Let her keep a little dignity... Klein used his Clown abilities to hold back a laugh, then got up and left the room.
Loen had abolished slavery. Even servants had rights and time off; they weren't expected to work twenty-four hours a day, personal valets included.
Still, every household needed someone on night duty, and servants were no exception. Rather than go to the servants' quarters to find his valet, or hunt down the cook or butler, Klein found the nearest servant on watch and instructed him:
"Have someone bring me five scoops of ice cream."
The servant seemed unaccustomed to dealing with his employer, and his professionalism left something to be desired—which made sense, or he probably wouldn't have been assigned the night shift.
In any case, he looked baffled. "Huh?"
Klein repeated calmly, "Have someone bring me five scoops of ice cream."
The servant finally caught on. As soon as he answered yes, Klein returned to his room without hesitation.
An emotional outburst only lasted a moment, after all. By the time Klein returned, Alice had mostly calmed down. She had even begun to feel embarrassed, and the sound of him opening the door only made it worse.
Watching Klein walk in, Alice blinked. Her tears flowed back, and every trace of crying vanished from her face. What Klein saw was an Alice who looked no different from before she'd cried.
I did not cry like that. How embarrassing... Alice muttered inwardly, then demanded with more bluster than conviction:
"Where's the ice cream?"
"It'll take a little while," Klein replied.
So Alice waited for her ice cream as though nothing had happened. She studied the patterns on the ceiling, then the moonlight outside the window, then the material of the tables and chairs—anything but Klein.
After a moment's