Sorayah made her way to her room immediately, eager to check on Lily. However, the moment she pushed open the door, she was met with an unfamiliar sight, a maid dressed in deep purple standing in the middle of the room instead.
Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice sharp with suspicion.
The maid smiled warmly, as if she had been expecting the question. But Sorayah barely noticed. Her gaze had already shifted toward the bed behind the maid, the bed where Lily usually slept. But this time, it was empty. A sense of unease clawed at her chest, and her pulse quickened.
"Where is Lily?" she demanded, her heart pounding.
The maid let out a soft chuckle. "I knew that would be your next question." She clasped her hands together in front of her. "You're asking about your sister, right? Don't worry. Her Ladyship Mira sent her on an errand."
Sorayah's confusion only deepened. "Her ladyship Mira?" The name left a bitter taste in her mouth. "Why would she send Lily on an errand?"
The maid's smile remained, though there was a glint of something unreadable in her eyes. "You should be grateful she didn't harm her. Her Ladyship harbors quite the hatred toward you, probably because you're the Beta Lord's personal maid."
Sorayah's stomach twisted. "I don't understand."
The maid sighed, as if explaining something so obvious was beneath her. "Every maid in the Beta Lord's mansion must work. If they don't, they are either sent away... or worse, killed."
Sorayah's breath caught in her throat.
"Her ladyship found out that your sister had yet to be assigned a task. She decided to fix that," the maid continued, brushing an invisible speck of dust off her sleeve. "So, she gave her a job. You should be thankful that she was given work rather than being discarded. She'll return tomorrow."
The words did little to ease Sorayah's worry. "Where exactly did she send her?"
"That's not for me to say." The maid shrugged. "I only came to deliver the message so you wouldn't be worried." She turned on her heel, moving toward the door.
Before she could leave, Sorayah reached out and grabbed her arm.
The maid glanced back, one brow raised. "What else do you need?"
Sorayah hesitated before releasing her grip. "Nothing." Her eyes studied the maid's face. "Just... what's your name?"
The maid's expression flickered, but she quickly masked whatever emotion had crossed her features. "That's not important. Like I said, I was only sent to deliver a message."
And with that, she disappeared through the door, leaving Sorayah standing alone in the dimly lit room.
Outside, the sky darkened. Ominous clouds gathered, swallowing the stars, and within moments, heavy rain began to fall. It pounded against the roof like war drums, accompanied by flashes of lightning and the deep growl of thunder.
Sorayah barely flinched.
She moved to the window, pulling it shut before securing the door as well. Her body felt tense, her mind racing.
I need to get Lily out of here. The thought came with alarming urgency. I can't let her be at Mira's mercy. If she keeps getting sent on errands to places I don't know, I'll never be at ease.
She exhaled heavily, pressing a hand to her forehead. It's only a matter of time. She needs to leave.
Her thoughts drifted unwillingly back to the palace, to the events of last night. But she pushed them away before they could take root. She was too exhausted to dwell on them now.
Sighing, she lay down on the bed, her body sinking into the mattress. Sleep took her before she could think any further.
~•~
Morning arrived in the blink of an eye. Sorayah was up early, dressed and ready, waiting for Lily to return. But as the minutes stretched into an hour, worry gnawed at her again.
Lily never showed.
Despite her growing unease, Sorayah had no choice but to leave for Dimitri's quarters before he could accuse her of being late again with the hope that Lily will be back before she finishes her duty at Dimitri's quarters.
She arrived at his chamber doors and raised a hand to knock, but before her knuckles could touch the wood, his deep voice resonated from within.
"Come in."
Sorayah pushed the door open and stepped inside. Dimitri was already dressed, clad in a pristine white robe embroidered with golden eagles. He stood near a table, studying a scroll with sharp focus, his powerful presence filling the space.
She bowed her head slightly. "Greetings, Your Highness."
Without looking up, he responded, "You're late."
Sorayah's fists clenched. Barely.
Her gaze flickered toward the bath chamber. "You've already had your bath."
Dimitri's lips curled slightly, though he didn't lift his eyes from the scroll. "Yes. Mira came early to assist me."
"Oh, I see." Sorayah said with a nod and a sigh of relief.
Dimitri soon spoke again. "But I can't have you being useless. So, I'll be taking a second bath."
Sorayah's brows drew together in confusion. "A second...."
What the heck?
"You have a job to do, don't you?" He finally looked at her, his emerald eyes gleaming with amusement. "Go fetch water."
Sorayah blinked in disbelief. "There's no water in the tub?"
Dimitri hummed in mock thought, then smirked. "Not the right water."
Her fingers curled into her palms. He's toying with me.
"And I don't want water from the stream. Fetch it from the well or from the river outside. Your choice."
The command was clear, but Sorayah knew better than to believe he truly intended to bathe again. This is punishment. Either for last night at the palace... or for being late.
Dimitri turned back to his scroll, dismissing her entirely.
Sorayah's blood boiled, but she forced herself to remain still, to school her expression. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her anger.
"What are you still doing here?"
Dimitri's sharp voice cut through her thoughts like a blade, snapping her back to the present. She turned to find his emerald eyes fixed on her, the amusement from earlier replaced with cold impatience.
"You still have plenty of work to do today," he continued, his tone edged with disapproval. "Yet here you are, slacking off."
Sorayah swallowed the bitter retort burning on her tongue. Instead, she let out a measured sigh, bowing her head slightly. "I'm going now, Your Highness."
Without waiting for a reply, she spun on her heels and strode toward the door. The moment she stepped outside, frustration bubbled over, and she let out a sharp, muffled scream, not caring who heard.