Vera rose to her feet to accept the hand and shake it firmly. It seems Vanessa was up for the task this time. But that would not be known for certain until Monday. This gave the student plenty of time to prepare. The Vanessa of the past would have probably done nothing and show up on Monday. The student had changed her tune long since then.

Vanessa arrived on time and was even dressed for the part. Vera let the student into the suite before walking slowly around her. Was this an inspection? The redhead showed up with more cleaning supplies than last time as well. She stopped in front of Vanessa before finally speaking. "Lift your skirt..." The order was perhaps a bit strange but with how things were back in the basement, perhaps Vera was being thorough. Her eyes briefly took in what Vanessa was wearing underneath before letting the maid release her hold of the fabric.

"First impressions are everything, Ms. Crowell," Vera began, "Within the first five seconds of someone meeting another, they will have already an idea of who they think you are. You came dressed for your given task rather than just showing up in your school uniform or something more casual. You came with cleaning supplies in hand. A good gesture but it is not required in the future as there are supplies available in the janitor's closet. You should have remembered that from before or at least asked about any needed supplies. But, I approve of the act nonetheless."

Vera paused to let Vanessa take in her praise before shifting to flaws that were found. "If I am to point at anything that perhaps does not impress me it is your opening lines to me. You dressed for the part but failed to research how a maid speaks and behaves. It leaves me uncertain if you are serious about your current position or if you are merely pretending. Take a moment of think before answering this. What are you here for, Vanessa?"

Vanessa walked into the room and was ready to begin cleaning. She was about to do so, until Vera issued the command. Immediately, her cheeks flushed red. "H-huh?" The girl squeezed her legs together shyly. It seemed like the silver-haired woman was serious. She wasn't too sure if this was some sort of inspection or seduction. Then again... it was Vera. "A-as you wish..." The crimson-haired girl pinched the sides of her skirt and brought it up. The head girl would be able to see her luscious white thighs leading up to her plain white panties. "C-can I put down my skirt now? This is embarrassing..." She lowered her skirt and listened to Vera's opinion.

Vanessa kept a calm composure, but her mood changed rapidly within the few moments. Compliments seemed to lighten the girl's mood, while any sort of criticizing served as a humbling moment for her. She pursed her lips. Her cheeks were still red. The redhead thought she was going to die. She took a step forward and pinched her skirt once more. The maid bowed down. She had read up on being a maid over the weekend, but hadn't entirely mastered the art of it. Nonetheless, she'd give Vera her best impression. "Would you like me to clean the room, Master? Perhaps prepare some tea for you?"

"Mistress," Vera corrected, "Master's is a title for men. And not right now. You have done very well, Vanessa. You may begin cleaning. Do be sure to keep your uniform clean as well. You are a reflection of who you serve under. Do not forget that." The Head Girl gently reached up and cupped Vanessa's cheek. "And stop being so nervous," she said softly, "If you find this to not be the path you want, you can always turn away."

Her fingers traced Vanessa's cheek as they drew away. The Head Girl returned to her desk to work once more. It was much like before. There was no further guidance. But, the student knew she would be judged on her performance as a maid serving Vera. So much feedback was given in such a short amount of time. Would inspecting her work come with just as much diligence?

"M-Mistress..." Vanessa repeated in a low voice as a memory technique. She nodded after Vera issued her commands. It seemed like the head girl was going to return to her desk and the knight was off to clean. That's why it surprised her when the head girl cupped her cheek. Amber eyes widened for a moment, staring at the head girl. Her eyes then veered away to stare at the ground. "Ah, no... I'm just unfamiliar with this, mistress. Forgive me."

She stepped back shyly when Vera lowered her hand. Was the head girl playing with the knight's heart? No, Vanessa was just over-thinking things. While the room was relatively clean, there was still plenty of things to dust, organize, and clean. The crimson-haired girl went to work, first by mopping the wooden floors. The floor was scrubbed several times until it glistened. Vanessa would then move onto the bookshelf, dusting off the top of it and collecting the material in a dustpan. The books were reorganized and in order.

Next up were the windows. Vanessa took a deep breath, and grabbed a rag in one hand and windex in the other.

Vanessa did not know how to react to the warm touch. It had been so long since those hands made contact with her flesh. But, the touch was gone as quickly as it came. Now, things were back as they were months ago but with a different mindset. Vanessa was making no moves to snoop or find evidence of possible wrongdoings at the hands of the Head Girl. Instead, the young woman cleaned as best as she could.

Cleaning thoroughly took time and effort as the student moved around in her maid outfit. Nothing came from Vera besides the clatter of fingers across keys, the busy woman always working on something though it was unknown what exactly. Just like before, Vanessa found books on business and computer science as well as older tomes that seemed to not be in any language the woman could read. Those were the only strange things about the bookshelf.

