Chapter 9 Isn’t That The Alpha’s Mark?

Seeing that the stylist had styled it to her satisfaction, Aurelia got up and paid, going out through the exit at the back the same time this senior maid walked in through the front door.

This was the start of the week and a re-commencement for the interview at the alpha's residence. An interview she was well prepared for.

Covering the lower part of her face with her collar, she lowered her eyes to the ground and walked home.

She packed the few clothes she bought a week ago, added the herbs her son had given her and slung the bag across her shoulder.

Hera quietly watched from a corner.

When Aurelia straightened up, looking ready to leave, she hurriedly got on her feet.

"The rest of the money you promised me, where is it?"

For the first time since they met, Aurelia's eyes met hers.

A trace of panic flashed past the middle-aged woman's eyes as she took a step backward in fear.

Aurelia quickly turned her back to Hera, calmly retorting, "Once I get in, you just have to show your face and vouch for me. Then I'll tell you where I left your balance."

"You remember what we agreed you'd say to anyone who asks about me, don't you?"

"I-I do." Hera stuttered fearfully, a feeling of unease still tugging at her heartstrings at what she just saw.

Aurelia said nothing else and directly left the house.

She didn't stop anywhere until she got to the alpha's residence.

At the gate, the first criteria for the recruitment was being checked.

A small group of people were being pointed towards a different direction, while a large number were going through the main gate and hundreds were being turned away.

Upon hearing she only had one parent, the warrior asked her to join the small group of people.

She instantly recalled the words of the drunkards that day.

Truly, those who were raised by a single parent were being treated different.

She didn't bother to look around the place as she quietly followed the other applicants until she found herself in a garden.

A short and chubby woman who looked to be in her mid-forties stood in front of the group while a younger woman of average height who seemed to be in her twenties, stood beside her.

Following the example of others, Aurelia took her seat with them. In order not to attract unnecessary attention, she moved away the shirt collar and lowered her hair in a way it entirely covered her eyes and the rest of her face.

However, underneath the hair, she stared at the duo thoughtfully.

Going by what she heard at the hair salon this morning and the fact that this young maid had her eyes lowered to the ground, it was only right to assume this was a senior maid and a junior maid.

As if to confirm her suspicion, the senior maid's unsmiling eyes flickered from one face to the other as she began authoritatively, "If you came in here knowing you lied, you can either leave now or wait until we discover you did."

"When that happens, you'll not only be charged for trying to trick luna Carmen, but you'll also never be allowed to step foot in the alpha's residence until the day you die."

At this, a bored Aurelia slowly held out her fingers to count.

One second. Five seconds. Fifteen…

She naturally stopped counting and glanced beside her when a considerable number got on their feet.

Three seconds later, another batch got up as well and left. This happened three more times until they were just a handful of them remaining.

A full minute went by without anyone else getting up to leave. At this, the senior maid addressed them once again.

"If you're still here, don't forget to get down on your knees and thank the luna when next you see her."

She then paused to briefly sweep her eyes across them a second time before she pointed at the junior maid.

"Henceforth, you're maids of this residence. This junior maid will lead you to your quarters where you'll change into your maid uniform."

"New roles are given out every week. If you're caught slacking for even a second, your job will be taken and given to someone more deserving of it!"

Aurelia paused, her eyes following the other girls as they got up and walked after the junior maid.

What? That was it?

She spent weeks preparing for the interview only to be let in because she was raised by a single parent?

This looked too good to be true.

Was this, perhaps, the interview? Was the plan to make them feel at home, then once their guards were lowered all the way down, they'd begin the interview out of nowhere?

While her deduction made no sense, she didn't know what else to think.

As she pondered this, the senior maid suddenly noticed there was someone still sitting and frowned slightly, calling out to her in a stern voice.

"Have you changed your mind about joining the alpha's residence as a maid?"

Aurelia quickly rose to her feet and repeatedly bowed to the senior maid in apology.

"My apologies. I-I just didn't think the interview would be so simple."

The woman looked her over.

