全身で「脱力しましたッ！！」と表現するするようにぐったりとソファに沈み込むランを見て、コルは苦笑を堪えられずにいた。
　無理もない。何も知らされぬまま連れてこられ、道中いたずらに神経をすり減らしていたところに、屋敷へ到着して早々居並ぶ人外メイドに驚いたと思えば、エルザの「歓迎してやれ！」の一言でそのメイド達にもみくちゃにされ、今さっきようやっと解放されたばかりなのだ。
　シュトラヘルツ家のメイド達の歓迎は、そりゃあ盛大なものだった。しかも、なまじ様々な種が揃った人外メイド達であるが故、歓迎の表現もまた様々だったのだ。
　ハグされたり甘噛みされたり舐め回されたり頬擦りされたり丸呑みされたり縛り上げられたり簀巻きにされたりつつき回されたり刺し殺されそうになったり得体の知れない液体をかけられたり体当たりされたり金縛りにされたりして、自分が幽霊な事を思い出し幽体になって逃げ出すまで実に１時間もの間、メイド達の歓待を拒否権も無く受ける羽目になり、義姉はその様を見て腹を抱えてケタケタと笑い転げていたので頭上で実体化して脳天に肘をブチ込んでおいた。今はランとテーブルを挟んで反対側のソファで白目を剥いている。ものの見事に腫れ上がったたんこぶに氷嚢を乗せ、何故か「シェー」のポーズで寝かされたその滑稽な姿は、世の芸術家達がこぞって作品にしたがるであろうなんとも絶妙なバランスだった。
（突然現れた、どこの馬の骨とも解らない主の義理の妹なのに、そんな私を快く受け入れてくれた…のは嬉しいんだけど、みんな激しすぎだよ…）
　幽霊なのに今にも口から魂が抜けそうだ。取り敢えず、ゾンビの甘噛みが一番怖かった事をここに記しておく。
（もし、腰から膝までが実体化できてたら…漏らしてたわ！）
　くわっと目を見開き、無意味に自信を持ってそう思うランであった。

「あの子達をお許し下さいませ。小お嬢様があまりにも愛らしくていらっしゃるので、少々…その、理性が飛んだといいますか」
「あぁ～…いえ、気にしてませんから。大丈夫です」
　気怠そうに答えつつ身を起こしたランだったが、ほんのりと頬が赤く染まっていた。例えお世辞であろうと直球で愛らしいなどと言われれば照れもする。それに、あの大騒ぎが強制されたものでも、まして悪戯でも嫌がらせでもない事は渦中の人であった自分には良く判っているから、愛らしくてというのがそうなった原因ともなれば余計に恥ずかしい。それを言ってほしい人はいるけれど、本当にそう言われたら…今より照れてしまうだろうか。考えただけで見る間に顔が上気していく。
　頬に手を当て小さく身悶えするランを見て、コルはメイド達に自制を強く促さなければ、と誓った。でなければ顔を合わす度に小お嬢様はメイド達に飛び掛かられてしまう。特に人外の多いシュトラヘルツ家のメイド達は本来の姿が異形である者が数多く、故に小さくて可愛いものに目が無い。つまり彼女達の好みにドンピシャなこの少女にとって非常に危険が危ないのである。だって、ああほら、上気した頬に負けないくらい赤い瞳が潤んできて、かと思えばきゅっと目を閉じて足を小さくパタパタさせて、うん、駄目だ、こんなの若い子達じゃ耐えられない、可愛い。エルザの飄々としながらも茶目っ気たっぷりな魅力とは違う、思わず抱きしめたくなる人形のような愛くるしさと、物静かでありながら義姉に容赦を一切捨てたツッコミをかませるアグレッシヴさ、静と動の魅力を併せ持つ乙女は、さながら適齢期のボーダーが間近に迫る未婚女性の集団の中に投げ込まれたブーケにも等しい。煌びやかなドレスで着飾った女性の、名バスケ選手も真っ青なエアウォークを拝んだのは、後にも先にもあれくらいなものである。つまり、それくらい可愛いものに飢えているのだ。
「なんだか次から次へとメイドさん達の間をたらい回しにされたけど、思い返してみれば同じ人には当たらなかったなぁ…コルさん、ここは何人くらいメイドさんが働いてるんですか？」
「メイドの数でしたら、私を含め３８名でございます。研修生も含めますと５２名になります」
「そんなに！？」
「私も確かに多過ぎかと思うのですが…実はここにいる人外の者達の殆どが、過去お嬢様に拾われた者達でして。お嬢様ご自身は働き手の確保という名目で、人間との付き合い方と世界と人間社会の在り様を教え、自分で生きていける術を身に付けるまで保護するおつもりだったらしいのですが、居心地が良いのかお嬢様に入れ込んでしまったのか、そのまま居着いてお嬢様にお仕えする事を望む者が続出し、お嬢様も構わず雇い入れてしまうので、年々メイドの数が増加していったのです。小お嬢様もご存知のミフィなど、その典型のようなものですね。彼女は人間ですけれど」
　なんとなく解るような気がした。普段のエルザが性欲の塊みたいでいい加減で掴み処がなくてちゃらんぽらんなのは、いうなれば当主（あるいは伝説に語られる魔法使い）という立場にいる自分を、近寄り難い存在ではなく、他者が親しみ易い存在とする為に、わざと地を隠さず道化である事を良しとしているからなのだと、ランは推測している。ラン自身、これまでそんな道化の顔をしたエルザに振り回され呆れる事など多々あったが、同時に広い包容力を以て優しさと深い愛情が惜しみなく注がれている事に気付いていたし、周囲にいる一癖も二癖もある者達がエルザを慕っているのも、その推測を裏付ける証でもあった。
　自分を含めて、皆エルザに信頼を寄せている。おそらくはここに居残った者達もそうなのだろう。
