Aristocracy 101

Chapter 17

Standing up, Lilian carefully gathered her design drafts and placed them inside the drawer before locking it. She had always been cautious about keeping her identity as Annie a secret, and even within the Johnson household, she never allowed anyone to accidentally discover her hidden world.

After making sure everything was secure, she walked toward the door and opened it.

Standing outside was Susan, the head maid, holding a tray with a box of orange juice and a glass.

“Good evening, madam,” Susan greeted politely, though there was a slight hesitation in her voice.

Lilian looked at the tray and then back at Susan, confused.

She hadn't requested any drinks.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

Susan immediately shook her head. “No, madam. I just wanted to remind you that dinner will be ready in about forty minutes.”

Lilian nodded, but her eyes remained on the juice.

“Okay... but what is this for?”

“Ummm...” Susan hesitated, clearly unsure how to explain. “Charlotte wanted to bring this to you when she noticed you were still working in your room, but she was too shy to come herself. She asked me to send it instead. I hope I’m not being disrespectful, madam.”

At the mention of Charlotte, Lilian immediately remembered the young girl.

Charlotte was the newest maid in the Johnson household. She was only fourteen years old, with beautiful brown eyes and curly black hair that made her look almost like a porcelain doll.

Normally, the Johnson family rarely hired new staff. Their secrets were too valuable, and they couldn't afford the risk of someone carelessly revealing information about the family.

However, everything changed when Lilian learned about Charlotte’s situation.

The girl had a younger brother who was only twelve, and the two siblings had been struggling to survive on their own. They were orphans, and Charlotte had taken the responsibility of caring for her brother while trying to continue her own education.

When Lilian found out that Charlotte was looking for work just to afford her brother’s school fees, she couldn't ignore them.

She offered them a place to stay in the servant quarters and took responsibility for both of their education expenses.

Charlotte continued working as a maid after school to earn some extra money, while her younger brother helped around the estate by washing cars whenever he had free time.

The day they found out Lilian was willing to help them, the two siblings had knelt before her, thanking her repeatedly.

But Lilian had never liked seeing people lower themselves like that.

She had immediately helped them stand.

“Everyone deserves to be happy,” she had told them.

Thinking about that moment, a small smile appeared on her lips.

“She didn’t have to do that,” Lilian said softly. “But tell her I said thank you.”

Susan smiled slightly before handing her the tray.

“Yes, madam.”

After Lilian took it, Susan bowed politely and returned to her duties.

Once the door closed, Lilian placed the juice on her desk and glanced at the clock.

6:30 p.m.

She sighed quietly.

“Looks like he isn’t coming home today.”

She wasn't surprised.

Oliver had been avoiding her for the past two weeks, and she had slowly become used to his absence.

Picking up the orange juice, she took a long drink and finished the entire cup before placing it on her nightstand. She planned to rest for a few minutes and get up when the servants called her for dinner.

However, fifteen minutes later, she was still lying on the bed, phone pressed against her ear.

And she was regretting answering Zoey’s call.

“I seriously can’t believe you called me for this!” Lilian complained, exhaustion evident in her voice. “You’re killing me, Zoey.”

On the other side of the phone, Zoey sighed dramatically.

“Come on, babe. You cannot tell me that Jimin isn’t gay.”

Lilian stared at the ceiling, completely speechless.

They had somehow ended up arguing about the latest rumors surrounding Jimin and Jungkook from BTS.

“Just because two people are close doesn't automatically mean they’re dating or have a certain sexuality, Zoey,” Lilian replied, rolling her eyes.

She genuinely didn't understand why fans were so obsessed with speculating about celebrities’ personal lives. They demanded to know every detail about their idols’ relationships, but when those rumors became serious, the same people would turn around and criticize them.

It made no sense.

She continued arguing with Zoey, but suddenly, an uncomfortable wave of dizziness washed over her.

It was faint at first.

Lilian frowned slightly.

Maybe she was just hungry.

She ignored it.

But then, without warning, a sharp pain suddenly tore through her abdomen.

Her entire body froze.

“Ah...”

The sound escaped her lips before she could stop it.

The pain was sudden and intense, twisting through her stomach in a way she had never experienced before.

Zoey immediately noticed the change.

“Lily? Are you okay? Can you hear me?”

But Lilian couldn't answer.

The pain grew stronger with every passing second, spreading through her body and making it difficult to think clearly.

Was her period coming?

That was the first explanation that crossed her mind.

But deep down, she knew this was different.

“Baby, you’re scaring me. Say something.”

Zoey’s voice sounded distant.

Lilian gripped the sheets tightly, trying to steady herself.

“I’m fine... Zoey.”

Even she could hear how unconvincing her voice sounded.

“Are you sure? Should I come over?”

Before Lilian could respond, another wave of pain struck.

This time, it was worse.

Her breath caught as she instinctively curled up, clutching her stomach.

“Lily! Lily, answer me!”

Zoey’s panic grew with every second of silence.

Lilian tried to respond.

She really did.

But her body refused to cooperate.

The pain overwhelmed her completely.

Then—

Thud.

Her phone slipped from her hand as she collapsed onto the floor.

“Lily?!”

Zoey’s terrified voice echoed through the speaker.

“Baby, answer me! Lily!”

Lilian could barely hear her anymore.

Her body trembled as she fought against the pain, desperately trying to understand what was happening.

What was wrong with her?

Why did it hurt so much?

The questions remained unanswered as her vision slowly blurred.

“Help...”

The word barely escaped her lips.

And before she could say anything else, darkness swallowed her completely.