Tess made no attempt to stand on ceremony. Faced with a lavish banquet of meticulously prepared dishes, she began her meal as naturally as she could. It had been a long time since she last tasted such refined flavors, and coupled with the ravenous hunger from her nerve-wracking journey here, she polished off nearly every plate before her. Contrary to his ruthless reputation, Silas appeared remarkably unbothered. He quietly signaled the servants to bring more food, his gaze softening as if subtly encouraging her to eat her fill, thoughtfully giving her space to shake off her initial hesitancy.
However, the moment the final bite was swallowed, Tess instantly plunged back into a state of extreme tension. The psychological trap, momentarily sprung, tightened around her once more: she had no way of knowing what cruel or twisted fate awaited her next.
At that exact moment, Silas rose unhurriedly from his seat. He stepped up beside her, extended a slender hand, and gently patted Tess's hair. It was an extraordinarily tender gesture, yet it marked the very first time he had taken the initiative to initiate such intimate, close contact with her. Tess's heart hammered against her ribs as though it would burst from her chest, the suspense making the blood boil in her veins. Holding her breath, she braced herself and waited...
Yet that was all. Silas did nothing more. Withdrawing his hand, his deep, measured voice rang out with unhurried ease: "From now on, come here every day and help me take care of Black."
Tess stood dazed for a few seconds before quickly and submissively obeying. Silas walked toward a tall table in the corner of the room and gently lifted Black down from a small cat house perched atop it. Rather than handing the feline directly to her, he simply set the animal down on a nearby armchair, then turned and strode straight into his private study, closing the door on his personal domain.
Tess was left standing bewildered in the middle of the vast room. She knew full well that Silas was a man of few words, whose every thought or command carried layers of hidden meaning that required those around him to figure out on their own. But the harsh truth was that the chasm between them in intellect, status, and life experience was far too vast. Expecting her to see through the mind of a master manipulator like Silas right now was practically impossible.
Even so, Tess could sense one thing clearly: Silas was according her a certain degree of respect. He did not view her as a plaything or an inferior servant to satisfy his carnal desires. That respect, however fleeting, was enough to spark a profound sense of gratitude within her.
Having hailed from the very bottom of the social ladder, Tess was utterly unaccustomed to bossing people around or acting haughty. Instead of calling for the servants to clear the remnants of the banquet, she simply waited in silence for them to take the initiative and perform their duties as scheduled.
Turning her attention to Black, she observed the feline's distinctly cold and wary demeanor; drawing near to touch or stroke its sleek, smooth fur was no easy feat. Fortunately, through her empathetic power, Black's brainwaves and memories were surprisingly easy for Tess to access and read.
Piecing together the fragmented memories drifting through the creature's mind, Tess was astonished to discover the root cause of Black's coldness and unpredictable temperament. Most of its irritability stemmed from the overwhelming stench of alcohol and cheap chemicals in synthetic perfumes. Silas had possessed numerous mistresses in the past. Upon entering this room, those women often sought every opportunity to scoop up and pet Black to curry favor with its powerful master. Notably, fully half of them wore heavy, low-quality fragrances that severely irritated, pained, and unsettled the cat's acutely sensitive nose. Over time, that endured discomfort morphed into a reflex of hesitation, shaping a distant nature that detested human contact.
As for those mistresses of truly noble birth, wealth, and refinement? Black's memory fragments revealed they had never once set foot inside this mansion. Silas had always been the one to initiate arrangements and meet them privately in luxurious spaces elsewhere.
Standing before the aristocratic feline gazing up at her with amber eyes, Tess offered a faint smile. In a world fraught with pitfalls and deceit, she had at least found her very first foothold to begin her journey of survival.
The fragments of memory drifting through Black's mind unwittingly left a vague ache of insecurity in Tess's heart. Through the cat's eyes, the women who had crossed Silas's path all possessed a dazzling, regal, and costly beauty—a radiance perfectly sculpted and nurtured by wealth and status, something a girl raised in the slums like Tess had never known.
