The following morning, Haricku awoke to the sounds of the rain, wind and thunder greeting her. "Great..." She grumbled unhappily, opening her eyes slowly. It took her a while to figure out that she was in the maid's quarters that she shared with Mey-Rin. Haricku glanced over at the tiny windows in the room and sighed, feeling depressed by the atmosphere of the dark gray clouds swirled in the air.

"It's still stormy... I thought it would have passed by now,"

Mey-Rin looked over at her and said, "What do you expect? This whole area is always rainy! I thought you'd get used to it by now," Mey-Rin was already dressed in her blue maid's outfit, her headpiece the only thing missing. Blue was the Master's favorite color, hence the outfits of the maids and the elegant attire he wore. She laced up her shoes and finally put the headpiece on last. She turned to Haricku with a small smile. "I saw Sebastian and you last night! You two got into it, huh!" There was never a moment where Mey-Rin wasn't snooping into Haricku's life, much to the latter's distaste. The word 'privacy' almost didn't exist in her dictionary, but it was a word that needed to be learned.

An eyebrow arched as Haricku stared at the other maid, issuing a quick exhalation of air, annoyed. "I think Sebastian has it wrong... The only people who spy in this house are you and Finny." She looked at Mey-Rin distastefully, pushing herself out of bed, walking to her vanity, picking up the comb and started to brush her long hair. "At any rate... I'm not talking to Sebastian for the rest of the day. He's been a jerk to me one too many times."

Mey-Rin gasped dramatically at this, placing a hand over her mouth. "But that's Mister Sebastian! Master's favorite servant! Master Ciel won't be happy if you defy the butler!"

Haricku only shrugged at this, walking to her closet and pulled out her black, white and blue maid's outfit. While Mey-Rin favored the longer version, Haricku's was more...Flamboyant and shorter. She quickly pulled on the black stockings and the garter-belt, pulling on the corset and paused with a frown, turning towards her partner. "Mey-Rin? Mind helping me?"

"Of course!" She bustled over, tripping over her undone shoelaces and falls into a wardrobe, knocking it over with a crash.

Haricku's left eye twitched angrily before she then threw off the corset. "Never mind, Mey-Rin, I won't wear it."

The remaining parts of the dress-the under shirt, the underskirt, the skirt, the blouse and the apron, and finally, the headpiece were quickly thrown onto her body in a hurry, fixing everything nice and neat. Admiring herself in the mirror, she gave her cheeks a quick pinch to wake herself up more.

"Come on... It's time for Master's breakfast." She walked over to the door, gripped the handle and turned it, stepping through only to run into Sebastian's body like a brick wall. Haricku let out a low growl as her face was in his mid chest and she looked up at him with an unhappy frown. "What are you doing here? This is the maid's quarters."

"Yes, yes, I know." He smirked slyly. "And do you know what today is?"

Haricku scratched her head in thought, looking down to the floor with a stern face while taking a step back out of Sebastian's chest. "If memory serves right, it should be the third of February."

"Correct. And what is on the third of February?"

"Ahh... Uhm." She started to think once more. "Oh! It's... Katt Etluka's birthday."

"Correct, again. My, my... You're on a roll today." He smirked wider. "For once."

"Shut up before I hurt you."

"Like you could," Sebastian sniped back and he turned on his heel, disappearing into the early morning darkness of the hall.

"He really ticks me off, Mey-Rin! Why does Master even-... Mey-Rin?" Haricku turned to the other maid, getting upset that she was being ignored. "Listen to me, Mey-Rin!" The maid was staring at where Sebastian had disappeared, her body limp where she stood. "Mey-Rin..." Haricku walked over, grabbing a heavy thick book and slams it on top of her head. "What are you staring at?!"

"What!? Oh! Haricku, I... I'm sorry... Sebastian is just so lovely." Mey-Rin was still staring at the empty doorway, starting to skip off after Sebastian.

Haricku frowned deeply, feeling a pang of hurt in her chest from Mey-Rin's words and thought, "So... She likes him too... I'm probably not his type anyway... He treats Mey-Rin better." She followed after the maid sullenly, keeping her gaze glued down at her shiny black-buckled boots.

