The young woman slowly turned her attention toward Stella.
Her gaze lingered on the maid for a brief moment, carefully observing her with a calm and unreadable expression.
"Hmm... you seem to be new here," she said quietly.
"In that case, it's fine, Henry."
She then glanced toward the servant standing beside her.
"Bring me the tea, please, if it is still warm."
Henry immediately moved.
"Yes, my lady."
With a respectful bow, he stepped forward and handed the teacup to her carefully.
Seeing that the situation had ended, Stella lowered her head politely.
"I apologize, my lady. And I apologize to you as well, Sir. Please forgive my rudeness."
Her voice remained composed.
"I am indeed new. I didn't realize you were sitting here."
The woman took a small sip of her tea before looking back at Stella.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Alright, alright. There is no need to worry, miss..."
She paused briefly.
"What is your name?"
Stella answered without hesitation.
"My name is Alina, my lady."
The woman gave a small nod.
"Very well, Alina. You may leave now."
Stella bowed once more.
"I wish you a pleasant day."
After that, she turned away and quickly left the garden, heading back toward the servants' quarters.
Only after putting some distance between herself and the two people did she allow herself to think about the encounter.
She must be someone from the Caden family... or perhaps someone close to them.
The way Henry immediately obeyed her, along with the quiet authority she carried, made it clear that she was no ordinary guest.
But it doesn't matter right now.
Stella continued walking, her expression remaining calm. The only thing she needs to figure out is how to stop Evelyn from dragging her into another disaster.
After returning to the servants' quarters, Stella decided to keep the encounter in the garden to herself.
Mentioning the mysterious young lady would only spark Evelyn's curiosity, and the last thing she needed was another reckless plan.
As it turned out, there was no need.
Evelyn had already found what she was looking for.
Not everything, but enough.
She had managed to identify one of the maids chosen to serve the Caden family during that evening's dinner.
The woman was one of the senior servants from the main residence.
Unlike the staff assigned to the rear quarters, servants working inside the family's mansion rarely mixed with the rest. The two groups lived almost separately, making contact only when necessary.
That explained Henry's attitude earlier.
" So that's why he reacted like that..."
Without realizing it, Stella had wandered into an area where she wasn't supposed to be.
Luckily, the incident hadn't caused any real trouble.
Evelyn, however, had already moved on to the next problem.
"I've got a plan," she said without hesitation.
There was something about that sentence that immediately made Stella uneasy.
"I'm going into the main residence," Evelyn continued. "Once I'm there, I'll make sure that maid can't report for dinner tonight."
Then she looked straight at Stella.
"While I'm gone, stay close to Matilda. Keep her busy if you have to. I'll come find you once everything's done."
Stella blinked.
"...You're going to make sure she can't report?"
A terrible feeling settled in her stomach.
"Please don't tell me you're planning to throw another person down the stairs."
Her voice dropped into a whisper.
"One Mrs. Trinket is more than enough."
Evelyn rolled her eyes.
"Relax."
A small, confident smile crossed her face.
"I'm not stupid."
After a brief pause, she added with a teasing look,
"If you don't trust me, then you're welcome to handle it yourself."
Stella immediately looked away.
There was no point arguing.
Whenever Evelyn made up her mind, changing it was almost impossible.
With a tired sigh, she finally gave in.
"Fine."
"I'll do my part."
"But whatever you're planning... try not to start another disaster."
A quiet laugh escaped Evelyn.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Stepping closer, she gave Stella a light pat on the shoulder.
"That's the spirit, Alina."
Her confident smile never wavered.
"I'm counting on you."
...
Instead of following Evelyn's instructions, Stella kept her distance.
From the shadow of a nearby corridor, she quietly watched Matilda as the acting housekeeper moved from one group of servants to another, checking their assignments for the evening.
There was no attempt to distract her.
No effort to keep her occupied.
Stella simply observed.
If Evelyn succeeds, none of this will matter.
Her eyes swept across the courtyard before returning to Matilda.
But if something goes wrong...
That was the possibility she couldn't ignore.
What if Evelyn was caught sneaking into the main residence?
What if someone recognized her face?
Each possibility led to another, and another after that.
Without realizing it, Stella had already begun arranging every possible outcome inside her head.
If the plan succeeded, she would continue acting as though nothing had happened.
If Evelyn was discovered...
She would immediately return to her assigned duties and avoid getting anywhere near the commotion.
If anyone questioned her, several servants had already seen her working around Matilda earlier that day.
That would be enough.
Or at least, she hoped it would.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips.
"Sorry, Evelyn..."
For a brief moment, guilt crept into her heart.
That girl had saved her life once.
She had trusted her enough to reveal the mission, and even called her a partner.
Even so... Stella couldn't bring herself to gamble everything for someone else's objective.
Not anymore.
She had nearly died once because of people she barely knew.
She had no intention of making the same mistake twice.
" My own survival comes first."
The thought felt colder than she wanted to admit.
Perhaps it made her selfish, or made her a coward.
Either way, none of that mattered if she ended up dead.