Back at the St. Claire Mansion, Rutherford was writing something down when he heard someone knocking on the door.

"Come in." He uttered without looking up as he knew who it could be.

Butler Limo stepped into the room and walked towards the desk.

"Master, Madam, and Young Miss have reached the Inn safely." He reported the update he received from the guards that he had assigned to protect them from the shadows.

Rutherford finally glanced up when he heard his family being mentioned and nodded as a weight was lifted off his chest.

Their safety was his biggest worry as the two ladies would be traveling alone but now, he could set his fears aside as they had reached their destination without any impediments during their journey.

"And Howard?" He inquired to which he received another nod from his Butler.

"The carriage is headed towards the Royal Academy to pick Young Master up as we speak." He informed his Master about the latter half of the report he had received.

Two guards would remain in hiding at the Inn to protect the Madam and Young Miss while the other two would follow the carriage to ensure the safety of the Young Master.

Rutherford was pleased with this as he had made the right decision of sending guards to follow them in secret.

'I'm relieved now that I know they have reached the Inn safely.' He smiled and waved his hand, indicating that his Butler might leave the room now.

Butler Limo bowed his head and exited as he had to go check on the preparations for the Master's lunch which would be after an hour.

With this, the office in which Rutherford sat sank into silence once again as he focused his attention on the large pile of paperwork he needed to take care of, one of the many responsibilities of being a fief lord in this Kingdom.

He would also have to report all of the new reforms he was making in his fief and the annual report of its development to the King when the Festival of the 'Changing Seasons' would arrive.

Therefore, he had to maintain proper accounts of the way he managed his fief which had caused him to miss this trip he could have taken with his family.

While he was busy with his paperwork and the Butler had headed in the direction of the Kitchen, the maid whose sole aim was to get closer to the Earl had finally managed to find a way.

Inside her bedroom, Paula was now standing on her feet with the support of the other maid who had come over to relieve the previous one who had been keeping a watch over Paula.

She placed her "injured" foot on the floor and made slow and careful movements to take a step ahead.

The physician had said that Paula had no complications and only needed rest so after more than three hours of rest, she had finally decided to make her move.

The first thing she needed was to escape from the watchful eyes of these maids that the Butler had assigned to take care of her.

'As always, that man is a thorn in my sight!' She cursed him for weighing her down with these two maids hanging over her neck.

She had managed to convince the second maid who had come to watch her that she was feeling much better and that she would like to return to the Mansion and help the others out.

"If you can walk to the door without my help then I will believe your words." The maid had challenged Paula who was willing to take up the challenge.

Once she was on her feet, Paula gulped while closing her eyes and then opened them back up with determination now visible in them.

The maid gazed at her with worried eyes as she had only said those words to deter her from leaving but it seemed that she was stubborn to get back to work.

Sadly, while the maid was praying for Paula's ankle to be alright, what she did not know was that the same ankle had never been injured in the first place.

It was all a part of her charade to gain sympathy from her Mistress and stay back in the Mansion to execute a certain well-thought-out plan in her absence.

The maid watched as Paula took one step followed by another.

Though she was slow, she was beginning to get the hang of it and was moving steadily with each step.

With her back towards the other maid, Paula smirked when she reached the door which proved that she was fine and could return to the Mansion.

The maid conceded defeat with a sigh and was happy that Paula had recovered so soon.

"I shall inform the Butler that you are fine now." She announced her thoughts and headed towards the door only to be stopped by Paula.

She gazed at the Madam's personal maid with confusion and received a sheepish smile from her.

Paula scratched her cheek while appearing nervous about something which made her curious as to what might be on her mind.

"I want to shower and then return to the Mansion." She expressed her intentions with an awkward chuckle.

If the maid informed the Butler right away then she would be given tasks sooner but Paula wished to wash up before she returned.

"Oh, was it because you fell earlier?" The maid thought that this was the reason for her sudden desire to wash up in the middle of the day.

Paula had different motives for wanting to bathe but she nodded her head as this reason was a perfect explanation for her odd request.

"I will report to the Butler when I return." She added to convince the maid to follow her suggestion.

After a moment's pause, the maid accepted this with a nod but just as she was about to leave, Paula blocked her path once again.

"Could you fetch me some warm water?" She pleaded with a sincere look which left the other maid no choice but to comply with her wishes.

Paula smirked when she left the room and waited as, within a few minutes, she returned with a tub of water.

While most maids would have to share rooms with the others, only a few of the main servants in this house had private bedrooms.

Among them, Butler Limo, Mrs. Jacinth, and the youngest servant to have this recourse, Paula, were a few of them.

She had her own bathroom with a small tub as well.

The maid poured the water into the tub and exited the room to give Paula her privacy.

Once she was alone, Paula locked the door to stop anyone from entering her room at will as she stepped towards her wardrobe.

Opening it, her eyes narrowed with jealousy when she recalled the large variety of clothes her Mistress had while all she owned were nightgowns and her uniforms.

Picking up the newest uniform that had been stitched recently, she laid it on the bed before picking up her towel and heading to the bathroom.

Though this was nothing compared to her Mistress's huge bathroom, she placated herself that she would have one just like that soon enough.

Dropping rose oils into her bathwater, she smiled when the soothing fragrance wafted into her nostrils.

'The Earl will like this for sure.' She asserted as this was the same oil that her Mistress used each day during her baths.

She then stepped into the tub and began soaking in the rose-scented oils to increase her chances of being favored by the Master.

After a good few minutes, she had to step out as she did not have the luxury of soaking in it for too long.

She had to accomplish her mission when her Mistress was not in the Mansion and the best time she could think of was when all of the servants took their afternoon breaks.

'Once lunch ends, most of them will return to the quarters for their lunch.' She recalled the schedule on which this estate ran each day.

After the Masters ate, it was the servants' turn to eat and then take a short break before they returned to their stations.

This short window of time where the Mansion would be almost deserted was when she would have to strike.

With determination flashing in her eyes, Paula gazed at her naked body in the shabby bronze mirror and smiled while wiping her body down.

"This is my turn to gain his attention." She muttered while cupping her full breasts which were certainly bigger than her Mistress' which further increased her confidence in what she was about to do.