There were windows in the living area leading out to the balcony and some in the bedroom. Both gave a view of the campus all the way to the ocean shore where students went to the beach. This was all Vera's due to her position here at Shokushu.

Eventually, the sound of clattering keystrokes faded into the background. Vanessa had forgotten that Vera was even there at some points. She was too busy with the task at hand. While it was true the redhead wasn't having any sort of fun, cleanliness was something she enjoyed. If a Knight were to be messy and disorganized, what sort of example would she be setting for others? The girl looked through the window pane in Vera's bedroom. The sun had already set, replaced by the glow of the night moon. Trees quietly rustled in the wind. It was a beautiful sight, yet equally lonely. It made the crimson-haired girl think of Vera as a princess that was holed up in a tower. Which fairy tale was that again? Ah, Rapunzel.

But what did Vanessa know? She knew practically nothing about the head girl. Yet countless times, she had thrown her body at the silver-haired woman because she wanted information about monsters. It wasn't like Vanessa didn't care about monsters anymore. She still wanted to figure out the truth behind all of it. And she would, eventually.

The night had dragged on, and Vanessa spent a long time making the bed and cleaning any little specks of dust she could find in the living room. She checked the time. 9:37 PM. She adjusted her white headband, and fixed her skirt. The crimson-haired girl began to collect her cleaning supplies and approached the woman working at the desk. "I'll be taking my leave, mistress." Vanessa bowed.

"Hmm?" Vera looked up when Vanessa spoke up, "My apologies. I did not intend you to stay so late. Must of lost track of time." The Head Girl rose to her feet. She had been sitting at her desk for hours. The silver haired woman had yet to have dinner yet. Late night dinners were more common than she liked unfortunately. "One moment..."

The Head Girl began walking about the suite, checking the areas Vanessa worked at. The maid was thorough but unfortunately did not finish quick enough to take care of the kitchen and bathroom. "You have not finished the entire suite but what areas you did complete are to standard," Vera stated, "I will consider this satisfactory for now as this your first time. If you do not have any questions for your Mistress, you are dismissed."

"No, it's fine, mistress. I am happy to serve you." Vanessa replied with her cheeks bright red. She was still getting used to these mannerisms, and was sure that it would come in time. "I'll come by tomorrow afternoon and finish up." And with that, the knight took her leave. The first thing the girl did was head back home, take a shower, and change into her night clothes. She collapsed onto the bed, hugging a pillow between her arms. Her roommate hadn't come back yet, so for the most part the redhead felt alone. Alone... just like the month she spent in that dark room. Her heart ached, and a single tear trickled down her cheek. The crimson-haired girl ran her hand through the strands of her hair to remind herself that she was not in that lonely prison. There was no way she could have maintained her soft, silky hair otherwise. Then why... did she feel lonely? Loneliness, isolation, lack of communication. These thoughts filled her mind, plaguing her until sleepiness overtook her.

Vanessa woke up and attended class like usual, organized her lecture notes, and readied herself for another trip to Vera's. She slipped on the black thigh highs that tightly hugged her thighs. She slipped on the rest of the maid uniform. She reached for her dress and put on a white headband. It was plainer than the one she normally wore. The redhead went to the tower and gathered cleaning supplies from the closet like Vera had instructed her. The maid knocked on the door. "Mistress, it's me, Vanessa! May I come in?~" Her voice chimed cheerfully. Yet beneath that fake smile was the sadness still lingering from last night.

So far, it seemed as if Vanessa was falling into her role well enough. The poor girl was probably not even aware that she was becoming more submissive as she responded to Vera's questions and commands. The redhead even volunteered to return the next day despite Vera not even commanding her to do so.

The next day, Vanessa arrived just like before. The woman was a bit different though. Most would probably be fooled by the fake smiles and cheeful voice. But, Vera saw though all of it as she felt the student's aura. "Come in," Vera called, "You can set those off to the side for now. Have a seat. You had no time to speak your mind last night. I also did not order you to return and yet you did so anyway. So what brings you back and in that maid uniform? You also look a bit... tired. If you are not getting enough sleep, there is no need to worry yourself about this simple task."

It was important to ensure Vanessa remains stable through this. The last thing Vera needed was a repeat offense from this redhead. The student claimed to want to help the school but it was hard to believe after all she had seen of this particular student.

The door opened, and the crimson-haired girl crept in. She seemed ready to go until the woman stopped her. Immediately her smile vanished, and the girl sat in the chair. "It was because of my incompetence that I couldn't finish the task you gave me. It was only natural that I would come the next day to make it up." She continued, "I... was fine when I left last night. But when I settled down last night and I was laying in my bed, I remembered staying in that dark room for a month. I felt deserted, alone, and afraid." The amber hues raised up, looking Vera in the eyes. "Thank you for worrying about me, mistress. That alone is enough."

