To begin my mission immediately, I started working—I couldn't stand being in that room for even a second.
I took charge of cleaning the west wing. Sophie had been bullied by a few people, and the rest treated her like she was invisible.
Let's see who dared to mess with Sophie.
I slowly made my way to the second-floor stairs, where a few maids were standing around chatting while others worked. Staying on the stairs was a bit risky, but I decided to take a gamble.
'Hey, you useless lot, how about paying some attention to me?'
To make sure I had their full focus, I 'accidentally' splashed some water.
"Pfft."
A few maids chuckled, but that wasn't enough.
"Not entertained yet, huh?" I smirked.
Without hesitation, I let myself slip on the water, making a dramatic fall—but not down the stairs, of course. I wasn't about to actually get hurt.
"What a loser," someone sneered.
I looked up, my maid's uniform now completely soaked, and locked eyes with the culprit.
"You're even more pathetic than Sophie."
Another scoffed. "At least Sophie had the brains to stay out of our way. You? You just look desperate."
"Maybe she thinks acting like a clown will make her important," another maid whispered loudly, followed by stifled laughter.
"Pathetic. First Sophie, now this idiot? What a joke."
Oh? So they had the guts to speak up? Good. That just made things more interesting.
Without warning, a bucket of ice-cold water crashed over me, drenching me from head to toe. A violent shiver ran through my body as the freezing liquid seeped into my clothes, chilling me to the bone.
"Pfft." A few maids snickered before breaking into laughter.
"Grab her," a voice ordered.
"Wha—what?" I stammered, my teeth chattering.
Before I could react, two maids seized my arms, their grips iron-tight, and dragged me up the stairs to the second floor.
"Let go—let go!" I struggled, my voice breaking, but my resistance only made them grip me tighter.
They forced me to my knees in front of a maid I hadn't met before, but I already knew her type. She stood with an air of arrogance, her lips curled into a smug smile as she looked down at me like I was nothing more than filth on the floor.
She sighed dramatically, tilting her head. "I really wanted to introduce myself properly, so I found a beautiful way to do it." Her smirk widened. "My name is Lila. Did you like my introduction?"
"Why are you doing this?" I asked, still shivering.
"Everyone who comes here must learn their place," Lila said coolly. "I hope you don't make the same mistake Sophie did."
I swallowed, my throat tight. "Why—why must I listen to you?" My voice cracked, and I loved how weak I sounded.
Lila's smile faded. In a swift motion, she grabbed a fistful of my wet hair and yanked my head back, forcing me to look at her. "You ask too many questions," she hissed.
Her nails dug into my scalp as she leaned in closer, her breath warm against my freezing skin. "Do you know what happened to Sophie? Because she refused to listen to me?"
She let out a small, almost sweet laugh. "I made her do all the work by herself. Never let her eat properly. One meal every two days—if she was lucky."
My stomach twisted.
"I kicked her out of the maid quarters and threw her into some abandoned room like the trash she was." She let go of my hair, and my head snapped forward, but I refused to let my face hit the ground.
Lila straightened up, looking down at me as if I were beneath her in every way. "Sophie was too stupid to understand the rules. And you?" She scoffed. "You're even worse."
I barely had time to process the words before she slapped me across the face—hard. A sharp, stinging pain spread across my cheek, the force of it making my head turn.
"Starting today, you'll be doing all the cleaning," she declared, turning to the others. "We'll be busy preparing for her welcome party, so she can handle everything alone."
She crouched down, her voice a whisper. "Make sure to come to my room at 10 a.m."
With that, the other maids snickered and followed Lila down the hallway, their laughter echoing until silence took over.
I watched them walk away, their faces twisted with amusement, their laughter echoing down the hall. They had their fun—for now.
I couldn't help but wonder—was this how Sophie felt? Kneeling here, shivering, humiliated, completely alone?
She never said a word to me. No warning. No silent plea. Nothing.
Did she truly not realize I would be their next target? Or did she know… and choose to stay silent anyway?
Or maybe… did she think that interfering would only ruin my plan? That stepping in would cause more trouble, so she stayed silent and let me handle it myself?
I slowly raised a hand to my burning cheek.
"Ah… that hurts."
I knew this feeling all too well—the feeling of being abandoned, of knowing no one would come to save me.
But they made a mistake.
'If they wanted obedience, they should've picked someone weaker.'
Lila and her three little lapdogs.
I smirked, my gaze shifting to the puddle of water on the floor.
"They think breaking me will be easy—just like Sophie. But they don't know one thing… I don't break. I bite."
Let's see how they handle what comes next.
---
"Call all the maids!" someone shouted.
The grand hall quickly filled as the maids hurried to gather, whispering among themselves.
The Countess descended gracefully from the second floor, a commanding presence even amidst the chaos. Her long, flowing blue hair shimmered under the grand chandelier's light, cascading down her back like a waterfall reflecting the sky at dusk. Every strand seemed to capture the brilliance of the ocean, shifting between deep sapphire and glacial ice with every step she took.
Her piercing blue eyes, reminiscent of a boundless summer sky, held a sharp, unwavering intensity. Yet, when the light hit them just right, they gleamed like the tranquil surface of the sea before a storm, holding both elegance and quiet power. Her features were delicate yet regal—high cheekbones, a refined nose, and full lips painted in a soft, natural hue, exuding both nobility and an effortless beauty that seemed almost untouchable.
Dressed in an exquisitely tailored gown of midnight blue, embroidered with silver threads that mimicked the constellations, she looked less like a noblewoman and more like a celestial queen descended to the mortal realm.
But as she moved forward, her heel suddenly slipped—she nearly lost her balance.
"Your Excellency!" The servants gasped in alarm.
A bodyguard reacted instantly, catching her arm and steadying her before she could fall.
Once she safely reached the first floor, her expression hardened. "Who dared—" she started, voice laced with fury—
But then, she noticed something strange.
The servants weren't looking at her anymore. Their gazes were fixed above, their mouths slightly open in shock.
Frowning, she followed their eyes—just in time to see her son on the verge of disaster.
"Mother, what's wrong—"
"Young Master, he slipped!" a servant screamed.
The Countess's breath caught. "Elias!"
From the second floor, Elias teetered dangerously over the edge, arms flailing as he tried to regain his balance.
"Mother! I'm falling!" he shouted in panic.
Without thinking, I lunged forward.
The moment he lost his footing and plummeted downward, I caught him midair—but the force of his fall dragged me down with him.
We crashed onto the marble floor, the impact jolting through my body.
Dazed, I looked at the man I had just saved.
His blue hair was disheveled, his breathing uneven. Slowly, he opened his eyes—golden irises flickering with confusion.
He looked so much like Tyrian.
The other maids rushed over, carefully helping him sit up.
The Countess hurried to his side, her voice tight with concern. "Elias, are you hurt?"
Still slightly dazed, Elias turned to me instead.
"Are you alright?"
I pushed myself up, ignoring the dull ache in my limbs. "I'm fine, Young Master. Thank you for your concern."
The Countess's sharp voice cut through the tense silence. "Who did this? Who spilled water on the second and third floors?"
Her piercing blue eyes swept over the gathered maids. "Who was assigned to clean today?"
A few maids hesitantly stepped forward, heads lowered. "We were, Your Excellency."
The Countess's expression darkened. "Head maid, dock their allowance for this month—and fire them."
"Yes, Your Excellency," the head maid replied without hesitation.
The moment the words left her lips, the rest of the maids dropped to their knees in panic. "We haven't cleaned today!" one of them blurted out.
The Countess's gaze sharpened. "Then who did?"