The maid wasn’t sure what was happening, but she was going to make a complaint to Arthur.
She would prefer to be moved over to laundry duty than to have to bear this treatment.
Her job was to keep the mansion clean, not to spoon-feed a grown woman while being insulted.
As soon as breakfast was over, she hurried out of the dining room, going to find Arthur.
Her plans were cut short when she found Arthur... standing right beside Master Davian.
They were coming in through the front doors because another staff member had told her that they had seen Arthur heading to the foyer.
She was at the top of the stairs when she saw the hulking figure of her Mafia King, ducking out of sight when he instantly noticed her.
Master Davian was scary, but she was sure that Arthur would be able to inform the Alpha if she complained to the butler.
So she decided to retreat for now, intending to pay Arthur a visit when he was alone.
Arthur couldn’t hide his smug expression when he was informed that the Master had returned.
It was earlier than he expected. Way earlier.
Even if the Master had returned that night, it would still be too early,
Tomorrow was the expected date, and even then, he wouldn’t be able to make it till it was late because of the trip.
He caught Master Davian’s gaze sweeping around the foyer like he was immediately searching for someone.
And Arthur had to wonder if the Master had heard about Matilda basically shouldering her way into the mansion.
He knew he needed to start making excuses there, if he didn’t want to get lumped in with Matilda and her daughter.
"Your Aunt and her daughter Savannah are currently visiting." He said in a rush, "I didn’t inform you on your trip because I believed you were already aware."
That brought the Mafia King’s empty gray stare to him, the Alpha cocking a silent brow.
Arthur just gulped, wisely saying nothing else. He had taken Master Davian’s bags from the men at the door and was standing by to follow him when he was ready to return to his room.
Davian decided he wasn’t interested in a fictitious relative visiting at the moment.
He was fortunate to have his trip end earlier than he planned - and if that fortune involved him doing double the work in half the time, no one but him needed to know.
At first, the idea of taking Lake with him seemed ludicrous, but after going on the trip all alone, it started to make a lot of sense.
It was a feat he had managed to complete his tasks in such a short time, considering that he was constantly distracted.
A certain male Omega refused to leave his thoughts, and he knew he would eventually have to do something about it.
The trip was supposed to help him forget about Lake. Out of sight, out of mind.
And when he returned, everything was supposed to go back to normal.
But there was nothing normal about the first few minutes after he got back.
Davian started up the stairs, Arthur quietly following behind him.
He was silent as he headed for his room, looking for a way to ask about Lake without making it strange.
It was an unnecessarily difficult task.
They were barely down the first hallway when he bumped into an unwanted face.
"Davian!" Matilda yelled like she had seen a ghost. "Y-You’re back?"
"You don’t seem happy about that," He said flatly.
"Oh no, I-I just didn’t expect..."
Davian wanted nothing more than to walk past her, but bumping into her first thing meant that he had to deal with this.
"Neither did I." He cut her off, "It’s decent manners to inform ahead before dropping by."
Matilda wilted at his words, "Yes... yes, of course, it’s just... there was a matter that caught my attention, and I felt the need to deal with it."
Davian raised a brow at that, and that was Matilda’s cue to watch her words.
"You know, as your Aunt, however distant, I need to look after you." Matilda tried a different route, cursing under her breath that she had been caught off guard.
Her first interaction with Davian would set the tone for everything, and she just had to be caught off guard, completely throwing off her composure.
She shot Arthur a glare out of the corner of her eyes; the butler was gloating over her demise.
She would shred him, piece by piece.
"I’m fine," Davian was quick to let her know.
"Of-Of course, b-but I mean romantically." She pushed forward, refusing to give in.
"I heard some news about a gold-digging maid, and I came to find out more for myself." Matilda said, her voice getting higher in pitch as she panicked.
And her panic was a very expected reaction because Davian’s entire demeanor changed as she said that.
"I-I just wan-wanted to ask some questions so you can imagine my surprise when the staff demanded for money or he wouldn’t l-leave."
Matilda gulped as she said that, certain that she was digging her grave there and then.
"It was much later Arthur told me more about how this staff even stole from you, and that prompted me to stay." She neared the end of her rant, sweat dampening her skin now.
"I haven’t done much as your aunt but protecting you from evil gold-diggers is the least I can do." She panted slightly as she fell quiet, mostly from fear.
Davian’s expression shuttered, tuning out the rest of her words after getting what he wanted.
He could instinctively tell that Lake wouldn’t be around for much longer, even after he gave his word that he wouldn’t leave.
Davian had nothing to say to Matilda, uninterested in her or what else she had to say.
He walked past her without a response, continuing his interrupted journey to his room.