Orphic Ὀρφικά

No one is dying... except that bitch

You knew the moment when maids were running around the hallways, shouting orders, that shit just got real.

"I can't believe they found her body just laying there..." a maid said in the corner of the hallway, tears streaming down her face.

Her friend next to her was rubbing her back up and down, nodding along with her words. "She is in a better place. They will find her killer, don't worry." She led the crying maid away, whispering incoherent words. Her sniffles and cries soon faded down the hallway, the sound of feet running filling your ears.

"...what the fuck happened last night?" you whispered, turning to look at Kai. "Do you know? Cuz I for sure don't."

Kai walked across the floor, a little squeak leaving his beak. You sighed, leaving the room and making your way to the front door. Whispers were heard through the hallway as you walked, making your curiosity spike. Did I miss something?

"Is that her?"

Your ears twitched at the mention of someone talking about you. Your pace slowed significantly, your ears zoning into the whispers. A fair amount of the maids were using code names, saying how "they" were the reason, how the "trouble" was moving through the halls. What interested you was the audacity that some of them had.

"She was the last to be seen with her. Lady Brunhilde didn't do anything," you heard an annoying voice.

"But she was seen leaving without any blood on her," another said. "I think she's innocent."

"Oh, please. Serena, you always think people are good until it's too late," you heard the same annoying voice.

"But... she seems so innocent. There was nothing that proves she did it."

Your feet stopped mid-way, your body turning to look at the maids who were talking while cleaning a statue of Lady Artemis. Smiling, you made your way over there. They went back to their dusting, cleaning the already-cleaned, statue.

"Hello, ladies," you greeted them. "I heard that Brunhilde asked you to clean the entire ballroom. That must've been hard." You hid your smile at their shocked faces.

"She did?"

"Mhmm," you nodded. "Yeah, said something about a big dinner tonight. Super important."

Serena, the maid you heard before, looked at her friends. "We were supposed to clean the ballrooms?" she whispered, her eyes wide from fear.

"We were not told anything. The schedule just said to clean the entrance hallway, Serena." Your eyes switched from the scared maid to her rude friend next to her. At least you could put the annoying voice to an annoying person.

"No, actually." You cut in. Serena's head looked like it snapped when she heard you talking directly to her. She anxiously played with her fingers while she turned to you.

"Sorry, miss?" she asked, her eyes cast down to the floor.

"No need to apologize. I specifically remember that it was your friends, behind you, who needed to clean the ballroom. Not you."

Her "friends" next to her watched in shock at the interaction. Their mouths opened and closed like a school of fishes. "But we weren't told of this. So we don't have to do it, right?"

You smiled at them, pulling Serena away from her friends. "You misunderstood me. Serena here," you gestured to the girl next to you. "Does not have to do it. She has been pardoned. But you." The smile you wore slowly faded, your expression changing. "You must clean it, along with your loose-mouthed friends."

Turning around, you left them standing by the statue, scared and afraid. Serena followed you, her eyes flickering from you to the floor. "Um, do I have any duties that Lady Brunhilde has asked of me to do, Lady [Name]?"