Free Web NovelChapter 4: Watching Matilda Mess Up
April stepped out of her room, closing the flimsy door behind her, and headed downstairs. It was time to start planning her first real theft.
They always blamed her for the stolen money and wares in the past, beat her up, and locked her up without food. She cried and pleaded her innocence, but no one would listen.
Matilda was the most snobbish in that regard. And to think, it was her all along. April’s fist clenched harder, her fingers digging into her palm, and her jaw tightened.
And so, she didn’t go straight to the first floor to grab a mop. Instead, she took a sharp turn down the hallway and stopped in front of Matilda’s room.
April took a single quick look around the corridor. The housekeeper was already downstairs lecturing the kitchen staff, so the corridor was completely empty. She slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind her.
The room smelled faintly of stale lavender and mothballs. She didn’t waste time looking around. She dropped to her knees beside the neatly made bed, lifted the heavy floral dust ruffle, and slid her hand underneath.
Her fingers brushed against the cold floorboards until they knocked against something solid and rectangular.
She pulled it out. It was a thick, gaudy paperback romance novel with a creased spine.
April opened the cover. The center of the pages had been crudely cut away with a box cutter, creating a hollow square. Packed tightly inside that makeshift safe were dozens of crisp, folded hundred-dollar bills.
April let out an inaudible gasp, her eyes widening as she stared at the cash. The system wasn’t lying. It was entirely accurate.
But it made her even more bitter.
For years, Matilda had used her as a human shield, blaming her for every missing item while quietly pocketing a fortune. freewebnøvel.com
A cold gaze washed over April’s face. She didn’t feel a single ounce of guilt as she reached into the hollowed-out book, pulled them out, and stuffed the thick stack of hundred-dollar bills into the deep pockets of her oversized maid’s apron.
Matilda had used her as a scapegoat to protect her own skin for ten years; consider this the first installment of April’s back pay.
She slid the empty book back under the bed, straightened the dust ruffle, and slipped out of the room unnoticed, heading down to the first floor to grab her cleaning supplies.
The system was right this time, she thought as she went down. But... What if it’s not always accurate?
As she began to wipe down the grand wooden banister of the staircase, her heart began to hammer against her ribs.
She was still deeply skeptical. Was the system actually predicting the future, or did she just happen to stumble upon a secret Matilda had kept for years out of sheer luck? What if this was a one-time thing?
She couldn’t count her chickens before the eggs hatch, so she needed to be absolutely sure.
Looking down into the bustling main hall, she spotted Sarah, one of the maids, polishing the heavy silver candlesticks near the dining area.
April slowly walked down the steps, keeping her eyes fixed on her, testing the system.
Immediately, a soft blue prompt flashed quietly at the bottom of her vision.
[Target locked: Sarah Jenkins. Would you like to read Sarah Jenkins’s fortune?]
[Number of insights left today: 2]
April thought a firm ’Yes’ in her mind. The screen flickered, expanding right next to Sarah’s head.
[Eye of Destiny: Target — Sarah Jenkins]
Hidden Truth: Accidentally spilled a drop of bleach on Madam Morgan’s expensive velvet curtains yesterday and hid the stained fabric behind a heavy porcelain vase, hoping no one would notice.
Immediate Future (Within 30 minutes): Will receive a phone call from her landlord stating that her rent check cleared, saving her from an eviction notice.
The screen dissolved back into the air.
That was another fortune. She would have to keep her eyes sharp and confirm if these things happened.
April turned her head slightly to look toward the kitchen, her eyes hovering over another maid who was rushing past.
Another prompt began to form.
[Target locked: Chloe Miller. Would you like to read Chloe Miller’s fortune?]
[Number of insights left today: 1]
But April took a good look at that ’1’ and immediately blinked it away, stopping herself.
No, she thought, tightening her grip on her cleaning rag. I need a backup, just in case. There’s no need to waste the last one for today on someone who doesn’t matter to my survival.
She had one single insight left for the entire day. There were high-profile guests coming to the mansion tonight, she absolutely had to keep this last card in her hand in case she found an opportunity to make a connection.
