Octavia pretended to read the menu in her hand as she observed Foreigner fidgeting from embarrassment.

  She had heard of this sort of business before. It was called ‘maid cafe’, a specialty and culture of Sen, an island nation of Gelip where one needs an invitation from a citizen to enter. It was one of the few places she never got a chance to visit thanks to its strictly confined border, and, naturally, there was only a limited amount of cultural exchange between it and the mainland. Even though she knew this kind of restaurant was popular there to the level where there is an entire district filled with them, seeing one with her own eyes, especially in Pasargadae, was news.

  And to her surprise, the restaurant was booming with customers. With a consistent theme of pink and ribbons decorating the interior, all the servers working were female of various races, wearing the same frilly black and white one-piece dress with a short skirt and an apron attached to the front as a uniform. And while one-third of the customers were of Vaz, the others were from all around the continent, treating the place more like a recreation rather than a restaurant.

  What was more interesting was how the customers and waitresses were conversing with each other outside of the casual greetings involved during the ordering process. One table that intrigued her had the maid casting some kind of spell on food while making hearts with their hands and asked the customer to do the same. The group on the table first refused with their faces blushing red, but soon obliged as if they had no choice when they actually did. It surely was an abnormality and embarrassing to watch, but all the parties involved had a bright smile on their faces in the end. In fact, everyone in the room seemed to be enjoying this chaotic nature and found themselves in hopes and dreams they had lost ever since adulthood began. Such atmosphere, Octavia did not mind at all.

  She finally gave the menu a chance to be read, and immediately faced a minor issue: she had no idea what any of the names referred to. After all, she was never interested in the culture of Gelip, or anyone in general. Sure, she could just ask about it like a normal person would, but instead, she decided to use this moment as an opportunity to mess with Foreigner, who was maintaining a smile with the corner of her mouth twitching at random intervals.

  “Any recommendation for your master?“ Octavia casually asked as she crossed her legs and leaned back against the chair, while knowing how Foreigner must be screaming internally.

  “Our signature dish is ‘Flappy Hearty Omurice‘! With a piping hot, thin, and soft omelet wrapping fried rice, with ketchup used as the base sauce, it provides a sweet and savory taste at once. Both children and adults love it, and it surely is my favorite!“ Foreigner answered with a tone perfect for service, while screaming internally at Octavia for making her do this.

  “Sounds cool. I’ll take that. What about you, Pafnuty?“

  “Hmm, I’m going to try this, Don—Ton—Katz.“

  “And we’ll also take this ‘picture with the maid’ option of yours.” Octavia tapped the menu lightly with her finger before snatching one from Pafnuty’s hand and handing the two to Foreigner.

  “Certainly! I’ll bring a list of maids available for the day. Please wait for a moment!“ Foreigner got a bad hunch from Octavia’s extra request, but she had no choice but to ask with a bright smile.

  “Oh, I already know who I want. You.“ Octavia took a sip of the ice-cold water and winked at Foreigner to nail the coffin she was already in.

  “O—Oh! Absolutely! We’ll be right back with your menu and prepare for a picture session, master!“

  With that, Foreigner ran away from the scene, with a smile on her face like a true professional would, but she couldn’t prevent her eyes from shaking intensely at the tragedy she was going through. And behind her was Octavia, who gulped an entire glass of water in a single go and slammed it down on the table rather forcefully while making a satisfied face as the chill water streamed down her throat.

  “You look happy.“ Pafnuty said with slight concern.

  “Do I?“

  Octavia looked up at the ceiling where a single fan was turning round and round. She scratched her cheek twice and then smiled by raising the right corner of her mouth.

  “I am.“

  At the back of the guest area, Foreigner released a deep sigh while filling the sauce containers.

  Earlier today, she was jobless. And suddenly, she got scouted by the owner and chef of this restaurant to be a maid. Ever since then, she rode the chaotic tide of learning the job and serving the customers. Even though she had a badge showing that she was a trainee on her chest, this job felt natural to her, as if she had done something similar in the past. In fact, everything was running smoothly, and she felt proud of herself. Until Octavia and Pafnuty showed up out of nowhere.

  “Hey!“

  In a swift, energetic and clear voice came from her back, alongside a light touch on her left shoulder.

  Foreigner looked to her side to see a Sirenetani with light blue skin covered with scales and fins, alongside the gills on her neck repeating the process of opening and closing. With short curly hair and eyes with black sclera, she demonstrated how a mature and reliable leader would look, with a posture overflowing with confidence. Although she was wearing the same uniform as Foreigner, she had a pink ribbon on her left chest that was attracting attention with an excessive presence.

