"I... Haa... No. Ah..." she stammered, struggling to form a coherent sentence.
"Fantastic," he said coldly.
"H-h-huh?" Her eyes widened. What does he mean by fantastic? She was confused and terrified. "I... I don't mean to—" she managed to whisper. "I'm... sorry."
"So you're the new personal maid, huh?" he asked, his voice low and unreadable.
She only nodded, afraid that her trembling voice would betray her further.
"Are you sure?" His brows furrowed in doubt.
She nodded again.
"Open your mouth and speak!" he suddenly barked, the harshness in his tone like a whip across her skin.
"Y-yes," she choked out. Fear began to coil tighter around her heart. How could someone look so handsome and yet be so terrifying at the same time?
He reached for his phone and dialed. After three rings, someone answered.
"Do you have a death wish? After everything I did for you, this is how you repay me?" His voice was a mix of fury and disappointment.
Tears stung her eyes. She gathered every ounce of courage to address the wild predator in front of her. "Can I leave now?" she asked, her voice barely audible. Her entire body trembled.
He turned sharply, his gaze freezing her in place. He hung up the call and stared at her, eyes as cold as an Arctic storm. If she had been scared before, now she was petrified. Her instincts screamed at her to run.
"And who told you that you can leave?" he asked, advancing toward her.
She instinctively stepped back—once, twice—like a cornered animal. She looked like a lost, frightened puppy. He continued walking toward her as she backed away until her spine hit the wall. Trapped.
He placed both hands on the wall, boxing her in, his face inches from hers.
"What do you think you are?" he hissed with disdain.
Her eyes welled with tears. "N-nothing. You've got the wrong person, so please let me go!" she cried.
Buzz—buzz—his phone vibrated in his pocket. Without removing his gaze from her, he answered.
"Isabella, what now?"
A woman's voice echoed faintly from the phone. "What about Daniella? Is she alright?"
"Daniella? Who the hell is Daniella?" he snapped.
"Your new personal maid. How is she doing? I hope you didn't hurt her. Otherwise—"
"Otherwise what?" he interrupted coldly.
Isabella faltered. "...Is she alright?"
His eyes narrowed. He tilted his head toward Daniella. "Hey. What's your name?"
"D-Daniella Malvern," she answered. Her voice was steadier now, but fear still gripped her tightly.
He stared at her for a long two seconds, then turned back to his phone.
"Isabella, do you realize this is to settle your debt? And this is what you send me?"
"Hey, hey, hey! Do you think I sent her as some sort of... pleasure toy? You better not be thinking of doing anything to her!"
His voice dropped to a husky growl. "Then you need to send someone better. Not this ugly granny."
What?! A sharp pang jabbed her chest, vanishing as quickly as it had come. Why do I care what he thinks? But the pain lingered like a bruise on her pride.
Suddenly—
BANG!
The tray she had been holding slipped from her trembling hands and clattered to the floor. The sound echoed like thunder in the tense room.
Maximus's piercing gaze pinned her in place. She had never been so terrified of anyone in her life. Her eyes darted to the tray, then to her quivering hands. She bent down slowly, whispering, "I'm sorry."
She wasn't even sure if he'd heard her.
"Unbelievable," he muttered with disgust, as if she were some filthy creature trespassing in his space.
"Get out!" he snarled. Rage boiled beneath his skin. She could sense it—he wouldn't hesitate to harm her if she stayed a second longer.
Without hesitation, she bolted from the room.
Outside the mansion, she collapsed onto a stone bench, tears cascading down her cheeks. What kind of place is this? That bastard... She hated him with every fiber of her being.
As she calmed her ragged breathing, a maid approached her gently.
"Hi, I'm Serah."
"Hmm," Daniella mumbled, wiping her cheeks.
"Let me show you to your room."
She quietly followed. At least they give maids their own rooms. That was a small relief.
The room she was led to wasn't large, but it was clean and lovely. A single bed, a window with sheer curtains, a wardrobe. She opened it and noticed it was filled with pink maid uniforms—hers. Strange. All the other maids she'd seen wore blue.
Why is mine different? she wondered.
Daniella Malvern. Twenty-one. Orphaned by her father's death when she was seven. From that moment, her mother had treated her like a burden. She sighed.
Wanting to shake off the terrible first impression, she headed to the bathroom, washed her face, and put on a fresh uniform. Feeling a bit better, she made her way down the long corridor to introduce herself to the other maids.
She knocked on every door, waving at the curious faces that peeked out. "I'm new here!" she called with a smile.
Serah eventually let her into her room.
"You know you shouldn't be in here," she said.
Daniella ignored the warning. "I'm Daniella Malvern," she said brightly.
"Serah Q. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise." Daniella sat on Serah's bed with ease. She had always been friendly, never caring about background or status. That was just who she was.
With a mischievous grin, she looked up at Serah. "So… do you guys have an animal for a boss or something?"
Unbeknownst to her, Maximus stood just outside the door—hearing every word.