Chapter 12. Bertino Mansion on Harrods Street, Part III

"Start with cleaning the empty room. Dust off the furniture every day, change the sheets every other day, remove the dust from the carpet every three days..."

Julietta was at a loss to remember the tasks which were pouring out endlessly.

’I don’t know if I can memorize it all. When I get paid, I will buy a pen first.’

Julietta entered the room pointed out by the maid. When Julietta entered the room she thought was empty, a pretty maid with gray hair and black eyes asked, "Are you the new maid?"

"Yes. I’m working starting today. My name is Julietta."

"I’m Anna. I’m supposed to be in charge of the eastern side starting today. Let’s get along well."

A week ago, Anna, who had been taken on bedroom duty at the instruction of the mansion’s owner, Prince Bertino, had been mesmerized by a sexier than usual atmosphere and his naked appearance, but had missed the order the Prince had given her. She had incurred the anger of the Prince, who really disliked his orders not being obeyed instantly, being forced to repeat the words he had uttered once, had been scolded by Sir Albert, and demoted to a cleaning maid.

Anna, who had been snobbish about being different from ordinary maids, was very angry at the fact that she became a cleaning maid. Seeing her discontented attitude, the butler told her to leave the mansion if she didn’t like being a cleaning maid.

Having received a week’s grace period, she was seriously concerned about finding another job, but could not quit, since this job would allow her to see the Prince occasionally. Many of the Prince’s women were far worse looking than her, so she had no doubt that one day she would have a chance.

According to information obtained by enticing Jeff, the Prince’s servant, the Prince never chose a woman first, he dismissed any annoying woman who thought she was special after a few months, and at that time a lucky one among the women around him was given a chance.

Anna was looking for a chance, thinking she would be able to get her hands on him for just a few months. Those months could be years if she didn’t bother the Prince and did nothing he hated. But she had missed a good opportunity after a brief mistake yesterday.

Anna continuously regretted her mistake. She decided to win the favor of the head maid and the butler by working hard for the time being, and become a maid who could enter and leave the Prince’s bedroom again.

However, a new maid with the worst appearance came in, looking dumb. At the moment her mind was shaken again, because she didn’t want to do the cleaning she was not used to.

With those looks, no one in the mansion would want to deal with her, so a little bit of charm would make the new maid her own. Thinking that, Anna smiled sweetly at her new maid.

Julietta felt relieved at the first friendly gesture she received after she had arrived at the mansion. Moved by the little kindness, she greeted Anna with a hearty smile and bowed to her. "Yes, I have a favor to ask of you."

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Julietta woke up the next morning after a hectic day, and pondered over what had happened yesterday before going down to the first floor to work.

She had been delighted thinking ’An appearance is not all about for life’ when the pretty maid Anna had treated her kindly, unlike anyone else. But there was a different motive for her behavior and unprovoked kindness.

Anna, who had used to be affectionate with her soft-spoken voice, had said she was from the family of the Baron and a maid who had served the Prince directly until a week ago. She said there had been a misunderstanding for a while and now she was working as a cleaning maid, but she would go back to being a maid for the Prince, and if Julietta was good to her, her future would be easier.

The reason she had said such a thing was to pass on what she had to do in the end.

Yesterday, Julietta had to clean the empty rooms and community areas used by the servants and maids late into the night after dinner at Anna’s orders, who was next to her and barely moved her hands. Although she had felt bloated, Julietta, who did not want to make an enemy on the first day and didn’t want her future to be like that, had done as she had been told.

Thinking that the same thing was going to happen again today, she mumbled, adding a fluffy dress on top of her heavy underwear, "What should I do if I have to make a move?"

But she couldn’t think of any particular methods, so she sighed and headed downstairs.

"Julietta, have you never met the Prince?" asked Anna, sitting cross-legged beside Julietta, who was sweeping and wiping to the extent her back would break, humming a song and making a stupid expression.

"No, I have not." To Julietta, determined to bury the past incident deep in her mind, Prince Bertino was a man she had never met.

"I suppose a girl like you could not meet His Highness. I’m afraid I won’t be able to see him again today. I heard the head maid said you should not be seen to others, right?"

Anna had just begun to treat Julietta recklessly, leaving behind the pretentious kindness.

"Correct."

"What a pity. I’m so sorry to hear that; one of the greatest pleasures of the maids who work here is that they can see him up close."

"Thank you for your attention. But I’m in a situation where the cleaning I have to finish today is more important than the painting’s rice cake, the Prince."

Julietta, who had carved the letter ’patience’ inside after yesterday and today, was thinking ’Let’s not deal with her but stay calm,’ but couldn’t stand Anna, who kept fiddling with her side.

"Picture rice cake? What does that have to do with His Highness?"

When Anna, who didn’t know what it meant, opened her eyes wide and asked again, Julieta replied with a look of contempt, "If you didn’t understand, that’s fine. And if you’re going to continue not working today, I’ll tell the head maid. I am busy doing what I’m assigned to, and I have no mind to do the work of two."

The sudden change in Julietta’s attitude, who had been working as she had just been told, made Anna gape at her. "Hey, didn’t you hear who I was yesterday? I’m not the kind of person to clean up. If I become the maid of the Prince again later, I can get you to work under me. Then you can see the Prince very close."

"I don’t need to. You don’t have to give me that chance, so start cleaning now, or I’ll go and tell the head maid right away."

When cleaning the assigned places, they were supposed to clean it in pairs. Anna, who was demoted to a cleaning maid, and Julietta, who had just joined, were paired up to replace bed sheets and clean furniture dust, while Julietta was in charge of carpets and floor cleaning. However, when Anna handed over the two maid’s share of work to her yesterday, she exploded.

’What’s the difference if I add one more person as an enemy when I am surrounded by enemies on all sides? Now I don’t care what will happen.’

Julietta gave the hand mop she was holding to Anna whose mouth was open in embarrassment. She looked back and threatened her again, dragging her carpet around and not letting her out of the room.

"Make sure you clean it until I get back. I did your job yesterday, so I want you to finish cleaning the floors assigned to me today."

Anna then had to continue the cleaning job she was unhappy with, as she could not be lazy after Julietta’s threats. After she managed to finish her endless cleaning, she was furious and grunted, ’Though only a beginner, you threaten me! I can’t stay like this forever.’

She had thought she could easily make it through the maid job as Julietta had come in as someone of little account, until she went back as a maid of the Prince. But it felt like she’d been beaten in the back, and now she wanted to figure out a way to kick the ugly girl out.