"Crazy Master" (3)
Luckily, she decided to talk to Paula to make sure she made the right choice.
“My introduction is late. I am Isabella, the manager of the maids of this mansion. I am the second in command in this mansion and you will work under me.”
“Okay, who’s first?”
“This is the owner whom you will see soon.”
This is the one the old gentleman mentioned earlier. The girl did not know what she would do; she was not informed. The father, greedy for money, did not even think to ask about it. Well, whatever it is, she will have to do it anyway, even if it is a terrible job.
“What should I call you? Miss?”
“Just call me Isabella.”
“Okay, Miss Isabella.”
The girl immediately remembered the name of the main maid and stored it in her memory. Only then did she realize that she had to introduce herself
“I’m also late with my introduction. My name is Paula.”
“Okay, Paula. What can you do?”
“I can do housework such as regular cleaning and laundry. A little writing and counting. To count money, I need to know the basics.”
" - I understood".
Isabella said this with an indifferent expression on her face. Paula, on the other hand, was nervous about her reaction.
[What if she decides I'm useless?]
[What if they tell me to go home?]
Isabella quickened her pace. Paula walked faster to keep up.
Following Isabella around the corner, they approached the door. The door opened at that moment. Standing on the threshold was a young girl who, noticing the head maid, hurried out to bow. The brown-haired woman who followed her also hurriedly left the room and bowed in surprise.
“Hello, Miss Isabella.”
“I would advise you not to beat around the bush.”
"I'm sorry. I really am."
“Be careful next time.”
Their wary glances shifted from Isabella to Paula standing behind the woman. Just as they were about to meet Paula's gaze, Isabella took a step to the side and blocked the view. She ordered them to hurry up and head to their cleaning area.
Paula watched them leave as they hurriedly left. Meanwhile, Isabella opened the door and called someone.
“ - Renika.”
“Yes, Miss Isabella.”
A tall, mature woman approached them. Isabella pushed Paula backwards.
“ - Are there any clothes suitable for this child?”
Renica's eyes stared at Paula. She seemed to think for just a moment and then nodded.
“ - She has a delicate build. It seems like there is something that will fit.”
“I'm glad. The clothes don't have to be too formal.”
“Okay, what is she responsible for?”
“From now on she will serve her owner.”
Renika's eyes widened as if this was an unexpected answer. The frightened gaze stared at Paula again. The girl became even more nervous because of this reaction, swallowing dry saliva several times.
A moment later, Renika calmly nodded her head and went back inside.
Soon she brought a black dress and put it on Paula. The woman changed the dress several more times, choosing the right size. Finally deciding, she handed her one of them. The dress also came with a white apron and underwear.
“Your hair...”
Renika looked at Paula's long bangs covering her face. Paula licked her dry lips. Isabella looked at her for a moment before saying that everything was fine and taking a step back. Paula stumbled after her.
Isabella walked down the corridor again. Paula constantly looked around. While they were walking, the girl saw many different people busy with their work. The people coming from the opposite direction, seeing Isabella, bowed their heads low.
A fairly loud sound came from the surrounding area. The sound gradually died down, and silence reigned again.
The even and moderate sound of footsteps broke the silence. She glanced at Isabella, clutching her bag so as not to lose it.
“Paula, how much do you know about your work?”
“I just now found out that you are going to hire me.”
“Then, probably, the essence of the work was not explained to you in detail.”
"Yes."
Paula nodded her head and answered. Isabella's steps were still faster than expected.
“This is the residence of the prestigious Bellunita family. And from now on, you, Paula, will be responsible for everything that Vincent Belluniti, the owner of this mansion, needs.”
“-I... will I work alone?”
" - Right".
For a moment Paula was speechless. Following the woman down the corridor, she saw a relatively large number of servants. The man from the carriage that brought her here, the gardener in the well-kept garden, the coachman of the stable, women and men in the same clothes. She could definitely say that in addition to those already seen, there were also a relatively large number of servants.
[But can I, can I serve the master alone? If the owner, isn't he a powerful person?]
Instead of asking, Paula simply bit her lip.
“Well, is there anyone else?”
“ - There is no one. If you need anything, you can tell me right now.”
"Can I do this alone? He is the boss."
Paula realized that she had said something inappropriate, something that made Isabella stop. The girl bowed her head and also stopped.
When the woman turned to face Paula, she still did not express any emotion.
" - Paula, listen carefully. In the future, you will be the only one accompanying the master, and there will be no other people. If you are not satisfied with this, I recommend leaving the mansion immediately, even if you are not confident in yourself. If you make noise later, you will be punished."
