LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 24 - Tranquil Afternoon
The next morning, Hestia woke up. She turned on the sunlight lamp on the windowsill, which illuminated the room brightly like sunlight pouring in.
After getting up, she took a quick shower, then lightly shook her hair, causing countless water droplets to form crystals before falling down, refreshing her body. She changed into a brand-new outfit, sat in front of the vanity, tied her hair up, and finished with a slightly oversized silk bow at the back of her head. After standing up, she went to the kitchen and ladled out some warm porridge.
After a simple breakfast, she grabbed her personal terminal, took her bag, and headed to the door. She put on a pair of fitting leather shoes, gently tapping them to slip her toes into the gaps in the front, then stepped on the heels and tightened the straps.
She looked at herself in the mirror beside the door and, seeing no issues, blinked her eyes.
“I’m heading out,” she said softly, then opened the door and walked outside.
The hallway was still as messy as usual. Hestia skipped lightly, avoiding the puddles and debris, quickly heading towards the elevator.
She entered the spacious elevator with several familiar neighbors from the residential area. Many of them greeted her.
“Hestia, you’re up early today.”
“Good morning, Hestia.”
“Good morning, everyone.”
For the first time, Hestia responded, not staying silent as she usually did.
Although still a bit awkward, there was a sense of adventure, a new excitement.
“Hestia looks different today.”
“Haha, it seems like it.”
The neighbors laughed and chatted.
The elevator ascended, and the screen inside the elevator displayed the latest news.
“Last week’s disturbance at the Sound of the Sea Bathhouse has been resolved. According to the report from the chief officer in charge, the incident was caused by a small company’s electronic pulse device accidentally activating during transport. The resulting panic and emotional upheaval led to considerable destruction.”
“The company responsible for the incident has assured that they will compensate for the damages, and the operators of the Sound of the Sea Bathhouse have also accepted the compensation, apologizing to the guests present and offering each of them a 300 Federal Credit voucher for future use… for further details, please stay tuned.”
“On the 18th, a lift shaft, G5184, was discovered damaged, showing signs of a violent struggle, but no bodies were found. It is speculated that the incident may have involved underground gang conflicts, as the area is located on the 72nd underground level, a seldom-traveled place, frequented only by individuals involved in the gray market or underground gangs.”
“Due to the impact of the price changes at the Federal Southern Constellation Trade Center, experts predict that the industrial costs in the Four-Leaf Crystal Constellation may increase by 0.65% in the next six months, while exports show signs of a decline…”
“The highly anticipated immersive film ‘Please Hold My Fingertips’ will premiere in early May. The film tells the story of two lovers separated by the great war 400 years ago, forced to make difficult choices amidst the chaos, suffering through various hardships, and finally boarding a spaceship bound for a peaceful, secluded paradise to end their journey…”
The elevator stopped, the announcement ceased, and the doors opened.
Hestia exited the elevator and continued walking until she reached the bottom of the Apex Tower.
She entered the building’s elevator, and as it ascended, the ground below gradually receded, the entire city slowly coming into view. Soon, she arrived at the floor of Crystal Dream.
Taking a deep breath, suppressing her slight unease, Hestia walked in.
It was still early, and the hall was quite empty. The simulated sky above flickered with golden morning light, casting a faint gold under the clouds.
Due to her recent leave, today was actually her first official day at work.
Unfortunately, Belphegor and Amdusias, along with the other senior staff, hadn’t arrived yet. After a quick walk around, Hestia found the small circular chapel in the corner of the east. The petite Decarabia was sitting inside, feeding birds. She had golden curly hair and wore a white maid dress.
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Decarabia looked up.
“It’s Hestia.”
Her voice was light, neither surprised nor startled, but gave a sense of calm.
“You’ve arrived.”
She stood up, opened a nearby cupboard in the wall, and pulled out a chair, setting it by the table.
Seeing her struggle a little, Hestia almost went to help, but it was a short distance, and Decarabia had already arranged the chair.
After sitting down, Hestia asked what had happened over the past few days.
“Belphegor was very worried about you. She mentioned it to me several times. But even though she says that, she still enjoys playing games every afternoon.”
Very realistic, Hestia thought.
“I don’t interact much with the others, so I don’t know,” Decarabia shook her head. She didn’t spend much time with the other maids and often stayed in this corner.
It seemed like there were no major problems? Hestia thought, feeling a little more at ease. Then, the two of them fed the birds together.
After 20 minutes, Hestia stood up to excuse herself, saying she needed to change clothes.
“Here.”
Decarabia handed her a card.
“What’s this?”
“This is my temporary access card. You can use it to go to the upstairs staff lounge, otherwise, you won’t have anywhere to change.”
“Once Belphegor or the manager arrives, you can register with them. Normally, you just use your wrist chip for access.”
“Thank you.”
Hestia nodded as she took the card.
After changing clothes upstairs, since it was just her today, there were no senior staff ‘kindly’ adding accessories for her.
After looking at her somewhat simple maid outfit in the mirror, Hestia decided to add something to it. After all, it was her first day, so it would be better to make a good impression.
She picked a feather-shaped hairpin from the drawer, the five feathers arranged in a fan shape, their colors transitioning from pure white, to sea green, to lemon, to light yellow, and finally to orange. She pinned the hairpin to the right side of her hair, then took two white ribbons to tie the strands of hair in front of her chest. After finishing, she walked out.
Her first day of work officially began.
