Most people think that it's not all about luck, but in skills. What would other people and I see is that the luck and skills are all mixed together into one person each. But they are sometimes out of balance…

My name is Alice Malloy. I'm 18 years old and I live in the crowded flat all by myself. I've been working in the coal mines, 12 hours a day. It's really horrible once you get to start the work there, especially for women and children.
Every time I came to work, I would put a smile on my face, like I was enjoying my work; even if it hurt my fingers from the stones that fell from the baskets while the workers and I climbed the ladders.
But when I came home from the work, I felt tired, hungry and most of all…hurt… I couldn't make my supper with my injured hands, though I am fortunate to have a neighbour bringing some supper for me. I was crying in my bed every time I went to sleep, wishing that I went somewhere, where I can work without hurting myself and to work with my own skills.

But that had all changed for me one day…

I walked to the work as always, sighing softly, starting to think about just ending my life.
Lost in the thought, I bumped into a young boy, who seems to have rich clothes, like other nobles. And it was! I pulled myself aside to make a way for him, apologising and then started to walk away.
The noble had looked at me with his dark blue eye, black patch covering his right eye. He was shorter than me, normally to his teenager's size.
Beside him was his butler, with his hair of raven black. He was quite taller than me and the noble. The butler went to the noble's ear and started to whisper something.
That was the last thing I saw from them before looking forward, heading to my work. I never knew what they will plan to do. I just felt that it has to do with me.

Half of my working hours passed and I was climbing the ladder with the basket full of stones. My fingers were bleeding as usual, having nothing to eat. Finally, when I got the next basket full of stones and started climbing, I couldn't bring myself to it anymore. I kneeled to the ground and stayed like that, huffing softly.
The guard came by and stood beside me. "Hey, you!" the guard yelled to me as I slowly looked up at him. "You should get up and get back to work!"
But I did nothing. I just stood there, the tears swelling from my eyes. "…you all rich people are lucky…" I start to speak. Then continued the sentence while yelling: "We workers are suffering here to our deaths!" My tears burst from my eyes.
The guard started to get angry, rising up the small bat to beat me up with.
But as he started to go beat me up, somebody grabbed the guard's hand, stopping him from beating me up.
"I wouldn't do that to the kind, young, fragile lady if I was in your place." The voice called out.
I started to look up and stared. I couldn't believe my eyes.
The butler from before has stopped the guard for attacking me. I wasn't really sure of what was going on.
The butler tightened the guard's hand, enough to make him drop the bat on the floor.
Next thing happened was the young noble from before came beside the butler, asking: "Are you alright, Miss?"
I was staring at the noble, slowly nodding, answering it as yes.
The young noble kneeled down beside me and took my hands to examine it.
My hands were bruised and it was bleeding from the rocks that I was carrying in the baskets on my back.
I was wondering of what was going on, looking around and seeing many workers staring at us. I felt a bit nervous about it.
"What is your name?" The young boy asked me with a blank expression.
I looked up at him, saying:"…Alice…Alice Malloy…"
The young boy nodded. "Well, Miss Malloy", he replied with his slight smile, "I am Ciel Phanthomhive. I'm recruiting someone to be our new maid in our Phanthomhive manor and since it seems you are a hard-working lady, I'm going to ask you to be the maid."
I was surprisingly shocked about it. They must've put the joke on it I thought, but I've seen Ciel's eyes being serious about it.
"…I don't know what to say…" I responded, "But…aren't you going to check on the other people beside me?"
"They don't look talented to be a maid as you are." The butler said, smiling innocently to me.
I looked up at the butler, seeing his dark red eyes staring at me.
"So, what is going to be, Ms. Malloy?" Ciel asked.
I look back at Ciel. I didn't know which side to choose as it was like as a rope that is pulled by two people as my choices on each side. So I responded: "…I will think about it…"
Ciel and butler nodded with Ciel replying: "The carriage will be there in front of your house tomorrow at 8 o'clock. If you choose to be my maid, you need to be there by 5 minutes in front of your house. No later!"
"Yes, Mr Phanthomhive!" I nod, understanding of what I need to do.

"Good!" Ciel stood up saying: "I'll see you until then." And went off with the butler.
As they were out of sight, workers continued to work and so am I. I felt lucky that I didn't get beat up by a guard, thanks to the noble boy called Ciel Phanthomhive and his butler.
As I was still working, people looked at me like I did something wrong. I wasn't sure if they got envied or they don't want me to me Ciel's maid.

As the working hours passed and I headed home, it was already dark. I was thinking about accepting the offer from Ciel Phanthomhive to be his maid in his manor.
But then, the scream broke my thought. I looked up at the direction where the scream came from. I felt that something bad was happening. I didn't want to interfere into the scene, so I ignored it.
After a few minutes, there was another scream, but with the loud, razored sound added and it was closer than before. As I came to another street on the side, I saw something terrible.

A dead body of a woman was lying in the puddle of blood, which was spreading across the street, with her frozen terrifying face.
And beside it, there was a man. His hair was long to his waist, red as blood. His jacket was the same colour as his hair and in his hand was the big chainsaw, which it had blood on it.

I stood there frozen, watching him looking up at me with his yellow-green eyes, decorated with red glasses. His shark-like teeth showed as he smiled maliciously at me, starting to head up to me. His high heels were tapping on each step he made while titling his head slightly.
I couldn't stand there anymore, so I started to run away as fast as I can. I looked back, seeing that he was following me.
I wondered how he can run on high-heels with the chainsaw on his hand. It was good that I had flats because I would be slow on high-heels and he would easily catch me.
I looked back again and saw that he disappeared. I stopped by that time, wondering where he was gone. But as I thought I was safe, something grabbed my shoulder and pulled me behind, seeing that it was the same man that it was behind me a moment ago.
His widened eyes showed his madness in him and then, he pushed me into the wall of the alley, strong enough to hurt my shoulder.
I shivered by fear, knowing that it will be the end of my life of me.
He was ready to stab me with his chainsaw, aiming on my stomach.

I closed my eyes tightly, waiting for my death.

I thought that this was it…my last moment of my life…

But then, I heard the crumble of the wall beside me. I slowly opened my eyes and saw the chainsaw beside me and looked up at the man.
The man leaned towards my ear and whispered: "You tell on anyone, I'll cut your uterine out...you understand, Miss?"
I froze as he said the second-last part, shaking a bit nervously. By then, I slowly nodded, agreeing.
The man backed his chainsaw away as so as him. "I will be watching you~!" He added and then disappeared in the blink of an eye.
I slowly slid onto the wall to the floor, huffing softly as I felt terrified of what happened.

As the hours passed, I was in my bedroom, lying on my bed, wide awake, looking at the ceiling. I couldn't feel safe anymore with the words of the man that was trying to kill me, but spared me instead. I felt that I was watched by him, shivering softly as I felt a stare, but couldn't see it. As I thought I wasn't safe in the house, I also thought about being maid.

Then I decided…I will become a new maid of Phantomhive manor.