Three months have passed since Canary discovered the forbidden joys of womanhood. The prohibition was on par with how employees were treated in the house. She only indulged once but sometimes thought about it, mostly during the week before her period.
Not having been ordered on a single errand in ten months, she wondered if her employers were already thinking about disposing of her and was starting to feel burdened. Being contained to the gates felt underwhelming but not having any days off felt overwhelming.
Her nightly shifts were uneventful and she missed sleeping at night like she did during her suspension. The break lasted for months but wasn't restful. She was preoccupied with maintaining her abilities and proving her worth.
Now that she made it, she wanted a carefree break from her position. Again, she wanted forbidden things. Her status didn't grant her any holidays and her only saving grace was Sebastian's inaptitude to delegate.
He did most of the work in the house whereas the former head butler delegated work to the available employees. He was doing a wonderful job, though. She doubted anyone could match what he set in terms of expectations.
Yet, the day someone had to fill Sebastian's shoes eventually happened. The man injured his side on a mission with the house's eldest son. Tsubone replaced him and delegated some of the work to her granddaughter.
Canary's extra tasks were checking on the wounded butler and running small errands for him such as delivering his meals or bringing him fresh water. The girl understood she wasn't welcomed near the main home.
Between two evils, the elderly woman chose the lesser one and had Canary take care of the head butler while she did his job for the house with her granddaughter. That would be challenging since she avoided him for the past three months.
She learnt to solve her recurrent water issues and asked Tsubone when she couldn't do it alone. She did that to avoid witnessing Sebastian out of his jacket again. But now, she had to witness him in his sleeping garments.
While catering to him, she discovered he was impatient, enjoyed attention and could be childish. He sulked over how she hadn't checked on him right after clocking off on his second day of being bedridden. She replied that he looked better at the end of the first day and assumed he didn't need frequent checks.
Her answer didn't satisfy him and he asked her to change his bandages. She assumed it was retaliation to her lack of care but didn't want to handle him this close. She hadn't forgotten her reaction to his jacket-free and rolled-sleeves attire.
Even if her hormones were at play that day, she wasn't sure not to be affected. Still, telling him so would be embarrassing and asking Tsubone to assign her another task would raise unwanted questions.
It wasn't that time of the month yet and Canary swiftly completed her task. Then again, she suspected the phantom feeling of the warm skin and sturdy figure would plague her shortly before her period.
He inspected her handwork and seemed content with the results. He was also satisfied with himself and she guessed her poker face faltered. She mindlessly tidied herself, even if everything was in order.
Then, she speed-walked out of the bedroom and headed towards the training grounds. She never expected he would tease her as he did and looked forward to clearing her mind in the familiar environment.
Three days after his injury, Sebastian was up and running again. Canary distantly heard Tsubone's granddaughter being upset with all the little things the head butler complained about. He nitpicked at everything he thought they did wrong while he was out of business.
As he arranged the house back to his tastes, he didn't have time to run errands for a special dinner. The house hosted important guests and he still had to manicure the glasshouse. Therefore, he tasked Canary with picking up the goods he ordered.
She had a list of shops with secret passwords to retrieve sealed items. The errand took an hour at most. Still, it was a nice break from her employer's estate. She wished it could last longer but she was on a clock.
When returning to the house at four in the afternoon, Sebastian requested her to clean around and set the table inside the glasshouse while he cooked. Cut branches and tools were discarded on the ground. The bushes were cut in perfect circles and their flowers were nicely presented.
After sweeping the marble floor and dressing the table, Canary took a moment to contemplate her surroundings. The glasshouse was luminous and smelt of fresh flowers. There was a corner for musicians with a piano and tall sculptures standing in the sunlight gave the place a dignified aura.
As a gatekeeper, she hardly ventured past the employees' compound. She didn't even remember a single time she walked inside the main house. Interrupting her reverie, she walked to the storage room to leave the broom and dispose of the trash bag filled with the cut floral remnants.
She stopped by the kitchen to notify the head butler the reception venue was clean. There, she crossed paths with the house's second eldest son. As if he were deep in thought, he stood unmoving when she bowed before him. Then, he had an idea and ordered her to carry treats for him.
Once inside his room, he asked her if she was a new employee. She told him she had been the night shift gatekeeper for seven years. He searched for his words before stating that he had only been outside once over the last decade. The room fell silent and Canary excused herself.
