A Warning

The sweet chamomile tea left a bitter aftertaste on Layla's mouth. Since her punishment is done now she now was free to roam around the house. Maybe she could get some dessert from the kitchen.

Their supposedly 'cheery' conversation ended right after her stepmother ordered Layla to rest.

The way to her room was long. It's the main part of the house, the walls decorated to the taste of the mansion's masters.

She trudged slowly on her feet, it's been a while since she visited this part of the mansion.

Unlike before no one was escorting her.

The hallways looked similar to the fragmented memories embedded into her memories from a long time ago.

The hallways she used to walk with her mother, the same place she would run around with the servants telling her to 'be careful' and 'don't fall'. Kind of funny how one single incident can change the behavior of the whole human being. It's sad to see how no one can be trusted.

Layla was feeling bummed out. Her plan failed. Her anticipation from yesterday night turned to nothing. 'One servant' got saved by stepmother, most probably it was Fred. As she predicted her stepmother did ruin all her plans.

But the fact that her stepmother knew the rumors that she falsified to steer her father meant that her father told her everything. And she probably knew that it was Layla who lied to her father. And the nonchalant demeanor of her stepmother did agree with this fact.

Layla sighed. Her father telling everything to her stepmother was something she didn't take into consideration. And now from the looks of it, it seemed like Fred was free.

Her heart felt heavy, she couldn't even take revenge for Henni.

Layla clenched her fist. Ain't no way she will let Fred go scot-free. She needed to see the situation thoroughly and make another plan.

With newfound promise, Layla headed to the servant in question.

"Is the tea not to your liking madam?"

Pair of brown eyes looked up at the person speaking. "No. How can a tea made by you be bad Beth" the woman replied to the worried voice. The corners of her lips lifted upwards as her eyes lowered down, a genuine smile. A smile that was from her heart, so much different from the smile she was putting on a few minutes ago.

"But you haven't touched the fresh tea yet…" Beth's voice trailed off as she looked down at the freshly brewed tea in front of her master with a sad gaze.

"It's not about the tea Beth" her master mumbled, being lost in her world, as if pondering something.

"Then what's the matter?" the worried maid asked, confused as to what could have caused her master to be so lost from the world.

There was silence after that. Then after a few minutes, her master said, "Things are going out of my predictions"

"Huh. What does that mean? I thought business was going well" Beth spoke with one hand on her cheek trying to link the words her master spoke.

"A lot of rumors were going on for a long time but Jonas never paid any attention to any of those but now suddenly he got so worked up," the woman said while stroking the handle of the porcelain cup. "Calling it an important business to be taken care of first. If it weren't for me then Fred's Lifeless body would have been carried by the carriage first thing in the morning"

The woman's face wrinkled, "That woman, she was supposed to take care of all this mess as the head maid. But god knows where she was when Joans nearly killed that servant. If I haven't stopped him my reputation would have fallen amongst this household"

Her grip on the cup's handle tightened, "And Jonas, he too didn't tell me directly what happened, only 'some rumors needed to be cleaned up'. Moreover, he seemed angry, a bit distant as well"

"Please relax. Something like this is not something to be worried about. If you stress yourself too much it might affect your health. So please calm down" Beth did her best to stop her master from getting angry, and the words seemed to have worked as her master calmed down.

The woman took a long breath to stop her hand from shaking. Once she stopped shaking, she took a long sip of her favorite tea. That seemed to have done the trick as it had stopped her anger.

The woman's facial features relaxed, "Ah, your tea is the best".

The little compliment made the maid blush slightly. Her fingers fidgeting. The maid smiled as she responded with a thank you.

The woman stopped and once again twirled the liquid on the cup, "That girl, Layla. Something tells me she might have something to do with all of this"

"Huh. How?"

"It's just a hunch. I did call her today to confirm whether she has any relation to this incident, but it seemed like she doesn't not, or maybe she was acting".

The woman relaxed back on her chair, "Joan did say she was a innocent and shy child but nowadays it seemed like she is diverting from her old narrative. And I don't like a thing not going my way"

The woman took another sip as her eyes glinted with malice, "For now we have to see"