Vinoria went on with her day, almost as if nothing had changed. The biggest and only change was probably her clothing. No more was she wearing the usual white dress shirt with a black tie, but a crimson dress shirt with a white tie accompanied with a pin of the Redcrown crest. Somewhat similar to how Frederick would dress when he was in a formal gathering or when he wasn’t wearing his favorite green suit. She woke early every day to continue her usual routine. This included checking on the staff, who didn’t have much energy given the circumstances. Upon crossing the kitchen she was then stopped by Adam, who was preparing breakfast for the house.

“Hey, V- I mean, Vinoria,” The man was trying to adjust to the woman’s new status as the owner and refrain from using nicknames, in case it was improper. “If I may ask you a question.” Adam took a pan off the burner and wiped his hands before speaking up again. “Now that you are now the owner of the house, I was wondering if there was anything you would like to change on the normal menu?”

“Change? I think the menu is fine the way it is, just cut down the portions as normal for me.” Vinoria replied, soft spoken as always.

“Of course, Vinoria. Breakfast will be done in thirty minutes.” Adam then continued with his work, finishing up what looks to be a large breakfast for the whole staff.

The owner continued on her normal routine, and saw the rest staff trying to make the same adjustments as Adam. Their worry for Vinoria was worn on their sleeves as they continued. They were concerned for the woman’s mental health as well, unable to imagine what it felt like to be in Vinoria’s shoes, bombarded with both extremely good news and terrible treatment at the same time. And then there was the dread if power would corrupt her… 

Carrying on with her routine, she noticed a familiar car approaching the mansion. She hasn’t seen her in a week, and was pleasantly surprised to see her pull up earlier than was scheduled.

“Good morning, Miss Tyco.” Vinoria greeted the nurse as she prepared herself for the routine check up. Similar to Frederick’s check up every two weeks. 

“Well, good morning, Miss Miao. I like the new change of clothes.” Jazmee greeted back, bringing a small bag of equipment. “Now, due to your age, the amount of times I’ll be checking up will decrease exponentially each month. But I will always come if you contact me, this will only affect your standard check ups.”  

“Understood.” Vinoria replied, keeping her soft spoken tone. Being so familiar with Frederick’s check up routine, she knew that the first thing on the list was to check her blood pressure. She rolled up her sleeves right away and placed her arm in position on the table.

Once the check up was over, Jazmee started to pack her equipment. “Everything looks great, I will be back next Wednesday as per usual. Then after three more visits it will go to twice a month, so on and so forth. Understand?” She explained, as she closed her bag, and was prepared to leave. 

“Perfectly.” Vinoria got up from her chair and bowed to the nurse respectfully. Vinoria’s behavior didn’t change much from the time when she was a servant, if anything Jazmee noticed she was more confident, and yet still her calm and collected self. The nurse bowed her head back, and picked up her bag before leaving the mansion.

Thirty minutes had almost passed and Vinoria finished her usual routine. She then made her way towards the dining room for breakfast. Along the way, she found Gale finishing some laundry. When the housekeeper saw the owner, she put down the sheets that were in her hands, and greeted her with a curtsey.

“Good Morning, Miss Miao, I hope everything is living up to your standards.” Gale said, her expression was the same as if she was talking to Frederick. Vinoria knew the expression all too well when she would escort the old man around the house.

“Yes, it is, you are doing an excellent job, Gale. Thank you.” Vinoria replied, and almost from instinct, she gave a bow back to the maid. “Breakfast should be ready soon, make sure you get some.” She added, as she continued her way towards the dining room. 

Sitting at the table, Adam brought out her breakfast and set it in front of her. Vinoria was pleased to see he did as she asked, the food was identical to before only in smaller portions.

“Well, I hope you enjoy it, if there is anything else you require, please do tell.” Adam then gave a slight bow of the head before retreating back to the kitchen.

Though Vinoria may not show it, in her mind, she was adjusting as well. She tried to fully understand what it means to be the owner of the Redcrown mansion, but it was all still strange to her. While eating, she then remembered what day it was, delivery day, and she was traditionally the one who helped the delivery of the groceries. 