Mey-Rin skipped ahead, leaving Haricku by herself with her thoughts. Haricku stopped, not hearing Mey-Rin's foot steps anymore and raised her gaze up, staring around the dark with a frown. She disliked the dark for many years, or rather, the darkness inside any home or building. It always put her on edge for something lurking around the corner. Outside was better, she could run away. Inside was a different story; you couldn't run very far.

Haricku hurried her steps down the hall, entering the great hall and paused in her journey, inhaling deeply and exhaled, smoothing out her dress skirt and stared into a reflective metal vase, fixing her long hair to be better presented. "Dammit, I forgot to tie up my hair. Ahh, well, I like it better down." She turned around and found herself wedged into Sebastian's chest again. "Lovely... It's you."

Sebastian merely looked down at the top of Haricku's head and smirked coyly. "Oh Ms. Minamoto! It's like my chest is a magnet. Is that your head really made of metal?"

"Shut up," she griped as she placed her hands on his lower chest and pushed him away rather roughly, storming off down the stairs with slight annoyance.

Sebastian's smirk grew, and he bustled down the stairs after Haricku. "Your breakfast is ready in the kitchen and your duties list is next to your plate. Please report back to me once you are done with everything."

"I get it, you don't have to tell me that ever morning! I've been working here for over four months, you don't think I've learned enough already?" she with agitation.

"I was merely reminding you. I don't know if your small brain capacity is enough to fit in all the information." He smiled coyly and directed his route outside through the grand front doors.

Haricku huffed out indignantly and motioned off into the kitchen, taking a seat at the kitchen stool, glaring at her breakfast composed of: Bacon, ham, scrambled eggs, toast, orange juice, and milk. She grabbed her fork, then started to stab into the eggs violently, spraying the eggs everywhere.

Bard turned from the oven, which he was carefully observing a cake and widened his eyes at Haricku's actions. "I didn't know you hated scrambled eggs that much. Want something else?"

"I'm not angry at the eggs! I'm angry at something else!"

"You mean Sebastian?"

Haricku stopped abruptly and narrowed her eyes, looking up from the platter and gave Bard a good hard stare. "How do you know," She said threateningly.

"I learned from Mey-Rin! She told me that!" Bard backed away slightly. "Why are you mad at Sebastian?"

"Because he's a heartless jerk!"

"Tell me something new."

Haricku pouted her lips out. "He's mean to me the most!"

"That's because you are new."

"It's not that! It's like he seriously hates me!"

"No one can honestly hate you, you're the maid!"

Haricku rolled her eyes at Bard, taking a small bite of her toast. "Sebastian can. And he's not afraid to show it at all."

"Then maybe do something nice for him?" Bard offered with a shrug.

"I've tried! I made him cakes, I made him a new tie, I even gave him a calendar with cute kittens in it! It's impossible to break through that thick shell of an ego!"

Bard snickered and leaned against the counter for the sink. "That may be true, but perhaps you should find something that appeals to him. Find out what he likes and play on that card to make him nicer."

"I honestly think that was the smartest thing you've ever said," commented Haricku with a raised brow, the metal fork lodged between her lips.

"I got a head on my shoulders that's just fine! It's just when it's readily available that's a problem," Bardroy said with a light laugh and a goofy smile.

Haricku nodded and hurriedly ate the rest of the food, grabbing the chart and looked at what was first: Polish the stair rails. "Seems easy enough..."

She went to get the necessary supplies, but when she approached the stairs, she stared in horror at Mey-Rin painting the rails with a white stain. "M... M... Mey-Rin! Stop!"

Mey-Rin quickly pulled away from the staircase. "Huh!? Why?!"

Haricku raised an arm up slowly, gulping loudly and pointed at the white stains. "You're ruining the stairs! What are you using!?"

"I just grabbed what was laid out already!"

The black haired maid launched up the steps three at a tip, grabbing the can and reading it. She cursed lowly and shook her head in disbelief. Many disasters followed Mey-Rin, but this had to be one of the biggest issues she's created thus far.

"Oh, no… Mey-Rin, this is a staining agent! I have the polishing canister right here!"

"But- But!" She whimpered, holding onto her hair as she looked back, staring at the stairs. "What are we going to do!?"

"We!? You did this, don't lasso me in that! You better fix it before Sebastian finds out."

