The test for the new servants had finally concluded. They had all returned to their original positions and lined up again, Alessandro among them.
Alisia rose from her seat. The sound of her high heels rang out clearly as she approached the line of new servant candidates, who were beginning to feel tense as they thought about their fate.
“I’m pleased. You all performed very well on the test.” Victoria’s words sounded like praise, but they only made their hearts pound even harder. “You have excellent qualities for a personal servant. Unfortunately, I can only choose one of you,” she continued.
Alisia studied the faces of the candidates one by one. Her blue eyes remained fixed on Alessandro, as if proving that she had already made her choice from the beginning. “And my choice is … Leo Hart.”
Everyone there immediately turned to look at Alessandro. Some were shocked, some delighted, and others deeply envious.
“Leo Hart, starting today, you are officially my personal servant. I hope you won’t disappoint me,” Alisia said.
“Thank you, Miss. I won’t waste the opportunity you’ve given me.” Alessandro bowed respectfully to Alisia, who was now officially his young lady.
Alisia did not answer. She merely gave him a faint smile before turning and walking away.
“Wow, Leo, you’re really lucky.” The man who had been bothering Alessandro earlier suddenly patted him on the shoulder with great enthusiasm. “I’d been hoping to become Miss Alisia’s personal servant, but I guess I’m just incredibly unlucky,” he continued.
Alessandro did not know this man at all. He had no desire to learn his name, either. So why did the man keep acting as if they were close?
“Congratulations.” The man held out his hand to Alessandro. “By the way, we haven’t officially introduced ourselves. I’m Enzo Bruno,” he continued.
Instead of taking Enzo’s hand, Alessandro merely stared at him. From his expression, he clearly had no interest whatsoever.
Even so, Enzo remained confident. Patiently, he waited for Alessandro to return his handshake, a smile still spread across his lips.
But Enzo’s friendliness was the complete opposite of that of his other companions. They looked spiteful and clearly disliked Alessandro.
“Look, isn’t he arrogant? He won’t even take Enzo’s hand. Is he acting like that because he thinks he’s beaten us? It seems Miss Alisia only accepted him because he’s more handsome than we are,” one of them whispered—loudly enough for Alessandro to hear.
The man shot them a razor-sharp sidelong glance before turning his body toward them. “Do you realize that what you just said amounts to insulting the young lady?”
Thud!
Alessandro’s words left them stunned.
“Aren’t you afraid the young lady will hear you? This is the Thorne mansion. Even the slightest mistake you make could cost you the only life you have.”
Fear immediately spread across the faces of those who had just been talking about Alessandro. “W-We’re sorry,” they said.
“I don’t care if you insult me. But if you drag the young lady’s name into it, I won’t stand by and do nothing. So you’d better leave.”
Before they could answer Alessandro, they turned and hurried away. Their feet were so unsteady that they almost ran crookedly. It was the effect of overwhelming fear, leaving them trembling.
“The young lady clearly didn’t choose you by mistake. You really are a dependable personal servant,” Enzo remarked.
But Alessandro remained cold and rigid as ever. Inside his head, he continued calculating the proper way to deal with the man who kept pretending they were close.
Meanwhile, on the second floor, Alisia was standing by the railing, watching everything that had happened between Alessandro and several candidates who had failed.
Seeing how fiercely Alessandro defended her reputation made the woman smile. “How very interesting,” she murmured. From her expression, she looked extremely happy—just as the man named Enzo had said. She truly had not been wrong to choose Alessandro as her servant.
Without Alisia realizing it, Alessandro glanced from the corner of his eye toward where she stood. He had known from the beginning that Alisia was there, watching everything. ‘Everything is going exactly as I want,’ Alessandro thought.