"Huh...."
A vain almost pop on Kamigani's head when the last servant grunted placing the tray on the table in the kitchen. She shot Kamigani a dirty look before hissing as she walked out dragging her feet on the floor to purposely annoy Kamigani who clinched her fist.
"Hmmmmm." Kamigani took a deep breath using her hand to fan herself before she burst out in anger and jump on the servant giving her a good beating. Kamigani was sweating profusely, she spotted a hand fan on the table which she quickly grabbed like she found a saviour and started fanning herself.
All the servants that lowered their head and behaved like they had good moral suddenly changed when Xanxier left the royal paradise garden with the officails. They gave her the stink eye and told her to pack all the snacks left and fruits rudely. Kamigani had to tell them it was impossible but they helped her stacked the bowls and gave it to her saying it was part of her training.
They made her place the jar of fruits on her head, balanced a bowl of snacks with the goblets on one hand and holding the porcelain jug on the other hand. They followed her badmouthing her as they giggled, Kamigani felt a bit bad with the way they talked but she was more concerned about the jar on her head not slipping.
The servants collected the bowls and jar when they were approaching the gate in the maple leaves tunnel, warned her not to speak of what happened which made Kamigani realised she had been bullied and she didn't know thinking it was part of her training. She felt so dense.
To avoid thinking of the servants her thought drifted to the royal paradise garden. Seeing the vast orchids made her feel so happy and relaxed. Catching Xanxier looking at her made her blush so hard she never thought one day she would act so awkward and blush so hard till her cheeks felt so heated.
She would have to ask Winter if she could get a small flower pot and plant the orchids. She had no idea of how to plant it but Winter would know, if she doesn't she would know someone who does.
Kamigani could feel the sweat lessen and the cool breeze coming in from the window made her sigh in relieve and she was busy enjoying the breeze feeling refreshed when she heard angry footsteps.
"Kamigani! Kamigani!"
Kamigani jolted almost dropping the hand fan. She turned sharply even knocking the cup on the table with her sudden movement. She frowned seeing the woman in flaring red robes marching up to her in angry strides, her hands holding up her skirt, her eyes almost blazing like her head.
"I just got back..." Kamigani blinked placing the hand fan on the table.
"You! did you serve his Majesty today?" She almost yelled grabbing Kamigani's
shoulders, her eyes beseeching.
Kamigani shifted uncomfortably maintaining an eye contact."Yes I did." She swore never to be bullied again and this woman reminded her of how those servants treated her.
"Ohhhhh ohhh..." The woman took two large steps back, her mouth ajar and she did a dramatical turn waving her hands around, twirling till she reached the door. "Oh what am I going to do....? why did this happen...? you didn't receive any training..... ohhhh... his Majesty went through this torture.... ohhh... no..." She twirled and twirled her hands on her head and she even pulled one hair pin out acting faint.
Kamigani felt a little guity, she didn't know how to serve wine that Xanxier ended up serving them. It was true she barely knows what to do. Axin was the one that seduces her target somethings, serving them to make their guards down to poison then. Kamigani knows nothing about serving and she never ask Axin to teach her since she didn't consider she would need it one day.
Kamigani was still frowning biting her lower lip waiting to be scolded but when the woman was done acting crazy. She straightened patting her robes before pinning her hair with the hair pin. Her hands akimbo, her eyes trailing up and down Kamigani over and over. She even gestured for Kamigani's to turn around, Kamigani had to turn around thrice till she gestured for her to stop.
"I see...." She muttered with a knowing look. "I never thought his Majesty will really allow you to be his personal maid and now that you are...! we will start training for your etiquette!" She starting walking out and Kamigani quickly followed. "I will have to drill it to you and you will study till dusk, have dinner and we will continue till you collapse!" She declared shaking her sleeves like it was normal thing to train till a person collapse.
Even Ayante doesn't allow them to faint during training, she bought them for a large sum and made sure to remind them of it, she would yell it everytime for them not to think of passing out that only chickens pass out and then none of them want to look like they lacked courage.
"Are you going to be my teacher?.... Lady.." Kamigani still doesn't know the woman's name and she tried the only tactics she knew to figure it out.
"Didn't Winter tell you?" She rolled her eyes. "That stubborn girl didn't even mention me." She fling the invisible hair behind her since her hair was already packed and adorned with different hair pin holding it up. "I am Mamey Len, call me Lady Mamey since am the one making everything work in the Kitchen as you well know Winter Len is my niece and Aenti Len is my nephew." She said like it was a common knowledge and Kamigani was already aware of it.
Kamigani doesn't know at all, all Winter told her was their family serves the royals but she didn't mention having an aunty. Lady Mamey doesn't look like them and no one would ever think they were related. Her red hair was too bright and she looked too fierce. Kamigani doesn't know Winter's last name was Len.
The Len were prominent family in the high town. There business of selling the best oils in the King's market was well known that traders comes from far to buy, carting barrels away. They had large shops and even had a lot of workers carrying barrels of oils in and out.
Mamey led the way and Kamigani spotted the five servants that gave her a hard time earlier laughing under a cherry tree. Kamigani had a feeling they were talking about her since she heard them talk about a stupid serving girl even though they were far away. They saw Mamey and quickly tapped each other before running in the opposite direction.
Mamey acted like she didn't see them leading the way to a large residence. The guards at the door bowed before opening the door for them.
The courtyard was clean without a single flower in view, A woman was sweeping the floor and snorted when she saw Mamey taking her broom and walking away in a hurry giving off the impression of Mamey not being welcome and Mamey only glared at the woman's figure.
Mamey didn't comment and shrugged her shoulders leading the way till they got to a pavilion with only a table and a chair. A tea set on the table.
"Do you know how to draw a bath?" She stopped in her track.
"Yes." Kamigani nodded.
"Do you know how to lay the bed?"
"Yes." Kamigani frowned. It was an everyday task and why won't she know them.
"I will teach you how to make tea, serve tea, serve wine, to serve meal, cook simple dishes, dress his Majesty up and how to take his cloths to the laundry and mind you everything concerning his Majesty is different from us." She said briskly taking her seat on the single chair brushing the invincible dust on the table. "His Majesty meal is special, his laundry is different to not mix his royal robes or avoid theft which means you will be the one supervising the dry cleaners and make sure none of the cloths is missing. Do you understand!" She yelled since the way Kamigani was frowning was making her annoyed.
"Yes Lady Mamey." It was too much to take in but Kamigani nodded anyway.
"You are not the one that will do the washing, you are not the one that will do the cooking either!"
"Yes." Kamigani really want to tell her to stop yelling, she was only a serving girl and not part of the army in training. It reminded her so much of their trainer at the mountain.
"Now what did I say?"
Sweat broke out of Kamigani's forehead and she was tempted to wipe it and her throat felt dry. With the way they started it was true Mamey was going to drill it in her head till she collapse.