"Hehehehe… I'M RICH!" Javier shouted, spinning around happily as he looked at a big pile of gold coins , neatly stacked on the table in his room.
Liana sighed and shook her head. Her young master was so excited, like a child with a new toy—but this was much more serious. They had just come back from Old Man Orrim's blacksmith shop, where they sold all the weapons and armor Javier had made. On the way back, they rode their trusty Pekko, And Javier humming a victorious tune the entire ride.
What Liana remembered most was how Javier and Orrim had leaned in close during their deal. They were whispering and laughing together, looking more like two villains planning something sneaky than business partners.
"Young master," Liana said firmly, interrupting his celebration. "Stop looking at your gold coins. You should put them in your magic storage before someone—like your father or mother—finds out."
Javier pouted a little but then smiled again. "Eheheh… Here, Liana. This is for you."
He handed her a small bag with five gold coins inside that jingled when she shook it.
Liana's eyes went wide with surprise. "Young master… Are you sure? This is… this is worth of year salary for us maids!"
"Of course, I'm sure!" Javier said, grinning. "You deserve it, Liana. I couldn't have done it without you."
Liana hesitated, holding the bag tightly. "I… I don't know what to say."
"'Thank you' would be a good start,"
Liana smiled and put the bag away. "Thank you, young master. But don't think this means I'll ignore your silly mistakes next time."
"Ehehe, got it!" Javier replied, clearly not taking her warning seriously.
Liana shook her head again, but she couldn't help smiling as she sat down to enjoy the quiet of her day off. Meanwhile, Javier was already thinking about his next big project.
Liana stood up, smoothing her dress as she looked at Javier, who was still smiling at his pile of gold coins. "Young master, I'm going to eat now," she said firmly but calmly. "You should go to the main dining room. Don't keep the cooks and maids waiting too long—they've worked hard to make your meal."
"Okay," Javier replied casually, but it was clear he didn't want to leave. He scooped up the leftover gold coins and put them into a big iron chest. With a quick wave of his hand, the chest disappeared into his magic storage.
When he turned back to Liana, he asked, "Aren't you coming with me to eat?"
Liana raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms lightly. "Today, the household maids will be attending to you during the meal. It's their duty as part of their rotation. It's not always going to be me, young master. You should know that by now."
"Fine, fine…" Javier said, waving her off with a playful tone.
Liana sighed softly and shook her head as she started to leave. "Behave yourself, young master," she said with a hint of amusement in her voice.
Inside the cozy maid dining room, the atmosphere buzzed with light chatter and the sound of cutlery on plates. The maids on duty were gathered around a long table, enjoying their well-deserved meal. Liana sat with the head maid, Gloria, and a few others, eating her portion with quiet grace.
In one corner of the room, Marita was eating her food with great enthusiasm. Her plate was already half-empty while others were just getting started.
"Slow down, Marita," one of the maids said with a teasing laugh. "You're going to choke."
Marita barely looked up, her cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk. "hmmmm! This is so good!" she exclaimed between bites, making everyone around the table chuckle.
Gloria then turned to Liana, looking thoughtful. "By the way, Liana, I've been meaning to ask—you never seem to take a day off. Why is that?"
The other maids leaned in, curious.
"She's right," one said. "Miss Liana, I don't think I've ever seen you take a break."
Another added, "Don't you get tired?"
"Is the young master making you work nonstop?" someone teased, but it was all in good fun.
Liana paused, her fork hovering over her plate as she thought about the question. "Hmm..." she murmured, her brow furrowing slightly. "I... don't think so?"
The room filled with friendly chatter, and the maids exchanged glances.
Gloria's voice cut through the noise with authority. "That settles it. Liana, you'll take tomorrow off. I'll arrange for the other maids to take care of young master Javier while you rest."
Liana blinked, genuinely surprised. "Tomorrow?"
"Yes, tomorrow," Gloria said firmly, a small smile on her lips. "No arguments. Even you need to rest, Liana. And don't think you can sneak around to check on the young master, either—I'll have the maids report to me if you try."
The other maids giggled, and Liana sighed softly, realizing she couldn't avoid this decision. "Alright," she said with a small smile. "I suppose I could use a day to myself."
"About time!" one of the maids joked, raising her cup in mock celebration, which made everyone laugh.
As the conversation shifted, Liana went back to her meal, quietly thinking about how she would spend her unexpected day off.
As Liana continued her meal, she started to worry about how the other maids would handle young master Javier while she was gone. She could already imagine the chaos—his cheeky grin, sly comments, and endless energy. He's not easy to keep track of, she thought, smiling fondly.
How should I even tell him? she wondered. Javier didn't like surprises, especially ones that changed his routine. She sighed. It wasn't like she really needed a day off.
Her thoughts shifted to the benefits of working on her days off. Double pay... she reminded herself. Liana had always been good at saving, and those extra coins had added up over the years. She had worked for the Armand household for over 14 years—three years as a household maid before Madam Francesca assigned her to young master Javier as his personal maid. Since the day he was born, she had been there, caring for him as he grew from a chubby baby into the confident, mischievous eleven-year-old he was now.
Even after so long, it never felt tiring. Taking care of Javier wasn't hard work; most of the time, she just had to sit nearby, watch him, and occasionally chase after him when he decided to sneak out or cause trouble. She even enjoyed reading her books while on duty, as long as Javier wasn't planning something particularly daring that day.
Well, of course, she thought with a wry smile, there are times when I have to hunt him down after he sneaks out to the village or stop him from taking apart furniture to "improve" it. But those moments are rare... mostly.
Still, the thought of leaving him in someone else's care, even for just one day, made her uneasy. Will they be able to keep up with him?
The lively conversation at the table brought her back to the moment. Gloria was discussing reorganizing the linen closet, and Marita was—predictably—asking for seconds. Liana let out a soft sigh.
Just one day, she reminded herself. What's the worst that could happen?
After finishing her meal, Liana gathered her dishes and joined the other maids at the washing station. The kitchen hummed with casual chatter, but Liana stayed quiet, focused on how to tell Javier about her day off.
Once the dishes were washed and neatly put away, the head maid, Gloria, approached her with a knowing smile.
"Don't forget to rest tomorrow," Gloria reminded her, hands on her hips.
Liana hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay. I'll tell young master about my absence tomorrow."
"Good," Gloria said firmly, making it clear there was no room for debate. "You deserve it, Liana. Let the other maids handle him for a day."
As Gloria walked away to take care of another task, Liana let out a soft sigh. She wasn't sure if she even remembered how to really "rest" anymore. Still, an order was an order.
Now comes the hard part, she thought. Telling Javier.
( End of Chapter )