Chapter 419

Under the cover of night, complete silence descended upon the Harper family manor. Suddenly, the guest room door opened. Melody slipped quietly downstairs, moving without a sound. Seeing no one, she used the moonlight to sneak into the back garden. A few days earlier, she had begged Kenneth to agree to a ten-day arrangement, using a final farewell as her excuse to stay with the Harper family.

Now, with those ten days almost over, the box Felix had instructed her to find remained elusive. She had searched everywhere. "Where on earth can it possibly be?" she wondered. Her anxiety mounted. She knew Felix wouldn't let her off if she failed to find it, so she had to keep searching.

As she walked toward the back of the manor, she caught sight of the brightly lit main courtyard. An idea struck her. She had searched every corner of the manor under the guise of cleaning—Kenneth's room, even the elderly Harper couple's quarters. The only place left was Romeo's private quarters. She wondered if the box might be there.

However, Romeo was notoriously strict and traditional, and he clearly disliked her. If he discovered her intrusion, he would undoubtedly expel her immediately. "It's risky, but I have to try!" she thought, gritting her teeth. Under the cover of moonlight, she quietly approached his quarters.

Few servants were in Romeo's courtyard. He disliked people hovering nearby, so even daytime cleaning was done by the butler himself. This increased the likelihood of the box being hidden there. "But where could it be?" she mused.

After considering her options, she decided to take a risk. While the lights were still on in Romeo's quarters, she would peek through the window. "Who knows what I'll find?" she thought, creeping closer.

Unexpectedly, Alexia appeared. Spotting Melody creeping around in the dead of night, she called out, "Hey! What are you doing? Are you trying to steal something?" Melody froze.

Her back stiffened. This is bad. I've been discovered, she thought. She turned, offering a helpless smile. "What are you talking about, Alexia? How could I possibly be stealing anything? I just ate too much dinner and couldn't sleep, so I'm taking a stroll."

"A stroll?" Alexia sneered. "If that's true, why were you acting so sneaky, like you were afraid of being caught? You have a guilty conscience. Tell me what you're really up to!"

"I'm telling the truth!" Melody insisted indignantly. "Why won't you believe me?"

"Don't play games with me," Alexia said. "My brother might fall for this, but I won't! You won't talk? Then I'll call for help! Someone, come quick! Catch the thief! There's a thief here!"

Melody clenched her fists in fury. Alexia is really hard to deal with! she thought. "Stop shouting!" she yelled, trying to stop Alexia, but it was too late. Alexia's shouting had attracted Kenneth's attention.

"What's going on?" Kenneth asked.

"Kenneth," Alexia said, "this woman has ulterior motives for staying in our home! I saw her sneaking around, and she's clearly up to no good! We should get rid of her. Just looking at this liar makes me nauseous!"

Kenneth frowned. "Alright, I'll handle this. You should get some sleep."

Alexia made a face and gave Melody a provocative look before leaving.

"Kenneth" Melody stepped forward, instinctively wanting to throw herself into his arms, but he raised a hand to stop her. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk. Besides, what could I possibly be up to?" Melody gave a bitter smile. "I guess it's time for me to leave. You're all treating me like a thief."

Kenneth remained silent. Melody bit her lip, searching for a solution. "There are only a few days left in our agreement, and I don't want to leave with any regrets, so you can't send me away—not until the end of our agreement," she said, knowing Kenneth valued his promises. She was right.

Kenneth sighed. "Alright, this is the last thing I can do for you."

"Thank you," Melody said.

"Get some rest." He turned and left.

Following Alexia's shouts, several servants rushed over. "A thief? Where's the thief?"

Melody stared at them speechlessly. Tonight's search was in vain, she thought, her expression darkening as she returned to her room.

Sneaking around at night wouldn't work. She needed a legitimate excuse to search Romeo's courtyard during the day.

The next morning, Romeo was already out for his morning exercise—a routine he never missed. Ryan had gone to the company; Felicia was at a gathering; Alexia and Kenneth were at school. In a few days, Melody had learned the habits of everyone in the Harper family. Claiming illness, she had skipped school for several days. Seeing everyone gone, she picked up a feather duster and began dusting, as she had done before.

A nearby servant said, "Miss, you can put that down. Let us handle this."

"It's fine. I have nothing to do," Melody said with a sweet smile. Her charm made it hard to dislike her.

Seeing she couldn't dissuade her, the servant relented. Just then, another servant came to ask for help. "The butler hurt his back, and we need to clean Mr. Harper's courtyard."

Melody's eyes lit up. "Let me help! The manor is so large; it must be exhausting."

"But" the servant protested, "Mr. Harper doesn't like outsiders in his room."

"I'll just sweep the outside," Melody offered.

Despite the servants' objections, Melody eagerly went with them. She seemed like a child who had found a captivating toy—innocent and guileless. The servant, unable to stop her, let her go.

At Romeo's courtyard, Melody diligently swept the entrance. Anyone watching would have complimented her effort.

Unfortunately, the Harper family had high standards. Household chores alone wouldn't secure the position of a young mistress. The servants quickly focused on their own tasks.

Melody seized her opportunity. Suddenly, she pointed at Romeo's bedroom, exclaiming, "Oh no, a rat just ran inside!"

"A rat?" the servants exclaimed.

"Yes," Melody said. The size of the manor made a rat sighting unsurprising.

"Quick, we must catch it before Mr. Harper returns!" they said.

"I'll help," Melody smiled, walking openly inside.

The servants were busy moving furniture and the large bed. Seizing this chance, Melody searched everywhere. After a thorough search, finding no rats, the sweating servants asked, "Did you see it wrong?"

Melody didn't answer. Rummaging under Romeo's wardrobe, she found a hidden compartment. It popped open automatically when she touched it. She quickly brushed aside the clothes covering it. There, she found a box! I've found it! she thought excitedly.