quality.
---
For several moments, neither of them said anything.
They only were observing each other.
Martha was observing Jennie.
Jennie was observing Martha.
Both were silently evaluating and judging.
The maids around them looked ready to fall because of the stress.
One maid was sweating.
Another one was close to crying.
Third one was wishing to leave this kingdom.
---
Finally, Martha started speaking.
"You are ten years old."
"Yes."
"You are Princess Lilia’s personal maid."
Jennie sighed.
"Yes, according to unfortunate events."
Several maids inhaled sharply.
One maid dropped a basket.
Martha’s eyebrow twitched.
Just slightly.
Unnoticeable.
But half of the room looked terrified.
Jennie wondered if it was her criminal record.
---
Unexpectedly for her...
Martha smiled.
Tiny smile.
Small enough to disappear immediately.
But she did.
"You dislike this arrangement."
"Very much."
"Good."
Jennie blinked.
That wasn’t the reaction she expected.
Martha crossed her arms.
"Most nobles lie."
"I dislike liars."
Head Maid adjusted her glasses.
"At least, you aren’t lying."
Jennie concluded that it was a compliment.
---
Then Martha started asking her questions.
"Can you prepare tea?"
"No."
"Cook?"
"No."
"Sew?"
"No."
"Organize inventory?"
"No."
"Wash clothes?"
"No."
The questions kept coming.
Each answer was the same.
No.
No.
No.
No.
Finally, Martha stopped.
The silence became awkward.
Even Jennie felt embarrassed.
With listing, she sounded alarmingly skillless in domestic affairs.
---
Martha looked at her.
Jennie looked back.
Finally, the Head Maid started speaking.
"You have no maid skills at all."
Jennie nodded.
"That appears to be the truth."
Maid nearby accidentally laughed.
Then immediately covered her mouth.
Martha looked at her.
Maid nearly ascended to heaven.
---
Martha pointed at the door.
"Follow me."
Jennie obeyed.
Now curiosity replaced her concern.
She wanted to know what is going to happen.
---
Several minutes later, they were outside.
Endless gardens of the palace spread before them.
Beautiful flowers blooming everywhere.
Gracefully curved stone paths.
Crystal fountains shining under the sun.
It looked like a painting.
Very expensive painting.
Martha spread her hands.
"The Royal Garden."
Jennie nodded.
"It exists."
Martha ignored her comment.
"Your first lesson."
Jennie got ready.
Combat training?
Discipline exercises?
Memorization?
---
"Cleaning."
Jennie blinked.
"Cleaning?"
"Cleaning."
"... That’s it?"
Martha slowly turned.
The look she gave to Jennie was identical to the look that swordmaster gives to somebody insulting swordsmanship.
Suddenly Jennie felt that she had said something offending.
Very offending.
---
Martha pointed to one fallen leaf.
Leaf was quietly lying on the path.
Harmless.
Innocent.
Ordinary.
But Martha said words which made soul of the former Sword King to freeze.
"A true maid notices everything."
Jennie looked at the leaf.
Then at Martha.
Then again at the leaf.
For the first time in her life...
A leaf looked threatening.
And somehow she knew.
This was only the beginning.
