Villainess Reform Project

Midwinter's Festival Pt.2

Ophelia was still missing from the carriage and people were beginning to worry. I was people to be specific, but that doesn't matter. Ophelia had never been late for anything, and I doubt she would ever be late for going home. She had been talking excitedly about being able to go home and see her younger brothers for awhile.

Something just didn't feel right.

"I'll be right back. Perhaps the Young Miss got stuck talking to her classmates." I spoke aloud to the other servants and began to walk away before turning back and grabbing little Elodie from the carriage and carrying her with me. At least I call it a her. I don't know anymore. I just feel like she'll be helpful. Although I'm not sure why.

I navigated my ways through the school where I thought Ophelia could be. The dorms, classrooms, garden, even the cafeteria. I could find her no where and I was getting progressively more worried as the seconds ticked by. Where could she be? This was a school for God's sake!

She couldn't have been kidnapped, right? Maybe she got lost in an unknown part of the school. Or something happened with her classmates?

Or maybe she was already back at the carriage and waiting for me and I was just overthinking all this. But I knew I wasn't.

"Elodie, do you know where Ophie is?" I was honestly trying to coax a response out of a plant at this point. I was desperate, okay? Surprisingly, I did end up getting a reply. Elodie's tiny bush body shook ever so slightly. There was no breeze or anything to prompt her shaking, which meant she moved on her own.

I wasn't expecting that, but I'd take anything at this point.

The little plant continued to shake as I walked around, shaking violently depending on the direction I was going. I became so engrossed in paying attention to Elodie's motions that I lost sight of where I was. The hallway was completely unfamiliar to me and actually looked quite aged, peeling paint upon its walls.

Did the school even have a section that looked like this? I think the groundskeepers would have heart attacks about even a smudge of dirt between a crack.

Elodie's shaking came to an abrupt stop when I stopped in front of a door. It was a wooden double door, looking quite new in comparison to the rest of the hallway. It had a newly varnished luster to it and the gilded doorknobs were still shining like the golden sun. I became suspicious instantly.

"Elodie. Are you sure this is where Ophelia is?"

Elodie gave no response at this point, not even a little shudder. Some help you are. I continued to stare at the door with apprehension, not sure what to do. I obviously wouldn't just throw it open, that would be rude and unbecoming of a quality maid such as myself. So I did the second best thing.

I gave the door two gentle raps with my fist, just like I had been taught.

I expected the door to slowly creep open like in a horror movie, but that didn't occur. Instead, I received nothing for a bit of time. I was going to knock again until I heard a familiar voice come from the other side.

"Who's there?" It was Ophelia's voice. Yet, it didn't feel right. It didn't sound right despite it being the exact voice I had heard for her entire life. It wasn't right. It just wasn't.

I did not give my name to the peculiar voice, but instead asked a question back. "If I may ask, who is occupying this room?"

I was given silence in return before the voice asked again.

"Who's there?"

"Well, who's in there?"

"Who's there?"