"Ahhhhhhhhhhhuuuuuuhhhhooooooohhhhaaaahhhhhhaaaaa"
Nathalie jumped back upon hearing the shrill sound. She then looked around in puzzlement.
And just like that, the sound disappeared. Maybe she really was overtired and imagining things…
As if to answer her question, the screaming sound continued to reverberate around the mansion halls once more. Needless to say, it definitely wasn't her imagination.
She listened carefully to the noise, trying to analyze what it could possibly be.
Then, it dawned on her. It sounded like it was coming from the top of the mansion.
Her boss's lair.
Nathalie began to feel worried.
'Unless he's genuinely in pain, he's a complete and utter idiot for drawing attention to the one place that he's trying to hide.'
She quickly reached for her cell phone, dialing his number.
No answer.
"Damn that man." Nathalie cursed under her breath.
She ran to the elaborate golden portrait, typing in her own pass code that he had installed several weeks ago. The floor moved like an elevator, before coming to a stop in the gloomily lit room.
There stood Mr. Agreste… No… Le Papillon, with his arms spread out as he appeared to be singing his heart out… To what sounded like opera, as hundreds of white butterflies fluttered around him.
"Mr. Agreste." She hesitantly called out.
The horrible off-key singing stopped. He abruptly placed his arms down, trying to appear composed.
Aside from the slight noise of the butterflies, all was silent for several moments.
He cleared his throat, turning around slowly.
He stood with both hands on his cane, a serious look on his face. "What brings you here Nathalie?" He said in his usual icy demeanor.
Seeing him in costume made her want to burst out in laughter. But she held it back, instead taking a deep breath in and out to stabilize herself.
"Your… Er-Singing could be heard throughout the house, sir. You were very lucky that I was the only other person present who heard that, otherwise your cover might have been blown. "
He merely stared at her, not arguing back as he usually did.
"Well, this is certainly embarrassing." He finally said, his stoic nature fraying around the edges.
Nathalie tried to look as serious as possible. "So… Phantom of the Opera…? Really Mr. Agreste?" She said in a slightly mocking tone.
He frowned. "It's a classic! What are you still doing here! Get out of my lair!" He shouted.
Shaking her head, she laughed to herself, and flipped the switch.
"Nathalie." He called out as the floor started to lower. "We're never speaking of this again. Is that clear?"
Before she could answer, the floor had already lowered, and she had completely left the room.
'I never promised that I wouldn't." She thought to herself with a smirk.