Keeping Secrets

Layla wiped the glass for the fifth time or so.

"Put more pressure on it!" Mia said in a disappointed voice. She shook her head in disapproval. "If you continue at this pace, it will take the entire day to finish it."

"Gosh, why am I stuck with such a useless girl?" Mia muttered, while tapping her foot against the floor in a restless manner.

After checking on Henni and telling Jane about the whole ordeal, Layla went to see the head maid as instructed by her father. She wanted to stay next to Henni until she gained consciousness, but Jane convinced her not to go against her father's order. Because the next time it might lead to more than just a simple injury on her head.

And as her father said, Emily and he had previously discussed Layla's punishment; maybe that's why, when Layla met her, Emily just smirked and assigned Mia to look over Layla's task.

Layla took a glance at the frustrated young woman next to her. Auburn hair is tied into a single braid. Her dark green irises were looking frustratedly at her work. She was taller than Layla and looked young. She must be around Henni's age. The woman's name was Mia.

Layla couldn't recall ever meeting someone named Mia in her previous life. So she doesn't know much about her personality. Or how Layla's association with Mia would affect her future.

From what Layla can gather after thirty minutes of being together with her, she was a perfectionist and very punctual. It's either her way or no way. Everything had to be perfect, like how Layla had been cleaning the same window glass for nearly fifteen minutes because Mia said she could still see invisible dirt on the glass.

Layla sighed. "Here, is it alright now?"

Mia approached the window and scanned it. Her gaze travelled around every angle before stopping at a specific location. She pointed her finger near the corner of the window. "Alright!? Do you even see this?"

Layal exhaled once more. No wonder Emily gave the task of supervising her to Mia. Emily just wanted to torment her.

"Ugh, why did the head maid give this task to me? I could have done it all in five minutes."

Layla thought the same thing as Mia. Why does it have to be Mia? But unlike the auburn-haired girl being dramatic over an invisible spot, Layla knew the reason.

After demonstrating part of Layla's work, Mia left Layla to do the remaining tasks while she went to complete her own work.

Layla couldn't be more relieved. She stretched her limbs.

Mia did say she would come back again to check on her work, so Layla better not slack off. And Layla can guess what Mia would do if Layla didn't meet her expectations. With all the authority given to Mia, no one will be able to help Layla out.

Layla can easily guess that Mia is forcing her to complete all of her unfinished chores, even if it is the middle of the night.

Layla had no intention of waking up at night to do everything, so she needed to be perfect in order to please Mia. She needed to finish her task quickly so she could see Henni and Jane.

She picked up the dirty bucket and went to change the unclean water. Her thin body could hardly lift the loaded, heavy bucket. But she moved cautiously and slowly so as to avoid spilling even a single drop, or else Mia would make her clean it.

"Did you see how badly Henni was beaten today?"

"I heard she made fun of the master."

"But no matter the cause, I think it was too much. Akhil shouldn't have beaten her so badly. Henni hadn't gained consciousness yet.

A group of maids were gossiping about today even earlier. They were all grouped behind the corner of the hallway.

"Even the young miss was punished."

"I heard she was assigned maid's work. Haha. Now I guess she really is like one of

"I guess the young miss really had lost all favor with the master after the old mistress's death. I guess that's what happens when you get married only for looks and not love."

"If I seduce the master, then I will also become countess."

They all then laughed, making mockery of her situations.

As Layla emerged from the corner clutching the bucket, their combined laughter came to an abrupt halt.

Layla didn't make any eye contact with them. She continued walking straight ahead until her leg got caught in something, which caused her to trip over something and fall to the ground.

The bucket rolled away as the dirty water splashed across the entire pristine floor.

"Oops. My feet got caught on something useless," a woman's voice said, then she started to laugh.

Layla sat up on the ground, looking at the woman who was laughing. Standing together, three maids were chuckling. One of the maids with copper hair and crimson eyes remarked mockingly, "My bad lady".

She was not in the least bit sorry, despite what she stated. Even so, she still reached her hand out to help Layla stand.

Layla narrowed her eyes. "No, thank you," she responded, and she averted her eyes and she averted her eyes. She was about to get up when the same maid grabbed the wrist of her hand and yanked her upward.

By now she had reached the maid's level, who was far taller than the smaller Layla. She was floating in the air; her feet were off the ground.

"Ugh," Layla tried to free herself as her hand started to hurt after supporting her whole body.

"Ha. Look at you, still giving attitude as if you were a noble. Master had already abandoned you. It wasn't long before he decided to throw you away.

The maid's grip tightened on Layla's wrist.

Layla stared directly at the maid's red eyes. "Let me go," she said with a stern voice.

The maid smirked. "What's up with this attitude, little lady? You are one of us now."

"Let me go."

"Ha. As if—" before the maid could finish the sentence, Layla bit and scratched the maid's hand until she let go of Layla's wrist.

Layla clutched her injured wrist, which had developed red marks. She glared at the copper-haired maid.

The maid was surrounded by the other two, who came to the aid of their friend. The scratching and the biting seemed to have worked, as her clean skin now had red traces all over it.

All of the maids were shocked by what they saw. The copper-haired one glared back at Layla, "You bitch. How dare you? You useless thing hurting me."

"If I am useless, then what are you?"

"What?"

"Though I am working as a maid, I am still a noble. And if that renders me useless, what is your worth, you who are merely a commoner?"

"I am at least more valuable than you."

"And what makes you think so?"

Layla had a devious smirk. "If I tell my stepmother how you and your little companions were planning on seducing my father, do you think she would let it go?"

All of their faces paled as Layla's smirk grew wider. She knew she had the upper hand.

"Let's see, since you are not noble, you would be sent away with the letter of recommendation, and the worst is that you get killed. What do you think? Shall we make a bet on who is less useless?"

"No. Please forgive us, Lady. We acted out of line," one of the two maids who were standing behind said, and she came forward and bowed down. Her body was trembling.

"You would let us go, right?" she peeked up at Layla, hoping she would forgive them.

They never thought the sweet and quiet daughter of the master would behave like this. If the new countess knew about today's conversation, she would undoubtedly murder them.

Maybe if they begged the lady enough, she would let them go. Layla, after all, was a kind child, like her mother.

At least that's what the maid hopped when she looked up from her bowing posture. She never expected Layla to be grinning at them, as if playing with her food.

"Hmm... Let's see..."

Layla eyed all three of them. Then her eyes stopped at the copper-haired maid, who was responsible for this whole fiasco. "You have yet to apologize to me."

The two maids quickly apologized to her. Layla put her hand up to stop them. "Not you both, the middle one."

Both the maids turned to face their friend wanting her to comply with Layla's order. The red-eyed maid just glared at the smirking Layla. She had her fist clenched. Her other two partners could tell by the way she was acting that she wouldn't comply. One of the maids grabbed her hand and pulled her down.

"What are you doing?" the coppered hair maid asked the one who pulled her hand.

The maid whispered to the copper-haired one, "Do it". Watching her friends become so desperate, the red-eyed maid finally bowed down and apologized.

"There you go. Wasn't that hard, was it?" Layla asked while giving her an innocent smile. Layla came close to them.

"Let's keep today's event a secret, okay." Layla put one finger on her lips and winked.