Romancing the Stone

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Daiyu's life was changing too fast.

It was the second day in the palace. Daiyu woke up to see herself cuddled by Itto, Noelle wrapped around her waist, and Gorou holding her feet at the edge of the bed. Groaning, she shimmied her way out of their grasp and stretched. Wiping the crust out of her eyes, she walked to the window to stare out at the garden. Golden leaves cascaded downwards, landing in the pond in the midst of the place. A large clock stood in the center as well, showing the time was almost eight. It was peaceful for a morning in a place she was unfamiliar with. 

She went behind the screen to put on her maid uniform. Not knowing what her duty was made it hard to figure out what the heck she was supposed to do. Fixing her hair, she opened her bag to reveal the last treasure that was given to her by her brothers; a jade hairpin. Fastening her hair upwards, she placed the pin in the middle. Before she could put on her makeup, she felt something nudge her leg. It was Ushi, the cute bull pet of Prince Itto and her bath mate from the other day. 

"Hello Ushi..." Daiyu picked up the small bull, who mooed happily in her arms. "How on Teyvat did you get in my room? My door wasn't open."

Perhaps the familiarity between her and the farm animals in her village made her feel homesick. Every morning she would gather eggs to make breakfast, give apples to the little critters, and made friends with the hogs. Her parents used her to tame the wild creatures before cooking them up for dinner. It was so saddening for her since she really wanted a pet. Now, with Ushi in her arms, she walked down the hallways trying to find the kitchen to feed her new friend.

"Hey! Look at what she has in her arms!" 

The other maids took notice of her coming to the kitchen and gasped at Daiyu for holding one of the sacred animals. The young maid pointed at her, screeching loudly and accusing her of stealing the poor bull. Some of the maids got mad at her, some of them were trying to calm the situation, and others were just giving her mean glares. 

"What are you lazy ones doing? Don't you know we have to set up for breakfast?"

In this palace, the head maid and the one who worked closest to the royal family was Mingxia. She came from the city and was trained as a hard-working maid from a young age. When she was invited to serve the royal family, some say she was promoted because of her dedication to her craft and an unwavering attitude. Others say that the only reason she loves working for them is because she gets to help serve the Emperor.

However, when she heard some newcomer had gotten favor with the eldest prince, Mingxia thought it was just a baseless rumor. Seeing Daiyu holding Ushi made her think otherwise. On the outside, she was a graceful woman with a kind heart and sparkling personality. 

The inside was a different story.
Mingxia approached Daiyu with a shaky smile. "Oh you must be the newcomer I've heard so much about. Daiyu wasn't it?"

Daiyu bowed. "Yes, I just arrived yesterday. Please treat me well."

"Oh I'm certain that we won't find any trouble with you. I'm the head maid of the house Mingxia. You will follow my orders and the orders of the royal family while you are here. I expect there to be no trouble at all." She placed a hand on the now trembling form of Daiyu. "After all, should you fail at your tasks, we have no choice but to kick you out."

Daiyu gulped, nodding her head rapidly.

"Now, let me take the prince's pet off your hands and assign you to one of our groups." Mingxia went to take Ushi, but the bull huffed and turned away from her. "Huh? Ushi come here. You know me, I wouldn't hurt you."

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