Sacrificial Rites?

Something peculiar was happening in Bluhzy Residence this Friday morning.

By lunch hour, a handful of staff were picked out amongst everyone working in the residence. Some were asked to carry out duties that were originally not assigned to them, others were simply told to move into the Main Residence's guest floor when they should normally be staying in the dedicated employee lodging on the ground level.

But the strangeness didn't stop here.

Most of the employees that hadn't been picked were sent away on an indefinite paid leave. The rest were reassigned to nearby properties owned by the family.

A nondisclosure agreement was also signed by every single staff member.

Soleiya obeyed the orders given by Headmaid Dorothy and remained in the living room after personally ensuring her Young Lord's bedroom was sparkling clean and all of its windows closed. The sheets that had been changed merely two days ago were changed once again, this time with a fabric she'd never seen before. Even through her disinfected gloves she could feel its incomparable softness.

Soleiya was confused when she saw five cloaked figures walk in one after another, straight into her Young Lord's bedroom. First, she was ordered to take an herbal bath in cleansing potions—under the supervision of Headmaid Dorothy, who sternly shot out instructions as if Soleiya had never taken a bath in her life. Then she was repeatedly slapped until fully dried with a magical broom…shaped leaf thing, before being asked to change into a set of uniform that looked similar to those she owned but somehow felt unfamiliar to her eyes. Afterwards, her hands were washed in a small basin by a masked elf, sprinkled with some scented concoction, after which a pair of semi-transparent gloves were slipped onto her hands before she had the time to process what was going on.

When those mysterious figures finally filed into her Young Lord's room, Soleiya finally came to the conclusion that…some ritualistic scéance was about to take place in her Young Lord's room!

Soleiya didn't wait to think some more about her guess. As soon as the first answer reached her mind, she started thinking of ways to discreetly sneak out from under the watchful eyes of the two senior colleagues standing right outside the door, having totally forgotten the transparent glass-box she'd be thrust into the moment the gloves came on.

Soleiya was young and inexperienced. She came from the countryside, a place where everyone was friendly for the most part, so her heart and thoughts were also exceptionally simple. And yet, she managed to notice the oddity of her current situation.

Were they trying to sacrifice her?

Peeping at the colleagues by the door, she was more and more convinced they weren't standing there simply because that artificial flower by the wall suddenly struck them as particularly mesmerizing. She could tell from the way their eyes ever so slightly turned to her from time to time, seemingly in an attempt to ensure she was acting as docile as they wanted her.

Who else was in on it?

She was sure her Young Lord knew nothing about this. And judging by the way they asked her to prepare his bedroom specifically and those suspicious individuals currently doing who-knows-what in there, it was more than obvious they were targeting her innocent Young Lord as well.

Soleiya didn't want to be a sacrificial maid. She came here for the money but ended up staying long after her goal was accomplished because of the Young Lord of this household. She was determined to ensure his life would be spared, no matter what it took…

…But Soleiya wasn't very smart, nor did she possess the guts of her halfling sister. While her mind reeled as she tried to come up with ways to escape and twarn her Young Lord against coming back after school today, multiple figures dressed in black marched into the house, their boots echoing like thunder against the freshly-mopped floor. The way they moved and held themselves showed they were professionals.

Soleiya pursed her lips.

She watched these tall, buffed men move towards doors and windows before stopping neat. They didn't budge a muscle afterwards.

Even ability-users?

The security for this illegal sacrificial rite was quite tight. Was this the norm for this type of thing?

How was she supposed to contact Young Lord Durman now?

A few minutes of hesitation later.

"I-I want to pee." Soleiya finally mustered her courage. She'd remembered during the time she spent gathering the little fighting spirit hidden deep within her second heart that she was literally caged at the moment.

The headmaid glanced at her briefly.

"No."

"Please."

"Hold it."

"It's urgent." Soleiya's pleading tone gave pause to the older woman, who didn't appear to notice she was basically begging for her life right now, probably too eager for the "big event."

By now, things were getting clearer in Soleiya's mind. Headmaid Dorothy probably believed she was too dumb to understand they wanted to sacrifice her on her Young Lord's bed and then have him take the fall for the heinous crime while they reaped the benefits of the successful sacrifice!

"They're almost here."

"What?" Soleiya's heart dropped. The other woman didn't appear to notice her frightened expression, or, if she did, she simply pretended she hadn't. It wasn't like caring for the innocent soul you're about to give as offering to some otherworldly being was the least she could do, that murderer!

Soleiya sniffled.

So many months spent together working in the same household... Was all the times Headmaid Dorothy chastised her with that stern gaze while recommending she quit if she didn't want to end up killing someone with her clumsiness, nothing in the eyes of this senior? What about the time Soleiya nearly disfigured her with boiling water and ended up spending the rest of the day following her around like a duckling, apologizing profusely while the other woman…grew more and more irritable…

Ah, two memories, that was all it took for Soleiya to finally suspect the bond she believed they shared as an elder and her junior was probably not deep enough yet to plead for her life with the excuse of camaraderie or even a mentorship relationship.

Soleiya looked around anxiously. She needed to get out. They were almost here, after all. While it was true she had no idea who "they" were, and she had no desire to discover the answer either.

And so, Soleiya ended up conjuring a thought that even she was momentarily shocked by:

Should I just pee here?

And she did try to force it out. Her reasoning was logical: if she dirtied herself, the whole cleansing ritual would be ruined and they would need to start all over again, which meant she would have more time even if "they" arrived before she was done going through all that tedious process all over again. 

Her eyes light up. She might even be able to avoid the beating if she found an opening before they made it to the "drying" part of the ritualistic preparation.

Only…the reservoir was empty. Not a drop trickled out no matter how much she forced!

Soleiya grumbled in frustration. How come she always wanted to pee at the worst possible moments but the thing refused to come out when she actually needed it???

She pursed her lips and was about to tap on her protruding belly, wanting to remind it in her heart to "be good, or else we're gonna die," but froze at an unexpected and awfully loud "NO!"

Both colleagues, who had been pretending to be statues that were clearly not paying attention to her this entire time, shouted simultaneously. The panic on their faces was so evident it caused Soleiya's brain to bug.

She only returned to her senses upon hearing the familiar sound of the car used by her Young Lord as it pulled in front of the main entrance of the residence. 

For the first time ever, this car didn't round the side of the building for the driveway.

Soleiya's eyes trembled.

Had they caught her Young Lord already?