The maid watched Catherine devouring the bowl of polished rice porridge, her eyes blinking rapidly as if she were witnessing something impossible.
She knew all too well that her mistress had lost her appetite for months. Catherine had spent her days locked away in this room, alternating between fits of weeping and staring blankly into space. She only ever ate small scraps of food when the hunger became physically unbearable.
To see her eating like this was a sight from a long-forgotten past—back when Miss Dahlia was still around.
Has she finally accepted her fate? Is she actually going to marry the First Prince? The maid opened her mouth to speak, but the words died in her throat. She wanted to ask if Catherine had truly forgotten about Lord Lucas. Being Catherine's personal maid, she knew certain secrets—like how the mistress would call out a specific man's name in her sleep.
"Phew..." Catherine let out a long breath and patted her stomach, feeling a sudden surge of vitality. She turned to see the maid's dazed expression and snapped, "What are you staring at?"
"Ah!" The maid jolted, stammering, "M-Miss, would you... would you like another bowl?"
"I'm full, no need." Catherine shook her head, a faint, genuine smile gracing her lips.
"Miss, what happened to you?" The maid asked cautiously. She knew the Duke intended to marry Catherine off to the First Prince on the day of his coronation—just one month away. But she also knew Catherine despised the First Prince and loved Lucas.
Catherine calmly handed over the empty bowl and waved her off. "It's nothing. Now go, and make sure no one disturbs my rest."
"Yes, Miss," The maid replied respectfully, though a flicker of worry remained in her eyes. She was terrified that Catherine was having some sort of mental breakdown; the change was simply too abrupt.
Click.
The moment the door closed, Catherine scrambled to pull the letter and the box from under her quilt. Her heart was pounding with a mix of nerves and confusion. The letter was from Princess Lucy, not Dahlia, which was strange since Dahlia was the one who went to Sedona City for help.
"Whatever, let's see the box first." Catherine shook her head and flipped the lid. Her eyes immediately curved into sweet crescents.
Inside were several lollipops, the same chocolates Dahlia had once received, and a small slip of paper.
The paper contained only four words: "Wait for me, peacefully."
All of Catherine's anxiety and panic vanished in an instant.
"Heehee... hahaha!" Catherine clutched the note and started giggling like a fool, even bringing it to her nose to catch a scent of it.
Outside the door, the maid nearly jumped out of her skin. What is wrong with the mistress? She was crying just a moment ago, and now she's laughing? Did she finally snap? The servant started pacing in frantic circles.
"I'll wait. I'll wait forever," Catherine whispered, a radiant smile on her face. She brushed back her messy hair, tucked the note back into the box, and unwrapped a lollipop, popping it into her mouth.
"Mmm, so sweet. It's wonderful."
Feeling a profound sense of joy, she hid the box under her pillow and tore open Princess Lucy's envelope.
Catherine, it is Lucy. I have returned to the capital and am currently staying with Euphy. Do you have any way to sneak out of the Duke's Manor?
Catherine read this and let out a bitter laugh. If she could leave, she would have fled months ago. There were at least eight knights guarding her door at all times. She shook her head and kept reading.
If you can't get out, do not worry. Lord Lucas has accepted Dahlia's request. He will send people to extract you from the Manor, provided you are willing to go. When we rescue you, I will go to Sedona City with you. Father is dead—murdered by the First Prince. You must be extremely careful. Do not let your true emotions show…
Remember, do not do anything foolish. Lord Lucas said you are his 'good friend' and he will definitely save you. Dahlia sends her regards.
The letter was brief, but the information was staggering. The King had been murdered by his own son? If that news leaked, it would ignite a revolution. The loyalist nobles would rise, and every ambitious power-seeker would use it as an excuse to tear the First Prince apart.
"But what does that have to do with me?" Catherine said. Lucia, that hypocritical snake, was actually depraved enough to kill his own father.
She grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen she had brought back from Sedona City previously, quickly scribbling a reply. There was one month left. She was willing to wait.
"I need to find a way to get word to Euphy... no, better not. I don't want to drag her into this," Catherine mused. From the snippets of intel she'd gathered from her father, the First Prince was currently the most powerful force in the kingdom—stronger than the Second and Fourth Princes combined. If she involved Euphy and then vanished, Euphy would be executed.
"I wonder how Lucas plans to save me? Is he going to storm the Duke's Manor?" Catherine's brow furrowed. The Manor had over two hundred knights stationed within its walls.
Her mind began to race, playing out a dozen different rescue scenarios.
Will Lucas come himself? No, please don't come in person, it's too dangerous!
But if he does...
Aaaah! Stop thinking! Just stop!
Catherine grabbed her hair and dove headfirst into her blankets, her body wriggling and twisting in a fit of teenage fluster and excitement.
Outside the door, the maid froze again, her anxiety reaching a breaking point. What are those strange sounds? Is the mistress having a fit? She didn't dare barge in.
She cursed the First Prince and the Duke for driving such a sweet girl to the brink of madness. In her mind, life was better in Sedona City—delicious food, shopping, and endless novelties. It was only natural for the mistress to fall for Lord Lucas; he was handsome, brilliant, and served the best food in the world.
Mistress and maid were both daydreaming now—a true case of "like master, like servant."
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