There were some people in servant clothes already cleaning and tidying up the room. Lucy led Cassian to them, and up close, he saw that only one person was actually cleaning and arranging things, while the others stood by, handing items to her.
"Give me the white pen," Lucy said. One of the helpers, who was holding a bunch of pens and pencils, handed her the specific white pen, which she placed neatly with the others.
The pens on the table were organized by color, from white to various shades of off-white, and finally to full black. The same color-coding system was used for other items, like light pink pens at one end, with darker pink shades gradually increasing.
Cassian looked around and saw that everything was meticulously arranged. The bed was perfectly made, with flowers on the sheets aligned just right, and the white borders were immaculate. The carpets and sofas were arranged with equal precision.
While they waited for the maid to finish organizing the pens, Lucy explained, "You'll be doing what Sumina is doing now. It's complicated and time-consuming, but the lady is obsessed with perfection. You'll need to memorize how everything is organized. Sumina will train you in her chores before she leaves, so don't worry about that."
Soon, the maid named Sumina finished her chores. With a loud sigh, she finally took her eyes off the meticulously arranged pens and other items on the table. Surprised, she said, "Miss Lucy, you're here!" Then, turning to Cassian, she added, "Oh, you must be the one I'll be training to take my place."
Lucy smiled and introduced him, "Yes, Sumina, this is Cassian."
Sumina looked Cassian up and down with a smile. When she saw his red hair, she seemed amused and said, "Well, welcome to the service industry, Cassian."
Cassian returned her smile and said, "I'll be in your care…"
Sumina nodded and turned to Lucy. "I'm only staying for another month. If he meets Lady Katherine's expectations during that, that's great. If not, I'm not staying a day longer. I've already stayed longer than I intended."
Lucy smiled helplessly at Sumina's words, while Cassian was puzzled. He wondered why someone would willingly leave a high-paying job at a noble house. Speaking of pay, he didn't know how much he'd be earning, so he asked, "How much will my salary be?"
Sumina chuckled at his question and said, "You joined without knowing your salary? You won't last long in this line of work…"
Lucy smiled at Cassian and said, "I'll leave you with Sumina now. She'll show you the ropes."
Sumina nodded and gestured around the room. "I've already tidied up everything here. Take a good look around and memorize how everything is placed and organized. The lady is a perfectionist and a neat freak. She even has her undergarments color-coded. It's meticulous work, so pay close attention to the details."
Cassian looked around, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the meticulous organization. The thought of managing all these details made him anxious, but he nodded in understanding.
Sumina noticed his worry and added, "Don't stress too much. You're free until this afternoon. I've written down everything you need to do in this small book." She handed him a neatly bound book. "I've outlined the morning tasks and other duties. For now, just focus on memorizing the morning part by tomorrow. Now go and don't try to overwork to impress this noble.
Nothing good will come out of them."
Cassian was a bit bewildered to find himself free for at least six hours since it was still morning. Unsure of what to do, he headed back to his room and started reading the book Sumina had given him. It was clearly written by her, detailing everything with precision—from the placement of books on Lady Katherine's working table, including their exact dimensions, to other meticulous details.
As he read, Cassian learned that his job was mainly to ensure everything was returned to its proper place after cleaning. However, the job required him to first pick up and clean the items, which was also part of the routine. The work had to be done three times a day—morning, noon, and evening—with different procedures depending on the weather and other factors.
"Is she insane or something?" Cassian muttered in frustration as he delved deeper into the requirements. "She's making me do all this? The pay must be huge if she expects me to handle all this."
Cassian sighed as he flipped through the book, feeling the weight of the meticulous requirements. He couldn't help but wonder if taking this job was truly a good decision. The tasks seemed endless and excessively detailed, and the sheer amount of work made him question if the benefits outweighed the effort.
With the system tasks adding to his frustration and nearly bringing him to tears, Cassian grabbed his uniform and muttered, "Fuck everything…" He then went to do push-ups, trying to channel his frustration into his workout.
Cassian dropped to the floor and began his push-ups, each movement a mix of frustration and determination. As he pushed through the pain, he tried to clear his mind, focusing on the rhythmic motion rather than the overwhelming list of tasks awaiting him.
After a while, his arms started to tremble, but he pressed on, driven by the need to distract himself from the mounting pressure. His sweat mixed with the dust of the wooden floor, and his breathing grew heavier with each rep.
After finishing his set of push-ups, Cassian collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily. He stared up at the ceiling for a moment, trying to catch his breath. As he looked at the list of tasks, he realized he still had to run 5 km and swing the wooden sword 100 times, and remember those useless things. Glancing at the sword lying on his bed, he cursed under his breath, "Fuck my life."
It was ironic that Cassian used the word "fuck" so often without really understanding its meaning.