Previously
Aracella and Damian encounter each other at the mansion entrance and perform a display of affection for the servants, though they exchange sharp barbs under their breath. Damian saves Aracella from a fall, noticing her fragility, while Aracella warns him not to give her a reason to blame him for any collapse.
Damian set aside the paperwork in his hand, projecting the air of a dutiful master willing to hear out a subordinate.
Rosalyn, however, mistook this for personal interest.
With that advice from the Duchess firmly in mind, she plunged deeper into her delusion.
She swallowed her parched spit, clasping her hands before the desk.
She spoke with a subtle tremor in her voice, lending her plea a poignant sorrow.
Rosalyn gazed up at Damian with tear-filled eyes.
He remained entirely impassive, his thoughts impossible to decipher.
Beneath the darkness framed by the window, his golden eyes gleamed with piercing clarity.
Trailing off coyly, Rosalyn slipped around the desk, advancing right toward him.
His thick brows twitched faintly.
Her intent was to throw her arms around him, cling close, and whisper, ‘Do with me as you wish’—delivering the final stroke to her seduction.
At that instant, acting like a helpless, injured bird, she hurled herself into Damian’s embrace.
A sharp clatter echoed.
A loud thud followed.
With a swift push of his foot, Damian shoved his chair back. Instead of landing in his arms, Rosalyn hit the floor hard.
Lifting her head in stunned bewilderment after slamming against the cold floor, she saw him looking down at her with undisguised contempt.
‘This… wasn’t supposed to happen…’
Leaving her dazed on the ground, Damian pressed the bell to summon the servant. Alerted by the sharp ring, the butler rushed into the room.
Albert faltered at the sight of Rosalyn slumped beside the desk in utter shock.
Regardless, he hastened to carry out his master’s order, fetching the Head Maid to haul Rosalyn away.
Damian’s voice cut through the air like ice, his luminous golden eyes locked onto Rosalyn.
Even from a distance, Rosalyn felt a suffocating intimidation. She gasped for air, her legs trembling beneath her.
The Head Maid apologized repeatedly, bowing her head as she dragged Rosalyn out of the room.
Once she had hauled her away to a secluded corner, she unleashed her fury on Rosalyn.
Rosalyn shrieked back, her face flushed crimson with shame.
She had never suffered such a humiliating rejection from a man, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
The Head Maid shook her head in sheer exasperation; she had opposed this plan from the very start.
The Duke’s household might not have realized it given their indifference toward Damian, but he had always drawn admiration from the maids and weathered countless attempts at seduction.
Yet he turned every single one away with stony indifference.
Even if Rosalyn was among the prettiest maids in the house, that changed nothing.
The Head Maid had considered the seduction doomed from the start, though she had privately appreciated Rosalyn’s knack for isolating Audrey and undermining Aracella’s reputation.
Now that Rosalyn had botched everything, all the opportunities she had labored to create were about to slip away.
Rosalyn’s words caught in her throat, her lips trembling helplessly.
The Head Maid let out a heavy sigh, pressing a hand to her forehead.
The Head Maid walked away after delivering the stern warning, leaving Rosalyn to bite her lip in bitter resentment.
With her seduction scheme ruined, she had to find another path.
She could not afford to fall any further; she had to tear Aracella down even harder.
Even if any chance of winning Damian’s favor was gone, there was no turning back.
Especially when she remembered the handsome reward promised by the Vandermeer Duchy.
The Head Maid managed to secure a three-day reprieve.
Within that span, Rosalyn had to deliver tangible results.
Only then could she claim half the reward promised by the Vandermeer Duchy.
Right on cue, a letter arrived from the Duchess bearing those exact instructions.
Rosalyn bit her lip hard.
In truth, this worked out fine. Reassigned as her mistress’s maid, she was in a much better position to snoop.
Before being forced out of the estate, Rosalyn returned to serving Aracella for her three-day grace period.
Naturally, she should have been dismissed immediately for attempting to seduce the master.
Fortunately, thanks to the Head Maid’s cover-up, the other servants remained oblivious.