  “I heard from Chef Eskandar that he scouted you on-the-spot today! Nice to meet you, and welcome to the maid cafe Frilly Ribbon! I’m Crescencia and I’ll be your head maid for the day. So let me know if there is anything you need!”

  Crescencia spoke as she lightly banged on her left chest with her right fist and shifted her mood slightly towards being perceptive.

  “But you seem to be doing great already, so I doubt if there is anything you need me for. I can see why Chef Eskandar hired you in an instant!“

  “Oh, um, thank you, and nice to meet you, Ms. Crescencia! I’m—”

  For a brief moment, Foreigner felt her mind halting its motion, as she realized she didn’t have a name to introduce herself. Her brain tried to process the situation to come up with a lie to spit out, but there simply was nothing she knew about this world to fabricate a truth properly. And longer Foreigner stood there with her mouth open, Crescencia felt the air growing awkward and started a new topic to break the ice.

  “Um, I’m really glad that you are working with us! Ever since Amonet left, we've been short on—“

  “Amonet!“ At a sudden word Foreigner shouted out, both parties flinched in surprise. “Um, I mean. That’s my name!“

  The clock ticked twice for no further actions being taken. Within that short period of time, Foreigner felt eternity passing through her mind as she rebuked herself for giving out such an idiotic statement that looked suspicious in every direction. But it was also a short period of time for Crescencia to gather her hands together and say out loud with a bright smile.

  “Oh, really? What a coincidence! I suppose that name is common among Shakh Sah? Anyway, nice to meet you, Amonet! I just wanted to say that you are doing great! If there is anything I can be of help, just let me know. And you can just call me Crescencia, no prefix needed!“

  Only after hearing that from Crescencia, the throb bursting below Foreigner’s chest slowed down, and the sudden relaxation almost made her crash on the spot.

  “Thank you, Mis—I mean, Crescencia. But I think I’m fine for now!“

  For possibly the first time since Octavia and Pafnuty entered through the door, she was able to smile sincerely to her heart’s content. But what she did not realize was how she kept staring at the order slip for the two, and Crescencia was keen enough to catch this little detail.

  “Ah, I get it now. They are your friends, right?“

  Crescencia pointed at the order slip, and Foreigner was shocked at her for figuring out the situation with no clues given, even though she was the one who gave it to her. With confidence overflowing, Crescencia continued with her hands behind her head as she lightly swayed her body.

  “I know. I know. It’s embarrassing to show someone you know how you work, that’s just how it is. Especially if that someone is your friend. Don’t worry. It happens to everyone at least once.“

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “Haha. Yeah. I just don’t know how to react to them. Cause, you know, I’m not as cute as everyone here.“

  Foreigner spoke thoughtlessly as her eyes counted the lines drawn on the floor. But she soon received her retribution, with Crescencia grabbing her shoulders and yelling into her face.

  “What are you talking about?! Do you not see yourself in the mirror?!“

  Crescencia shook Foreigner rapidly, giving her slight motion sickness. Then she abruptly stopped just before Foreigner’s inside climbed upward to its freedom, but her hands were still holding Foreigner’s shoulder tightly without a chance for her to escape. After inhaling a deep breath with her eyes closed, she spoke in a solemn tone.

  “You lack guts.“

  “I—I do?“

  Foreigner questioned with uncertainty as she took a quick peek at her abdomen. Crescencia opened her eyes fiercely, scaring Foreigner a bit, and marched on her speech fueled by determination.

  “Out there is a war! War of maidens, where beauty and cuteness are our weapons! Only the brightest star survives and is remembered. Such is the fate of the maid. Such is the being called idol!“

  “But I don’t want to be an ido—“

  “But a weapon itself cannot win a battle! What good is the weapon if you cannot fire it? You need ammunition, ammunition called guts! No matter how attractive you are, it’s of no use if you don’t have the guts to show it to the world! Have faith in yourself that you can shine the brightest. And if anyone says you can’t, have the guts to say ‘bullshit’ in their face! Do you have that guts inside you!!“

  Crescencia shoved her face right into Foreigner’s and shouted in her ears, enough for the people out in the dining area to notice the commotion going on behind the wall.

