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At the ring of a bell, Lebanne stomps her way furiously down the hall. She's been running around doing the lady's bidding all day, and the one time she goes to sneak a little snack from the grand kitchen, she's tormented by the sound of that stupid bell calling for her all the way from the other side of the hotel.
It's absolutely insulting- being treated like some little pet, and Jacinthe knows it. At this point she doesn't care if Jacinthe reprimands her for stomping in an 'unladylike way'. She's been nothing but bossy, subtly gloating over her victory ever since that fateful day just a week ago.
Whatever. Even if she'd already lost to her in a rematch, Lebanne is sure she'll beat Jacinthe and have her honor back in no time. For now, though, she's stuck with this burden.
The maid pauses in the hall on the way to Jacinthe's room at the sudden sound of her lady's voice, humming along to a tune playing on the old radio she keeps on her dresser. Like a breeze quieting a flame, the hauntingly beautiful sound makes Lebanne melt.
She quietly opens the door to the lady's room and immediately feels her face flush like she walked in on something she wasn't supposed to. Jacinthe sits finishing her makeup at her ornate white vanity, her back exposed as it waits for the corset of her dress to be laced up. Her usual frilly gloves have been changed for sleek white opera gloves and she's already gorgeous, as always, but the striking new dress she received from a noble SBC patron only makes her look more exquisite.
Gah- what is she thinking?
"Ah, Lebanne," Jacinthe chirps, finally noticing her presence. "It's wonderful to see you at last."
Before she can stop herself, Lebanne gives her a slight bow in return. Lame.
Jacinthe's training is starting to work on her, despite her best efforts to defy her where she could. Lebanne can't imagine her old friends seeing her like this. Even worse, Jacinthe lights up adorably at her gesture, and Lebanne feels her cheeks burn. This stupid rich girl…
"Alors, I know you must be wondering what could possibly be so important as to interrupt your precious snack time," Jacinthe says teasingly. Lebanne tenses and immediately searches for excuses, wondering how on earth Jacinthe found out so quickly. Maybe she heard from another employee, maybe she has magic powers, but the more likely answer is that she already knows Lebanne almost as well as Lebanne knows herself. "I'd like you to help me get dressed for my meeting today."
…
The wild, violent punk in Lebanne wants to tell her to fuck off and do it herself, but what comes out is, "Yes my lady."
At first, Lebanne couldn't stand having to call Jacinthe that. It sounded stupid. It still does, but now something about calling Jacinthe hers makes her feel all fuzzy inside. She's started to go soft, that's the only answer…
Lebanne sighs and reaches for the pink ribbons dangling from Jacinthe's back, only for the lady to shake her head.
"Before you help with my dress, I'd like you to help me with my necklace and earrings."
Lebanne frowns.
"Uh..Didn't you say you hate wearing jewelry that touches your bare skin?"
"You remembered," Jacinthe notes, pleased. That cheerful expression quickly fades as she continues. "You are correct- I do detest jewelry touching my skin, but… this dress and this jewelry was a gift from my guest today, and I think it is only right to appear before her with it on."
"Why're you making yourself uncomfortable for the sake of someone you don't even know like that?"
Jacinthe closes her eyes, quick and articulate with her answer.
"Sometimes, as nobles, we must put our own comfort second before that of others."
"That's bullshit! You shouldn't have to do stuff you don't wanna do just because of some stupid rich lady!"
"Pardon?"
Lebanne knows better than to take that honeyed tone and sudden beaming smile at face value- this woman is seething. Rather than risk any more of Jacinthe's wrath, she quickly bows her head.
"Uh- sorry, I mean, I didn't mean to be so direct."
"I see. I thought I heard something incredibly uncouth. But that is something we will get to later." At that, Lebanne relaxes and stands up straight again. She's safe for now. "I know your abrasiveness comes from a place of care, Lebanne," Jacinthe sighs, shooting her a cutting glare. "But it's wisest now to hold your tongue. I won't be challenged any further."
Lebanne purses her lips and nods simply. She opens the two white boxes before Jacinthe on her vanity and decides to begin with the necklace, a delicate shining gold with a lovely violet pendant.
It's the first time the lady has entrusted her with something personal like this, and that alone makes her both nervous and oddly excited.
