Changing Loyalty

In a brightly lit room, an ancient-looking woman with pulled-back ebony, hair sat with authority in a wooden chair. A middle-aged woman with like-wise pulled back hair stood in front of her with a respectful stance. Behind her were many other servants that held their heads even lower, clearly of a lower rank. Although the middle-aged woman showed a fearful and adoring expression on her face, her heart was exhilarated. She knew that she had completed her mission beautifully.

The pair of women were Mary and Felicia.

Although Felicia had showed undisguised dislike for Fei, she wasn't as brainless nor arrogant as she showed herself to be. It was merely a persona.

Country A shows itself to be a safe and prosperous haven to all those that cross its borders, but that's not true. No matter how hard the government tried to limit the extremities of wealth and poverty, it could never be gotten rid of. Poverty is still very abundant. It especially liked to lurk around in the heart of the largest cities.

Felicia used to live in the slums and was left to her own devices since her single mother could barely support herself, working long hours as an illegal immigrant, much less her daughter. She had long given up.

But Felicia was different and dreamt of walking out of this place to experience a life that would be much richer and more colorful. She didn't want to live a meaningless life like her mother did. And she knew that education would be key to her dream.

But Felicia had no talent in studying. She tried and tried, but could never stand out. She realized that her dream was the same as countless others; and out of millions, perhaps only the top five percent can make that dream come true.

And she was sure she wouldn't be in that top five percent. At the age of 14, she thought of giving up her life. There was no point in living if living is suffering. That was what she thought.

It was only when the eldest miss of the Rochester family came and brought her back to the Rochester mansion that she was saved. Even though Felicia understood and knew that Miss Eyrie and her father had gone to the slums for some political aim, she was still extremely grateful.

That fateful day, Felicia was sitting on a sidewalk, tired and hungry. Her mother had fallen sick from some strange sickness that ate away at her, and Felicia, who looked obviously underage and unhealthy, could not work to feed them both. Felicia ultimately quit school and sat on the busy streets from early morning to late at night, begging for food.

One day, Felicia had seen the shoes and dress of a wealthy young girl. She immediately went forward to beg, but just as she crawled in front of the child, she fainted due to hunger.

When she woke up, she found herself clean in the bed of a luxurious and spacious room. Although the room was plain in the eyes of any normal person, to Felicia, who had slept in a small, stinky corner, giving the only bed to her sick mother; this room was the heaven she dreamed of. She later learned that it was young Miss Eyrie who had begged her father to save her, a peasant that would've died of hunger sooner or later.

Without a thought, Felicia grabbed ahold of the opportunity in front of her. She vowed loyalty to the lady who saved her and unhesitantly abandoned any thought of her sick mother. She had thought that she deserved to be selfish and to be ambitious, after sacrificing her education and pride to beg money, medicine, and food for her mother.

Throughout the years, Felicia earned a spot as a trusted subordinate of Eyrie. She learned how to act like someone she was not to complete missions and became proficient in every field of serving. She established herself as the head maid and worked directly under the housekeeper, Mrs. Mary, who was Eyrie's most trusted confidant.

Thinking back on her tedious journey, Felicia reminded herself again to never question nor go against her master, never. This is her way of paying back the kindness she had received.

"Very good." Mrs. Mary said, bringing Felicia back from her reminisce. She beamed joyfully in return.

Mrs. Mary continued, "You will be in charge of distributing the punishment. The latest technology will be provided to maximize pain without actually injuring the recipient. Although it might damage her mentally." She chuckled softly as if telling a joke.

Felicia nodded.

"I will leave, as I have more important matters at hand, specifically assigned by Miss Eyrie. Do this mission well; you will be awarded for your loyalty."

Felicia nodded again eagerly. That strange maid deserved to be punished for offending her Miss.

As Mrs. Mary left her seat and head towards the door with a few servants behind her, Felicia didn't notice the looks full pity from the other servants. Meanwhile, the other servants who were left behind in the room shook with nervousness.

Felicia took her seat in the middle of the room, waiting for her prisoner to arrive. She prayed to her Miss Eyrie silently in her mind, hoping that nothing went wrong.

However, despite worshipping Eyrie like a deity, there was something wrong with Felicia's loyalty to her.

Although she hadn't noticed it herself, Felicia's commitment had changed masters. It is now Mrs. Mary whom she took orders from, and Miss Eyrie had begun to appear less and less. But Felicia had excused her lady's absence without any thought since Miss Eyrie had always had frail health, and perhaps her body had gotten weaker and more vulnerable since she rarely left her room these days.