On her walk to the employees' compound, she couldn't help but muse over the lifestyle of the house's second son. She knew one of the house's adult children wasn't active but she hadn't registered he lived leisurely inside the main home.
Shortly after she took her post, the house's second son arrived at the gates. He looked groomed for the dinner and told her he would escort the guests to the glasshouse. That was surprising since walking guests was a butler's job.
She could tell he was observing her while waiting. She wondered if the guests were that special to be welcomed by one of the house members or if he decided to spy on her. There weren't any apparent reasons he would do so.
Adding to the moment's strangeness, she could sense someone else watching from afar. The person remained until the guests arrived and the house member took them to the glasshouse. That had been the first time she felt spied on.
After the reception, the second son started running daily in the evening. He contoured the property and passed by Canary's post during the sunset. She witnessed his progress and it seemed she wasn't the only curious one.
Tsubone or her granddaughter occasionally observed him from the compound's windows. The house mostly gave up on the idea he would invest himself in the family's business again. The duo of butlers probably wanted to see how long his resolution would last.
After one month, he reached an acceptable level to accomplish hunting missions. He requested a butler's assistance for his first quest and the house's grandfather granted his wish. He then notified Canary that he wanted her to second him and she obliged.
The girl was inspecting her tools in the late afternoon when the oldest two sons arrived at the gate with Sebastian. The first one decided to switch her with the head butler at the last minute. He reasoned that the second one hadn't been on a mission for a while and needed a more capable helper.
She swallowed the indirect discount of her abilities. The mission didn't sound of high stakes on paper and she wondered if the teachers voiced some concerns. They had been the most vocal about her need to lengthen up.
Wordlessly, she watched Sebastian leave with the second son before boarding another car with the first son. The latter ordered her to drive to a shopping venue's underground parking lot. Once there, he asked her to leave her jacket and follow him through a disguised entrance.
They arrived in a secluded changing area where personal shoppers awaited them with costumes. The woman led her into a changing cabin to groom her for a mundane event. They started with the outfit before styling her hair.
Canary hadn't tried a dress in years. The last time she remembered was in her childhood home when her grandmother had knitted the fanciest dress her kindergartener self had ever seen. At this time, she was used to wear her elder brothers' unfit clothes.
Unlike the earthy flowing dress of her memories, this one was bright yellow and short. The clothing piece was moulded on top and draped on the bottom. She would stick out in a crowd unless everyone dressed in flashy colours.
The woman removed her hair ties before brushing a defining mousse through her coils. Then, she applied mascara to her short curly lashes and clear gloss on her two-toned lips. Once she was ready, the woman left and Canary looked in the mirror.
Her hair looked like she barely exited the shower after a shampoo. She traced her bare collarbones with her fingers and stilled. The sight felt taboo and she abruptly turned away from the mirror. She wasn't supposed to look like that for the world to see.
Moving onto the handbag, she tried the expendable defence baton put inside. The item felt sturdy enough and she could move with ease. She was glad to have strapped flat shoes and be free of the weighted garments.
The first son unexpectedly entered her changing cabin and commented on how she finally matched her name. Canary. The house gave her that name eleven years ago. She heard his satisfaction in his words and felt exposed under his gaze.
She then noticed how the bright yellow outfit looked like the popular and tiny singing pet. Her working contract might be unconventional but the comparison was still unsettling. She felt ill the whole time he used her as an accessory for his gentlemanly act.
Canary's dreams were haunted by her reflection wearing the short yellow dress. She couldn't look in the mirror without remembering the fabric moulding her. Sometimes, she used her hands to mimic the cups pushing her chest up.
Then, she cooled down with a cold shower. Not being able to indulge was painful. She exhausted herself inside the training grounds. Yet, her want would resurge after she rested. And she had wet dreams more often than not.
Fantasising about the head butler had been manageable. But her self being the object of her fantasies was much harder to endure. She couldn't avoid looking down when getting dressed or removing her clothes. And not using body lotion wasn't an option.
The pressure to scrub the itchiness was maddening during the week before her periods and it was precisely then that she received an uncommon support mission. The first son requested her attendance here and there, mainly for late afternoon events. He said the sun kissed her the best when going down, making her the most useful at sunset.