  “Okay, okay! I get it! Please stop talking about guts!“

  Foreigner begged Crescencia as she turned her head to the side and saw Chef Eskandar looking her way while prepping a pile of meats in the kitchen. She smiled nervously and raised her thumb, but soon noticed the faint breath hitting her cheek and brought her face back to the front to see Crescencia still having her face right into hers. Only then did she looked into her eyes and realized how every word she said held a meaning she truly believed. As such, she had to give her a reply, by slapping her stomach powerfully and saying out loud with confidence.

  “Yes, ma’am! I got the guts right here!“

  At the powerful answer, Crescencia nodded her head with a smile. And while both of them never noticed, Chef Eskandar did so too in the kitchen as he placed the plate into the waitress area and rang the bell.

  “Order up!“

  As a loud, masculine voice filled the air, Crescencia turned Foreigner towards the kitchen and gave a powerful slap on the back. There were no words being communicated, but Foreigner knew just what she had to do and placed the dishes on the tray before leaving for the battlefield. As she did so, Crescencia raised her thumb with a wink on her face and gave her the command as the head maid.

  “Go make some smile, maid!“

  Foreigner grinned at Crescencia’s words and left for the mission. Soon, the only sound in the room was of the sizzling in the kitchen, and Crescencia stood in her place with her arms crossed and a dim smile on her face.

  “You’ve got this, Amonet.”

  And while she never noticed, Chef Eskandar approved it by raising his thumb.

  The night of the Frilly Ribbon was flooded by the constant stream of orders being placed. The bell attached to the entrance door never knew when to rest, and the flow of dishes from the kitchen to the table continued without a break. Naturally, it had been some time since Foreigner had the opportunity to have a talk with Octavia and Pafnuty, nor even divert attention to their table. There wasn’t even a chance to take a breather ever since she had the conversation with Crescencia, but the fact that she could work and the smiles on the customers’ faces were enough to motivate her.

  Only after Crescencia gave her a sign, Foreigner checked the clock and realized that the time had come. With her heart thumping strongly, she walked onto the stage and held onto the microphone. Even though it was a small stage, the pressure coming from simply standing on it was gargantuan, and she needed a moment to take a box breathing and remember the instructions she was taught. And finally, she spoke to call out to her dear masters.

  “Ms. Octavia and Mr. Pafnuty! I’d like to invite you two to the stage for a photo shoot with the maid!“

  As soon as those words traveled through the space, Octavia spat out the toothpick and jumped out of her seat as if this was the only thing she had waited for the entire night. She grabbed Pafnuty’s sleeve and dragged him to the stage with her, who was still enjoying his food with a knife and a fork in his hands.

  “Thank you for choosing me for the photo shoot today! Do you have any poses you’d like to request?“ Foreigner greeted the two with a smile, and Octavia scratched her neck twice before shrugging her shoulders.

  “Eh. I’m not really good at this kind of thing. Doc, any idea?“

  “Octavia. The fact that you are asking me this means we are out of ideas.“

  “Well, there it goes. I’ll just leave that up to the professionals then.“

  Octavia threw the ball into Foreigner’s court, and Foreigner was struck with a sudden question. There were several poses on the manual in a case like this, all of them way too cute and definitely will be rejected by Octavia. Foreigner spun her mind fast to see if there would be any pose fitting for the two, but before she could say her thought out loud, Octavia snatched the turn to do so.

  “By the way, you look nice. I mean it.“

  Foreigner slowly raised her head from her thinking pose and saw the pink blush on Octavia’s cheek. She was constantly scratching the back of her neck while looking somewhere on the blank wall, and Foreigner couldn’t stop from laughing at such a rare scenery.

  “W—What’s so funny?“

  “Dear Rhea. Octavia, you must have a cold, with your cheeks red-hot. I can prescribe you some medicine once we go back.“

  “Wha—Just shut up, alright!“

  At that moment, Foreigner knew the exact pose that fits the three.

  “Okay! Look here and I’ll take on three!“ Crescencia grabbed the attention of the group as she raised her left arm while holding a camera in her right hand.

  “Damn, are you sure this is the pose you want?“

  “Classic. I like it, my foreign friend.“

  “Oh, shush. You gave me the choice, and I made it! Deal with it!“

  “Three, two, one!“

  The shutter of the camera clicked, and the photo came right out of the instant camera. Crescencia checked the photo and chuckled to herself.

