Chapter three
In the early morning, before Lady Gehenna's usual wake-up time of 8 o'clock, a group of maids gathered in the kitchen, engaged in their routine tasks. The aroma of freshly baked bread and simmering stew filled the air. Their conversation, however, revolved around the recent changes in their lady's behavior.
"It's almost 8 o'clock," one maid remarked, glancing at the clock on the wall like some kind of a hobby she acquired. "Lady Gehenna should be waking up soon."
"Yes, she always wakes up at exactly 8," another maid replied, nodding. "We all noticed that." Other maids agreed in unison.
"Have you also noticed how different she's been acting lately?" a third maid chimed in, her voice filled with curiosity. "She's more polite and considerate. It's like she's a different person."
Maria, who was usually timid and kept to herself, found herself the center of attention. She had delivered the ice and cloth to Lady Gehenna the previous day and was now expected to share more details.
"Maria, you've been... Let's just say, closest to her lately. What do you think?" one of the maids asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Maria couldn't shake the memory of the head maid's reaction when Lady Gehenna had taken care of her. She watched the head maid closely, noticing the signs of restlessness. She, too, has been sleeping poorly, but the head maid is in a worse state. With dark circles under her eyes, she carries a perpetual look of concern.
Maria hesitated, her usual shyness making her voice tremble. "Well, I... I was cleaning the hallway when Lady Gehenna called me in. She wrapped the ice in cloth and applying it to the head maid's head... injury?"
'I have seen the head maid touch her forehead often too, like she's trying to make sense of something that doesn't fit with what she's always known.' Maria decided to keep these thoughts to herself.
The other maids gasped, hanging on her every word. "Really? Lady Gehenna was helping the head maid?"
Maria nodded, "Yes, and she even asked for my name and thanked me before I left. It was... strange."
"And did you notice how she stayed in her room for three whole days?" another maid added, her voice filled with suspicion. "Instead of looking for the second prince like she usually does?" The maids exchanged uneasy glances, their curiosity turning into concern.
"That's right," one maid agreed. "Lady Gehenna used to always be out and about, searching for the prince. Now she's suddenly staying inside and being nice? Something's off."
Chef Remeo, the renowned chef in charge of Gehenna's food for a long time now, was busy chopping vegetables nearby. His keen ears caught snippets of the conversation, and he couldn't help but be intrigued. He glanced over at the group of maids, his curiosity piqued.
Just then, the head maid, Teresita, walked by outside the kitchen and sneezed. Immediately pulling out her own handkerchief to dab at her nose. "Someone must be talking about me behind my back," she muttered to herself.
YOU ARE READING
Gehenna
Fantasy- Lyra Ame's world shifts when she's thrust into the body of Gehenna Santi Paradis, a feared duke's daughter in a book she once read. As she navigates this new life, armed with knowledge of the story, she discovers hidden truths and blank spots that...
