Chapter Twenty-Four: A Tranquil Afternoon (With gratitude to the lovely maid Mengmeng for her alliance sponsorship)

The next morning, Hexia woke up and switched on the sun-lamp above the window frame. It shone with a brightness that mimicked the rays of the sun, filling the room with light.

After getting up, she took a quick shower. With a light shake of her hair, countless water droplets coalesced into crystals and fell from her body, leaving her feeling refreshed. She put on a brand-new outfit, sat before the vanity to style her hair, and tied a large silk ribbon at the back of her head. Then, she stood up, walked to the kitchen, and dished out the warmed porridge.

Having finished her simple breakfast, she picked up her personal terminal and bag, walked to the door, and put on her well-fitting leather shoes. She tapped her feet to settle her toes into the front, then pulled up the heels and tightened the straps.

She checked her reflection in the mirror one last time. Seeing that everything was in order, she blinked.

"I'm heading out."

She said this softly, then opened the door and stepped outside.

The hallway was as cluttered as always. Hexia moved with nimble steps, leaping lightly to avoid puddles and debris as she made her way quickly toward the elevator.

She joined several familiar faces from the neighborhood inside the spacious elevator, and many greeted her.

"You're up early today, Hexia."

"Morning, Hexia."

"Morning, everyone." For the first time, Hexia responded aloud, breaking her usual silence.

Though she still felt a bit unaccustomed to it, there was a sense of adventurous novelty and excitement in the air.

"Hexia looks different today."

"Haha, it seems so." The neighbors chatted and laughed around her.

The elevator climbed steadily. Mid-journey, the screen inside broadcast the latest news.

"The disturbance at the Sheng-Hai Voice Bathhouse last week has been resolved. According to the report from the officer in charge, the incident was caused by the accidental activation of an electronic pulse device belonging to a small company during transport. Panic and emotional agitation among the residents subsequently led to significant damage."

"The company responsible for the accident has guaranteed they will cover the losses. The operator of the Sheng-Hai Voice Bathhouse has accepted the compensation, and both parties have issued a joint apology to the guests present, stating that each guest frightened that night will receive a 300 Federation Credit voucher... For further updates, please stay tuned."

"Elevator Shaft G5184 was found damaged the day before yesterday, with extensive traces of a struggle left behind, though no bodies were recovered. It is speculated that this was a turf war between underground gangs, as the location is on the 72nd underground level, a place rarely visited except by those operating in the gray areas or unregistered individuals."

"Influenced by commodity prices at the Federation's Southern Star Sector Trade Center, experts predict that industrial costs in the Four-Leaf Crystal Star Sector may rise by 0.65% over the next six months, and exports are showing a slight downward trend..."

"The highly anticipated immersive film, *Please Hold My Fingertips*, will be released in early May. The film tells the story of lovers separated by the chaos of the war four hundred years ago, their difficult choices amidst the fighting, the suffering they endured, and their final journey on a starship toward a secluded paradise far from the conflict..."

The elevator came to a halt, the broadcast ended, and the doors opened.

Hexia exited and walked until she reached the base of the Top Star Tower.

Stepping into the building's elevator, she watched as the ground below began to recede, the entire city gradually coming into view from above. Before long, she arrived at the floor housing the Glazed Dream.

Taking a deep breath to calm her slight nervousness, Hexia walked in.

It was still early, and the lobby was quiet. The simulated sky above cast a faint golden morning glow, dyeing the undersides of the clouds a pale gold.

Because she had taken leave for the past few days, today was, in fact, Hexia's first official day of work.

Unfortunately, seniors like Belphegor and Andusias had not yet arrived. After wandering around briefly, Hexia found a small circular chapel in the east corner. The petite 'Decarabia' was sitting inside, feeding birds. She had golden curly hair and was wearing a maid dress that was primarily white.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Decarabia looked up.

"It's Hexia." Her voice was soft, devoid of surprise or shock, instead offering a sense of tranquility.

