Disclaimer: Does it look like I own Yu-Gi-Oh!? Oh, right, you can't see me. Anyway, since that's the case, I'll just tell you I don't.
CHAPTER 3: Gozaburo's Business Trip
Ten years passed and Serenity had grown to become a very nice, beautiful girl. Mai and Téa noticed how all the other boys seemed to enjoy Serenity's company more than theirs. Of course, Mai and Téa didn't really care about those boys. What they cared about was how Prince Seto would react to Serenity now that they had grown older. With every passing day, they grew more jealous.
Meanwhile, Gozaburo realized his stepson was starting to become of age to take over his empire. Joey would be graduating from the Academy soon enough. Gozaburo had to make sure his company was ready in all areas for the change. He had several branches in several kingdoms, and he had to see to it they were all ready. His son would be home in a month, tops.
"Serenity, Mai, Téa!" Gozaburo decided he should tell his daughters about his trip right then. He would have to leave immediately if he wanted to be back by the time his stepson came.
"Yes, Father?" The three girls stepped into the office room. Gozaburo smiled and arranged some papers on his desk.
"I have something very important to tell you," he said. "You know that Joey is going to graduate Domino Academy in a month and take over my company."
"Yes, we know. We know," Mai said. "You've only told us a million times how proud you are of your son."
"Well, now that he is about to gain the Kaiba empire, I must make sure everything is in order for his return. I need to check in some of our offices in neighboring kingdoms."
"So you're going on a business trip?" Téa queried.
"Exactly. Now I know you three girls are old enough to take care of yourselves and the mansion by yourself."
"We can't!" Mai cried. "There are no servants here!" Gozaburo narrowed his eyes.
"What happened to them?"
"Uh………"
"It's all Mai's fault!" Téa complained. "Every time they do something wrong, she fires them."
"Father let me, and those rascals totally deserve it!" Gozaburo sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Girls! Just calm down. It seems you'll have to do the housework until I come back and can hire some new ones." Mai and Téa gaped at him.
"Us??? Housework? You mean like … chores?" They shuddered at the word. Serenity gave them a sideways glance.
"Yes." Gozaburo smiled. "Since you were the ones who rid the servants in the first place. Now, take turns and share the work. Need I remind you, you all are adults now? I must go get packing." Gozaburo left the room. Mai glared after him.
"Of all the nerve! He wants us to cook and clean a four story mansion?" she asked incredulously.
"That must be two hundred rooms, seeing how wide it is!" Téa complained. "We'll never get all that done. By the time we finish them all once, it'll be time to clean them again."
………
"Farewell! Make sure you all do your chores!" Gozaburo called. He stepped into the carriage with his briefcase. One of the footmen loaded his suitcases. Mai and Téa frowned as the carriage pulled away. Serenity was the only one waving good-bye. She turned to her sisters.
"We better get started on cleaning," she said. The three girls went inside the house. Immediately, Serenity got a mop and an apron. She tied it over her red dress and grabbed a bucket as well.
"Téa, can you help by filling this-," Serenity looked around. Her two sisters were nowhere to be found. "TÉA! MAI!" Serenity rushed into the living room. Mai was sprawled across a couch, and Téa was sitting on a stool combing her short brown hair.
"Did you call us?" Mai asked, straightening up. She smoothed out her long purple dress over her knees.
"Um, yeah! You guys, we need to get cleaning or else we'll never get it all done." Mai looked at Téa. Téa glanced at Serenity, then back at Mai. The two girls shook with laughter.
"Do we look like maids?" Mai asked, throwing back some of her wavy blonde hair. "You go ahead, we don't feel like it." Serenity crossed her arms.
"And I suppose you think I look like a servant girl then."
"You definitely don't look like one of us," Téa said. "Probably, I couldn't tell the difference between you and a maid. Now, like you said, you'll never get done with all the chores unless you start right away."
"Fine!" Serenity stomped off. Mai giggled.
"We're going to have fun with her."
………
Three weeks passed and Serenity ended up doing all of the housework every day. She barely had time to go out and chat with her friends. Mai and Téa were happy that she was no longer their problem.
"It's nice to have a servant again," Mai said. She fell back on the couch.
"Right," Téa agreed, sitting beside her sister. They watched as Serenity mopped the foyer.
"Her, Serenity!" Mai called. Serenity looked up and frowned. "Can you get us some hot chocolate, please?" Serenity sighed and rested the mop on the door. She went off to obey her sisters. She had become used to being bossed around in such a fashion. She didn't really feel like going outside anyway. It was almost December and it was freezing cold. Which reminded her about how cold it was inside. She was wearing a pink ribbed sweater over her black floor-length dress, with three petticoats. She even wore boots and a pair of gloves. Still, she was cold.
"Maybe I should light the fireplace," she thought out loud. She went to make the hot chocolate. Carrying it back to her sisters made her hands warm. But the rest of her was cold.
"Mmm…tasty!" Téa remarked. "But I think lighting the fireplace would make us warmer."
"I was thinking the same thing," Serenity said. She knelt down by the fireplace to clean it up.
"It must be really cold outside if it is already this cold inside," Mai said. She got up and went into the foyer. She opened he door and peeked outside.
"Yep, really cold." A sudden gust of wind threw open the door, knocking over a glass vase in the foyer. It blew into the living room too, blowing cinders into Serenity's face and sweater. Mai closed the door.
"Phew! That was kind of scary!" Serenity straightened her hair and tried to dust off the cinders.
"Look at your face!" Mai exclaimed. "Most unfashionable!" Téa glanced at Serenity and burst out giggling.
"We should call you Cinder-Serenity!" she suggested. Serenity glared at her two sisters.
"Come on, Cinder-Serenity, clean up the glass vase," Mai ordered. Serenity planted her hands on her hips.
"Why don't you do it? You haven't done anything! Do something to help at least." Mai rolled her eyes and got a broom. She gave it to Serenity.
"There, Cinder-Serenity, why don't you be a good girl and clean up now?" Serenity snatched the broom and headed off to the foyer. She could hear Mai's satisfied sigh behind her. She had a feeling things had gone from bad to worse.