"Maria, can I ask you a favor?" Elizabeth asked with a nervous smile.

Aria and Maria had barely descended the stairs, but it seemed that Elizabeth had been waiting for them the whole time.

"What's up?" asked Maria, confused.

"Do you remember? I asked you for advice on trimming the plants when you arrived, but it seems I made a mess of it. Would you help me clean it up?"

"No," Aria suddenly interrupted.

Elizabeth was surprised by this intervention.

Why was Aria treating her like that?

"Did I do something to upset you, Miss Aria?" Elizabeth asked, somewhat confused as she couldn't understand why Aria was speaking to her in such a way.

"Maria isn't going anywhere. She's staying with me," Aria explained bluntly.

"But it's something that..."

"Aren't there other servants? She's my personal maid. Why do you want to give her that job?"

Each time Aria responded sharply to Elizabeth, it made Maria nervous.

Weren't they supposed to be careful around her!?

Maria kept remembering the warning Aria had given her before they descended the stairs:

"Be careful with Elizabeth; of all the ones I've seen, her aura is the most terrifying," Aria had said minutes earlier. Yet, it seemed that she had forgotten her own warning.

Why are you arguing with her like this if she's the one we should be most careful about!?

That's what Maria wanted to shout at Aria, but she swallowed her words. She could only nervously observe the conversation between Elizabeth and Aria, where it seemed that Aria was scolding Elizabeth.

"But Miss Aria..." Elizabeth didn't know how to explain herself and gestured with her hands, trying to get her thoughts together.

"I'm hungry," Aria interrupted.

With a sigh, Elizabeth bowed.

"My apologies, Miss Aria. I'll go solve the problem myself," Elizabeth said in a sad tone before turning around to leave.

Maria let out a long sigh, calming down and being relieved that the bravado of a child had saved her, but... how long would this luck last?

◇◆◇

The kitchen doors creaked open softly, and Aria entered, closely followed by Maria. The silver glow of the candlelight revealed a dark and silent kitchen.

Aria headed to the table where her food awaited, while Maria stood upright by her side, attentive to any of Aria's requests, but she couldn't help but notice the change in the atmosphere.

The servants, who used to talk and laugh among themselves, were now working in sepulchral silence.

Maria remained silent, avoiding making eye contact with the servants.

How had Aria endured being in such an environment when she wasn't around?

Maria hadn't had time to notice these details before, as when she arrived, she went straight to Aria's room.

Fortunately, she kept her distance when she talked to Elizabeth before entering Aria's room, but... what would have happened if she had approached Elizabeth when she called her?

Maybe her thoughts were exaggerated due to the conversation she had with Aria?

Suddenly, a male voice made her jump slightly.

"Good morning, Maria. The chef says he wants to talk to you about..."

"No," Aria suddenly interrupted the servant.

Unlike Elizabeth, the servant showed a brief look of displeasure, but then forced a smile.

"It's something urgent," said the servant.

"That's for someone else to handle. That's not my maid's job," replied Aria, and the servant clicked their tongue.

"Understood, I'll inform the chef. My apologies for the inconvenience, Miss Aria," grumbled the servant before leaving.

Maria was impressed.

Since when did everyone want to spend time alone with her?

A part of Maria wanted to know what the chef wanted, as she remembered how he had treated her when she asked for that favor with the cookies, but…

She lacked the courage to go.

Still, a part of Maria wanted to go, at least for a few seconds, to see if he was okay.

"Don't go," Aria said quietly, finishing her meal.

Maria's heart raced even faster upon hearing those words.

Did Aria already know that he had also changed?

"Aria..." Maria stuttered, trying her best to remain calm.

"Yes. The food was delicious, so I want to go out for a walk," said Aria. Her last sentence was spoken loudly, but the intentional pause at the beginning confirmed Maria's doubts.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Some servants glanced at them but then continued with their tasks.

They had to get out of here!

