"You don’t believe me? Go check the kitchen." Madam Scott’s voice was calm, almost lighthearted.

"No, no," I waved my hands, panicked. "It’s not that I don’t believe you. I just… Madam Scott, you’re too kind to me. Honestly, it makes me feel uneasy."

I wasn’t exaggerating—I truly felt unworthy, though I couldn’t pinpoint why. Why would someone as exalted as Madam Scott—or the entire illustrious Scott family, for that matter—show such ...