Evening had finally arrived, signaling the end of Regina’s shift as Princess Lenora’s personal handmaid.

It was only her third day in the role, but the difference in how she was treated, compared to her time with Lumiel, was already jarringly clear. Because she had never served anyone before Lumiel, Lenora was only her second master, making the contrast impossible to ignore.

It was not that Lenora treated her harshly; rather, she treated Regina exactly as a servant should be treated by royalty.

As a handmaid, it was Regina’s strict duty to serve without expectation. She was required to obey every command without hesitation, rarely, if ever ask questions, and never make her master repeat an order. She was expected to be flawless and efficient in every domain, ensuring she never caused the slightest displeasure.

When the master in question was the Royal Princess herself, the required expectations upon Regina’s shoulders grew exponentially heavier.

Regina had always known Lenora from afar, but never from such close quarters. She quickly realized that the Princess was far sharper than she appeared when smiling and joking with Cynthia or Lumiel. While Lenora certainly acted the part of a spoiled younger sister around them, that was merely one facet of her personality. In all other respects, she was the embodiment of what a Royal Princess should be.

Understanding this, Regina worked tirelessly to please her, especially since Lenora was Lumiel’s precious younger sister.

Through serving the Princess, Regina also came to realize just how Lumiel had spoiled her. He had been far too lenient, often flirting with her and treating her more like a companion than a servant. Thinking back on it made Regina feel an even deeper, warmer happiness for her time by his side.

Yet, Lenora had swiftly dragged her back to reality. The Princess hadn’t needed to say a single word; her mere demeanor conveyed a clear message. Regina was not here to enjoy herself or blur the lines of status; she was here to work, and she was here to be perfect.

Regina did not take the lesson poorly. Far from it. She realized she had needed this reality check, especially given the precarious, dangerous situation she found herself in because of Roland Kestrel.

As she finished her final tasks, meticulously arranging Lenora’s quarters and ensuring everything was in order before her departure, Lenora slipped into her nightwear. The Princess cast a quiet glance at Regina, likely preparing to dismiss her for the night.

The girl was an exceptionally hard worker, Lenora had to admit to herself.

Her previous maid, Anna, had been highly competent, but Regina was clearly in a category of her own, despite having only recently taken up the profession. It was definitely talent. She possessed a remarkable intuition for reading people and anticipating their needs before they even voiced them. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

In a way, Lenora could easily understand why her brother had taken such a strong liking to her. Coupled with her looks, it was entirely understandable. Even though Lenora was keeping a strict, professional distance, she found it difficult to find genuine fault with the girl.

Still...

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Lenora stared intently as Regina approached.

"Your Highness, do you require anything else?" Regina asked, bowing her head slightly.

Lenora continued to stare at her in silence for a long moment.

"Do you have feelings for my brother?" She asked bluntly.

"I—I would never dare to be so presumptuous, Your Highness..." Regina stammered, entirely caught off guard by the directness of the question.

"You may answer honestly. I am his sister, after all, so I would hardly be surprised," Lenora replied.

After a tense silence, Regina raised her gaze, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. "Who wouldn’t harbor feelings for His Majesty...?"

"Hm. Well, since his awakening, I suppose he has unlocked quite the charm though he has certainly grown rather cocky as well," Lenora pondered aloud.

Regina smiled wryly hearing that.

"Well, I do not mind it much; he is the King," Lenora continued, her tone shifting to something cooler and more instructive. "However, I do hope you understand exactly where you stand in relation to him. You may be of former noble stock, but that rank means absolutely nothing in the face of royalty."

"I understand completely, Your Highness. I am happy merely to serve His Majesty," Regina said, nodding in earnest. It wasn’t a lie in the slightest.

Lenora gave her a highly suspicious gaze.

The girl’s feelings seemed completely genuine, yet Lumiel had explicitly warned her that Regina was someone to be closely watched. Perhaps she is unwillingly tangled up in something larger, Lenora thought to herself.

She wanted to demand answers immediately, to interrogate the maid and uncover the truth, but ultimately, she refrained. Her dear brother had already set a rather wicked plan into motion involving Regina’s mother, after all.

"As long as you understand your place," Lenora warned, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "If you hurt my brother in any way, I assure you, I will not show you his kindness."

Regina nodded, lowering her head in submission, though her hands clenched slightly into tight fists at her sides. She never wanted to hurt him, far from it and that desire was precisely why a terrible feeling gnawed at the pit of her stomach.

"You are dismissed," Lenora said finally.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Regina said, bowing deeply before quickly taking her leave.

Instead of returning to the maids’ quarters, she immediately left the castle grounds and began her journey home.

After half an hour in a public transport carriage, she arrived at the outskirts of the capital. No carriage driver would ever dare venture near the slums, meaning she had to walk the remainder of the way on foot. Following a swift, nerve-wracking five-minute trek, praying for the umpteenth time that she would not be attacked in the shadows, she finally reached her small, run-down home.

