Manor Akemi sat upon a hill, far above the town of Mitakihara, the seat of the good Count Walpurgisnacht. Its towering walls made it an intimidating presence, scaring off any unwanted - or uninvited - visitors. The matriarch of the mansion, Lady Homura Akemi, hadn't been seen in town in several years, leading some to wonder if she still lived.
Madoka Kaname knew otherwise, having received a job offer from the woman just three days prior. The last manor caretaker had passed away to old age and, somehow, Lady Akemi had reached out to simple, unassuming Madoka for the position. Fate so happened to have it that her mother, Junko Kaname, had fallen ill and had been deemed unable to work.
Her father Tomohisa was a stay-at-home one, taking care of her younger brother Tatsuya for the past 14 years. Madoka's old job as a teacher's assistant was far from lucrative, unlike the position offered so graciously delivered to her from Lady Akemi.
"50 million yen per year?!" Her father had exclaimed in shock. She understood it more than well enough - 50 million yen was plentiful, far beyond fair for the labor of housekeeping. Even prestigious doctors struggled to make that much! It was nearly 3 times the amount her mother, a long-time division manager of a prominent business, made in a year.
Suffice to say, Madoka felt obligated to accept. She'd have to move into the unworldly manor, as the good Lady had said in the very regal, old-timey note, but it was very much a sacrifice she was willing to make for her mother's medical bills and her family's needs.
Such is where she found herself. The tall, gothic mansion stood before her - more akin to a castle than any real manor she'd ever seen. Even the front door was so ornately crafted, engravings of various historic battles etched across its doubtless priceless surface. Madoka was hesitant to knock on such a beautiful piece of art but, not seeing a doorbell, had no other option.
The dark wood was thick. It felt like knocking on a full tree trunk! For a long moment, she didn't believe she had knocked hard enough, so prepared herself to do so again with extra force. Before she could, however, the doors started to split open, letting the dim light of the inside leak through and only Madoka's face.
The first thing she noticed was brilliant violet eyes. Penetrating deep into her soul, the amethyst-like eyes radiated raw power. Not so much demanding respect as taking it, for it rightfully belonged to their owner by nature alone. The luscious pale skin, so inhumane yet pristine, complemented the violet perfectly. Straight black hair, cascading down the sides of the woman's face and falling over her shoulders, framed the picture so perfectly that Madoka felt dirty for daring to just look.
She stood nearly a foot taller than Madoka, whose own height of 5'2 made for an awkward head tilt to look at the woman. Her jaw was refined as if copied straight off of Aphrodite herself, with her cheekbones casting a minute shadow over her cheeks. She was obviously older than Madoka, who herself still maintained a good amount of baby fat on her own cheeks even at the age of 24, but couldn't be close in age to her mom.
The voice that followed blew all of that out of the water. A sound that surely couldn't belong to anything less than divine.
"Greetings, Miss Kaname. I've eagerly awaited your arrival with bated breath," Lady Akemi said, her voice sending shivers down Madoka's spine. "I do hope your walk up the hill wasn't too strenuous. I regret that I don't have an automobile to ease the journey."
Finding her throat dry, Madoka swallowed, trying to find her voice all the while. "I-It's fine, my lady," she stuttered, her hands fidgeting in front of her stomach. A dumb nervous tick that never went away after her awkward teen years. "It was no problem! I'm fit as a fiddle, hehe," she finished lamely, cringing at the statement.
Thankfully Lady Akemi smiled - a far more beautiful sight than any before it - and gestured for her to enter. "Come in, Miss Kaname. Feel free to hang your coat and belongings by the door. We can return to retrieve them later."
Nodding, Madoka did as told. Her favorite pink hoodie looked like a piece of ruined toilet paper compared to the vast entrance hall of Manor Akemi. Dazzling purples and reds decorated the room, dancing and weaving alongside the dark chocolate-colored wood. Grand stone statues of fantastical creatures and valiant heroes lay scattered across the room, their visage so lifelike that Madoka could nearly convince herself that Medusa herself froze them and sent the remains to Lady Akemi.
Most strikingly was the portrait above the central staircase. It was Lady Akemi in all her glory, her face painted with such accuracy it was intimidating. Almost like a photograph, save for the brush strokes of a true master of the art.
