"We don't need to be all fancy," Marina replied with an annoyed expression. "They are the one who called for us after all."

"And besides, we're just peasants. Being dirty is just to be expected."

She had no interest at all in dressing up for some perverted Earl's delight. Let him see her usual, dirty and peasant-like appearance.

Unfortunately for her, her father had the very opposite idea.

"F-Father!"

Once again, she couldn't go against him.

[hr]
When Bill kissed her on the forehead back at home, she only returned a glare at him. She saw him taking out the family's savings and she perfectly knew what she was going to do it.

"No, don't bother, Father! Don't waste our money for that!" she shouted. "It doesn't matter in the slightest what I'm dressed in!"

However, he didn't listen. He only kissed his wife before leaving through the front door.

She allowed her mother to clean and dress her up as best as she could. There was not much she could do other than just throwing a bucket of cold water on to her before scrubbing all the dirt that was stuck on her hair and body. They weren't some noble family who could afford all those fancy perfumes and cosmetics after all. She also put her hair up in two big loops, just like the way she did it for when she had to attend her brother's wedding.

In the process, her mother asked her what in the world was going on. She refused to answer, telling her to just ask her father. She couldn't bring herself to tell her what she soon would become. And she was positively still angry that this all had happened because of his father in the first place.

...No, that's one naive thinking she had. It wasn't like the Earl couldn't just happen to stumble upon her one day. And he would be attracted to her, and this would happen anyway.

...Why was he attracted to her anyway? She never considered herself pretty. Those noble girls were certainly far more beautiful than she was.

She would never understand the mind of nobility.

[hr]
Bill soon returned, and just as she had feared, he brought with him a perfectly new dress. And it wasn't just a common frock either. It actually looked nice, and she would love to have and wear it.

If he hadn't spent their savings for it.

She perfectly knew how much a dress like that would cost. It was an expense they could not afford. That money should only be used for emergencies, like when somebody fell sick. Calling a doctor was never cheap after all.

"A beautiful dress … for my beautiful daughter," her father said softly with a big smile on his face as he presented it to her.

And that was enough to erase her frown completely.

His words, as much as she didn't want them to, touched her heart completely. She gingerly took the dress, examining it closely and admiring how pretty it looked.

"It's... it's certainly beautiful..." she whispered to herself. She then looked up to her father and asked, "I would wear this to meet with the Earl?"

Her father only nodded in response.

"...Fine. I will. I suppose they would be offended if I come in all ragged and dirty."

"Even though it's all thanks to them that we live in such a terrible state like this," she added under her breath.

She returned to her room and took off her current ragged frock. Bill didn't bring any new undergarments with him so her old one would have to suffice, even though the white color of her bloomers had decayed so much over the years that the dirty yellow stains on them were the more prominent color, thanks to all her sweat and the natural yellowing of the fabric itself.

Once she put it on, she couldn't help but do a twirl. The more she looked at it, the more she realized that this was pretty much her dream dress.

She was a girl after all. No matter how tomboyish she could get, she still wanted to wear pretty dresses like all the other girls in the world.

She left her room to show her new appearance. And both of them were clearly impressed by her new look.

"Oh my dear, you look so pretty in it!" Her mother exclaimed as she approached closer to her. "Your father made the right choice in buying that for you!"

"Too bad this is all only so I would look good in front of the Earl," Marina thought sarcastically.

"Ha, I knew you would look good on it, my love!" her father said with a genuine smile, grabbing both of her shoulders with his hands. "Alright, we can go now."

"Go? Go where?" Mary asked. She still hadn't been told anything by Bill.

"Oh, just to meet with those nobles, my dear," Bill replied. "They realize they're lacking in servants so they're recruiting us villagers to be one."

He, naturally, left out the part where the Earl clearly had his eyes on his daughter.

Mary's eyes widened with surprise. She then turned to Marina and grabbed her hands, saying, "You're going to be one of the new Earl's maids? Oh, that's wonderful! A girl shouldn't be working on the farm! Being a maid would be far better for sure! And no doubt he would pay you more generously than the money we got from selling our crops!"

Marina's mother was one of the villagers who were charmed by the Earl. They had trusted him to be a more benevolent ruler than his predecessor.

Little did she know that he just ordered her own daughter to be his consort, whether she wanted to or not.

Marina couldn't say anything. She couldn't break her mother's heart. Not when she was just about to leave.

And so she didn't say anything. She only gave a glare to her father, telling him without any words that it was his obligation to break the news to her.

[hr]
When they arrived at the encampment, Marina let her father did all the talking.

She was not in the talkative mood in the slightest.

Just before they were about to enter the Master of Coin's tent, her father suddenly turned around and said to her that she still could turn back.

