A few moments later, the heavy doors were opened from the inside.
The man who greeted them was none other than Roland Edgar, the head butler of the entire Caden mansion.
The moment Matilda saw him, she immediately lowered her head respectfully. Stella and Evelyn recognized him at once and instinctively followed her lead.
Roland looked exactly as Stella remembered.
His neatly combed silver hair, impeccable uniform, and stern expression gave him an almost intimidating presence. His sharp eyes calmly swept across the three women, carefully inspecting each of them before finally speaking.
"There you are."
His voice was firm and left no room for excuses.
"You're late."
For a brief moment, his gaze shifted toward the dining hall behind him.
"Fortunately, neither the Lady Dowager nor the Master has arrived yet."
Without waiting for a reply, Roland stepped aside.
"Move. Quickly."
Neither Stella nor Evelyn hesitated.
Both of them entered the dining hall immediately, while Matilda remained outside, seemingly prepared to accept Roland's reprimand herself.
The moment Stella crossed the doorway, her footsteps slowed almost instinctively.
The dining hall was far larger than she had imagined.
Its magnificent domed ceiling was covered with elaborate paintings that stretched from one end of the room to the other. Massive crystal chandeliers hung overhead, casting a warm golden light that reflected off polished marble floors and crimson walls decorated with intricate golden patterns.
Every corner of the room radiated wealth, history, and authority.
Rather than a place where a family gathered for dinner, it resembled one of the grand ceremonial halls Stella had only ever seen in historical films.
Before she had time to admire it any longer, several women approached them.
They were the senior maids assigned to serve the Caden family during formal dinners.
The moment they noticed the newcomers, their expressions immediately hardened.
None of them looked pleased to see unfamiliar faces replacing members of their own staff.
Without bothering to hide their annoyance, they began issuing instructions one after another.
Their voices were quick, and the expressions even sharper. Every movement carried the confidence of people who had served here for years.
Evelyn listened carefully without interrupting.
Every face, name, conversation... No matter how insignificant it seemed, any of it could become valuable information later.
Stella, however, found it difficult to concentrate. She was still quietly observing the hall itself.
"You!"
The sharp voice of one of the senior maids immediately snapped her back to reality. The woman placed two serving plates into Stella's hands before pointing toward the banquet room.
"Take these inside."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Careful not to make a mistake."
Stella immediately straightened her posture.
"Yes."
There was no room for mistakes now. She adjusted her grip on the plates before following the other servants into the banquet room alongside Evelyn.
As they walked, Evelyn briefly looked toward her.
The glance lasted less than a second.
Still... Stella immediately understood. Observe everything.
Keeping her expression calm, she slowly surveyed the room without making her curiosity obvious.
Tonight, eight members of the Caden family were expected to attend the dinner.
Six of them had already arrived.
Each family member sat in silence while a personal servant stood quietly behind their chair, ready to respond to the slightest request.
The enormous round table at the center of the room was already covered with exquisite dishes, imported fruits, crystal glasses, and expensive bottles Stella had never even seen before.
Compared to this... Even the Loran family's dining hall felt surprisingly modest.
Yet none of those luxuries held Stella's attention for long. Her eyes naturally drifted toward the people seated around the table.
On one side sat Marion Caden.
She maintained an elegant posture from beginning to end, her expression perfectly composed.
There was nothing particularly intimidating about her appearance, yet the quiet confidence she carried made it difficult to look away.
Beside her sat her two sons.
William Caden bore a slight resemblance to his father, while his younger brother, Edric, looked far more like their mother.
Unlike many siblings Stella had seen before, the two remained equally calm, neither speaking nor reacting much to the conversations around them.
They simply observed.
Across the table sat another pair.
The older woman possessed graceful features framed by blond hair, while the younger woman beside her had striking red hair.
The younger face immediately caught Stella's attention.
"So she really is Mr. Caden's daughter..."
Almost at the same moment, another familiar figure entered her field of vision.
Standing quietly behind the young woman was Henry. His expression remained as cold as ever.
The young woman seated before him was Eleanor Caden.
She appeared quiet, almost reserved, her posture graceful as she listened to the conversation around the table without drawing attention to herself. Even so, there was an undeniable elegance in the way she carried herself.
The woman beside her was Cecilia Caden, the master's second wife.
Although older, the resemblance between mother and daughter was unmistakable. Aside from the difference in their hair colors, they shared the same refined features and calm dark eyes.
From everything Stella had heard during her time in the servants' quarters, Cecilia was treated with considerable respect within the mansion. Her daughter, Eleanor, was said to be especially favored by Victor Caden, a fact that had fueled countless rumors among the servants over the years.
Many claimed that the relationship between Marion's children and Cecilia's daughter had never been particularly close.
Whether those rumors were true or simply the result of idle gossip, Stella could not say.
After watching the family for only a few moments, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was an invisible distance separating everyone seated around the table.
No one appeared openly hostile. No one argued.
Yet neither did they resemble a family gathered to enjoy dinner together.The atmosphere was strangely restrained, almost formal.
It felt less like a family meal and more like a gathering where everyone carefully measured every word and every expression.
As Stella approached the table to serve one of the dishes, she carefully lowered her gaze, making sure not to meet anyone's eyes for too long.
Just as she was about to place the plate before one of the family members, someone stepped into her path.
Henry.
He reached for the dish before she could move any closer.
"Give it to me. That's enough. You can leave now."
His tone remained as cold as ever.
Even the brief glance he gave her carried the same unmistakable hostility she remembered from before.
Stella blinked once before quietly handing him the plate.
"...Here."
She chose not to say anything else.
"Huh... This man. He really must hate me."
Suppressing a sigh, she stepped back without protest.
The last thing she wanted was unnecessary trouble.
She wasn't here to make enemies.
She wasn't even here because she wanted to be.
All she wanted was to earn enough money to leave this place as soon as possible.
Preferably without attracting anyone's attention.
Unfortunately... That goal seemed to become more difficult every single day.
She had barely returned to Evelyn's side when the heavy doors at the entrance opened once again.
Roland's firm voice echoed across the hall.
"The Lord and the Great Madam have arrived."
The quiet conversations among the servants ceased instantly.
Every servant in the room immediately stepped aside in perfect unison before lowering their heads respectfully.
Stella and Evelyn quickly followed suit.
A calm silence settled over the dining hall.
Only the measured sound of approaching footsteps broke it. Even without looking up, Stella could feel the subtle shift in the atmosphere.
The servants straightened instinctively.
The personal attendants became even more attentive.
It was as though the entire room had unconsciously tensed at the arrival of the two people who stood at the very top of the Caden household.
Slowly...Victor Caden and his mother entered the dining hall.