Maria had grown wary of spending time alone behind closed doors. The memories of her vivid nightmare earlier still haunted her thoughts, so she decided to head downstairs and spend some time in the living room.
But the moment she opened the door, she froze. A maid was standing right outside her room.
"Good evening, Miss," the maid said politely. "Mr. Frederick has requested your presence in the living room."
Maria blinked in surprise. "Oh... alright," she replied, her voice steady but curious.
Without another word, the maid turned and started down the hallway, her pace slow and formal. Maria followed her, thoughts racing. Mr. Frederick wanted to see her? Why now? What could be the reason? She entertained several theories in her mind, none of which settled her nerves.
When she entered the living room, she found Mr. Frederick sitting on the sofa, smiling to himself as though in quiet satisfaction.