Lady Akemi laughed next to her, an act more gorgeous than the last. A common theme with the good Lady; her perfection seemed to have no bounds. "Indeed, my manor is quite impressive. I'm glad to see you taking an appreciative eye to a part of my collection."
It wasn't so much appreciation as it was disbelief. How could anyone be so wealthy? It seemed beyond normal, even for rich CEOs! She'd been to her mom's COO's house a few years back for a Thanksgiving feast, a celebration for her mom's hard work and dedication to the company. Even that, as impressive as it was, paled in comparison to the sheer variety of riches housed in just the entry of the manor.
Realizing she had been silent for too long, Madoka stuttered her response. "I-It's amazing, my lady. How… How did you get all of this stuff?" Blinking, she slapped a hand over her mouth, her face flushing with heat. "I'm sorry, that was rude-!"
"Fret not, my pet," Lady Akemi said, her voice soothing in its comforting tone. She barely recognized being called 'pet,' but Lady Akemi moved on before she could address it. "I've accumulated many prizes over my life."
She reached over to a nearby table, one likely worth more than her entire family home if the design was anything to go off of. She grabbed a wine glass, intricately engraved with spider lilies, which was filled with a rich red drink. Far more opaque than any wine Madoka had seen. Tomato juice, maybe?
She sipped from it, her eyes closing in delight while she hummed. "I'm a collector, Miss Kaname. I seek the most beautiful riches the world has to offer. My manor is my museum, my own Egyptian Pyramid for when I die. I wish to bring all the world's treasures with me."
It was an interesting life goal, Madoka decided. A bit eccentric - why use your life looking for things to have when you die? - but nonetheless intriguing. Lady Akemi was anything but boring, it seemed.
"I see… And you're trusting me to clean it? I've never done anything like this before, what if I break something?" She shouldn't be admitting her weaknesses to such a woman, especially one willing to pay so graciously for menial labor, but she couldn't bear the thought of letting her down after putting her faith in her.
Lady Akemi began walking, Madoka following quickly behind. A gentle smile graced her lips, her eyes shining with benevolence as they gazed at the much poorer woman. "It matters little, my dear," and didn't that send weird signals to her brain. "I've nothing but complete faith in you. I chose you for a reason."
"For a reason?" She echoed, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. What reason could she have been picked for? She picked up after a bunch of children at school, sure, but clean an entire manor, filled to the brim with priceless artifacts? It made very little sense.
Her lady simply chuckled and continued walking down the grandiose halls, her legs carrying her with grace the likes Madoka had never seen. She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to Lady Akemi's mannerisms, as alien to her as they were refined. She was much more used to the energetic movements of her best friend Sayaka, or the brash gait of her friend Kyoko. Even Mami, as well mannered a girl as could be, didn't have the same grace as the good lady.
"Here is the dining hall," Lady Akemi announced, gesturing towards the largest room Madoka had ever seen. A table that looked long enough to seat half a neighborhood ran down the center, extravagant chandeliers hanging above it as the sole illumination in the room. Myriads of paintings adorned the walls, each presenting an otherworldly image of different places or meals. And it was for eating? Amazing! "Breakfast is at 7:30, lunch at noon, and supper is served at 6:00."
"Am I to cook, my lady?"
"No," Lady Akemi flashed her an amused smile. "While I'd never doubt your abilities in the kitchen, I've a very talented chef under my employ."
She breathed a sigh of relief. Madoka could cook, but she wasn't anywhere close to her dad. She was pretty average there, just like everything else. "Come, I shall show you the library next."
The library somehow proved to be larger than even the dining hall. It reminded her of the mythical Library of Alexandria from her history lessons, though she doubted either were comparable. Lady Akemi's seemed to possess numerous books on mundane topics such as politics to more specific, and strange, topics, like ghouls or necromancy. Given the gothic design of the mansion, she wouldn't be surprised if her lady was an avid participator of the occult.
She had been shown numerous guest bedrooms, all far more elegant and illustrious than any in her own home, as well as her lady's main quarters. She thought the largest bed size sold commercially was the king-sized, but Lady Akemi seemed to get her hands on something larger yet.
