Chapter 84
1 sat up straight, my eyes widening, “Like me?” I stammered.
She nodded, smiling a linle, her pale fingers playing with the edge of the blanket draped across her lap. “Yes. He talks about you. Not often, not with just anyone, but… he mentions you. The way someone mentions a secret they don’t want to admit they care about”
That made my stomach twist in a way I couldn’t explain, I tried not to read into it. Harden was confusing. One minute he was pulling me in, the next he was pushing me away.
“What did he say?” I asked carefully, curiosity getting the better of me.
She bit her lip, eyes glinting with mischief. “Sorry, I can’t say.”
I blinked, “You just told me he talks about me but won’t say what he says?”
She laughed softly, like it was a secret she enjoyed keeping. “It’s more fun this way. Besides, you’d overthink it.”
I frowned. “Probably,”
Her expression sobered a little. It never ends well, though.”
That line hit harder than I expected.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
She looked down at her hands, her voice quiet. “For some weird reason, he always pushes them away. The people who try to get close. Like he’s scared of it. Or maybe he just believes he’s not allowed to be happy.”
Something heavy settled in my chest.
“He talks about how people expect things from him. And how the moment someone sees him as a man, not a king, they become dangerous to him. Or he becomes dangerous to them.”
I swallowed. “That’s…dark.”
“He’s complicated. Always has been.” Her eyes drifted toward the window. “But he’s not cruel. Not to me. Not to those he truly lets in.”
“I didn’t think he was,” I said. “But he’s… hard to understand.”
She smiled again, softer this time. “You try, though. That’s more than mast.
I shified on the chair beside her bed. The silence was comfortable for a mongent. Her room was warm, filled with the soft scent of dried herbs. A small bowl of water sat by the window, glinting with moonligh
I cleared my throat. “Hey, I’m sorry.”
She looked at me, puzzled. “For what?”
“For not really checking up on you. I usually just come in, do what I’m told, and leave. I haven’t exactly been… kind. Or present
She waved her hand gently, as if brushing it off. “It’s fine. You have your own weight to carry. And you’re not like the other maids.”
I tilted my head. “Because I look him in the eyes?”
She laughed. “Exactly. You carry yourself like someone who used to command a room. Or maybe someone who will”
I gave her a small, grateful smile and bowed my head. “Still, thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” she said, her tone leasing. “I might be worse than the head maid.”
I chuckled, then tilted my head. “You never told me your name”
She straightened slightly, like she’d just remembered. “Elawen”
“Howen,” I repeated softly “Beautiful name
5:10 PM Oc
Chapter 84
Her lips curved upward. “As yours, Elena.”
I smiled
But inside, my mind was racing. Harden’s sister. Elowen. Sweet, observant, tucked away in a quiet room like a secret,
She knew things.
And if Harden truly spoke about me then maybe, just maybe. I wasn’t completely out of touch.
I kept my steps steady as I crossed the narrow path that led to the servants‘ quarters, then slipped through the wooden door that led to the lower wing. My fingers itched from the cold, my nerves prickling the closer I got to Ada’s corner. She always had that unsettling calm–like a woman who knew how things ended long before they began.
She was already there, hunched over a pile of old linens like she had been expecting me.
“You’ve been restless,” she said without looking up.
“You’ve been watching.”
Ada smiled faintly, “Not watching. Listening.”
I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorway. “You said Harden has visitors. You never see them, only shadows or… cloaks.”
She paused.
“I’ve never once caught a full face,” she said after a moment. “Only the shape of a figure, a heavy cloak, sometimes a faint scent–jasmine or smoke. Once, I touched it. My hand passed through air.”
My mouth went dry. “That’s what I saw.”
Ada’s head turned sharply, her eyes locking on mine. “Where?”
“Outside my room. At night. Twice, maybe more. I thought I imagined it, but..“I shook my head. “You think they’re the same!”
“I don’t know. But if the shadows are following you too…” Her lips thinned. “Then you’ve drawn their attention.”
I rubbed my arms, goosebumps dancing across my skin. “What even are they?”
Ada lowered her voice. “I don’t know. But they’re not just spies. There’s something. old about them. Something not fully alive.”
I swallowed hard. “And Harden trusts them?”
“Or he has no choice”
Silence settled between us like dust.
“What does he say about ne?” I asked softly, staring down at my boots.
Ada raised a row.
“You said he talks about me–to his sister.”
A flicker of something passed through her face. “He doesn’t say much. Just enough to let us know you’re not forgettable.”
“That’s not an answer”
Ada’s mouth twitched. “It’s all you’ll get.”
I let out a frustrated breath, stepping further into the room. “I feel like I’m walking blind. I’m supposed to be a spy, but I’m the one being watched. Manipulated Played
Ada watched me quietly.
“I want to help,” I said. “I want to do something. But I can’t keeps following half–truths and cloaked strangers.”
She hesitated, then nodded unce “Then start looking closer. Not just at Harden, but the ones he protects. His inner circle. His guards. Even his sister
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Chapter 84
I frowned. “His sister?”
“She’s sweet. But sweet doesn’t mean harmless.”
That stuck.
Π
Before I could ask more, she sighed, brushing her fingers over the folded cloth beside her, “I’ve kept to the shadows for too long. You… you won’t be like me. You can’t be You’re not made to blend in.
“What does that mean?”
Ada gave me a look. “It means if they’re watching, you don’t disappear–you perform.”
I
I blinked. “So I’m supposed to make a show of myself?”
“You’re supposed to make them look where y
you want them to look”
The thought chilled me more than it thrilled me.
“And if I fail!”
Then make your failure mean something.”
There was a beat of silence before I finally nodded. “Thank you, Ada.
She gave me a tired smile. “Don’t thank me yet. This game is just starting
AD
