As if that’s even a thing. Christopher would have run into the heroine during the opening ceremony if some force was looking out for us.
If some universal power really did command things to align with the narrative, one would assume it would prioritize the heroine being present during it. The fact that they still lacked a heroine proved they were on their own.
Anna’s lips seemed to move automatically. “What is the count thinking, letting you wander in those clothes with no protection?”
The girl behind her gasped. Fearfully, she asked, “E-excuse me, but can you tell me your name?”
Anna jumped. Focused on running, she’d never turned around to so much as look at the girl. She finally did, and in this canon, it was the savior who was rendered speechless.
It’s her. But…why?
Standing there in innocent befuddlement was Luciana’s maid: Melody.
Sometime before her encounter with Anna…
“You’re certain, my lady?” Melody said.
“Positive! You leave everything to me and go enjoy yourself. You’ve got the day off!”
Melody and Luciana stood at the back door of the Rudleberg estate, but something wasn’t right. Uncanny even. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Melody was in plain clothes while her lady was the one in a maid uniform.
“My lady, I’m the only maid in the entire manor.”
“And that’s exactly why you need to take care of yourself. You need a break, so you’re getting one, even if I have to force you. Honestly, it’s like you live and breathe work. Well, today I’m the maid. A maid-for-a-day, if you will.”
Melody swooned. “A maid for a whole day. My, that sounds lovely! I’d love to—”
“You’re a maid every day!” Luciana barked.
The line between servant and mistress was getting awfully blurry in this exchange.
“I put in the request with the Guild, but unfortunately, we haven’t had any takers,” the lady said.
“Which I just can’t wrap my head around. It’s the perfect job!”
“Not everyone is as wise as you, Melody.” Luciana sighed. Reputation was a powerful thing, and the Ignobles’ preceded them. Finding good help seemed hopeless. “Royal Academy’s new term begins next month. Today’s our last chance to give you time to yourself. Please. Go relax a little. For me?”
“I…” Melody started to protest. “Yes, my lady. As you wish.”
“Good. Leave the estate to me. I did a lot on my own back home, so we’ll manage for the day. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Very well. I suppose I’ll be off then.”
“Yes, you will. Have fun!”
So Melody went on her first daycation. There was only one problem: How should she spend it?
“This was so sudden,” she muttered. “I’m not even sure what to do with myself.”
Oh, the sad fate of the workaholic.
For lack of other options, Melody wandered to the Lower District. There, she happened upon a bustling street and set herself to meandering, when a group of men accosted her. Melody could have sworn the big one bumped into her first, but he claimed the opposite, saying she’d stained his shirt. She quickly became flustered as he pressed her, all the more so when the man and his posse demanded compensation from her family, of which she had none. None that she could remember, at any rate. Father? What father?
Just when it seemed they’d struck a deal, a second cup came flying at the man, someone tugged on Melody’s arm, and suddenly she was running. It was, frankly, a lot to process all at once. Where was her “common sense”? What did common sense have to do with anything? What had she been “humoring” other than a wronged man’s reasonable request?
The woman dragged her all the way to a dark, empty alleyway. Only then did Melody get nervous. The woman mumbled something about a count and “protection,” and Melody gasped. Did she know something about her? Was that why she’d taken her here?
But when the woman turned, by some irony, she was the surprised one.
“And that’s about everything as it happened, from my perspective.”
“Huh.”
Anna face-palmed. After exchanging names, Melody had proceeded to explain her side of the story. The big reveal: She was more wary of Anna than of the men she’d escaped from. But could anyone blame her after the disguised lady’s ominous slip of the tongue?
“If I can ask you something, Anna, do you know who I am?”
“Huh?”
“I presume you knew that I’m a maid in service to House Rudleberg. You spoke of His Lordship. Something about clothes or protection?”
“Oh.”
Finally, it dawned on her. Anna had botched her first impression masterfully. To her, it was a meaningless quote, but to Melody, it was a targeted strike. No wonder she was so mistrustful.
Y-yeah, that was my bad, Anna admitted.
Silence swept in as Anna searched for a way to repair this misunderstanding. “Oh! So you’re Melody, right? Rudleberg maid?”
“Y-yes, I did say that.”
“I thought so! I heard all about you from Lady Anna-Marie. I happen to be a maid myself! For House Victillium!”
Melody put her hand to her mouth. It did little to stifle the noise she made. “Goodness, you should have said so sooner!” At last, some piece of this mad incident shocked her, but her surprise came tinged with joy.
“My lady’s told me all about the wonderful servant her new friend, Lady Luciana, employs. She speaks very highly indeed of a black-haired maid.”
“O-oh, well, I don’t know about all that.” Melody rubbed her cheeks, failing to wipe away the blush. Despite her protests, though, she didn’t look all too displeased.
Most people would have called that performative modesty. Anna-Marie had a different word for it. Oh. My. God. She is adorable! Adorable!
All great truths needed asserting twice. For emphasis.
“I don’t know many girls my age with hair like yours,” Anna continued, “and I could tell just by looking how refined you are. I knew at a glance you had to be her and you were a maid like me.”
“Oh. Oh, my. You could tell just by looking?” Melody’s expression was quickly exceeding language’s ability to describe. She wore a crooked, repressed sort of smile.
If I’m sending maid signals even when I’m out of uniform, my goodness! she raved inwardly. My skills must be reaching new heights!
Anna, meanwhile, simply hoped her story was working. “So, um, I recognized you, is what I mean to say. And when I saw all those men around you, I, er, sort of acted without thinking.”
Melody fell back to reality with a start, then cleared her throat. “I understand now. You’re a House Victillium maid, you said? Then I owe you an apology for my rudeness. Thank you for coming to my aid.”
She smiled at Anna, who finally relaxed. She had to improvise that story on the fly, but it all worked out in the end.
Or so she thought.
“So, what sort of duties does your work entail?” Melody asked.
“Um.”
“There aren’t many estates on the scale of a marquess’s. Your retinue must be quite expansive, and oh, the responsibilities you all must have. I imagine they’re far more involved than anything a count’s estate demands. Oh, I’m so jealous!” She blushed like a maiden in love.
Anna very nearly swooned just looking at her.
“I, er…”
“Is there a particular area you specialize in? Tell me everything!”
“I-I suppose you could call me a…housemaid?”
“A housemaid! So you clean and tidy bedrooms! Have you ever seen to Lady Anna-Marie’s?”
“B-but of course.”
Melody giggled. “I see to Lady Luciana’s bedroom myself. Something we can bond over!”
“Y-yes. It is.”
I didn’t sign up for this! What do I do?! Anna found herself at the edge of a maid typhoon, and unfortunately, those weren’t tracked by any official weather broadcast system. Anyone unlucky enough to get caught in the path should seek shelter immediately and hope for the best!
She had to calm Melody down or this would never end.