The response came in the form of a silver flash that shot through the darkness and into Frau. With nary a sound, she looked down at the hilt of a dagger jutting out from her chest.
“May I presume this to be your answer?”
Her expression remained unchanged as she placed her hand on the weapon and pulled it out, leaving behind no trace or scar. It was as if the dagger had never entered her at all. She held the blade before her and looked at it. It seemed to be lightly coated in a dark slime.
“I see. Poison. How unseemly,” she said placidly, showing no hint of pain from the injury nor panic from the poison. “Allow me to venture a guess. You are here on the orders of a parent of one of the students at the school who was taught a harsh lesson by Master. You truly are a hopeless lot. Despicable, are you not?”
Frau shook her head disappointedly. From the shadows of the trees and plants and fences all around the garden, hushed gasps of surprise could be heard. With icy cold eyes, she looked in their direction.
“You poor little fools, coming here to make an attempt on the lives of my Master and Misses. If any of you presume to leave this place alive,” she said with a low growling laugh, “I urge you to reconsider.”
Her laugh grew louder and louder until she was howling wildly into the darkening sky. It was not at all the laughter of a little girl. The dreadfully uncanny sight chilled the spying intruders to the core.
“No one is getting away! Worthless vermin, you dare to breathe before me? Filthy trash, your existence affronts me! Your foul gazes, your vile blades, none of them shall ever touch anyone in this household!”
The trees swayed. The shrubs rustled. The fences cast long shadows across the bare earth. Then, it all came alive.
Hands reached at flailing limbs. Claws tore away skin. And fangs sunk into flesh. Cries of terror filled the garden, cresting into the ear-splitting shrieks of bodies being ripped apart before the climax of a resounding gulp. A short coda followed, the morbid melody of dying wails fading over the rhythmic percussion of crunching bones. At the brink of nightfall when the light grew dim, what was once a simple garden transformed into a nest of otherworldly horror. The corners of Frau’s lips curled up into a crescent. The intruders were likely not amateurs. Nevertheless, they were powerless before the dwellers of this hellish hunting ground.
“Die! Die like the trash you are! Worthlessly! Pointlessly! Erased without a trace! If you wish to blame, then blame the folly of those who hired you and your own foolish selves!”
After the echoes of Frau’s voice faded, silence descended upon the shadowy garden. There were no more screams; no more moans. Eventually, Frau spoke again. This time, her voice was exceedingly gentle.
“But ease your hearts, for those worthless bodies of yours shall be kneaded firmly into the earth. Once you are buried, you shall feed my dear little darlings. They are all good girls, so they shall turn every last bit of you into nourishment for their budding flowers.”
She unconcernedly threw the dagger she held onto the ground and gently curled up her right hand. Light streamed out of her balled fist. She let out a satisfied breath, delight evident in her features. Slowly, she opened her hand to reveal the clear gemlike crystal that had formed in the middle of her palm.
“I shall use your meaningless lives to further Master’s interests. Even the lives of lowly scum can be turned into some money this way.”
She took the manastone, made by harvesting the lives of all those who were just slaughtered, and slid it into her skirt pocket. Then, she clapped her hands together.
“…Oopsies. Went a little too far off the rails. Frau’s been a bad girl,” she whispered regretfully as she gave herself a few quick raps on the head. When she finished, she took a look around the garden to confirm that everyone was gone. Then, she daintily pattered back into the house.
Renya was still stuck in the dining room, and Shion had probably spilled her tea in spectacular fashion when she fell off her seat. The tea needed to be cleaned quickly. Otherwise, it would leave a stain. A bath towel and a change of clothes needed to be delivered to Rona before she finished her bath. The long steep would probably leave her thirsty, so a drink needed to be prepared as well.
“Maids have so much to do! Frau is a busy little fairy!”
With a grin, she quickly headed toward Renya to release her master from the confines of his dining room.