Maria left her mother and Miss Sh– Mother and Anne to their breakfast, after insisting that the two come to lunch. The two had exchanged a look when Maria had said she was willing to keep private their relationship– they could converse in looks! How had she missed that?!– and her mother had told her that there was no need, that they were willing to cease hiding.

Maria was glad her mother trusted her enough to rely on her expediently dealing with anyone who would speak against their relationship. She shouldn't have to– she wasn't nearly known or important enough to warrant that sort of attention, never mind the gossip– and anyway, this was Sorcier, not some backwater that ran on mob rule and popularity. Still, people could be very strange, finding ways to be offended by perfectly ordinary and mundane things, so she prepared to have to exert herself to ensure the new normal would be accepted quickly and with a minimum of violent convincing. The violence would be of excellent quality to make up for the minimalism.

When she returned to the manor, trying not to think of what Mother and Anne might get up to after breakfast– surely they would only do the dishes!– she encountered Ghirardelli, who coincidentally held a towel, which she accepted.

"Good morning my lady," he said. "I am glad to see you have recovered. You gave us all quite a scare yesterday. The children and my lady's mother were quite distraught."

Maria nodded. "Has anything come up while I was unconscious, Ghirardelli?"

"Regrettably, we had to change the dinner schedule," the steward said. "The dinner we planned could not be served, as the children were most insistent on remaining by your side, as were my lady's wards. Fortunately, we had ample warning to implement the changes, and should everyone come down to dinner as usual, we will merely need to produce yesterday's dinner as today's dinner, without any added repercussions to the larder."

Maria nodded. "Excellent. Any intruders?"

"There were my lady, but nothing the knights and your armsmen couldn't handle," Ghirardelli said. "Their preparations to use the storm as cover were insufficient to your preparation for intruders using the storm as cover. I also report that the new manager of the Nightflower Workshop's Manufactory has reported that due to the extended length of the storm, production will not be able to properly commence until at least one or two days after its cessation, due to a need to ensure the nitre is of sufficient quality, and to recover any that were affected by the humidity."

Maria nodded. "Noted. I shall tell him I have received the message and agree with his assessment."

"I'm sure Master Acme will be delighted," Ghirardelli said. "Dinner shall be ready shortly, my lady. As I am of the male sex and cannot ascend to inform your wards without unfortunate remembrances, might I trouble you to pass the word along?"

Maria frowned. "Is Chiharu not up yet?"

"As I understand my lady, she was among those keeping vigil on you in your sleep," Ghirardelli said. "Please do not be too harsh with her my lady. This is her first lapse, and she was very worried about your condition."

"I will take your words under advisement," Maria said. "Please inform the staff that mother and M– that mother and Anne will be joining us for lunch."

"Place settings will be prepared, my lady."

"Also, they have recently revealed that they are in a relationship," Maria said.

"Oh my," Ghirardelli said. "My ladyship's mother and Miss Shelley, in a relationship? How absolutely surprising. This is most definitely the first that I have heard of it."

Maria nodded. Good man, Ghirardelli. Even though this news must have been extremely surprisingly and completely unexpected, he managed to maintain equanimity. Why, it almost sounded like he was merely reciting prepared lines, he was so calm! Maria envied his self-control. She was still internally disturbed by the revelation– and the how of the revelation– and only the knowledge that her mother wished for and enjoyed the relationship was helping her maintain her equilibrium. For her mother's happiness, she could face any turmoil, even the memory of her mother naked and moaning and–

A hard slap brought her back to her senses, and she blinked as Ghirardelli lowered his hand.

"I beg your forgiveness, my lady," the steward said, "but you were making strange choking sounds, and I feared you had swallowed your tongue, so I attempted to dislodge it. I pray I was successful?"

"Yes, thank you Ghirardelli," Maria said. "That was most helpful. Please do not hesitate to do so again in future if I look to be in danger of choking. As I was saying, please subtly inform the staff of this and make it clear that no negative attention be brought to this state of affairs. My mother may do as and who she wishes."

"Yes, my lady," Ghirardelli said.

