"..."
One after another...
"..."
One after another...
"..."
Those sounds stretched on...
"..."
Those sounds stretched through the hallway...
"..."
A hallway...
"..."
A very long hallway...
"..."
Footsteps...
"..."
The sound of heels...
"..."
The sound of heels striking the floor...
"..."
A long hallway with the sound of heels echoing throughout the entire section.
Windows facing outward, covered by a very strong storm.
Raindrops soaked those windows and the beautiful garden outside, completely drenching the stone structure as well.
A rainy day, with the sky covered in gray clouds heavy with water.
Thunder could be heard in the distance, the walls muffling the sound.
"..."
From outside the mansion, it could be seen through the windows. The mansion was medium-sized—not large enough to be called gigantic, but not small enough to be called modest either.
Its windows were transparent, perfectly polished, and spotless.
"..."
From outside the mansion, through the windows, a maid could be seen.
She walked through the long hallways, with a serious and determined gaze. Her body oriented toward her destination, her hands placed in front of her waist, her face focused forward. She had long, white hair.
She walked through those long hallways in front of the windows. The sound of raindrops marked their relentless fall. The wind was powerful and intimidating.
The maid walked and walked, her body thin, defined, and delicate. Her waist was accentuated by the white apron she wore, the corset giving her a sophisticated figure.
She walked and walked, her gaze fixed forward, without questioning what she was doing. Determined from the depths of her heart.
She walked and walked, until she reached her destination...
A door the same size as the others lining the hallway. A simple, clean wooden door, recently renewed.
"..."
From outside, through the window, she could be seen taking hold of the doorknob, looking to both sides before opening it.
To the rhythm of the falling rain, the maid entered the room. She vanished with the sound of the door closing, the rain muffling its slam.
"..."
From inside, the maid surveyed her surroundings.
A large library stood around her, filled with shelves of books.
All kinds of colors could be seen on the covers—blue, red, green, brown, black—leather-bound covers of excellent quality. It was a luxury for the eyes, one could say.
The raindrops falling on the roof could still be heard. What illuminated the room was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
Everything was very beautiful, perfect, and graceful. Delicate, refined, and elegant. With an aura of warmth and comfort that contrasted with the soothing sound of water flowing above. It sounded like a moment of peace.
"..."
The maid turned her head to one side. At the entrance, looking to the right, there was a large shelf filled with books. The maid ran her white-gloved finger across it and inspected it.
Gray dust could be seen.
She blew the dust off her glove that had settled on the shelf and blinked repeatedly. Then she lowered her gaze to check her apron, at a small pocket placed above her stomach. She took out a dry white linen cloth.
"..."
Her right hand held the cloth, and her left made a gentle gesture. The cloth became slightly damp, and she proceeded to shake it.
The moisture spread throughout the linen cloth; it was now completely ready to be used.
"..."
She walked to one side of the shelf and began rubbing the cloth against the wood. Small particles of dust were caught by the cloth's moisture, little by little, until the entire shelf was cleaned.
Her hand slid up and down with subtlety and a bit of force. A back-and-forth motion that rose and fell from one end to the side.
She stood in front of the books while gently sliding her cloth; it was a dance marked by her vocation and routine—up and down, repeat and repeat.
Her body swayed as she moved the cloth, her dress shifting with light currents of air against it. Her apron accentuated her features, tightened by the corset.
She crouched down to clean the area closest to the floor, the cloth passing over the entire dusty surface.
She cleaned and cleaned, her body swaying.
She stood up and—
[Maid: Kya!]
She hit her head against a shelf of the bookcase.
"..."
[Maid: Ouh.]
Another object fell from the shelf onto her head, bouncing and dropping its weight to the floor.
[Maid: Ow...]
The maid grabbed her head with both hands, right at the spot where the object had fallen.
She was crouched in a protective posture.
Her head hurt.
[Maid: That hurt...]
Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly curved.
Crouched in front of the shelf.
[Maid: Mhm... What fell on me?]
The maid released her head once the discomfort eased a little. She checked her surroundings to see what had fallen. She looked at the library floor.
A brown book with small golden details.
[Maid: Huh?]