Pushing the door open, her eyes immediately widened. The rich, savory scent of cooking drifted through the air.

Stepping inside, she traced the aroma to their meager kitchen.

"M—Mother?" Regina called out, disbelief lacing her voice.

"Oh, Regina!" Ada peeked her head around the corner, her face breaking into a bright smile. "Perfect timing. Dinner will be ready in five minutes. Go wash up properly."

"A—Are you okay?" Regina asked, dumbfounded as she gently closed the door behind her.

"Of course I am," Ada laughed warmly.

Regina walked slowly into the kitchen and stared at her mother. Though Ada’s complexion was still noticeably pale and her frame remained thin and malnourished, she looked much better than she had in weeks. Regina had noticed a slight, gradual improvement over the last few days, but to see her mother actually standing by the stove, cooking with a vibrant smile, was nothing short of a miracle.

She looked strong, the frailty that had plagued her finally receding.

"What are you gawking at?" Ada asked with a light giggle, clearly amused by her daughter’s stunned expression.

"Y—You... are you truly feeling well, Mother?" Regina asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"I am. Very well, in fact," Ada said, her tone turning surprisingly serious. "I will likely be back to top form within a week."

"B—But how?" Regina asked, still reeling.

Only a few days ago, her mother had been coughing up blood, entirely bedridden and fading fast.

"Well, you said it yourself, my dear. I simply needed rest. It was just a fever," Ada said.

It was true that Regina had often told her mother it was likely just a severe, lingering fever. But at the time, Regina had only been saying that to convince herself, refusing to acknowledge it might be something far more dangerous, a fatal illness against which she was entirely powerless.

But seeing her mother recover this rapidly... had it really just been a vicious fever that finally relinquished its grip?

Regardless of how it had happened, looking at her mother back on her feet with a bright smile brought tears welling up in Regina’s eyes. Unable to contain her relief, she stepped forward and hugged her mother tightly from the side.

Ada smiled warmly, reaching out with her free hand to gently stroke her daughter’s hair.

Inwardly, she could only offer her endless, silent gratitude to Lumiel, the man who had made this miracle possible.

When Bethia had arrived three days prior to treat her consumption, the revelation had been deeply shocking on two fronts. First, learning that she had been suffering from such a deadly, advanced disease; and second, discovering that a royal healer had been dispatched expressly at Lumiel’s command.

She was beyond grateful, she was entirely overwhelmed. To treat an illness of that magnitude through a specialized healer would have cost a veritable fortune, hundreds of gold coins that she could never have hoped to afford. Yet, Lumiel had provided the treatment freely, asking only one thing in return: that she keep his intervention a secret from Regina.

In the letter he had sent alongside Bethia, Lumiel had explicitly instructed Ada not to burden her daughter with the knowledge of how close she had come to death. Naturally, Ada found it strange that the King would go to such extraordinary lengths for her. However, the final lines of the letter, detailing exactly what he required of her once she fully recovered had ultimately convinced her to comply.

She felt a debt of gratitude toward him. She would happily fulfill his request while keeping the truth hidden from her daughter, at least for the time being.

"Come now, you are quite sweaty from your walk, aren’t you?" Ada said with an affectionate smile, gently breaking the embrace.

Regina let out a broken, watery laugh, hastily wiping a stray tear from her cheek. She turned and headed toward the back of their small house to fetch water from the barrel.

But as she rounded the corner, she froze dead in her tracks.

A cloaked figure was waiting in the shadows.

It was Roland.

Panic instantly seized Regina. She shot a frantic glance back toward the house, ensuring her mother was still inside and occupied in the kitchen, before snapping her terrified gaze back to the Chancellor.

"W—What is it, My Lord?" She asked in a trembling whisper.

Roland offered a thin smile and extended his hand, presenting a small glass vial filled with a viscous, dark red liquid.

"What... what could that be?" She asked, a creeping dread settling deep in her bones. She didn’t want to know the answer, but the horrifying reality of the situation forced the question from her lips.

"You are now Princess Lenora’s personal handmaid, are you not?" He asked.

Regina felt her heart completely seize with horror at the question. She dreaded what he was going to say next.

"You will ensure that she drinks this," he said, already turning to leave.

"W—What is it, My Lord?" Regina pushed, raising her voice just a fraction. She had to know what she was being asked to do to the King’s beloved sister.

Roland stopped and leveled a freezing, dead-eyed glare at her over his shoulder.

"You do not need to know," he said coldly. "You only need to ensure she consumes the entirety of its contents. You know exactly what will happen to you, and to your newly recovered mother if you dare to disobey. Do you not?"

Regina stood paralyzed, her throat tight with terror, unable to utter a single word as Roland melted away into the darkness of the slums.