"What's going on?"
"I don't know. It's just I was preparing lunch, but then, the knife suddenly disappeared from my hand…"
"Did something happen?"
"The young master's school sent a message to the master — did she hear about it?"
"Oh, my god! Did she?"
"What's going on here? Why are you all flocking like gossiping hens outside the kitchen?" An older maid stood from a distance, narrowing her eyes at the servants outside the kitchen. The servants looked at her and then quickly cast their eyes downward. They straightened their clothes and stood properly when she started walking in their direction.
"Well," one female servant scratched the back of her head. "It's because the madam is cooking."
"Huh???" the head maid, Mrs. Deng, furrowed her brows. Her voice was full of confusion when she asked, "What did you say?"
Mrs. Deng didn't want to believe her ears had heard until another servant pointed in the kitchen's direction. They made way for her, and the moment her gaze landed on the kitchen, her eyes popped open.
The young madam was in the kitchen. She was humming an unknown tune while cooking.
Mrs. Deng rubbed her eyes, then blinked a couple of times to clear her eyes. She must be seeing things, or maybe she was dreaming. But when her eyes cleared, the young madam was still in the kitchen. She looked at the other servants, and all of them nodded. They also had the same reaction.
The young madam never did anything in the manor. Not that Heaven was required to do so, but this was the first time in the past five years she had taken the initiative to do something. Heaven enjoyed being alone — even her husband respected her solitude. Or rather, she just didn't like the company she could have in this house.
Heaven disliked everyone. Her husband, her son, and even the servants. She hated each and every one of them. All servants had to tread on eggshells around her. They were afraid she would lash out at them. Although Heaven didn't do that to anyone in the past, she had a terrible reputation in the household with how she treated the master, especially the young master.
If not for the master, no one would care about an ingrate like her.
"What is she planning now?" the head maid frowned. She slowly watched her preparing food for the first time. She must have something up her sleeve.
Mrs. Deng marched inside the kitchen without any hesitation. She has to know what the young madam was up to.
"Young madam, what are you doing here?" Mrs. Deng asked Heaven, stopping the latter from chopping the potatoes.
Heaven lifted her eyes to meet Mrs. Deng's. 'And who you might be?' she wondered, reviewing the memories she had.
Mrs. Deng was the head maid of the house. She was the one making decisions in the mansion. She was also a loyal servant in the Zhu Clan just like Miriam. It was just that Miriam was more focused on the young master's well-being while Mrs. Deng was in the household and the maids.
'Unlike Miriam, this woman is an arrogant one,' Heaven mentally nodded in understanding, grasping what sort of person this head maid was according to Heaven's memories. 'She's smart, though.'
Mrs. Deng never directly maltreated Heaven, but Heaven had caught this woman badmouthing her. Heaven let it pass in the past because she didn't care about her; she was always too caught up with her own misery.
Now though, things were about to change.
"Are you blind?" Heaven cocked her head to the side, raising the knife, and swayed it sideways. "I'm preparing food for the master and the young master," she said in a confident voice.
"Young Madam, you know the master and the young master are picky eaters! They don't eat just anything — leave it to the chef!" Mrs. Deng said in a stern voice, a deep frown marring her face.
'I know that. But as the saying goes, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. It's a simple peace offering to my husband,' Heaven wanted to say, but bit her tongue. This was not the time for her to not voice her thoughts.
"Alright," Heaven obliged, she then put down the knife and nodded. She glanced at Mrs. Deng, only to see the latter huffed quietly but didn't hide the satisfaction upon exercising her authority.
'Hah!' Heaven mentally smirked. 'So this is how you want things to be done, heh?'
"Though Mrs. Deng, I heard the young master's temper has been shorter than ever. He hadn't been touching his food, according to Miriam. So, I thought if his mother cooked him food, he might eat." Heaven folded her arms, bending over to rest them on the edge of the counter.
"But since you don't want me to touch anything in the kitchen, I'd just tell that to the master," Heaven said in a very concerning voice.
Mrs. Deng's face instantly turned red while Heaven flashed her a kind smile. What was this woman insinuating? That she didn't care about the little master's well-being?
"I mean, who am I in this house, right?" Heaven asked flippantly. "The young madam should listen to the head maid — I guess Mrs. Deng should just become the madam since she knows the master and young master better," added Heaven, keeping up her harmless, humorless smile. "Right?"
Mrs. Deng clasped her skirt while secretly clenching her teeth. 'The audacity of this woman!' was what her furious eyes spoke, which Heaven read accurately.
"I know, right? The audacity of me," replied Heaven, making Mrs. Deng's face freeze. "After neglecting my husband and son for the past five years, I am suddenly acting as if I'm a good wife and mother. However, how in the world would I make amends to those two if I don't dare take a step forward? No matter how terrible this marriage was, these duties were still rightfully mine. The only person who had a say in it was my husband and son."
Heaven's eyes drooped as the corner of her lips curled up into a crafty smile. "Don't you want this family to finally unite, Mrs. Deng?"
Unite? Who was she kidding? But then again, if Mrs. Deng said more, it would only put her at a disadvantage.
"Hah," Mrs. Deng huffed once again, and then quickly recomposed herself. "Of course not, young madam. I'm simply concerned about the master and the young master. Also, to you. You haven't stepped in the kitchen for the past five years. So, I'm a little worried that you might hurt yourself," she said in a tight voice.
'A strategic retreat? Smart.' Heaven thought and nodded approvingly to herself.
"I appreciate your concern, but I'm alright," Heaven said in a honeyed voice. She then picked up the knife and continued cutting the potatoes. "I'm quite adept at handling knives. There's no way I'd cut myself. Cooking is my passion, you know?" Because in her past life, Hera needed to cook her own food. It was the safest way to avoid getting poisoned.
She could feel Mrs. Deng glaring at her. Judging by how the old maid acted, it seems like she uses an iron fist to run the household. Then again, Heaven did not care, she was used to people giving her a death glare. One more to the list won't matter.
'This woman, if the master and the young master had a tummy ache, I'll make sure to report you to the Old Madam! Even if the master warned me, I will make sure to kick you out of this household!'