She saw it, to the side of her body and in front of the shelf. Her face showed curiosity.
She moved her hands; she was crouched, and to move she crawled a little across the floor. She picked up the book and sat back on her legs.
[Maid: Ah?]
The book had symbols written on its cover. It was brown leather, and the written area was a more yellowish brown. It was a very beautiful piece, and a bit heavy.
She looked at it with admiration.
[Maid: Eh?]
She opened the book, and all that could be seen were symbols everywhere; across the entire page there were strange lines repeating over and over.
It was something strange and uncomfortable, to be honest.
[Maid: These... are letters, right?]
The maid was lost; she didn't understand anything the book showed. They were strange symbols.
But...
[Maid: I guess I can't do anything with this... I never learned how to read.]
She had never read in her life; no one had ever taught her. Her work as a maid didn't require it, and she had never worried about it.
[Maid: Oh...]
Then, she turned the page.
A large drawing was inside the book. An illustration with different indications and explanations.
[Maid: Uhm... this...]
She didn't understand the meaning of any of it.
[Maid: Eh... I'd better put it back before someone sees me.]
She was carrying out an errand her superior had assigned her. Her task was simple: leave all the library shelves clean. If someone came and saw that she wasn't doing her duty, it would surely bring her a lot of trouble.
[Maid: Um... where did it fall from?]
The maid stood up completely and checked the shelf where the book belonged.
She checked it carefully from top to bottom. She saw a small space the size of the object.
[Maid: There it is.]
The maid put the book back in its place and quickly returned to her work.
She took her cloth from her shoulder and proceeded to do the same as before.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It rained and rained; the weather was very harsh, the gusts of wind making the walls rumble.
A large hall, next to the entrance door of the mansion. All the maids of the place were gathered there, receiving orders from the head maid in charge.
[Head Maid: Petra, tomorrow you will accompany the master to a noble party. Your duty is simple: assist him and serve him so that he feels more comfortable.]
[Petra: ...]
[Head Maid: The master chose you personally. He says you are the right one. Obey and fulfill your duty.]
[Petra: ...]
[Head Maid: ...]
[Petra: Yes, Lady Miroy.]
Petra, a white-haired maid, with bangs covering her left eye and eyes of a phosphorescent green color. Her body is delicate and very well-proportioned. She is the master's favorite due to her good behavior and appearance.
Her new task is to accompany her master to a noble party. The task is for tomorrow; it is night now, and the morning instructions are being given.
It is a fairly normal routine within her life, except that she had never received this kind of task before. It would be the first time she would have to accompany her master to a noble party.
"..."
It was night; the sun had already set.
A room...
[Petra: Ah... how awful...]
She was already in her bed, lying down and thinking about what had happened.
She would have to get up, prepare the food, dress her master, watch him eat, water the plants, prepare the carriage, help arrange the horses, and so on. Extremely tedious tasks not worth repeating.
After that, she would have to go to that party and try not to be courted by some perverted noble.
[Petra: And then come back and...]
"..."
[Petra: Ah... whatever...]
There was no point in questioning it further; it would only add fuel to the stove and make it burn faster. She simply had to comply; it was her job.
[Petra: Aaahhmmm...]
Letting out a long yawn, she turned over and wrapped herself up well. The sheets of her bed were warm from her body, and the rain falling on the roof was so relaxing—those sounds were the best. It was like gathering the best things in life into a single night; it also helped her forget the horrible day that awaited her.
[Petra: ...]
She closed her eyes and let the atmosphere carry her away. Her mind went blank, limiting itself to feeling the sensations the surroundings gave her. One could say this was the closest thing to peace she had. A calm night.
[Petra: ...]
Quickly, her mind began to lose the awareness of being awake. The calm was so deep that Petra was already drifting off.
It was a feeling of peace...
Sleeping...
It feels good to feel that.
She kept drifting off...
Her mind was shutting down, until she finally fell asleep.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Petra: Mhm... there are so many people...]
A hall...
