CHAPTER 141: CHAPTER 140. EVEN MORE TROJAN HOUSE

Something occurred to Vivian: despite showing her support this whole time, Sarah had been telling her to seek protection from someone else instead of from herself.

To be honest, Vivian had entertained a thought that Sarah was being kind to her because she wanted to gain more power by kicking the third wife out and cozying up to the future madam; probably trying to earn brownie points from her father too.

But that thought perished when she heard Sarah wouldn’t even be in the house. Besides, her behavior toward her father didn’t seem like someone who was trying to gain some points.

So...it was truly driven by her contempt toward the third wife?!

Rather than Vivian’s surprise, a bigger reaction came from the junior staff who looked like her world was crushed. "Miss--"

"Sush--I’ll talk to you later, Mari," Sarah raised her finger to shut the girl, before returning her gaze to Vivian. A sharp, serious gaze that reminded Vivian of the chairman and got her straightening her back. "Listen to me, Miss Vivian."

"Y-yes?"

"You can’t trust anyone in this house--the cook, the staff member, everyone could be under that woman’s influence. You know your condition is very fragile right now, don’t you?" Sarah tapped the table’s surface. "Tell the chairman you’re scared of that woman, and ask for new people to assist you. For now, I’ll lend you my trusty staff."

Sarah pointed at the junior staff, who widened her eyes in surprise. "M-miss?"

Ignoring the girl who looked at her pleadingly, Sarah continued. "This place has a kitchen, so ask for a new chef. Say you need someone expert in nutrition for pregnant women or something. New bodyguard too while at it--I’m not sure how much you can trust the one in here."

Vivian blinked, glancing in the direction of the kitchen, where the handsome bodyguard was. "Oh...is that why you’re with that..."

"My puppy is a different case," Sarah smiled sharply in warning, as if she didn’t like anyone casting a glance at his visage. She cleared her throat and continued. "Anyway, you will need an assistant."

Vivian smiled awkwardly and nodded. "Uh-huh..."

"Rather than having someone appointed to you, I suggest you choose someone you already know--a friend or an acquaintance you can trust," Sarah said, stroking her chin in thought. "Preferably, someone who already knows your situation in this place."

Vivian frowned, chewing the inside of her cheek in contemplation. Sarah let the mistress do her thinking while she savored the rest of her pastries and tea. From the information she gathered, Vivian didn’t have many choices anyway.

"Oh!" the mistress exclaimed after Sarah finished a piece of canelé.

"Seems like you already have someone in mind," Sarah smiled behind her teacup. "Anyway, good luck in your endeavour. I’ll only give you one last warning."

Vivian blinked. "Yes?"

"I told you I’m going to lend my staff, and you need to understand that she’ll be helping you as my proxy," Sarah leaned forward slightly, voice low and firm. "If I catch you treating her like a servant, you’ll see me treating you as an enemy."

Vivian swallowed hard, even though there was nothing in her throat.

"Understood?"

"Y-yes..."

And then, like a lie, the sharp eyes curled and the stiff lips stretched into a sweet smile. "This is fun. Would you like to have the rest of this dessert?"

* * *

"Miss, do you really have to go?"

The moment Vivian returned to the main house with the throng of bodyguards that the chairman provided, Mari was clinging to Sarah and gave her big teary eyes. Hajin gave her stinky eyes, but since the girl had been diligently cleaning the tea room and washing the dishes, he gave her a temporary pass.

"I’ve been meaning to from the start," Sarah told the girl who was kneeling on the floor, clutching her armrest. "The timing just coincides nicely."

"Must...must I stay?" Mari clutched the young miss’s sleeve, so desperate she didn’t care about reprimand. "Can’t you take me with you, Miss?"

Sarah smiled mischievously. "Do you want to be glared at by my puppy every day?"

"Ugh..."

Mari glanced at the bodyguard, who arched his brow at her. The house they would move into was just a normal house with two bedrooms, smaller than the annex--after all, it used to be inhabited by one person only.

In that kind of place, Hajin wouldn’t want someone else’s presence disturbing them.

"And I still need a spy here,"

Mari gasped. "I...I see..."

Yeah, that’s right--her duty was to spy on the residents of the main house and listen to the staff members gossip. It wouldn’t make sense for her to leave the main house until the young miss’s big plan came to fruition.

"Don’t worry," Sarah chuckled. "If I’m not mistaken, the person the mistress will bring is also on my side."

"Oh?" Mari perked up. "An ally?"

"You can say that," Sarah glanced at her phone, awaiting some news from a certain street actor. "I’ll tell you if it’s confirmed."

"Still...this is too fast, Miss!" Mari whined again. "What do you mean you’ll be going tomorrow?"

"The initial plan is to leave today, so be thankful for that," Hajin answered with a scoff, prompting Sarah to gasp.

To be fair, Hajin also only heard the plan yesterday. The plan to leave had indeed been there from the start, but the timing was a bit abrupt. They only managed to tell the apartment manager earlier that day about their decision to use the room and request a cleaning service, so they couldn’t just move out that day.

