The misfortunes of Karmen are by no means endless. In fact, compared to many other women her age, she was quite the fortunate one. Not only did she not have to fall into disgrace by servicing miserly old men with none of her dignity intact, but she was also able to provide enough for her struggling family.
Karmen's first misfortune was her father running away with all naught a letter detailing his reasons for leaving. The letter said that he was called by a mysterious entity for a greater purpose that shall save the kingdom, and they need not search for him. The day Rosalyn found the letter which Karmen had hid, she cursed her husband and his delusions until the children started greeting their neighbours with "fuck you!".
Ashton, Anne, and baby Leah. They were all so precious to Karmen, more so after the disappearance of their useless father. Karmen's mother, Rosalyn, did her best to take care of her children, and up until she fell seriously ill that one time, she was the one providing for the family. Since then, Karmen insisted that her mother stay home and allow her to work on her behalf. With the help of Rosalyn's old friend, Karmen found work at the mansion of an aging baron.
Karmen's second misfortune is that the youngest son of the aging baron was a deranged teenager who thought himself an important and powerful man, and that all the servants at the estate humoured him. His name was Edward Downer. His name being a token of his father's love for him, as it shares the same three letters of the baron's name; Edwin. The young lord knew of his father's affection for him. If he had not known, he would have had more shame in him. Alas, he did whatever he wanted, wherever he wanted. The Downers were thus known as the family of a spoiled young lord. Knowing that, many commoners avoided them, while the nobility simply ignored them, for the Downers had no influence outside their own territory. It was no surprise how Karmen could find a job at their mansion, for the role she was given was the attendant to young lord Edward's room. The maid before her had quit her job after lord Edward let loose a snake in his room and demanded she bring it out of hiding and groom it. He had wanted her to make the snake wear a bowtie on it's long slithering neck. The poor maid ran out screaming as soon as the snake's tail wacked her hand as she was adjusting its bowtie.
Since starting to work at the Downer estate, Karmen was not assigned any unreasonable work. She would clean the young lord's room, sometimes simply tidy it up, or prepare a bath. She was rarely called on for tea, and she only needed to help the other maids with their duties when she was free for the rest of the day. Karmen's work was easy, and it paid well. She stayed out of the young lord's sight, and so he did not bother her. She was happy that way. The other maids pitied her so, thinking Karmen must be suffering by the young lord's hands, so they treated her quite well. The kitchen hands would sometimes give her left over food to take home to her family, and the head maid always gave Karmen her wages on time.
"If I could give you more, dear, I would." The head maid had said. Karmen just nodded in thanks at the time. Her father took with him all of their savings, so any money she could get (even if she did not deserve it) she did not want to refuse.
Karmen's third misfortune is a conversation she had lightheartedly with the other maids while they cleaned lord Edward's room. They were each boasting about their families, the cute children, loving husbands, caring parents. Karmen ended up mentioning that while she is of marriageable age, she has had no suitors. She was happy with the way things are, but the maids pitied her and started discussing ways they could help Karmen. Among that chaos, the young lord Edward Downer appeared. When the maids finally noticed his presence, they were startled and scrambled to give their greetings and leave. Before anyone could leave, however, Edward had ordered them all to stay.
Thus, Karmen found herself in this situation.
"You young maidens seem to have enough time to frolic in my room. It pleases me so to see my staff enjoy themselves, although I wish you did not do so in my room," Edward had his chin raised, and his arms behind his back. He spoke in a loud, booming voice, although the adolescent squeak in his voice gave him away.
"We are sorry, young lord!" The maids bowed in unison.
"That is not what I would like to hear. You should call me," Edward paused for a moment, then in a high pitched voice akin to a mouse continued, "my lord!"
The maids complied, "yes of course, my lord!"
But Edward did not seem pleased. "Tch. No no that is quite wrong."
He pointed at the eldest maid amongst the four women in the room. Karmen knew her to be a kind lady that did her best to listen to the lords of the house. Her name was Mary, and she was old enough to be Karmen's grandmother, or perhaps even great-grandmother.
"You."
"Yes, m'lord?" The old maid's back must hurt from bowing for so long, but the young lord did not spare her.
"You must say it properly, like I did." The young lord then readied himself once again to say in a high pitched squeaking voice: "my lord!"
"Now it is your turn!"
"M'lord!" The old maid sqeaked, her eyes near popping out their sockets.
"No! It is as so," he squared himself and put both hands on his hips. Taking a deep breath in he shouted as a mouse would, "my lord!!"
Poor old Mary started to understand that she must mimic young lord Edward. She mirrored his pose, her old knees struggling to support her feet now far apart in a domenearing pose. Her hands rested at her hips, and once again she took a very deep breath in and squeaked, "Milord!!"
"Aaaa! No! No!" Young lord Edward stomped around. He knocked off the nearest thing off a nearby desk and it happened to be a cup of tea which the maids had not yet removed before young lord Edward appeared unannounced. Karmen bit the insides of her mouth, urging herself not to stop the young man's tantrum. The cup shattered on the ground, and the maids all flinched.
"How stupid could you possibly be! Shall I say it again until you get it right? Stop testing my patience! Watch how I say it." With fists at his side, Edward screeched in a voice so high it could have broken glass, "my! Lord!!!!!"
Mary breathed in deep, then screamed with much valour "muh lord!!!!" Her face went red in her efforts.
"Oh great Goddess. So easy and you still fail! Pray tell, why are you shouting so loudly in such a high pitched voice?! My ears might bleed!"
"Because it is as you have directed, my lord," Karmen interjected. She may not be old, but even she was starting to hurt from bowing for this long. How could old Mary endure?
"Ah." Edward seemed to realise the reason he addressed the maids. "It is you I meant to question. Indeed."
Young lord Edward finally gestured for the women to stop bowing. Karmen inwardly sighed in relief. Looking up from this angle to know what is happening was starting to truly hurt.
"It is as I heard, yes? I trust you maidens shan't lie to your lord." Edward coughed into his hand and composed himself, as if all his squeaking and screeching could never besmirch him. He pointed at Karmen. "The young miss over here is an unmarried maiden, is that so?"
"Yes, my lord." Karmen was confused why he would take interest in that fact.
"And you have no suitors?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Do you have a lover?"
"No, my lord."
"What about a man that you love?"
"No, my lord."
"...a woman you love?"
"What? No. No, my lord." Karmen did not like how personal the young master's questions got. It soon got even worse.
"So I surmise that you are a virgin?"
"..."
"Well?"