With the thought in her mind, a knock came from the side door. Vinoria instinctively stood up from her seat and proceeded to go and answer it. The moment the door was opened, the woman was greeted with a muffled ‘hello’ as Bob Nothro shuffled in carefully, and set down bags of groceries. He was a well built individual with broad shoulders and a squared jawline. As he turned towards her, he took a moment to catch his breath. 

“Thank you, Miss Miao. For a minute there, I was afraid there was no one to let me inside.” He chuckled lightheartedly, giving his full attention to the woman. “So… Miss Miao, head of the Redcrown mansion. That’s a pretty big thing there, if you ask me. How does it feel?” 

Vinoria shrugged a bit at the question, trying to not make herself look too serious. “I’m adjusting.” she spoke with the same lighthearted tone as Bob did. 

“This is the ‘new normal’ for you now, isn’t it?” Bob replied back, and it made Vinoria pause to think about it for a moment. The ‘new normal’. How many times has she felt forced to get used to a ‘new normal’? First it was losing her family, then it was escaping her abusive uncle’s family to live off the streets, then becoming a maid for the rich scammers, and now this. Her life seemed to be making drastic changes every few years. How many more ‘new normal’ incidents will there be? And when can she actually settle down, confidently knowing that this will be the definitive lifestyle she will have?

“Perhaps.” She concluded. “Though I’m not quite sure what the ‘new normal’ is just yet.” She was thoughtful, wondering if she was managing the mansion all wrong. 

“Well, I wouldn’t think the head of the mansion would be bothered by minor tasks, like opening the side door for the grocery deliveries.” Bob chuckled a bit, but stopped himself from speaking further, not wanting to sound like he was lecturing the owner. He clears his throat. “Well, Miss Miao, if you don’t mind, just sign the delivery form and I’ll be on my way.” 

Vinoria nodded. Signing the form that was needed, and he was on his way. She closed the door behind him and went about her business. His statement on being head of the mansion swirled around her mind. Within the short time since Frederick’s death, being the one that calls all the shots for the mansion’s development will take some getting used to. A part of her knew that, eventually, she’ll have to hire someone to take her original servant position. But right now, she wasn’t even sure what the position of an owner should be doing, and she could only help by continuing what she used to do. 

A better life didn’t come without its challenges, Vinoria knew this. But where they came from, that was the surprising part. The newspapers wrote about the whole incident, but framed it in every negative way imagined. Never being on the receiving end of public opinion, this only drew Vinoria to not wish for any guests to set foot on the land. Many have certainly tried over the course of the month, hoping to take pictures of her or question the staff. They were all stopped by Curtis and his guard dogs. 

On one Sunday morning, Nicholas, Athenia’s husband, suddenly appeared on the mansion grounds. At first Vinoria assumed he was sent by the family to get the land back, but then the unexpected happened.

“Good Morning, Vinoria, I hope you’re doing well. You look lovely today.” Nicholas said to the new owner as she approached. Curtis was still trying to hold him back from taking another step. 

Vinoria stopped in her tracks when she heard the compliment on her appearance. This was new, and it was certainly not what she imagined anyone from the family to say to her. Not before Frederick’s death, and not after. “Th-thank-... Um…” She was certainly caught off guard and was now worried if she had fallen into the man’s trap just by a morning greeting. Her eyes expressed worry, frowning as she put her defenses up. 

“I-I know I came rather unexpectedly, but I come in peace.” Nicholas spoke nervously as he noticed her frown. “I know the rest of the family hate you right now, and I am also sorry for the things I may have said during the investigation. Frederick’s passing has affected us all.” He then took a deep breath before continuing with his statement.

Vinoria turned her head slightly to the side while still keeping her eyes on Nicholas. She tensed up a bit, afraid that if she reacted positively to the man’s words, it would open her up for a backstab. 

“B-But, they do not see what I see,” He saw her tense up, and it made him panic a bit. “They don’t see the amazing, beautiful woman in front of me. I know this is sudden, but I have always seen that part of you. Every time I visit, you are always the highlight of my time here.” 

Vinoria was now showing a range of emotions, most of them tied with confusion and worry. What is this man trying to do? Did he mean what he said? And even if he speaks the truth, what does that mean for her? Should it mean anything at all? Is he saying what she thinks he’s saying? This was her first time experiencing someone expressing their admiration to her in this way, and she has no idea how to think, how to react… What should she do? 