Mey-Rin suddenly squeaked quietly, pointing at Haricku.

"What are you doing, Mey-Rin?" Haricku looked at her finger, feeling an angry presence behind her. She turned slowly to gaze up at Sebastian, a lividly angry facial expression plastered on his face. "O-Oh. Hello Mister Sebastian!"

"What... Did... You...Two...DO!?" Sebastian stared at the stairs with utter disdain, pushing Haricku out of the way, inspecting the stairs closely. "Who did this?" He stared at each maid in turn, challenging their pitiful stares.

Mey-Rin glanced at Haricku, then back at Sebastian, frowning deeply. "It wasn't me."

"What, are you kidding me, Mey-Rin? You are the one that did this! It wasn't me, Sebastian, I swear!" Haricku looked at the butler with pleading eyes. "I came here to polish the stairs, but she had already gotten to work on it."

"It wasn't me, Mister Sebastian! I was walking up the stairs to head into the second floor study and start dusting and then I happened to come upon this tragic scene! It was awful! She had a face as though she were doing it on purpose!" Mey-Rin sobbed, putting an arm over her eyes, leaning her back against a wooden pillar in the entry hall.

"That's the stupidest lie ever," Haricku noted, gesturing to the maid. "She's selling me out. Sebastian, I seriously just came here to c-"

"Silence!"

Both females gulped, giving each other a worried glance.

Sebastian smirked, the evil and tenacious smirk he had whenever his button was pushed. "Let me break it down for the both of you." He pointed at Haricku, glaring thickly. "I want you, Ms. Minamoto, to stay with me and sweep up the ballroom. Ms. Mey-Rin... I want YOU to get the wood stain and a glaze to redo the stairs... Do you both understand me?" Sebastian's eyes glowered, his body shadowing creepily.

Mey-Rin and Haricku looked at one another again, an eerie silence brewing over for a few minutes.

It was Haricku who broke the silence, asking, "So why is it, that it is I, that must stay with you? Why not Mey-Rin? I'm sure you'd enjoy her company more."

Sebastian's smirk merely grew wider, closing his eyes, his voice almost mockingly cheery, "Because seeing you in displeasure around me is both thrilling and fun. Now come on, we have a busy day to prepare the party." Sebastian grabbed the knot where the apron's ties were and started to drag Haricku off towards the ball room.

"Great...," Haricku thought, as she was being dragged away. "I didn't think it was possible for him to hate me even more, but obviously the world loves proving me wrong."

Once Sebastian had finally stopped in the ballroom, he let go of the knot and forced a broom in one of her hands, a dust pan occupying the other.

"What am I supposed to do?" She inquired, looking at the tools in her hands.

"You are to sweep the entire ballroom, until there is not a speck of dirt on the floor. Upon finishing that, you are going to be mopping the floor, and once you have finished mopping, please tend to the windows. They are in dire need of cleaning."

The maid stared at the butler in slight horror, replying with, "Are you kidding me!? This will take forever to clean just by myself! What are you going to do?"

"I will be preparing the meal, decorating the manor, setting the table, doing dishes, preparing the garden with Finnian..." He slowly started to walk towards Haricku. The maid, feared by the approach, paced backwards until her back hit one of the pillars lining the ballroom. "I will be setting up guest tables, benches, chairs, the entertainment, wine selections, and figuring out the quantity of food I must prepare. All in a measly 12 hours, while you are complaining of doing such a menial task? Dear me... Perhaps I thought too highly of your skills, Ms. Minamoto." He leaned forward, bending down a bit until the two are eye level, smirking almost seductively. "Am I right? Or are you going to prove me wrong?"

Those eyes. Those lips. They alone were enough to make Haricku melt. Try as she might, Haricku could not deny to herself that she adored Sebastian, but wouldn't dare show it or tell a living soul; Unless, you count Pluto, but as long as he never spoke a word, it suited her just fine.. However, a challenge was a challenge, and Haricku always enjoyed winning.

The maid challenged his glare, "Oh, I'll definitely prove you wrong. Just you watch."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Get to work." Sebastian's smirked remained as he leaned up, returning his hands to his sides and headed off towards the kitchen.

"Tch, moron," She mumbled under her breath, getting to work on the duties, making sure everything was cleaned until it sparkled like a new dining set.