A gigantic hall stood before Petra, filled with tables and people. It was an entire ballroom dedicated to the party, a place where nobles of high and low class gathered every year. There was a medium-sized orchestra playing a soft melody. The feeling it gave off was intimidating; from the point of view of a simple maid, being in a place full of important people was certainly overwhelming. There were also some other servants who belonged to the same organizer, and a few more who had been brought by the guests—she was among those.
Her duty was to serve her master exclusively. Bring him drinks, food to snack on, and so on.
Her master generally spent his time talking about topics Petra simply did not understand. Certain matters about the state of the Empire, civil uprisings against the king, the dissatisfaction of races with the monarchy, among many other things. Her owner was the largest exporter of Amethyst mineral; that was something she had heard. She had no reason to know about those topics, nor did she have the right or standing to even speak with anyone at this party.
Although, party...
[Petra: It feels more like a meeting.]
The nobles positioned themselves in specific areas with specific people. It was more of an information gathering of the Empire; many talked about their concerns regarding the protests and various issues. There were people who simply did not speak, and others whose only mission was to talk and talk.
[Petra: ...]
Petra looked around at the different people surrounding her. She stood in a corner near her master's table, waiting for some order or request. Around her, she saw different people of the same status as herself. Maids with different uniforms, varied by the differences between houses. Some wore aprons that covered their legs entirely up to the chest, others had a small apron that sat above the skirt of their dress.
At the same time, she also saw the butlers, but she did not fulfill that role, so she did not pay them much attention.
Being at a noble party of this caliber was not an everyday thing, to be honest.
[Petra: It's not bad to break routines once in a while.]
Her daily routine had been disrupted by this change of plans. Every day her mission was the same: obey all imposed duties and satisfy her master whenever he asked.
[Petra: Ugh...]
Better to forget that last part.
Petra's life had been wrapped up in different unforeseen situations, such as being sold out of nowhere from one day to the next for no apparent reason or simply by being discarded. Or cases like this, where she found herself in the middle of a party that had nothing to do with her.
Last year, they had taken Siria. She never thought she would be next.
[Petra: Although... it makes sense, since ever since she left, the master has been very focused on me.]
Siria Helmet was a maid of the Helmet house, to which Petra also belonged as a servant. Her role was that of a sexual maid, but from one day to the next, she disappeared without a trace.
[Petra: You left the job to me... didn't you, Siria?]
It is not known whether Siria is alive or dead; all that is known is that she disappeared the day after this annual party. Petra assumed her role from then on, being the master's second favorite. Petra had never done something like that before; one day she was forced and deflowered.
From that day on, she never thought the same way again...
[Petra: Ahem...]
But well, she had to focus on other things. Her master was talking with a man who looked important; perhaps at any moment he would ask her for a glass of wine or something like that. Don Helmet was a person with quite a difficult character to deal with, which is why the people around him showed him due respect. Petra herself had once been severely punished when she made a minor mistake. One could imagine the jokes he made when he was laughing and the way he casually expressed himself.
[Petra: Oh...]
At one point, Petra saw a hand movement raised upward, snapping fingers. That was the signal used for Petra to bring him wine. There were also other signals, such as a rotating wrist movement that meant the nearest food, or another that was simply a downward hand motion indicating that she should approach—things he considered simple when being served.
[Petra: ...]
She glanced sideways at her master's action, and at the same time, her master also shot a sideways glance at Petra.
She quickly acted in response to the request, walking briskly toward two doors that opened both outward and inward.
She passed through the door with one mission in mind: to bring her master a wine.
The kitchen was full of male and female servants. Everyone was busy with their own tasks, focused on the errand of cooking for the guests. Petra felt lost in that place. It was a new experience for her; she felt uncomfortable with so much staff presence.
She began to wander, letting her gaze drift here and there, searching for the wine for her master. Although saying "wine" directly for her master was not correct; it was rather the wine for the table where her master was seated.
She looked and looked, from left to right, while moving aside and asking for permission to pass among the staff. The wine had to be on a shelf with several other wines; that was what she had heard from the butler in charge of organizing the party overall. That was why Petra lifted her gaze to look at the shelves scattered throughout the room.
[Petra: Where is it?]
Maybe on the left... but she had already checked that direction.
Maybe on the right...
Yes, there it is.
