’Note to self: have a conversation with Samuel about expectations around children,’ she thought. ’Before it becomes an awkward situation.’

Auntie Lin, noticing Heena’s expression, misinterpreted it as maidenly embarrassment.

"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 time is right."

Heena forced a smile. "We’ll see what the future brings."

At that moment, a young servant girl rushed into the kitchen, looking excited and slightly nervous.

"Young mistress! There’s a messenger at the gate asking for you specifically!"

Heena’s mind immediately went to threat assessment. ’A messenger asking for me? That’s unusual. Could be legitimate business, could be a trap.’

"Did the messenger 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 meet the messenger without looking paranoid or rude.

"Auntie Lin, please excuse me. 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 message from someone in the merchant community. Could be a gift from someone trying to curry favor. Could be a trap set by Maya. Could be an attack.’

She made sure to stay alert and keep her movements fluid—ready to defend herself if necessary.

When she reached the gate, she found a young messenger 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 confirmed. "You have something for me?"

"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 someone else touched the package?

’Could be poisoned on the outside,’ Heena thought. ’Or could contain something that would explode or release toxic fumes when opened.’

"Who paid you to deliver this?" she asked.

The messenger 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 name."

’A veiled woman. Almost certainly Maya or someone 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 meant 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 messenger recited, clearly repeating memorized words.

’Ah. Definitely from Maya then. And definitely meant to be insulting or threatening.’

Heena smiled at the messenger boy. "Thank you for delivering this. Please wait here for a moment."

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 moment. 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 something meant to humiliate or upset me.’

’Probably evidence of something 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 me?"

Heena gestured at the package the messenger was holding.

"A delivery. From a mysterious veiled woman who wants to help me ’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 assume."

"Almost certainly."

Samuel turned to the messenger. "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." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Samuel nodded and gave the boy a few coins. "Thank you for your honesty. You may go."

After the messenger 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 moment.

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 me my old servant clothes with a mean note?"

She picked up the rough fabric, still chuckling.

"I was expecting poison, or false evidence of a crime, or hired thugs, or something 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 documents. This is someone else’s."

Samuel examined the note. "You’re right. This is more educated, more refined. Could be Meili, her personal servant?"

"Possibly. Or Maya hired someone to write it for her. Either way, it tells us she’s involving other people in her schemes now."

Heena’s expression became 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 something 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 something physical."

"I’ll have my guard keep closer watch on the household," Samuel added. "Especially monitoring who comes and goes, any suspicious meetings, 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."