Maria stroked the back of her head. "Yes, it’s a little painful, but it will get better. I made a mistake, after all. Master was right to want to punish me. This isn’t a place where one can act wilfully and make mistakes like that..." She shivered.

"Then why did you choose this job, Maria?" Daisy narrowed her eyes in the dark as she voiced the question.

"Hmm?"

"I mean... you’re clearly scared of Master, and you’re always worried about being clumsy. Today, you almost lost your life..." Daisy whispered in a concerned voice. "Why would you want a job like this?"

"Silly girl. It’s a little tough, but at the end of the day, what job isn’t tough? My mother used to work here, so I ended up following in her footsteps..."

"Oh? Your mother worked here too?"

"Mother loved it. Unlike me, she was great at what she did, so she always received praise and promotions. Master even personally rewarded her," Maria said with a soft smile on her face. "But my mother passed away early on, and I had to drop out of school, so I’m not well-educated enough for other jobs. Not just that... my face..." She touched her scars as she sighed. "With a face like this, what kind of jobs could I even get? I’ve been trying to get a job here for years but never succeeded..."

"You’ve been trying for that long?"

"You probably got this job the first time you applied, right?" Maria cupped the scarred half of her face. "That’s right. I’ve been trying for a long time, but I was always rejected. People who work in Kingsley Mansion have to go through many verifications, including their family background and previous generations. My mother was the only family I had left, and after her death, I had no one. Moreover, my face isn’t delicate or pretty, so that couldn’t help either."

"You don’t need to be sad about it anymore," Daisy said, patting her back. "Aren’t you here now? You’ve already got the job."

"It’s all thanks to the current Madam. The butler told me that Madam saw my profile and took a fancy to me. She asked them to hire me right away, just like she did with you. We’re lucky in that sense."

"What Madam? Isn’t she just a mistress?" Daisy said, her voice taking on a tone unfamiliar even to her, but since she had spent time studying the original ’maid’ before coming here, her mimicry was accurate.

"Shhh... What are you saying?" Maria panicked, jumping to her feet. She quickly locked the windows and looked around the room before returning to Daisy. "You can’t say things like that." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Was I wrong, though?" Daisy pouted. "She isn’t even lawfully wedded to Master. What kind of ’Madam’ is that?"

Maria laughed and patted her shoulder. "When you say it like that, it’s true. The man you saw outside today is the only heir of the family, Master’s son with the late Madam. My mother worked here when the late Madam was alive. But even back then, Master had many affairs," she whispered softly.

"My mother would sometimes come home exhausted from work, mumbling about her day. She’d tell me how her heart ached for the Madam, who had to witness all that. Master took in many mistresses and had affairs from the time he was just married, when the late Madam was pregnant, when she gave birth, and when the little Master was growing up..."

Daisy felt a twinge in her heart.

"That’s why I was so surprised when the butler told me the little Master was here. It was my first time seeing him as an adult."

"Does that mean you met him before?"

Maria nodded. "When I didn’t have school, my mother would bring me here with her. I saw the little Master a few times, but I was young, and I don’t remember all the details. However, I do remember one time when I saw the little Master fighting with Master, asking why he was with another woman and why he was treating his mother coldly..."

Maria rubbed her arms. "I found him pitiful back then, but today, I was startled by how different he seemed. Nowhere near as pathetic..."

"Enough."

The room fell silent as Maria flinched. "Daze?"

Daisy swallowed the lump in her throat, suppressing the discomfort spreading in her chest. When Maria was speaking, she could almost picture it in her mind—a small Ryle, about a little taller than Angel, running around, seeking his father’s affection, trying to have a complete family, trying and failing, being disappointed all by himself.

When Daisy didn’t reply, Maria sighed softly. "I understand. You must feel sad for him, right? Actually, when you think of it that way, it is sad. Master always had many mistresses outside, women he pampered a lot. He even brought them home, and some of them interacted with the little Master. After all, Master spoiled them."

Daisy clutched the sheets in the darkness. What kind of child would want to interact with women his father was cheating on his mother with?

"But the current Madam... she seems to be the real deal."

Daisy collected herself and refocused her attention. "Why do you think so?"

"I’ve heard from the other maids that Master has kept her around for a long time. He seems to be wrapped around her little finger. He lets her do whatever she wants and even assigns people to serve and protect her. He gives in to all her whims. But I’m glad about that. That’s how I got this job after all. However, it seems like they might get married."

Daisy fell into contemplation. A weird feeling emerged in her chest but she was unable to put a finger on it. There was some missing clue in this whole puzzle and it seemed to be right in front of her eyes, but when she reached towards it, it disappeared.

A man who had a weakness for women and would often change them about like clothes. Why would a reprobate like that persist on one woman suddenly? Did he change his ways? Or did he get himself a woman who changed his ways?