Chapter 6

From that day onward, Jeremy treated Velita as if nothing had happened. Whatever it was he had seemed on the verge of confessing, he now kept entirely to himself. If anything, he seemed more distant than before.

He still joked and spoke with her, but only in the way one would address any ordinary maid.

Perhaps it was for the best. Yet for some reason, it was Velita who couldn’t stop thinking about that unfinished conversation, wondering endlessly what Jeremy had wanted to say.

Occasionally, Velita would see Emma Collin leaving the estate in outfits far too extravagant for a maid to afford. She didn’t need to ask whose generosity had made such luxuries possible. Thinking of Jeremy showering Emma with gifts and yearning for her love unsettled Velita in ways she couldn’t fully explain.

These restless thoughts continued to weigh on her until one particular day arrived.

The butler instructed her to fetch Selina from the maze garden, where the young lady was once again playing hide-and-seek with the maids, despite it being nearly dinnertime.

It was the first time Velita had set foot in the maze garden since that night.

“This was where I first met Jeremy…”

Back then, Jeremy had seemed like nothing more than a reckless rake—someone she should avoid entangling herself with at all costs.

But she had learned that people couldn’t be judged solely by rumors or appearances.

Who could have guessed that Jeremy Ryles, infamous for his debauchery, would turn out to be such a lonely man, starved for affection?

“I need to stop thinking about him.”

Yet the more she tried to banish thoughts of Jeremy, the more persistently they lingered. Since seeing that rare, vulnerable side of him, he had taken up a permanent space in her mind. Velita felt the need to distance herself—to stop these thoughts from deepening further.

As she focused on pushing him from her mind, voices interrupted her train of thought.

“Why do you care for her so much, my lady?”

Velita froze, realizing she had unintentionally eavesdropped on a conversation between Selina and another maid.

“Do you mean Velita?”

“Yes, that girl.”

Velita hesitated. She knew it wasn’t proper to listen in, but she couldn’t stop herself. She found herself holding her breath, curiosity drawing her to the exchange beyond the leafy wall.

Deep down, she thought she already knew the answer. Surely Selina cared for her out of gratitude for the time Velita had helped her in the slums.

But Selina’s response shattered that belief.

“She’s pitiful, isn’t she?”

Velita’s heart sank.

“For the first time, I saw how poor people live. Father works on charity projects for the underprivileged, so I thought I should help those in need too.”

“You’re too kindhearted for your own good, my lady,” the other maid gushed.

“I still remember the day Velita came to our estate barefoot… I can’t forget it.”

Listening to Selina’s words, Velita felt a strange, uncomfortable emotion swelling within her, one she couldn’t quite identify.

“That poor girl,” Selina sighed.

Velita clenched her fists.

Wasn’t it a good thing if Selina pitied her? Whether it was sympathy or gratitude, the fact that Selina’s attention benefited her should have been all that mattered.

So why does it feel like my stomach is twisting in knots? Why does it hurt so much?

“Haa, haa…”

Velita intentionally let her footsteps echo loudly as she returned to where Selina and the maids were gathered, feigning breathlessness as if she had been running to reach them.

The lively chatter that had moments ago been filled with laughter abruptly stopped, and an uncomfortable silence settled over the garden.

Selina’s face immediately brightened at Velita’s arrival. “Ah, Velita! There you are. Did you find me easily?”

“Yes, my lady. The butler sent me to fetch you for dinner preparations,” Velita replied with her head slightly bowed, her voice carefully even.

“Ah, of course. Let’s go then.” Selina stood and brushed off her skirt, her gentle smile masking any awareness of the tension that lingered.

The maids exchanged glances behind Selina’s back. Some looked guilty, while others maintained a smug expression, as if daring Velita to react.

Velita, however, kept her gaze lowered and her lips pressed together, refusing to give them the satisfaction of any response. She had no energy left to confront the sting of their words or the injustice of their laughter.

They’ll only see what they want to see, she thought bitterly.

As Selina walked ahead, Velita followed a step behind her mistress, the conversation she had overheard replaying endlessly in her mind.

“She’s pitiful.”

“She doesn’t know her place.”

“She must have learned from her mother.”

Each phrase was like a needle, pricking her over and over, even though she knew she should have ignored it.

She tightened her grip on her apron, forcing herself to focus on the rhythm of her steps.

Selina glanced over her shoulder, her expression warm. “Velita, you’ve been so helpful to me. I hope you know how much I appreciate you.”

The words were meant to comfort, but they only made Velita’s chest tighten further.

Appreciation? Pity? What’s the difference anymore?

Velita clenched her jaw and bowed her head slightly. “Thank you, my lady. I’ll always do my best to serve you.”

Selina’s smile widened as she turned forward again, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing in Velita’s heart.

Velita trailed silently behind, her thoughts spinning.

No matter what they think of me, I’ll endure. I have no other choice.

Velita forced a polite smile as Selina’s kind words washed over her.

“Thank you, my lady. I’ll be sure to visit you whenever I can.”

Selina’s radiant smile deepened, the kind that could brighten even the gloomiest of days. “I’ll look forward to it, Velita. You always know how to make me happy.”

With those words, Selina turned gracefully and began leading the other maids out of the maze garden.

Velita remained rooted in place, watching her mistress’s retreating figure, her emotions churning.

Why do I feel this way?

Selina had done nothing wrong. Her kindness, her thoughtfulness—those were genuine. Yet, Velita couldn’t shake the heaviness in her chest, the suffocating realization that Selina’s affection came not from seeing Velita as an equal, but from pitying her as someone less fortunate.

The realization twisted in her gut, making her feel both ungrateful and undeserving.

I shouldn’t feel this way. I should be grateful for her kindness.

But no matter how many times Velita repeated that to herself, the lump in her throat refused to go away.

With a deep breath, Velita gathered herself and started following the group, her steps heavy and deliberate.

As she trailed behind, her thoughts wandered to the words she had overheard earlier, the cruel jabs and assumptions the other maids had made about her.

They think I don’t belong here. That I’ll overstep, that I’ll forget my place. Even Selina… she only sees me as someone to be pitied, a project to help. Not… not a person.

Her fingers tightened into fists, her nails digging into her palms.

No, Velita thought fiercely.

I won’t give them the satisfaction of proving them right. I’ll show them that I belong here—not because of their pity, but because of my own worth.

As she passed through the garden’s exit and back toward the mansion, she vowed to herself:

I’ll endure this. I’ll rise above their whispers. And I’ll do it without anyone’s charity.