The night is thick with clouds, shrouding the sky in darkness, earth is illuminated by the light of the ominous red full moon that had just begun to eclipse. A cold, unpleasant wind howled through the trees, making them sway as if they were alive. The sounds of nocturnal creatures echoed through the forest, hooting and screeching.
Sera's carriage rolled through the desolate gatehouse, its wheels crunching over the gravel before it finally halted in front of the castle entrance. The structure loomed ahead, its once-majestic façade now overgrown with moss, creepers, and climbing ivy, giving it a neglected and ghostly appearance.
Sera stood and gracefully stepped down from the carriage, her eyes scanning the unsettling surroundings.
"Princess, we will take our leave. We need to take our rides to the stables," the maid said, breaking the silence.
"Alright, thank you for escorting me. Please go ahead," Sera replied with a nod.
Her female entourage bowed and moved away, leaving Sera alone at the entrance of the castle. The wind tugged at her cloak, sending shivers from the cold.
'That's strange. Normally, someone would come out of the castle to receive me,' Sera thought.
She walked towards the main door of the seemingly desolate and dilapidated castle. As she neared the entrance, the heavy wooden door creaked open with a long, mournful groan, the sound of rusty hinges protesting the movement.
An elderly woman, her hair as silver as the moonlight that struggled to break through the clouds, stood in the doorway. She was dressed in the dress code of the Hive (please refer to volume 1 arc2 chapter30 for description of the maid outfit), her back slightly hunched with age, yet her eyes were sharp and observant. She greeted Sera with a respectful bow.
"Welcome back, Madam Sera. The matriarchs are awaiting your arrival," the old woman said, her voice steady despite the slight tremor in her hands.
Sera recognized her immediately—it was her old wet nurse, the one sent by the Countess, who is the chief maid to the matriarchs of the hive.
"It's been a while, nanny. How have you been?" Sera greeted her warmly.
"I'm doing well, madam. Thank you for your concern," the old woman replied with a gentle smile.
Despite the warmth of their exchange, a sense of unease gnawed at Sera. Seeing the chief maid, at first glance, everything seems to be normal. But Sera kept on feeling a sense of dissonance.
'I can't quite put my finger on it but something seems off. What is it?' Sera thought.
Sera wondered, her sharp eyes discreetly scanning the woman. 'She seems normal... but...her dress seems slightly disheveled. Although it is not anything major, the chief maid I know would never let herself be seen like this.
"Please come in," the maid said, gesturing towards the dimly lit hallway.
Sera nodded, masking her growing unease with a calm expression, and followed the maid inside.
Sera wanted to speak further, but the old woman interjected, "Madam Sera, I would have escorted you to the Matriarchs myself, but the entire castle has been busy for the past month. We're currently in the final phase of preparations, and I must join everyone. I can't accompany you."
"You know your way around the castle. Please make your way to the terrace to meet the Matriarchs."
"Okay..." Sera's smile stiffened, her lips twitching as she watched the old woman rush off without even waiting for her reply.
'Why is she in such a hurry? What's happening?' Sera wondered, a sense of unease settling in her chest.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, "I have a bad feeling about all this," she murmured to herself,
YOU ARE READING
The Eclipse Moons Grimoire: Lilith's Soft Whispers
Mystère / ThrillerA boy who wishes to be a girl dies in an accident and reincarnates in a world of gods and demons as the second son of the baroness with hidden past. His supposed mother disguises and raises him as a girl.
