Chapter 3: "...Da-dad..."

Mary Lin was 20 years old when she graduated from Atlas Academy of Maids and Butlers. As a top graduate, she was offered to work in many Noble households even the Royal family extended their offer towards her yet she refused all of them. 

Who would have known that the top graduated from the prestigious Atlas Academy of Maids and Butlers would choose a commoner as her master? A top graduate with an unlimited future potential chose a commoner as a master over prestigious Noble Households and the Royal Family.

Her classmates tried to persuade her to leave her commoner master but she never bulged. Her rivals sneered and mocked her dumb decision but she was never bothered. 

‘Why would she ever chose others over Miss Lilith?’ 

Mary Lin knows that if others find out that she was once a dirty street rat living in the slums. Those friends and rivals of hers will look down to her with contempt and disgust in their eyes. They even look down on the upstart family and Mary Lin was bottom of all. She was a dirty little rat.

To her, Miss Lilith was like a mother, sister and friend. When she was starving from hunger…all most dying in a ditch in the street. Miss Lilith was the one who took a dirty street rat like her, bathe her in warm water, gave her clothes and although it was a simple meal Miss Lilith has made…it made her stomach full of happiness and she would eat it every day with relish. Miss Lilith was the one who named her Mary Lin. Suddenly she was not a dirty thing, thief, street rat or You…she was simply Mary Lin, Miss Lilith’s little Mary.  

To Mary Lin, Miss Lilith was her entire world.

When Miss Lilith died she was devastated. Her entire world crumbled into pieces…She wants to die to accompany her yet the tiny hope and the promise she has made kept her going.  

Eyes hot, tears blurring her vision…Mary stumbled down the stairs. She got up and ran as fast as she could. Although one of the first rules she has learned, as a maid is not to run across the hallways but she could not help it! She needs to get the news as fast as possible to the Duke. 

Without knocking, Mary entered the study room in a frenzied manner. Her usual perfect bun was dishevelled, her cheeks wet from tears and sweat.  

“Mary, Is this how the De’rosa family’s maid behaves?” Frowning Duke Autumus looked up to Mary with disapproval in his eyes. 

Returning back to his work, Duke Autumus motioned Mary Lin to report him about matters that have landed her in this current state.

Duke Autumus does not look like his age instead he looks younger. He would wear a slim-fitting tailored black suit emphasizing his broad shoulders and well-built figure. Underneath the suit, his white shirt would always be buttoned way up to the collar. His raven black hair would always be groomed properly along with his strong defined features. His entire figure shrouded in abstinence and a cold indifferent aura, he looked the very definition of a handsome Duke with deep grey eyes in some fantasy romance novels. He is and always will be the most desired man amongst Noble ladies.

Panting…Mary took a huge breath to calm down. Adjusting her wrinkled uniform, she put her dishevelled bun into a simple ponytail. In a matter of few seconds, she returned to her usual professional self. 

She then calmly proceeded to report what she has just seen.

“Master Autumus, I apologize for the sudden intrusion. But the Young lady, She has awakened.”

Duke Aumumus who was reading the report, looked up, his pupils abruptly enlarging, as if in debrief. He could not keep his usually calm face anymore and stood up. 

“What are you waiting for? Go quickly call Dr Josh and don’t forget to inform others!” Striding towards the door, He shouted his commands without looking back. 

‘My little girl, wait for me… Daddy is coming.’ Thought Duke Autumus. Heart pounding, he rapidly increased his walking pace not caring about his Noble image. 

Arriving at his daughter’s room, he quietly sat down on the familiar brown leather chair next to the bed. Looking at his daughter lying on the bed, face pale, he took her small fragile hand grasping gently as if she would break at any moment and with his other hand, he brushed her bangs softly. 

“My dear Quinlynn, Dad is sorry…Dad could not protect you.” Pain revealed on Duke Autumus’s face. 

He gently let go of his daughter’s hand, eyes red, he buried his entire face in his hands. There was silence for a moment as he took a deep heavy breath and finally adjusted his emotions. Duke Autumus returned to his usual calm and detach self. 

Legs crossed, hands clutching the leather armrest…he silently waited for Dr Josh and others as the time tick by.

Melissa McCarthy felt like dying. Her head hurts as if a thousand elephants have trampled over her and these murmurings are not helping her at all. It better not be her sister and her rowdy band of friends chatting in her apartment. The last time they came to hang out, her apartment was in mess, bottles scattered around and people knocked out all over her living room. Melissa is okay with her apartment being in mess but what truly terrified her was her cat Bread, his poor fluffy white fur gone...shaved naked by those monsters. 

She is pretty sure her sister never found out the culprit behind her rashes. Melissa definitely wasn’t the one that changed her shampoo with an itching power. 

“Doctor, How is her condition?...” a deep baritone voice trailed off. 

Melissa frowned, that’s not her sister’s voice nor does it belong to any of her family members. She wanted to open her eyes to see the environment she was in but no matter how much she tried, her eyelids seem to weigh too much, and she couldn’t open her eyes. Melissa struggled to open her eyes but she finally passed out. 

When she woke up again, the deep baritone voice has already disappeared.

In the first place, where is she? Oh, wait…She died? And then she woke up in a child’s body. She is not Mellissa yet she is but she is also Quinlynn. She is also Mellissa in Quinlynn’s body yet she is not?

‘Damn! I am getting confused now! And that little girl’s incomplete memories are not even helping it.’ Melissa thought frustratingly.

But one thing she can conform from all these thoughts is that Melissa McCarthy might have died due to overworking. Instead of staying as dead, she woke up in cannon fodder’s body. 

Forgoing her identity crisis for a moment, she slowly opened her eyes, adjusting her eyes with the light above and the vague figures hovering over her. When she could clearly see what’s happening before her, the first person her eyes laid onto was a mature handsome man in a nicely fitted black suit, he looked like a cold man yet his eyes held all the love, joy, worries for her. At that moment, she knew he was her-

“…Da-dad…”