Dance•Dance•Macabre

3

Vflower exited the washroom with her head held high. She met with Mayu back at the serving table, Mayu giving her a sympathetic look.

"I gave Yohioloid his cup while you were out. Are you alright?"

Vflower couldn't help but think about the woman in the corner of the ball. She didn't seem to be dressed for the ocassion;she didn't even have a mask.

I might have to escort her out of the ball later...or make one of the newbies do it.

"Yes, I am fine." Vflower said, quickly followed by a sigh.

"Well, would a drink make you feel better?"

Vflower smiled brightly. "No Mayu, I'm afraid I don't think it to be appropriate to drink until after the ball. And I do hope you haven't been drinking while serving, especially without me."

Mayu smiled crookedly, patting a pocket in the back of her dress.

"Don't worry hon, I made sure to save you some."

Vflower chuckled and left Mayu with a wink. She trod back over to the children's table. With the staff as full as it was, she could give the children as much attention as they desired. Normally, the guests's children would be brought later into the ball by carriage along with their nanny, who would drop them off to whoever was assigned as "nanny" for that night. Vflower, being the head maid, could be nanny without being appointed to the position.

Vflower was done tidying herself up just in time for the children to come in with their nannies. She began to feel a bit anxious;there were more children this time around than usual.
I'm grateful we have a full staff. They are going to be a handful.

The orchestra was in full swing now, and the children became particularly rowdy around this time. She rushed to escort the children to their tables before it got too loud. It quite often got so loud that the children could not her even if she screamed. She recognized a lot of the children however, and knew that they wouldn't cross her.
She sat in one of the far too small chairs on the far end of one of the short tables, serving the children who'd just arrived. Since their children had gotten older and this was a bigger ball, Kaori and Nagisa insisted their children eat before the other children arrived, at least those old enough to feed themselves.
The children dilly-dallied and were merry. No one had even thrown any silverware yet. All was well.
Vflower checked her pocket watch.
9:15
It was time for Gachapoid to have his bottle. Vflower graciously escorted herself away from the table. She made sure to treat the children with almost the same respect as the adults. For in the grasp of their tiny hands was more money than VFlower could ever hope to have. She couldn't have their parents being any amount of unsatisfied with her service towards their heir.
Vflower appointed another nanny and made her way to the East hall, farthest away from the ballroom. Upstairs past Kaori's salon and closet was the nursery. Gachapoid was never left completely alone. He always had a maid with him. The Kamuis,however, didn't trust just anyone to feed Gachapoid. They specifically entrusted her with the job, seeing how well she did with their previous children.
She greeted the maid and strode over to Gachapoid's crib. He was sitting upright, hugging a stuffed animal and dozing off.
She slowly approached him and reached out her hand. "Good evening" she said gently.
He smiled brightly at her, but still looked fairly sleepy. He was a fairly happy child, but Vflower feared he was slight lethargic. Kaori is would joke about it with her quite often. She found it amusing.
She slowly cradled him in her arms and offered him the bottle. He took it eagerly, nuckling and smiling as he drank the warm milk. She sat in the arm chair next to his crib, patting his small back as he drank. She enjoyed holding him and feeding him, watching him grow and develop. She loved taking care of the children almost as much as she loved living. They were her pride and joy. She raised them more than their own parents. It isn't something she'd ever take credit for, however, not even secretly. She recognized her place as the nanny, and despite all of the work she did, the children would always remember their parents more than they remembered her. It isn't some thing she minded. As long as she got to spend time with them. She saw that alone as a privilege.
Once he was done with his bottle, he slowly dozed back to sleep. Vflower slowly placed him back in his crib. She could have thrown him in there for all he cared;he was a deep sleeper like his father.
She slowly trode out of the lavish nursery, greeted with the warm candlelight of the hallway illuminated the shiny, gloss mold in every accent of the hallway. Gold trim, furniture, gold accented in the heavenly wallpaper. It was most peaceful in the east wing at night. All of the children sleeping, and Kaori occasionally studying in the salon into the deep hours of night. Vflower began to realize she enjoyed to clean up after the ball rather than the balls themselves. They were special to her.
As she walked past the door to the salon, she heard a light tap on one of the many tables in the room. She thought to be an illusion; there was a lot of bumping and hooping and hollering coming from the other side of the manor.
Still...something about it felt off.
She slowly opened the double-doors to the manor. They felt heavier than she remembered.
There was someone in the velvet swivel chair behind the oak wood desk. A small figure in black attire.
....What?
How did they get back here?

"I am sorry, but I am going to have to ask you leave."
"You won't be saying that soon. You won't be."

Vflower's breath caught in her throat. It was the lady from earlier. The lady in the corner.

"You are causing a disturbance. I may have to ask you to leave the premises."
This wasn't her first time dealing with a nosy guest. But this time it didn't feel right.
The figure shuffled a little. It's scraggly hands grasped onto its hood, yanking it off.
The old woman wasn't particularly ugly, but she was definitely very old.
Her skin was pale as night, and her eyes were bright, brown slivers. Her hair, although well kept, was gray and blonde, and long as time, hanging in loose curls down the back of her cloak and in the front of her face.
"I am only here for one thing." She said, a sort of motherly tone suddenly appearing in her voice.
Vflower frowned slightly.
"What is it you've done here for?
The woman reached down into the drawer of the desk.
The desk...is always locked.
How did she.....

"Ma'am, those papers are confidential." Was all she could muster. Vflower knew exactly what they were. Kaori had been working on a lot of new experiments, specially having to do with herbs. Kaori seldom told anyone about her work while it was still in deep development, not even her husband. If anyone were to get their hands on them...

The old woman only chuckled.
"I know darling. Haha, but let's just keep this between you and me." Her voice slowed as the end of the sentences.
Vflower and the woman stood in tense silence for a few moments. Her fists tightened at her chest and she began to sweat. She couldn't let her leave.

The old woman, without hesitation, rushed frantically out of the room, knocking a few beakers and papers off of the desk as she did. Vflower was immediately hot on her heels, her flats sliding frantically on the royal-red velvet floors.
The woman was unnatural fast, the frantic jolting of her black cloak dizzied Vflower. They'd ran across the gaping hall that connected the East and West wings in a manner of seconds.
The old woman looked Vflower dead in her face and she gripped the golden handle of the main entrance.
"You'll know where to find me" she mouthed, yanking the door and running off. Vflower didn't think: she only followed.
So many thoughts rushed to her and she mindlessly ran.
How did she open the main door...it was so heavy even the butlers has trouble with it sometimes.
...how was I able to tell what she mouthed to me.

She ran faster, not paying attention to her direction anymore. She ran and ran until...what was that smell?
She began to slow, panting as she did. She slowly rose her head, only to jolt backwards uneasily.
She was somewhere unfamiliar.
It was her worst night rare.

She was in the middle of the city.