Tilan emerged from the immersion pod at 11:30 PM. After finishing three matches, they had played several one-on-one battles. Since the live stream wasn't focused on competition, all four players used random card decks, which meant drawing from one of the top 300 popular decks online. This added quite a bit more fun to their games.
The unfamiliarity with their decks often resulted in hilarious situations during the battles, as well as the occasional surprise effect that even the audience found novel, bringing plenty of joy and laughter.
Compared to real life, where she had many things to consider and was restrained by her personality and habits, Tilan felt much more relaxed online.
Well, if all else fails, just change the avatar or switch the account.
After playing to her heart's content for the evening, Tilan turned off the immersion pod and glanced at the time.
I should take a bath, or I'll feel kind of sticky.
She picked up some clothes to change into and walked downstairs, where the lights were still on in the lobby. The maid Aiko was sitting in the corner on a round stool.
"Good evening, Miss Tilan." As the young girl came down, Aiko stood up and approached with small steps, seemingly ready to ask if Tilan needed anything.
"Do you need some snacks and a drink?"
Tilan was about to decline out of a reflex, not wanting to trouble the maid, but it was almost midnight, and she was quite hungry.
"Corn porridge and hot milk, not too much, and Aiko, make some for yourself too."
"Alright, if you're using the bath, I can bring it over later." Aiko saw Tilan holding pajamas and knew the girl was preparing to take a bath.
"Thank you, Aiko." The young girl nodded.
After a quick shower, Tilan went to the tub filled with warm water, dipped her toes to test the heat, and felt it was a bit hot, but bearable. She stepped in and slowly seated herself in the slightly-too-hot water.
The gurgling sound of water bubbled up from the statue's water jug, with steam rising from the hot water as it flowed out and into the tub. Since she was sensitive to heat, Tilan sat far from the spout, her smooth back rested against the cool marble steps, and she actually enjoyed this sensation.
With her fingers trailing through the water, feeling the supple resistance of the current and lifting them out to watch droplets falls back into the pool, Tilan played with the water, experiencing a simple joy.
This relaxed and unconscious enjoyment continued until she heard Aiko's footsteps approaching from outside the bathroom.
"Miss Tilan, may I come in?" A distant knocking echoed.
"Yes, you may." Tilan replied as she picked up a bath towel to quickly wrap around herself, then adjusted to sit up straighter.
Aiko entered with a tray, first taking out a special little wooden rack from the bathroom and placing it beside the tub, and then setting the tray on top of the rack. This allowed Tilan to reach easily without having to stretch too much and without the risk of getting the tray wet.
A white porcelain plate housed a glass of milk and a bowl of steaming corn porridge, accompanied by slices of cantaloupe to cleanse the palate.
"Did you make some for yourself as well, Aiko? It's getting late." Tilan took a sip of milk before querying the maid.
"I've prepared a little." Aiko nodded.
The young girl blinked, sensing Aiko wasn't simply being polite. There was a stark contrast between Aiko and her sister Ella's professional dedication as maids and the time Tilan worked at 'Dream of Glazed Glass'. To Tilan, it had been just a job or a way of life, but for Aiko and Ella, being a maid seemed to be a vocation they took very seriously and focused on; they even kept notes of casual mentions to improve the next time.
"How do you manage to adopt such an attitude and mindset?" Tilan had once asked out of curiosity.
"Miss Tilan asks this, perhaps thinking that everyone should be independently self-reliant and not serve as another's appendage." After a year of acquaintance, the maids had gradually come to understand Tilan's character and thoughts.
"That's right." The young girl nodded.
"We are independently self-reliant too, and we believe we're doing something meaningful." The maids continued to explain.
"Like a game team, different people have different roles, and our duty is to provide support. For someone like Miss Tilan, we help save a great deal of time and energy for more important matters, maximizing the collective benefit."
"Not everyone can be at the top, and we are fully aware of our role."
"I see..." the young girl pondered, feeling there was still some detail amiss.
"What if the person you're assisting isn't that exceptional, or treats you poorly?"
"If they're not as promising as we thought, then it's likely a misjudgment on our part. Even the best investors make wrong calls sometimes, and that's normal."
"As for if they treat us poorly, that would depend on the circumstances. If it's unbearable, we would resign." Aiko explained.
"But you see, our parents and grandparents have all worked at the Silver Leaf Workshop, and we've signed a lifetime contract with them. Unless absolutely necessary, we wouldn't resign." In their words was a sense of stability and peaceful acceptance, lacking the anxiety of transient workers elsewhere.