While everyone else wore their best clothes, Aurelia specifically went to the market to get third-grade clothes.

Hera had no money after all and it seemed that her husband was an unrepentant gambler. As such, they had no money.

To fit into the persona of someone who's parent has no money, it's only right that her clothes are the cheapest.

It didn't take long for the senior maid to deduce what kind of family she came from by judging her clothes.

A trace of disgust flashed past her eyes as she sneered.

"You have the luna to thank for that. Thanks to her, an unworthy person like you who wouldn't even smell the walls of the alpha's residence on a normal day gets to walk around in it."

Underneath her hair, Aurelia's cheeks stretched into a loop-sided smile as she bowed to the senior maid again.

Seeing this, the senior maid huffed irritably and impatiently waved her hand at her.

"Hurry up and go after them or I'll change my mind and get you removed from the long list of applicants."

For the third time in five minutes, Aurelia bowed to her again and hurried through the direction the rest of the applicants followed through.

It was usually a sight for the members of the alpha's residence whenever a maid was being recruited.

While senior maids hung around looking for the girls to prey on, junior maids were simply relieved they'd finally be free from the clutches of the seniors.

The warriors patrolling the residence, on the other hand, had different agendas.

Because they stayed in the residence most of the time, many of them couldn't go home to their mates and hence had to indulge themselves with some maids.

But those who were yet to find their mates would wait around, hoping it'd be one of the maids recruited.

"How many maids were recruited this time?"

"From what I counted, 73."

"That's the highest we've had in three years."

"By the end of the week, they should be down by half. Next week, half of those remaining will drop out."

"So, are we betting? This time I'm increasing the number of coins I'm betting."

"Let's do it. This batch of maids look week. In two weeks time, they'd barely be 20 of them left."

"I bet on more than 20 of them remaining."

"Deal."

When Aurelia arrived at the maids' quarters, the junior maid was halfway through speaking.

However, she didn't notice the addition of one person and the new maids were simply both nervous and excited with their new jobs to call out Aurelia.

"23 of you were chosen, not because you're too pretty or deserve it, but because you were raised by a single parent. But from this point onward, no one cares about that. It's up to you to remain if you wish."

One of the girls raised her hand.

"Excuse me. I overheard some of the other maids saying 73 people were recruited this time. If we're 23, then those from the other side must be 50."

"And the requirement to get in consists of six stages. I understand we were allowed in because of our situation, but what about them?"

"Half an hour isn't long enough for those hundreds of applicants to go through these stages and come out with 50 people."

The junior maid stared at her blankly.

"We received an order from luna Carmen. She wishes to swap things out a little this year. That's all I can say."

"Now get settled in, I'll be showing you around and assigning your duties along the way."

As this was going on, a middle-aged woman wearing a yellow tunic with beads stood under the shade of the maple tree in the alpha's residence.

A man wearing a blue robe stood in front, his back turned to her.

"I seem to recall telling you we can't be seen together."

"I recall that too, Councilman, but I also recall you ordering me to tell you if she ever shows up again."

The man's shoulders tensed slightly. "26 years later? I've smothered one before, where's this second one at?"

To his surprise, the woman chuckled.

Spurning around to face her, his thick brows jerked up furiously, "What? Did I say something funny, Shaman?"

She shook her head, but a faint smile remained as she stared him dead in the eyes.

"This second one isn't a two-year-old. It's a woman already in her twenties."

The man suddenly strode towards her and grabbed her tightly by the neck, his claws digging into the side of her neck as he growled menacingly.

"Didn't I order you to report to me if she ever shows up again?"

She didn't struggle with him and calmly retorted in a croaky voice.

"My lord, I'm nothing but a messenger. I only see what the moon goddess shows me and she only gave me a glimpse of her last night."

The Councilman clenched his jaw tightly.

"How can I find her? Tell me everything you know or I'll rip out your throat right here and now!"

"She has a birthmark. I don't know where, but it's a peculiar birthmark of the crown. Councilman, isn't that the alpha's mark?"