The knight pressed her hands on her legs and pushed herself up off the chair. She brushed off the small wrinkles on her skirt. "I'll be onto my work then, mistress. Please rest assured."

"Inexperience, not incompetence," Vera corrected, "It is not worth beating yourself up about it. Learn from this and move on. The same could be said about your previous correction. You did something wrong, made a mistake. Now, you understand what is expected of you. With your drive to do better, you need not worry about something like that happening again. Besides, I have said it before. My door is always open. It is my duty to assist students in need."

Vera had her doubts that Vanessa was fine just from a brief talk. But, there was nothing to gain from pushing the matter further. She let the maid start working while she herself worked as well. The student claimed that she came back to finish her work. Does that mean that this was possibly the final visit from this student?

For the most part, Vanessa had decided to take Vera's advice to heart. She would leave the tower with a better mentality, seeking to help students. Vera had a point too. There was no real purpose to visit the head girl to accomplish the things she wanted to do. The crimson-haired girl would most likely finish up this job, thank Vera for all that she had done, and leave. "Thank you, mistress. I'm grateful for your offer. But the two times I've been here to clean, I've noticed that you're always busy. I'm not too sure if I've even caught you taking a break before. Your work ethic is most admirable, and I would only burden you further if I came to you with any of my problems." The girl puffed up her chest and lightly beat her chest. "I've always seen myself as a knight-in-shining armor. Like in the fairy tails, of sorts. It's a... stupid thing, but it's my personal cliche. For that reason, I'll weather out this storm by myself."

The redhead bowed before walking over to her cleaning supplies. She had work to do, and was sure she'd do a better job than yesterday.

"Do not be foolish, Vanessa," Vera stated firmly, "I have already said you are free to come see me. If you were a burden, I would have not let you past that door. I cannot do my job if students do not come and see me with their problems. Even knights have to take off their armor from time to time."

It really depended on what Vanessa wanted to accomplish. If it was just helping others, Vera was not required for that. But, if she wanted to have a position that reflected a person of authority such a Prefect, then Vera was her only source. Or if the student still desired to be taken by the one she called Mistress, there was only one person who could scratch that itch.

Vera allowed Vanessa to clean for now. It did not take as long to go through the areas that were cleaned the night before, which just left the remaining rooms and areas including Vera's desk. The carpet needed vacuuming as well. With Vera working, the desk area would have to be done last.

The Head Girl did not seem to mind the loud sound of the vacuum cleaner. She just worked liked she always did, eyes glued to her monitor.

It finally came to clean the floor around the desk as well as the desk itself. Vera allowed Vanessa to approach and move things off the desk so she could dust. Leaning over the desk to clean the dust off, the student could feel her skirt sliding upwards from leaning over too much. She then felt something along her thigh. It was so very faint. Was it just the air or were they Vera's fingers? How long has it been since Vera touched her in such a way?

The crimson-haired girl pursed her lips. "As you wish, mistress. I'll speak with you if this persists." Vanessa went through the rooms with a quicker speed, making sure not to lose out on quality. Every time she left a room, it was sparkling. The only spot left was the desk. The maid was unsure whether it was okay to disturb Vera's workspace, though it seemed like the head girl's laser-like focus allowed her to ignore the redhead. She assumed the silver-haired woman was too focused on her work. For that purpose, the crimson-haired girl didn't really care as she leaned across the desk to clean it. Her skirt rose, revealing more of her luscious thighs. The skirt hugged her body, lightly outlining her round ass. Vanessa's breasts pressed against the wooden top of the desk.

With a rag in hand, she was wiping the desk. Then, the girl felt something brush against her thigh. "H-huh?" Vanessa whimpered in a low voice. Her fingers curled around the rag. Did Vera open the window? Or was it... something else? Vanessa bit her lower lip and resumed her duties. Though, she stayed leaned over on the desk for a while longer. The Knight intentionally slowed her cleaning to see if the sensation would return, or if it was just her imagination.

Vanessa heard the clatter of keys. Vera was still typing. Yet the touch continued. It was like fingertips tracing her inner thigh, teasing the edges of her panties and the outline of her netherlips. There was no one else in the room though. It had to be Vera, right? Or was this just her imagination? Was she hoping Vera would touch her like that, taking advantage of her vulnerable position? The tracing continued, lingering over her covered slit and hidden pearl.

"Is something the matter, Ms. Crowell?" Vera asked, the touch fading away. She allowed Vanessa to answer before continuing. "I must apologize," she said calmly, "I forgot to inspect you before you started cleaning. If you are putting forth so much effort to being my maid, I should at least be a proper Mistress, no?" The Head Girl rose to her feet and expected Vanessa to stand at attention as she once more did her rounds. Then the order came. "Lift up your skirt please."