Author's note- I don't own Harvest Moon or any of it's characters.

I own Alex and Mrs. Landchester

Alex

I stood in front of the golden gate with a bit of anxiety. I thought that applying to work as a maid here was a good idea, but I couldn't stop the nerves. What if they rejected me before I even said a word? I had on the cleanest clothes I owned, but they might not approve of my attire. Rich people were usually very concerned about appearance. I held my application tightly as I waited for security to open the gate. I was amazed that they would even need security. Olddell Town didn't have very much violence, but you never know I guess.

"Who wishes to enter the Landchester premises? State your name and your business into the microphone," a professional voice boomed through the security screen near the gate. I saw a small black microphone next to it. I took a deep breath before going over to it.

"My name is Alex Lancelot. I'm here to apply for the maid job." I waited a few minutes, and was only met with silence. I felt my heart stop for a minute. They rejected me before I even got on their land. I didn't know what I'd do since I depended on this job. My family needs me to. Just then the voice returned.

"Request permitted. Go through the gate, Miss Lancelot. The mistress will be with you in a couple of minutes. Remember to show her respect."

I watched as the gate spread open for me, and then proceeded to walk forward. I tried to walk normally, as if it was natural for me to be here. I felt a bit of relief. I didn't make a long car ride for nothing. I had a small suitcase stuffed with clothes, since the application said that I've been able to live in the mansion. I took a look at the building. It was a large red house with golden doors. Even if I saved up my whole life, I could never afford a house this big on my own. I saw barns on the right side and crop fields on the left. They both looked a bit empty, which was odd to me. I jumped a bit when I heard a creak. The door was opening.

Two women emerged from the house. The first one was a slender lady with fiery red hair. She had on a beautiful blue dress and a golden necklace of a flower. Her blue eyes were blocked by a pair of thick blue glasses. She had an elegant air about her, so it must have been the owner of the house. She looked me up and down. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, so I felt a bit scared.

"You must be Miss Lancelot. First name is Alex, yes?"

"That's right ma'am." Luckily my voice didn't waver. I would never be able to show my face if that happened.

"Excellent. A few questions before I decide if you're fit for the job. Can you cook?"

"Yes."

"And clean?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You don't have to keep calling me ma'am. Mrs. Landchester is fine. Next question-"

She kept asking me questions until she was satisfied. When she was done, she put her hand on her chin, "You seem like a dependable and hardworking woman, Alex. Congratulations, you've got the job. Thank you for joining the Landchester family. If you would follow Emma, she'll show you where you will be sleeping. Make sure you get plenty of rest tonight. I'll tell you your work schedule tomorrow. Explore the house today so that you can know where to go. There are three stories in this house. The top floor is forbidden for workers. Those are my chambers. The middle floor is where the maids and butler live. The main living room and my son's room are on the first floor. Now if you excuse me."

"It's nice to have you Miss Alex," the second woman spoke up as soon as Mrs. Landchester left. She was a plump lady with apples on her apron. She looked like a pleasant person, "I am the Lady's maid, so I directly serve milady. I'm a bit curious about your skills. What did you do before coming here?"

"I worked on my family's farm." I was raised on a farm with just my parents all my life, so I was used to it. When my mother suddenly gotten too sick to work, my father and I had to work even hard to make end's meat. I was on my way home from town when I found the application for the maid job in the newspaper. It seemed like easy work, and my father would have to worry about less people to feed. I packed my bags just a couple of days after. I wanted to make him proud of me. I also wanted to save up enough money to help my mother get better.

"I see. I'm so sorry dear. I hope you enjoy it here. The lady and her son are polite people. You won't be disappointed." Emma put her hand on my shoulder.

"Son? What's he like?"

"Well he's tall, but very gentlemanly. Smart too. I'm sure that he'll find a great family one day. I've been working here since he was a little boy. He was the cutest kid I had ever seen, well aside from my kid Yuri."

"Interesting," I wonder if I'll ever meet him.

"Now time to show you where you'll sleep. I'm pretty sure you don't wanna sleep on the floor! Oh yeah, we have to get your uniform after that. Luckily my daughter made a bunch. She is away at fashion school. I'll have to tell you about her later." We climbed the stairs to the second floor. It was a long hallway with stairs to the third floor. The floor was a bright white color and the walls were painted a golden color. I wonder how much this house was made with gold.