Something about this all feels almost dreamlike as well, made only more so by the violin music that continues quietly over the radio as Jacinthe delicately parts her soft lilac curls, exposing the nape of her neck. She smells like sweet floral perfume. With perhaps the most care she's ever done anything with, Lebanne slowly loops the necklace around her lady's neck and rests the pendant just above her chest. It's such a small moment, but it's so deeply, strangely intimate.
Jacinthe flinches, and Lebanne quickly draws back, worried she's hurt her somehow.
It must've been the cold of the necklace, Lebanne figures. But that doesn't explain the pained expression on Jacinthe's face, her perfect brow creased and her teeth clenched tight. She's been told before not to pry, and she doesn't. All Lebanne knows is this causes her lady discomfort, and it makes her chest tighten to know there is nothing she can do to alleviate it.
"Are you okay, Lady Jacinthe?", she asks tentatively.
Jacinthe's answer, usually quick and sharp witted, comes after a few deep breaths.
"I'm quite alright. The discomfort is made lighter by your mere presence, dearest."
In that moment, the commanding presence Jacinthe exudes in public is nowhere to be found. Her voice is hushed and fond. All Lebanne can do is wonder why her heart races when Jacinthe talks to her like that.
The lady instructs her to continue her work, helping her with each pretty gold earring. Her reaction is much the same for each, pained and irritated, but Lebanne finds it seems to help when she tells Jacinthe she's doing well and that they're almost done. When Lebanne's work is finished, Jacinthe rises to her feet and looks at herself in the mirror, her features framed beautifully by the new jewelry.
"Magnifique! Despite it all, the ensemble really does add to the overall look. It's almost worth the headache, non?"
Jacinthe turns to look back at Lebanne, and she doesn't even need to ask aloud, the maid can practically hear her asking how she looks by that expectant gleam in her eye.
"You look gorgeous, my lady," she says earnestly.
If Lebanne caught anybody else saying this sort of thing to their boss, she'd call them a total suck-up, but…this isn't entirely flattery. Lebanne isn't the type. Lebanne doesn't get anything out of this. Well, except for Jacinthe's radiant smile returning as she thanks her.
"Now, help me lace up my dress, won't you?"
Without missing a beat, Lebanne takes the pink ribbons and begins to delicately lace them up. So far she's been able to avoid looking at Jacinthe's back too much, but standing this close to her, it's impossible not to stare. There's just something so beautiful about her like this in ways Lebanne can't describe, like a poem that lies just beyond her grasp and touches her heart all the same. As she crosses the ribbons over each other, Lebanne pauses and ghosts her fingers over the soft skin of her shoulder. She's not sure if she imagines it, but Jacinthe seems to relax at the touch.
What is she doing?
Lebanne quickly retracts her hand, and the only other indication that Jacinthe’s noticed is a slight glance over her shoulder. It isn’t a reprimand, nor does she appear displeased. It's only for a moment, but her gaze is so charged, bursting at the seams with the desire to say something.
And yet she doesn’t.
She instead turns around as if nothing's happened. Lebanne frowns, lost in thought. Despite the outward appearance that rich folk like Jacinthe can do as they like, they sure do live with a suffocating amount of restraint…
It's sadly not long before Lebanne finishes lacing up the corset. Once she does, she watches Jacinthe excitedly give the dress a little twirl, the ruffled hem floating ever so slightly as she does.
“You’ve done a wonderful job, especially for this being your first time," Jacinthe praises warmly. “Maybe you’re more suited for this sort of work than I thought.”
Lebanne scoffs, but for some reason a smile tugs at her lips.
“Yeah, right.”
While Jacinthe heads off to her meeting, Lebanne must return to her other, duller duties. The other staff have tasked her with taking a pile of important linens to a specialized laundry room, one she can't remember the location of for the life of her. All she knows is there's a staff room at the end of this hall and she figures it's her best shot at getting some help.
As Lebanne approaches the closed wooden door, she overhears the exasperated conversation within.
"It's not fair. She got here a week ago and she's already Lady Jacinthe's favorite."
"You don't know that."
"The lady was wearing a necklace today- she never does that, and she never lets anyone put one on her!"
"Yes, I mean, I suppose I thought she'd be tired of her by now."
In her own curiosity, Lebanne starts leaning against the door, not noticing it was unlocked. She tumbles forward, dropping her stack of neatly folded laundry that had taken her the better part of an hour, scattering it all over the floor like an idiot.