They simply assumed she had been transferred earlier due to friction with Audrey, only to be reassigned because of a staffing shortage.
The moment Rosalyn returned, she began eagerly taking on her peers’ chores just as she had before. Naturally, it was all carefully calculated.
Rosalyn ushered out the hesitant maids, leaving herself entirely alone in the dressing room.
Her sharp eyes swept across the room.
This was Aracella’s most private sanctuary. If she were hiding something, it would surely be here rather than the bedroom.
Rosalyn began searching the dressing room frantically: vanities, sofas, wardrobes, side tables, jewelry boxes…
She meticulously combed through the gowns and pulled back rugs, scouring for the slightest anomaly.
After hours of frantic, ceaseless searching, she found nothing and grew desperate, collapsing onto the floor in exasperation.
She squeezed her eyes shut and lay flat on the floor. When she turned her head sideways and opened them again—
Rosalyn spotted something taped beneath the opulent vanity table trimmed with gold.
She scrambled up and crawled under the vanity to reach it.
It was a sealed document.
‘If it’s hidden like this, it must contain something vital she can’t afford to let anyone see…’
Rosalyn’s instincts told her she had struck Aracella’s weakness. A triumphant smile curled her lips as she prepared to break the seal.
Just then, a voice called out behind her.
The door swung open, and the voice searching for her stepped into the room.
Panicking, Rosalyn shoved the document back into place and scrambled to her feet.
When she turned around, she found Audrey standing there, scowling at the disheveled room.
The room was an absolute wreck from her desperate search for dirt on Aracella. Instead of tidying up and slipping away as planned, she had been interrupted at the worst possible moment.
Rosalyn waved her hands frantically, cold sweat running down her back.
…Had Audrey seen what she did with that document a moment ago?
Even if she hadn’t, getting caught rummaging through the dressing room would be disastrous.
Audrey’s reply was icy.
With a sullen expression, she began gathering the scattered items from the floor.
Rosalyn joined her, carefully watching her every move.
Her harsh voice and sharp gaze stung Rosalyn to the core.
Rosalyn clenched her teeth so hard her jaw trembled.
Enduring Audrey’s reprimand was agonizing, only deepening her humiliation.
Yet she could not retort for fear of provoking Audrey further; given her current situation, she had no choice.
With a stern face, Audrey pointed toward the door.
Audrey was uncompromising whenever it concerned Aracella, showing no mercy.
Even so, to avoid needless conflict among the maids, she decided to let today’s incident slide just this once.
Though she got the answer she wanted, Rosalyn felt uneasy and anxious as she walked out of the dressing room.
‘Audrey is such a nuisance. Who knows if she’ll actually keep her word?’
Her eyes flashed with resentment toward Audrey, mingled with dread that the maid might still tell Aracella.
The commotion broke out shortly after noon.
one of the maids shrieked.
It was lunchtime, and most of the maids had gathered in the dining hall.
Audrey turned her head to see who was making the scene. It was Amy, Rosalyn’s roommate and close confidante.
Because of that, Audrey felt even more hostile toward her.
A large crowd of maids, led by Rosalyn, rallied behind Amy to show support. Eating alone, Audrey cast a glance over at the commotion.
One of the maids flanking Amy spoke up vigorously, her suggestion bordering on outright coercion.
Audrey was uncomfortable with the thought of someone searching her room, but she couldn't simply ignore it. It was obvious how they would treat her if she refused.
Audrey had no idea what kind of necklace Amy’s mother had left her, having never laid eyes on it.
She couldn't have stolen it even if she had wanted to.
Instead, her thoughts drifted to Aracella’s remark that morning about returning early.
‘If she’s coming back early, maybe I should go out to the front entrance to greet her.’
She imagined Aracella offering a pleased greeting as she arrived right on time beside the carriage.
A smile crept onto Audrey’s lips unbidden.
Though life in the Vandermeer mansion wasn’t easy, she could endure it as long as her mistress was by her side.
At that moment, several shadows fell over Audrey.
“We found Amy’s necklace in your room. You’ll have to explain how it got there.”