「研修生がいるのは、お嬢様が行っていた教育と保護を現在はメイド養成学校に一任し、代わりに卒業試験として行う実地研修に、当家が場所を提供しているからですわ。これほど広い敷地を遊ばせておくのは勿体無いと、お嬢様が申されたのもございますが。もっとも、国連退魔機関が人外の者に教育を施す目的で設立した養成学校ですので、これは『我々の世界』を知っている当家のような家に限られます。なお、お給料もちゃんと出しますし、衣食住完備。世界でも我が国が一番待遇が良いらしいですわ」
「そうなんですか？」
「退魔機関本部のある日本ですら、研修は設備で行い、お給料は出ないと聞き及んでおります」
「…ぅ～わあ…」
　現代のメイドは高給取りと言われている裏で、そんな苦労があるなどとは知らなかった。言われてみれば、隣の古道具屋に住む金髪の方のメイドは、働き口が見付からないという知り合いのメイドに度々食事を奢っているらしい、と聞いた事もある。現代社会に生きる妖怪達の花形職であるメイドの光と影を知ってしまった気分だ。

「そう言うコルさんも、妖怪なんですか？飛行機の中で話してた時に『持ち主だった方々』って言ってたけど…」
「ヨウカイ？ふむん…」
　その問いにしばし考え、
「そうですね、シュトラヘルツ家に仕えるメイド達は国柄、モンスターが多ございますけれど、私はどちらかといえば日本のヨウカイ、確かツクモガミでしたか、そちらに分類されるのでしょう」
　と答えたコルは、目を細め「うふふ」と意味深に笑い、指でランの唇をちょんと突くと、ウィンクした。
「ですが、私の正体は内緒という事にさせて下さいませ。あまり胸を張って言えるものではございませんので」
「は、はい…」
「それと、私共に対して畏まる必要はございませんわ。いきなりお嬢様のように主ぶれというのは難しいかもしれませんが、私共はお嬢様方のメイドなのですし、私共を使う事にお慣れ下さいまし。私を含め、メイドというのはそれが仕事であり務めでございます。そして、お嬢様方にお仕えさせて頂いている事が何よりの誇りでございますから」
「はい…じゃなくて、その…うん…。で、できるかなぁ」
「徐々にで構いませんわ。最終的にはこう、『足をお舐めメス犬！』とか…」
「するかぁッ！！」
　流石にそこまでは行き過ぎ、と思うよりも先に、犬耳と翼を持つ自称ペットな泥棒犬（赤い）を思い浮かべてしまい、いずれ訪れる可能性が無いとも言い切れない妖しげな未来のビジョンを、頭を振って振り払う。そんな未来は断固として回避すべきだ。最愛の友人の為にも、本人の為にも。
「ただでさえ不安要素があるんだから、それを助長させないで！ＮＯバター！ＮＯメス犬！！」
　ジョークでランをリラックスさせるつもりが意外にもエキサイティングさせてしまい、小お嬢様の前でメス犬はＮＧ、と心に刻み込む。…バターはどこから出てきたんだろう？
　疑問をひとまず頭の片隅に追いやり、コルはじたばたと暴れるランの両肩に手を乗せ落ち着かせると、それまで微笑みを絶やさなかった顔を引き締めた。
「ともかくです、小お嬢様。日本ではあまり知られていないようですが、シュトラヘルツという名は、それだけでステイタスと成り得ます。お嬢様のご家族となられたからには、その事だけはご自覚なさいますよう」
「う、うん…」
「ですが特に心構えも肩肘を張る必要も、お嬢様を見てお解り頂けます通り、一切ございませんよ。ただ、ご自分がシュトラヘルツであるという事実を、どうか覚え置き下さいませ。何せ小お嬢様は既にお嬢様の妹というだけで価値のある身、歩く身代金なのですから」
「そういう言い方はやめて！？」
　エルザが読んでいた漫画の主人公のような、栗みたいな頭の赤い丸ほっぺと一緒にしないでほしい。自分は耳から砂金なんて出ないし亀にも乗らない。…スカートの中から色々出せるけれど。甘いお菓子とか危なげな黒い霧とか。
「だからという訳でもございませんが、こちらにご滞在の間、小お嬢様の身の回りの世話をさせて頂くメイドを一人、お付けいたします」
「つまり身辺警護？」
　そんな大袈裟な…とも思うが、コルの目は真剣そのものだ。これまでに、そういった輩による企てが幾度もあったのだろう、と察するには十分だった。もっとも、それがどこまで本気なのかは正直微妙なところでもあった。真面目な顔して阿呆をやらかす人物が周りに指折り数えられるほど居る所為で判断に困る。
「不本意でしょうが、万一に備えてでございます。我等シュトラヘルツのメイドは護衛メイドを兼ねております故、お嬢様方をお護りする為に鉄壁の防衛陣を布いておりますし、お嬢様が設置した防衛システムもございますので、余程の事が無ければお嬢様方のお手を煩わせる事は無いと自負しておりますが、鉄壁と言えど完璧ではございませんので…」
「…その防衛システムって、例えばどんなの？」
　ちなみに隣の古道具屋には、金ダライやら中身入りの一斗缶やらが脳天を狙って落ちてくる防犯トラップが仕掛けてある、と聞いた事がある。それを仕掛けたのは義姉の弟子だが、まさかこの広い屋敷でそんな冗談じみたトラップは仕掛けまい。最新のセキュリティでも設置してあるのかと思いきや、
「侵入者を大気圏外に転送するテレポーター、亡者の群れが侵入者を引きずり込む冥界直通のフィールド・トラップ、中に入るとそこは影の獣の口の中というルーム・トラップ等が主ですね。他にも鏡の悪魔やドア・イミテーター、アニメ―テッド・オブジェクト等、実体や人間体を持たずメイドの資格を取れない者が担当している場合もございます」
「…………」
　警告、撃退、捕縛という、おおよそ防衛らしい概念を一切合切スッ飛ばした即死系トラップな分、余計質が悪かった。聞かなきゃよかった。

「ああ、話が逸れてしまいました、小お嬢さまお付きのメイドのお話でしたね。一応私の方で候補を挙げておりますが…ご自分でお選びになられます？」
「…う、うん…その、できれば見習いの人とかが…いいな…」
