One thousand days. I will be stuck here for one thousand days. I will be staying in this two storey place. Minus the day count, it doesn't look too bad. Actually, it's a really great place. It's brimmed with crystalized florals in the front and balcony. The white color on the walls reflects the light as if made out of diamond. The entrance door itself even screams "welcome to a fancy place." Everything seen on the outside showcases everything grand it's almost overwhelming. One thing I can say is that I would never dream of visiting this place as a customer. It's for people with higher social position. I am merely low class compared to the target market. But I digress. I am here to work. To stay here for one thousand days and get the burden of my family's debt off my shoulders. This is day one.

As I tried reaching for the door, it automatically opened for me. I stared there for a second. And that second alone made me realize that I have probably been standing near the entrance for a minute just staring at the place. I take a quick glance on the people inside. Looks like no one noticed me. Good. I was starting to feel self-conscious.

The moment I entered the building, I was welcomed with a soothing fragrant. I can't seem to recall what it is, but it smells exquisite. The air is also a lot cooler than on the outside temperature. It's as if the aura inside the coffee shop calls for rich people only. Surprisingly, the noise pollution is very minimal. Just a slight murmur from other people's private convos here and there. And here I thought, I'd be hearing loud and posh talks. But no, it was pleasantly minimal. Maybe it's just me not too caught up on how the people with higher class talk. I thought they would be here talking all mighty as if to brag what level they are in the social ladder. Just the ambience and mood along gives me a slight unease. This is no ordinary place. I am an outcast. Like a pile of dirt in the middle of a stash of diamonds. I hope this slight queasy feeling won't last. I am here to work, after all. I am not here to fit in with the crowd. I am merely here to be a service.

"Welcome!" shouts the lady with an apron on with a tray on her hand.

"How may I help you?" she asked gleefully.

"Oh, I am here to work." I said shyly.

"I was told to say Brutus sent me here."

"Oh! You're the newbie! Come, come!" she gestures to me to follow.

"I am so glad you're here. Jason recently quit for no apparent reason with no heads up and now we're short-staffed. Not to mention that I have not had a roommate for a long time now. So it's nice to finally have a helping hand in companion."

"I see..." I said quietly.

"Have you had any servicing experience?" she turns me as she stopped walking.

"Um, no. I mostly did labor work."

"Ah. I see. That makes sense." she says as if she just connected the dots.

"Well, my first tip to you is to raise your voice a bit higher. You talk as if you're cornered and you cower in response."

"Oh, okay." I respond.

"Put on a positive tone as well. Be gleeful but not too gleeful. Just enough as to gesture to our customers that we are delighted to work for them."

She continues walking and I follow her. As she puts down the tray, she looks at me once again.

"Your job for today, though, is to observe. You will have manuals and guides to read and memorize to heart later on, but for now, just sink in how things normally go here. Notice the flows coming in and out of this place. I will lead you to the sleeping room, in the evening. You don't have any stuff to leave behind, anyways."

She points at the vacant table in the corner.

"Go sit over there and observe." she says with a smile.

As I gesture to go to the table, she suddenly interrupts me.

"Ah, do you want any drink? It's on the house."

"No, thanks." I respond.

"Okay. Carry on then."

I continue walking towards the table. I looked around the room once again while walking. As I tried to embrace the surprisingly calm and peaceful atmosphere of this place, I suddenly bumped into someone. The sound of porcelain cup and saucer hitting the ground interrupted the low noise aura.

"Ah!" someone shouted.

I looked at what's in front of me and it's a man in lavender blue shirt with deep indigo royal robe clinging on his shoulders. I stared at his chest and it's a wet stain, probably from a hot coffee. I panicked. I stood there in fear for a bring second and before I could do anything, another man shouted.

"Your Highness!"

A knight approached the man with coffee stains on his shirt.

"Are you okay?"

The knight suddenly stares at me. I jolted a bit in response. He is not wearing his helmet so I can his rage covered on his face.

"How dare you spill a hot drink on Prince Cavill! Who are you?! What colony are you from?!"

I tried to apologize, but I ended up stuttering all over. The situation suddenly sinks in on me. I looked around to see almost everyone in the room. The minimal murmur that was in the room is now slightly elevated. I looked back in fear at the man I accidentally bumped into. I feel frozen once more. I don't know what to say.

"Oh my!" a woman shouted.

I looked back to who shouted. It was the lady in apron who was guiding me. She quickly approached the man.

"I am so sorry, Your Highness. It was probably an accident. She didn't intend to bump into you."

She looks back at me.

"Right?"

I mustered all the strength I have left as the fear and shame drained almost all of it before.

"Y-y-yes." I said in response.

"I-I'm sorry, Y-your Highness."

