NoGift

Just like now, for example.   

The butler hired additional servants today from the local community.  The Archbishop had been in a bad mood for a couple of days now.  Since he arrived here at Victoria City, he had already fired a number of servants.  The butler had been hiring locals constantly since.  And today was no exemption.  

At the kitchen, the butler was inspecting the three people in front of him.  Two were young women wearing maid"s uniform and the other was a young teenage boy.  

One of the young women had a full figure that even the plain maid"s uniform couldn"t hide and a rather enchanting smile on her face.  The other one was very tall.  Her black hair was tightly held in a bun.  And you couldn"t properly see her face because of the thick gla.s.ses she"s wearing.  She looked like the prime example of a very prude lady.

The young boy looked like he was about 13, 14 years old.  He also had black hair.  His skin was white and delicate and his face was very pretty for his own good.  One look at him and people couldn"t help but want to bully him.

The butler looked at the boy"s thin arms.  "Are you sure you can do proper work?" he asked quite doubtful.

"Sir, please don"t underestimate me just because I look like this," the boy said indignantly.  "I may look like this but I a.s.sure you, I can do whatever job you ask of me," he added, proudly sticking out his chest.

The butler was still uncertain but at the end, he still agreed in letting the boy work here.  Him being here was proof enough that he pa.s.sed the test of the Household Bureau - the departmental office here in Victoria City responsible for hiring servants for the Temple.  And besides, he also had a paper certified by the Household Bureau.  Prooving further that he"s not here under illegal conditions. 

"I a.s.sumed the three of you were already briefed on proper decorum and conduct?" the butler said instead.  The three all answered with a "yes".  "Your rooms are now available at the servants" quarters.  Meals are provided.  Do your work properly and try to avoid annoying His Eminence."  

"Yes," the three answered again.

He looked at the prude looking young woman.  "You"re going to start working at the first floor.  Always be ready in case His Eminence ask for tea or such."  Then he turned at the other young woman.  "You"ll be a.s.signed here at the kitchen."

Before he could turn to the young boy and tell him what his work would be, the woman he a.s.signed at the kitchen suddenly spoke.

"Sir, could I switch jobs with her?" she said talking about the prude looking girl.  "I think I"m much more suited in serving His Eminence than her."

Appearance wise, she"s definitely a hundred times better than this boring looking woman.  When she found out that the youngest Archbishop would be the one helping with the Festival of Creation, she immediately applied as a servant here.  She thought that this could be a good opportunity for her.  If the Archbishop took a liking to her, then she would be set for life.  

With her face and body, she"s confident that she would be able to seduce him.  There"s only a week left before the Archbishop left this city.  She wouldn"t be able to do any seducing if she"s stuck here in the kitchen.  Any attempt on her part would only look like she"s trying too hard.  So it would look more natural if she was a.s.signed to serve him.  How could she just miss this chance?

The butler looked at the woman coldly.  "You haven"t started working here yet and you already can"t follow orders?  If you have a problem with the order I"m giving, then I think this place is not for you.  Please, feel free to leave."

One look at the woman and the butler knew just what was going through her mind.  It was obvious that she was trying to climb the bed of the Archbishop.  True, Archbishop Stillwell had a reputation when it came to women.  But that only applied to n.o.ble women.  If a mere maid tried to seduce the Archbishop, the butler was not sure if she would only be fired.  The Archbishop might even be tempted to kill her.  Which was something that should be avoided at all cost.

The best thing to do was not allow a maid like this inside the mansion.  But this mansion really needed servants right now.  Especially since the Archbishop already fired quite a lot since he came.  The butler would just fire this maid once a new batch of servants came.

The maid just gnashed her teeth and said, "My apologies, Sir."

"If there"s no more complaint, you two can start your work," the butler said to the two young women.

The tall, prude looking woman nodded and went out of the kitchen.  The other young maid remained since she was a.s.signed to work here in the kitchen.

"Sir, what about me?  Where should I work?" the boy asked tentatively.

The butler looked at the boy, sighed, and just said, "You go work at the garden.  The gra.s.ses there needed tr.i.m.m.i.n.g."