Though, upon closer inspection, the sheets appeared to have… Dust? Some sort of dust on them. The ceiling might be older than it looked and dropped its contents down more often than not. She'd need to look into repairs!
Every room was large. Madoka was beginning to understand why the pay was so generous - it should take an entire team of caretakers to clean and tidy the manor! Yet when brought up, for some unknown reason, Lady Akemi was steadfast in her decision to employ only her.
It was the first time Madoka had seen her lady be stern and, while terrifying, it was alluring as well. Just as everything else about the woman was, even her anger was beautiful. It made Madoka think of her own angry face and how childish and red it made her look.
"Lastly, here is your room, my darling," Lady Akemi said, rousing Madoka from her thoughts. Another new title, another lost opportunity to mention it as her lady continued her speech. "Feel free to decorate however you please. This manor is just as much your home as it is mine, now."
The girl blinked as she looked at her suitcase, once abandoned by the front door, seated at the foot of her bed. Her hoodie, as well, hung from a coat hanger by the window, confounding her further.
"I see," she mumbled, stepping into the room. It was cold, like all the rest of the rooms. Maybe it was just her nerves, but she hoped it would warm up soon. She never was a fan of the cold. "Thank you, my lady."
"Of course. If you've need of me, I shall be in my study. You will begin your duties first thing after breakfast tomorrow."
Madoka nodded, saying her good wishes to her lady as she departed. Instantly she felt alone, somehow colder without the firm presence of Lady Akemi to help her acclimate to the new setting. Sighing, she trudged to her bed, setting about unpacking before she got too lazy to do so.
Madoka slept well that night, despite an odd dream that she could hardly recall. Something to do with fangs, strangely enough. Regardless, she showered (who needs six knobs in a shower and why?) and dressed herself, preparing for breakfast with anxious jittering. Her first day of work! What if she messed up, despite Lady Akemi's reassurance? Heck, what if she destroyed something actually priceless, like the thorn crown of Jesus himself?
She sighed, shaking her head. She was getting too anxious now. Sayaka always said she had a bad habit of overexaggerating things, which in turn always led to her causing the events she worried about. It wasn't her fault though, life just deemed her fit for punishment of some sort. Like when her students managed to get gum in her hair.
Now she was trailing off, trying to get her mind away from the possibilities of messing up on her first day. Taking a deep breath, she walked out of her room, her feet carrying her to the dining hall despite the elaborate, almost maze-like design of the manor. Let it not be said that Madoka had poor memory, despite her irregular regularity. It was, perhaps, her only above-average quality, which made her an above-average teacher. Or so she liked to believe, anyways.
"Good morning, Miss Kaname," the spine-shivering, ethereal voice of her lady called out to her from the doorway of the dining hall. Madoka looked up, her pink eyes meeting the lavender orbs of the esteemed woman. Every time she looked into them, she felt smaller. Insignificant. Absolutely inferior and unworthy to be privileged enough to stand before them.
She shook off the feeling, giving her employer a wide smile. "Good morning, Lady Akemi! Did you sleep well?"
Lady Akemi nodded, her lips perked into a small smile of her own. "I rested well enough. I'm far more interested in you, though," she spoke softly, her head tilting down slightly. She stared at her through thick eyelashes, the act doing nothing to diminish the intensity of her eyes. "How did you sleep? I tried my very best to ensure you had the best mattress and comforter I had available in my possession."
She had? Madoka nodded, humming thoughtfully. It certainly felt like something far above what she had ever experienced, though that was quickly becoming a commonality in this mansion. "It was excellent, my lady," she said, smiling once more at the woman. "I couldn't have asked for a better first night."
"I'm honored to receive such high praise," Lady Akemi hummed, a hand rising to caress Madoka's cheek. "It's not every day I have someone new stay over. I often forget that it is not the mediocrity of regular life that everyone else is accustomed to, so I should expect some form of an appraisal. But expectation does little to dampen the feeling of pride when it is met."
Lady Akemi's hand was cold to the touch, Madoka realized. It wasn't even clammy, negating the possibility of illness. Rather, it was dry and unnaturally cold, as though she had been sitting outside in a blizzard for hours on end. Her hand was removed from her cheek - Madoka only just realizing how strange the act was - as her lady smiled at her, her pink lips pulling up into the picture of perfection. Like her hand, her words themselves felt off. Irregular to the highest order. Did her lady believe she didn't live a regular life?