「見習いでよろしいのですか？しかし、彼女達はまだ未熟で、満足なお世話は…」
「ううん、見習いの人で良いの」
　この屋敷に、というよりもシュトラヘルツ家に染まっていないメイドなら、一種異様な趣味趣向も激しい愛情表現も無く、付き添われてもまだしも気は楽だろうと思っての提案だった。決して、あの歓迎が原因でこの家のメイドに不安を抱えたからではない。多分。
「成程。小お嬢様自らが敢えて未熟な者に身の回りの世話をさせる事で、メイドとしての自覚を持たせると共に心構えを教え、一人前に鍛え上げようというのですね。流石はお嬢様が迎え入れた方だけありますね…感服いたしました」
（な、なんか壮大な誤解をされた上に感心されちゃった…まぁいいや、そういう事にしておこう）
　そうして頷くでもなく首を振るでもなく曖昧に誤魔化していると、コルは微笑を浮かべ右手を動かした。すっと肘を曲げて上がったその手には、いつの間にかリボルバー拳銃が握られていた。
　自然な動作だったのでつい見逃しかけたが、直前まで何も持っていなかったにのに、だ。
「！？」
「でしたら、丁度お嬢様のご要望通りのメイドがおりますわ。”ドアの向こう”に」
　廊下で慌てたような小さな悲鳴が上がったのと、早撃ちの要領で動いたコルの手元で乾いた音が響いたのはほぼ同時だった。瞬間、それまで横たわっていたエルザが跳ね起きソファから飛び上がると、テーブルを飛び越えコルと自分の背中でランを守るように着地し、これまでランに見せた事のない鋭い眼光で周囲を見渡しながら、切迫した様子でコルに声をかける。
「コル、状況を報告せよ！何者が攻め入ってきおったのか！」
「いえその、申し訳ございませんお嬢様、な、なんと言いますか、あのう、ちょっとしたお仕置きでございます」
「はん？」
　エルザの顎がかくんと落ち、あははー、とコルが苦笑する。その間で、まずどっちに驚けばいいのか解らず混乱するランが喉の奥で呻くと、気付かぬ程度に開いていたドアがゆっくりと開き、一人のメイドが部屋の中に倒れ込んできた。

With an expression of "I'm exhausted!!" all over her body, Ran collapsed into the sofa. Col, seeing this, couldn't help put give a wry smile.
It's only natural. Being brought along without knowing anything, and having her mental state worn down along the way, arriving at a mansion, and then immediately being surprised by rows of non-human maids... And then at Elza's command of "Let's welcome her!", the maids crowded around her, and she had finished getting free of them just now.
The welcome of the maids of the Schtlehertz family was a tremendous affair. Also, as there were a large variety of non-human maids, the ways they welcomed her were also varied.
She was hugged, nibbled, licked, cheek-rubbed, swallowed, restrained, wrapped up, poked, about to be stabbed, covered in some unknown liquid, collided with, and bound. Her plight of being unable to refuse the maids' welcome lasted for an hour, until she remembered that she was a ghost, and turned her body ghostly and escaped. During that time, her stepsister was watching this, holding her stomach and roaring with laughter. Ran then materialized an elbow above her and smacked her right on the head. Now, Ran was on the sofa on the opposite side of the table, looking at her with cold eyes. Putting a bag of ice on the magnificent bump that was swelling up, she made a ridiculous ""sheeh pose as she rested, the likes of which had a strange balance that all the artists of the world would like to put in their works.
