Donna Angelica

xii - L'uomo senza volto

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L'uomo senza volto
The faceless man

Corazon awakened the next morning with a brand-new identity: a maid. She, who was the daughter of a wealthy and affluent businessman. She, who was the fiancée of a highly sought-after lawyer in all of Sicily. She had been reduced to no more than a maid.

However, contrary to the expectations of the resident maids of the Castellani household, she accepted her new duties with gratitude. Naturally, she had been moved to the servants' quarters, into a room she shared with three other maids, neither of whom ever spoke to her unless necessary.

Corazon found her situation to be enlightening above all. To be placed in the shoes of one who served others was an experience she would never forget; the loneliness of being the odd one out, the sadness at being mocked both openly and behind her back, the tears she held back and released once she got underneath her covers from being ridiculed and bullied. Oh she would never forget!

Back in her home, she had always been lonely. She had no friends, her family was mostly absent, invested in their own lives with the exception of her mother who dropped by from time to time. Over the years, her nannies were changed, her tutors were changed, everyone who was hired to be of service to her never remained the same.

It was difficult living like that but she never complain to anyone about it. It wasn't like she was being maltreated nor was she suffering but despite that it didn't change the fact that—

She was so hollow, so awanting, so empty and yet apparently, so perfect.

"La matrona chiede di te." A maid whose name she did not know informed her. She had been wiping the windows in one of the many hallways but abruptly stopped and quickly followed the lady to wherever the matron was.

The matron was the basically the housekeeper that managed all the domestic maids and supervised all household chores. Her name was Patrizia Orlando aka La strega—a soubriquet that suited her perfectly for the woman was certainly akin to an old hag or more accurately, a witch. She was polite and respectful when it came to the owners of the house but when it came to the servants, her true colours shined brightly.

Corazon hurriedly followed after her fellow maid towards the servants' quarters, inwardly hoping the woman didn't yell at her for one reason or the other.

"The madam has requested for your presence in her room." Patrizia relayed distastefully as she arrived.

Before Corazon could speak, she continued, "So make sure you don't do anything stupid or mildly idiotic else I'll make you face the consequences."

Why? Who was she to be issuing out threats? Anyone would wonder that but it really didn't matter. Corazon assented to her warning without a second thought and hurried to Signora Latona's room as quickly as her feet could take her.

She had truthfully assumed that the woman, along with the rest of her family had temporarily forgotten about her existence altogether. It had been a week since she was assigned her new duties and she hadn't come across any of them save for the members of the family she did not know at all.

It made her feel sad in a way, to think that she seemed to be so unimportant in so many people's lives. However she held onto the belief that maybe, just maybe it wouldn't remain like that forever.