Chapter 33

"Really... why do I have to go out of my way for this..."

In the afternoon at the Haggle household.

Opening the familiar large front door of the main house, a woman stepped outside.

Sighing in the blinding sunlight, she walked through the garden without much energy. She was probably in her late thirties. Her wrinkles and sagging skin were covered by heavy makeup, but her slightly plump figure couldn't be hidden.

She had dark brown hair that flipped up around her neck and freckles near her cheeks, which were her distinctive features.

Her name was Melissa.

She served the Haggle family and had been Amelia's maid for a long time.

"To forget the preparation money... What is that lazy girl thinking..."

Melissa said, almost spitting the words out.

Melissa, who exuded a thoroughly bothersome aura, didn't look like a competent maid at all.

In fact, she was one of those people who couldn't do her job well.

Even if she couldn't do her job, she might still be endearing if she were humble and had a desire to improve, but she was the opposite—proud and never admitting her faults, making her a troublesome character.

As a result, her reputation among the household staff was very poor.

Despite this, she wasn't fired because the Haggle family's finances were so tight that they couldn't afford the cost of hiring a new maid, a rather ironic reason.

However, her career didn't go smoothly. After serving the Haggle family for two years, she was assigned to take care of Sophie, who had been exiled for her affair with the head of the household, and her daughter, which was essentially a demotion.

Melissa, who had always resented Sophie for starting work at the same time as her but being more competent and better-looking, was overjoyed when she heard that Sophie had seduced the head of the household and committed adultery.

Given that, it was only natural that Melissa, with her twisted nature, wouldn't just faithfully perform her duties as Sophie's caretaker, who was now in a position almost like a slave.

It was only natural, considering Melissa's character, that she would start treating Sophie and her daughter, Amelia, in a way that could be seen as a form of venting her frustrations.

However, that was all in the past.

"To cause trouble even after leaving... What a child... Oh, how frustrating..."

With Amelia having married the notorious Duke Logan a few days ago, Melissa was finally reassigned back to the main house.

However, her incompetence remained, and she often received cold looks from her junior maids because she acted superior and condescending.

It was quite humiliating to be disrespected by much younger maids despite her long tenure.

The stress built up day by day.

In such a situation, the order from the head of the household to "get the preparation money from Amelia" might actually be a good change of pace.

"Yes, that's right. It's just perfect."

After venting her frustrations, a calmer Melissa reconsidered.

...In a bad way.

"It's been a while, but it looks like I'll have a good way to vent my frustrations."

With a twisted smile, Melissa got into the Haggle family's carriage.