To make matters worse, the trio of maids inside looks down at her with an infuriating mix of disgust and pity. For the life of her Lebanne can't remember their names, but at the very least they've all conveniently got different hair colors.
"What are you doing here?", the blonde haired maid asks with narrowed eyes.
"Oh, I wanted to ask you guys where I need to put these linens for the event tomorrow night," Lebanne started clumsily, "Unless you're like busy or something."
"You don't know?"
The black haired maid puts a hand to her temple and sighs, irritated."You've been here a whole week now and you've barely picked up anything at all!"
"Shit, it's not like anybody showed me!"
"I did show you, but you weren't paying attention because you were too busy grumbling and complaining and acting like a toddler!" Lebanne's eyes go wide as the black haired maid goes off on her. "You always look like you absolutely hate it here, why don't you just leave?"
Damn, do I really look like I hate it here that bad?
Well, she kind of does, but…she also kind of doesn't. It's comfortable enough, the pay's amazing, and Lady Jacinthe, she's…
Lebanne could leave, in theory, but her principles keep her rooted in this position as part of their deal. That doesn't mean she has to be happy about the arrangement, but she hadn't realized that being so engrossed in her bitterness was causing an inconvenience for the others just trying to help.
Lebanne feels her shoulders fall.
"I… made a promise."
"See, she's a woman of her word or whatever," The brunette whispers in the blonde's ear. "No wonder Lady Jacinthe likes her."
"Just because Lady Jacinthe has her head all the way up her ass doesn't mean she belongs here!"
That's it.
In an instant, Lebanne's fist meets that blonde bitch's face and she's on the ground. It feels like too long since Lebanne has felt this kind of adrenaline pumping through her veins, itching for a real good fight. But instead of fighting back, her opponent scowls at her from her place on the floor, and the door behind Lebanne creaks open.
There's one woman Lebanne hopes desperately that it's not. Seconds later, that very woman takes her place beside Lebanne, scared stiff that she'll be told off for violating one of the first rules of her job- no fighting in the hotel.
"My lady," the maid on the floor stammers, "Please tell her that-"
"Stand up and excuse yourself with Lebanne this instant."
Everyone besides Jacinthe stares in silence for a moment, incredulous.
"Excuse myself?! That woman was the one who hit me!"
Jacinthe glances at Lebanne for a moment. Her expression is uncharacteristically stern, but in her pretty violet eyes a fond glimmer shines through.
"I believe my dear Lebanne was merely trying to preserve my honor, even if her methods are perhaps a bit unorthodox," she says. The way she looks expectantly down at the maid implies she's still waiting for an apology from her, only to be met with a fed up silence. Lebanne gets it, she wouldn't want to apologize either. Honestly, she's shocked the lady doesn't flip her off.
"Pack your things and leave the hotel," Jacinthe orders. "Though I won't say Lebanne is innocent of everything you've accused her of, you should all know better than to be disrespectful of her. She lacks the upbringing, training, and education you and I have. It is your duty and mine to help her settle in here as comfortably as if we were all family, not to linger on every shortcoming."
Instead of cursing Jacinthe out like she clearly so badly desires, the dismissed maid storms out. Jacinthe looks over at the remaining maids standing before Lebanne and gestures down at the linens littering the floor. "You two, take this laundry elsewhere and fold it again."
With that, her and Lebanne are left alone once more. There's so much she wants to say to Jacinthe, but all that comes out is, "Thanks."
There's a long beat of silence and Lebanne can't help but think back to what the other maids said earlier, about her not belonging here. It's true, she doesn't, and it really doesn't matter. Despite that, though, something about it stings.
As if she can read her thoughts, Jacinthe says, "Lebanne, do you really think I would have you here if I did not want you here?"
Lebanne stiffens, caught off guard.
"That day we first fought, I saw something in you despite the roughness of your exterior, something dazzling. I accepted the terms of your deal because I knew you could bring something to the SBC we sorely needed."
"What- what are you talking about?"
Jacinthe raises a hand to her cheek and tilts her head.
"You doubt my expert judgement?"
Lebanne pauses for a moment, unable to fight a smile as she shakes her head.
"No, my lady. Your perception is impressive, as always."