The beautiful woman stared at Ateera arrogantly, her eyes clearly looking down on her.
There was irritation in her gaze as well, because Ateera had dared to bump into her.
“Are you the new servant here?”
The question brought Ateera back to her senses. She quickly got up and stood directly in front of the woman.
“Y-yes, I’m the new servant,” Ateera replied. “Please forgive me, Miss. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
Ateera felt that what had happened was entirely her fault. Her thoughts had been in such turmoil that she couldn’t focus at all.
The woman didn’t answer. She simply continued staring at Ateera until Ateera began to feel uncomfortable.
Then, without saying a word, the woman walked away, leaving Ateera standing there in confusion.
Ateera turned, her eyes fixed on the woman as she continued walking away.
She took a deep breath. The woman hadn’t said anything or scolded her for the mistake she’d made.
But that look alone had been enough to intimidate her.
“Who is that woman, anyway?” she murmured.
Meanwhile, in Valiant’s room, he sat at his desk reading a thick book.
His expression made it clear that he was trying to find something out through the book.
However, before he could find what he was looking for, the sound of the door opening successfully drew his attention away.
He turned and found a woman entering his room without permission.
“Victoria,” he murmured, closing the book he had been reading.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to the office?” asked the woman named Victoria.
“And you? Why are you here instead of going to your office?”
“Oh, that? Because I wanted to take my fiancé out to lunch.”
“You seem to be mistaken. Lunch is already over!” Valiant said.
“But I know you haven’t had lunch yet, right?”
Valiant didn’t answer because what Victoria had said was true.
“I’m not hungry, so you should—”
“Did you hire a new servant?”
Victoria’s question made Valiant fall silent again, and he now stared straight at her.
“Did you meet her?”
“Yes, we met under unpleasant circumstances. She annoyed me.”
Valiant’s brow furrowed. “What happened?” he asked.
Victoria’s gaze lingered on him. “You look interested,” she said.
“Because you said the situation was unpleasant and that you were annoyed. Besides, it happened in my mansion. Isn’t it natural for me to ask?”
“Yes, you’re right.”
“Then tell me. What happened?”
“It wasn’t anything serious. She bumped into me,” Victoria replied. “But that still shows the servant is incompetent. She wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings. How is she supposed to do her job?”
Victoria’s gaze remained fixed on him.
“So shouldn’t she be fired?” she continued.
“Why should I fire her?” Valiant shot back. “This is my house, and she’s my servant.”
“Valiant, but she—”
“Leave. I’m busy!” Valiant cut her off. “We’ll have lunch another time.”
Victoria looked annoyed at that. But she knew Valiant didn’t like it when anyone challenged him.
“Fine, I’ll leave. But once we’re married, I’ll make sure that servant is fired,” she said.
Victoria turned around, intending to leave.
But…
“Wait a moment.”
Valiant’s voice stopped her in her tracks.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve told you this. Make sure you ask permission first before entering my room,” he said. “I’ll let it go this time, but not next time!”
Victoria’s irritation grew even worse. She left without answering Valiant.
Meanwhile, Valiant wore a cold expression. “That woman belongs to me. No one is allowed to touch her except me,” he said.
The next day, precisely at seven in the morning, Ateera, already dressed in her servant’s uniform, walked down the second-floor hallway.
She nervously clasped her hands together, feeling both anxious and afraid.
How could she not? It was her first day serving as her Young Master’s personal servant.
Thinking about what had happened between her and Valiant the last time, she grew deeply uneasy, wondering whether her Young Master remembered everything.
Knock! Knock!
Ateera knocked on the brown door in front of her. Her hand trembled with anxiety.
But there was only silence.
No answer came from inside.
Ateera felt slightly relieved. Perhaps her Young Master wasn’t in the room anymore.
“Maybe Young Master is already up, which means I only need to tidy his room. Whew, thank goodness,” she said with relief.
Without any further hesitation, Ateera opened the door and went inside.
Seeing how quiet it was, Valiant really did seem to be gone.
She began her work by making Valiant’s bed.
She tidied it with a slight sense of discomfort. Yes, because this room had witnessed the heartbreaking incident she had endured.
“Are you the type of servant who works without being ordered to?”
Thud!
Ateera’s hands froze the moment her ears heard the deep voice she had been trying so hard to avoid.
With her heart beating twice as fast, Ateera turned around.
Her eyes widened slightly when she found Valiant standing directly in front of her.
The man stood there in a black bathrobe clinging to his body, his arms folded across his chest.
His gaze was fixed on Ateera, who was beginning to tense up.
“Y-Young Master,” she stammered.
“I didn’t appoint you as my personal servant so you could do whatever you please,” he said.
“I-I’m sorry, Young Master.” Ateera lowered her head, showing how frightened she was.
Valiant was silent at first. One corner of his lips lifted.
“Now I’m going to tell you your first task,” he said.
“Yes, Master. What do I need to do?”
“Bathe me.”
“What?” Ateera was shocked by what Valiant had just said, as shown by her eyes widening to their fullest.
“Do you object?”
Ateera couldn’t answer. She had lost all words. How could her first task possibly be something like this?