The inside of the main house was truly beautiful. As Zora stepped into the hallways, she noticed that the floor was gleaming so brightly she could almost see her own reflection in the tiles.
Every surface was clean and polished, showing that the mansion was kept in perfect order. Everything here was of the highest quality. The walls were decorated with fine art, and the air carried the light scent of beeswax and fresh flowers.
Zora did not linger too long in the entryway, as she knew she had a task to perform.
She quickly went upstairs to find the area she had been assigned to. The stairs were wide and grand, covered in a velvet carpet of a deep blue color.
The fabric was thick and soft under her feet, adding a royal vibe to the entire wing. As she walked, she couldn't help but admire the interior of the mansion.
She had seen nothing like this before in her life. The ceilings were high, and the light from the large windows made the gold trim on the walls sparkle. By her calculations and based on where had been pointed during the briefing, she soon located the entrance to the North Wing.
She began her work immediately. Zora was focused on the task, wanting to finish quickly so she could return to the garden.
She dipped her cloth into the bucket and began to clean the glass. She cleaned the windows with great dedication, moving her hand in steady circles.
Even though the glass looked perfectly clean to her already, she wanted to make sure she left no streaks behind. She was a hard worker, and she took pride in doing things the right way, even if she felt a bit out of place in this part of the house.
At the third window, the quiet of the hallway was broken. She heard the sound of footsteps and light conversation coming from around the corner.
She paused, holding her breath for a moment, unsure of what to do. A part of her wondered if it was the Duke. If it was, she decided she would stay calm.
She would simply say that Madam Lilian had sent her to work here. After all, she was not the one in charge of the assignments; she was just following the orders she had been given.
She tried to continue her work, but as the voices got closer, she realized she couldn't just keep scrubbing. She dropped her cleaning cloth into the bucket and stood to the side of the hallway.
She kept her head low and her hands clasped in front of her. It was indeed the Duke. He was walking with two guests who looked like important men from the city.
Behind them followed his personal aide and his loyal vassal, Kyle.
As they approached, Zora bowed deeply. She expected them to walk past and ignore a simple maid like her, but then she saw a pair of highly polished shoes stop directly in front of her.
"You're a new servant. Are you allowed to be here?"
The voice was stern and belonged to Kyle. Zora raised her head then, looking him in the eye but remaining respectful. "I was asked by Madam Lilian to clean the windows here, sir," she explained.
Kyle nodded slowly, but his expression remained guarded. "That is unusual..." he muttered. He knew the rules of the house, and junior maids were rarely sent to this wing without a senior servant nearby.
By then, the sounds of more footsteps echoed in the hall. The butler and the head servant, Madam Lilian, were coming toward them in quick but elegant strides.
Zora wondered how they could have appeared so fast. It was as if a silent alarm had been tripped the moment she stepped into the wing.
She wondered who had even sent the message to them.
Madam Lilian frowned deeply as she saw Zora standing by the window. However, she bowed first to Lord Avner, her face full of apology.
"My lord, I am very sorry for the inconvenience. This girl is new and does not yet know all the boundaries. I will make sure to educate her so this will not be repeated," she said, her voice sounding very firm.
Zora frowned, feeling confused and wrong in the middle of all this. She felt like she was being treated like a criminal, and she wasn't even given a chance to explain herself. She stepped forward, her voice clear.
"I'm sorry for speaking out of turn, but I was asked by you to clean the North Wing. The message was delivered by Xila. She told me it was an urgent task from you."
"I said no such thing," Lilian replied steadily, her eyes showing no sign of recognition of the order.
Zora felt a cold pit in her stomach. She was even more confused for a second before the truth dawned on her. This had been a trap. Xila had lied to her on purpose to get her in trouble in front of the Duke.
'That vile girl...' Zora thought angrily to herself. She realized Xila wanted her to be fired or punished. Zora bowed her head a little more, trying to stay professional.
"It seems there has been some kind of misunderstanding. I apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused to anyone."
No one said anything for a while. The silence in the hallway was heavy. The Duke watched her with a calm, unreadable look in his eyes. Finally, the butler turned to the Duke and apologized to him and the guests as well.
He promised that the misunderstanding would be resolved immediately and that they could continue their tour without further trouble.
Zora swallowed hard as she was told to follow the head servant and the butler. She walked behind their steady steps, feeling the weight of the situation.
