"Welcome, Miss Emelia, to the Heinsberg Main Mansion. As a member of the Heinsberg family, I assume you've heard of this place before?"
The beautiful lady standing in front of Emelia asked this question with a wide smile on her face.
Somehow, the smile did not seem genuine, but Emelia maintained her professional demeanor and did not give in.
The alpha pheromones in the air were strong… even enough to make a beta like Emelia notice them. However, Emelia did her best to pretend that she hadn't noticed them.
"It is my pleasure to work for the Heinsberg main family and to be entrusted with such a precious task as being the warden of the main mansion. I apologize as well. I know you all were expecting my cousin Sena to show up, only for me to show up instead."
Emelia apologized.
There was no genuine warmth behind her apology, and the female alpha guiding her inside did not say a word either. After all, they both knew that the apology was more for show than anything else.
There was no way the Heinsberg head would ever send her fragile omega daughter anywhere near this prison they called a mansion.
So, Emelia, who had been adopted by the Heinsberg main couple after her parents' death, was given the role her cousin should have had — to become a warden for the Heinsberg mansion.
But despite the words, she knew that she was nothing more than a maid for the mansion, and she should never aim for anything higher either.
She was from the branch family, an orphan, and most importantly — a beta. That was why she was chosen — because she would be the perfect person to send here and not cause a scandal.
"There is no need to be like this, Miss Emelia. We should be the ones to apologize. If not for our curse, you wouldn't be sent here to look after us. I feel sorry that you will likely waste your youth in this house. But still, since you've taken this duty, I shall welcome you with open arms."
The alpha female did not sound sorry as she welcomed Emelia inside. If anything, she looked happy and satisfied.
With open arms, she welcomed Emelia inside the huge manor.
"Miss Emelia, I, Rucia Heinsberg, the previous warden, welcome you to the Heinsberg Manor. With this, I have completed my duties, and now, this mansion shall be your responsibility."
With those words, Emelia took her first steps inside the mansion that would become her second prison.
And this time, there would be no way for her to get out without being consumed by it.
The Heinsberg family, one of the most prestigious families of the present time, had a secret no one knew.
It hailed from a long line of witches that were said to have cursed the royal line of an ancient kingdom.
Of course, modern times had no such evidence to prove that it had happened, but rumors said that there had been one relic left that proved the magic existed in Heinsberg family blood — the Heinsberg mansion.
According to rumors, when the curse of the Heinsberg witch of the past ignited in cursed families, the alphas needed to be sent to the Heinsberg Main Mansion. That place was the only place which could keep them sane and make them live a normal daily life.
Those alphas who were bound by the curse were important figures throughout history. They were emperors, holy figures, and in modern times, the most important CEOs and politicians.
Due to the curse, they could not function unless they spent their night in the Heinsberg mansion, and that was where the warden came in.
It was usually the firstborn of the main family who took this responsibility. But this time, it was different because the firstborn of the main Heinsberg couple was a fragile-looking omega whom they could not bear to send to be subjected to that cursed fate.
So that is why they plotted what to do.
They kept an eye on their relatives and found the perfect sacrifice — one of the branch couples from the far-away side of the family had a beta daughter who looked a lot like the main family.
So the couple plotted to bring her into their family.
They got rid of her parents first, followed by anyone else who could take her in. And when the female had no one else by her side, that was when the main family couple swooped in and took her in as their daughter.
At her parents' funeral, the five-year-old Emelia cried alone until her aunt approached her and kneeled in front of her.
Her gentle hands wiped Emelia's tears before she offered her a hand.
The then five-year-old could not see through the lies that her aunt sprouted. She just knew that she had found someone to take care of her. So she decided to go with them.
It started slowly — her aunt's whispers to her.
The aunt whispered to Emelia how 'fragile' her cousin was and how she needed Emelia to look after her because Emelia was a 'strong and independent' girl who needed to protect her cousin.
Even when Sena showed clear signs of disliking Emelia, the young girl was already being trained to protect her and take Sena's place.
As Emelia grew up, her aunt's whispers got louder and so did her demands.
But none of it made Emelia suspicious of her intentions until it was too late.
On her eighteenth birthday, the bomb dropped during the family dinner, and Emelia's aunt cleared her throat.
She began to speak first, causing her uncle and even Sena to pay attention.
The only one who looked disinterested was Harold, the youngest of her aunt's kids — and that was because he was uninterested in most things around him.
"Emelia, both you and Sena are about to turn eighteen. Do you remember I told you about our secret family tradition? As you know, we need to send Sena for the warden position of the Heinsberg mansion, but I was thinking—"
Everyone paid attention to the older female when she spoke.
"—if you would take her place. As you know, you are a beta and Sena is an omega. She will have a hard time if we send her alone. So, can you take her place?"
Silence descended around the table as everyone looked at the oldest female. But her decision did not change.
Her omega pheromones showed that she was serious, and she was not willing to back down.
"Mother, this is not fine. I told you that I want to be the warden. How can you take this away from me? Those alphas are waiting for me."
Sena spoke in a harsh voice, but it sounded just as young and inexperienced as it did angry.
But despite her anger, Emelia's aunt just scoffed and addressed her daughter.
"You only say this because you don't know the true nature of alphas. All alphas are wild animals, ready to tear an omega apart. Your books and media have poisoned you to think that you can handle them when you don't even know what you are talking about."
Sena looked angry, and she wanted to say more, but before she could, her mother spoke up once more.
"Unlike you, Emelia's strong, and she has experience facing alphas. She would be the perfect fit to be the warden. Of course, you don't have to take that post if you don't want to, Emelia. It is your choice."
Sena's eyes warned Emelia to not even think about taking this offer. But Emelia did not care for her. All she could see were her aunt's eyes, telling her that she needed to take this post at all costs.
Emelia, who had been raised by her aunt as her loyal guard dog, could not say no. Nor did she want to.
It was not often that her aunt asked her for something, and Emelia wanted to help her aunt out as well.
So, there was only one answer for Emelia to give her.
"Of course, Aunt. I will take the warden position. Well, Sena will likely have a hard time learning all the company stuff I was working on. But I'm sure she will manage somehow."
Emelia tried to joke about this, but other than her aunt looking relieved, no one else looked happy about her answer.