Maria thought some more. "Also, should any of the maid staff be approached by mother, inform them that they are free to decline with no reproach, but if they are willing to comply with her desires, that is perfectly acceptable. I will see about generously rewarding them later, but do not inform them so."

That made Ghirardelli blink. "I… see. Are you… certain, your ladyship?"

"No," Maria said. "But if mother wants women, mother will have women." Though hopefully mother would be satisfied with Anne. Still, having tasted of the flesh of maids, Maria could not be sure mother would not wish for more. As a dutiful daughter, she had to prepare for whatever her beloved mother would wish.

"Ah," Ghirardelli said. "I'll see what I can do, my lady. However, due to the history of the former Marquis Dieke with the staff, may I only inform them should such an approach be made, lest they get the wrong idea?"

Maria considered that. "I see. Very well, I leave it to your judgement then."

"You may rely on me, my lady," Ghirardelli said.

He watched as his lady went upstairs to inform people of breakfast.

"Still better than the old Marquis and the old Marchioness put together," he considered. Honestly, she was practically prudish compared to some he'd heard of… "Good luck, young master."

Well, not the young master any more. The young master was most definitely gone and disappeared, and this besotted young man was most-definitely-not-the-young-master. He just happened to have an uncanny resemblance, probably another bastard borne from the old Marquis Dieke's tendency to stick it into any maid that caught his eye. Just another by-blow, like that maid Lasciel and likely half of the young women from the village currently working in the manor who was above a certain age.

For a moment, he thought of the little master, who died so young and alone because of his mother's foolishness. Ghirardelli wished the little master had met his many half-siblings. They had all grown up to be fine young people. They would surely have loved him, if they'd known.

And it was so nice to see them not fighting, despite many of them carrying an Estus Flask for the same young woman. Who was, admittedly, quite lovely in her own right. Strange, but lovely. He was willing to bet they'd all gotten their tastes from their father.

Moving towards his next duties, Ghirardelli listened to the sounds of the children waking in the distance, their cries echoing through the halls. He was glad his Dark Soul had seen him live long enough for good days to return to this house once more…

Maria could have gone to every room her wards slept in an announced that breakfast would soon be ready, but that would be inefficient. Besides, she couldn't be sure how many had decided to sleep in their room. Much more sensible if she informed a larg group of people at once and have them spread the news.

She heard the children rousing from one floor down, and the tone made her quicken her steps. They sounded upset. Where they having nightmares? Guiltily she realized she'd neglected to read them a story last night. Combined with the storms, perhaps that had led to troubled dreams. Maria hurried, up, quickening when she could and using the momentum from the that to roll, an old hunter's trick, so she could move faster.

The cries were becoming concerning when she finally arrived at the door to her room and opened them. "Children? What's the matter?"

"MAMA!"

She was bowled over as several children came at her at once. Fortunately, the banister behind her was both tall and sturdy, and no one had to die as they fell from a great height, though she felt like she'd just walked into an overenthusiastic game of Sen's Fortress.

"Children, children," she called firmly. "Stop crowding so much, you'll hurt yourselves in the press."

Indeed, one of the smaller boys was get squashed. She reached down and gently pried apart the boy and the girl pressing on him from either side, and he was able to take a deep breath. "Mama!" he cried enthusiastically, grabbing her hand and rubbing his face against it.

Maria had to spend several minutes being cuddled against like that as every took turns hold her hand or hugging or arm or her torso or her back or one of her legs, as if individually reassuring themselves of her presence. She supposed they all must have had nightmares.

Her older wards were there too, but they were no help. Indeed, they were touching her much like the children were, as if affirming she was there, and looking strangely relieved.

She heard a groan, and heavy steps as Rafael approached, one hand rubbing at his neck, which was no doubt stiff. "Maria," he said, sounding relieved. "You're all right."

"Rafael," she said, smiling happily at his presence, even as something dark and bloody flickered on the edges of her heart. "You shouldn't sleep like that. It's the wrong posture for sleeping on a chair."

"Noted," he said. "Where did you go?"

"I spoke with mother," Maria said, absently patting one child's head as she leaned it against Maria's torso, "and she explained herself and why she was… well. She explained things." She leaned forward and whispered, in a low voice only he would hear, "Mother has secretly been in a relationship with Anne Shelley."