She usually wasn't active undercover besides driving and ensuring her employer's protection. But this time, the stakes were higher and Sebastian was also requested. The duration was also longer, with a trip to the new continent.
They boarded a vessel for Shin Kakin, the floating city established during the first expedition four years ago. The Black Whale ship took the first wave of settlers to the gigantic island and other floating buildings joined the dock.
According to the intel she received, settling on the land hadn't been possible so far. People remained above the waters but the living conditions were decent, at least for those who could afford a comfortable suite.
The trip to the floating city lasted for two weeks. The target boarded with them and should be executed before leaving the vessel. Living on deck with Sebastian was harder than expected. He used the butler's bedroom at night but hovered nearby during the day.
At least, the suite had a balcony. She refuged there to smell the ocean and hear the waves. It had been strange at first but she grew accustomed to it. It felt comforting, even if she remained away from the waters that seemed to call her name.
Another strange experience was being on the other end of domestic service. The maids quickly identified she shared the same background and the youngest looked at her with stars in their eyes. They assumed she was lucky and hoped to meet a charming prince like hers.
Canary then realised she was not lucky. She wasn't supposed to enjoy her position. Not just because it became harder last year, but mainly because it wasn't how people were supposed to live. She should want to enjoy life and see the world.
Before boarding, enjoyment wasn't even something she had in mind. She was divided between her new outlook and her previous blissful ignorance. She hadn't known what life had to offer when confined to the house's gates.
She didn't often witness her employers' daily lives and pleasures. The mundane events she attended were instant pictures. But on that vessel, life was sweet all the time. Not just for a special occasion. And some people have lived that way all their lives.
She didn't wish for such a life that she didn't fully understand. But there had to be a middle ground. A simple life she could understand and in which she would be free to wander to her heart's content. And maybe, fall in love.
Canary was saved from her conflicting thoughts by her periods. They arrived at the dock and the first son disposed of his target with Sebastian, but not without suffering an injury and migraines. The two employees took care of him as he was feverish at night.
A doctor auscultated the house member and deduced he only needed to rest. They could request the doctor again if he hadn't healed in two days when the vessel would return to the known world.
Her periods ended when they were still docked. And for the first time, her needs resurged with force on the last day of her menstruation. Spotting was drowned in viscous waters and her inner ring was impossibly swollen.
Refuging on the balcony didn't help this time. The setting sun was blinding and the first son needed fresh air to rest. Therefore, she entered the secondary bedroom. She didn't remain alone for a long time before Sebastian joined her.
He was adorning a lopsided smile when he sat by her side on the bed. Then, he asked her if she needed help. That was a question she couldn't answer.
But maybe she could. Tsubone was far away and the house member was asleep. They were alone under the sunset filtered by a meshed curtain. Unable to voice her mind, she nodded for all responses.
Then, he moved closer and inhaled behind her hear. He asked her if she wanted his help and she eagerly nodded again. His movements were deliberate when he pushed her down with his weight.
He took a moment to look at her and reaffirmed the sun kissed her the best when it went down. The look on his face showed he was referencing the first son's words. He then teased her buttons through her dress while tasting her neckline.
Canary was so sensitive her body convulsed after a minute underneath Sebastian. He undressed while she was regaining her spirits. A moment of lucidity hit her when he untied her dress. He reassured her they were safe and her eyes landed on the protection he put on.
She vaguely wondered why that was there and who brought it. She also questioned if they weren't going too far. Sebastian reassured her she wasn't. He added that the first son wanted her to experience what she did and took her on the vessel for that reason.
His statement was unbelievable to her. She knew he had a reputation for twisting the house children's orders. It never got him in trouble since he always respected the elders but she feared he was crossing a line there.
Her thoughts faded when he tickled her core, this time directly on the inside. She couldn't think anymore when he pushed her open with his limb. He waited for her to be used to the feeling before slowly pressing back and forth inside her core.
Their skins burnt as they held onto each other, each push feeling more electrifying than the previous. Wet sounds mixed with their skin contact and heavy breathing. Everything was too much for Canary who seized again.
The squeeze sent Sebastian into a frenzy between her shaking legs. She felt explosions going off inside one after the other as she was losing her mind to the pleasure. Then, he stilled and they regained their breaths. She felt light and heavenly tired as her eyes swiftly closed.