She supposed she didn't. It was hard to say any of this was regular. A mansion big enough to fit the entire town in, yet composed one - now two - residents with nary another soul around to be seen. The chef was here, but did they live here? If so, Madoka hadn't been shown their room for cleaning.
"Come now, my sweet. I've no doubt you're quite famished." Lady Akemi walked through the large pair of doors and into the dining room, Madoka following dutifully behind, her mind still adrift in the anomaly that was her lady. Strangely affectionate nicknames, while not unusual themselves, were another oddity due to the fact Madoka had never met with her lady before yesterday. Was she this personable with everyone else, she wondered?
Madoka took a seat a few chairs down from Lady Akemi, who sat at the head of the table unsurprisingly. It really was a long surface, stretching far further than any one person needed. But Lady Akemi was nothing if not extravagant; everything in her possession was far beyond what one person required. She had a taste for the extreme and permitted nothing less than that.
So why had she hired little old average Madoka Kaname?
"Are you just going to stare at your food all day, dear?" Lady Akemi's teasing voice broke her out of her thoughts, making the girl flush in embarrassment. She looked at the plates arranged before her, pink eyes roaming over the expansive breakfast. She didn't even see it come out! Looking around for the chef, she found the room empty save for herself and Lady Akemi, bringing a soft frown to her face.
"Sorry," Madoka mumbled, picking up her fork and knife with as much feigned elegance as she could muster. "I'm not a morning person." She giggled, smiling at her employer despite the nibbling thoughts in the back of her head. "But don't worry! I'll wake up soon enough, my lady."
"Indubitably," the woman said, smiling softly in return. "I've the utmost faith that you will."
Yet more cryptic statements, more questions burning inside of her mind. With no real way to get answers lest she annoy the kind woman, Madoka began away at her breakfast.
Breakfast was good. Somehow, someway, it blew away even her dad's cooking, who she considered to be the best chef in all of Mitakihara (and rightfully so!), yet some unnamed cook outdid even her dad's finest cuisine with no fanfare and no obvious sign of difficulty. Had it not been as good as it was, Madoka would be inclined to be suspicious about it, but as it was, she couldn't bring herself to ponder much on the matter.
Her gloved hands, busy with dusting and shining various objects, took up most of her concentration, her focus partly on the task at hand. Her first-day jitters all but evaporated as she got to work, her anxiety dissipating as if it were never even there, just as her lady had predicted.
Madoka looked into the reflective surface of the plate, looking at her own reflection with pursed lips. She was given a rather typical maid uniform - something she had blushed heavily when provided by the very amused rich woman - and, much to her embarrassed intrigue, it fit perfectly. She hadn't even given the good lady her measurements! Still, the look in her eyes made it somewhat worth it.
She hadn't seen Lady Akemi since they departed after, but maybe that was for the best. The woman, kind and beautiful as she was, felt… Off. Too perfect, too talented, too something. Madoka didn't know what it was; she couldn't pin down the feeling it gave her. It made all of her nerves light up and tingle and it made her blood rush to its destination, her heart speeding up rapidly to compensate. Her violet eyes, seemingly supernatural in their radiance, never failed to make the younger girl's mouth dry at the mere sight of them.
Madoka set down the fine china she had shined, her hands picking up a nearby dagger. It was strange, having a weapon sit with plates, yet it felt undeniably right. So much like Lady Akemi, who, Madoka felt, was similar. Appetizing, promising so much like the plate, yet with the looming danger of punishment, similar to the dagger. As if she drew one in with sweets and stabbed them in the back.
Of course, she would never believe her lady to do something so cruel, but the feeling of danger was there all the same. Not just financially or socially, as she could no doubt enact, but physically. Why else would she have such an assortment of weapons littering the mansion were she not interested in them?
After reading autobiographies of numerous nobles in British-occupied Japan, Madoka felt she understood a part of their lifestyle. Most, if not all, would dedicate some of their time to the craft of dueling. Rapiers or swords, sometimes even lancing on horseback, nobles like Lady Akemi would train until they were proficient enough for war, despite the invention of firearms negating their practical use.
