Chapter 6: Lily

Irene looked at Alice's panic-stricken, tear-stained face and suddenly felt her heart ache. She stroked Alice's soft white hair, gently wiped her tears with a handkerchief, and she spoke:

“Don't worry baby. I’m not going anywhere. I'm here with you.”

Alice was really emotional and couldn't believe what was happening.

“I love you really really much mom.”

She was really alive again. Miracles have really happened. Alice has indeed gone back in time. It was the god who had mercy on her and gave her a chance to redo everything, wasn’t it?

If that was the case, Alice vowed to protect her mother to the end. She will not allow anyone to have the opportunity to take advantage of and take away what already belongs to her.

She was hugging Madam Irene again. Alice's innocent face gradually turned serious and angry. His eyes showed hatred. The lovely smile was also gone, but instead there were gritted teeth, determined to take revenge.

The innocent, useless seventeen years old Alice would be gone. Which would now be replaced by a tougher, more cautious, more suspicious and ruthless Alice.

Blood debt must be paid with blood. Alice's past life grudge was certain that she would make those bastards suffered a hundred thousand times more pain than what she had to endure. 

After meeting, holding her mother and being kittenish for more than an hour, Alice finally returned to her room to change her clothes. Only now did she feel so embarrassed about running around the mansion while wearing a nightgown.

Several maids brought water and towels to Alice to wash her face and brush her hair. The maid who was in the room a while ago came with her to get a wet towel, wring it out, and help Alice wipe her face.

Alice recognized this female maid, since the other two successfully set foot in this mansion, this maid many times had suffered punishment for her, covered and helped her escape the harm of the bad guys. She was also implicated and received extremely tragic results under the wrath of that wicked woman.

It was really good that there was still someone who was honest with her right now by her side.

What is her name? Maybe... 

“Lily?”

Hearing that, the maid raised her head.

“Yes my lady, what can I do for you?”

Luckily Alice still remembered her name correctly.

Little Lily brought a small basin of water and placed it on a small chair near the bed, wet the towel, wring it carefully, and then went to the side of the bed. Seeing the little girl about to wipe her face, Alice panicked:

“Wait… bring the basin of water closer, just let me wash my face.”

Lily was taken aback:

“How can that be, my lady? Your hand is still injured. You shouldn't touch the water right now. They will be swollen. Please let me do my job.”

In her previous life, Alice had spent two years being tortured in her own home, then endured another two years of hardship living in a filthy slum. Healed limbs have appeared countless scars and calluses. Four years were neither short nor long, but it was enough to turn a cherished and pampered young lady into a commoner accustomed to suffering. Doing everything from washing, cooking, chopping firewood, carrying water, picking mushrooms, even hunting small animals in the forest, Alice has also experienced it. It was all about taking care of her mother as well as taking care of herself, trying to survive with a little hope of getting a better life soon.

Now, backed to the status of a noble lady, backed to the luxurious life. There were always servants next to her. Now she was naturally a little shy and not used to being cared for by others.

Alice looked down at her hand, just a few small scratches on the back of her hand. She remembered that yesterday when she went to the rose garden for a walk, perhaps she had accidentally injured herself.

Alice calmly replied:

“Just a few scratches, no big deal to me. It's okay to dip a little water. You don't need to overdo it.”

Lily looked at Alice's hand and then raised her hand to compare.

“Why not? It's really a pity that your hands are so beautiful and scarred. My hands are not like yours. Look at these fingers, they are so short and fat, so ugly looking. Ugh...”

Alice laughed.

"Ha ha. No, don’t think like that. Your hands and your fingers are also very beautiful. They are white and very cute."

When little Lily was praised, she blushed shyly and said:

“Thanks for your compliment, my lady. I will love my fingers more from now on.”

Looking back at her soft white hands with a few red lines on them and her long, slender fingers like bamboo shoots, Alice recalled her thin, wrinkled, rough hands, full of calluses and scratches from her previous work. It was really different from heaven and earth, wasn't it? But it was also her hands, they looked clean on the outside, but the palms were already stained red with human blood.

“You just give me a towel, I want to clean it myself.”

Seeing that Alice seemed determined, Lily also gave her a towel. She ran to open a curtain to let the light in, brighten up the room, and quickly brought the hand-held mirror back so that it was convenient for Alice to look at the mirror and wash her face. 

Alice gently wiped her small white face a few times to make it clean. How long had it been since she'd seen her rosy face in the mirror again? Her mother was so pleasant to the touch.

“Lily, how long have you been a maid here?”

Lily was asked, she was surprised again because her lady was really different today.

Lady Alice in Lily's impression was a difficult person, difficult to please, never talking or asking about the servants. However, today the lady praised the lovely girl's hand, now actively chatting. This made her both worried and curious.

“My lady, I have been a maid at this mansion for three years.”

“Why do you work here?”

“It was Madam Irene who saved my life and brought me here. I am very grateful to Madam for her kindness, so I have decided to work hard, become a loyal servant, and serve House Rothnor forever.”

Hearing that, Alice nodded. Little Lily had served her for a long time, but this was the first time she knew why.

Alice inquired further:

“So, the people who were recently brought into the mansion, are there any more special than the other servants?”

Lily stupidly asked:

“What does more special mean, my lady?”

“I mean, has anyone been brought in here but not as a servant? Do you know them?"

Hearing that, Lily nodded.

"Yes! There are a lady and her daughter. The lady is quite young and the other girl is only a year younger than you, my lady. I mean... they were brought into the mansion by the Earl of Sirent himself a month ago. He said they were distant relatives and ordered us to treat them like honored guests. However, we were also told not to let them see you and Madam Irene."

“Hm... Turns out he arranged everything behind my mother's back.”

“They seem to be quite polite people and very friendly. But it seems rather strange... Please forgive me if I say something wrong...”

“Just tell me everything you know.”

“That’s...because the Earl and that lady often meet in secret. I didn't see it with my own eyes, but I heard some gardeners whispering to each other. If the Earl finds out about this... maybe I'll have my tongue cut off. Please don't tell anyone that I told you, my lady.”

Alice nodded with a chuckle.

Yes, they worked hard to play, won the trust of everyone in the mansion, gradually when Alice was harmed, everyone sided with the two of them. Not only that, they did not know what to be afraid of, but secretly met each other. However, she and her mother did not know what happened in the mansion. After all, why was she so negligent?

*Rog... rog...rog...*

Alice clutched her stomach in surprise, her cheeks turned a little red with embarrassment, and handed the towel back to Lily. The little maid took the towel and set the basin of water aside.

“Breakfast is also ready to serve. May I help you to brush your hair?"

Alice put her feet on the clean carpeted floor, her left ankle because she ran to find her mother this morning and was now a little sore. If she did not lean something, it would be a bit difficult to move. Alice silently scolded herself for being so useless and weak right now. Just running a section, she wanted to swell up her legs.