The Mystery of the Rodriguez Mansion

There is an old mansion in which an old money family lives, the Rodriguez mansion. There are many suspicious rumors and dark secrets surrounding the place.

But that didn't change the fact that many girls flocked to work there because of the high salaries offered. Most of them were girls who were deliberately dumped by their own families in exchange for wads of money.

And Valerie deliberately infiltrated there to thoroughly explore the mystery of the secret corridor. As a waitress.

"We have a new maid this morning. You can introduce yourself, Valerie!" requested butler Ashley in front of the other maids who were neatly lined up.

"My name is Valerie and I will be the new maid starting today. Please guide me!" Valerie bowed her head briefly.

"That's enough, you can disperse and do your duties!"

"Yes, butler Ashley!" all of them immediately dispersed to their respective formations.

"Well, Valerie. I hope you enjoy working here. I'm sure you've heard that many girls want to work here because the salary is quite high."

"That's one of the reasons I want to work here," Valerie hoped her smile didn't look fake.

"That's great!" most people would show great enthusiasm in the beginning. And Ashley didn't want to be fooled.

"You are one of the successful candidates, so make the most of the opportunity to work here," Valerie nodded obediently.

"I'll do my best!"

"There aren't many rules that will be onerous. You just need to do your job well, don't bother with things that don't concern you," Ashley emphasized in the last sentence. An implicit message forbidding Valerie to hunt down the mystery of the famous Rodriguez mansion.

"The salary system in this place depends on rank, the lower rank you get, the less money you will get, and vice versa."

That's the same as opening up opportunities for bullying.

Valerie didn't entirely agree with the last rule.

"You heard what I said, right?"

It was clear from the look on Valerie's face that the girl's mind was in the clouds.

"I've been listening to your explanation, butler."

Ashley chuckled, her eyes glaring at Valerie sharply. She acted like a senior who was gossiping.

"One more thing. Close your eyes, close your ears, and keep your curiosity at bay. No matter what happens, you are not to pass through the hallway on the right wing," Valerie turned her gaze to the forbidden place Ashley was referring to.

Was it the secret corridor that was currently being discussed?

Valerie's mind was busy wandering, devising a plan to get there without arousing suspicion.

"That's it, you can start working on your assignment!" ordered Ashley as she disappeared from Valerie's presence.

"Which way should I go? The other servants are already camouflaged as ghosts and there's no one I can ask."

Valerie turned her head this way and that, not paying attention to the road properly, her body was as mentally fragile as a broken home child bounced.

"Why is there a wall in the middle of the road like this!" one hand reached out to rub her forehead which was lumped like a lohan fish.

"Who are you calling a wall, midget girl?"

Valerie rattled her waist in disgust, for 20 years of her life, the word "midget" was still the most painful word for her to hear.

"Firstly, my name is not midget, you can call me Valerie, and secondly, it's your fault for standing in the middle of the road like this," Valerie said, making a defiant gesture.

"For a new waitress, you have a lot of guts."

That's right!

Why did Valerie dare to disobey on her first day of work?

Valerie adjusted her hand position to be more polite.

"That's not what I meant, sir," Valerie changed her tone to be more polite.

Is this what a career smile is? My cheek muscles were so stiff from forcing a smile.

"I'm looking for cleaning equipment, which unfortunately I still can't find, while there's no one I can ask."

The wrinkles on the man's forehead drew together, thinking about Valerie's far-fetched excuse. "What kind of excuse is that? Did butler Ashley not explain?"

Valerie's ignorance was probably because she was busy devising a strategy.

"Mr. Aaron!"

There was a clatter of footsteps from behind them.

"My apologies, Mr. Aaron. This fine morning has put you in a cloudy mood."

Valerie sneered to herself, this tail-less fox named Ashley was very good at taking her master's heart. There was a faint sound of thunder outside and how could Ashley say it was sunny?

Keep licking! If possible, until gets wet.

"You're unusually careless in choosing a candidate, Ashley. Instead of a maid, she's more suited to be a pet dog who dares to bark at her master. What a lack of morals!"

"Who just said pet dog? Me?" Valerie wondered. "First a midget, now a lapdog. What's next?"

Valerie saved her energy as much as possible. Even though she wanted to duel her master so badly.

"Apologies again, Mr. Aaron. This woman's competence is superior to the other candidates. So I thought ...,"

"That's why, manners should be higher than knowledge. You disappointed me this time, Ashley," Aaron interrupted Ashley's defense.

Aaron walked out of there instantly, leaving Valerie looking down in fear. She hoped Ashley wasn't a cannibal, that's all.

"What part of what I said did you not understand, Valerie? Didn't I tell you to behave? Be clever enough to ingratiate yourself with Mr. Aaron, but all you do is ...," Ashley did not continue her grumbling, instead she let out a long sigh.

"I'm trying to find cleaning supplies, that's all," even the mouse's squeak was far more melodious than Valerie's discordant tone.

"Didn't I give you an explanation before? About which areas you should clean. Along with the equipment?" Ashley let out a laser beam from her eyes, educating Valerie's incompetence through her deadly glare.

"I forgot that you explained."

"Did you forget or deliberately ignore what I said?"

Valerie shook her head frantically. "N-no! How dare I do that."

"My blood pressure could skyrocket just from educating a waitress like you," Ashley's head felt dizzy. One hand grabbed the air to hold onto for dear life.

"I apologize, butler Ashley!" Valerie bowed her head regretfully.

Hopefully, her apology had seemed sincere.

"The second floor of the left wing, that's the part you have to clean. The storeroom is downstairs at the end of the room on the right. Got it, Valerie?"

"I understand! And I promise not to make any more mistakes in the future."

Ashley frowned, feeling sanctioned by Valerie's promise. "There's no need for promises if they're just talk. I don't need them."

After that, Ashley left Valerie.

"Are all women approaching menopause like that? How horrible!" Valerie shuddered.