“You can do it, Sophia!”
The pretty blonde maid clapped her hands together and patted her cheeks.
Her already fair and tender skin now appeared even more delicate and appealing due to the perfectly placed blush.
At this moment, the female housekeeper’s voice came from outside the door.
“Sophia, are you ready?”
“Oh, oh! Yes!”
Sophia hurriedly ran out.
The female housekeeper pointed to the dining cart and said, “Push this. I’ll take you to meet the five Misses. From now on, you will be responsible for serving them during their meetings.”
“Ah?”
Sophia was stunned, responding with some trepidation, “Me? I just finished training. My first day of work… is it such an important position?”
“It shouldn’t be this way, but you know the reason…”
The female housekeeper coldly interrupted, her gaze falling on Sophia’s left hand, where a special ring was worn on her fair middle finger.
Sophia instinctively recoiled, covering her left hand with her right, holding it tightly as if afraid someone would snatch her ring.
The female housekeeper retracted her gaze and walked ahead to lead the way:
“Follow me. The five Misses each have different personalities, but they are all incredibly noble. Therefore, you absolutely cannot make any mistakes or offend them! During work, you need to pay attention to…”
Sophia pushed the dining cart, following with her head bowed, but her mind was completely elsewhere.
She gazed at the ring on her hand, feeling as if she had experienced a grand dream.
This ring was given to her by a boy.
But for some reason, she couldn't recall the boy's face no matter how hard she tried.
It was clearly so important…
It hadn't been long, yet it always felt like a very distant memory…
She remembered that day, after she resisted and accidentally killed her father, her mind went blank, and she huddled helplessly in a corner.
Just as she was about to faint from hunger, that boy appeared.
He brought bread and milk, and even helped her dispose of her father’s body.
As a result, the constables who arrived later directly ruled her father’s death as an accidental killing during resistance to debt collection, pushing the blame onto some unknown debt collector who may or may not have existed.
Before leaving, the boy placed this ring on her, who was still in a daze.
It was also because of this ring that she, who had lost her home, was left without support, and was about to be sent to an orphanage, was found by the housekeeper of Molly Family.
The housekeeper said that her ring was a family member’s authentication, and even if she wasn't of the family's bloodline, she shouldn't be left to an orphanage.
And so, she became a maid of Molly Family.
‘Speaking of Molly Family…’
Sophia slightly raised her head, looking at the luxurious corridor and the female housekeeper’s upright back, her thoughts continuing to wander.
Speaking of Molly Family, it was a very famous wealthy noble family in the area.
But in the streets and alleys, there were a bunch of terrifying rumors that could send shivers down one's spine.
Some said that Molly Family was cursed, and generations upon generations could only bear female children, and these girls looked exactly like they were carved from the same mold, with astonishingly similar features and figures.
Others said that the girls of Molly Family didn't originally look like this, and were not even direct blood relatives of the family. They were assimilated by the mysterious power of this eerie mansion and then transformed into their current appearance.
Everyone who entered Molly Family was no longer the same person when they came out!
Thinking of this, Sophia inexplicably shivered.
“Sophia, are you listening?” The female housekeeper frowned and turned to look over.
“Yes, yes!”
Sophia quickly responded.
Seeing the female housekeeper turn back, she shook her head, dispelling the distracting thoughts in her mind.
She had been here for almost two months, and naturally knew those were baseless rumors.
If assimilation were truly possible, then the maids and housekeepers who lived with her should all look the same.
Those who spread rumors must be jealous of the high wages here!
One must know, for an ordinary common girl like her, besides those decent workshops, this was perhaps the best place to be.
After resolving her inner worries, Sophia gradually curved her lips, feeling quite clever.
At this moment, the female housekeeper suddenly stopped in front of a large door.
Sophia was startled, nearly crashing the cart into her back.
“We’re here.”
“Oh, oh!”
Sophia quickly rechecked her appearance, straightening the hair tie that had gone askew.
This was her first time meeting the mansion’s owners since she arrived, and she was inevitably still a bit nervous.
Looking at the door slowly opening before her, Sophia couldn't help but swallow.
Inside the room, five girls of different ages but remarkably similar appearances sat around a circular table.
They exchanged silent glances, the atmosphere extremely oppressive.
Sophia swallowed again, and urged by the female housekeeper’s gaze, she pushed the dining cart forward to serve tea and desserts to the five Misses.
Once everything was prepared, Sophia and the female housekeeper waited to the side, and the meeting of the five Misses officially began.
The one who appeared oldest, a girl with a gentle voice, spoke first:
“Sisters, I have unfortunate news. First Miss, she hasn’t been heard from for many days.”
The others gasped, and Sophia, standing nearby, also couldn't help but open her mouth wide.
But under the housekeeper's watchful eye, she quickly composed herself and tightened her expression.
“Heh…”
The Third Miss, second in age and with a somewhat sharp look between her brows, sneered,
“Second Miss, you’re only choosing to announce this now. Could it be that First Miss’s disappearance was caused by you? If she’s gone, does that mean you’ll become the head of the family?”
“Third Sister!”
The usually gentle Second Miss immediately frowned. “If you put it that way, all of us are suspects! After all, all family members with a ring have the right to inherit!”
She scanned everyone with her gaze.
Aside from the sharp-tongued Third Miss, no one dared to meet her gaze directly.
The youngest, Six Sister, even recoiled her neck:
“I… I couldn’t possibly harm First Sister…”
“Heh, who can say for sure?” The sharp-tongued Third Miss continued to sneer mockingly, “Some people look kind, but their hearts are very dark.”
The timid Six Sister immediately began to sob aggrievedly, looking to the side as if for help.
Beside her, the Fifth Miss, with a restraint collar around her neck and playful eyes, spoke up:
“Third Sister~ Second Sister called us here not to shift blame or argue, but to discuss how to find First Sister.
“If you obstruct us like this, doesn’t that just show that you’re the one who most wishes First Sister would disappear?”
“Hmph…”
The Third Miss snorted, no longer commenting.
“Then what does Fourth Sister think?”
The Fifth Miss looked to the other side.
The usually quiet Fourth Miss slightly lowered her head, remaining silent with downcast eyes.
Seeing that no one had anything to say, the Second Miss sighed softly and said:
“I’ve already contacted the investigators First Sister was familiar with. They should arrive very soon.
“If you still care about First Sister, please cooperate.
“After all, this concerns… the very survival of Molly Family!”
With that, she sat down heavily and ate in silence.
The others also remained quiet, and the air in the meeting hall was exceptionally heavy.
Sophia, busy pushing the dining cart, couldn't help but swallow again, feeling as if she had overheard something extraordinary.
…
On the other side, Li Andy and Youxi opened their eyes simultaneously.
They were surprised to find themselves in a familiar office.
Youxi looked out the window and couldn’t help but slightly open her mouth.
The scene before her was both familiar and strange.
Familiar was the layout of West Street; strange was the addition of a port where one could see the sea.
The entire world was far more real than her own inner world.
“This is a characteristic of a merged world.”
Li Andy walked to her side, explaining as he looked at the scene outside,
“It’s like dreaming, where different memories are jumbled together and then, based on shared understanding, molded into a ‘reasonable form’.”
“And, because the source of consciousness is shared by multiple people, this world is larger and more detailed.”
Youxi nodded, then suddenly noticed an unfamiliar letter on the reception table.
She stepped forward, picked it up, and opened it, finding an invitation inside, along with a suggestive phrase:
“Forgetfulness is a form of protection.”
Youxi stared blankly at Li Andy:
“Brother… this is your handwriting!”