Chapter 77
Get close to him to make him trust me.
A man’s heart is his weak point, their dick is the weakest Will Harden fall for me if I seduce him or…if I become his friend?
That’s not even the main point. Can I do this without letting my heart play a role?
1 groaned as I dipped the rag into the now–brown water. My knees ached, my back stung, and I was sure my fingers were permanently wrinkled from all the scrubbing. The hall was long, endless and cold. And my bucket of water was lukewarm at best. I squeezed the rag out and pressed it against the marble floor, dragging it across with the weight of all my frustration.
The high maid had told me to clean the hall before bed. Everyone else was already winding down for the night. Of course, I was the one stuck doing this. Maybe she hated me. Maybe she saw through the ‘meek handmaiden routine. Or maybe she just liked seeing me miserable.
I glanced up, my hands pausing.
The hallway stretched ahead, dimly lit by the sconces along the walls. Shadows flickered along the ceiling. It was late. Most of the castle had gone quiet.
Curiosity sparked.
No one was watching.
I stood slowly, wiping my hands on the rag before picking up the bucket. My legs were stiff, and my shoulders screamed from being hunched too long.
Just a little look.
1 edged farther down the hall. The stone beneath my boots was cold and slick, my bucket sloshing slightly with each step. I moved past the regular patrol points, keeping to the walls, my ears straining for any sign of footsteps.
Nothing.
Just silence and the soft echo of my own breath.
I should have gone back. Should have finished cleaning and collapsed into the thin mattress that waited for me.
But something pulled me forward.
A sound. Low voices.
i paused, every muscle tensing. The voices were muffled coming from behind a set of thick wooden doors just ahead.
I crept forward, placing my bucket down slowly, quietly, I pressed my ear against the crack of the door.
If the west joins the casi, we won’t survive a siege.” A man. Deep, authoritative.
And what of the southern threat? We still haven’t heard from the informant.”
Another voice, lower Calculating.
The girl is in place. For now, that’s all that matters.”
My stomach twisted. Were they talking about me?
No, wait There could be more than one girl. Or they could mean Amira Or Ada. Maybe Ada was a traitor?
fried not to breathe too loudly
Another voice chimed in–one I recognized now, even if it sounded more clipped than usual..
The council will not wait much longer. They want results. They want blood. If we are to unify the north, it must be done before the
1/4
5:09 PM Oc
Chapter 77
; moon. That was. weeks away.
Spring 1
Another voice. And the curse? What if she fails!!
Silence
Then Harden again: “Then we all rot.”
I swallowed hard
My heart beat against my ribs like a warning drum. I moved back slowly, careful not to make a sound. But a floorboard creaked beneath my foot, sharp and traitorous.
I froze
Inside the room, the voices stopped.
Shit
I turned, picked up my bucket, and moved as quickly and quietly as I could. I rounded the corner, heart hammering, breath shallow.
That was too close.
Too damn close.
I bit
my lips and held my breath, as if that mattered. Would it stop them from perceiving my scent?
Oh goddess. I looked back to the door from the corner I was, the door was still closed.
But I couldn’t move. My legs were rooted, trembling, while my ears strained to catch more.
if Alaric loses control again, it’ll affect the western border. His curse is unstable.”
That voice. Calm. Measured. Harden?
Another man spoke, voice gruffer. “And the girl? She’s close to him.”
“She’s here now. We could use that.”
Silence.
And then Harden again. “She’s not ready for that.”
What?
My heart stilled, my fingers tightening around the bucket handle..
Use me for what?
“She’s unstable too. Still loyal Still afraid.”
“She’s perfect”
“No,” Harden said Not cold. Not cruel. Just final. “Not yet”
I couldn’t tell if that was protection or manipulation, and that terrified me more than if he’d outright agreed.
My blood roared in my ears as I backed away, barely breathing.
I wasn’t supposed to hear that.
And yet…
Because now I knew–I wasn’t just a maid I wasn’t just a spy. I was something che
A variabile
5:00 PM
Chapter 77
A card on the table.
