The morning had begun as a familiar melody, but for the young maidservants of the main mansion, that routine felt as if every note was slightly altered. The air was different. The light coming through the windows seemed to have lost some of its usual softness. The day of the big meeting had arrived, and not even the tinkling of the porcelain as it was arranged on the tray seemed to be able to disguise the subtle trembling in the hands of some.
Chihaya Mikazuki was the first to wake up. She always was. Her obsession with punctuality bordered on the pathological, though she called it 'ancestral discipline'. She combed her long jet-black hair with an almost ritual strictness and put on her maid's uniform with the precision of a tea ceremony. She descended the deserted stairs, greeted only by the solemn silence of the central hallway.
-The great day has come,' she murmured to herself, for once allowing herself an expression of excitement. But as she reached the kitchen, excitement was replaced by alertness. The kettles were already on. Someone had arrived before her.
-Good morning, Chiha-chan! -a melodious voice crooned from the background.
It was Mireille Aubépine, the second youngest of the group, and certainly the laziest in appearance. With light brown hair in a messy plait and a languid gaze, she had the gift of seeming eternally at rest. But there she was, sharpening knives with an innocent smile.
-Wasn't it that you hated getting up early? -Chihaya said with an arched eyebrow.
-My charms are needed today. Perhaps some handsome nobleman will arrive... or perhaps two,' Mireille replied, still running the sharpener over the steel.
Minutes later, they were joined by them:
- Hiyori Kanzaki, always nervous, who compulsively fixed her hair in every mirror she could find. She had an impeccable ability to remember the exact arrangement of every piece of cutlery in every room.
- Lisette Blanche, of French-Japanese origin, the strictest of the group. She often wrote lists and read them aloud in a martial tone. She was obsessed with maintaining her family's prestige through perfect service.
- And finally, Sumire Hanabira, with short hair and a mischievous smile. She was the most talkative, the one who found poetic metaphors in everything and daydreamed easier than she breathed. According to her, the mansion was a beating heart... and that day, she said, the heart was beating faster.
The five of them worked tirelessly from dawn. In the kitchen, knives danced, plates lined up like soldiers. The guest rooms were airy, decorated with fresh flowers from the private greenhouse, and every carpet was brushed with a hand-brush in case a speck of dust had dared to settle.
But the normal always hides the abnormal.
-Did you hear that last night? Sumire asked as she folded lily-shaped linen napkins.
-What was that? -Hiyori said without looking up.
-A voice. Someone walking in the east wing gallery. But none of us were supposed to be there.
Lisette raised her head sharply.
-That sector has been closed for two weeks. The lady herself said so.
-It was probably the old maid. You know what she's like... she always turns up where nobody expects her to,' Mireille interrupted, with a smile that wasn't entirely calm.
-Or was it a guest who arrived earlier? -Hiyori suggested, then shook her head. No, it wouldn't make sense.
None of them said it out loud, but they were all thinking the same thing: what if it wasn't either of those options?
The hours passed.
The clock struck nine when they were summoned to line up in front of the main entrance. The sun was already rising, bathed in pale gold, and the breeze carried the smells of the garden. The old maid, always dressed in grey and with a face that looked as if it had been carved from marble, appeared unannounced, as if she had stepped out of the shadows.
-Today is an important day,' she said simply, 'Don't lose your composure.
And that was all. He withdrew without adding anything more.
As the carriages began to arrive, the five young women felt their hearts squeeze. One by one, the guests descended, some gracefully, some heavily, but all with that unmistakable air of nobility.
-There are so many,' Hiyori whispered, holding her breath.
-And we have no idea who is who,' added Sumire, with a nervous smile.
Chihaya narrowed her eyes, looking for the housekeeper's daughter among the newcomers.
-Keep your composure,' Lisette muttered.
The evening came quickly. The dinner was organised without incident, and the old maid finally gathered all the guests in the gilded hall. Her speech was brief, but with a solemnity that cut to the bone:
-The stay will not be short. And their fates are intertwined.
That was the first moment when the girls realised that this would not be just another event.
Already in the darkness of their shared room, while the moon peeped from the window, Sumire whispered:
-Do you think we'll find love here?
-I hope so,' said Mireille, 'But even if we don't... I want something to happen. Something that will change our lives forever.
The others didn't answer. Because deep down, they all wanted it.
And somewhere in the mansion, something that wasn't supposed to move... did move.