The Reve - Part 1

Chapter 1: Dumb Dumb

Aoi and Sora packed a suitcase for Lady Hyori early on a July morning. For the last time, the duo of maids cleaned and groomed the girl they catered to for twelve years. Finding another Lady to serve would mean learning new habits and forgetting the ones they picked over more than a decade of service.

The maids hadn't even once thought the latter would leave the palace. She was favoured thanks to her mother and set on a sure path to enter the Imperial Harem herself. They figured the girl would get used to the treatment. After all, she wouldn't be the only one receiving visits from the Emperor. And it's not like it would happen every night.

What could such a delicate thing expect to find outside the sheltered home she had known her whole life? Entering the Imperial harem was the guarantee of a never-ending opulence. How spoiled could she be to discard what many longed for?

At first, they thought the mother would reason with her daughter. Miss Shinsou must have known she was getting old and should be eager to secure her daughter's position, at least to retain some advantage. Yet, she manoeuvred to have her daughter out of the palace.

Maybe the woman was secretly jealous of the young girl? The woman was capricious and couldn't let another have something she didn't, or God forbid, have something better. No lady ever received a golden tea set as a courting gift as her daughter did.

But then, why hadn't she done anything beforehand? The Emperor's intentions had been clear when he offered Lady Hyori a suite. Did she think he wouldn't act on the opportunity? Or did she want it to happen and traumatise her daughter? Was it a way to punish the girl for receiving the Emperor's attention? That would be cruel. But they knew the woman wasn't above cruelty.

Looking at the girl, she didn't seem more certain of her future than they were. Anguish was painted over her face and she addressed them with a small voice.

"I am sorry for the inconvenience. I know no words can appease your worries for your future. I wish the two of you to be soon requested by another employer."

"Thank you, Lady Hyori." Replied the maids in unison.

Of course, their Lady sensed the direction of their thoughts. They wondered if they would ever serve another lady with the same level of empathy.

"Lady Hyori." Started Sora. "We want to apologise for betraying you."

She bowed on the ground, followed by Aoi.

"We are earnestly sorry for your mistreatment we partook in."

The girl looked at their prone forms on the floor before letting them know she understood their position.

"I know you didn't want it as much as I didn't. I accept your excuses."

"Thank you, Lady Hyori." Said the maids before rising to their feet.

Then, Aoi left the nursing room to tell Miss Shinsou that the grooming was done. The mother remained in the waiting room to give her daughter privacy on the last day with her maids.

~~~

Miss Shinsou remembered the day the duo entered her daughter's life. They had been the first maids entirely dedicated to the girl. The toddler had been shy but warmed when the maids turned into playmates and carried her whenever she asked for it.

Their bond only deepened when she started practising her quirk on them. The empathetic aspect of her daughter's quirk had made her more reasonable and easier to manage. She still wanted to have her ways but matured enough to backtrack if it inconvenienced people.

Her maids were the people she had tethered with the most. Their connection deepened and Miss Shinsou would be lying if she said she wasn't envious. It was the first time her dear daughter had been this close to anyone besides herself.