She sighed and set the dagger down, now pristine as it should be. Yes, Lady Akemi likely knew how to use it, but would she? Did she even have reason to? She thought back to high school when those in her class would whisper rumors of house Akemi throughout the years. How the mansion was haunted with the souls of her victims; servants she killed for entertainment. It explained why no one seen entering was ever seen leaving.
Madoka knew better than to believe pointless rumors, even if her best friend Sayaka had not. Surely even someone as powerful as Lady Akemi couldn't get away with murder so obvious. So why worry about it?
Yet, having met the woman, she doubted her own conviction on the matter. She was so nice. So welcoming yet reclusive. So warm in her attitude yet so cold to the touch. She was contradictory - a walking paradox to all of her expectations. She hadn't done anything wrong to the working girl, giving her no real basis for such treacherous thoughts, but she couldn't help it. Why else have such an empty house? Where was her family? Her servants? Her last one, an old woman by the name of Oriko, had apparently died. Old age, Lady Akemi had told her in passing.
But was it really?
Madoka shook her head and began walking down the hall, finished with the area for the day. Her next room to attend to was her lady's study, according to the list she had been given. Oddly, it was written differently than the letter. Did that mean there were other servants, she just hadn't seen them?
There was the chef, who, like a ghost, did such commendable work without being seen. Perhaps it wasn't as irregular as she had believed. Maybe the rest of the staff worked on different timetables, explaining why they had been absent for breakfast.
It reminded her of one of the school's art teachers. Sana Futaba was notorious for her 'invisibility,' as her students loved to say. Cute it may have been, the reality was much more depressing. The few times she spoke with Sana resulted in tragic foretellings of her backstory and her crippling social anxiety. That she persevered and taught anyway was nothing short of commendable, though.
She nibbled on her bottom lip, shaking her head once more. She needed to stop getting off track with her thoughts! Focus on work, Madoka. Who cares about everything else? She was getting paid far above average for some cleaning! Her mom would be green with envy and preening with pride.
Her mom… The strongest woman she had ever known, confined to a hospital bed as she was plagued with some unheard of illness. It frightened her, especially when she had no hope of covering the cost of the medical bills. As an assistant teacher, she couldn't afford to keep her mom in the hospital.
But then Lady Akemi had reached out to her, giving her an opportunity of a lifetime. An unimaginable boon that she had no desire to turn away. Even if it meant accompanying the generous woman in isolation, she'd do it. So far it hadn't been bad, either.
Her knuckles rapped against the door, waiting patiently for entry. She didn't wait long at all as the door creaked open, the familiar purple of her benefactor peering through the crack similar to how she did yesterday at the front door. It was cute, in a way. Like a cat peaking over a box. Madoka smiled at her employer, hands folding in front of her skirt as she gave a curt bow. "May I come in, my lady?"
"Of course," Lady Akemi replied, "You are always welcome here, Miss Kaname."
She opened the door fully, allowing Madoka to walk in past her. Her eyes looked at the collection of items in the room - from an old globe to a crossbow strung up on the far wall. A bookshelf stood proud next to her desk, which was littered with an array of papers and inks. Vials of some red fluid lay on one corner of the desk, a wine glass holding similar liquid lying within her lady's grip.
Her gaze lifted to the woman's lips, coated in the same vicious red. It matched the black of her hair and the pale of her skin perfectly; a gothic ensemble that suited the woman like scales on a lizard. Her Victorian-style clothing sold the image - the poofy white blouse, stainless as the day it was created, giving her the true image of nobility.
It made her think of her own wardrobe; so bland and empty of personality. A pink hoodie told little to the fine articles that Lady Akemi wore. "Where would you like me to start?" She asked, her eyes returning to the room before they lingered too long.
She shivered as a breeze of cold air brushed over her neck, her hand coming up to rub the spot gingerly. She looked up and spotted a vent, causing her to step slightly to the left. This outfit was not made for the cold! It explained her lady's cold touch, at least. "You may start wherever you please, sweet Madoka. It would do you no good to have me hold your hand throughout the process, now wouldn't it?"
