// Noon // Five days left until the Sanguidicium //
As I entered the manor, I found myself in awe of how extravagant it looked.
Unlike the castle, everything looked well-kept and clean, everything dusted and orderly.
With the atrium, there was a staircase that split into two, with the upper floor stretching outward into two wings. In the middle of the staircase was a large portrait of a rather beautiful looking woman, she had curled horns like that of a ram, but one was broken. On her was a pretty, yellow dress- it matched her straight, blonde hair.
But even though she looked beautiful, the 'essence' of the painting felt... sad.
The colors were muted, the background was a black void, she had on a tight smile with empty looking eyes.
"Who is that?" I asked Maev.
"The Late Lady Rezabel Kross." She said, as we moved along to the right of the atrium on the first floor- we were approaching a darkened corridor.
"Ah- sorry about that." I realized the asking that was insensitive- but knowing how Saleos was acting, I found it odd as to why he would keep a portrait of her up like that.
"It's fine- just do not mention it around Lord Saleos, it... disheartens him."
As we walked down the corridor, we reached a doorway that led into a large room- it's walls weren't covered in plaster or the like as the rest of the manor was.
"Leave the luggage on the table there, take whatever is personally yours- I will have the others bring the rest to the guests of honor's personal quarters." She dropped her load atop of mine on the table, I took this as chance to ask her some more questions while we were alone.
"So, Maev? Can I call you just Maev?"
"Yes, feel free to call me as such." She said as she fixed some of the chairs into place at the table; her hands never seemed to stop even for a moment, she was always looking for something to do.
"Tell me- erh, as I'm going to be working here for my 'Lady' for the next few days, what should I expect from Lord Saleos? And more of the manor in general."
She stopped her busy bodying and thought for a moment.
"Well- for Lord Saleos, it is important to know some basic 'rules' to follow when in his presence." She crossed her arms and smiled.
"As he often has 'guests' visit his home, it is of upmost importance to not bother him in his private quarters when they're *ahem*" She looked a little embarrassed as she got to that part.
"Having a 'conversation'."
"M-Moving along, other than that, simply treat Lord Saleos as a man fit of his status and all will be well!" Well, that was short!
"R-Really? Is that all there is about him? Is he really that easy-going?"
"No." She coldly said, I think I struck an accidental nerve.
"F-Forgive me, I didn't mean to say that so rudely."
"What I mean- is that there IS more of Lord Saleos, but it isn't right to talk about such things to you, as a guest to the manor."
"I see, that does make sense." I replied, from what I'm getting- she's just protecting his image. There's obviously something she's holding back on about him that she doesn't want me knowing about.
"And for the manor- well, I highly suggest you stay to the first floor and west upper wing."
"As the east wing is quite dangerous, the woodwork has been infested with reaper termites making it all prone to collapsing."
'reaper' termites!? That doesn't sound... nice.
"W-Will do."
Not.
I now have a lead.
...
After some more chitchat, largely fruitless small talk about some local cuisines, I was brought to the servants' quarters- I brought along my sole luggage being my staff and world's canvas.
It was a large, bare, windowless room with two bunkbeds, but from the undisturbed blankets- I could see that this room hasn't been occupied in a while.
"This is the men's servants' quarters; choose whichever bed you'd like." She cheerfully said as she waited by the doorway.
I decided to go ahead with the bottom of the bunkbed closest to the doorway- fast access for a quick getaway. I dropped put my staff under the bed, but I didn't know how I felt about leaving the world canvas behind...
"Having issues?" Maev asked, she was standing behind me- how does she keep doing that!?
"O-Oh, no it's nothing- I just don't know how I feel about leaving my book here, it's how do I say, 'important' to me."
I had no issue just lugging it around with me as I have been doing this entire time by hand, but I'm worried about being asked to do tasks that require both of my hands in the Manor.
"Your book? Ah, that." She noticed the worlds canvas, thankfully it just looks like a tattered, raggedy old tome to everyone so I shouldn't have to worry about thieves trying to make a quick buck from it.
