Louis froze, his pulse quickening as he realized he was dealing with someone dangerous. He decided to comply, prioritizing his safety over his pride and moving exactly as she directed.

After a few minutes of brisk walking, the woman abruptly dropped her arm from his shoulder. "You nobles act so highly of yourselves," she snickered, turning to leave him behind.

"Excuse me?" Louis reached out to catch her shoulder, intent on demanding an explanation.

She reacted instantly, swatting his hand away with a sharp yank. The momentum caused the back of his hand to strike her head, knocking her hat to the ground. Her hair bun came undone, cascading down as she spun around. Louis gasped, his breath catching in his throat as he realized the person he had been confronting was not a man at all, but a woman.

"Wait, you are a woman!" Louis exclaimed, his eyes widening. He quickly bent down to retrieve the hat, then glanced at her again, his mind racing. ’Why is she dressed like this?’

"If you were a woman, you could have just said so," Louis remarked, a pang of guilt settling in for speaking in such a harsh tone with her. He held out the hat, but she snatched it from his grip before he could say another word.

She expertly twisted her hair back into a bun and pulled the hat low over her head, vanishing into the shadows of the alley before he could recover.

Louis stood there for a moment, then turned to head in the opposite direction. His thoughts remained fixated on the encounter, wondering what could have forced a woman to act with such desperation.

"I didn’t even ask for her name," he murmured to himself. But he knew one thing for sure that the woman was in some kind of trouble.

~~~~

Rosaline stared down at her raw, chafed hands, the harsh soap from the administration center’s floors still stinging her skin.

Being relegated to a scullery maid’s duties in the very halls felt worst than any public insult; it was a quiet, systematic stripping away of her dignity.

"No noble house will ever accept me now," she murmured to the empty corridor, her voice thick with bitter embarrassment. "They know exactly who I am, and they see what I’ve become."

The heavy wooden doors creaked open, cutting through her thoughts. Susan stepped into the hall, balancing a tray.

"Dear, I’ve brought your afternoon meal," Susan said as she approached her daughter.

"Mother, I’m not hungry," Rosaline said, turning her face away. "Please just take it back. I don’t want to eat anything."

Susan set the tray down on the scarred wooden table and walked over to the narrow bed where Rosaline sat. She placed a hand on her daughter’s rigid shoulder. "I know this is grueling, Rosaline, but you should have been more careful this time. You gave them the leverage."

"Mother, if Eilika wanted to, she could have asked the Duke to nullify this punishment," Rosaline said. "But she didn’t because she wants to see me break. She wants me exactly where I am."

A thick lump formed in her throat. She swallowed hard, forcing the burning tears back before they could spill down her face.

Susan fell silent. She couldn’t bring herself to defend her daughter’s actions, knowing that doing so might validate the very accusations Eilika had hurled at them—a reality she refused to let happen.

"Just a few more days, Rosaline," Susan murmured quietly. She reached out and drew Rosaline’s head against her chest, gently smoothing down her hair. "Then this will all be over, and you won’t have to endure this anymore."

Rosaline let out a faint hum and wrapped her arms tightly around her mother’s waist, burying her face in the familiar comfort of Susan’s embrace.

~~~~~

"Prince August, please stay the night at the estate and join us for dinner," Eilika requested, her tone perfectly polite. "Damian mentioned that you had already agreed to dine with us. Since you are already on the grounds, it would be wonderful to have you at the family table tonight." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Very well. I accept," August replied.

"And I must apologize for my earlier actions," Eilika continued, lowering her gaze out of respect. "Losing my temper and striking you was uncalled for. I was simply overwhelmed with anger that you spoke a name that has caused my husband more turmoil than anyone could have imagined."

"Where’s Roman?" August asked, completely bypassing her apology. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, brightly wrapped candy. "I wanted to give him this. I passed a young girl selling them on my way to the estate and thought he might enjoy it."

"Roman is sleeping right now," Eilika replied, holding out her hand. "I can give it to him when he wakes."

"No, I want to give it to him myself," August said, slipping the candy back into his pocket. "Don’t misinterpret this. It isn’t because I feel some deep personal connection to the boy. I simply want to give the child a sweet. Children his age usually love them."

"When he wakes up, I will bring him to see you," Eilika answered. She glanced over at Damian, noticing the subtle tension in his posture and the clear displeasure in his eyes. "In the meantime, I will show Prince August to the guest room."

Damian bristled at the idea of letting her go alone with August, but he ultimately held his tongue, offering nothing more than a tense hum of agreement.

"Please, follow me, Your Highness," Eilika said, rising to her feet.

August stood up, his gaze lingering on Damian for a brief moment before he turned to follow her out of the room.

Damian furrowed his brows together in deep contemplation.

’It is hard to trust August. But it’s true ever since he gave me the cure, I didn’t talk to him with respect. If he hadn’t dared sending Eilika from my life, it wouldn’t have happened.’