"Okay," the boy said enthusiastically.

The servants in the mansion started their work for the day.  After the Archbishop had breakfast, he went straight to his study and ordered for tea to be delivered.  One of the new maids - the tall one - was the one who went and delivered the tea.  

When she entered the study, the Archbishop was looking over some papers.  She poured a cup of tea and carefully put it on the desk.  The Archbishop drank it.  Then he noticed that the maid who served the tea was still in the room.  This immediately made him irritated.  

He put down the cup and said, "What are you still doing here?  Go--"

He hadn"t finished what he was saying because everything just turned dark and he found himself falling until he could no longer feel anything.  It was obvious that there was something wrong with the tea.  

The maid checked if the Archbishop really did lose conciousness.  Once she confirmed it, she looked around the study to check if there was some spying tools.  Satisfied with her search, she walked towards the window.  The study was located at the first floor of the mansion and the windows opened up to the back garden where not many servants come.

She opened one of the windows and a figure stealthly climbed through it.  This was the newly hired servant boy who was supposed to work at the garden.  When he entered the study, the maid immediately closed the window and also pulled the curtains.  

"Is it safe to do it now?" asked the boy.

"Yes, you can start," the maid answered.

This "boy" and "maid" were none other than the Blackbourne twins in disguise.  The "boy" was Aurum wearing the short black wig that Argent was formerly wearing.  While the "maid" was Argent wearing Aurum"s black wig.  They still had the human skin mask on them.  That"s why Argent had to wear thick gla.s.ses to hide the masculine features of her face.  By posing as opposite genders - well, at least opposite to what Argent usually was - no one would connect them with these two servants.

Much earlier this morning, Argent ambushed two servants that were supposed to come here and took their papers.  She attacked them from behind so she was sure they didn"t see her face.  But even if they do, it wouldn"t really matter since she was wearing a mask.  

She had thought of this tactic to enter the Apostolic Palace and put cameras there.  But she immediately sc.r.a.pped that idea when she found out how tightly guarded it was.  Unlike this mansion.  Because the Archbishops rarely came here, the security was quite lax.  Add that to fact that this Archbishop Stillwell had been firing the servants here, and it was just perfect to use this tactic at this particular situation.

"You know Brother, maybe we should collect a number of wigs so we could use different disguise at a time," Aurum said while walking towards the unconcious Archbishop.  "How about I start collecting them?"

"Go ahead," Argent didn"t object because she thought it was indeed a good idea.  Maybe she should also ordered a couple of human skin mask to be made.  During situations that it"s much better to use it than her holographic choker.

Aurum stood behind the Archbishop, turned off her limiter, then put both her hands on the side of his head.  After five seconds, she let go and turned on her limiter.

"It"s done?" Argent asked.

"Yes."

Aurum put a strong suggestion inside the Archbishop"s mind, a voice that would keep telling him that he should do everything to put the elf as the finale at the incoming auction.  It was easy since the idea was already there.  Aurum just strengthened it.  And since she did it at full power, it was even stronger.  Now the inhibition preventing the Archbishop from going through with it was gone.  He could now put that elf at the auction regarldess of anything - like the objection of the Pope.

"Do you think he could successfully put the elf at the auction?" Aurum asked, feeling a little bit doubtful.

"He"s an Archbishop.  He didn"t get to this position by being useless.  I"m sure he would have a way.  If not, then we"ll have someone help him from behind the scenes."

"Someone?"

"Yes.  I think our two helpers will soon arrive here at Victoria City.  Let"s put them immediately to work."

Two helpers?  Aurum first thought of Black and White, but she immediately denied that idea.  Because they had another job.  Then she remembered something that her brother mentioned to her before going here at Victoria City.  "You mean the people from Dreich Gallere?"

Argent nodded.  Considering Viper"s personality, even if she told him to go here at the day of the festival, he would surely come much earlier.  Maybe they were already here for all she knew.  She should probably contact him after this to check.

After they"re done, Aurum and Argent tactically disappeared from there.  And the mansion lost another two servants unknowingly.