Chapter 13 A Game of Power and Secrets
715 Words
Right! Aunt Lynn, it was an accident. The floor was too slippery. Please be more careful next time!"
A slightly quirky, cute maid stepped forward with a grin, her voice laced with mischief.
Aunt Lynn was so furious that she nearly exploded on the spot. She raised her hand as if to strike. You little brats, so ungrateful!
Before she could finish, Katherine stepped in, grabbing her wrist.
"Aunt Lynn, what do you think you're doing?" Katherine's eyes were sharp. "Are you trying to punish someone for something they didn't do? Do you think there's no one in charge here, and you can do it as you please?"
Aunt Lynn flinched, instinctively trying to yank her hand away. But a thought crossed her mind as she met Katherine's smug gaze.
This girl… she was the younger sister of the woman Mr. Blackwood loved. Despite confinement to the servants' quarters, love's reach extended. Perhaps this punishment is temporary.
And what if, one day, she regained power?
That would put Aunt Lynn in a dangerous position.
After a brief moment of calculation, Aunt Lynn sighed dramatically and relented. "Fine! Let's just say I tripped and fell myself."
Katherine blinked in surprise. She had expected Aunt Lynn to put up a bigger fight. Instead, she gave in so easily.
She released Aunt Lynn's wrist, watching as the older woman forced a smile, turned on her heel, and disappeared into the house.
Katherine stared after her retreating figure, frowning. She turned toward the maids and asked, puzzled, "Did she hit her head when she fell?"
Mia, the maid who had spoken up earlier, let out a snicker. They sold her to the Blackwood family when she was young, and she developed into a lively, sharp-witted girl. Stepping forward, she chuckled. "Of course not! Aunt Lynn must've figured something out about you. That’s why she backed down so quickly. I've never seen her swallow her pride like that before."
Katherine hummed in thought, then patted Mia's shoulder. "I see. But don't worry! From now on, if that old witch tries to bully you, just come to me. I, Katherine, will stand up for you!"
The maids broke into cheerful laughter, their admiration for Katherine evident in their eyes. A warm sense of belonging washed over her — something she hadn't felt in a long time. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought.
Her earlier gloom lifted slightly as she joked and bantered with them.
Later, standing by the railing, she gazed at the vast, tranquil sea. The salty breeze tousled her long hair, cooling her skin.
Behind her, Mia's voice rang out. "Kate, I get the feeling you're not an ordinary person."
"Hmm?" Katherine turned to her with a playful smile. "So you think I'm extraordinary, then?"
Mia rolled her eyes and gave her a light pat on the shoulder. "Be serious. Aunt Lynn seemed scared of you just now. And in all my years at the Blackwood household, I've never seen a maid assigned to serve the young master, let alone given a grand bedroom."
Katherine's smile faltered slightly. She knew what Mia meant.
Service in this house wasn't about cleaning or pouring tea. It was like something out of an ancient era — girls stripped bare, forced to wait in bed for powerful men like livestock, treated as nothing more than objects for their pleasure.
The irony stung.
A bitter smile crept onto her lips. "So you think that's an honor?"
Mia tilted her head, her brows knitting together. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, her tone serious. "Why do I sense contempt in your voice? Do you think I'm someone who dreams of marrying into wealth?"
Katherine hadn't expected such a sensitive response. She let out a hearty laugh, cupping Mia’s face in her hands.
"Silly girl, that's not what I meant," she teased, chuckling. "You're overthinking it. You have no idea how much I despise this life, do you?"
Mia stared at her for a moment, then sighed, her expression softening. I'm unsure, yet I know one fact.
Katherine raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's that?"
Mia smiled. "You're different from the rest."
Katherine's smile lingered, but deep down, she wasn't sure if being ‘different ' was a blessing or a curse.
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