[Petra: Okay.]
Petra was standing in front of the shelf with a large number of red wine bottles. The shelf was next to a table used for chopping.
[Petra: Ah... uhmm...]
Petra began to check the wine labels. Her master had a preference for a specific one, and she had been strictly ordered to look for that one when she was sent on this errand.
[Petra: Erhm... I think it was this one...]
Petra took out a wine bottle with a grape-shaped label. The wine had a grape illustrated in the middle of the label, with some strange symbols that were surely letters. From what she had been taught, this should be the correct bottle.
[Petra: The bottle with the little grape, that's the one I need.]
Petra already had the bottle in her hands; now she just had to return to her master's spot.
She turned around, completely unconcerned, pivoting to one side toward the exit of the place. Her gaze remained fixed on the bottle's label. She examined it with interest; because of its color and texture, it was a very fine and delicate piece.
She kept looking at the bottle...
Until...
[Petra: Oops!]
[???: Ouch!]
In her distraction, she did not see someone in front of her. She collided with another servant of the place.
But...
[Petra: No...]
The servant fell in front of her. The servant, shorter than Petra, was carrying a pot filled with prepared meat.
The pot of meat fell with a loud crash, and all of its contents spilled across the floor. The short servant was left lying on the ground, having bounced off Petra's body.
[Petra: Uh...]
Petra had bumped into the other servant; because of her fault, all the cooked meat was spread across the floor.
She directed her gaze toward the other servant, and upon looking more closely, she realized she was a pale-skinned demi-human cat maid. She had long black hair, accompanied by parted bangs that revealed part of her forehead, with two additional strands more curved and forward than the others, giving a sense of depth. Atop her head were two cat ears rising from her hair. She had bluish eyes with a diamond-like light blue within them, giving a distinct shape to her pupils. She was quite thin for her uniform, although it was clearly tailored to her body, as it also had an opening for her tail. In addition, she had an X-shaped scar on her cheek.
[Petra: ...]
She looked her over from head to toe, searching for something strange within her. Something that did not quite fit, as if her body were not entirely right. Her feminine appearance was that of a woman in every sense, but... something certainly did not match.
She did not understand the reason for this feeling, but now...
This was not the moment to think about it. The pot of meat was spilled all over the floor, and because of her clumsiness, she would have to pay the consequences. She had made a mistake at the easiest step; her role was so simple, and even so, she had screwed it up. Now she had to think about what came next, be prepared and help clean up. Yes, now she had to clea—
"..."
A quick movement.
"..."
The black-haired maid quickly sat up with her legs bent, supporting herself from behind with both hands. She lifted her head to look at the disaster, but...
Her gaze went pale, her pupils shrank, and the light faded away.
She was looking at the pot lying on the floor, all the meat scattered everywhere, and the broth staining the ground.
Her gaze dulled and her ears folded back, her tail curled around her leg and her lips parted. Her fur bristled slightly and her limbs began to tremble with barely any strength. Her eyes opened wide and her hands moved farther back. Her legs shifted with an almost imperceptible motion, and her body as a whole remained still despite the reaction.
She looked around at everyone; everyone was looking at her and at the servant in front of her. A crushing pressure began to tear her apart from head to toe, and a tremor in her eyes became painfully evident. Her breathing started to quicken and an emotion began to take over.
Her sweating became visible, and small unconscious sounds began to escape her. An erratic sensation started to consume her; her body was being subjected to an emotion that was tearing her apart alive. She was just there, sprawled in front of a servant she herself had pushed.
In addition to getting herself stained, the maid in front of her now had her dress splashed with broth. She had harmed someone who had no reason to suffer this.
She had ended up spilling the main dish of the party...
[Cat maid: I shouldn't have passed… through here…]
She was thinking about the damage she had caused and everything this would entail by the end of her day. This was a serious offense toward the invited lord's servant and toward the guest himself. Because of her, her master would be placed in a position of discourtesy and poor preparation, left open to questioning.
