"I am not wearing those."
Jade rubbed her temples in a gentle, circular manner and sighed defeatedly for the third time. She was losing her patience and her blood continued to boil even more every time Thana decided to open her mouth to complain about the little detail she finds bothersome.
If getting Thana in a simple uniform could be this difficult, it would take a miracle for Jade to successfully train her about the job she'd be taking. The strange woman doesn't seem to get it even though Jade has explained her work as not remarkably as simple as it looks.
A kitchen maid is a critical job despite being only in the kitchen. Madam Croix, the head palace maid in charge of every work in the castle, pays surprise visits during the day to observe the cleanliness and order in the kitchen, but the royals too. Especially the princes in their free time.
It has also taken her attention to notice that Thana seems to be unfamiliar with the kingdom.
Jade wanted to bury the terrible start they had and offered to be acquaintances. Thana hesitated for a bit before accepting Jade's apology for mistaking her as a mere stranger inside Madam's chambers.
But as Jade attempted to know Thana better by asking her about little information about her and where she's from and the places she wished to visit now that she's in the capital of Aqora, the young woman only stared at her with unfamiliar eyes. She looked clueless and lost.
It's as if Jade was speaking something so foreign that Thana refused to answer. Maybe the young woman's family was so poor in the countryside that she barely had any chance to learn and see the kingdom she was in. In the end, she dropped the pleasantries and went on with the briefing.
Until they reached the part where Jade kindly offered her spare, dearly kept, and clean uniform and only for Thana to decline it instantly.
"You have no other choice, Thana. To work in the palace, we must strictly follow palace rules. Having uniforms are one of those. It determines your identity and rank. For us kitchen maids, we get a beautiful beige gown but with the same apron and cap as the other maids."
"Beautiful beige gown?" Thana scoffed.
Jade laughed softly, maintaining a calm atmosphere no matter how ticked she's getting, "the other colors are ugly, trust me. We have the best attire, and I know it'll look good on you."
Thana eyed the gown, the aprons, and the undergarments that were neatly laid on the bed and bit her lip.
"I remembered how difficult it is to dress in this timeframe," she sighs sadly, "I can no longer throw on a comfortable cotton t-shirt and shorts, and I have to work as a maid. My life came crashing down the rabbit hole."
"Pardon? I don't quite understand," Jade stared confusingly at the young woman with odd words.
"Whatever, I'll wear it."
"You will?" Jade's eyes lit up like a child. After taking quite a while on endless convincing, her efforts have not gone to waste. It's a good thing that Jade grew up to be understanding and patient with people. Having these traits allowed her to reach this far into her life and her job.
Thana lifts two aprons in the air, looking at it dumbfounded. She turned toward Jade and asked, "two aprons, what on earth for?"
"The one with the softer material is worn first after putting the gown on, and the other that is waterproof will go next, covering the main apron. When you meet noble guests or the royalties, you must quickly change out of your outer apron and be ready to present yourself creditably in front of them. Neatness is everything; we must always be presentable. So, a word of advice, do not tie the second apron too tight."
"My goodness, these are so many fabrics just to cover a single body. How am I to breathe?" Thana frowned, lifting the white crochet hat and stretching them weirdly. She eyed the corset and other undergarments lying on the side, which reminded her where her old clothes could be.
She must ask about it as soon as Teresa gets back. It is the only evidence that proves her existence in another world. The life Thana lived painfully to carve the memories deep within her. Her face bears the marks of her past. It will haunt her for eternity even with the second chance to live.
Given a chance to reincarnate in this alternate universe, whoever is in control should have rid of Thana's old memories. She doesn't see its need if she's living in this world and place with a completely different identity.
As her reflection had warned her, "Be very careful, Adelaide, for having to lose our memory of the present is dangerous."
Then why did they leave her with the memories of a different life? Why didn't they just give back the memories of the present? Otto indeed loves to complicate this story and his characters, now that Thana is part of it.
"If my first mission is slavery, then I would rather be dead," Thana grumbled under her breath upon remembering the letter about the delivery of her first mission.
A door creaked loudly behind Thana, and Jade called out to her, snapping her out of her thoughts. She turned around to see the door exposing the small room inside and a wooden tub filled with steaming water.
"You should get washed and get dressed. I'll prepare your muffins while you're at it," Jade walked near the dining table where the muffins are and smiled, "caught you staring at these a while ago."
Thana caught out a laugh, "I wasn't staring, and I'm not hungry," while her stomach betrays her instantly by growling, saying otherwise.
"Go on, we have a lot on our schedule today. And actually, we're already late," Jade beckons toward the bath with her head.
Slowly, Thana turned away from Jade, who started to look calmly at her after she agreed with the attire. No more obvious, intensely curious stare whenever Jade was thinking hard in front of Thana. She noticed how determined Jade was to know more about her. To Jade's dismay, there's no information Thana could produce.
She's also on edge about many things.
However, it has come to Thana's attention that neither Teresa, Jade, or Elias had questioned her about one thing that is clearly obvious in her appearance. Her scars should be the first thing people ask about, but she doesn't remember them staring at her like others did before. It is a surprise.
Maybe she got lucky and met a few friendly people to start off her new life.