She brought me to a room with a blue door. There were four red colored doors and a white door. I saw name plates on all of them, except for one of the red ones. I saw that Emma had the white door. I guess I'm staying in the one without the name. I saw the names Tina, Iroha, and Felicity. They must be the other maids. I hoped they were nice.

The blue one led us to a large bathroom with a closet? I've never seen that in a house before. It must be natural for everyone in the mansion. I hoped that I wouldn't get lost. I saw a bunch of maid outfits on the hangers. There were many different colors. I noticed a blue one that looked like it was my size. Emma left the bathroom to let me get changed.

I grabbed a bunch of outfits from the closet. Many of them were too skinny or way too big. I almost gave up hope when I got to the blue one. I closed my eyes and attempted to put it on. I felt comfortable in it, and let out a sigh of relief. I put the others back on the hangers and left to show Emma.

"It looks so good on you. I'll have to find a name tag for you Alex. Since we are both going to be partners, we can be on a first name basis. Your room is that one, without the name plate. The other maids are probably cleaning around the house. I hope you enjoy yourself here. Don't worry. The work is easy. If you excuse me, the lady might need me. Don't forget where your room is."

"See you Emma," I smiled, and went to go check out the rest of the place. During my tour, I met the other maids. Felicity was responsible for cleaning the kitchen, doing dishes, and cooking the food. She seemed to really enjoy food. The second girl, Iroha, cleaned around the yard and collected stone and wood for the house. And the last one Tina did the laundry and cleaned the first floor.

The next day was when I got assigned my job. Emma must have told Mrs. Landchester about my backstory. I was to water the crops by eight and take care of the animals by ten. It was a large farm, so it seemed impossible. I was always so close to the deadline. It was just so hard having to wake up at six and have enough time to do all the chores. Hopefully no one would notice how tired I was. I didn't want them to think hiring me was a mistake.

"Did you hear?" Tina and I were hanging out in my room around ten at night a few days later. She was a really happy-go-lucky person so we bonded instantly. She wasn't here as long as the other two, so she wasn't as close with them.

"Hear what? Did something happen to the lady?"

"Not her. Her son Allen is coming home tomorrow. He decided to take a trip about a couple of weeks ago. I forget where he went, but I'm super jealous of him. I guess that's being poor gets you."

"Oh really? Do you want to travel?" I asked.

"Of course. Who wouldn't? Being able to make a bunch of memories, it's nice."

"I see."

"Alex, Milady wants to see you down stairs," Emma's voice distracted me while I was brushing the last cow

"Ok. I'm done with my chores anyways." I followed her to the front room. The other maids were with Mrs. Landchester. The mistress smiled when we entered.

"Excellent. You both came. My son, Allen, should be here in a couple of minutes. I wanted you to meet him, since one of you will become his personal maid."

The others looked excited. There's no way it would be me. They know him and I don't.

I glanced up as the door opened and a young man stepped in. He looked like he was in his early twenties. The first thing I noticed about him was his bright red hair. He wore a blue and white striped shirt under a dark blue blazer. He was wearing light brown pants and dress shoes. I looked back up and saw a ring on a string around his neck. He had black-rimmed glasses. That's when I saw his eyes. They were like two sparkling sapphires. I couldn't deny that he was gorgeous.

"Welcome home honey," Mrs. Landchester hugged him, "Did you enjoy your trip?"

"Yes I did, Mom," he glanced around and noticed me, "Who's this? I haven't seen you before."

"My name is Alex. I'm the new maid here," I bowed to him, "It's an honor to meet you."

"And I am Allen, but I'm sure you knew I was coming today."

"Of course. I'm just glad you arrived home safely," Emma responded, "I'm sure you remember what we talked about. Who do you want as your personal maid? They are all sweet girls."

"Hmmm. Let's see," he put his hand on his chin. He looked at each of us with an interested look. I hoped that my face wasn't red. I could imagine what kind of things he was thinking about with that smirk.

"I choose her," he pointed at me.