Because of her fault… Because of her fault…
[Cat maid: S-sorry… nya…]
Because of her, she would have to receive punishment; all these faults deserved punishment. She was the cause of all the commotion; she had to be corrected in order to learn. Her mission was ruined by herself; her indiscipline was very serious, and now she would have to face the consequences…
Now she would have to bear the sin…
Now she would have to bear…
Now she would…
Now she would…
[Cat maid: S-sorry… i-it was my… fault… nya…]
She would have to atone for this mistake, she would have to make up for it, but, but…
[Cat maid: …]
Maybe if she put the meat back… inside…
[Cat maid: …]
[Petra: …]
The black-haired cat maid was lying on the floor; she lifted her head and her gaze cracked. Her mouth began to stammer and her eyes darkened, her skin growing even paler than it already was.
Petra didn't understand… Why was she apologizing?
The cat maid was apologizing in a way Petra didn't want to accept; it was as if she were trapped in a nightmare and couldn't wake up. Her hands trembled as she pushed herself up from the floor with all four limbs. She began to pick up the pot and try to put the meat back inside. Her gaze remained lost in nothingness, trying to avoid the fatal situation.
[Petra: …]
She watched as the maid moved toward the still-warm meat juices along with the chunks, and began trying to refill the pot in an anguished, desperate way. The diamond-like shine in her eyes had vanished and their opacity dropped considerably; her eyes were wide open and her mouth quivered as she moved her arms. Her uniform became stained with broth, and the pieces of meat fell apart just by being touched.
Petra watched the whole scene with her eyes wide open. She had never seen this kind of desperation in a moment like this. Her body followed her instinct and she slowly crouched down until her hand grasped the cat girl's arm.
The cat maid looked at Petra and met a pair of stunned, piercing eyes. The cat girl looked into Petra's eyes—into her eyes.
Petra restrained the trembling of the cat girl's hand, but the shaking continued in her eyes; her mouth was slightly open, as if trying to say something. Her body turned toward Petra, facing her directly.
Her eyes reflected…
Fear.
"..."
Desperation…
"..."
Anguish.
"..."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The rain fell…
The rain kept falling…
Inside the carriage, on top of her master…
[Don Helmet: Why so tense, dear?]
[Petra: …]
[Don Helmet: Was it because of that maid earlier?]
[Petra: …]
[Don Helmet: Relax… she's already getting what she deserves…]
[Petra: …]
[Don Helmet: Relax…]
[Petra: …]
She was inside the carriage, on the way back to the mansion she belonged to. Her master was holding her on top of him, seated on a corner seat near the door. Petra was sitting on his lap, staring straight ahead at a bare wall. Her neck was being kissed lewdly by her master while he touched her inappropriately. The rain fell, the drops striking against the carriage. Everything was happening while the sound of the rain echoed inside her head.
Petra turned her head to the side, looking out through the small window of the compartment. The drops soaked the glass, covering it completely. Her gaze was directed outside, toward a place she couldn't see.
Her eyes were fixed on where she wished she could be, thinking about what had happened earlier.
She wondered… how that maid she had seen a while ago might be doing.
She had collided with her, but even so, she had taken all the blame. Her expression was desperate and hopeless, aware of something inevitable. Her face was stiff and pale, in total shock and collapse.
Petra saw her for the last time when a blond-haired cat maid grabbed her and pulled her out of the kitchen. She took her arm harshly and forced her to stand. The blond maid dragged her away, and they vanished through the door opposite the hall, a door that only the personal servants of the noble house organizing the event were allowed to enter. Petra could only watch as that door swayed back and forth after both maids were no longer in sight.
She didn't know what happened after that, but she didn't want to imagine it. The gaze of the black-haired maid—those eyes—said everything. Luck was not on her side.
Her fear was still there… she could feel it even now.
[Don Helmet: Petra… I love you.]
[Petra: …]
Her master kissed every part of her neck and her clothes began to slip away. Petra stared out the window, thinking about what had happened. Her gaze was desolate and pale; she wanted to believe something that wasn't true. Her eyes were directed toward the place where that maid was, wishing the best for her. Hoping she would be alright, and that they might meet again.
[Petra: I hope she's okay…]
The girl was taken away, and Petra watched her disappear, her desperation etched into her mind…
[Petra: …]
I hope she doesn't die.
"..."