From the estate’s main gate, a vast garden lawn spread out before them. Past the central fountain, the grand mansion stood in all its scale.
At the top of the stairs lay the master’s residence.
As for the servants’ quarters, they were built along the edges of this nearly square piece of land, just a short distance from the surrounding wall.
The architectural style throughout the estate was uniform and harmonious with the landscape.
Built primarily from yellowish-white stone, accented with silver-black decorations, it exuded an air of nobility while remaining dignified and gentle—never flaunting excessive luxury.
This suggested that the original builder was no nouveau riche, but rather someone with a bit of thought.
On both sides of the gently sloping stairs, two rows of maids had already lined up, totaling over a hundred.
They stretched all the way to the wide-open doors, with a vivid red carpet laid down the middle.
Every maid was impeccably dressed and neatly groomed.
Though some confusion lingered in their hearts, they maintained the proper respectful demeanor expected of a maid.
“Whoa~”
Parit pulled on the horses’ reins, bringing the carriage to a complete stop. He glanced back at the mansion with a complicated expression.
Jumping down from the driver’s seat, he locked the carriage wheels before walking to the door.
With a respectful tone, he spoke to Enya inside the carriage.
“Lady, we have arrived.”
No response came.
Parit rubbed his gloved hands together, then grasped the handle of the carriage door.
On the stairs, a woman descended. The style of her maid outfit differed from the others—more exquisite and ornate, marking her distinct status.
This woman had chestnut hair pinned up at the back of her head, her hands folded before her stomach.
Her posture as she walked was quite graceful.
She appeared young, yet her demeanor was seasoned and mature.
As she passed, the maids on either side bowed their heads lower, a hint of tension flickering across their faces. What choice did they have? After all, this woman held the power over their lives and evaluations.
She was Head Maid Katherine, effectively the third-in-command below Parit.
Katherine approached the carriage and shot Parit a puzzled look. But when Parit opened the door, he seemed to intentionally avoid her questioning gaze, stepping silently aside.
What’s going on?
Katherine’s heart churned with doubt, but this wasn’t the time to dig for answers. She stepped aside and turned her attention to the carriage door.
As the head of the Lily of the Valley Chamber of Commerce, Gro had been gone for over a month now—far beyond the originally agreed return time.
Adding to the suspicion was that only a single carriage had returned.
Parit hadn’t sent a letter, nor had he used any other method to notify Katherine in advance.
So neither the estate’s servants nor the people at the chamber of commerce knew what was happening.
They had no idea that Gro, the president of the Lily of the Valley Chamber of Commerce, and his biological daughter Kalian had been assassinated, their souls now returned to the Goddess’s Kingdom.
Under Katherine’s gaze, Parit chose to lower his head even further.
Katherine’s brow furrowed slightly.
Just then, Lucia stepped down from the carriage. The moment she saw Katherine, her eyes reddened, and she nearly burst into tears.
Seeing Lucia’s expression, Katherine froze for a moment. Her heartbeat quickened, as if sensing something was wrong.
When she looked back at Parit, he had closed his eyes and turned his head away.
He still avoided her gaze, offering no explanation.
Katherine turned to the carriage.
She had assumed the returning master and young miss were inside, and though she was Fifth-Tier in strength, she hadn’t actively probed.
But now that things seemed off, she threw caution to the wind, sweeping her perception toward the carriage interior.
Yet her senses plunged into a deep abyss—gone without return, finding nothing. Sweat beaded on Katherine’s forehead.
Wendy stepped down.
Katherine stared at the green-haired elf before her, her face a mask of shock.
Reverse… reverse… that can’t be right, can it?
Wendy exited the carriage and found herself overwhelmed by the grand scene before her. Especially when a Human woman with some strength directed a peculiar, mixed emotion toward her and Enya, who still sat inside.
Her beautiful dark green eyes swept over everything around her, finally settling on the mansion that could only be described as massive—even larger than the estate house in White Stone City.
Judging by the number of servants, it was clear the two were not on the same level.
“Ahem.”
Enya had already reached the door, but Wendy was blocking it without moving.
She gave a little cough to prompt the elf. If not for the crowd, she would have kicked Wendy’s backside. Snapping out of it, Wendy hurried to the side, her face tense.
As Wendy made her appearance, the eyes of every maid present went wide.
This maid with light cyan hair… her beauty was ethereal, far beyond that of an ordinary woman!
And most striking of all: peeking through her smooth light cyan hair were a pair of pale, long ears—revealing her non-Human identity.
The maids were captivated.
An elf? An actual elf?
But wasn’t the master supposed to be returning? Why was there an elf maid?
Their confusion shifted from Wendy back to the carriage door.
A voice had come from inside—someone else was still in there. Who could it be?
Then, Enya stepped down into the sunlight, her black dress starkly standing out against the light.
Her face seemed carved by meticulous artistry, her expression still as water, her light gold eyes radiating a sense of divinity.
Her figure was flawless, almost a standard of beauty itself.
In her hand, Enya held a purple folding fan. In her other hand, she carried an item covered in black cloth.
She stood at the center of everyone’s gaze.
Katherine’s eyes widened as she stared at Enya. But when Enya turned to look at her, she quickly lowered her head, a shiver running down her spine—a small reprisal for the earlier offense.
As a Fifth-Tier, Katherine understood that feeling well. It was the presence of someone far above her in rank—a being not to be gazed upon directly.
This silver-haired girl… who was she?
Unable to probe Enya, Katherine turned her frustration on Parit.
Parit stepped forward, giving orders for someone to take the carriage away and for a maid to prepare two new rooms. Then he walked to Enya’s side.
“Lady, the rooms will be ready shortly. Let Lucia give you a tour first.”
Enya didn’t respond, but her silence was taken as agreement.
Lucia glanced at Katherine, bit her lip, and forced a weak smile. Then she led Enya and Wendy up the red carpet.