Chapter 5: Surviving another night (not that bad!)

Emily grabbed the maid's arm and wailed,

"Please, let me stay the night! I'm scared!"

Agnes looked at her with such blatant superiority that Emily immediately felt like a stray kitten about to be thrown out into the cold rain. It was an unfamiliar feeling for Daddy's golden girl. She was used to service workers hanging on her every word, and she always had Daddy's credit card and generous tips in her pocket.

"You're not the only one who's scared," the maid sighed. "I can't let everyone who's scared into my bed."

Emily coughed.

"I… what?"

"I'm saying that staying in my room isn't charity. You have to pay."

Emily clutched her pocket, even though she knew it was empty.

"I don't have any money…"

Agnes smirked.

"Oh, I'm not talking about money. There's something better."

Emily involuntarily took a step back.

"Better… in what sense?"

Agnes sighed, as if she were about to endure a terrible ordeal.

"Fine, you can stay the night. But in exchange for a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Emily asked warily.

"I need a massage," Agnes replied, dramatically rolling her eyes. "It's been a terrible day, my legs hurt. So, darling, grab the oil and let's go."

Emily froze.

"A massage?"

"A massage," Agnes repeated with a sly smile. "What, embarrassed, princess? I knew right away you weren't from here, but let me tell you something—you clearly don't have any friends or patrons in this city, so you'll have to survive on your own."

"I'm not…" Emily faltered, because, honestly, this sounded rather suggestive.

But she had no choice.

Agnes's room turned out to be unexpectedly cozy. The maid settled onto the bed, propping up pillows, while Emily knelt on the floor, took the bottle of lavender oil, and began massaging her ankles. The skin was warm, soft. It was humiliating, but also unusual—and even a little intriguing.

Agnes sighed languidly, then remarked smugly,

"The look on your face right now is priceless."

Emily blushed and pressed harder. Agnes just laughed.

"Oh yes, keep going, you've got a talent for this," she purred, and Emily felt herself growing warmer.

The skin became even hotter, as if she were sitting next to a fireplace. Emily kept rubbing the oil in slowly when—something changed.

Agnes's thick red hair—previously neatly pinned up—suddenly unraveled over her shoulders, but… it wasn't just falling loose. The strands slithered down, brushing against her collarbones, and with a silky rustle, they started to wriggle, like satisfied snakes.

Emily recoiled.

"What is that?!"

Agnes opened one eye and smirked.

"You're only just noticing?"

Emily couldn't look away from the hair, which seemed to have a life of its own.

"You're a witch?"

Agnes threw her head back and laughed, her locks rustling merrily as if sharing in her amusement.

"A witch? Oh, darling, you scream 'clueless foreigner' so loudly. A witch! If I were a Binder, do you think I'd be stuck in this house, cleaning up after eternally drunk morons?"

Emily silently resumed the massage. Her fingers still glided over Agnes's ankles, and she tried not to watch the maid's hair shifting against the pillow, like a nest of feline tails.

When she finished, Agnes stretched and smirked.

"Well, alright. The spot on the floor is yours. Oh, and one more thing."

She stood, lifting a stray lock from her face, and tossed it over her shoulder.

"Tighten my corset."

Emily's mouth went dry.

"I have plans for the evening, and I'm not going out breathing freely."

Emily got up and, with slightly trembling hands, started lacing the corset. Agnes didn't even flinch as the strings pulled tight, lifting her full pale breasts nearly to her chin. She only took a deep breath and smiled in satisfaction.

"There. Now I'm ready."

Emily stepped back in silence. Agnes glanced at herself in the mirror, smirked at her own reflection, and left the room without even saying goodbye.

Emily was alone.

She took a deep breath, flopped onto the small mattress on the floor beside the bed, and realized she was utterly exhausted.

She was scared, had no idea what was happening—but she closed her eyes and finally fell asleep.

***

Agnes returned at dawn, looking even more relaxed than she had after the massage.

"Sleep well?" she asked with a mocking grin.

Emily mumbled something incoherent and quickly got ready.

"How do I get to the Academy?"

Agnes lazily stretched on her bed and pointed a finger toward the street.

"Go straight until you see someone strange. Then keep going straight. When people start looking at you like you've just eaten their grandmother—that's when you're almost there."

Emily sighed.

It was going to be a long day.