Ilus was caught off guard, a muffled gasp of surprise escaping her throat.
Iliana’s fingertips pushed deeper with an unquestionable force.
A sensation of a foreign object invaded her, and the young girl instinctively wanted to gag, but under Iliana’s control, she couldn’t even manage that.
“Mmph…”
Ilus was forced to tilt her head back. Her eyes quickly reddened as physiological tears began to well up.
She wanted to clamp her teeth shut, but her body froze against her will. Saliva secreted uncontrollably and she was unable to swallow it; a silver thread could only slide down from the corner of her unclosable lips, dripping onto the pristine white napkin. The sight was both pathetic and humiliating.
“Good. You’re such a good girl, Miss.”
Iliana whispered, her voice tinged with a hint of satisfaction. She withdrew her finger, bringing a silver thread with it, and then used the napkin to wipe her finger in a slow, deliberate manner.
The gesture appeared gentle and considerate, but it made Ilus feel cold all over.
‘This Demon, why is she doing this?! I haven’t done anything to offend her, have I?’
The discomfort in her throat caused Ilus to feel incredibly panicked, but in the next moment, Iliana provided her with an answer.
“Mm, alright. We’ve played enough. It is time for you to eat, Miss, otherwise your breakfast will get cold.”
As she withdrew her hand, she also released the Hypnosis Magic. She took a step back and resumed a standard maid’s posture, though her gaze remained firmly locked on Ilus, as if she were admiring a meticulously carved piece of art.
Despite her immense discomfort, Ilus reacted in time. She mechanically chewed the food remaining in her mouth, but it tasted like wax.
With every swallow, the sensation of a foreign object in her throat seemed to linger. The young girl gripped her silver fork tightly, her knuckles turning white, yet she couldn’t muster even a bit of strength to resist.
The pain from last night, the humiliation of this morning… everything weighed heavily on her heart.
She had to act. She had to act today!
“Miss, what would you like for a birthday gift? Your 20th birthday is only half a month away~”
The Demon suddenly threw out such a question.
Ilus’s heart gave a violent thud. The trembling tip of the fork she held scraped against the porcelain plate, making a faint, sharp screech.
‘My 20th birthday? Is it that soon? Don’t I remember having nearly half a year left?’ When she first arrived here, she had vaguely asked a maid about her birthday. Could it be that the maid had remembered it wrong?!
For a moment, Ilus felt as though she had fallen into an ice cellar; the blood throughout her body turned cold.
With no appetite for breakfast, she forced herself to swallow the last bite of food. She raised her eyes to meet Iliana’s pale gold ones, which seemed to see through everything.
“I…”
She cleared her throat, her voice still a bit hoarse.
“I… don’t really want anything for now.”
No, there was no time. She had to quickly find a way to deal with the Demon, otherwise her life would truly only have half a month left!
No matter the method, and no matter the price, as long as she could stay alive, she was willing to try. Iliana was clearly eyeing her like a predator and would not let her go easily. In this extremely short amount of time, she could only take a risk and confront her head-on!
“Miss, I will go and prepare some tea and snacks for you first. Let’s go for a walk in a bit. I will accompany you.”
“…Fine.”
How annoying. As soon as Iliana left, the young girl ruffled her hair in a fit of frustration. This was the first time she felt the threat of death so acutely. Another frustrating matter was that if this person was always following her, how would she ever have a chance to go out and seek help?
What exactly should she do to shake off this bastard Iliana?
Just as Ilus was worrying, a sudden burst of whispering came from outside the door.
‘Who is talking?’ Ilus stood up, feeling quite concerned because she had heard her own name.
“Hey, did you know? I heard that bastard Iliana is now the exclusive maid for the Young Lady.”
“Of course I heard. She even sleeps with the Miss. I heard that last night… there was quite a lot of noise. You know how Iliana is. Our delicate Young Lady probably can’t even walk straight right now.”
“I think the Miss has probably already become her toy.”
“Hehe, the Duke’s daughter submitting to a maid, just thinking about it…”
The voices dropped lower, yet they still drifted in through the crack in the door.
Judging by the voices, it was several of the Mansion’s maids. Ilus’s hand pressed against the doorknob, her knuckles tightening slightly.
Those words were like fine needles pricking her, filled with disdain and Malice. She wasn’t oblivious; the other maids in the residence barely concealed their fear and hatred for Iliana, but she hadn’t expected to be caught in the crossfire as well.
A cold fury seized her. They didn’t understand anything! They didn’t understand at all! Iliana, she was…
The footsteps outside approached, and the whispering stopped abruptly. There was a soft knock on the door, and then it was pushed open. The maids entered carrying a stack of freshly laundered clothes.
When they saw Ilus standing by the door, a trace of panic flashed across all of their faces simultaneously. They hurriedly bowed.
“Miss, your clothes have been delivered.”
Ilus’s gaze swept over each of them. A thought suddenly crossed her mind. Perhaps these people who were dissatisfied with Iliana could serve as a temporary distraction for her escape. It would also serve as a punishment for their gossip.
“I didn’t expect you all to be speaking ill of me.”
Ignoring the panicked expressions on the maids’ faces, Ilus continued.
“I can forgive you, but only if you help me with one thing…”
—
A short while later, Ilus changed into a simple dress that was easy to move in. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
As expected, Iliana was already waiting outside. She held an exquisite lace parasol in her hand and a small silver tray with a teapot and cup on it.
“Miss, let us go.”
The maid smiled.
The sunlight was pleasant, spilling into the Mansion’s Square Courtyard. The neatly trimmed greenery shimmered with a waxy luster.
The Garden was on the east side. It was currently the blooming season, and various flowers were competing for beauty, their fragrance rich and heady. In the past, Ilus might have had the leisure to appreciate it, but now, she only felt that this beautiful scenery was like another exquisite cage.
Iliana held the parasol for her, following closely.
The distance was kept perfectly—neither impolite nor out of reach.
‘Where are those girls? Why aren’t they here yet?’ A look of nervousness appeared on Ilus’s small face as she looked around. According to what she had said, they should be nearby and “accidentally” run into them.
‘Where could they be…’
Just then, a female voice rang out from behind.
“Hey, Iliana, where are you taking the Young Lady?”
The two women turned around to see the maids who had been gossiping about Ilus earlier standing behind them.
“Do you have some business with us?”
Iliana turned, her brow furrowing. She seemed dissatisfied that they were interrupting her time with Ilus.
“Of course we do, and we’re looking for you.”
The head maid pointed at Iliana.
“Me?”
“That’s right. we’ve been sick of you for a long time. We’re here to teach you a lesson today. I suggest you come with us, otherwise I won’t be so polite.”
Iliana’s brow furrowed even deeper. It was strange. They knew she was a favorite of Lady Vanessa; they shouldn’t dare to offend her. Why were they so fearless?
‘Which means there is someone behind them instigating or threatening them?’ Iliana quickly deduced.
And the only person with that kind of status was… the Young Lady!
She looked up and happened to see the leading maid wink in her direction—though clearly, it wasn’t meant for her.
‘I see. Everything is clear now. Fine.’
‘Fine then, Miss. Since you want to play, I will play with you…’