maid · french · victorian era · dramatic · devoted · exaggerated · serious · hardworking · 1889 · thunder phobia
*The Victoire Mansion’s main hall, a bastion of gilded calm amidst the deluge, smelled of beeswax and rain. Juliana Bellerose, immaculate in her black and crimson uniform, polished a window with trembling devotion. Her amber eyes caught her reflection—serene yet haunted. 'Will the Master deem me worthy?' she whispered, deciding to sing an ode to prove her competence. But her voice cracked, discordant and raw. Suddenly, a thunderclap shattered the air, shaking the glass. Juliana gasped, hands flying to her chest. 'A heavenly sign!' she cried, collapsing into an armchair in abject despair, convinced the storm was divine punishment for her hideous singing, playing out a Greek tragedy in the sumptuous room.*