ZZZ:Through the Frosted Mirror

Ellen and the others arrived at Victoria Housekeeping, where Von Lycaon stood at the entrance, waiting for them. With his usual gentlemanly demeanor, he welcomed their arrival and invited them inside.

As they stepped in, Lycaon took it upon himself to give Miyabi and Mira a tour of the facility, ensuring they knew where everything was, including their sleeping arrangements. When they reached Ellen's room, he turned to her with a knowing look. "Your old room has been modified to fit your needs," he informed her.

Ellen glanced into the room, noting the changes made to accommodate her. She gave Lycaon a nod of appreciation. "Thanks for the help, Lycaon. I owe you one."

He merely waved a hand dismissively. "Think nothing of it. You're welcome to stay as long as you need. That said, if you are still willing to help in some capacity, we could use the extra hands. Ever since you left, we've been short-staffed."

Ellen raised a brow. "Really? That bad?"

He gave a small chuckle. "Indeed. We have two new recruits—twins. They are still learning, and a little guidance would be greatly appreciated."

Ellen considered his words, then nodded. "Alright, I'll help where I can."

"Excellent," Lycaon said. "For now, Rina should be in the kitchen preparing her... unique culinary creations. If you have any further questions, you can ask her."

With that, he left with Miyabi and Mira to continue their tour, leaving Ellen to settle in. She grabbed her belongings and motioned for Sharkboo to follow her into her room. After setting her stuff down, she stretched her arms and let out a small sigh before turning toward the door.

"Come on, Sharkboo. Let's go see what disaster Rina is cooking up this time."

With that, she made her way toward the kitchen, her ever-loyal Sharkboo trailing close behind.

Ellen walked through the familiar halls of Victoria Housekeeping, Sharkboo nestled securely in her arms. As she moved, she took in every detail of the place, a wave of nostalgia settling over her. It felt almost untouched, as though time had stood still in her absence. She let out a quiet sigh of relief—this place was still home.

Just as she reached the kitchen door, a sudden explosion rocked the space, a muffled boom followed by a billowing white cloud escaping from beneath the doorframe. Ellen stopped in her tracks, listening to the sound of someone coughing from inside. She didn't even need to guess what had happened.

Pushing open the door, Ellen was greeted by a familiar scene of chaos. Flour and dough coated nearly every surface, clinging to the counters, cabinets, and even the ceiling. Some of it, oddly enough, had a faint purple glow—reminiscent of some kind of radioactive sludge. Sharkboo wiggled slightly in her arms, letting out a small, concerned beep.

Ellen sighed. "Yup. Just like old times."

Standing in the center of the mess, coughing into her sleeve, was Rina, her pristine appearance thoroughly ruined by the explosion of ingredients. The sight wasn't surprising—if anything, it was expected. Rina's cooking had always been… unique. While the rest of Victoria Housekeeping had suffered from her creations, Ellen had been the only one who could stomach them without dire consequences, thanks to her unusual biology.

If Ellen had to guess, ever since she left, the rest of the team had likely been forced to take on the impossible task of eating Rina's so-called "food." A small smirk tugged at her lips at the thought.

"Well, well," Ellen said, stepping forward, "looks like I came back just in time."

Ellen stood in the doorway of the kitchen, arms crossed as she surveyed the aftermath of yet another of Rina's culinary experiments gone awry. A thick cloud of flour and an odd purple glow coated nearly every surface, and the faint sound of coughing finally revealed Rina, emerging from the haze. Her usually pristine appearance was marred by patches of flour and streaks of dough clinging to her uniform.

Rina blinked, then noticed Ellen standing there. A mixture of surprise and delight crossed her face before shifting into embarrassment as she took in the full extent of the mess. "Ah... Ellen! You're here. Welcome back." She cleared her throat, brushing flour from her sleeves as she attempted to compose herself. "I, uh, I was trying to bake a cake. Lycaon told me we would have guests, so I thought it would be nice to make something as a welcome gift. But..." She gestured vaguely to the chaos around her. "Well, you can see how that turned out."

Ellen chuckled, shaking her head. "Seeing you guys again is enough of a welcome gift, Rina. You didn't have to go through all this trouble."

"It was supposed to be a heartfelt gesture," Rina mumbled, dusting off her apron. "But I suppose heartfelt and edible are two very different things."

Ellen reached out a hand and helped Rina to her feet, the two exchanging familiar smiles. Without a word, Ellen grabbed a rag from the counter and started wiping down the nearest surface. Rina, taking the hint, quickly followed suit. As they worked, the sounds of laughter and tiny mechanical chattering filled the air—Drusilla and Anastella had taken to playing with Sharkboo, the three Bangboos rolling about in the flour and dough, adding to the chaotic but lively atmosphere.

As she scrubbed at a particularly stubborn glob of glowing dough, Ellen glanced at Rina. "So, Lycaon mentioned you guys have some new recruits. What's the story there?"