"You're here." She stood up, opened a cabinet door in the wall, and bent down to pull out a chair, placing it beside the table.

Watching her struggle, Hexia couldn't help but want to step in and assist, but the distance was short, and Decarabia had already set the chair in place.

Once seated, Hexia asked what had happened during the days she was away.

"Sister Belphegor was very worried about you. She mentioned you to me several times, though she kept saying that, she still played games every afternoon with great enthusiasm."

*Very good, very realistic,* Hexia thought to herself.

"I have little contact with the others, so I don't know much," Decarabia replied with a shake of her head. She didn't interact much with the other maids in the shop and often stayed in this corner.

*It doesn't seem to be a big problem,* Hexia thought, feeling slightly more at ease. The two of them fed the birds together.

Twenty minutes later, Hexia got up to take her leave, saying she needed to change clothes.

"Here," Decarabia said, handing her a card.

"What is this?"

"This is my temporary access card. You can use it to get into the staff lounge upstairs; otherwise, you won't have a place to change right now."

"When Belphegor or the manager arrives later, you can ask them to register you. Usually, you can just trigger the locks with the identity chip on your wrist."

"Thank you." Hexia took the card and nodded in gratitude.

After changing upstairs, she realized that since she was on her own today, none of the seniors were there to 'kindly' pile her with various accessories.

Looking at the slightly plain maid in the mirror for a moment, Hexia decided to add a little something. After all, it was her first day, and she wanted to make a good impression.

She chose a feather-shaped hair clip from her drawer. Its five feathers were arranged in a fan-like gradient, with colors ranging from pure white, chartreuse, primrose, and goose yellow, to orange-red. She pinned it beside her right ear, then took two thin white hair ribbons to tie back the strands of hair by her chest before heading out.

Her first day of work had officially begun.

First, she went to help Sister 'Uvall,' as the morning was the peak period for hot drink sales, and she might not be able to handle it alone.

"Thanks for coming to help, Hexia~" The maid with milk-white hair expressed her gratitude and then told Hexia what needed to be prepared.

"In the mornings, hot coffee and milk tea are the most popular. Of course, our guests here certainly aren't satisfied with regular brewed coffee; most demand T4 or T3-grade beverages. I'll send you the ingredient list; just follow the recipe, and I'll handle the processing."

"Understood." Hexia looked at the data sent to her and began using clean porcelain bowls to retrieve the ingredients from the storage compartments.

These ingredients were all quite different, and some possessed supernatural effects, requiring different storage environments. They were distributed across five different areas. Furthermore, once retrieved, they had to be used within a certain timeframe, or their quality would slowly degrade.

"Purple-core beans, molten-core coffee beans, frost-gall powder, star-dot grass leaves, Alice black tea, Moran flower extract..."

Following the specific requirements, Hexia carefully weighed and measured the ingredients before handing them to 'Uvall,' the maid who held a high-level qualification in beverage blending.

It was like brewing a potion. In various transparent instruments, the raw materials were heated, roasted, stirred, and enhanced with magical power to trigger their special effects, finally resulting in the finished drink.

"T4-grade Moran black tea, for guest D-24."

"T3-grade Cold Flame Fusion coffee, for guest B-19."

"T4-grade Snow Clear Quicksand, for guest D-92."

Though it looked chaotic, 'Uvall' skillfully produced all three drinks simultaneously.

"Just have the robots deliver the two T4-grade ones. You might need to trouble yourself to deliver the T3-grade one, Hexia."

"I understand."

Hexia nodded, took the specialized tray from the bar, and Uvall placed the drink and a bouquet of fresh flowers on it. After a moment's thought, she pulled out a slip of paper and wrote both their names on it.

"'A blessing from Uvall and Dantalion~'"

Only then did she let Hexia set off.

Carrying the tray, Hexia walked toward the west side of the lobby, feeling slightly nervous. She was extremely careful along the way, terrified of bumping into someone, being bumped into, or tripping.

