Chapter 5 – The Workshop

Once Clare finished her work in the garden, she went straight to the workshop to repair the scissors that Leo had damaged in his attempt to imitate her.

For a moment, Clare couldn't help but let out a laugh as she remembered Leo's bewildered face.

A part of her wanted to tease him more.

Sitting at the table, Clare analyzed the state of the scissors. The damage they had suffered was minor, but if not repaired, it would worsen the tool's performance until it eventually became useless.

And if there was one thing Clare knew very well, it was that the Clark family did not like to have any unnecessary expenses, despite sometimes spending absurd amounts of money on questionable things.

'Damn clock,' Clare thought as she recalled how her days had been since Leo's arrival, as surprisingly many of the degrading attitudes from her colleagues towards her had significantly decreased.

Her colleagues no longer openly despised her, but they still avoided spending much time with her because they considered her inferior.

'Is it a coincidence?' Clare wondered as she paused to analyze how the repair had turned out.

'Perfect,' Clare thought as she put the scissors back in their place.

Another workday done.

Her head was still spinning, trying to find connections between Leo and the decrease in problems she had with her colleagues, but...

Nothing!

'Damn it, enough. Time will tell…,' Clare said to herself in an attempt to calm her mind.

Now that she had free time, she could do almost anything as long as the Clark family didn't see her, as they would probably assign her a new task if they saw her wandering around doing nothing.

In part, this was a benefit of being a regular maid and not a personal one like Elizabeth, who was Marta's personal maid.

Upon leaving the workshop, Clare headed to the garden. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, tinting the sky with shades of orange and purple.

The shadows were lengthening, enveloping the mansion in a darker atmosphere that Clare didn't particularly like.

Several seconds passed, and Clare noticed something strange, but her instinct told her to keep walking until she reached the main door of the mansion.

There was no logical reason behind this idea, but she simply felt her whole body urging her to walk.

Although the distance between the workshop and the main door was not too long, this time it felt eternal.

Externally, her breathing remained steady, but her heart had started to race at an alarming rate.

'Damn,' Clare thought as she tried to stay calm.

She didn't know why, but she simply had a clear idea in her mind: Don't turn around.

Continuing her march, Clare slowly raised one of her hands to grab her left chest, hoping to alleviate the pain, but nothing.

Little by little, Clare found herself closer to the door, and at the last moment, the door abruptly opened.

"Duck!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Clare ducked and soon heard a small scream behind her.

What was happening?

Looking up, she noticed Leo rushing towards her.

As he approached, Leo knelt down and took the scissors that Clare was carrying on her waist. The words simply wouldn't come out of her mouth.

Why is he in such a hurry?

Clare's eyes followed Leo, who stood up and, opening the scissors to use their sharp side, she saw how Leo cut without hesitation the throat of a rather suspicious individual based on the clothes he wore.

They were not those of a servant, merchant, or noble... he was simply someone dressed in black and holding a small purple knife.

Observing the scene in detail, that man already had a kitchen knife half embedded in his skull and was agonizing.

The moment Leo cut his throat, he convulsed and within a few seconds... stopped moving.