The Maid's Revenge

Chapter 1

The Minister's Residence

In the backyard of the minister's residence, a group of servants knelt in silence. The butler, trying to curry favor, handed a list to Theresa. "Theresa, this is the list of all the servants in the minister's residence."

Theresa took a leisurely sip of her tea, flipping through the list absentmindedly before asking directly, "Neal's study is short of a servant. We need someone to help organize books and clean the study. Does anyone here know how to read?"

Hearing this familiar question, I realized I had been reborn.

I discreetly rolled up my sleeve to check my arm. It was spotless, without the red bumps that had appeared in my previous life due to a filthy disease.

I was still in the minister's residence, and I had even been reborn to the day when Theresa came to select a maid for the study.

Working in the study was a dream job for the servants. It was easy work without exposure to the elements. In my previous life, I had stepped forward to announce that I could read, and Theresa had chosen me.

I had been overjoyed, but little did I know that working in the study would become the source of my nightmares.

This time, I was determined not to repeat the same mistake.

I remained silent. After a while, a timid voice behind me spoke up, "Theresa, I can read."

Theresa beckoned the young maid forward and asked her to write her name on a piece of paper.

The young maid awkwardly wrote the characters for "Rita."

Theresa nodded in satisfaction, looking at Rita with a gentle smile. "Nice name, and you look decent. Do your best in the study."

Rita was overjoyed and bowed deeply to Theresa, while the surrounding servants looked at her with envy.

I watched Theresa's gentle smile, but I shivered inwardly.

In my previous life, I had been deceived by Theresa's smile, naively believing she was kind to the servants. When she proposed to find me a good marriage, I had happily agreed. But I never expected that the bridal sedan would turn around and take me to a brothel in a remote part of Eryford.

I had been terrified, completely unaware of what was happening. The person who brought me there had looked at me with pity and said, "You got caught having an affair with the minister by Theresa. She doesn't tolerate such things. You should have expected this outcome when you seduced the minister."

The people at the brothel had dragged me in roughly. I cried out my innocence, but there was no chance to defend myself. From then on, I lived a hellish life.

It was all because the minister had whimsically given me a scented sachet, which became my death warrant. I became the lowest of prostitutes, abused daily by various men, contracting various diseases, and eventually dying in agony.

The thought of Theresa's deceitful face made me nauseous.

If she wanted to pretend to be virtuous in front of others, this time, I would personally reveal her true nature and disgrace her!

First, I had to start with the minister.

Everyone believed that the minister and Theresa were a perfect couple. The minister was the younger brother of the current empress, a man of high status and great talent. At a young age, he had already risen to the position of minister.

The emperor admired him greatly and had personally decreed his marriage. Theresa, carefully chosen for him, was the granddaughter of the Spencer family, known for her gentle and virtuous nature. She had been infatuated with the minister even before their marriage.

Standing together, they indeed looked like a perfect couple. But who would have thought that this seemingly perfect pair was actually a couple filled with resentment?

Theresa seemed gentle and virtuous but was actually very jealous. She had been infatuated with the minister for a long time and knew that he had once been childhood sweethearts with a girl who later became a concubine in the palace. This unfulfilled romance made her particularly sensitive to any woman around him.

If the minister spoke even a few more words to any woman, even a common servant, Theresa would become very jealous and sarcastic towards him.

With the memory of a gentle first love in his mind, the minister found his wife's constant nagging and jealousy intolerable. Although they appeared respectful to each other in public, they hardly interacted at home. As soon as the minister entered the residence, he would head straight to his study, completely avoiding Theresa's quarters.

Chapter 2

This day, I was cleaning the backyard as usual when I saw Theresa storming towards the study with a dark expression. She pushed the door open forcefully and stepped inside.

Rita, who was attending to the ink and brushes, was startled by Theresa's sudden entrance.

"Why are you so jumpy? Are you hiding something?" Theresa glanced at Rita with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Neal paused his writing, frowned, and waved Rita away.

"What madness is this again? You do this every day, aren't you tired of it?"

Theresa's smile turned sinister. "Could it be that our dear Rita has caught your eye? After all, she does bear a slight resemblance to that lady in the palace..."

Neal's face turned red with anger. "How dare you! Do you even know what you're saying? This is outrageous!" With that, he stormed out of the room.

Not long after, Rita disappeared. Theresa told the butler that she had found a good husband for the obedient and gentle Rita and arranged her marriage, then asked him to recommend another servant for the study.

"A girl will eventually get married. She can't work in the study forever. This time, find a young man," Theresa said nonchalantly.

The servants in the residence all praised Theresa for her kindness, even towards a mere maid. But I knew the truth. Rita had likely been sold to a brothel, just like I had been in my previous life, never to return.

The study was then assigned a young man. He seemed clever, and Neal had no objections. In fact, he appreciated the peace and quiet a male servant brought, and soon forgot about Rita's replacement.

But the young man was Theresa's spy. While I was sweeping the courtyard, I often saw him passing messages from the study when Neal was not around.

I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. Theresa was setting herself up for a fall. I didn't even need to look for opportunities; she was handing them to me on a silver platter.

Theresa's family, the Spencer family, had indeed held a lot of power during her grandfather's time, wielding great influence. However, they had since declined. Although many of their descendants still held official positions, none were particularly significant. If they could obtain first-hand information from high-ranking officials, they could maneuver more effectively in the court and rise in ranks.

But secretly passing information was precisely what Neal despised the most. Neal prided himself on his integrity, and due to his noble status, he loathed underhanded dealings. If he found out about this, his disdain for Theresa would only grow.