For now, she would just confirm that these fortunes she had read would happen, and that would boost her confidence when it came to the high-profile guest.
April went back to wiping the banister, keeping a close eye on the clock to see if Sarah’s prediction held weight.
Exactly twenty-five minutes later, Sarah’s cheap phone vibrated in her apron pocket.
She nervously stepped into the hallway to answer it. When she came back out a minute later, she let out a massive, audible sigh of relief, leaning against the wall with her hand over her heart, whispering, "Thank God, the check cleared."
April watched it happen from the stairs, her breath hitching. A cold shiver ran down her spine, followed by a sudden, intense rush of adrenaline. It wasn’t a coincidence. It wasn’t a hallucination from her dying brain.
She really had a tool that could see through time.
Before she could fully digest the realization, the heavy glass doors of the sunroom swung open.
Matilda walked out, her chin held high as she carried a heavy, ornate silver tray. Resting on top of it was Madam Morgan’s prized English porcelain tea set—a rare, vintage collection worth thousands of dollars.
Matilda was heading toward the main drawing room to serve the family and their newly returned daughter.
April stopped scrubbing entirely, watching the housekeeper approach the polished marble floor of the main hall.
Thanks to the insight, she already knew what was coming, but the thought of Matilda messing up got her excited.
Two hours are up, April thought, her eyes narrowing on the tea set. Matilda had indeed carried the tea set, but if she slipped up and broke them is another story. If she did... then the system’s prediction could no longer be doubted.
Matilda took three more confident steps forward. Then, her shoe caught on the slightly raised edge of the heavy Persian rug.
It happened in slow motion. Matilda’s eyes widened in sudden, absolute terror as her balance vanished. She gasped, her arms flailing wildly as the silver tray tilted sharply to the side.
What came next was the sharp sound of shattering porcelain echoing through the entire first floor. The delicate white cups, the teapot, and the saucers slammed into the hard marble, fracturing into a hundred jagged, useless pieces.
Hot tea splashed all over Matilda’s pristine apron and shoes.
The entire hall went dead silent. The kitchen staff peeked out of the doors, their faces pale with shock.
A second later, the doors to the main drawing room flew open. Madam Morgan marched out, her face instantly twisting into that ugliness that made the entire staff cower and hide.
She exploded in rage as she looked at the wreckage of her favorite tea set.
"Matilda!" Madam Morgan’s voice shrieked, sharp enough to cut glass. "What the hell have you done?!"
Matilda fell to her knees right into the puddle of tea, her body trembling violently as she began to stutter. "M-Madam, I’m so sorry! The rug—it was an accident, I swear—"
"An accident?!" Madam Morgan walked over, her designer heels clicking dangerously against the stone.
She didn’t hesitate to slap the tray out of Matilda’s shaking hands, sending it clattering across the floor.
"That set was an antique! You clumsy, useless old hag! Your salary for the next three months is completely gone, do you hear me?! If you can’t even carry a tray, I’ll find someone who can!"
The public scolding went on for ten agonizing minutes, with Madam Morgan tearing into Matilda’s incompetence while the housekeeper wept and apologized frantically on the floor.
Standing on the staircase, completely ignored by everyone in the room, April looked down at the scene.
For ten years, she had been the one on her knees, taking the slaps, the whippings, and the blame for things she never did. Seeing Matilda take the hit for once felt like a breath of fresh air, and she didn’t even have to do anything. This was destined.
But... this never happened in her past life, though. This was such a big incident; if it did happen, then she would have remembered, and maybe it would’ve made her day less infuriating than it had been when she had to iron dozens of clothes while the Madam celebrated her lost daughter’s arrival.
So, things were changing, and this system was helping her keep track of those changes.
April’s mind was now crystal clear. She didn’t care that things were changing because she was going to make some more changes herself by stealing that necklace. As long as it aided her survival, the world could even turn on its hooves.
Now, she just had to be prepared for tonight. First, she had to take the server’s rights from one of the maids who would be serving at the banquet, so she could get a closer view of all those who would be attending the banquet tonight.
