Three days had passed since her shopping spree with Lady Florence, and her new blue gown had been delivered to the Lord's mansion just yesterday.
That same day, she had spoken to the Lord about wanting to leave, and he had assured her that he would find a decent job for her. Unfortunately, Lord Theodore was a busy man, and Myra hadn't seen him since.
In the meantime, she had pleaded with Alvin to let her help with some household chores. Working was the only way to chase away her boredom. The butler had adamantly refused at first, but after persistent pestering, he agreed to let her do a few easy tasks here and there.
Currently, she was in the drawing room on the first floor, arranging flowers in a tall crystal vase.
A maid had brought in a bundle of freshly picked tulips and placed them on the polished mahogany table. Myra had thanked her, then pulled out the dried, withering flowers from the vase.
She wiped it clean with a soft cloth before carefully setting the vibrant yellow and orange tulips inside the cylindrical vase. Once done, she stepped back with a gleeful smile, admiring her handiwork with satisfaction and a strange sense of peace.
The drawing room was large—though slightly smaller than the main foyer on the ground floor—and elegantly furnished like the rest of the mansion. The walls displayed beautiful paintings of animals and nature, except for one that hung above the massive fireplace.
It was a portrait of a beautiful young woman sitting on an armchair. She wore an elegant pale lilac gown, and her long black hair was intricately braided and adorned with tiny pearl pins. On her lap sat an adorable baby, no older than a year.
The woman had a gentle smile on her face, her golden eyes sparkling with mirth as she gazed lovingly at her child. Her arms were wrapped protectively around the baby, who was busy playing with his mother's fingers.
Myra stared at the portrait, captivated, wondering who the lovely lady and child might be. It was a stunning painting, clearly portraying a mother's affection for her child.
"Milady?" someone called out.
"Huh?" Myra blinked and reluctantly turned away from the picture. It was Rachel.
"It's lunchtime," Rachel said with a polite smile.
Myra nodded. "Rachel?"
"Yes, Milady?"
Myra frowned and tilted her head. "First of all, Rachel—please just call me by my name. No need to add a 'lady' in front of it."
She was tired of repeating herself to everyone, but no one ever seemed to listen. Rachel nodded hesitantly.
"And who's the woman in the portrait?" Myra asked, glancing back at it.
"Ah! That's Lady Aurelia Warburton," Rachel replied. "Mil — I mean, Myra," she quickly corrected herself.
"And the baby?" Myra asked, pointing at the child in the painting.
Rachel smiled. "That's our Lord Theodore."
Myra's eyes widened. That baby was the current Lord of Arcardia?
"Oh my god! Really?!"
Aww… He looked so cute back then. The elegant woman in the painting must be his mother, the previous Lady of Arcardia.
"There's another painting of Lady Aurelia in the Lord's study," said Rachel. "It's even more beautiful than this one, and it was painted by Lord Theodore himself, in memory of his mother."
"The Lord paints?" Myra asked curiously.
"Yes, he does," Rachel replied, "but not very often. I've only seen him paint twice since I started working here three years ago."
Myra hummed thoughtfully.
"Yuki, my friend, who's in charge of cleaning the Lord's personal chambers, said she recently peeked at a half-finished painting of a woman," Rachel added in a hushed, gossipy tone. "I think it might be the Lord's mystery lover," she whispered, leaning in close.
Lord Theodore has a lover?
Of course he does. Why wouldn't he? He's a handsome young man, thought Myra.
But for some reason, she felt a small pang of sadness.
"Can I see his paintings?" she asked eagerly.
Rachel shook her head. "No. The room where his Lordship stores his artwork is locked. Only the Lord or the butler are allowed inside."
Myra sighed in disappointment.
"Now, enough chit-chat," said Rachel. "Let's go before the butler catches me slacking off."
Myra nodded. She understood. Alvin, though polite and respectful to her, was strict with the rest of the staff. He expected perfection and had no tolerance for laziness.
After lunch, Myra spent some time in the garden, helping water the plants. Three other servants were busy digging soil to plant new saplings. Alvin hadn't allowed her to join them but had permitted her to water the plants instead.
As she worked, a carriage entered the courtyard. A young woman and two men stepped out.
The woman had short, shoulder-length ginger hair. Unlike any woman Myra had met before, she carried herself like a warrior—dressed in beige breeches and a fitted shirt.
The two men with her were also young, tall, and well-built. One had long blond hair tied in a half ponytail and wore a loose white shirt with brown breeches. The other had short brown hair and was dressed in a fine blue suit.
Myra observed them from the garden with growing curiosity. Who were they?
The butler stepped out through the front door to greet them.
"Alvin, we're back!" shouted the blond man, grinning as he launched himself at the butler in a full-on man-hug.
The brown-haired man rolled his eyes at his companion's antics, while the woman remained silent, her face unreadable.
The blond man patted Alvin's shoulder so hard that the butler jerked forward slightly, his expression strained.
"Welcome back," Alvin said politely, quickly composing himself.
The woman and the brown-haired man gave a nod before entering the mansion. The blond man followed, chatting animatedly with Alvin.
Just before stepping inside, the blond man paused at the main door and turned back. His eyes met Myra's across the courtyard. A mischievous smirk tugged at his lips.
And then, without warning, he winked at her—before vanishing inside.