She needs to be patient, to wait until she has enough strength and no longer needs to fear those forces that harbor hostility towards her, only then can she openly reveal her identity.

Vanessa gazed at her hands, clenched them slightly, and let out a soft sigh.

She had no intention of getting involved in this undercurrent of strife, wishing only to be a background NPC in the game.

Yet, it seemed someone was unwilling to let her be, dragging her into the fray despite her attempts to escape.

Now, she could only take one step at a time.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

“……..”

Vanessa remained silent for a moment, convinced she must have misheard.

This desolate, overgrown yard was where she lived alone.

To any onlooker, it would appear as an abandoned estate, hardly a place where one would expect visitors, let alone someone seeking the infamous, fallen noble.

She must have heard wrong.

“Knock, knock, knock.” Yet, the knocking persisted, as if to assert its presence.

“……..”

Why, of all times, would someone come looking for her now?

Vanessa decided not to respond, pretending she wasn’t home.

Perhaps the person outside would leave after realizing no one was answering.

However, things weren’t that simple. After two unanswered knocks, the visitor was not ready to give up.

“Master Winnie, are you home?”

“I am a knight from the Wrathful Dragon Knights, here to settle the remaining payment on behalf of my comrade from yesterday.”

“The door isn’t locked… Sorry to intrude, but I’ll come in, okay?” Pushing the door slightly and finding it unlocked, the knight apologized and stepped inside.

Oh no!

Vanessa suddenly remembered that she never locked her front door, there was no need, as the house contained nothing of value.

Then she heard the door open.

“Master Winnie, are you here?”

No, I’m not! Why did you have to come now? Who is this eager to return money??

Vanessa stood up, looking at her reflection in the mirror, momentarily at a loss.

It wasn’t time yet; she couldn’t transform back now. How could she meet someone in this state?

What should she do?

In this situation…

Vanessa had a quick thought and walked to the door, locking it.

“Master Winnie, is that you?” Hearing footsteps upstairs, the knight ascended to the second floor, arriving at Winnie’s room.

To say the least, after seeing the interior of Winnie’s home, he felt like he was on a charity mission.

He knew Winnie had fallen on hard times, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad.

“Master Winnie, are you in there?”

“……”

No response.

Strange.

The knight was puzzled, about to knock again, when a voice as melodious and clear as a nightingale’s song echoed, captivating and unforgettable, like an orchid in a secluded valley.

“Sorry, are you here to see my master? He went out early this morning, and as a servant, I cannot properly greet you. Please forgive me.”

“…Who are you?” The knight was momentarily stunned, captivated by the enchanting voice.

“I am the maid working in this mansion. If there’s anything, you can tell me here. I apologize, but I am changing and cannot meet you in person. Please forgive my rudeness.”

“Oh, oh, I see. It’s alright.” The knight responded somewhat dazedly, quickly indicating it was no problem, while wondering to himself that although Winnie was a scoundrel, he certainly had taste.

Where did he find a maid with such an angelically beautiful voice?

Though he hadn’t seen her face, the knight’s imagination had already conjured up the image of a stunningly beautiful woman, standing gracefully.

A hidden beauty in a golden house.

At this moment, the young knight couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy towards Winnie.

In noble circles, maids, especially personal maids, often carried an implicit meaning.

A maid’s duties weren’t limited to cleaning and serving; they also included attending to all of the master’s needs, including being a bed companion, an unwritten rule.

The knight was curious whether the maid’s appearance matched her heavenly voice.

He wondered where Winnie had found such a gem. The guy really knew how to enjoy life!

Just listening to that voice… tsk tsk, he must be living the high life every night.

The girl’s sweet voice had indeed stirred something in the knight, but out of chivalric decorum, he knew he couldn’t force her to show herself to satisfy his curiosity.

Violating the Wrathful Dragon Knights’ regulations would result in immediate expulsion, ruining all the hard work and promising future one had built.

Like those two colleagues who were expelled recently, any sensible person would know how to choose.

“Alright, Miss Maid, if it’s inconvenient for you, I’ll just leave the money I owe your master by the door. Also, when your master returns, please let him know that the two young knights who violated the Wrathful Dragon Knights’ regulations have been dismissed by the Commander and are permanently banned from rejoining.”

“The Commander was quite upset about the incident and asked me to apologize on his behalf, as well as on behalf of the two dismissed knights.”

“Understood, I will relay your message to my master word for word. Thank you for your trouble, and please forgive the lack of hospitality,” Vanessa’s voice was like a gentle breeze, exuding the innocence and tenderness of a young girl, enough to soften even the hardest of hearts.

“Alright, then I won’t disturb you any further,” the young knight glanced at the door, placed the money bag by the entrance, and turned to leave.

After hearing the footsteps descend and the door close, Vanessa waited until the sound of footsteps faded completely before peeking out from the bedroom and letting out a sigh of relief.

She glanced at the money bag on the floor, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

Instead of picking it up immediately, she fetched a towel and carefully wiped its surface before finally picking it up.

She certainly wanted the money.

As for the apology, she could take it with a grain of salt.

The whole incident was orchestrated by the son of the Wrathful Dragon Knights’ Commander, Charon.

He was the real instigator. The Commander’s apology was just for show, everyone knew the truth.

From now on, she would have to be more careful.

Given that guy’s nature, he probably wouldn’t let this go.

But she wasn’t afraid. If she couldn’t handle the main female characters, how could she not handle a side character?

Counting the gold coins inside, 32 in total, not a single one missing, Vanessa felt a wave of satisfaction.

As for what happened to the two knights who acted as Charon’s pawns to provoke her, who cared?

Whatever. As long as the money was here, that was all that mattered.

After a day of cleaning, she needed to take a bath; otherwise, she’d feel uncomfortable all over.

Thinking this, Vanessa pinched the white stockings clinging to her thighs.

This was her first time wearing white stockings and long high-heeled boots.

The [Armour Fortress] Soul Armament had given her no chance to react before putting them on her.

From her male perspective, they looked really good, but wouldn’t they feel stuffy after a while?…

And to her surprise, despite it being her first time wearing high heels, she didn’t stumble. In fact, she walked quite naturally, as if it were second nature to this body.