"Even though she suddenly appeared as a mysterious master from parts unknown, and my stepsister, she gladly accepted me... I'm happy about that, but everyone is too zealous..."
Even though she was a ghost, she looked as though her spirit was about to come out of her mouth. In any case, she now remembered the scariest thing, the nibbling by the zombie.
"I might have had an accident, if the part between my waist and legs could materialize!" Ran thought, as she opened her eyes and meaninglessly gained self-confidence.

"Please forgive those girls. Little mistress, you were so cute, so they were slightly... I guess you could say they lost their sense."
"Ah~ ...No, I don't mind. I'm okay," Ran replied tiredly, as she sat up, but her cheeks were slightly red. When she got praised and called cute, she got embarrassed. Also, she was forced into that revelry, and even though it was a joke, she understood even as the eye of that person storm, it wasn't done to hurt her, so even if being called cute wasn't the reason for blushing, it was still plenty embarrassing. There were some who wanted to say that, but when she was actually told that... She got even more embarrassed. Even as she was just thinking this, her face got even redder.
Seeing Ran put her hands on her own cheeks and her small body become listless, Col made the maids promise to have more self-restraint. If she hadn't, each time the maids would see the little mistress, they would have thrown themselves at her. This was especially so among the many non-human maids of the Schtlehertz family, many of whom did not have normal bodies and liked small cute things. Basically, she was the picture-perfect girl that they liked, and so was in great danger. So, as though they didn't want to lose to her reddening cheeks, her red eyes got teary, and she shut her them and swung her tiny legs around. Yeah, it's no use, little girls like her, can't take it anymore, she's so cute. Unlike Elza's high class and playful charm, she was like a lovely doll that you'd instinctively want to hold tight, and her silence and her aggressive, all-out tsukkomi against her stepsister, her charm in both silence and movement, all made her like a bouquet thrown into a group of unmarried women who were about to reach marriagable age. Like a woman wearing a wonderful dress, like watching a famous basketball player's air walk, she was like that through and through. Basically, they were starving for someone cute like her.
