Truthfully, it was not much of a surprise to Verity anymore because she had already noticed certain patterns between Rosalind and Rowan long before now.

After everything that had happened, it was obvious there were real feelings between them for the two of them to risk something so dangerous despite knowing the consequences.

Rosalind was not even thinking about herself anymore, all her worries were centered on freeing Rowan from execution, and Verity knew a woman would only go that far when her feelings ran far deeper than simple affection.

Or perhaps love.

"Right," Thalia agreed quietly as they finally approached the steward’s office.

This part of the palace was where records, documents, and employment files were kept, and a guard stood stationed outside the door. The moment he saw them approaching, he bowed respectfully and they returned the greeting.

"The steward isn’t around right now," the guard informed them. "He stepped out for something, so perhaps you should come back later."

"No, that’s alright," Thalia replied smoothly. "We only need to check something quickly and we’ll be out before long."

"But the steward is the only one allowed to attend to visitors in there," the guard explained cautiously. "If he isn’t present, then no one can enter."

His suspicious gaze made it obvious that he knew they were trying to access the records without permission.

Verity sighed inwardly, already wondering what excuse or argument they could possibly use to get past him before the steward returned.

Then suddenly, Thalia stepped forward with a sweet smile that immediately caught the guard off guard.

To Verity’s complete shock, Thalia slowly trailed her fingers lightly across the man’s chest.

"How about a private session later?" she asked softly with a teasing wink.

The guard’s face instantly turned bright red.

Verity stared at her in disbelief.

The poor man swallowed hard before nodding almost immediately.

"So please excuse us," Thalia said sweetly as she reached for the door, and without another protest, the guard allowed them inside.

The moment the door shut behind them, Verity whipped around to stare at Thalia in horror. "What was that?" she whispered, visibly grimacing.

Thalia merely shrugged without the slightest bit of shame. "I did what I had to do."

"You aren’t actually going to see him later, right?" Verity asked in disbelief.

"Of course not," Thalia answered immediately before brushing dust off her sleeves. "Now stop worrying and let’s find what we came here for before he returns."

Verity nodded at once, and the two of them quickly began searching through the old shelves and crowded cupboards filled with dusty books, neglected records, and thick cobwebs hanging from the corners. It was obvious that this place was barely maintained properly anymore.

"Two years ago..." Verity murmured to herself while scanning the shelves carefully.

"Found it," Thalia called quietly from the other side of the room, and Verity hurried over to her immediately.

Both their hearts pounded with nervous anticipation as they began flipping through the records as quickly as possible before the steward returned.

But after several moments, Verity frowned.

Rowan’s name was nowhere there.

"It’s the right file, isn’t it?" Verity asked again just to make sure.

Thalia nodded firmly. "Yes."

"Check that side again while I go through this part one more time," Verity said quickly.

They searched through the records again more carefully this time, yet Rowan’s name still did not appear anywhere.

Thalia slowly lifted her head. "His name isn’t in the records," she said aloud, disbelief clear in her voice.

A chill immediately ran down Verity’s spine.

Both of them understood at once how suspicious that was.

Every servant employed within the palace was meant to have their information recorded here. There should have been no reason for Rowan alone to be missing entirely.

"You have to leave now," the guard suddenly hissed urgently from outside the door.

The two girls jumped slightly before hurriedly shoving the files back into place exactly where they had found them. They quickly dusted their hands and rushed toward the exit just as footsteps echoed faintly from the corridor nearby.

"We’ll see each other later, right?" the guard asked hopefully the moment Thalia stepped outside.

Thalia only gave him a bright smile in response before immediately pulling Verity away from the steward’s office.

Just then, the steward appeared from the opposite direction and entered the office without noticing anything unusual.

Only after they had gotten far enough away did Verity finally slow her steps, her mind racing heavily with what they had just discovered.

"Do you understand what this means, Thalia?" she asked quietly.

Thalia shook her head slowly, though she already looked deeply unsettled. "It’s suspicious. Every servant hired into the palace should have been listed there, but Rowan’s name was completely missing."

Verity’s expression darkened as realization settled over her.

"If that’s the case..." she said slowly, "then Rowan wasn’t officially brought into this palace at all."

A tense silence passed between them before Verity finally voiced the conclusion both of them were beginning to fear. "Someone planted him here."

****

When Verity and Thalia returned to Rosalind’s chamber to tell her what they had discovered, shock was written all over her face.

"But that’s impossible," Rosalind said at once as she stared at them. "There has to be a record of him unless..." Her voice trailed off before she slowly shook her head.

"Unless someone placed him there intentionally."

"I said the exact same thing," Verity replied.

Rosalind took in a deep breath and began pacing around the room again, her mind spinning heavily with everything they had just uncovered.

"But why would anyone secretly plant him inside the palace?" she wondered aloud, more to herself than to them.

The deeper they dug into this mystery, the more convinced she became that something had been hidden deliberately.

And the worst part was that she could not even ask Rowan directly.

First, she was trapped inside this room under watch, and second, even if she somehow managed to reach him, Rosalind doubted Rowan would tell her the truth so easily.

She suddenly stopped pacing as another thought hit her hard.

"Now that I think about it," she started slowly, trying to piece everything together aloud, "he knows far too much about this palace. Not just ordinary servant knowledge either... Rowan moves around here like someone who knew these halls. Like someone who knows every corner of the palace by memory."

Verity and Thalia exchanged quiet glances while listening to her.

"If he truly came from a noble family like he once claimed," Rosalind continued thoughtfully, "then maybe it wasn’t some noble family outside the palace at all. But that still doesn’t explain the part about him being captured and forced into servitude."

Her thoughts only tangled further the more she spoke.

Rosalind pressed a hand against her forehead before finally looking back at them.

"Do you think we can ask someone older in the palace?" she asked suddenly. "Someone who has served long enough to know old secrets or remember something unusual?"

Verity’s gaze sharpened slightly. "Are you truly starting to believe Rowan could be connected to the royal family?"

"That’s ridiculous" Thalia added.

Rosalind swallowed slowly. "I don’t know what to believe anymore," she admitted honestly. "But almost everything surrounding him feels wrong now. The missing records, the way the king reacted, the things Rowan said..." Her voice softened. "I just need answers."

For a brief moment, silence settled over the room.

Verity seemed thoughtful for a moment before she finally nodded slowly. "I think I know someone old enough to possibly know something," she said.

"We’ll go speak to her," Verity assured Rosalind. "And whatever we find out, we’ll bring the information back to you."

Rosalind nodded slowly although uneasiness still lingered heavily inside her chest.

"Please be careful," she said quietly. "If this truly is something hidden by the palace, then it could be dangerous."

Thalia gave a confident smile while Verity reassured her gently that they would be fine.

Soon afterward, the two of them left the chamber again, and silence slowly filled the room once more.

Rosalind remained standing there for a long moment before she finally sat down slowly at the edge of the bed, her thoughts spiraling deeper than before.

Her heart no longer knew what to feel.

Fear, confusion, dread...

Everything mixed together inside her chest.

Because if even half of these suspicions turned out to be true, then Rowan had never truly been just a footman at all.

And that terrifying realization left only one question lingering in Rosalind’s mind.

Who was he?