Dark clouds covered the night sky, threatening with rain but never following through. The world was coloured in a gloomy darkness that was headed to engulf it all.
On such a dark and gloomy day, a cloaked figure stood before the massive mansion with a bundle of clothes in their hand. They knocked at the door and left the bundle of clothes on the door.
The cloaked figure backed out before snapping their fingers and disappearing into the background.
The maid who opened the door to check on the guest looked confused for a full minute. She looked around but found no one in front of her. So, she decided to look around to see if anyone was around or not.
Her feet collided with the bundle left outside the door, and she almost crushed the bundle with her weight.
Thankfully, her fast reflexes helped her out, and she somehow managed to dodge the bundle. Her elbow hurt, and the maid made an angry expression.
"Who the fuck left a bundle out in front of the master's door like this on this bloody night? I ought to teach them a lesson or two about discipline."
The maid raged as she picked up the bundle carelessly. It was heavier than it looked, and the maid suddenly felt suspicious of what she held in her hand. She finally opened the bundle and felt a scream escape her throat.
The loud noise attracted the other maid's attention, and they also came running outside.
"What is it, Emily? You need to stop screaming, or you will wake up, little miss. We just got her to fall asleep and…what are you holding in your arms?"
The other maids made their way toward the loud noise as well. They sounded agitated at being disturbed, but their tone changed the second they noticed a bundle in Emily's arms.
"T-This! I do not know what this is. I-I opened the door and found this child outside. D-Do you think it's dead?"
Emily asked as she held the child in her arms. She looked too scared to even look at the child, never mind touching it to confirm whether it was alive.
The other maids looked at each other with concerned faces as they also noticed the child. But no one wanted to be the first to confirm what Emily should do with the child.
While the maids were trying to find a solution, the couple who owned this house arrived at the door.
The master, standing before the door, watched the maids run around like headless chickens for a single minute before he couched. It caused everyone to turn and look at him with awkward expressions.
"What is going on here? Is someone willing to explain why you all are standing in front of the door like this? And what is that in your arms?"
The mistress of the house asked the question with a curious voice. She knew her husband well and knew that he would never speak if it were not necessary.
Hence, the responsibility of talking and asking questions fell on her shoulders. And she gladly did her part, questioning the maids.
The poor maids were left with no choice but to answer her questions. They looked at each other, deciding who would be the sacrificial lamb to answer their mistress's question.
In the end, Emily decided to step forward (forced to step forward. The maid shook in her boots as she presented the bundle in her arms toward the couple.
"M-Master, M-Mistress, someone left a child at our doors. I-I do not know what to do with this child. What do you suggest?"
Emily asked as she looked down. She had not looked at the kid well, but she was sure their mistress would be kind.
As a mother of two children, she had a kind and soft spot for kids. Her younger daughter looked the same age as the kid Emily held in her hand.
So, they were sure their mistress would treat this kid with love and arrange something for this kid's future. But despite that notion, there was a sudden and unexplainable fear in Emily's heart.
"Oh my! A kid was abandoned in front of our doors in such bad weather? I will need to do something about it. Here, let me hold the kid for now."
As expected, the miss extended her arms, and Emily placed the kid in hers. Their mistress, Lady Chlorance, took the bundle carefully and smiled at the child.
She looked at the kid, and all the happiness from her face drained instantly as soon as she noticed the kid's familiar features.
All the servants flinched in the same manner, their eyes looking down while their bodies shook due to the terrifying aura their miss had.
"What is wrong, wife? You went still suddenly. Is everything alright?"
The master of the house asked his wife, but all he got back was a terrifying silence for his words. Sherry, the mistress of this house, had been an oblivious and happy lady before this day.
But today, she had gotten the biggest shock of her life.
"Rocx, did you cheat on me? You know I love you and would accept most of what you do. But cheating is one thing I will never accept. Not from you and nor from anyone. So how dare you do this to me."
Sherry asked with a terrifying voice. Her face was one no one could look at without a trembling expression. Even the bravest maids who stood by Sherry's side did not dare move or speak to her.
"Sherry, what are you saying? You know I love you and would never cheat on you. I even took a vow to never be astray from you and-"
"Then how do you explain this? This kid… you say she has nothing to do with you? As far as I know, you have no siblings or extended family who share your powers and special features. Then where did this kid come from?"
Sherry held the child out in the open for everyone to see. The child was still asleep, but the one thing they all noticed was her green hair, which resembled Rocx's. The gasp that escaped the head maid instantly made Sherry glare at the elder.
In the current timeline, one's hair colour signifies a lot. And the green hair was proof of the Chlorance family. No ordinary person could have this hair colour under normal circumstances.
Especially not someone whose magic resembled her husband's so greatly. If anything, Sherry was sure that this kid had purer magic compared to her husband. There was no way this child was a commoner or born out of a commoner.
Magic would not allow a commoner to be born with this hair colour or this magic. And even if any commoners were born with this hair colour, it miraculously changed a few days after birth.
That was how someone could tell who the Chlorance family heir was without any mistake.
"I…this is…I do not know how this happened, but I can swear an oath on my power that I did not betray you. This baby is not mine. Here, I will even do it for you."
Rocx used his power to swear an oath, and nothing happened to him. It was clear that he was telling the truth this time.
But Sherry could not be herself to trust his words and actions. She could not believe this child had nothing to do with her husband.
In her anger and agitation, Sherry did one thing she would never have otherwise done. She dropped the kid, and only Emily's proximity and fast reflexes allowed her to catch the kid in time.
"You! How dare you save the life of such a filthy child. Do you want to die?"
Sherry asked as she glared at Emily. Emily cursed her body for betraying her like this and making a split-second decision. Her body shivered, and her throat closed in fear.
'I-I need to say something, or I will be abandoned. I need to plead that I am not guilty and it was an accident. Should I drop the baby now and…'
"Never mind, you made the right decision by saving this kid's life. It doesn't matter if my husband says this child is his; we cannot kill it now. This child has the signature hair of the Chlorance family, and it would be troublesome if the truth came out."
"Besides, none of our children inherited the proof of our family legacy, so that we will need an excuse. The appearance of this child is the perfect proof."
"Since this child does not have a mother, we can make all kinds of excuses about how it came to be. We can say that the mother drugged or forced you and then saddled you with the kid once she knew you would not leave me."
Sherry would never have suggested these things if she had been her usual self. But her husband's betrayal had salted her mood, and she could not think clearly.
Rocx found the excuse weak but was unwilling to open his mouth before his wife. She was already angry with him, and he did not want to sour his relationship with her.
Furthermore, no matter how much he denied it or tried to remember if he had anyone else in his life, Rocx could not remember it. This kid had just ruined his marriage, and he did not even know it.
"Emily, you will be responsible for this kid from today. Hide it in the tower's basement and keep it alive. If we want our kids to inherit, we will need a way to extract its magic in the future."
Emily flinched and knew she had fallen out of favour with the couple before her. Being asked to look after an illegitimate child was the worst punishment a nanny like her could get.
She would need more resources and backing from the main family. And it was all this kid's fault in the end. Emily hated the kid already but could not do anything to harm it.
'What a gloomy day it is. Well, at least the clouds are reflecting my mood today.'