They could stay at the usual hotel while waiting, but Hajin still needed time to dismantle their spying device and hack the security system’s password for the next month. With his meticulous nature, Hajin also wanted to sweep the annex from top to bottom, making sure they didn’t leave anything that could make people suspicious.

Especially because the mistress would stay at the annex.

"Anyway, take care of Vivian," Sarah told Mari, holding up her chin. "I don’t like her still, but she is pregnant, and the unborn child is blameless."

Mari lowered her head, answering listlessly. "Yes, Miss."

"Don’t be too reckless."

"Yes, Miss."

Sarah pressed her twitching lips. "When the time comes, Hajin will tell you when to quit."

"Yes, Miss."

"Go see your mother from time to time."

"Yes, Miss..."

Sarah laughed at the way the girl looked like a little lamb who had lost its shepherd and gave her little pats on the head. Oh, well...it shouldn’t be very long until her revenge completed anyway.

* * *

When Vivian returned to the master’s quarters--the bodyguards made sure she wouldn’t cross paths with the third wife--the chairman was reading some papers on the couch.

"What did she want?" he asked right away, glancing up from his papers.

Vivian smiled sweetly and took her place beside the chairman. "She warned me about your wi--the current madam."

"Hmm..."

"Said she might try to mess with my meal or incite an accident since she has the staff members on her side," Vivian continued, in a quieter voice that made her seem pitiful. "I can see it too, Hyuk-ssi. You saw how violent she was yesterday."

Lee Hyuk had wondered why his daughter wanted to see his mistress, but it seemed like she wanted to give out some advice. "She’s surprisingly supportive."

"She hated the current madam more than she disliked me," Vivian laughed softly.

"That’s true."

"But...she said she’s leaving?" Vivian tilted her head to look at the chairman. "She told me to get close to your eldest daughter for support too, since she wouldn’t be here herself."

"Ah, yeah..."

The chairman frowned, remembering their conversation that morning. Sarah had been acting weird since her return, but she was especially weird this morning, what with her destroying that small fountain at the corner of the garden. It seemed like she liked to vent through violence--if the slap and the punches she threw the night before were any indicator. Honestly, it looked like a temper tantrum in the chairman’s eyes. This whole leaving the main house was probably a temper tantrum too, because he couldn’t kick Mason out of the house.

Well...she would probably return after a while, once things were calmer. That was why Lee Hyuk didn’t force Sarah to stay. Every child went through a rebellious phase anyway.

Still...he looked a bit troubled by it, as seen by Vivian.

"Hmm..." Vivian scooted closer and hugged her lover’s arm. "Hyuk-ssi, she’s your favorite, isn’t she?"

"Favorite?" the chairman arched his brow. He didn’t interact with his children enough to even consider whether or not he had a favorite. "Why do you think so?"

"You tolerated her a lot, even when she used a challenging tone against you," Vivian shrugged.

"I guess you’re right," the chairman tilted his head, lips curling a little bit. "I find her audacity amusing."

Vivian giggled sheepishly. "Maybe it’s because your other children are polite and obedient? How do I say this...they feel like any other subordinates than your children," she tapped her chin in contemplation, remembering how each child behaved during the Mirae party. "Unlike Sarah...even though I’m rather scared of her," she added with a shudder.

Again, the chairman thought back to the destroyed fountain. He also remembered how Sarah managed to protect herself from Mason, throwing punches and kicks like their size difference bore no meaning.

"She can be too much sometimes," the chairman agreed.

It was rather ironic, that her acting like the chairman wasn’t her father was what made her feel like a daughter to the old man.

"But currently, I’m more afraid of the current madam, Hyuk-ssi. Can I have new staff just for me? If I’m to live in the annex, there’s a kitchen there too, so I can eat more safely," Vivian tightened her hug slightly, pressing herself to the chairman as she looked up through trembling lashes. "My appetite might change too because of the pregnancy, so I think it’ll be better to have staff specifically knowledgeable about it."

"Make sense," the chairman nodded. Pretty girl always made sense.

"And...can I call one of my friends here? You know...to assist me and such," Vivian pushed forward. "I have to stay home a lot due to the pregnancy, so I’d feel alone when you’re out working."

"So that person will be your assistant?"

Vivian nodded eagerly. "Yes! To help me manage my needs and such."

"I guess that’s fine," the chairman hummed. She would need an attendant if she wanted to live in this mansion anyway. "A woman?"

"Of course!" Vivian smacked the chairman’s arm lightly, laughing in a soft rhythm. "I only met her not long ago, but she feels like a kindred spirit. She was the one who accompanied me when I checked my pregnancy before, so I’m sure she’ll take good care of me."

"Do whatever you want."

Vivian beamed and kissed the chairman’s cheek. "Oh, thank you, Hyuk-ssi! You’re the best!"

"Mm."

Excitedly, Vivian grasped her phone, texting the friend who gave her this whole idea of making herself pregnant.