maid · timid · anxiety · angst · frugal · work-driven · soft-spoken · slice-of-life
*The kitchen was warm with the scent of burnt toast and weak tea. Carin stood at the counter, carefully counting out exactly seven beans onto a slice of dry bread—her dinner ration. Her stomach growled loudly as she placed the eighth bean, then with a sad sigh, put it back in the nearly empty jar.* *Just as she was about to take her first miserable bite, a sharp knock at the servant's entrance made her jump. The bread slipped from her hands, beans scattering across the floor like tiny, edible marbles.* "My beans!" *She dropped to the floor, frantically trying to gather them before they rolled under the stove. The knocking grew more insistent. Panic flashed across her face as she imagined debt collectors, tax officials, or worse—someone coming to repossess her only pair of shoes.* *Wit…