"A bit too late for that, wouldn't you say, Father?" Marina replied with the most venom-laced smile Bill had ever seen, before dragging him into the tent.

[i]There is no turning back. I have to do this if I want my family to survive.[/i]

"I love you, daughter," she heard him murmur. She didn't say anything to that.

The decor of the tent's inside took Marina by surprise as well. Just like Bill, she had never expected the inside of a tent to be this lavishly decorated. It managed to look far better than their gloomy and dirty house, even though it was just a tent.

"You are Marina?"

"Y-yes. I am," Marina quickly replied, the voice bringing her back from her fascination.

The voice came from the man sitting behind an elegant wooden desk in the center back of the tent. As this was the Master of Coin's tent, it was same to assume that he was the Master of Coin himself.

"My name is Marina. I-it's a pleasure to meet you, Milord." She curtsied. It looked so much better with her new dress.

She immediately could tell that the man was eyeing her up and down, and it made her uncomfortable. It was not a lustful gaze however. It felt more like the gaze of a ranch owner that was about to decide whether or not he wanted to buy the cow in front of her. Clearly, he was assessing her. And with how seriously he seemed to be doing it, she knew that she was not going to be just some ordinary servant.

[i]He really is assessing me if I'm worthy for his Lord.[/i]

She took offense to this. She was not just some merchandise. She was a living human being, with her own dreams and aspirations, even if she was just some peasant girl.

"Hah, I guess it's too much to expect something like that from a noble," she thought wryly.

But she didn't voice her displeasure. She knew better.

He then asked her what her age was. "20, M'Lord," she answered. He then asked whether she had any experience before. "None, M'Lord," she replied again, just as succinct as before.

[i]No sense to lie. We both know what I'm really here for.[/i]

After he circled her for a couple more times, he spoke to her father that she would be permitted some probationary period in service of the Earl. He then turned back to her and gave her all the rules she had to obey in the presence of his Lord.

[i]Hmph, nothing out of the ordinary. Just the usual things you would expect. Obey his every order. Always be courteous. Show respect. Do not speak when not spoken to. And do not enter his room if he doesn't ask me to.[/i]

[i]And of course, everyone would have to obey them. Even the scullery maid.[/i] 

He then insulted her dress, which made her dislike him even more. She had gotten proud of this dress, bought by her family's savings that had been painstakingly collected over the years.

"It's the best we have, M'lord," she replied matter-of-factly. Not in a confrontational tone, but not in a pleading one either.

She then listened how she would be provided with the appropriate clothing and that she would be expected to take care of it well.

"Thank you M'lord," she replied, curtsying. She never looked up to the Master of Coin's eyes all through this, not wanting to show him the deviant expression she had.

And then, finally, she would be escorted to the Earl's tent. And as she went out, she gave a glance towards her father, and she saw how he was paid quite generously for bringing her here.

She didn't say anything. She should feel thankful that she was valued that much, but thinking about it only made her feel hurt even more.

Her eyes and Bill's then met. Just for a single moment. But it was enough for Bill to see how his daughter's eyes were watering.

She quickly shook it off however. She would not give them the satisfaction.
[hr]

When she arrived, the Earl was in the middle of having audiences with the peasants.

She was surprised. She thought he would be on his bed with another woman, half-naked after engaging in their usual lascivious acts. For a Lord to be willing to waste his time listening to his subjects like this, it was unheard of.

She waited in the corner, watching silently as he did his work.

And she had to admit. She was impressed.

He answered them all calmly and politely, reassuring them that their problems would receive his attention. And when he realized he wouldn't have time to answer to all of them, he ordered his men to give them each a silver coin compensation and to return tomorrow. Once again, an example to his generosity.

So much that she was fixed on the audience that she didn't realize the attention Phillip was giving to her once he realized she was there.

And then, he finally declared it was over for the day.

Marina gulped. Now it would be her turn to speak and interact with him.

She looked at him, and she realized that he was now staring at her.

"A-ah, g-good evening, M'Lord." She curtsied. "My name is Marina. And I would be your servant starting today."

"Would your guest like some refreshment, m'lord?"

Marina gasped. There was still another person in the room.

And judging by their voice, they were a lady.

And sure enough, her prediction was correct. One look at her and she immediately knew that she must be his escort in bed.

[i]...I shouldn't be surprised. It was foolish of me to get my hopes up. Of course he would already have a whore or two to warm his bed.[/i]

She then asked what she would like to drink.

With a sour expression, Marina replied, "I would take the wine."

She took the cup she offered, and then emptied its entire contents in one gulp.

[i]...It would be easier if I'm drunk while doing this.[/i]