Interview; Maid selection and the punishment

She analyzed the selection of the maids with a cold attitude. Sitting on the chair reading the resume of the maids and the paperwork that they did during the recruitment process. She was honestly impressed with Emily. She outdid herself. Everything was perfect down to small details. From a few candidates, she successfully reduced into one candidate, only after the consultation.

Per the agreement, Emily had a meeting with her to choose a few candidates and discussed a few tasks that they'd to complete. Of all the candidates, there's one significant maid that caught Emily's eyes the most.

Miley, the heavy-mouth kid. The youngest amongst many, only 15-year-old. She was a shy kid and easily bullied. Good. she's a good candidate. Even though all her works were mediocre, she needed one obedient person at least.

She stared at Miley with hungry eyes. She studied the maid like a lion studied their prey before hunting. The murderous aura inevitably oozed out from her body, scaring the poor maid out of her wits. She was quite tall for her age. Pale skin, dark blue hair, and had freckles all over her face though it's part of her charm.

"What are you doing for a living, Miley?" She blurted out without thinking much and soon regretted it.

The beat of awkward silence filling the kitchen room. It was fairly late at night around 12 o'clock. The kitchen was cleared even before 11 p.m and the kitchen staff was long gone to their dorms by now. It's only her, sir Derrick, Miley, and Emily now.

'Shoot!' She covered her face with a calm mask. Sir Derrick and Emily looked at her with a concerned gaze while Miley flinched.

"Yes?" Miley looked more terrified than confused.

She sighed inwardly. Old habits die hard, goddamnit. "I mean, how's your work? Do you enjoy yourself?" She corrected herself.

"Ah- ah yes. I enjoy myself, My Lady." She clasped her hands to dominate her own fear.

"Enjoy yourself, aren't we yeah? S'pose be t'at way, yeah?" She facepalm. This time she sounds like a street hoodlum or a yakuza leader interviewing their intern. Just great. She peeked at the trembling Miley. The maid probably thought she was some monster.

"My Lord," Emily begged her.

She waved and made an okay symbol with her fingers. She was dead tired because of the outing this morning, her brain couldn't function properly at the moment. She needed to wrap the interview up as soon as possible.

Miley became more terrified and her shaking body went beyond her control. 'My Lord', that's what Emily the head maid called the young lady. It meant she had definite power over the head maid. She couldn't defend herself tonight or ever if the young lady decided to pick on her as the rest of the maids did.

Elizebeth asserted her observation skill, and she wasn't happy with the result. She snapped her fingers once without looking at anyone but Miley's scared face disturbed her the most. Milley's reaction wasn't normal at all. She knew the feeling too well. She understood the silent body language too much.

Right after the finger snap, sir Derrick stepped back from behind her back and bowed to her before walking away after that.

"Now we are free from man's presence…" Elizebeth chuckled, rose from her seat. "Gossip time."

Miley who fixed her eyes for some time now on toes looked up in surprise. The sinister atmosphere that she thought she sensed wasn't there. It's nothing but pure. Any anxiety Miley was holding on to dissipated once she saw how calm and holy the young lady's appearance was. She couldn't take a good look before because she was too terrified by Elizebeth's gaze and also intimidated by Emily and Derrick.

"Emily." She called.

"Yes, My Lord." Emily bowed to her and stepped aside. Leaving them both alone before heading to the stove to cook something.

"Head maid, head maid," she said mousily. Her eyes were disorganized.

"Relax, Miley. Take your seat." Elizebeth grabbed her attention at once.

Miley flinched and stood straight. Clenched her fists.

"You don't want to?"

Miley didn't move.

"Are you disrespecting me?" She arched her brow.

Miley shook her head in trembling.

"So take a seat." Her voice turned stern. Leaving no room for her to argue.

"Yes, My Lady." At a light speed, she sat on the floor.

'Huh~ she still has a long road ahead, it seems.'

"You can sit there too." Elizebeth pushed her chair aside and took a seat in front of her on the floor too.

"My- My Lady!!" She unintentionally shouted at Elizebeth.

"Oh, we are at that friendly shout level. I like how things escalated." She smirked.

"No, no…" She blushed as she peeked at Emily who's ignoring them and didn't even blink when she disrespected the young lady.