Aria and Maria left the kitchen, moving into the main hallway. Aria's steps followed Maria's rhythm.

Maria knew every exit of the mansion, as Lucia had tasked her with learning them all, in case something serious happened.

Aria's mansion, while simpler and less luxurious compared to her siblings', had its own secrets.

Maria knew the side doors that led to the garden, the back stairs that went to the stables, and even an underground passage that connected to a nearby stream.

These exits, though not as extravagant, were an ace up their sleeve that they couldn't use. If they were found using that passage, it would be evident that they were trying to escape. So, they had to exit through one of the doors leading to the gardens.

Upon opening the heavy door to one of the gardens, Aria and Maria encountered a strange scene that puzzled them.

Elizabeth, in Maria's eyes, had initially seemed like a calm and dedicated maid, but now that she knew she harbored a great secret, which made her the most dangerous and suspicious...

Seeing her cry was way too strange!

Elizabeth was crouched on the ground next to two servants; they were all dirty and surrounded by withered plants.

The air carried a smell of disturbed earth, and the scene simply didn't make sense.

Why is she crying?

Maria wondered as she swallowed hard.

Elizabeth, with tears in her eyes, was trying to mend the irreparable, while the servants, concerned and somewhat nervous, tried to help her in her task.

"They can't see this... they'll think that I..." Elizabeth whispered softly, but she stopped upon noticing the door had opened.

To Elizabeth's surprise, Aria was at the door alongside Maria.

"Miss Aria? What are you doing here?" she asked, wiping away tears with her hand but ended up smudging her face with dirt.

Aria made a disgusted expression. She hated seeing her like this; it gave her chills.

"We came out for a stroll," Aria replied curtly.

Upon hearing that comment, one of the servants with Elizabeth spoke up:

"Maria, I understand that Miss Aria is not allowed to leave the mansion, so..."

"It's fine. Let her get some air. Miss Aria must be upset about something I did. I'm useless," Elizabeth reproached herself, and the servant who had spoken to stop Aria fell silent.

This scene only reinforced a belief that Maria and Aria had: Elizabeth was the one in charge of the mansion.

"Maria... Could you come closer for a moment?" Elizabeth asked in a weary tone.

"I'm in a hurry, I want to see the surroundings of the mansion," said Aria, but Elizabeth promptly got up from the ground to approach them.

Aria didn't step back, but Maria instinctively took a careless step backward, almost stumbling, but Elizabeth held her hand.

"Careful," Elizabeth said while smiling.

"Thank you," replied Maria, smiling back, though she was afraid.

Maria hadn't noticed due to her concern about avoiding the fall, but Aria did.

Elizabeth had moved at a great speed!

"You have beautiful hair, it's quite smooth. Make sure to take care of it," Elizabeth said while stroking the back of Maria's head.

Maria let out a nervous chuckle, but to her surprise, Elizabeth let go and then tried to shake off the dirt she had left by accident.

"Oh, sorry, I dirtied your hair a bit. I couldn't resist and wanted to check how smooth it was," explained Elizabeth.

Did she cast a spell?

Aria wondered, but she couldn't see anything unusual about Maria, and she didn't know of any spell that could be cast by touching someone's hair.

Maybe she's just a vampire with strange hobbies?

Maria brushed off the remaining dirt with her hands and didn't notice anything strange behind her head.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. I appreciate the compliment," said Maria, a bit embarrassed as she hadn't expected that comment.

Aria was attentive to Maria's aura, but it remained unchanged, and no part of her body had suffered any harm.

"We're leaving," said Aria before departing the scene with Maria.

"Hope you have fun," Elizabeth said with a smile as they left. After that, she turned to look at the plants and let out a heavy sigh.

◇◆◇

As the minutes passed and they gradually distanced themselves from the mansion, a smile began to appear on Aria's face.

It was the first time Aria had left the mansion, and that stirred a great excitement within her body that she couldn't contain.