"It's like I was being passed around from one maid to the next, but now what I think about it, I never saw the same person twice... Col-san, how many maids work here?"
"In terms of the number of maids, including myself, there are 38. If you include the maids who are still in training, then it's 52."
"What!?"
"I think that it's too many as well, but... actually, most of the non-humans were ones that the mistress took in in the past. The mistress personally cared for her workers and taught them how to interact with humans, the world, and human society. Until they had the skills to make it on their own, she would protect them. Maybe because they were comfortable here, or maybe because she was so good to them, more and more of them wished to stay here and serve the mistress. And she didn't mind, and hired them, and over the years, the number of maids increased. Little mistress, you know about Mifi, and she falls into that mold. Although she's a human."
Somehow, she felt like she understood. Normally, Elza was a like a blob of sexual desire with a very slippery and happy-go-lucky personality, so it seemed, but as the mistress (and possibly, a wizard of legend), she was not someone who was hard to get close to, and she was friendly to others, so her straightforward and playful nature was a good thing, Ran guessed. Ran herself had been surprised by Elza's playfulness many times, but at the same time, she realized that she had a large tolerance, kindness, and deep affection that she poured on her. All the strange people around them cared for Elza deeply, and this was proof that supported her guess.
Everyone, including herself, had faith in Elza. And the ones who stayed behind here probably did as well.
"There are some in training, and the education and guardianship that the mistress did was now being entrusted to the maid training school. In exchange, as their graduation exam, they have to do actual work, and this household is one of the places that allows them to do this. The mistress said that it's such a waste when there's such a large place to play here. In addition, the UN anti-demon organization also founded a training school with the goal of educating non-humans, so families such as ours who know about "our world" are limited. Also, we pay the maids, and they have everything that they need to live. Our land is the most welcoming in the entire world."
"Is that so?"
"I've heard that even in Japan, which has the headquarters of the anti-demon organization, when you go to one of the training facilities, you don't get paid."
"...Wah..."
She didn't know about these hidden troubles maids have, since she'd just heard that maids these days have high wages. Now that she thought about it, she'd heard that the blonde maid who lived at the antique shop next door often paid for the meals of other maids who couldn't find work. She felt that she now knew both sides of youkai who worked for modern companies in the glamourous job of maid.

"So, Col-san, are you a youkai too? When we were talking in the airplane, you said 'previous owners'..."
"Youkai? Hmmm..."
After thinking about the question for a bit, "Yes, the maids who serve the Schtlehertz family are mostly local legends or monsters, but if I had to say what I was, I'd be classified as a Japanese youkai, a tsukumogami," Col answered. Closing her eyes, she gave a meaningful laugh of "ufufu", poked Ran's lips with her finger, and winked.
"However, please let me keep my true form a secret. It's not something I can say proudly."
"A-all right..."
"Also, there's no need to be so formal with us. It might be difficult to suddenly pretend to be in charge, like the mistress, but we are your maids, and please make use of us. The job of a maid is to serve, including myself. So there is nothing more satisfying than for us to serve our mistresses."
"Yes...I mean, uh...um...I, I guess I can."
"It's fine if you take your time. Eventually, you'll be saying things like 'Lick my feet, you bitch!'..."
"No way I can do that!!"
Even before she thought that that was too far, the image came to mind of that (red) thieving dog, the with dog ears and wings who called herself a pet. She had a strange vision of a future where it wouldn't be impossible for it come to that, and she shook her head, trying to clear it. She had to avoid that future. For the sake of her beloved friend, and for her own sake.
"That would be worrying no matter what, so don't try to help me get there! No butter! No bitch!!"
She had meant it as a joke to calm Ran down, but it had unexpectedly got her excited, so she made a note not to say "bitch" in front of the little mistress. .... But where did "butter" come from?
Pushing the question into a corner of her brain, Col placed her hands on the flailing Ran's shoulders to calm her down. Her still-smiling face hardened.
