Orphan / female reader x lady dimitrescu

15

Working as Alcinas personal maid does not only mean that you have to help her with paper work but also being alert at all times that she might have a bad day and having a drink ready for her, looking over the maids working hours and being introduced to the secret recipe of the famous wine that she produces.
It is stressful but you manage to handle it and you wouldn't even mind the stress if there wouldn't be those stupid nightly terrors that you still experience.

They drain your energy and it does not only happen once over the next days that you find yourself drifting away, loosing concentration and even almost falling asleep doing your tasks.

It is the sixth day of working in your new position when you are in the basement, where Alcina keeps the bottles of wine she would sell in the future to count how many there are and also to check how much space is left, and find yourself slowly dozzing off again, and again.
Your body doesn't even bother that you are standing up and you have to start over with the counting way too many times.

You grow a little frustrated, your fist clenching around the pen in your hand and you take a deep breath.

Five, ten, fifteen, twenty… twenty five, thirty… thirty...

Your eyes fall close and you sway back and forth a little, trying to keep your balance while forcing your eyelids to open.
Where did you stop counting again?

For a moment you just stare at the wood of the boxes the bottles are stored in and sigh deeply.
This isn't even hard work though you are just a little too exhausted to do anything at the moment. Right now everything is simply tiring to you.

Of course you don't want to disappoint Alcina and you know that if you don't show up upstairs within the next few minutes she'd come to look for you and ask what is taking you so long.
But instead of trying to focus again you lean back against the cold wall and close your eyes with a yawn. 'I can stay like this for a second' you think 'And recharge a bit of energy'.

Vaela already gave you the tip that you should start drinking a little bit of coffee to get rid of the tiredness, the problem being that you simply don't exactly enjoy the bitter taste of it. But what is more important, your taste buds or being the best maid you can be for your countess?

,,Y/N? Are you still here?", the voice of Alcina suddenly echos through the basement and it catches you so off-guard that you accidentally drop your clipboard and pen which fall to the floor with a loud thud.

,,Yes, I am", you say loudly as you bend down to pick your stuff up and the moment you stand up straight again she enters the room, furrowing her eyebrows as she looks at you.
,,Is everything alright? You've been gone for a while now".

,,No, no. Everything is okay", you reply a little too hurriedly and of course she notices that you're not telling the truth.
,,Dear, don't lie to me please", she says and steps closer to you ,,What's wrong?".
You let out a sigh and rest your body back against the wall while she stands in front of you, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

,,My sleeping problems made a return and it makes working a little hard", you say quietly ,,I can't really concentrate and I could probably fall asleep standing up…. What almost happened already. And", you point toward the bottles you're supposed to count ,,This simply doesn't work right now".

,,But why didn't you tell me?", she asks, worry sounding in her voice and you don't even exactly know why.
Either it hadn't been the right time, you didn't get to tell her or it just didn't come up.
,,I mean, I am supposed to work for you", you mumble ,,And not talk to you about my personal problems".

Alcina sighs and she shakes her head. ,,Promise me that in the future you will tell me about things like that, okay? I don't want you to run around being unwell and ignore your feelings just because you want to help me", she says gently ,,I'm impressed by how serious you take your work, obviously. But I also want you to feel well while doing your tasks, okay?".

You give her a little nod and look up to her, finding utter comfort in the way she smiles at you.

,,Good. This can wait until later", Alcina says, looking around the room ,,For now I want you to go up to your room and rest. When you feel better, you can continue your work here".
,,Okay", you almost grin at the fact that your task now is literally to go to bed and she sees the corners of your mouth twitching

,,If I catch you down here and you're not feeling better I will personally bring you back to bed and sit there until you fall asleep", she says and you know that she is only joking by the way she is chuckling but if you are honest with yourself, that doesn't even sound bad at all.

,,Got it", you say and the pleased expression on her face stims you weirdly happy.
,,Good", she nods ,,And one last thing. In the evening I want you to come to my room so we can talk about it, okay?".
,,Sure", you say quietly and your heart flutters as she runs her hand through your hair for a split second, her lips curling upward and you sense a slight feeling of excitement building up in your stomach.

Spending time with her surely is one of the better things, if not one of the best that life has to offer and you later close the curtains in your room with a little smile, already looking forward to the evening.

(A/N: I apologize for this ridiculously short chapter but I have a test coming up today that I (unsuccessfully) studied for the last days and I felt a little bad about not updating soooo here you go. And you can already prepare for some fruity stuff coming up in the next one :) )