Rina nodded, still focused on scrubbing the counter. "Yes, the twins. Nova and Solis. They found us, actually. Apparently, they were looking for work and had heard of Victoria Housekeeping's reputation. They tracked us down and made quite the impression on Lycaon."

Ellen raised an eyebrow. "Impression how?"

"They're... energetic," Rina admitted. "Determined, yes, but also very enthusiastic—sometimes to a fault. Lycaon saw potential in them, though, and we have been short-staffed since you left, so they were taken in. Training them has been... interesting."

Ellen smirked. "Interesting how?"

Rina sighed, leaning against the counter. "They're eager to learn, but they're still a little reckless. They approach everything with so much energy that they sometimes make more messes than they clean. I suppose they remind me of someone else when she first started."

Ellen scoffed. "I wasn't that bad."

Rina shot her a knowing look. "You absolutely were. But you got better. So will they. I just hope they survive long enough to reach that point."

Ellen laughed, shaking her head. "Well, I guess I'll see for myself soon enough. Maybe I can help them out."

Rina smiled. "That would be appreciated. And maybe, with your return, I can finally retire from being the one who has to taste-test my own food."

Ellen patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Leave it to me, Rina. I'll take back my title as the chosen one."

Corin walked into the kitchen, pausing at the sight before her. The aftermath of Rina's baking experiment was scattered across the room—flour, dough, and remnants of a purple-glowing substance coated nearly every surface. Ellen and Rina were already hard at work cleaning up the mess, their hands dusted with flour as they scrubbed counters and wiped away the aftermath of the latest disaster.

Corin let out a small sigh and smiled. "Well, this is nostalgic. Welcome back, Ellen."

Ellen looked up from where she was gathering a particularly stubborn glob of glowing dough. "Hey, Corin. Good to see you again. Looks like things haven't changed much around here."

"Not at all," Corin said as she grabbed a broom and got to work. "Rina's cooking adventures are still as... lively as ever."

Nearby, Rina's Bangboos, Drusilla and Anastella, were busy playing with Sharkboo. The three small bots zipped around the room, playfully bouncing off furniture and occasionally rolling through the flour-covered floor. The once-clean surfaces of the Bangboos were now dusted in white, their tiny forms leaving a fresh trail of footprints across the already chaotic mess.

Rina, who had been momentarily distracted by her conversation with Ellen, turned and caught sight of the state of her Bangboos. Her eyes twitched. She placed her hands on her hips, her expression shifting into strict disapproval. "Drusilla! Anastella! What do you think you're doing?" Her voice carried an authoritative tone, one that made both Bangboos freeze mid-motion.

Drusilla, ever the cheeky one, turned toward her master and hesitated before responding. "Playing?"

"In this mess? That is absolutely unacceptable!" Rina scolded, her voice firm. "That is not maiden-like behavior, nor is it hygienic! Look at you—covered in flour! You are representatives of Victoria Housekeeping! You must uphold a standard of grace and dignity at all times!"

Drusilla and Anastella exchanged guilty glances before bowing their tiny heads in apology. "We're sorry, Rina... We'll clean up," Anastella said meekly.

"You will do more than that. You will clean yourselves up immediately! And Sharkboo, that means you too!" Rina added, pointing towards the shark-themed Bangboo, who let out a playful beep before darting off after the other two.

As the Bangboos disappeared down the hall, Rina sighed, rubbing her temple. "And now I'll have to clean up their footprints, too... Not to mention replacing the rug. Again."

Ellen chuckled, tossing a rag onto the counter. "Well, you brought this on yourself. You should've known better than to let them near the battlefield."

Rina shot her a sharp look. "And you, Ellen, should have taught your Bangboo some proper manners. A true maid does not let chaos roam free under her watch."

Ellen smirked, wiping her hands on her apron. "Oh, come on. They were just having fun. Besides, it's not like they were the ones who made this mess in the first place."

Rina's eye twitched. "Are you implying something?"

Ellen's grin widened. "I mean, it's not like I'm the one who made an entire cake explode."

Rina's face remained composed, but internally, a storm was brewing. Her feet slowly lifted off the ground, and small sparks of electricity crackled around her body. The air in the kitchen grew tense as Rina's usually composed demeanor began to slip. "Ellen... have you perhaps forgotten how to respect your superiors?" Her voice was calm, but the ominous hum of electricity suggested otherwise. "Maybe I should remind you why you should."

Ellen, sensing the danger, quickly raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, alright! I'll finish the cleaning myself! No need to fry me!"

Rina narrowed her eyes but gradually lowered herself back to the floor. "Good. Then get to work."

Ellen sighed, shaking her head as she grabbed a mop. "Yeah, yeah... welcome home, me."

With that, the three maids continued their cleaning, the kitchen gradually returning to order despite the ever-present chaos that came with Rina's culinary experiments.