Three days later, when Luo Keke came to the Camberlan Mansion to deliver wine again, Ximo, who was sweeping in the courtyard, happened to notice her.
“Ximo—this time it’s not your turn to be the reception maid, huh.”
Luo Keke greeted Ximo enthusiastically and proactively. Ximo immediately spotted Hans sitting silently at the front of the carriage.
“Mm-hmm, let’s go. I’ll go with you to park the carriage—Madam Masha should be in the study right now. I’ll go notify her in a bit.”
Ximo naturally set aside her work. She quietly glanced at Hans before following the two to park and unload.
Fortunately, she had a good relationship with Luo Keke, so her proactively approaching them didn’t seem suspicious. Sure enough, Hans said nothing as he got off the carriage and led the horse, paying no attention to Ximo.
Ximo chatted idly with Luo Keke as they settled the carriage. With her sharp eyes, Ximo noticed Hans carrying a delicate wooden box out of the carriage, so she smoothly sidled over.
“Let me help you carry it—to the wine cellar, right?”
“No need,” Hans instinctively pulled back his arms holding the box. This was actually the first time Ximo had spoken directly to him. “This thing is heavy, and the bottles inside are fragile. I’ll carry it myself. I know where the mansion’s wine cellar is.”
“Oh, okay then.”
Ximo didn’t insist. She merely watched Hans’s retreating back as he carried the wooden box away. His grip was steady, and there wasn’t the slightest clink from inside, so Ximo couldn’t determine what was in there.
Perfect. It looked like her chance had come.
Late at night, Xiliya and Ximo appeared outside the mansion’s warehouse.
The Camberlan Mansion’s warehouse was in the basement. Ximo had been there before—after Xiliya had knocked her out, she’d been tied up there.
Xiliya lowered her voice and asked, “Did you get the key?”
“Got it.”
Ximo jingled the silver key in her hand. She’d swiped it from Annaer’s room.
For some reason, ever since she’d been injured in the jungle last time, Ximo felt her control over this body growing stronger… as if her soul and body were gradually merging perfectly.
It sounded strange, but these were things she hadn’t been able to do before—like slipping into Annaer’s room silently to take the warehouse key.
How to control her body movements, how to place her feet without making a sound—these skills came naturally to Ximo in action. She even quickly zeroed in on her target in the darkness with sharpened senses.
Annaer, as the head maid, kept the keys to all the mansion’s rooms. After entering her room, Ximo quickly guessed that the spare keys would be in the drawer. To avoid Annaer noticing, she’d specifically taken the backup set.
Besides that, only Masha had a key to the mansion’s warehouse, since she came alone to the wine cellar every night before her evening drink.
The Camberlan Mansion’s warehouse and wine cellar were right next to each other. In fact, because Masha loved drinking, a private wine cellar had later been expanded beside the warehouse for her prized collection.
Using the key to unlock the warehouse door, the two slipped inside silently. A ball of Light Element Magic lit up in Xiliya’s hand for illumination, and the small light orb instantly brightened the area around them.
The mansion’s underground warehouse was impeccably organized—everything neatly arranged and in its place. Annaer, as head maid, wouldn’t tolerate any mess anywhere in the mansion.
“There’s quite a lot of stuff in the warehouse,” Ximo observed, looking around. “Madam Masha’s wine should all be in her private cellar, right?”
The two searched the wine cellar area. Masha was indeed passionate about collecting wine; there were plenty of precious bottles carefully stored there. But after searching for a while, they couldn’t find the wooden box Hans had brought that morning.
“Could that box have already been dealt with by Masha?”
Xiliya frowned. Was Masha really that cautious? Handling it so quickly… But she hadn’t let up surveillance on Masha that day. After returning from the evening gathering, Masha had gone straight to bed without visiting the wine cellar.
As she pondered, Ximo suddenly perked up her ears alertly and grabbed Xiliya’s wrist.
“Someone’s coming!”
Footsteps indeed echoed from the warehouse entrance. The even steps paused briefly at the door before drawing closer to the two.
Was it Masha? Had she come to deal with that case of wine from earlier?
Xiliya shot Ximo a look, signaling her to hide. This was a good opportunity—if Masha really was here to handle that box, they could catch her red-handed.
“No, it’s not Masha.”
Before hiding, Ximo quickly whispered the info to Xiliya.
“Masha’s footsteps are quicker and lighter. These even steps belong to Lady Annaer.”
Annaer?
Xiliya froze, but there was no time to discuss further. Before Annaer arrived, the two each found a hiding spot.
But Ximo’s words stirred complex emotions in Xiliya. Why would Annaer come to the warehouse at this hour?
That meant, aside from Masha, Annaer had the highest control over the mansion. Did that mean Annaer and Masha were… in cahoots?
Xiliya didn’t want to believe it. Annaer had always been good to her, and she’d been her mother’s personal maid before. She refused to think Annaer was Masha’s accomplice.
Flickering candlelight appeared with the approaching footsteps. Hiding behind a crate, Xiliya observed Annaer.
The mansion’s head maid was still impeccably dressed even in the dead of night. She held a small candelabrum as she headed deeper into the warehouse.
But suddenly, Annaer’s steps halted. She stood still, scanning the area, then locked her gaze on the crate where Xiliya was hiding.
“Who’s there?”
The usually strict and serious head maid’s tone was stern as she extended the candelabrum toward the spot.
Had she been discovered? Xiliya was stunned, not understanding how. She’d used magic to mask her presence after hiding.
With no choice now, she stepped out from behind the crate. She really didn’t want to confront Annaer like this.
If Annaer truly was Masha’s accomplice…
Annaer took a step forward. Seeing Xiliya exposed, Ximo emerged from her hiding spot nearby, vigilantly positioning herself at Xiliya’s side.
The candelabrum lifted slightly. As the light illuminated Xiliya’s face, surprise flashed in Annaer’s eyes.
“Young Miss? So it was you?”