“Alright, I think that is enough, Nick.” Curtis spoke up with a louder voice so he could take control of the situation, seeing how uncomfortable and scared Vinoria was.

“No, Vinoria, please hear me out-” Nicholas kept pushing into her personal space, despite the security guard continuously trying to make him step back.

Curtis then stepped in a defensive way. “Thomas! Can you come give me a hand!” The guard yelled, trying to get Thomas’ attention. With the extra help from the valet, the two kicked him out.

While Thomas was reporting Nicholas to the police, Curtis came over to the woman who was still suspended in shock. “Vinoria, he is gone, and I will make sure that he is not a bother again. If one thing, being a father has taught me, is knowing how uncomfortable you feel right now. I’ve been through a similar situation with my daughters.” The guard stood by her side to comfort her. “You are not alone, you have all of us with you. You are family to us.” Vinoria didn’t know how to act. She’d like to act okay, knowing that she was safe under Curtis’ care; But there was a lingering worry, deep within the back of her mind; telling her to be on high alert for anything similar. 

The guard escorted her back into the mansion and headed straight for the kitchen to speak to Adam. He explained to the chef about what happened. Adam’s face turned serious when he understood the situation. 

“I think, because of this unexpected moment, we should look into getting Vinoria a servant. It should be someone who can take care of her if something like this happens again.” Curtis expressed his concern.

“I think that’s a good idea, makes me worried what might’ve happened if you weren’t there. Thank you, Curtis.” Adam agreed, with his serious expression still present. “I’ll keep my eye out for anyone that can fit that role.” The two then went back to their jobs, hoping to find a servant for Vinoria soon.

A few days had passed, and Vinoria assumed Nicholas’ departure was the end of it all. Curtis has been more strict on security since then, and would update her of anyone who came close to the property. But, on that day something unexpected happened once more. 

Vinoria just got done with her routine, still trying to understand what it means to be the owner of this great land and mansion. She was trying to sort her thoughts when suddenly she heard the front door open. Upon investigation, she saw Thomas trying to catch his breath.

“...Thomas? Is everything alright?” The owner asked, curious as to what was going on. A million reasons why he is rushing to her came into her mind. 

“Someone… is here… for you…” Thomas huffed and wheezed, doing his best to catch his breath. Try as he might to look proper in front of the woman, he couldn’t help but lean against the door frame a little. 

“I thought I said I didn’t wish for anyone, other than staff, to be let onto the property.” Vinoria frowned, unsure on why there was a problem.

“Well… That is the thing, we stopped them at the property line, but he kept insisting he was allowed.” The valet took a deep breath and stood up straight before explaining. “He said he was your Uncle.”

Vinoria took a deep breath in when she heard the words ‘your Uncle’, and that breath got stuck in her throat on its way out. Horrible memories came flooding back into her mind. The mistreatment, the abuse, the beatings. She practically froze on the spot, eyes widened, staring blankly at Thomas. 

Upon seeing that reaction from the woman, Thomas understood what he must do. “Don’t worry, Vinoria, just say the word and we won’t let them onto the property.” His voice was firm and serious. It gave the owner a sense of safety, like she was untouchable with all of her friends on her side. She was bolden by it.

“Actually, let me tell him, myself.” The woman decided, straightening herself up. Accompanied by Thomas, they traveled down the pathway towards the security booth, where Curtis awaited the orders. 

The guard was certainly surprised to see the woman coming. “Vinoria, there’s really no need to bother. Just say the word and I’ll get them out right now.” He said to her, trying to prevent what happened last time from repeating. 

The uncle almost didn’t recognize the woman until Curtis called her name. “Vinoria.” he spoke with a commanding tone and was pushy right away. The man sounded like he was in a hurry and didn’t care to dwell on the details. He saw the news about his niece becoming the owner of Redcrown Mansion and decided to take the whole family to visit the place. “I don’t think I need to explain how family should stick together. It’s already bad enough you ran away and did not tell us. We thought you were dead. And now you’ve gotten success and you’re not sharing it with us? Shameful, you know that? Your actions are downright shameful.”