Chapter 44: A Clumsy Escape

The afternoon sun was just right.

Under the open-air corridor of the estate, a gentle breeze brushed through the climbing roses, carrying a faint floral scent.

Ailiya sat at the long table, a set of somewhat aged silverware laid out before her.

She held a soft cloth in her hand, methodically wiping a silver pot. Her movements were steady and precise, each wipe applying just the right amount of pressure.

【Acquired Life Experience Points: Maid +10】

Listening to the pleasant system notification in her mind, Ailiya’s mood was perfectly calm.

This kind of daily chore—requiring no brainpower, posing no life-threatening danger, and steadily yielding experience points—was practically her favorite way to level up.

Just as she was about to pick up the next silver dining knife, a shadow suddenly blocked the sunlight in front of her.

“How can such a beautiful young lady be doing such rough work on such a lovely afternoon?”

A self-styled suave, magnetic male voice sounded from above.

Ailiya didn’t even raise her eyelids; the cloth in her hand continued rubbing the silver knife.

The newcomer was none other than the Third Young Master from the main family in the royal capital, Cedric.

Ever since moving into the guest room, this young master seemed to treat the remote estate as his personal hunting ground.

Every time Ailiya was alone doing chores, he would wander over like a fly, seemingly casually.

But, timing it out. Going by the pattern of the past few days, before long, the other troublemaker in the estate—the one with the golden hair—should also come barging in to cause chaos.

Today, Cedric wore a form-fitting casual outfit that highlighted his figure. He leaned one hand on the edge of the long table, his body slightly forward, trying to close the distance with Ailiya.

His deep eyes roamed over her unabashedly.

“Miss Ailiya, ever since I caught a glimpse of you in the corridor yesterday, I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind.”

Cedric’s voice dropped low, carrying a syrupy tone he believed could charm any maiden.

“With your outstanding looks and temperament, staying here as a maid is a sheer waste of potential.”

Faced with this excessively greasy pick-up line, Ailiya finally stopped what she was doing.

She slowly lifted her head, those ice-blue eyes devoid of shyness or fear, only a coldness like she was appraising some non-recyclable trash.

“Lord Cedric, I accept your compliment.”

Ailiya’s tone was as flat as plain water. “Also, this is not rough work; it’s part of the daily maintenance of the estate.”

This matter-of-fact, utterly unromantic reply caught Cedric off guard for a moment.

But instead of getting angry, he found it even more refreshing.

In the royal capital, which woman wasn’t utterly obedient to him?

This thorny, icy prey only stirred his desire to conquer even more.

“Heh, Miss Ailiya is truly a dedicated person.”

Cedric didn’t retreat but instead pushed further, reaching out a hand to cover Ailiya’s fingers as she polished the silverware.

“However, you actually have better options. If you’re willing, I can take you back to the royal capital this time.”

“Whether as my personal assistant or in some other capacity, I promise your life will be much better than now…”

Ailiya’s fingers moved slightly. The silver dining knife that had been lying flat on the table had its blade angled.

If Cedric dared to come any closer, she guaranteed this freshly polished silver knife would slice through the artery in his wrist with silky smoothness.

But just at that critical moment…

“Ailiya!!!”

Immediately after, the rapid thumping of footsteps sounded.

Leo burst out from the corner, sliding to an abrupt stop and forcefully wedging himself between Ailiya and Cedric.

His charge was so fierce that his back nearly hit Cedric’s chin, forcing the latter to step back awkwardly.

“What kind of behavior is this, all reckless and disorderly!”

Cedric’s face darkened. His opportunity ruined again, the gloom in his eyes was barely concealed.

“Third Brother? You’re here too?”

Leo pretended to just notice him, then immediately turned to Ailiya, sweating profusely and shouting incoherently: “Ailiya! Quick, come with me! Something huge happened! My… my magic malfunctioned again! My short wand is stuck in the toilet!”

In that absurd reason, the air fell into dead silence.

Cedric’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Magic experiment? A wand stuck in the toilet?! What kind of cheap magic is that?!

Sure enough, just a useless waste, making a big deal out of nothing.

Ailiya looked at Leo, who was blocking her front, his face red from telling such a clumsy lie.

She set the flipped knife back flat on the table.

A flicker of disinterest passed through her eyes.

“Young Master.” Ailiya’s voice remained steady. “For such a matter, you should call a plumber, not the head maid.”

“I don’t care! I want you to come! That’s my precious wand!”

Leo, throwing all pretense of dignity to the wind, grabbed Ailiya’s sleeve and dragged her out. “Hurry, hurry, or the wand will be flushed away!”

Ailiya rose to her feet and turned to Cedric, whose face was ashen, giving a slight bow.

“My apologies, Lord Cedric. As you can see, the Young Master is facing an… emergency. I must attend to it. Please excuse me.”

With that, she let Leo pull her away, and they soon disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Left behind, Cedric stared at their retreating figures, his expression completely dark.

An exiled waste dares to interfere with my affairs time and again.

He let out a cold snort, slammed his white gloves onto the table in fury, and turned to leave in a huff.

Second floor, Leo’s room.

Bang!

The door was slammed shut and locked.

Leo let go of Ailiya’s sleeve, leaning against the door like he was drained, panting heavily.

“Huff… huff… scared me to death.”

Once he recovered, Leo immediately pointed at Ailiya and started jumping around. “I saw everything! That guy’s hand almost touched yours! And you just sat there motionless? Are you stupid?”

Ailiya walked over to the desk and naturally pulled out a chair to sit.

She looked at the furious Leo and spoke in a flat tone.

“Young Master, your acting was as tough and unpalatable as that burnt steak Chef Carter made yesterday.”

“I…” Leo choked on his words, then stubbornly retorted, “Doesn’t matter if the acting was bad, it’s called seizing the moment! I saved you again, didn’t I? Not only do you not thank me, but you also nitpick!”

“Saved me?” Ailiya tilted her head slightly, as if she’d heard something amusing.

She extended her right hand and casually placed the silver dining knife she’d been polishing in the corridor onto the desk.

“If you had been half a second later, that Third Young Master’s wrist might have already been separated from his body.”

“So, strictly speaking.”

Ailiya looked at Leo, a hint of mockery in her ice-blue eyes. “You didn’t save me just now. You saved that arrogant main family young master and Kastian Manor from facing a murder charge.”

Leo stared at the knife gleaming coldly on the table, then at Ailiya’s expressionless face.

He had no doubt this woman was one hundred percent serious just now!

Leo swallowed. “I see it now. I’m just protecting the idiots who piss you off!”

“You having that awareness is gratifying.”

Ailiya stood up and smoothed the wrinkles in her apron.

“But, Young Master.”

She shifted her tone, delivering a precise jab with a sharp tongue. “If you need to make an excuse next time, please use a bit of brain. A reason like ‘my wand is stuck in the toilet’…”

Ailiya glanced at the short wand, intact and tucked into Leo’s belt. “Will only make that Third Young Master think your IQ might have some irreversible deficiency.”

“I said that in the heat of the moment! It’s called great wisdom appearing foolish!” Leo’s face was red as a monkey’s rear.

“Alright, Young Master of great wisdom appearing foolish.”

Ailiya gave a slight bow, too lazy to argue further. “Since your wand isn’t stuck in the toilet, I’ll go back to my work.”

Watching Ailiya’s departing figure as she pushed the door open, Leo scratched his hair in frustration.