Nirvana woke to the sound of knocking.

Three sharp raps against the door.

She groaned, blinking against the morning light filtering through the tall windows. “What?”

The door creaked open, and a young maid stepped inside, her hands clutching a box wrapped in a silver ribbon. She kept her gaze down, avoiding eye contact. “The boss asked me to bring this for you.”

Nirvana sat up slowly, stretching her arms before taking the box. She tugged the ribbon loose and flipped the lid open. ...