That night, while Neal was flipping through some newly acquired books, he found a note tucked inside one of them.

[The young man is Theresa's spy]

Neal calmly placed the note in the candle flame and watched it burn, deep in thought.

The young man, confident in his role as Theresa's informant and knowing that Neal rarely concerned himself with household matters, brazenly passed messages without any attempt to hide it. Catching him in the act was a simple task.

Within a few days, Neal's men caught the young man red-handed and brought him before Neal.

Surrounded by guards wielding sticks and looking menacing, the young man was terrified. Before any punishment was administered, he confessed everything about being bribed by Theresa.

Neal was furious. He stormed into Theresa's courtyard and loudly demanded an explanation. Theresa, looking aggrieved, said, "Why are you so angry, my husband? I bribed the young man only to learn about your work so that my family could assist you in the court. This benefits your career, doesn't it?"

Neal sneered. "You know very well whether it's for me or for your family! I wondered why my recently handled documents were being addressed in court the next day by your brother. So it was you!"

In front of Theresa, Neal ordered the young man to be beaten with thirty strokes and then kicked out of the house. He also decreed that henceforth, he would personally select anyone working in the study, and then he left the courtyard.

Theresa's face was ashen. After Neal left, she uncharacteristically lost her temper in front of the servants, knocking everything off the table in a furious outburst.

I was called to clean up and saw her in a state of fury, completely devoid of her usual dignified demeanor. It was immensely satisfying.

This was just the beginning. Every malicious deed you have done, I will lay bare before Neal, making him completely lose faith in you.

Chapter 3

1. Just after I finished cleaning up the scattered fragments, I was stopped by someone from the minister's residence. "Miss Nicola, the minister requests your presence."

I maintained a calm exterior as I agreed, but inwardly, a smile tugged at my lips.

The minister had finally discovered that it was I who had been slipping notes into his books.

When I arrived at the study, I feigned ignorance and respectfully greeted the minister.

The minister took out a piece of paper and asked me to write the word "traitor" on it.

I looked up in fear, repeatedly bowing deeply to the minister, insisting that I was not the traitor.

The minister then produced the previous note. "Did you place this note in my book?"

I bit my lip, as if making a significant decision. "Minister, it is true that I wrote the note."

"The lady of the house treats you poorly, so you decided to inform on her?" The minister looked at me suspiciously.

I shook my head. "The lady treats everyone generously. However, as a servant of the minister's residence, I felt it was my duty to be loyal. I believed it was inappropriate to secretly pass information to outsiders, so I took the bold step of informing you. Now that you have discovered it, I am willing to accept any punishment you deem fit."

The minister sighed deeply. "Even a servant understands this principle, yet she does not. It is a shame given her noble background." He then asked me to rise. "Your loyalty is admirable. Since you are literate, you shall work in the study from now on, guarding its entrance."

From that moment, I was assigned to the study. Having done this in my previous life, I was well-versed in the tasks. I organized the study meticulously and guarded it diligently. No information leaked out again, and the minister grew increasingly satisfied and trusting of me.

The minister spent a great deal of time in the study handling official documents. After categorizing his documents and books, preparing ink, and serving tea, I would quietly step aside.

One night, the minister worked late into the night. Exhausted, he stretched, and I promptly served him chrysanthemum tea.

The minister took a sip and praised, "You handle things so efficiently. With you managing everything in the study, I feel much more at ease."

I bowed to the minister. "It is my honor to help lighten your load, given your numerous responsibilities."

In a good mood after finishing his work, the minister said, "Such a loyal servant deserves a gift." With that, he began to remove an ornament from his person to give to me.

Seeing this, my face changed dramatically, and I quickly knelt before him. "Minister, please spare me. If you reward me with something from your person, I will surely lose my life."

The minister was puzzled. "How could a mere trinket endanger your life?"

I bowed deeply repeatedly, tears welling up in my eyes as I looked up. "Do you remember Rita, who used to work in the study?"

The minister nodded. "Didn't she get married?"

I shook my head vigorously. "She was suspected by the lady of having an affair with you because of your reward. She was sold to a brothel. Please, for the sake of my dedication, do not put me in grave danger!"

Hearing this, the minister's face darkened. He slammed the table. "What a malicious woman!" He then gently helped me up. "I will have this matter thoroughly investigated. If it is true, I will ensure justice for you all!"

I lowered my head to wipe away my tears, a smile forming on my lips. Theresa, I wonder how the minister will react when he sees your true, ugly nature?

A few days later, the minister's men reported back, saying they had rescued Rita from the brothel. She had been tortured beyond recognition.

The minister's face turned ashen. He ordered his men to find a place to settle Rita and then angrily sat down to write a divorce letter.

I quietly found someone to inform Theresa and then began to prepare ink for the minister.

Estimating that Theresa would arrive soon, I softly spoke, "Minister, I feel this matter is not quite appropriate."

The minister paused his writing and frowned at me. "As the head mistress of the minister's residence, she has a hypocritical demeanor. Treating servants so cruelly, if word gets out, it will not only damage the minister's residence but also tarnish the reputation of the Marsh family and my elder sister."

The study door was forcefully pushed open, and Theresa walked in with a cold smile. "Isn't it just selling a maid? How does that affect the Marsh family and the Empress? I can't bear such a heavy accusation. You might as well say you have feelings for that lowly maid!"

The minister was furious, his finger trembling as he pointed at Theresa. He swept the books off the table with one hand. "I merely spoke a few more words to Rita and rewarded her with some items, yet you were so cruel. You even lied to me, saying you found her a good family to marry into. Such a malicious woman is unworthy of being a wife of the Marsh family!"