Or maybe a weal
And he didn’t want to play it just yet.
I turned and fled down the corridor, not caring how loud my footsteps were.
ere anymore. I just needed to get away. I needed space. I needed answers
I needed to know what the hell I’d gotten myself into.
And why, despite it all, my chest ached like I already knew.
By the time I slipped back into the servant quarters, my limbs were leaden and my thoughts spiraled like smoke. I dumped the bucker by the corner, splashed water on my face from the old basin, and headed to my comer of the crowded room where thin mattresses lined the floor.
1
I sat down, still fully dressed, staring blankly at the uneven wall. That conversation wouldn’t leave my head.
She’s not ready for that.
Ready for what?
“You’re still up, a soft voice said nearby.
I turned my head. A girl with a round face and a freckled nose was folding a thin blanket. Her eyes were kind, curious. She looked younger than me. Maybe seventeen.
“Yeah, I s
I said. My voice cracked. “Couldn’t sleep.
She smiled, walking over and plopping down beside me with little ceremony. “Most of us couldn’t on our first week. You’ll get used to the creaks and snoring. And the tension.”
I let out a breath. “Great.”
“I’m Nessa” she said, holding out a hand.
d at it. It fe
I blinked at it. It felt odd. Too normal. But I took it anyway. “Li–Elena”
“I know,” she said brightly. “Everyone knows. You’re the one that looked the king in the eye.”
I frowned. “What?”
She laughed. It wasn’t mocking. Just amused. “You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Looking the king in the eye?” She dropped her voice dramatically. “That’s forbidden. No maid does that unless addressed directly. Even then, you’re supposed to glance and bow your head while answering
I blinked. “Are you serious?”
“Deadly”
I groaned and flopped back against the mattress. “So did that contribute to why I got the hallway? I thought the head mistress just hated. une for Tun‘
Nessa giggled. “Well, she’s like that anyway. But yeah, when she thinks someone needs humbling, she gives them the worst jobs. Hallway duty is punishment”
“But I didn’t even know it was a rule!
Nessa leaned back on her palms. There are a lot of unwritten rules. You can’t laugh too loud. Can’t wear your hair down unless it’s your washing day. Can’t sit unless invited. Can’t speak unless asked. Oh–and don’t be caught speaking to the king too long. Especially not
I stared at her “This sounds like a prisonTM
5:09 PM | d
Chapter 77
“It’s a palace,” she said with a half–smile. “A pretty one, but still. You follow the rules or you get sent to the outer kitchens. That’s where the real monsters live”
“You’re joking
She wiggled her fingers in the air. “Nuh uh, it’s the truth. I got sent there once, I cried my eyes out. It was so tiring and painful. I got scars on my back to prove it. Any form of disobedience you would be whipped
I gulped down air. Well better to start adjusting myself.
“You’ll be fine,” she said, patting my shoulder. “You just need to stop drawing attention. Don’t look at him like that again. Don’t walk too straight. Keep your eyes down. Walk fast, speak slow. Never complain.”
I shook my head. “That sounds impossible.”
“It’s not. You just have to survive.”
energy that buzzed under everyone’s skin in this place. As if we were all
Survive. There it was again. The word Cecelia used. The same er prey waiting to be picked off one by one.
ver me. My body ached in all the wrong ways, and my mind was a tornado of curses, secrets, and questions.
I pulled the thin blanket over me.
Nessa stood and yawned. “We rise early. Sleep if you can.”
I watched her walk away, her steps light, like she belonged here. Like she’d learned to live beneath the radar.
1 closed my eyes.
But all I could see was Harden saying she’s not ready for that.
And Alaric’s voice echoing somewhere in the back of my head.
I turned on my side and told myself to forget them both.
I was here for a reason.
And I needed to start learning the rules of this game before it killed me. My scars are gone, my friend is too because of it. So it’s better ! start taking things serious and making decisions that would help my revenge.
E
