The 10th Prince seemed to mumble something to her, she could barely hear what he said exactly, but she swear she could have heard that he murmured her name along with some other words. She didn't want to speak out to ask him, he's probably already half asleep anyways - and besides she doesn't really want to know.
Listening to the squeaking of the bed and the movement of the faint shadows in the room. She could slightly make out that the 10th Prince had turned to face the wall - away from her. He seems to be deep in slumber. She hasn't really fallen asleep - well she can't. Her chest feels tight, her breathing shallow. The day has just gone past so slow, but so quick at the same time. Yet her fear of the dark still remains.
She faces towards the opposite direction of where the Prince turned towards. He is facing the wall, and her - the candle light. She hates the dark because it reminds her of those horrible days in those cold winter nights, where the minimal moonlight was her only guidance to know she wasn't living in a world of pitch black, every single night before she fell asleep. Ever since day one at the Heart Servant Academy, of when they had took her - by force - she has been sleeping with the candle stick on every night. Although it had only been one candle, but it seemed to illuminate the room in a faint yellow colour - almost like the sun. It made her feel that she was lying under the warm, comfortable sun. Facing it everyday reminded her it was time for change - for a new life.
It took a while but Lira soon dozed off into a deep slumber, awaiting the next sunrise. Awaiting the start of a new chapter of her story.
The morning light peered in through the Shoji window, Lira covers her eyes with her forearm. She knows if she faces away from the sun she'll definitely fall right back to sleep. Waking up methodically, she adjusts her forearm to let a little bit of light through - bit by bit. Until she's adjusted to the sunlight.
Lira finally shifts into an upright position, her eyes unconsciously gaze downwards. Not only is her black gown all wrinkled, but it's uneven. Her right shoulder leaks out of her outfit and the left side of her neck has been fully covered with fabric. She adjusts the gown smoothly while looking at the handsome prince still sleeping.
His eyes gently closed and his long ebony hair tied back into a low pony-tail. A little bit loose after a night of sleeping in it, but somehow he has managed to keep it in place.
Lira quickly stands up to fold her futon and places it back in the storage cupboard. She takes minimal time in setting up the clothes wear for the Prince. She hangs the white yukata sleeves on either sides of the robe stand. The long robe outfit stretches all the way down to the floor. Along the edge of the yukata there are golden embroidery patterns, almost like snow frost patterns - but gold. Around the neck piece of the robe stand Lira hangs the light blue obi straps around.
She pats the outfit down to get rid of any dust and stretches it slightly to get rid of the wrinkles from the thin yukata. She suddenly hears the sound of the squeaking bed behind her, she sees the Prince that has risen from his slumber. He walks slowly towards Lira who was standing next to the yukata stand. She lowers her head slightly and places her hands in front of her - waiting for the Prince. He finally stops in front of her, his back facing towards her in awaiting for her to help him change. She takes no time in taking off the top half of his sleepwear and changing him into some light everyday clothes wear. She then straps the obi around his waist to keep the yukata in place.
Without any hesitation she directs the Prince to sit at the dressing table while she brushed his hair.
She grabs the closest brush and strokes his long hair down to the tips. His black hair was silky smooth, the brush slid down the ebony hair that had absolutely no knots.
"Tie it up in a high pony tail," orders the Prince
"Yes," obediently Lira brushes his hair with long strokes as she positions his thin black hair into a high pony tail.
Now positioned in a high pony tail, his hair almost reached his waist. That was way longer than Lira's hair length; women in this era often take pride in their long hair. But the struggles of survival has forced Lira to trim her hair often to better manage it, whereas, royalty have the conditions to treat their hair. Plus, hair symbolizes self-respect, it would be shameful to cut it, but people either than the middle or upper class, have adapted to trimming their hair as a form of 'self-respect' and care, to easier manage in harsh conditions.
"After you finish making me breakfast go directly to the laundry department." demands the Prince. He definitely does not seem like a morning person. "Change the sheets while you're going there." His crimson eyes look into Lira's hazel eyes through the mirror.
"As you wish my Prince," Lira was about to head towards the kitchen, which the Prince had directed the direction of, but heard the sounds of the bell at the front of the patio. She walks to the front of the patio through the Prince's office to find a male servant. While he rung the bell a few times, he carried something wrapped around cloth. She immediately recognised it was her personal belongings. She thanked the male servant and decided to make breakfast first than worry about where she would place her clothes.
Dropping the sack of belongings at the main tatami room she speed walks towards the kitchen. She reaches the kitchen, and she opens the wooden door as it reveals a big wooden bench with fresh ingredients, as well as different woks dangling on hooks against the wall. On her left is a small water tank, and behind that in the far corner of the room is another wooden bench, potentially for preparing ingredients. She then spots two open-fire charcoal stoves on the far back left corner of the room.
Thanks to all her training she has been able to adapt to the new environment in serving the 10th Prince; but something the Academy didn't really need to focus on teaching her was - her cooking.
She flings open the birch wood window, the morning light streams in mercilessly. She finds a bag of charcoal next to the stove tops. With no time at all she pushes the a few charcoal into the small fireplace, she tears some paper and throws some twigs in too. She creates a few sparks from using the quickest way - bow drill method. Placing the wood block inside the fireplace, directly under the stove top, heat slowly builds. She reaches for the steel pipe to blow air to generate the fire. As the fire slowly arises she takes a small wok hanging from the wall and begins to heat it.
Looking back at the large ingredient bench, she seizes two eggs from a straw basket, she tests them in water to check that they're absolutely perfect and fresh. The eggs float to the surface of the water - wonderful. She scouts out a small bowl she finds in the cabinet under the ingredients bench, and cracks the two eggs into the bowl. Whisking them at great speed with chop sticks she begins to sprinkle some salt into the bowl. Eggs done.
She sets the egg aside and grabs three tomatoes, she makes a cross at the bottom of the tomato, and slightly peels the corners of the cross, until finally the skin peels off. Taking the knife again, she cuts the tomato into equal quarters. Peeling would have been a lot easier if the tomatoes were boiled prior, but she had no time to lose in making her first breakfast for the Prince.
While placing the cut tomatoes in a bowl she takes no time in making the dough for the noodle. Yes - she is making tomato egg soup noodles.
After the strands of dough have been stretched out she leaves them on the board. She takes no time in heating the fire more, only after dripping some oil. The show is about to begin.
The beaten egg slide into the wok, her hand clenching onto the spatula, uncontrollably starts scrambling the eggs. They seem to be about 60% cooked, now it's time to put the tomato. She flips and tosses the combination of egg and tomato evenly, and fetches a scoop of fresh well water from the small water tank.
Continuing to heat the wok more, she finally releases handfuls of noodle strands into wok of boiling water. She stirs the noodles around proportionately, then places the lid once more for the noodles to soak in the eggs and tomatoes. She cleans up any evidence of her being in the kitchen, and after a few minutes she wastes no time in pouring the soup out into a bowl.
Her show is done, and now she needs to present it to her judge - her Prince.