"Oh my," Rafael said. "Alice and Anne, in a relationship? How absolutely surprising. This is most definitely the first that I have heard of it."

How stoic he was, in the face of such a shocking surprise. Why, he sounded almost exactly like Ghirardelli, as if he was reading from a script. She was glad he was taking this so calmly.

"And… how do you feel?" Rafael inquired.

Maria thought about it. "I'm happy for her. I wish I'd found out another way. I have an occasional impulse to gouge my eyes out, though that will hopefully pass."

"Please," Rafael agreed fervently. He coughed. "Well, children, Maria's all right, so why don't you all get ready for breakfast? I'm sure it's ready by now."

There were cries of dismay and rebelliousness, and Maria found herself being crowded tightly again.

"Now children, don't fight over this," Rafael chided. "That's how disparity gets born in your hearts. You don't want that, do you? Besides, if you let Maria go, she can bake dessert."

Maria could swear she heard several clicks as she suddenly found a sea of young faces looking up at her hopefully.

She gave Rafael and look, but sighed. "Yes children, I'll bake dessert. In fact, you can all help me."

"And can Katarina come and make I Scream?" some enterprising young lad asked hopefully.

Maria rolled her eyes, but considered it. "Fine, we will invite Katarina and ask if she can make I Scream," she said. "But you all have to thank her and make it clear you don't only like her for that."

"Yes, mama," the children all chorused, and only them began to disperse to wash their faces for breakfast.

Maria glanced at her room, full of mattresses, pillow and blankets.

"We can have them clean that up later," Rafael said. "While Katarina is using her I Scream magic tool. The children were really worried about you, you know. They didn't leave your side all night."

"I wish you'd had them go sleep in their rooms properly," Maria said. "That's why they have beds, so they don't have to sleep on the floor."

"I'm not a hypocrite," Rafael said. "I'm not going to stop them from sleeping close to you because they're worried about you when that's what I'm doing myself."

"You were sleeping on my napping chair," Maria pointed out. "Badly, I might add. Your neck must have hurt."

Rafael shrugged, even as he absently touched his neck and winced. "All the closer spots had children."

"Sadako was on the bed."

"Fine, children and women who act like children," Rafael said, smiling. Then he sobered. "Speaking of which, you should talk to her. She was upset when you started screaming when you saw her."

Maria winced. That had been… unkind of her. but the sight of a regalia of a maid… "I will."

"You might need to have her sleep next to you again," Rafael said, sounding exasperated. "You know how she is when she's upset."

The dark and bloody thing flickered some more, and Maria had to repress a shudder. She reminded herself Sadako was not just a maid but a woman ill-used, and Maria should NOT DO THAT. "I see. I'll take care of it."

Rafael nodded. "Also, do you know anything about a brown-haired woman? I met one last night, she was wandering around in the dark in a night gown. About this high, on the slim side, a bit jumpy?"

"Ah, you must have met Lady Harker, one of the new accountants," Maria said.

"Oh, they finally came?" Rafael said, brightening. He was probably glad she'd hired people to distribute her work to.

Maria nodded. "I'll introduce you over breakfast, they should be in the small dining room. I haven't been able to introduce them to the household yet, as I wanted them to first ascertain how much time they would need for the accountants."

"Hmm," Rafael said, absently taking her hand–

The dark and bloody thing howled lustfully.

– and leading her to the room beside hers. The little servants' room. "I'll meet them later. I think Sadako needs you now."

Maria took the dark and bloody thing, with all its lusts and taste for blood and flesh and pleasures and depravities, and kicked it into a pit. It would climb back up again. It always did. But not this morning. She would keep her beloved Rafael safe. And when he finally ravished her, she would hold the dark and bloody thing close and they would bask together, but she would not let it do anything to him. Not one drop of blood, not one touch he didn't want. Not to him. Not to her maid. Not to any of the servants. Not to any of her wards. Not to the children. Not to mother.

She wasn't a monster. Even if she knew how to be monstrous.

She followed her beloved Rafael and sat down to comfort her dear maid.

In its pit, the dark and bloody thing howled.