"I believe I can help with that." She said as she rummaged around for something in her apron's pocket.
"Ah- here, clip this on your trousers." She held a metallic clip-looking thing by her fingers, she offered it to me.
"What's that?" I asked as I grabbed them, following out what she had told me to do.
It clipped onto my pants easily enough, and out from was a small chain that dangled downward an inch.
"It's to hold tomes like yours on the go, hands-free." She rested her fists onto her hips triumphantly.
"Go ahead, try it- you won't notice the weight at all." She motioned.
I put the world canvas to where the small chain was and noticed that I could hook the small chain to a visible hem of the tome's upper seam-work. As I did, it hung effortlessly from my hip, it didn't hang awkwardly at all.
"Woah, this is handy!"
"It's what the stall merchants would use for their logs." Maev said.
"They gave me a few as a gift once, but I have no use for them as well-"
She blushed a little, she bashfully wringed her hands.
"C-Can't read... but never mind that!"
"You as a manservant carrying around a tome of your own must mean that you're a lot more important than you're making yourself to be!" She pointed a finger at me- oops, I forgot about the idea of literacy being a thing in the world.
"My L-Lady had me tutored as I have to keep a record of her travels for her!" I said, hoping that that would throw her for a loop.
"Is that so? Hmm, hmmm..." She put a finger on her chin as she studied me.
"Well, if that's the case, then while you're here you can do 'that' for me." She smiled.
"Follow me, I must introduce you to her first before I can get you on that errand." She asked as she began to walk out of the room.
"Her?" I followed her, happy with the tome swinging on my hip unabatedly- I noticed that when I grab and pull it, the chain extends allowing me to hold it up to my chest with ample length to spare- so I never have to unclip it to read it!
"The head maid."
...
Even though the manor was far smaller than the kingdom's castle, it had an air to it that made it feel larger than it really was. With how it was built, every step I took in its hallways felt like five, but I didn't mind. It all felt comforting, walking through here that is- even though, ultimately, I could very well be being led deeper into the enemy's trap.
But I think the one thing that kept me grounded in it, from this weird fantasy of the manor and of the town I had entered, was seeing that strange portrait of Count's late wife. I couldn't shake off this creeping dread from seeing that painting, it just felt a little too eerie...
Escaping the portraits lifeless eyes, I was brought a small office kind of room on the west wing's bottom floor. Coming to and fro between Maev and I were other maids of the manor, they all were relatively the same 'age' bracket of Maev's, but I've yet to see a butler or two come around so far.
Sitting on a modest, yet full-to-the-brim of documents laid table, was a maid with a slightly different uniform from the others and Maev. It was an older looking woman, albeit only slightly older than Maev. She had pink hair with it being tightly wound up into a bun- overall, minus the color of her hair and the small rectangular glasses she wore, she was nearly an identical copy of Carmilla.
"Madam Lorica?" Maev spoke in a meek tone as she subtly ducked her head to the busy-looking woman reading away at a document on the table.
"Mm? What is it Maev? Has our Lord found himself another girl to add to the ranks?" She asked as she finally looked up from her reading- she saw me first before she looked at the meek-looking Maev.
"N-No Madam Lorica, I, I er-" What happened to her earlier confidence? She wanted to bring me to her in the first place.
"Hello, I'm Kai, servant to Lady Carmilla, the Royal Assistant." I bowed as I butted in Maev's panic, or, well, tried to bow- I'm not exactly well trained with court etiquette.
"Mm, I see- she's here."
"A little late, I wonder what happened...?" She adjusted her glasses on her thin nose.
"Why are you here?" She asked brusquely.
"I was brought here by the head-assistant to you because of my literacy."
"Your literacy? As in, you can read? How about write?" She asked- that fact piqued her interest.
"Yes, I can read. For writing, err-" I said, she saw the world canvas on my hip and gave a small smile.
"That's fine, as long as you can read."
"You'll do just nicely, err, 'Kai'."
///