The man stares at me for a brief second. I couldn't make out what expression he has. It was a bit blank but not in a cold gaze.

"It's okay. I was partly to blame."

He stares at the broken cup and saucer splattered on the floor.

"I'll pay for those." he says with a slight smile as if to put ease on the situation.

"Understood." the lady in apron responds.

"Please excuse my colleague once again. She's new." she says as the starts collecting the broken pieces of cup and saucer.

"I see." he replies.

"Well, then. I'll uh go back to my table."

He looks at me once more and then gently smile before walking away. I then felt a pat from the back. It was the lady in apron.

"Be more careful next time, okay?" She says gently.

She then goes back to the counter. I then went towards the table I was assigned to. It felt like I was standing in eternity with countless gazes around me. I took a deep breath to calm myself. I gently sit on the chair, still feeling like I could break anything at any moment. The tremors are still not going away. At the very least, the murmurs that was once heightened have died down. The place is back to being calm with minimum noise.

Minutes have probably passed, doing horribly at my task of observing the place as I am stuck at staring at my own fingers. I was too scared to look around. I'm scared that I might meet eye contact to those possibly still staring at me.

"Excuse me." someone said calmly.

I looked up for the first time in several minutes. It was Prince Cavill.

"Do you mind if I sit beside for a brief moment?" he asks with a slight smile.

"Oh. No, I don't mind." I said silently as I lower my head once again as tinge of shame is still present.

I hear the sound of him moving the chair and sitting. A few seconds came in and awkwardness starts enveloping me. I slowly looked up only to see him staring at me with a gentle hint of grin. He suddenly chuckled.

"Don't worry, I don't bite. I consider myself as a pacifist." he says while keeping the slight grin on his face.

I didn't notice it before because my mind was preoccupied with the incident and the layers of fear that came with it, but I can see how he can be a mild kind of person. Or maybe he's trying to take pity on me. These clashing thoughts start cracking on top of my head.

"Saying that kind of makes me feel a bit more cautious if you don't mind my honesty, Your Highness." I suddenly said to him.

A quick realization went through me with the speed of light and instantly regretted what I said. I quickly put my left on my mouth.

"Oh, is that so?" he replied with a slight chuckle.

"Well, excuse my words then."

"That is fine, Your Highness." I said to him

"Please call me Cavill. You don't have to say Your Highness all the time."

"Ah, understood, Your Hi- I mean Ca-Cavill." I said with a sudden stutter.

He laughed again, his grin shining on his face.

"I understand you're being cautious towards me. But I hope you'll ease up somehow eventually. I really mean no harm." he tells me.

"Plus, I come here all the time. It would be disadvantageous if discomfort is always between us whenever I come visit."

I took a few seconds in silence absorbing the things he said. I guess he really means well. And it is true that feeling wary every time he's around would be an added anxiety on my end.

"I understand. Thank you for saying comforting words." I replied to him.

I tried smiling to him. It felt a bit awkward, but it feels right to return the favor to him.

He smiles even bigger with his face brimming with glow.

"You are very much welcome."

He glances to the left and stands up.

"Well, I have to go. It has been very nice to see you."

He walks away only to look back at me.

"See you around, okay?" he says to me with yet another comforting smile.

I kept looking at him as he walks out the coffee shop. A sense of ease starts growing on me. The layers of fear and shame is now dimming in the corner of my mind. For a few minutes, I just basked in on this area of ease. I want my stay here to be as smooth sailing as possible. I hope those anxieties would fade in the background. Fingers crossed I would be comfort during my stay.

Before long, the lady in apron approaches me with a cup on his hand.

"I saw you and Prince Cavill talking a while ago." she says as she puts the cup of coffee on the table.

"Here. I know you said you don't want a drink, but I think you deserve one right now."

"Thank you" I told her in reply.

I grabbed the cup of coffee and took a sip. With the cold air in the room and the minimal noise in the atmosphere, the aroma and taste of the coffee ever so slightly heightened my sense of comfort.

"It tastes very nice." I said

"Well, it should be. It's made from the highest grade of Arianne beans. A brewed cup of that here costs a quarter of my salary." she replies with a hint of confidence in her face.

I paused for a second and gazed in shock at her. A quarter of her salary? Just how grand and expensive is this cup of coffee?!

"Don't worry, it's on the house." she tells me as if she read my mind.

"My name is Lana, by the way. I completely forgot to introduce myself before." she says with a smile.

She then gets up as she glances at the counter.

"I have to take care of the customers. You go take it easy for the rest of the day, okay?" she tells me before leaving.

I am then left alone once more. I stared at this expensive cup of coffee once more, examining the jewel ornaments on the sides. I took another sip, fully embracing its rich taste and aroma.

I look forward to the coming days for once.