The first task was to help Sister Uvall with the hot drink sales, as it was the peak time in the morning, and she might be too busy to handle everything alone.
“Thank you for helping out, Danta!” the milky-haired maid expressed her gratitude, then informed Hestia of what needed to be prepared.
“Mostly, customers prefer hot coffee and milk tea in the morning. Of course, our guests won’t settle for ordinary brewed coffee. Most of them request T4 to T3-grade beverages. I’ll send you the ingredients list—just follow it to prepare the materials, and I’ll handle the processing.”
“Understood.”
Hestia glanced at the list and began carefully scooping out ingredients from the storage compartments using clean ceramic bowls.
The ingredients were diverse, some possessing magical effects. Due to their unique properties, they were stored in different conditions across five areas. Once removed, they had to be used within a certain timeframe to avoid quality degradation.
“Purple-core beans, molten-core coffee beans, frost bile powder, stardust grass leaves, Alice red tea, Molan flower extract…”
Hestia meticulously weighed and portioned each ingredient based on the requirements before handing them over to Haures, a maid with an advanced beverage crafting license.
Like crafting potions, the materials were heated, roasted, stirred, and infused with magic to activate their effects, ultimately resulting in exquisite beverages.
“T4 Molan Red Tea, for customer D-24.”
“T3 Cold Flame Fusion Coffee, for customer B-19.”
“T4 Snowy Starry Sands, for customer D-92.”
Though the process seemed hectic, Haures skillfully prepared three beverages simultaneously.
“Two T4 orders can be delivered by the robots. But the T3 order—I’d appreciate it if you could deliver that one personally.”
“Got it.”
Hestia nodded, retrieving a tray designed for the bar. Haures placed the beverage and a small bouquet on the tray. After a moment of thought, she added a note, writing both their names on it.
“Blessings from Haures and Dantalion~”
Satisfied, she sent Hestia on her way.
Carrying the tray carefully, Hestia walked toward the western side of the hall with a hint of nervousness. She moved cautiously to avoid bumping into anyone, being bumped, or—worst of all—dropping the tray.
Fortunately, Crystal Dream spanned an entire floor and was spacious and open, minimizing the chance of sudden collisions. After nearly a minute of careful walking, Hestia reached her destination.
A refined lady, dressed in a delicate blue dress, sat serenely gazing out the window.
“Excuse me, ma’am. Your Cold Flame Fusion Coffee is ready.”
Hestia gently drew the woman’s attention, placed the tray on the table, and neatly arranged the items: a saucer, the beverage cup, pink and blue flavor cubes on a plate, a teaspoon, and finally, the bouquet on one side of the drink.
She then flattened the note and, after some hesitation about where to place it, lightly tucked it under the bouquet to keep it from blowing away.
The lady observed Hestia’s actions silently, offering no response until Hestia bowed to take her leave. Only then did she give a slight nod.
As she turned to leave, Hestia felt a wave of relief. Her steps became lighter as she returned to her station.
Her first experience serving a VIP had gone smoothly. Thankfully, the guest had made no special requests or inquiries, sparing her from potential chaos.
After Hestia left, the refined lady added two pink cubes to her coffee and took a slow sip. As she savored the drink, her gaze fell on the note under the bouquet, identifying the name.
“Dantalion, huh? The new girl…”
During the service, she had noticed Hestia’s lack of experience—from her hesitant movements to her deliberation over the note’s placement. Though clumsy, there was an endearing charm in her earnestness. As someone who had long since gained a peaceful demeanor through life’s trials, the lady found Hestia’s fumbling endearing.
Back at the bar, Haures immediately asked, “How did it go? Smoothly?”
“Yes, mostly smooth. No issues.” Hestia nodded.
“Well done, Dantalion~” Haures gave her a thumbs-up, and the two resumed their busy routine.
The morning passed busily but fulfillingly. By 11 a.m., the pace finally began to slow.
“Dantalion, here you go~” Haures handed Hestia a prepared beverage. The milky white liquid sparkled with fine crystalline sand, beautiful and serene.
“Who is this for?” Hestia instinctively asked.
“It’s for you. Things are quieter now, have something to recharge.”
Hestia accepted the drink, swirling it slightly and admiring it. Seeing this, Haures smiled and explained, “This is T4-grade Snowy Starry Sands. It’s cooling and rejuvenating, great for refreshing the mind and soothing nerves.”
T4-grade beverages indeed had extraordinary effects. If they claimed to be effective, it wasn’t mere advertising.
“Thank you, Sister Haures.”
Hestia sat behind the bar, sipping the beverage in small, careful sips, her legs gently swaying. The sweet, cooling sensation mixed with crystalline bursts stimulated her taste buds, easing her previously tense nerves.
“Why not take a short nap?” Haures suggested, noticing Hestia’s drowsy, relaxed demeanor.
“That wouldn’t be appropriate—it’s work hours,” Hestia replied, shaking her head. Her large butterfly bow bobbed with her movements.
“This time of day, you can nap out of sight behind the bar. I’ll wake you by noon.”
After brief hesitation, Hestia gave in, realizing her exhaustion might affect her afternoon duties. She leaned on the bar’s hidden counter, using her arms as a pillow, and fell into a light sleep.
Seeing how quickly she drifted off, her body softly rising and falling with each breath, Haures smiled warmly.
“She must not have slept well last night.”
As noon approached, the decorative wind chimes swayed gently in the air currents, emitting soft, soothing tones. Beneath them, the gray-haired girl enjoyed her peaceful midday nap as time quietly slipped by.