Chapter 13

"Is Adi calling for me?"

"Yes, he said he wants to talk about something and would like you to come to his room."

Hearing this from the maid, Mary tilted her head, wondering what it could be. It was already quite late, and she had just started to think about going to bed. For him to call her at this hour, it must be something urgent. However, asking the maid wouldn't yield any answers, so she dismissed her with a goodnight greeting, put on her coat, and left her room.

The Albert family's mansion was vast, and many of those who worked there lived on the premises. These employees all resided in the staff quarters within the estate, and Adi was one of them.

"It's been a while since I've walked through here."

Mary muttered to herself as she walked through the staff quarters. When she was young, she couldn't tell the difference between the buildings and would often sneak in, knocking on any door she saw just to play. She thought that if she came here, there would always be some free employee who would play with her—back when the concept of days off didn't exist. Now, she felt guilty for having wasted their precious time.

But as she grew older, she came to understand the difference between this building and the main house, and she began to avoid entering. Of course, this wasn't because of some notion of class differences or the common idea that "the master should never enter the servants' quarters." It was simply that she felt uncomfortable intruding on the private lives of the employees. Mary, in particular, was someone who clearly separated her personal and professional life, and thus understood how unpleasant it could be to have someone intrude without regard.

With these thoughts in mind, she walked and suddenly stopped in front of a room. It was Adi's room. A simple brown door had a nameplate with his name on it. She glanced at it and slowly knocked on the door...

"Come in!!"

She widened her eyes at the incomprehensible response.

Of course, he's in there.

She thought for a few moments.

"Sorry to keep you waiting..."

When Adi finally appeared, Mary sighed and, at his urging, entered his room.

Even though it was the staff quarters, this was the Albert family's mansion. The room was spacious enough for one person, complete with a kitchen and even a bathroom. The quarters also had a dining hall and shared facilities, but they were designed so that one could live comfortably without using them. The staff quarters were luxuriously built, and no other household provided such a comfortable living space.

"It's a bit messy, but please have a seat."

"Rather than messy, it's more like..."

As she was prompted to sit on a cushion, Mary's gaze fell on a particular spot in the room. In one corner of the relatively tidy room...

"That pile covered with a cloth, it looks like you've gathered all your suspicious items in one place and covered them up."

"If you can tell that much, don't say it out loud."

Under Mary's intense gaze, Adi said, "I'll prepare some drinks, so please sit and wait quietly," and headed to the kitchen. The emphasis on "sit and wait quietly" was telling. Feeling reprimanded, Mary took a deep breath on the cushion and, glancing down, noticed something odd. The cushion felt uncomfortable, as if something was placed underneath it. Curious, she moved to the side and reached to check under the cushion.

Clunk!!

She stopped her hand at the sound of a cup being slammed down.

"Here's your tea."

"...Thank you."

Intimidated by Adi's intense aura, Mary redirected her hand from the cushion to the cup. This was clearly intentional. Instead of pressing further, she decided to ask for a snack, and Adi, in turn, emphasized, "Sit quietly, don't look around, and wait," before heading back to the kitchen. The additional request was telling. Mary felt like complaining.

"You called me, so you should have hidden anything suspicious beforehand."

But she kept quiet, knowing she was in his territory. Even though this was the Albert estate, it was Adi's room.

Finally, with a freshly brewed cup of tea and a light snack on the table, they got to the point.

"So, why did you call me? Normally, if you need something, you should come to my room."

"Of course, I can't just go to your room at this hour. That would be extremely impolite."

"So, you called me instead!? What a backwards way of doing things!"

Mary was baffled by his logic but was speechless as Adi bowed deeply. Indeed, it was not proper for a servant to enter the master's room, especially at such a late hour. Given that Adi was a man and Mary was a woman, it could lead to unnecessary misunderstandings and more than just impoliteness. However, it wasn't as simple as just calling the master to the servant's room. If she did that, regardless of gender or time, it could lead to her being fired.

Therefore, Mary warned, "Don't ever do this in front of Father or anyone else."

Adi shook his head frantically.

"Of course not! No matter what, I wouldn't disturb the masters at such a late hour!"

"Perfect timing. After we finish, let's discuss the matters you've been putting off."

"Ah!? No, no, let's focus on the main topic first! We can talk about the other things if there's time left!"

"If this main topic is trivial, I'll expose what's under the cushion, uncover that pile, and fire you. So, be prepared."

Adi responded with a dry laugh, his evasive expression making Mary feel both exasperated and amused. Despite his attempts to dodge, she decided to be honest. She took a sip of tea, letting the rich flavor and fruit aroma soothe her throat for the long conversation ahead.

"If you insist, I'll tell you. I never had any interest in being the villainess."

Adi nodded, as if he had expected this.