Previously
Audrey is falsely accused of stealing Amy's heirloom necklace and is physically assaulted by other maids before being locked in a barn by the Head Maid and Rosalyn. Meanwhile, Paula warns Aracella about the dangers of not asserting her authority over the household staff at the Vandermeer Mansion.
Gently brushing Audrey’s cheek, Aracella spoke once more.
Tears spilled down Audrey’s cheeks.
All those moments spent curled in fright and sorrow seemed washed away by the single phrase “my maid.”
In a halting voice, Audrey began recounting everything that had happened that afternoon, while Aracella listened, her cold blue eyes submerged in silence.
It had not merely been an accusation of theft by a group of maids; they had struck her and locked her away without even offering her a chance to defend herself.
They had crossed an undeniable line.
Aracella, who grew quieter the fiercer her fury burned, spoke in a level voice.
Audrey nodded, her face wet with tears.
Audrey had previously caught Rosalyn rummaging through her mistress’s dressing room, giving Rosalyn a blatant motive.
The maid whose necklace was allegedly stolen also happened to be Rosalyn’s roommate, deepening Audrey’s suspicions.
Aracella unclasped the necklace hidden behind her collar and pressed it into Audrey’s hands.
Aracella intended to demonstrate that finding a necklace in a maid’s room proved nothing, planning to replicate the exact scenario to make her point.
Audrey nodded and pulled herself up with newfound courage.
After escorting Audrey safely out of the barn, Aracella summoned the maids who still hovered nervously by the door.
Her tone carried the weight of a veiled threat, forcing the maids into absolute silence as they trailed submissively behind her.
Upon reaching the main building, Aracella commanded every single maid to gather on the ground floor without exception.
The Head Maid inquired smoothly, though inwardly she was startled and flustered.
Audrey was the only one who had known of Aracella’s early return, leaving the Head Maid thoroughly off balance.
Yet that resolve shattered the moment her eyes met Aracella’s piercing gaze.
Her voice was flat and devoid of inflection, yet it carried immense power without needing overt threats or intimidation.
A commanding aura radiated from her slender frame, sending a tremor through the Head Maid’s legs and forcing her head downward.
In the end, the maids assembled just as Aracella demanded.
Summoned by their mistress’s abrupt command, the maids gathered on the ground floor without voicing a single objection, standing in hushed silence.
Their conduct only stoked Aracella’s displeasure, for it proved they had all known what befell Audrey yet chose to stay silent.
Had they respected her as the lady and acknowledged her as the mistress of this estate, they would never have dared treat her personal maid with such contempt.
Deeply feeling the truth of Paula’s counsel, Aracella stepped forward to face the maids with dignified poise, crossing her arms with measured confidence.
Though her delicate features and gentle eyes were not outwardly terrifying, being in her presence exerted an uncanny pressure.
She surveyed them in silence before parting her lips.
Not a single maid spoke, and among them stood Rosalyn, her chin lifted high with confidence.
Rosalyn believed she had nothing to fear; so long as what she had done to Audrey had cause, she considered herself entirely blameless.
‘What can the Madam say about Audrey’s theft, anyway? If she attempts to defend her, it will only spark rumors of blatant favoritism.’
Her only slight regret was that the mistress had returned before Audrey could be thrown out. As Rosalyn offered an inward sneer, Aracella’s voice rang out once more.
Murmurs and unease rippled through the gathered maids.
They had assumed Audrey was genuinely guilty, making Aracella’s declaration a sudden shock.
Confronted by her uncompromising command, several maids hesitated before stepping out one by one, with Rosalyn and the Head Maid among them.
Amy stepped forward as she spoke.
From her vantage, the necklace had indeed been discovered in Audrey’s quarters, leaving her no choice but to believe it.
Amy shook her head; it had been Rosalyn who uncovered the necklace in Audrey’s room.
Before her name could even be called, Rosalyn stepped in to confess, drawing Aracella’s gaze straight toward her.
Rosalyn had not anticipated such an abrupt inquiry, and her response faltered.
Aracella offered a wry tilt of her lips, looking down at her.
Rosalyn protested indignantly, yet the truth was that she had indeed stolen Amy’s necklace and concealed it in Audrey’s quarters.
Her mouth went dry and sweat pricked her palms, but she could not back down now, stiffening her neck in stubborn defiance.
Aracella advanced toward Rosalyn with an intimidating stare, causing Rosalyn’s gaze to waver.
Witnessing this unfold before her eyes, the Head Maid grew anxious.
If Rosalyn crumbled here, she would be dragged down as well, having abetted her in the scheme.
She hastened to intervene.
The moment the Head Maid finished speaking, a cold, mocking laugh escaped Aracella’s lips.
The Head Maid had quite a knack for twisting reality, deftly reframing a legitimate interrogation into what sounded like an emotional tantrum.
Aracella’s expression hardened into frost as she turned toward the Head Maid.
The Head Maid hesitated, then pointed to a maid named Anna, who had served under her for years and shared a tight bond with her.
Anna offered a hesitant reply upon receiving the order, then hurried out of the hall.
A few moments later, she returned carrying a pair of precious earrings and a gemstone necklace.
Aracella held the jewelry up before the assembled maids with pride.
Typically, clever maids like Audrey sought to exploit their mistress’s favor to glean finer gifts, yet Audrey was exceptionally modest, never asking for anything beyond her wages unless Aracella practically forced it upon her.
Aracella’s fingers tightened around the jewelry, unable to bear the thought of someone who had lived with such pure integrity being slandered.
“I will never permit anyone to lay a hand on my people.”
Aracella’s voice rang sharp and severe, like cutting blades piercing the maids’ ears.
The maids blanched at the threat.
Dismissal without a letter of reference meant they could never work as domestic staff again.
Cast out without a reference, a maid was assumed to be a troublemaker, and no noble household would ever employ her.
The Head Maid and Rosalyn racked their minds in desperation, frantic for a way out of this trap.
At that very moment—
The main doors opened, and Damian entered.
Every pair of eyes snapped toward Damian at once.
Believing a lifeline had finally arrived, the Head Maid rushed toward him.
The Head Maid pleaded with tears pooling in her eyes, presenting her side of the story as though she were an entirely helpless, wronged party.
Clinging to his presence, the remaining maids surged toward Damian as well, crying out their pleas.
Like baby chicks flocking to their mother, the maids crowded around their master.
Yet though they called Damian their ‘Master’ and ‘Lord,’ Aracella was equally their mistress, a fact they refused to even acknowledge.
They clearly considered Damian the sole master worthy of the title.
Aracella stood stunned by the sheer velocity of their transformation, shifting in an instant from fearful glares to groveling appeals.
She turned toward Damian in disbelief, while Damian quietly looked down at the maids thronging around him before shifting his gaze over to Aracella.
Meanwhile, Audrey slipped quietly into Rosalyn and Amy’s room under her mistress’s orders.
‘Let’s see. Where should I hide this?’
‘If I hide it poorly, I’ll be in serious trouble if Rosalyn spots it first.’
Audrey surveyed the room carefully, searching for an ideal hiding spot for the necklace.
Looking around the room here and there, she suddenly caught sight of a narrow crevice between the bed and the nightstand.
Audrey edged the nightstand aside slightly.
Just as she was about to slip the necklace into the crevice and slide the nightstand back into place…
Thud!
Something dropped from behind the table.
With a puzzled expression, Audrey pulled the nightstand completely away to see what had fallen.
What she found were two unmarked envelopes.