The breeze, along with the rising sun, was a beautiful sight.

Why hadn't they allowed her to leave before?

Her heart raced, and she felt a rather pleasant excitement, similar to when she had eaten that chocolate sweet for the first time.

She didn't want to stop.

As they moved away from the mansion's property, where the trees had been cut down, leaving an open space that contrasted with the densely populated forest beyond, the plants became less tended, and the terrain became more uneven.

The lush greenery of the forest loomed ahead. The path they followed was not conventional, and each step they took brought them closer to the dense vegetation that stretched everywhere.

The sun reached its peak in the sky, filtering warm rays through the branches and leaves of the trees. The sounds of nature became more evident: the song of unknown birds, the wind whispering through the leaves, and the subtle movements of animals hidden in the undergrowth.

Unfortunately, Aria's body wasn't very athletic, and as they continued, her back started to ache more and more.

She had never walked this much, and there was still a long way to go.

By this point, they would have to start running, as it was likely that in a few minutes, the servants would notice their absence and start searching the surroundings of the mansion.

Aria did her best to ignore this pain, as her priority was clear.

They had to leave before it was too late.

Both began to run, and Aria found it too hard to keep up with Maria's pace. That was when she stopped and decided to carry her on her back.

As she bent down for Aria to climb on, she noticed a little blood at the back of Maria's head. It was a small wound, so the blood was flowing very slowly, making it imperceptible for Maria to feel it.

Aria had a bad feeling about this.

"What are you doing, Aria?" asked Maria, noticing Aria was taking a while.

Aria snapped out of her trance and climbed onto Maria's back while wiping the blood that was coming from behind her head.

"Do I have something on my head?" asked Maria, bewildered.

"Run," replied Aria, but then both heard a familiar scream.

It was Elizabeth.

"Maria! Where are you taking Miss Aria? I don't think this is just a walk!" shouted Elizabeth furiously as she approached them at great speed.

Before Maria could run, Elizabeth was in front of them. She stopped abruptly, raising a lot of dust. Her breathing was fast, and her eyes showed hostility. She no longer looked like the gentle girl and now seemed more like a beast ready to attack.

What could they do?

That was Aria's thought, but soon she heard footsteps in the distance—it was the other servants approaching at a run, although they were nowhere near Elizabeth's speed. Still, in a few minutes, they'd be surrounded.

"Maria, answer me! Where were you taking Miss Aria? Speak!" exclaimed Elizabeth, clenching her fists. She was quite upset.

It was the first time Maria and Aria had seen Elizabeth so angry. It seemed like she was about to pounce on Maria at any moment, but for some reason, she held back.

Soon, everyone heard a growl that diverted their attention. An 8-meter tall bear stood irritated due to all the noise they had caused in its territory.

An opportunity!

That's what Maria and Aria thought, but to their surprise, Elizabeth didn't hesitate to charge at the bear before it could do anything.

Maria was terrified by her brute strength, and Aria was lost in thought.

What would be her limit?

The bear fell backward, growling in pain. It had broken several of its bones, and now it seemed to be the prey.

Ignoring the bear's cries, Elizabeth walked toward its head and pierced it with a punch. Aria and Maria couldn't clearly see the scene, but they noticed how the bear, trembling with pain, abruptly stopped moving.

There was no doubt—she had killed it.

Maria didn't have the courage to run after witnessing that.

Brute strength, speed... If I fight her, I'll die!

Thought Maria, frightened.

"Ugh, this sack of flesh... because of it, I'll have to wash my favorite dress several times..." Elizabeth muttered, seeing her maid's dress, completely stained with blood and dirt.

Noticing that Maria hadn't fled while she finished off the bear, Elizabeth calmed down a bit. This time she approached them more relaxedly but with a cold look. Even if the maid surrendered now, she needed to find out who had been paid to try to kidnap Aria, so she couldn't show herself to be kind in front of her.