Isabella warned calmly.
If you are not confident in yourself, leave.
Paula bit her trembling lip at this stern warning.
And she understood.
Feeling pain in the future should never be repeated
She bowed low.
“I’m sorry. Next time I’ll be more prudent.”
Fortunately, Isabella said nothing more and turned back. Paula straightened up and ran after her.
“If you are careful in what you do, everything will come quite easily.”
"Yes."
After that, the woman did not say a word.
After some time, a door appeared. It was smaller than the door through which they entered this mansion.
[Is there a door at the back of the mansion too?]
Paula followed Isabella and left the mansion. Then, to the side, a spacious green garden unfolded in front of her, which seemed to have no end.
The admiration leaked out without her knowledge. The girl looked at him from the carriage, but after examining him properly, she realized how beautiful he was.
When Paula discovered Isabella far ahead, she hurried after her.
The girl asked where they were going, but there was no answer, so she simply silently followed the head maid. She thought that if she asked about something, the answer would be a terrible curse.
Isabella was heading towards the back of the garden. The smaller mansion caught her attention. It seemed to the girl that her destination was there.
The street they were walking along already seemed tiresome. The maid led Paula to the other side, not to the road. It was a forest, next to a mansion.
She followed Isabella through the bushes and only came out when the girl's legs had already begun to pierce. Suddenly they found themselves in front of. apart.
[But how?]
She winced and looked around the bushes they had just passed through.
[Was it a shortcut?]
She looked again at the mansion in front of her, regardless of whether it was an extension, in her opinion they looked equally huge and magnificent.
As soon as they walked inside, the surroundings became even quieter than before. The larger mansion also seemed quite quiet, but not a single rustle was heard here. The atmosphere seemed so gloomy and unpleasant that the girl doubted whether people even lived here.
“Only a few people live here.”
[Oh, I'm not mistaken.]
Paula nodded.
Isabella reached the end of the corridor and began to climb the stairs.
“-Breakfast should be ready at 6 am, lunch at noon and dinner at 6 pm. You can prepare food in the kitchen on time and bring it to the owner. Dessert should be served at lunch. Pay special attention to maintaining cleanliness. Sheets should be changed every morning, as well as clothes. Collect the laundry that was collected the day before and bring it to the back door of the annex every morning.”
"Yes."
“Everything you need is here. Let me know if you need anything else. I will do my best to get what you need, and the same goes for difficult tasks.”
"Yes."
" - For your information, everything must be done at once. Don't go back and try to finish it just because you didn't do it right away. The owner is sensitive to such things, so you need to be as careful as possible. Act as if you are not there."
" - Fine."
Having memorized all the information, the girl ruffled her hair.
It was the easiest thing for her, like no one else
Climbing the stairs again, they passed the corridor and stopped in front of the very last room.
“Finally, I would like to tell you one more thing.”
Isabella looked back at Paula before opening the door.
"From now on, everything you see and hear must remain a secret. Be careful, don't say the slightest word or react to anything, even to what you see or hear. Don't even listen. If you tremble, it won't end with a simple punishment. Do you understand?"
It was quite unexpected, but for her it was as easy as breathing.
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
When Paula answered firmly, Isabella turned and slowly knocked on the door.
Knock, Knock, Knock.
Then she began to wait for the owner’s words, but not a sound came from the room. Isabella knocked on the door again, as if she was used to this kind of reaction.
Knock, Knock, Knock.
“I’ll come in, master.”
She still didn't hear his permission to enter, but she skillfully turned the doorknob.
Darkness seeped through the open door.
The room was completely engulfed in darkness, so dark that she could not see an inch ahead. In addition, the air was cool and there was a strange smell.
Paula grabbed her nose and frowned. She then quickly corrected her expression. Isabella told her not to react. She looked at the woman, and fortunately she was not looking at her. Paula lowered her hands and held her breath as long as she could.
But the moment Isabella took a step into the room.
Bang!
“Ugh!”
In an instant, something flew past and crashed into the wall.
Paula instinctively squatted down, clasping her head in her hands. After making sure that there were no more flying objects and it was quiet again, she opened her eyes, which were closed. Unlike her, Isabella still stood there, motionless. There were shards of broken glass lying next to her shoes.
Paula looked at the shards of glass with wide eyes and then looked back at Isabella. As she took another step, something flew out of the darkness and crashed into the wall.
Groin!
The pillow fell with a thud.
[What is this?!]
Paula stood up and looked around the room.
The room was still dark, but meanwhile the eyes, accustomed to the darkness, caught a blurry figure.