In the early morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed into the room from outside the window, I woke up.
My name is Lilya Melchior, the 22nd reigning monarch of the Human United Kingdom, or simply put, the first queen of this country, which I now govern.
Though it may be said so, in reality, the significance of being a queen, as I see it, is merely an increase in power, the responsibility of managing more people, and, of course, a heavier load of work and duties.
“Early rising again~ Ugh, I really want to be lazy!”
In my luxurious bedchamber, vacant of any other person, I emitted such a sound as I sat up on the large bed that could accommodate three or four adults, with sheets changed by maids daily.
Anyway, since no one can hear, I occasionally need to let go of the queen’s airs, right? After all, I’m only 17 years old this year.
By the way, the term “lazy” was casually thrown out by a mysterious girl named Violet, one of my close friends. It probably means doing nothing, just like a salted fish—eating, sleeping, and playing without a care.
Hmm, she also told me what “salted fish” means. That girl always blurts out mysterious phrases that are hard to understand, making me curious about where she hears all these random things.
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Well, enough complaining, it’s time to get up for work... oh no, I mean, time for duty.
As the queen’s duty.
I shook the bell by the bed, and soon, six young royal maids entered the room with gentle knocks.
They were dressed in the maid uniforms redesigned by me after my coronation. Different from our country’s originally practical and simple style, which focused on durability and resistance to dirt, I retained its functionality while, as per Violet’s suggestion, added some ornamental elements.
For instance, changing the originally dark gray fabric that was hard to show dirt traces to pure white, but directly replacing some particularly easy-to-soil areas with pure black, creating the so-called black-and-white style.
I’ve heard that in some other cultures, the profession of maids has many intricacies, and even associates the originally existent job of serving the master with various peculiar industries.
It’s really inexplicable.
Moreover, there are also some peculiar suggestions like “adding patterns and pleats to the skirt” and “wearing white silk gloves and knee-high stockings while working.” Although I was a bit skeptical at first and even thought it was pure extravagance, considering that Violet rarely requests anything, I decided to give it a try.
Surprisingly, the results turned out quite well.
Royal maids themselves are outstanding women chosen from afar, most of them directly sourced from the noble class. Whether it’s their qualities, appearance, or manners, they are exceptional. Coupled with the new attire recommended by Violet, it’s like adding the finishing touch to a painting, and indeed, it looks very pleasing to the eye.
After all, the place where I work and live is filled with maids coming and going from early morning till late at night. Watching their graceful figures not only keeps me in a pleasant mood but also significantly boosts my work efficiency.
I raise my head again and glance at the neatly lined-up maids in the room, dressed in fitted black and white dresses, respectfully bowing to me.
These maids are all selected directly from the nobility, very intelligent and good at making connections. They seem to have regarded this new uniform as my preference, even as a kind of special honor.
This has led many nobles in the Courage City to start imitating the attire of the royal maids, even having their own maids wear work uniforms that were originally meant for household chores as formal attire when going out, in response to the Queen’s “call,” forming a special trend that seems to be spreading outward lately.
Hmm... Shouldn’t be a problem, right?
“Good morning, Your Majesty. Would you like to freshen up now?”
Standing at the forefront of the girls, also dressed in a black and white maid uniform, wearing white silk gloves extending to the middle of her forearms, with a beautiful face, is my personal maid Emily. She used to be the deputy leader of my highly esteemed organization, the Shadow Guards.
During the coup in the capital, due to some events, Emily felt extremely ashamed and believed she was no longer qualified to serve as the deputy leader of the organization responsible for my safety. Coupled with the reorganization and expansion of the Shadow Guards, she voluntarily resigned from her position and instead chose to serve as a maid attending to my daily life.
Honestly, I’ve told her it wasn’t her fault.
But now she has long hair, and her overall demeanor has become softer and more stable due to not being involved in battles for a long time. Perhaps... that’s not a bad thing after all.
“Emily, what time is it now?”
“It’s 6:20 in the morning, Your Majesty.”
She answered me without hesitation.
It’s already 6:20, looks like I overslept by 20 minutes. I might be a bit rushed later. Today’s schedule is quite packed, as far as I remember.
Without uttering a word, I sit on the bed and extend my hands. Two maids who have been waiting patiently immediately approach, carefully removing my soft silk nightgown and replacing it with a corset and inner lining.
Speaking of which, it seems like my chest has grown quite a bit again recently, even though I’ve already passed the developmental stage. It’s really strange.
Although someone once told me that “xx is a woman’s asset” and “as a queen, one must have broad-mindedness,” too much weight can make movement quite inconvenient. I really hope it doesn’t grow anymore...
Afterward, I rise from the bed and move to the full-length mirror in the bedchamber. Another maid promptly presents a cup of warm water for me to freshen up, and Emily personally wipes my face for me.
Then, I stand there like an emotionless mannequin as five or six people work together to dress me in the luxurious royal gown representing the authority and status of a queen.
By the way, this outfit is actually magical equipment. Although putting it on and taking it off are both very complex, it indeed provides strong defense and protects the wearer from getting dirty. It was crafted urgently by numerous skilled artisans within the country using a large amount of materials after I ascended to the throne, as I am the first female monarch.
Finally, apart from Emily, these maids, having used the utensils, withdraw gracefully. Another group of maids, who have been waiting outside for a while, responsible for grooming me, come to my side. They proceed to adorn me, still sitting there bored, with accessories and decorations.
I feel so sleepy.
In truth, many things, during my time as a princess, were always done independently. Only when wearing particularly complex clothes did I need the assistance of maids. But now that I’ve become a queen, every word and action must conform to the demeanor of a ruler. Some things... sigh.
Moreover, the work of these maids is to attend to the daily life of Her Majesty the Queen. If I were to personally handle everything, it would be tantamount to denying the purpose of their existence. Their entire lives would be marked with an indelible stain as a result.
Such is the way of those in power. What may seem like trivial changes to me could be earth-shattering transformations to others.
I really miss the days when I was with Violet and those soldiers, fighting fiercely on the battlefield in the western frontier. Although life was dangerous and thrilling, it was incredibly fulfilling.
And now, everyone is out there enjoying themselves while I’m stuck here day and night dealing with affairs of state.
Just thinking about it makes my empty stomach churn again.
Well, I suppose I’ll have breakfast and then get to work.