Her mind shouldn't have stayed on the idea of her holding hands with the refined lady as much as it did. She coughed, doing her best to cover the likely blush on her cheeks. "Y-Yes, you're right," she mumbled, scurrying to begin dusting the globe she saw earlier. It should be simple and familiar, just like the one she had in the classroom!
Alas, even something as formula as a globe in the hands of Lady Akemi would not remain as such. On it were various continents and countries she had never seen on any globe - Hyperborea right on the north, Transylvania (isn't that supposed to be a region in Romania?) in Europe next to Poland, Atlantis located in the Atlantic. Agartha was written by a hole in the center of Antarctica, confounding her further.
"Interested, are you?" Lady Akemi purred behind her, spooking Madoka enough to jump on the spot. The woman laughed softly, the melodious tune helping calm her down just as quickly as she panicked. "I apologize, darling. I didn't expect you to be so absorbed in the globe."
"It's fine," Madoka reassured. "I was an assistant history teacher before you hired me, my lady. I've… Never seen a globe that has these places."
"Yes, well, they're not exactly common," her lady said, a smirk tugging on her lips. "Otherwise I would not collect it."
"Hehe… Yeah, I suppose."
"Are you interested?" Madoka blinked, taken back by the question, before remembering she was asked it once before.
She nodded, her fingers twiddling in front of her. "I guess I am. I've heard of stories of Atlantis as a child and Transylvania is pretty popular in movies. I've never heard of Hyperborea or Agartha, though…"
"Ancient myths. Places that, by all official accounts, don't exist," Lady Akemi said, answering her unasked questions. She placed a hand on the globe, her thumb rubbing over its surface. Madoka focused on her nails - so fine, yet missing the usual pink tint her own have. "I'm inclined to think differently. All myths have a basis in fact. You'd be surprised how many legends, no matter how fantastical, are true."
"I'm sure," Madoka responded, nodding her agreement. "The Legend of King Arthur is debated in scholar circles for its accuracy and origins. Most agree it's just a story, but even then they accept the possibility of real-life inspiration."
The woman's smirk came back as her eyes locked onto her, the purple sparkling like a gem. "Indeed. I'm of the circle who believes it to be true."
"You think King Arthur actually lived?"
"Oh, no. I know he did."
Madoka pursed her lips in thought, her eyes turning to the globe to escape the intense stare of her lady. "How can you be sure? It was so long ago that it's difficult to be sure of anything."
The lady hummed, a long moment passing as her thumb rubbed over England. "Call it an explorer's intuition."
"I see…"
She really didn't, but she wasn't about to dispute her employer's beliefs. Who was she to argue anyway? Her area of expertise isn't with Britain. Some of her studies involved it, like with King Arthur, but those focused more on the magic involved.
"Forgive me, I didn't mean to distract you, my dear," Lady Akemi apologized, backing off with a beautiful smile. "Allow me to get out of your hair. If you have any questions or concerns, I'll be right over there." She went back to her desk, her wine glass lifting up to her lips as she took her seat.
Cleaning went by quickly after that. Her study was meticulously taken care of despite the absence of a caretaker. Likely, Lady Akemi cleaned it herself, refusing to huddle in a room filled with dust. Interesting, considering her personal quarters were a stark opposite. Madoka kicked her shoes off as she fell back onto her bed, a breath of relief escaping her while she stared at the ceiling.
As interesting as the job was, it killed her feet! She was not used to walking around in anything but tennis shoes, even when she worked at the school. Let it not be said that Madoka Kaname enjoyed heels. She sat up and undid her corset, removing the item along with the rest of her maid uniform, a frown marring her face as she stared at it.
Technically, she supposed she was a maid. It just felt… Demeaning to be in the position. Serving Lady Akemi was a joy so far, she was far from having a bad time, and the pay was phenomenal, but it was the principle of the matter. She sighed and laid back down, sinking deep into the comfortable mattress.
Well, it was for her mom. For her dad and little brother. She'd accept her position with a smile on her face if it meant they got taken care of.
With that, Madoka closed her eyes, her breath steadying as she fell asleep.
Forgot I wrote lol
Let's hope I can finish this one! Shouldn't be a long one.