Fortunately, the Glazed Dream occupied the entire floor, and the interior was exceptionally spacious and open, so she didn't have to worry about anyone suddenly popping out from a corner. Just like that, Hexia walked for nearly a minute before reaching the target guest's table.

It was a noblewoman wearing a fragmented blue dress, sitting in her seat and looking at the scenery outside the window with a serene demeanor.

"Hello, guest. Your Cold Flame Fusion coffee is ready." Hexia called out softly to get her attention, placed the tray on the table, and set down the small saucer and the cup. On the saucer were two small seasoning cubes—one pale pink, one pale blue. She then placed a spoon beside the saucer and finally arranged the flowers to the side of the drink.

*Right, the note.* She smoothed out the slip of paper and considered placing it next to the flowers, but fearing it might blow away, she instead tucked it gently under the bouquet.

The noblewoman watched Hexia's movements without speaking or responding. Only when Hexia finally bowed to take her leave did she give a slight nod.

After turning to leave, the tension Hexia had been feeling finally dissipated, and her footsteps became inexplicably lighter as she headed back.

Her first service to a VIP was a success. Fortunately, the guest hadn't made any extra requests or asked any questions; otherwise, she really would have been flustered.

After Hexia left, the noblewoman used the spoon to add the two pale pink cubes to her drink, picked it up gently, and took a slow sip. She savored the taste before setting it down. She looked at the note tucked under the bouquet and made out the names written on it.

"'Dantalion,' is she a new child..."

When Hexia was serving the drink, she had already realized this was a new maid. Her technique was quite clumsy, and she had even hesitated over where to put the note. Although she looked a bit awkward, she was also inexplicably cute. Someone like her, who had aged and experienced much, had long since achieved a peaceful state of mind; she had simply watched Hexia's fumbling with mild interest.

Upon returning, 'Uvall' quickly asked, "How did it go? Did it go smoothly?"

"Yes, mostly smoothly. No accidents." The young girl nodded.

"Hehehe, good job, little Tilin~" She gave a thumbs up, and the two went back to work.

They spent the morning busy and fulfilled until, after 11 o'clock, things finally began to quiet down.

"'Dantalion,' here you go~" Uvall handed Hexia a prepared drink. The snow-white liquid was filled with tiny, flowing stardust crystals; it was quite beautiful.

"Which guest is this for?" Hexia asked out of reflex.

"This is for you. It's not that busy now, have something to drink and recharge."

Hexia took it, gave it a slight shake, and examined it. Seeing her like this, Uvall smiled and introduced it to her.

"This is a T4-grade drink called 'Snow-Washing Star Sand.' It's refreshing and helps relieve fatigue; it's good for restoring energy and soothing the nerves."

T4-grade drinks all had supernatural effects. If it was said to have a certain use, it was truly effective, not like the exaggerated marketing of ancient times.

"Thank you, Sister Uvall."

Hexia sat behind the bar, holding the drink and sipping it slowly. Her legs swung gently, and a cool sweetness mixed with the stimulation of the cold crystals refreshed her taste buds, subsequently soothing her tense nerves.

"Want to take a nap?" Uvall asked, noticing Hexia closing her eyes to rest.

"That wouldn't be very good, would it? We are at work, after all." The young girl opened her eyes and shook her head, the large ribbon at the back of her head swaying along with her.

"At this hour, you can just rest your head on the bar where the guests can't see you. I'll wake you up at 12."

Hexia hesitated for a moment. She felt that sleeping on the job was inappropriate, but she couldn't help it—she was truly exhausted. If she felt like this in the afternoon as well...

In the end, she followed Uvall's suggestion, resting her head on her arms on the counter beneath the bar to take a nap.

Seeing her fall into a deep sleep, her long gray hair rising and falling slightly with her body, Uvall smiled.

*It seems this child really didn't get enough sleep.*

As noon approached, the decorative wind chimes inside the bar swayed gently with the circulating air, emitting a faint, tinkling sound. Beneath them, the young girl slept peacefully and soundly as time quietly slipped away.