Priceless Smile 3

Chapter 4: Disobedience

They started their work the very next day as servants. Thankfully though, they were given their own individual rooms to rest in. Sakae, despite hearing the others saying they are married, still did not allow them to stay in one room as per the rules of his lord. He also blantantly told them how, despite this palace not having any other servants but them, the Time Demon still would like to keep the peace and quiet with absolutely no indecent sounds. They all understood it with embarrassed faces, that includes Amane and Kagaya. Though they were all curious as to what the Time Demon's name is, they did not ask remembering the 'title' rule of the underworld.

"Ugh!" Shinobu groaned while lifting up a wet curtain from the basin. "Seriously! Why do we even have to clean and serve a palace of no visitors?! It's just us here!" She complained slamming the curtain back into the basin.

"Well, even a place of no visitors still has to be clean. As long as someone lives in it." Amane nonchalantly said putting down a basket of dirty sheets. "And besides, Sakae-san did say that the Harbinger of Death and the Devil Judge visits this place."

"Even so, how long will it take them to come? Will we even get to see them?" Mitsuri asked lifting up a basket of newly washed curtains to be hung dry.

Surprisingly enough, when they woke up, they seem to just be at the human realm. There is the bright sun and clear skies outside the palace that looks fit to wash and hung the curtains and sheets they'll be washing. The difference is, the garden is dry and dead. No green grass, bushes, or even scented flowers and tall trees- just a plain land of dark dirt. And just when they wanted to ask how this thing happened, they have not yet seen Sakae ever since they woke up. They only knew the orders from the note left pinned from each of their doors.

"Amane-sama, are you sure that you and Oyakata-sama are fine working? We could just do them ourselves." Sanemi asked approaching Amane to help her after he helped his wife.

"We are fine Sanemi-san." Amane answered and hung the curtain to dry alongside Mitsuri.

After finishing the washing of the sheets and curtains, they all went back inside to sweep, mop, and dust the floors, walls, windows, and furnitures. The huge carpets too as two would lift it from each end while two would sweep under before putting it down again. The sun has already set when they finished cleaning the whole inside of the palace not even leaving a single corner with a speck of dust. And since they are all spirits now, they didn't feel any hunger at all, but they did feel exhausted. As they gather in the living room to rest, Kagaya noticed some of them missing.

"Has anyone seen Muichiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Genya?" He asked.

Everyone looked at each other shaking their heads.

"They might've gotten lost, let's look for them." Gyomei said standing up leading them to the search.

They called for the names of the missing ones as they went up the stairs then to the corridor. Their voices only echoes back to them. Turning to their right, they still kept calling. Just then, ahead of them from a corner, Muichiro appeared waving both his hands up above his head.

"Everyone!" He called. "We found something!"

They all jogged up to him as he led them to where he left Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Genya. Right in front of them is a huge silver double door with wisteria flowers engraved on it from the top going down the middle. Its silver handle has the shape of curved cat tails connected to the cats above the key holes. Compared to the other plain wooden doors of the palace, this one obviously looks fancier and more exquisite. It's even kept so clean that they could see their reflections.

"Odd." Kagaya muttered out. "This door is not only made with a different material but is also placed at the furthest part of the palace."

"Not only that." Amane spoke looking at the torch on the right side of the door. "The rooms and corridors here inside are well lighted with bulbs and chandeliers, yet this place is just like the entrance coming here, lighted with torches."