Chapter 1 : Gael Adivino POV

To: My handsome Papa

From: Your beautiful daughter

Mico, tell Papa that I’ve arrived. Go have your snack now, okay?

I texted Papa’s phone, knowing very well that it’s actually my brother who would read it. I stared at the big gate I was about to enter and smiled widely. I took a deep breath as the gate opened, and the guard smiled at me.

“Are you the new housemaid?” he asked me. He wasn’t old—by my guess, he was about my age.

I smiled at him and nodded. He then told me to come inside. He closed the gate and led me toward the back of the house, as that’s where we entered instead of through the mansion’s main entrance.

After just a few minutes, he spoke again beside me. I turned to look at him and smiled once more.

“By the way, I’m Kristopher,” he introduced himself.

“Gael, Gael Adivino,” I replied, quickly extending my hand toward him, stopping in my tracks just to do so. He turned to face me as well and shook my offered hand.

I started walking again, glancing around because the place was so beautiful. I also caught sight of the vast ocean. I admitted to myself that the owner of this residence was wealthy.

The Castellanos Family…

“You’re beautiful when you smile,” he said.

“Huh?” I turned to him, feeling my cheeks heat up.

“Don’t lose that, Gael,” he told me with a smile. I looked away, pretending nothing had happened.

For some reason, even though I blushed at his compliment, it was only out of embarrassment—not because I was flattered. I didn’t understand myself; I couldn’t seem to feel any romantic excitement whenever people—especially men—complimented me.

I stopped walking and faced him. He was smiling at me, and I knew he was just being friendly. I didn’t see any other intentions in his gaze.

“Thanks for the compliment, but… I’m just not used to those kinds of things,” I told him directly while looking at him. He froze for a moment, probably because of what I’d said.

“Why? No one ever says that to you?” he asked curiously, his brows furrowed.

I shook my head in response before speaking again.

“There are people who say it, but honestly, I’m just not comfortable with it,” I said without hesitation. “Especially when I don’t even know the person saying it—it feels awkward.” I added this truthfully to my earlier statement.

His mouth parted slightly, clearly not expecting that answer. His compliment was random, so my reply probably felt just as random to him.

We were in that position when an older woman suddenly stepped out of a door behind us. She was elderly, with a stern expression and an imposing stance.

That immediately stopped Kristopher from replying to me.

She approached us and looked me over from head to toe. Her gaze made me uncomfortable—I won’t deny that. Then, she turned to Kristopher and signaled for him to leave.

“Get back to work,” she ordered. He obeyed, but before leaving, I thanked him for accompanying me.

“Follow me,” the old woman said to me.

Without hesitation, I followed as she turned her back to me. We entered the house and found other housemaids like me inside.

“Put your things there and follow me,” she instructed seriously. I placed my belongings in a corner and followed her into the dining area.

“You’ll be replacing Laura in her job—you’ll take over her tasks,” she said. We then exited the large dining area and entered the spacious living room. “Do you see those pictures?” she asked, pointing to the ones by the staircase and hanging on the wall.

“Yes, ma’am,” I replied.

She faced me and looked me over again, from my feet to my face. She wasn’t being rude, but it felt like she was reading my mind through my eyes.

Her gaze made me feel like she was pulling me in—almost hypnotizing me.

“Are you sure you can handle the work here in the mansion?” she asked unexpectedly. I couldn’t think of a reason why she’d ask that.

I opened my mouth and slowly nodded in answer to her question.

“Learn to speak when someone is talking to you, kid,” she suddenly said in English. I didn’t expect that from someone I thought was also a maid.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am. Yes, I can handle the work given to me,” I quickly replied in a very formal tone.

It didn’t feel normal for someone like me to speak to her that way. I began to think she might hold a high position in the Castellanos mansion.

Her brows furrowed suddenly.

“What did you just call me?” she asked in a more serious tone. Oddly enough, I didn’t feel nervous around her.

“Ma’am…?” I replied, unsure.

“I am not ‘Ma'am.’ Call me Madam Rosario,” she said, putting emphasis on some of her words. I wasn’t deaf or insensitive—I understood her perfectly. She didn’t sound annoyed or angry, so I wasn’t afraid, just slightly uneasy.

“Oh—Ma'a— I mean, Madam Rosario, noted!” I quickly corrected myself, since her gaze had grown even more serious.

“Just so you know, I am the master here. I am the one who will guide and lead the maids here,” she said without any hint of insult.

“Yes, sorry, Madam Rosario,” I apologized.

She nodded.

“Answer me again—are you sure you can handle the work Laura passed on to you?” she asked again, as if still doubting me.

“Yes,” I replied quickly to avoid further questioning.

“It’s just… I want to make sure you really can,” she said, and I couldn’t tell if I was imagining it, but it felt like she was hinting at something. “You look so frail, so skinny.”

I froze at that. Was that a backhanded compliment or an outright insult?

“Even if I’m skinny, I can still do the job,” I answered respectfully, though I was slightly irritated.

She didn’t reply and instead began climbing the stairs. I followed her to where she was headed, now facing large photos on top of cabinets and hanging on the walls of the wide second-floor living area.

The old woman looked at me with her chin held high, then turned to one of the photos I had been looking at earlier. She faced it and spoke.

“Your job is to clean and make sure there isn’t even a speck of dust on these picture frames. Keep them spotless,” she said at length. “Are we clear? Our boss doesn’t want any dirt—especially the Young Lady,” she added.

The Young Lady… whom no one had ever seen.

I looked at her and smiled. “Yes, ma’am!” I replied cheerfully. She only nodded before heading down the stairs ahead of me.

For the last time, I glanced at the picture of four people. Their smiles were beautiful. I didn’t know where I got the courage to ask her.

“Who were those people in the picture earlier, Madam Rosario?”

She didn’t answer right away. When we got downstairs, she walked for a bit before stopping. Slowly, she turned to face me and stared intently. Her gaze was deep, and I couldn’t read it.

“It is not our business, hija. It’s not your job to know who the people are that aren’t here,” she answered in English before turning her back to me again.

I bit my lower lip, raised my eyebrows slightly, widened my eyes, and nodded.

“Okay, Madam Rosario…” I murmured softly before following her.

“Just mind your own business—if you have that,” she said again, turning to give me a playful smirk. “All you need to do is do your work properly,” she added before leaving me in the living room.

You really shouldn’t have asked, Gael.

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