Tess was far too intelligent not to realize that every corner of this room could be under Silas's watchful, perceptive eye. She refrained entirely from rashly using her power to manipulate or coerce the creature, avoiding any spark of suspicion from her sharp-eyed master. Instead, she chose the gentlest approach. Reading from Black's memories its fond preference for the premium salmon slices left on the banquet table, Tess carefully set the remaining plate down before it. The fresh, rich flavor swiftly won over the aristocratic feline. Through that subtle thoughtfulness and genuine sincerity, Tess successfully won Black over, gently scooping it into her arms without a single hint of resistance.
Cradling Black in her arms, she sat silently in the plush leather armchair, her slender fingers slowly stroking its silky fur. Tess cast her eyes around the room. The vast, luxurious space, the cool air conditioned breeze mingled with the subtle fragrance of roses... Everything here was so gentle and magnificent, a lavish paradise in stark contrast to her dark past. In that quiet silence, a faint question rose in Tess's mind: Would this rare moment of peace ever repeat itself in the future?
The study door opened softly. Silas stepped outside. His quiet gaze rested on the small figure of the girl holding his pet close to her chest, watching the cat—usually so averse to strangers—now submissively enjoying her strokes without the slightest resistance. Maintaining his usual calm composure, his low voice echoed: "From now on, come over often to play with and take care of Black."
Tess startled slightly, immediately bowing her head in obedient assent. Right after, the trusted bodyguard appeared to escort her back to her private bedroom.
Since it was late at night, the long corridor was bathed in dim yellow light. Tess no longer had to face the sharp glares or harassment from the ostentatious girls from before. Everything proceeded strangely peacefully. Silas had made no further demands of her, nor had he offered any gestures or intimate advances beyond the line. That distant respect left Tess deeply unsettled. Behind this unusual gentleness, what on earth was Silas calculating?
Returning to her small room, Tess shed all her tension after a long day of turbulence. Exhaustion and fatigue weighed heavily on her eyelids. She decided to set her tangled thoughts aside for the moment, sinking into the comfortable bed and quickly falling into a deep sleep.
The next morning, as Tess awoke just as the hands of the clock hit eight o'clock, a maid knocked and entered, carrying an overwhelmingly lavish breakfast tray. Tess could not help but feel surprised by these sudden new privileges, but she understood that she had to adapt quickly to this reality. Concerned about maintaining her figure, she ate only a small portion before heading to the bathroom to wash away any remaining fatigue.
Toward noon, one of Silas's trusted bodyguards knocked on the door and appeared. He calmly began explaining the mansion's layout to Tess, meticulously detailing the areas where she was free to roam and those that were strictly off-limits. Concluding his explanation, he did not forget to deliver a brief message: Silas requested her presence in his room tonight, at the same time as before.
Tess could not hide her astonishment. Deep down, a subtle fear had always lingered that Silas would quickly grow tired of her after last night. Looking at herself, aside from her obedience and effort to please him, she possessed nothing else: no family background to back her up, no wealth, and certainly no outstanding talents. This place was overflowing with beauties who surpassed her in every aspect. The more she pondered, the tighter self-doubt gripped her mind. Nevertheless, she quickly pulled herself together, well aware that drowning in useless anxieties would achieve nothing.
Tess spoke up to ask the bodyguard about the rules regarding access to the building's library. The bodyguard casually replied that only with Silas's direct permission could she step foot into the main library—a repository of valuable knowledge reserved exclusively for the powerful. Otherwise, she could only frequent the smaller, narrow library quarters, which housed shallow, largely worthless books meant merely as props for the mistresses out there to parade themselves as cultured and intellectual in front of Silas.
Tess was rather surprised by the man's unexpected frankness. He was an extension of Silas's will; the fact that he offered advice beyond his required scope likely stemmed from Silas placing a particular expectation or interest in her. Recognizing the underlying implication, Tess softly expressed her gratitude and politely saw him out of the room.