’Note to self: have a conversation with Samuel about expectations around children,’ she thought. ’Before it becos an awkward situation.’
Auntie Lin, noticing Heena’s expression, misinterpreted it as maidenly embarrassnt.
"Oh, don’t be shy!" she said with a knowing smile. "You’re newlyweds! It’s natural to think about these things. I’m sure you and the young master will have beautiful, intelligent children when the ti is right."
Heena forced a smile. "We’ll see what the future brings."
At that mont, a young servant girl rushed into the kitchen, looking excited and slightly nervous.
"Young mistress! There’s a ssenger at the gate asking for you specifically!"
Heena’s mind imdiately went to threat assessnt. ’A ssenger asking for ? That’s unusual. Could be legitimate business, could be a trap.’
"Did the ssenger identify who sent them?" she asked calmly, wiping her hands on a cloth.
"No, young mistress. He just said he has an important delivery for you and will only hand it directly to you."
’Definitely suspicious,’ Heena thought.
But she couldn’t refuse to et the ssenger without looking paranoid or rude.
"Auntie Lin, please excuse . I’ll return to help with lunch preparation if I can."
"Of course, dear! Go see to your business."
Heena walked toward the front gate, her mind running through possibilities.
’Could be a legitimate ssage from soone in the rchant community. Could be a gift from soone trying to curry favor. Could be a trap set by Maya. Could be an attack.’
She made sure to stay alert and keep her movents fluid—ready to defend herself if necessary.
When she reached the gate, she found a young ssenger boy, maybe fourteen or fifteen years old, holding a small wrapped package.
He looked nervous but not threatening.
"Young Mistress of the household?" he asked, bowing respectfully.
"I am," Heena confird. "You have sothing for ?"
"Yes, young mistress. I was paid to deliver this package directly to you and only you. I was told to make sure no one else touched it first."
That instruction was odd. Why would it matter if soone else touched the package?
’Could be poisoned on the outside,’ Heena thought. ’Or could contain sothing that would explode or release toxic fus when opened.’
"Who paid you to deliver this?" she asked.
The ssenger boy looked uncomfortable. "I don’t know, young mistress. It was a woman in a veil. She paid well and gave clear instructions, but she didn’t give her na."
’A veiled woman. Almost certainly Maya or soone working for her.’
Heena examined the package without touching it. It was roughly the size of a small book, wrapped in plain cloth and tied with simple string.
Nothing obviously dangerous about it, but that ant nothing.
"Did the woman give any other instructions?" Heena asked.
"She said to tell you that this is a gift to help you understand your true place in this household," the ssenger recited, clearly repeating morized words.
’Ah. Definitely from Maya then. And definitely ant to be insulting or threatening.’
Heena smiled at the ssenger boy. "Thank you for delivering this. Please wait here for a mont."
She went back into the household and found a servant.
"Please fetch my husband. Tell him I need him at the front gate for a mont. It’s not urgent, but I’d like his presence."
The servant hurried off.
While waiting, Heena studied the package more carefully from a safe distance.
’It’s probably not actually dangerous,’ she reasoned. ’Maya is many things, but she’s not sophisticated enough for poison or explosives. This is more likely sothing ant to humiliate or upset .’
’Probably evidence of sothing embarrassing. Or accusations in written form. Or maybe just trash or animal waste—that would be more Maya’s style.’
Samuel arrived within a few minutes, looking curious.
"You needed ?"
Heena gestured at the package the ssenger was holding.
"A delivery. From a mysterious veiled woman who wants to help ’understand my true place in this household.’ I thought it prudent to have a witness before opening it."
Samuel’s expression darkened. "My stepmother, I assu."
"Almost certainly."
Samuel turned to the ssenger. "You’re sure you don’t know who sent this?"
"Absolutely certain, young master. The woman was completely covered. I couldn’t even see her face clearly."
Samuel nodded and gave the boy a few coins. "Thank you for your honesty. You may go."
After the ssenger left, Samuel looked at the package.
"Do you want to open it, or should I?"
"I will," Heena said. "But let’s do it in our quarters, not here where servants might gossip about whatever’s inside."
They took the package to their room and set it on the small table.
Heena carefully untied the string and unwrapped the cloth, ready to jump back if anything dangerous appeared.
Inside was a simple wooden box.
She opened the box.
And found... a servant’s outfit.
The exact type of rough, cheap clothing that Heena had worn when she first arrived as a servant in this household.
There was also a small note, written in feminine handwriting:
’"This is what you really are. This is what you’ll always be. You can pretend to be a noble wife, but everyone knows the truth. Return to your proper place before you’re forced back into it."’
Heena stared at the clothing and note for a long mont.
Then she started laughing.
Samuel looked at her in surprise. "You find this funny?"
"It’s just so... petty," Heena said between laughs. "So unimaginative. After two weeks of planning, Maya’s big move is to send my old servant clothes with a an note?"
She picked up the rough fabric, still chuckling.
"I was expecting poison, or false evidence of a cri, or hired thugs, or sothing actually dangerous. But this? This is just sad."
Samuel found himself smiling despite the insulting nature of the gift.
"You’re right. It is rather pathetic."
Heena folded the servant clothes neatly.
"Actually, I’ll keep these. They’re practical for gardening or dirty work around the household. Waste not, want not."
She set them aside and picked up the note, reading it again.
"The handwriting is interesting though. This isn’t Maya’s writing—I’ve seen her hand on household docunts. This is soone else’s."
Samuel examined the note. "You’re right. This is more educated, more refined. Could be ili, her personal servant?"
"Possibly. Or Maya hired soone to write it for her. Either way, it tells us she’s involving other people in her sches now."
Heena’s expression beca more serious.
"That’s actually concerning. The more people involved, the harder it is to predict or control what they’ll do. And the more likely sothing genuinely dangerous could happen."
Samuel nodded grimly. "Agreed. We should increase our security precautions."
"I’ll start checking my food more carefully," Heena said. "And I’ll vary my daily routines so I’m harder to ambush if they’re planning sothing physical."
"I’ll have my guard keep closer watch on the household," Samuel added. "Especially monitoring who cos and goes, any suspicious etings, purchases of unusual items."
They looked at each other, both understanding that the period of relative calm was probably ending.
"The deadline is one week away," Heena observed. "Your father needs to give his answer about business control. Maya probably knows about that ultimatum—there’s no way your father didn’t tell her."
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