  “No physical contact. That is the policy, you know?“

  The three of them had their arms around shoulder to shoulder, while having the brightest smiles on them. Rather than a picture of a maid and the masters, it was closer to being a photo of three friends having a good time. Crescencia looked at Foreigner, getting teased by Octavia on how she called others ‘master’ for the night while Pafnuty kept asking if he could go back to finish his dinner. She had been on this stage countless times already, but she thought to herself how it felt different from the other occasions.

  “But I’ll let it slide this time.“

  In the vast hallway made of marble and mirrors, soldiers of Vaz were stationed by the walls, guarding the place rigidly to ensure that not even a single ant could infiltrate through. Although there was no light turned on, the golden portrait of the Emperor hanging on the wall shone under the blue moonlight reflected over the floor devoid of dust, and soon engulfed the darkness with its glorious brilliance emitting out from the heavenly authority he rightfully owned. At the end of the hallway was a marvelous door decorated with countless jewels, glittering to produce a spectrum of colors that was a piece of art in itself, and was guarded by one gigantic Vaz in an absolute black armor made of a different material from other soldiers. On such a place, a single Vaz in full armor, with his helmet carried on the side and a cape of red and yellow color finished in a sloppy touch hanging on his back, walked towards the door.

  As the Vaz reached the end of the hallway, the gatekeeper ordered to open the door, and soon the scenery too familiar yet disturbing to the Vaz revealed itself. Inside was a gigantic purple room with gold and treasures piled and scattered all around the place, with a throne, which was enormous even for Vaz, placed on top of the largest pile of treasures in the center of the room. The sound of gold slipping down the slope echoed in the room, and the air was stiff with an intoxicating mist halving the vision. On the throne sat the Emperor of Vaz, surrounded by females of all kinds of races in revealing outfits with only the minimal covers, limply crawling around the throne and on top of the Emperor. The Emperor himself was asleep on his throne, with his gigantic body and a golden chalice in his hand, only to wake up after the Vaz in armor kneeled down in front of him.

  “Emperor Cyrus. I’m here to deliver tragic news. We have confirmed that General Bheruz had been assassinated on his way to Pasargadae. The killer is yet to be found, but we suspect that they are hiding within the walls of the capital.“ As the Vaz in armor gave his report in a rigid tone, Emperor Cyrus slowly turned his head to the Vaz before pushing off one female sleeping on top of his belly.

  “You are stiff as always, General Xerxes. Perhaps a little toy would ease you up.“

  He grabbed one of the females and threw her on the floor. She rolled twice before coming to a stop and twitched in pain that caused her to bruise up on the impact points. However, as if she had a different desire that needed to be fulfilled, she slowly crawled to Xerxes with an eye devoid of light.

  “You do not seem shocked by the news.” With his head still lowered, Xerxes did not spare a glance for the female desperately willing him to notice her.

  “The empire is mine, and I am the empire. For I am well, the empire is so too. Why should I be attentive to the scab dropping from my skin, as it has already served its purpose? Instead of wasting any more of your breath, I command you to accept my gratitude as an acknowledgement of your loyalty.“

  General Xerxes glanced upward at the Emperor while keeping his head low. “My fulfillment comes from the needs of the empire. Serving the people of this land is where I find joy.“ He stated his philosophy to the great Emperor without hesitation, only to be met by laughter bursting out from the mountainous body and the gulping of wine from the golden chalice.

  “Hold your aspirations, young general. To proclaim that the empire needs you in front of its avatar — such ambition befits being the general of mine! Still, you are too credulous to have one. You speak of people, yet you do not own a crowd of yours. You speak of joy, yet fail to grasp that it is nothing but a deception. Quit with your excuses! What you must truly face is the grotesque desire within your soul that is an intrinsic curse of all minds. A desire to fill the emptiness in your consciousness, to complete the void that hungers for primitive pleasure. To become a true conqueror, you must first fulfill your inner appetite. Thousands of so-called heroes challenged to take my head, yet not one of them stands before me today. For I am full and they are hollow! Drown yourself in pleasure! Only then, you will be able to leash your desire and become whole as I am.”

  Emperor Cyrus grabbed one female and placed her on top of his belly. The chosen one crawled and rolled on his body, ensuring that the curvature of her can be felt by the Emperor through skin. The Emperor laughed frantically at a comedy happening right on top of his own body, and Xerxes clenched his fist at his doing.

  Without another word, Xerxes stood up as he put on his helmet. The female crawling on the floor finally reached the tip of his feet, but he turned his back before she could touch them.

  “I shall return with news about the killer. Father.“