Chapter 33 : Maid Training
“Ahh…” Ailiya let out a massive yawn, a tear squeezed from the corner of her eye.
She chewed the air absently, feeling her soul trying to escape through her skull.
Last night’s mind-blowing talk with Aurora had dragged on until 3 a.m.
For an “old soul” used to early nights and early mornings, it nearly killed her.
Her plan was to sleep until noon, reaching the ultimate state of waking up—starving.
But just as her consciousness teetered on the edge of darkness, a terrifying thought struck like lightning.
Today… she was supposed to start Liliane’s infernal maid training.
No rest day?! This is blatant exploitation!
“Capitalist… demon… vampire…” Ailiya muttered feebly, dragging herself out of bed to change.
She knew whining was pointless. Who told her to owe a million gold coins?
Until that debt was cleared, her human rights were questionable at best.
The training was set in the “First Grand Practice Hall” on the third floor of the academy’s west building, a space reserved for elite dance and drama club members.
Pushing open the heavy, gold-embellished double doors, Ailiya was greeted by a vast sight.
The expansive dance studio could hold a hundred people. Polished wooden floors gleamed like a mirror, reflecting the morning sunlight streaming through a full-length window.
The air carried a faint lemony scent of wood polish, with dust motes dancing in golden beams.
At the center of this sunlit golden carpet sat a familiar silver-haired figure, poised like a solitary pine.
Liliane, back to the door, bathed in light, held a rose-patterned porcelain teacup with elegance, sipping silently before setting it down without a sound.
Hearing Ailiya’s footsteps, her long, curled lashes fluttered, revealing deep violet eyes.
She glanced at the ornate wall clock.
7:59:50.
Almost exactly their agreed 8:00.
“Punctual enough,” Liliane’s icy voice echoed faintly in the vast hall.
“L-Lady Liliane, good morning,” Ailiya greeted timidly, then ventured cautiously, “Are we… starting my maid training today?”
Liliane gave a soft “mm,” rising from her chair.
She approached Ailiya, her violet eyes appraising her up and down with a scrutinizing glint.
“My training isn’t about memorizing a thick manual of standard poses for me to correct bit by bit,” she said with unquestionable authority. “I value practice.”
Ailiya’s internal alarm blared. She swallowed hard.
Practice…? Is she looking for an excuse to use me as a punching bag for some brutal “training”?
As if reading her mind, Liliane’s lips curved faintly.
She picked up a folded paper from the table and handed it to Ailiya.
“Your task: memorize my entire day’s schedule in five minutes. Then, burn the paper in my presence.”
Ailiya unfolded the sheet and nearly dropped it in shock.
This wasn’t a schedule—it was a hellish scroll of advanced math equations!
[8:30-9:30: Magic History Debate, Third Library, Fourth Floor Restricted Section.]
[9:45-11:00: Ancient Runes, One-on-One with Vice Principal Melissa.]
[11:15-12:00: Winter Family Remote Meeting, Topic: Tariff Adjustments for Northern Ninth Mana Crystal Mine.]
[…]
The dense text spanned from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., with breaks as short as ten minutes!
Memorize this in five minutes? With zero room for error?!
“This is the first essential skill for my personal maid,” Liliane’s voice purred like a devil’s whisper. “I don’t need incompetence.”
Her flawless face bloomed with a perfect, professional smile that sent chills down Ailiya’s spine.
Hands trembling, Ailiya raised a hand like a timid student. “Um… Lady Liliane, what happens if I don’t memorize it?”
“Simple,” Liliane’s smile grew “kinder.” “I’ll trust your version of my schedule. If you mess up even one detail—time or place—throwing off my entire day… you know the consequences, right?”
Definitely not pleasant.
Probably turned into mincemeat pie and mailed home with her million-coin debt note.
Ailiya’s brow furrowed, staring despairingly at the smiling demon and the death warrant in her hands.
Liliane glanced at the clock. “Five-minute countdown—” she said softly, “begin.”
The instant Liliane said “begin,” Ailiya’s battle-hardened brain knew she could never memorize it perfectly.
I’m not a human flash drive! How am I supposed to remember this?!
In a split second, she devised her only countermeasure.
“Lady Liliane!” She turned, subtly slipping the paper into her maid uniform’s inner pocket, then faced her with a pained, sincere expression. “I’m sorry! I-I ate something bad this morning; my stomach’s upset. Can I… use the restroom?”
Liliane sipped her tea, as if weighing Ailiya’s words.
Finally, she nodded. “Fine. Be back in five minutes.”
She paused, cutting off any escape. “I need to see you burn that schedule.”
“N-No problem!” Ailiya, relieved, bolted out of the hall at sprint speed.
She darted to a corner at the hallway’s end, checked for onlookers, and pulled out the schedule, along with a small notepad and pen from another pocket.
A habit from her past life as an overworked employee, jotting down her boss’s wild ideas.
Who knew it’d save her now?
What a habit!
Memorizing was impossible, so she’d take notes.
But another grim truth hit—five minutes wasn’t enough to copy it all!
Damn it! I’ll have to speed-write keywords!
[8:30 Library-Hist]
[9:45 VP-Runes]
[11:15 Meet-Mine]
[…]
How many tasks does this devil cram into a day?! Is she a ninja with shadow clones?!
Ailiya practically clung to the cold wall, her pen scratching furiously, nearly sparking.
Then, a melodic chime rang from the practice hall.
Five minutes up.
The doors opened, and Liliane stepped out.
She turned and spotted the sweaty, oddly posed white-haired maid.
Their eyes met, the air tensing.
Liliane spoke after a pause. “Time’s up.”
“I-I know!” Ailiya’s heart raced. She stuffed her cheat sheet away, panting as if fresh from the restroom. “J-Just ran back!”
She handed over the sweat-dampened schedule.
Liliane glanced at it without taking it. “Burn it.”
“Yes!” Ailiya summoned her meager mana, conjuring a tiny flame at her fingertip, shakily incinerating the paper into ash.
As the last cinder drifted away, Liliane’s demonic smile returned.
“Good.” She said, “Now, your maid training officially begins.”
“Hah… haha…” Ailiya laughed dryly, meeting Liliane’s oppressive smile with a stiff nod. “As you wish, my lady.”
In her clenched fist, the sweat-soaked notepad, scribbled with shorthand, felt like her lifeline for the next month.