"Anyway, little mistress. Although it doesn't seem well known in Japan, just your Schtlehertz name alone gives you high status. You are part of the mistress's family, so be aware of at least that."
"O-Okay..."
"However, there's no need for you to prepare yourself or get riled up. Just observe the mistress. Just please keep in mind that you are a Schtlehertz. Just being the mistress's younger sister, you are valuable as a walking ransom demand."
"Don't put it like that!!"
She didn't want to be lumped together with the main character in the manga that Elza was reading, who had a chestnut-like face and red cheeks. She didn't have gold dust coming out from her ears and she didn't ride on a turtle.... She could bring forth things from under her skirt, though. Like sweet candy or a dangerous black mist.
"So, I'm sorry to say, while you are staying here, you will have one maid following and protecting you, little mistress."
"So, a personal bodyguard?"
"That's an exaggeration..." she thought, but Col's eyes were serious. Just thinking about how many times this had happened before due to those kinds of people was enough. In any case, it was honestly a delicate situation to tell how serious she was. She knew few enough people who could do this sort of deadpan comedy to count them on her fingers, so she was worried about being able to tell.
"I can see you're reluctant, but we have to be prepared for anything. We, the Schtlehertz maids, are also guard maids, so to protect you mistresses, we take up a defensive formation like an ironclad fortress. And there's the defensive system that the mistress set up, so I'm proud to say that as long as there's no major incident, it shouldn't affect you at all. But even though I said it's ironclad, it's not perfect..."
".... Can you give me examples of this defensive system?"
Incidentally, she'd heard that the antiques store next door had an anti-theft trap set which dropped metal basins or filled 18-liter drums on top of one's head. Her stepsister's apprentice had installed that, but she didn't actually believe that such joke traps would be laid in around this huge mansion. She thought that the most modern security systems would be installed, but...
"The main ones are a teleporter that transmits intruders into high orbit, a field trap in which groups of undead pull intruders straight to Hell, and a room trap in which those who enter find themselves inside the mouth of a shadow beast. Others include a mirror demon, a door mimic, animated objects and so on. These are overseen by those who cannot gain maid certification because they lack physical or humanoid bodies."
"..."
The excessive ratio of instant-death traps, which completely blew away roughly defensive concepts of "warn", "repel", and "capture", was horrible. She wished she hadn't asked.

"Ah, we got off track. We were talking about the little mistress' attending maid. I can nominate a candidate for you, but... Would you like to choose one yourself?"
"...O, Ok... Ummm, if it's possible, I'd like... one in training..."
"You'd like one in training? However, they are still inexperienced, and may not be able to sufficiently..."
"Yes, one in training."
She made the suggestion thinking that she would beel more at ease by being attended by a maid that hasn't been tainted by the Schtlehertz family, and also that doesn't have a violent way of showing their love. Definitely, that welcome was the reason why she felt uneasy around the maids, wasn't it. Probably.
"I understand. Little mistress, you chose to put yourself in the care of a trainee bodyguard so you can teach them about having the self-awareness and preparation of being a maid, and train them as they become a full fledged one. As expected of one whom the mistress has taken in... I'm impressed."
(N, not only is there a huge misunderstanding, but she's praising me... Well, whatever, I'll ignore it.)
And then, without nodding or shaking her head, she gave a purposefully vague response, and Col smiled and moved her right hand. She bent her elbow up, and suddenly she was holding a revolver.
It was a natural motion, so she unconsciously didn't notice, but she didn't have anything in her hand right before that.
"!?"
"In that case, this is perfect timing. There are the maids that you desired here. 'On the other side of the door.'"
There was some slight complaining in the hallway. As Col aimed, a sharp sound echoed at the same time due to Col's action. In an instant, Elza, who had been lying down, jumped off the sofa, flew over the table, and landed so that Ran was behind her, protected by Col and herself. With a sharp glance around that Ran had never seen before, she tensely said to Col.
"Col, what's the situation! Who's broken in!"
"No, um, I'm terribly sorry mistress, how should I say it, this is um, just a little punishment."
"Huh?"
Elza's jaw dropped, and with a ahaha, Col gave a dry laugh. Ran was confused, not sure which she should be surprised at. During this time, as a groan came from within Ran's throat, the door was slowly opening without anyone realizing it, and a maid collapsed into the room.