"Cute." She smirked. Propped her chin on her palm.

Miley blushed at the sudden compliment.

Elizebeth was in awe to see the pale face blushing. "I prefer your cute side over the scaredy-cat side better."

Miley covered her face with her long hair, "than- thank you for the compliment, My Lady."

"Your welcome." She crossed her legs then. Completely comfortable and relaxed.

"May- may I know why are you calling me exclusively, My Lady?" She sat upright even though Elizebeth was the opposite of her.

"What I want from you Miley is to have a long chat. You have been chosen to be my exclusive maid aside from Emily. Do you understand my words?"

Miley froze, utterly flabbergasted. Her eyes widened big, her jaw dropped to the ground; literally, and her eyes trembled. There's a lot of many things she believed in this world, including making friends with the magical being, however, to be an exclusive maid of the most beloved young lady in the house wasn't one of it. She was a realistic girl. She knew that she had no qualification nor had the credibility to be noticed by the young lady. The only merits she had were being timid, obedient, and quiet.

"Is that unbelievable to you?" She chuckled.

Miley nodded, in the shock state still.

"We do believe in hard work. Should've seen the position coming." She shrugged off-handed.

"But- but I'm the bottom rank maid. They- they said you never take interest in a maid like me. They said- said I am a disgrace to the duke's family." She blurted out, her head messed with a lot of things.

'Okay. Bullies,' she took notes. Her hunch was on point, as always. Her hunch was never a disappointment even once. It's bliss and a curse at the same time.

"Whoever said that doesn't know me. You are a capable maid. You are more than capable of serving me. I respect every maid in this house, I didn't meet the eyes of other maids doesn't mean I don't care. I care. A lot."

She's a little floored by the sudden positive reply. Said so casually by the young lady who's not even looking at her anymore, instead of looking down at her fingernails. She could feel herself gawking a little, not sure how to answer when she wasn't expecting the positive retort from her young lady.

"Miley," Elizebeth's soft voice broke her train of thought. "What do you think about working under me exclusively? Will you hate it?" Her voice was so gentle but it's insistent. "Because if you hate it, I will ask another maid though I will be so sad." She murmured the second sentence, her shining eyes gradually losing the spark.

"I- I want to. Yes. I want to. I will do better, I can do better, NO! I just-," she spoke indistinctly in a voice that sounded high and strained to her but Elizebeth accepted her answer. Soon the atmosphere around them was tangibly relaxed.

"Okay. Good. Welcome to my squat exclusively." She offered her hand.

"Ah? Ah yes? Yes!" She took the hand in panic and shook the hand in enthusiastically.

"Good. Thank you for putting up with me before and in the futu-" Her words were cut by the sudden appearance of sir Derrick with his brutal aura, scared Miley once again.

"My Lord," Derrick asked permission from her to come closer.

"Very well." She nodded and rose. Her small frame covered Miley's terrified body as she kept eye contact with Derrick. "How's everything?" She asked, folding her arms.

Derrick came closer and peered at her ears before she whispered a length of a juicy report to his master without leaving any details.

"Damn! Is that serious?" She frowned, her aura changed, darker, flinched even Derrick yet he didn't say anything when the lady seemed unaware of her gifted power. "Okay, fine." She muttered tiredly. Swept her bang to the back annoyingly. "What did you do to them?" She peeked at Miley while she said that.

"I throw them into jail, for now, My Lord."

"Great." She thought. It's indeed the wisest decision for tonight. "I'll handle the duke tomorrow. Make sure no one dares to go over there until the investigation has been finalized."

"I do understand, My Lord." He complied.

"Good." The smile appeared, erasing the dark aura instantly. "Now we will move to the table. Emily's foods are almost done." She turned around. Picked Miley's hand and forced her to get up.

Although he was impressed by the changeable aura of hers, he blinded his eyes and instead, "what are we celebrating, My Lord?" He strode behind her.

"Miley first day in my squat."

"I see." Derrick paid his attention to Miley this time, smiling warmly at her. "Welcome, Miley. I hope we can get along and serve the Lord with our utmost strength."

"Ye- yes. Me too." She bowed too when Derrick did such.

"Good." Elizebeth beamed.

"The food is ready." Called Emily in front of the stove.

"Good," Elizebeth replied again, happily.