First day of work.
For some it can be exciting, for others it can be terrifying, but for me... Heh... For me it's the opportunity to do more of my experiences, creations and concoctions.
***
I, Amethyst OwlHeart Orchids, had been sold, with the others captives, to the Imperial Palace as workers and servants. Well, many of them are affected, others didn't react, while me, I was internally happy and enthusiastic to be in such place.
The Imperial Palace is also known as 'the world of the plants and living beings'. Every type of ingredient imaginable can be found in just one place... And I will have access to be in that place just by having a job in there!
The fiftieth Emperor made it possible because of his love for animals and plants. And it seems that the tastes was passed until the present Emperor, and i guess it will continue.
***
I had been put in the kitchen area, oh and how happy I am to be in the kitchen, with FULL access to the knives and fire.
But, the happiness of the poor last little, and that counts with the type of head chef we have.
He is the type of person who had a very short temper, such a small or trivial thing could make him explode against the one who commit the mistake and even lash out on everyone, which made everyone frightened and intimidated by his presence alone.
There were also chefs that were here for a longer time than us the freshmen, and they tried (a very little of them) to reassure and give comfort to those who had been too much affected by the head chef's behavior.
Because of my body training and the martial arts practices, the head chef would, reluctantly, compliment my work and use me as an example, it's good, I guess, and that would make me out of his way when lashing on everyone when he had an explosion of anger. Which is kinda sad to me because I liked a bit of shouting on me, but nevertheless, I would see the lashing like a spectator with a secret grin.
In question, I didn't have a single bit of fear when it comes about him, I didn't like work for him either, but it's not because he lashes on everyone that I'm not gonna stand up for myself, even if is silently. I don't need to do much, I just need to do the 'good lady' role yet still keep my usual composure and everything would be fine.
***
In these three days, since the first day until now, had a girl that speaks too much. Alright, it's normal to have people who talks a lot, but the problem is what she talks about.
When out of the head chef presence, she would make a speech of how she is 'stronger' than him, would win him in a fight and didn't felt intimidated by them. She was trying to look brave and fearless and all of that for own benefit, to people have a "good image" of her as the "hero", even know she can't even look up at the head chef when speaking. And what would be more reckless, is the fact that she would do all of her little theatre IN the presence of the other chefs that are there for a longer time.
Doesn't she noticed before that they are the ones who report everything that happens to the head when he's out of the kitchen?! If they report this type of behavior to him it's over for all of us!!!
***
I was in my cooking area, cutting carrots in cubes while planning to do my herbs harvest in the middle of the night when the head chef decides to leave the kitchen for a moment, he looks at the other chefs and have a small nod before leaves — that must be their signal. Then if someone do anything wrong, even if is a little mistake, then we are fucked.
As the head chef leaves and close the doors, with his steps fading away, that same girl starts talking, but a bit louder this time. She barks a lot but doesn't even bite, I hate that type of people. The chefs were listening intently while secretly gazing her as they stop their work for a moment —They highly paying attention.
I sigh in frustration. You know what? I'm done with this incompetent piece of trash.
With my apron, I clean the knife I was using to cut the carrots and I start walking towards her direction. When I was close enough and she turns around feeling my presence coming, I land a slap right in her face, strong enough to make her fall. The others around gasp at the display of violence, but I didn't care, what I was focus on is to avoid as much as i can to be punished for something I wasn't even involved by a stressed man who can't even see a cube with 0,1% of asymmetry without blowing an explosion to everyone.
I crouch on the floor, by her hair I lift her head up, forcing her to have eye contact with me.
"Don't you notice that you're being a nuisance?" I muttered. "I know what kind of person you are. A human with inferiority complex, full of insecurities, but to look edgy, you try to make you look stronger and superior than the others, all bark but no bite."
"How do you know? Wait, Who the fuck are you to treat me like this?!" She exclaims, trying to appear more intimidating as she tries with her hands free herself from my grasp, but that doesn't work on me.
I simply approach the knife against her neck, pressing firmly against her pulse point before saying.
"Who I am is none of your business. Don't you know that here in the kitchen we have the loyals towards the head chef?" I asked, looking right in her eyes. "They are the ones who do the reports of what happened and what not in the kitchen in the absence of the head chef, IF they report the type of behavior you have in the head chef's absence, not just you but everyone will suffer from a 10x worse punishment. And that means no eating for a week or longer."
She gets surprised by the information, her eyes widen in shock as the words sank in her mind and process the information.
"If you don't listen to my warning and stop with this little theatre of yours, then this knife will not only cut carrots and vegetables. You understand?" I threat, moving the knife with more firmness against her neck to open an injury, to be aware that I'm not bluffing.
The girl nods quickly and desperately, her eyes filled with tears as they started to fall in her cheeks.
I release her hair harshly before I stand up, turning around and walking away from her, going back to my cooking area with the knife in my hands. I could hear some of the servants approaching the girl as she starts to sob, the stingy pain that the very thin injury brings is too much for her to handle, with two girls crouching on her sides to give comfort. What an annoying girl. Wanting to show strength but not even handling a tiny injury.
Well but at least I could make her stop being a noise pollution in the kitchen atmosphere.
The chefs are looking at me. I look back, and they gave me a nod in approval for acting right away. They go back to their work, and I do the same. With a smirk.
***
----
Two days had passed after the "violent incident", Amethyst was respected in the kitchen by the majority, but something was seeing off for her.
There was a nurse coming to the kitchen 3 to 4 times in that same two days to just simply request some milk and honey, and would always leave without speaking anything.
Amethyst was having goosebumps everytime she entered in the kitchen, and that wasn't a good sign. She wasn't trusting the nurse either, but has the feeling that she needs to discover something about this nurse, that she's not just a "normal" nurse as she makes the others seen her to be.
What will Amethyst discover about this weird woman these days?