Isabella’s P.O.V.

I am Isabella Helflore from Liedsenberg, northern district

I am currently the personal maid of Prince Louis, the 1st

He is the air to the throne and also has very much potential as a ruler according to his father

Not to say, generous of heart

In other words an important person

And I was given the responsibility to serve him to death

But I am... a failure

A good maid is supposed to know its master’s wishes before they order it

But I can’t read master at all

So I am very happy when the master orders me when he does

I specialize in nearly every task and was trained to fulfill my master’s every wish

I am also very good at, according to my aunt, wearing my mask

This is a technique nearly every maid has to learn in order to be a professional

It requires you to hide your true emotions and express the emotion which your master whishes you to

It is similar to acting rather you aren’t just hiding your emotions, you are destroying them

They don’t exist to you and they don’t exist to them (For the meantime, of course)

Then you can make them again which is relatively easier

It is truly a difficult technique to master but I managed to do it in order for my brother to live freely

My mother’s mask was fused with her face and now she doesn’t have many emotions left

But that is a sign of how much hard work she had exerted in making her mask

I admire her for this so I also attempt to always wear it

And I have or at least I hope so

And that brings me to last night

He asked me to hug him

That is completely normal request

A maid’s duty is to satisfy its master’s desire

That also consists of satisfying his/her urges

While it is rarely her a male master asking for this is completely normal

This is also quite important for a maid as this might determine the maid’s position in the house

So unsurprisingly my mother also trained me in this field too

But...

That night while he was hugging me my mask tore

Sometimes the wearer isn’t completely able to cover his/her face and the mask tears itself in moments of surprise, joy, and anger

For sometimes the mouth and face is saying something while eyes have something else

My emotions should have been of joy, not extreme, but still of joy

But the emotion of surprise, which should have been dead and buried by now, showed itself

In my eyes...

As my master suddenly held me in his arms I experience something which can only be described as...confusing

It wasn’t unpleasant, by any means

Quite opposite of it, It felt good

But it also felt wrong, at the same time

It is, as I said, confusing

And I am not sure of what action I should take next, regarding this matter

But what I am sure of is that master tore my mask which I strived so hard to build with such ease

It all points to the incompetence of my mask

That, in turn, leads to the conclusion that I am not working hard enough

I have worked hard enough

There is no place for failure

“Master, May I come in?”

“Yes”

I opened the door

And just as I had expected master is practicing magic on a table at the corner of the room, near the window

I always thought magic exists

But I never would have thought it could only be done with the help of what my master calls ‘Playing Cards’

It also seems he has returned to normal

He avoided me after that night when he held me, for few days

“I have delivered the report to his majesty”

“Yes, Thank you”

“It’s my pleasure. Is there anything else I can do?”

He thought for a moment while rubbing his chin

“No, That’s all”

I want some more orders so I can train myself, though

“Are your shoulder’s aching, Master?”

He swung his shoulder without leaving his sight from his ‘cards’

“Not particularly, no”

Hmm

Then I will focus on cleaning the room

But there is no cleaning needed as the master cleans it himself

Not to mention his room is not so big

At first sight, it only seems slightly bigger than my room

It also doesn’t have much furniture either

I am curious to know why but I can’t ask him

I am a maid

I need to know my place

“Isabella, What is your ring size?”

“I am afraid I don’t know”

Why is master asking me that?

“Then...What type of ornaments do you like?”

...

“I am afraid I don’t know”

“Seriously ( `д´ )!!!”

“I have never had the liberty nor the interest in these types of things”

“Huh? But what do you spend your monthly wages on?”

“I give half of them to my mother and the other half is saved up for my brother’s education”

“So you don’t buy anything with it?”

“Yes”

“What about clothes?”

“I have my maid dresses and nightgowns”

He made an obvious face of pity and then tried to hide it

I don’t know what is there to pity about me

I am a maid

This is what I deserve

Normal people would have just laughed at that

Just like my old lord

But...

“Let’s go to the town and get you some clothes next Sunday”

“B-But master-”

“That's an order,” He said forcefully

(⁄ ⁄ º⁄ _ ⁄ º ⁄ ⁄)

In front of me was a man who accepted me the way I am

It doesn’t matter to him that I am a maid

He still cares about me

Even though, knowing who I really am

He still thinks of me as a...

A human...

“Yes...of course, master”