"If you have enough confidence in yourself, you could borrow money for the test at the Temple of Lumenia," Fiona said suddenly, looking at Anna. "If the test proves you possess a Holy Light Body, the Temple will refund your five gold coins. Of course, if you aren't... then the money is gone."

Anna looked at Fiona and smiled thinly. "Thank you. I'll consider it."

Inside, she understood the reality: the five-gold-coin fee was a gatekeeper designed to block commoners. If the testing were free, every peasant in Bluestone City would swarm the Temple, making it more crowded than a vegetable market.

As for the Mage Association, their five-gold-coin fee likely came with no refund policy. Given that a single magic book cost at least ten gold coins, magic was clearly a game played only by the wealthy and the nobility. If one couldn't even afford the initial testing fee, how could they possibly afford the costs of advancing their studies? For those without money, there was no point in testing at all.

For Anna, who was currently penniless, every path to becoming a mage or a priest was blocked. This was the desperate reality facing every commoner in this world.

Anna looked at Abigail, Kelly, and Fiona; their moods seemed to have soured as well. Wealth inequality and class solidification—they might not have known those exact terms, but they were living within them and felt the weight of that despair.

"Forget it, let's not talk about that," Anna said, forcing a smile to change the subject. "Lord Patrick has been unwell; don't you want to go visit him?"

At the mention of Patrick's name, the three girls' eyes lit up, their spirits instantly reviving.

Fiona grumbled, "You know Lord Patrick is so devoted to you that he won't even look at us.",

Abigail and Kelly chimed in with identical notes of irritation. "Exactly! It's so unfair!"

If he actually looked at you, you'd be the ones in trouble, Anna thought to herself. Aloud, she said, "Lord Patrick always dines on his sunroom balcony. You can see him from the garden below."

Their eyes sparkled with renewed hope. They were already plotting how to "accidentally" catch his attention during his next mealtime. The Head Butler had fined them for falling in front of the master, but he hadn't said they couldn't "trip" while playing amongst themselves!

The three maids' primary duty was tending the garden, so they were rarely busy. They often hovered around Anna during their downtime. Later, when Anna was notified she had to work late, the trio happened to be with her. Anna's shift usually ended at 7:00 PM, but because Waldo had requested she deliver dinner, she had to stay for some overtime.

Learning that Anna was heading to Lord Patrick's quarters, Abigail and her friends hurried there ahead of her. Since their work was finished and they didn't live off-site, they could easily claim they were finishing up chores if questioned.

From the balcony of Lord Patrick's small building, one had a clear view of the garden. The three maids didn't dare make too much noise; instead, they flitted through the lit areas like butterflies among flowers, playing "quietly." They knew Anna would arrive with the food box soon, and they gambled that the "devoted" Lord Patrick would be looking out from his balcony, catching sight of them.

The performance began: Abigail "stumbled" into Kelly; then Fiona "tripped" over Kelly; a moment later, Kelly herself "slipped" onto the grass...

Inside the building, Rothgar was indeed looking out. When he realized the girls in the garden were the same three who had previously bullied Anna, he watched them for a few extra moments.

Over the last few days, Anna had shown no signs of distress in his presence. The systemic bullying he had expected from these maids had never materialized. He realized that the human woman must have been cunning enough to neutralize their hostility.

The noise from outside grew irritating. Rothgar suddenly stood up and headed downstairs, signaling Waldo not to follow.

When Abigail, Kelly, and Fiona saw Lord Patrick approaching in the moonlight, they nearly trembled with excitement. Was the plan actually working? Which one of them would be the lucky one?

"How did Anna convince you?" Rothgar asked coldly.

The three could not see the demon beneath Patrick's skin, but they could feel the chilling aura radiating from the master they adored. Shivering in fear, they dropped to their knees one by one. They vaguely felt that something was "off" about Lord Patrick—he was exceptionally terrifying tonight—but they didn't dare think further on it.

"Abigail, you speak," Rothgar commanded, calling her out by name.

Abigail stammered, "Lord Patrick, I... I was wrong!"

Rothgar's face darkened with impatience. "I am asking you: how did Anna persuade you to leave her alone?",

Abigail scrambled to defend herself. "Since that day, we've become best friends with Anna! We haven't bullied her at all!",

Rothgar wasn't surprised. In his view, a woman as deceptively clever as Anna could easily manipulate a few mindless girls. He recalled that their clumsy "staged accidents" in front of him had begun precisely after they became "friends.",

He didn't bother asking if Anna had coached their behavior; he was certain she had done it so subtly they hadn't even realized it. But why had she done it?

Rothgar stood silently in the night breeze. As long as he remained quiet, the three maids didn't dare move or utter a word. In the darkness, he saw the woman he was thinking of approaching slowly.

From the other direction, Ulysses Russell was also taking a stroll toward them.

"Abigail, the three of you go intercept Anna now and teach her a lesson," Rothgar ordered.

The maids were stunned, but Rothgar continued, "If you fail, you will be expelled from Wilson Manor tonight."

A buzzing sound filled their heads. Friendships, crushes, and loyalty were instantly discarded. Scrambling to their feet, they rushed toward Anna at full speed.

Rothgar stepped two paces back, melting into the shadows. He was done with this host; Patrick Wilson's body was weak and lacked elemental affinity. He decided to play along and create an "opportunity" for Anna and the mage.

He hoped the woman wouldn't disappoint him. If she had grand ambitions, she needed to use more aggressive tactics than the slow game she had played with Patrick.

He would wait to claim the four-star mage's body. And then, he would gift Anna a nightmare from which she would never wake.