At the same time, in the living room of the mansion, chaos ensued as everyone frantically searched for Lynette.
The butler sat at the center, across from him stood a line of servants ;old and young, male and female.
“Who was present in the living room when Miss Carter went missing?” he asked.
The servants shook their heads, confusion written plainly across their faces.
Some of the maids hadn’t even known there was a guest, let alone when she had disappeared.
“Who went to get water for Miss Carter?” the butler asked.
“That would be me,” a maid stepped forward, trembling.
“Did you deliver the water?”
“Yes. When I returned, Miss Carter was no longer there.”
Turning to Maid Alice, he asked, “As the head maid, where were you when our guest went missing?”
Maid Alice froze, despite her composed countenance, her fingers trembled.
Where was she…?
She, she was…
“I–”
“Grandpa Butler, I know where Maid Alice was.”
The voice cut in before Alice could answer.
The maid looked at Alice smugly, a flicker of subtle hatred flashing across her face.
Everyone turned toward her. Their expressions varied: shock, curiosity, and a trace of pity, though it was unclear who that pity was meant for.
Sensing all eyes on her, the maid lifted her chin, mistaking their attention for admiration.
“What’s your name?” Butler Thomas asked.
One had to know that though Butler Thomas employed many servants, he had little interest in remembering their names, as long as they performed their duties well.
The only exception was Head Maid Alice, who acted as his right hand when handling countless matters that pertain to humans.
“I’m Maid Joyce, Mr. Butler,” she said obediently.
Maid Joyce had been employed in the mansion for six months.
As a new maid, Joyce had always viewed her job as a competition, one that demanded winners and losers.
She had seen how important the position of Head Maid was: how it commanded attention, how it carried authority, and how it brought one closer to the Young Masters of the mansion who frequented the place.
From the moment she was employed, and after observing the power that position held, Joyce had begun plotting her way to overthrow Alice, whom she believed did not deserve such authority.
And as if luck were on her side, Joyce once had an encounter with Alice’s stepsister, Tina—someone who harbored deep resentment toward Alice, especially her position as Head Maid.
Tina wanted nothing more than to see Alice ousted from the mansion in disgrace.
Joyce joined forces with Tina; after all, an enemy of another enemy was a friend—secretly sneaking her into the mansion to orchestrate Alice’s downfall.
Joyce knew the mansion’s rules well. According to the employee handbook, certain areas were strictly forbidden to servants, and among them was the Master’s bedroom.
The Master’s bedroom, located on the third floor, was completely restricted. Any servant found trespassing would be immediately dismissed.
Butler Thomas caught the subtle greed and calculations flickering in Joyce’s eyes. She tried to hide it, but it did not escape him.
Tsk… greed.
Always the downfall of humans.
He squinted slightly, studying her expression; the hunger, the ambition, the thirst for power she might never live to enjoy.
What end did human greed ever have, if not death?
Butler Thomas’s thoughts were unfathomable, his presence heavy, as though he were anything but human.