They led her back down the blue
carpeted stairs and through the long halls until they reached the large hall. Once there, they sent a younger maid to go and call for Xila.
That was when the inquiry began. The room felt cold as they waited for Xila to arrive. When the girl finally walked in, she looked as if she had no idea why she was there.
Once asked Xila immediately began to deny everything. She spoke with a voice that sounded very innocent.
"I have no idea what Zora is talking about," Xila said, looking at the butler. "I have been in the kitchen all morning helping the cooks prepare for the guests.
I can call someone to testify that I was there the whole time. Zora was cleaning the garden alone, and I haven't spoken to her since we woke up.
I think she must have had a bad intention and went to the North Wing on her own. She is trying to blame me because she got caught."
Xila went on for a long time, making up lies to make Zora look like a dishonest person. She claimed that Zora had always been acting strange and that she was likely trying to steal something or spy on the Duke.
It was a very long and detailed lie, and for a moment, it seemed like the head servants might believe her. Xila was very good at acting, and she did not look nervous at all.
Zora stood her ground. She did not let the lies shake her confidence. She looked at Xila with a steady gaze and then remembered a key detail.
"The new girl was there," Zora said firmly. "She was near the tool shed when Xila approached me."
The head servant looked surprised and sent for the new girl. After a few minutes, Elvie came into the hall. She looked hesitant at first, her eyes darting between Xila and the butler.
She looked like she didn't want to get involved in the drama. However, when the butler asked her if she had seen the two girls talking in the garden, Elvie took a deep breath.
"I was there," Elvie said, her voice quiet but clear. "I saw Xila walk up to Zora while she was working on the roses.
I heard Xila tell her that Madam Lilian had an urgent order for her to clean the windows in the North Wing. Xila was very clear about it."
With that clear statement, the truth was finally revealed. Xila's face turned pale, and then a bright, angry red. She tried to argue, but the butler held up his hand.
There and then, Xila was fired. She was told to pack her things and leave the estate immediately. The butler also warned her that she would never be hired by any other noble house in the city because he would make sure her reputation was ruined, that was even a small punishment for deceit and manipulation of that kind.
After all that, Zora could finally breathe in relief. The tension in her chest faded away. As they stepped out of the hall, Zora turned to Elvie and thanked her sincerely.
Elvie gave a small smile and said it was fine. They exchanged a few more words, talking about how mean Xila had been and how glad they were that the truth came out. Then, they went their separate ways to finish their remaining chores.
Meanwhile, the Duke led his guests away from the drama and into his massive study.
The room was filled with the smell of old books and expensive wood. There were large leather chairs, and the walls were lined with shelves reaching the ceiling. They got comfortable as the Duke poured them drinks.
One of the guests was an older man with black hair, and the other was quite young and looked very wealthy.
It was the older man, a government official, who spoke first. He took a sip of his drink and looked at Avner.
"I didn't know you hired for looks, Lord Avner. If not for her uniform, I would have thought that maid was a princess or a noble from another city or a far-off kingdom. She has a very striking presence."
Avner leaned back in his chair, his expression calm. "You jest, Minister Carl. She is just a random maid my people hired from somewhere in the countryside. Her looks are of no concern to the workings of this house."
The Minister spoke again, his eyes twinkling with a bit of greed. "Well, if she is just a maid, then you surely don't mind if she gets transferred to my mansion.
I have a need for more staff, and she would fit in quite well at my dinner parties. After all, she is just one girl."
Avner's eyes darkened at that suggestion. He did not like the way the man was looking at his staff, or the way he spoke about Zora as if she were an object to be traded when he wasn't done with her yet.
At the corner of the room, his vassal, Kyle, was slowly shaking his head. It was a silent warning, as if he were trying to dissuade the Duke from saying or doing anything too aggressive in front of their guests.
Instead of losing his temper, Avner just gave a shallow, cold smile. His voice was smooth but had a sharp edge to it. "My staff are not used for charity, Minister. I prefer to keep what I have hired."
The room went quiet for a second as the Minister realized he had pushed a bit too far. The Duke's gaze remained fixed on the man, making it clear that the topic of the maid was now closed.
They turned their conversation back to the business of the court, but the image of the girl in the hallway remained in the back of the Duke's mind. 'Just some days and she's already making enemies, interesting.'