Lisa's hands froze on his collar. "Forgive me, my lord, but..." her voice dropped to barely a whisper, "I don't believe I ever said my name was Lisa."
For a moment, neither of them moved. The cheerful mask had slipped from Lisa's face, replaced by something sharper, more calculating. Their eyes met in the mirror, and Cassius saw the exact moment her thoughts began to race.
[Well, this should be interesting.]
A knock at the door broke the tension. "Young master?" a servant called. "The Duke is asking about your delay."
"We'll be right there," Cassius replied smoothly, not breaking eye contact with Lisa in the mirror. "My new maid is just finishing up."
Lisa's fingers trembled slightly on his collar, but her voice remained steady. "Yes, just ensuring everything is perfect for breakfast."
[She's not going to let this go.]
"Young master," Lisa said carefully as she adjusted his collar, her earlier enthusiasm replaced by watchful caution. "How did you hear about my name?"
[She's testing you. Be careful.]
Before Cassius could respond, another knock echoed through the room. "Young master Cassius! The Duke is most insistent!"
"One moment," Cassius called back, then turned to Lisa with a practiced smile. "We can discuss names later. Right now, we're keeping my father waiting."
Lisa's eyes narrowed slightly, but she nodded. "Of course, young master. Though I do hope we'll have that... discussion."
They walked in tense silence through the mansion's corridors, each step echoing against marble floors. Lisa stayed the proper distance behind him, but he could feel her gaze boring into his back.
[She's probably cataloging every similarity between you and 'Casian' right now.]
'Let her,' Cassius thought. 'She'll only see what I want her to see.'
The massive doors to the dining hall swung open. Inside, Duke Blackwood sat at the head of the long table, various breakfast dishes laid out before him. He looked up as they entered, his practiced smile not quite reaching his eyes.
"Cassius! There you are. And this must be your new personal maid."
"Yes, father," Cassius replied smoothly as he took his seat. "The head butler assigned her this morning."
Lisa performed a perfect curtsy. Almost too perfect compared to her earlier attempts at maid-like behavior. "It is an honor to serve the Blackwood family, my lord."
[She's gotten better at acting suddenly.]
Cassius watched as Lisa served his breakfast, noting how her movements shifted between perfect grace and deliberate clumsiness, as if she couldn't decide which would draw less attention.
"I heard you were in the training hall quite late last night, son," the Duke said between bites.
Lisa's hands shook slightly as she poured his tea. She kept her eyes down, but Cassius caught her watching his reflection in the silver teapot.
[She's trying to piece together the timeline.]
"The merchant district has been quite lively at night lately," the Duke continued. "The guards reported some trouble with local thugs."
Lisa's hands stilled. A few drops of tea spilled onto the pristine tablecloth.
[That got her attention.]
"Do try to be more careful, girl," the Duke said coldly. "The Blackwood family doesn't tolerate incompetence."
Lisa's hands steadied as she cleaned the spill. Her movements were precise and practiced, but Cassius noticed how her jaw clenched at being called 'girl.'
The Duke turned his attention back to Cassius. "The weapons master tells me your swordsmanship is progressing remarkably fast. As expected of my son."
[She's watching you more intently now.]
"Thank you, father," Cassius said. "Though I still have much to learn."
"Nonsense! You're a natural talent." The Duke's voice carried through the hall. "Why, just yesterday I heard you managed to execute a perfect Rising Dragon Strike. Most impressive for someone who only awakened days ago."
Lisa's hands froze for a moment. Her eyes darted to Cassius, a flash of suspicion crossing her face before she quickly looked down again.
[She's connecting the dots.]
"Your talent brings honor to the Blackwood name," the Duke continued. "Unlike some who disgrace their noble blood by sneaking around the merchant district at night."
Lisa's fingers tightened around the teapot handle.
"The merchant district?" Cassius asked, watching Lisa's reflection in his cup. "What happened?"
"Nothing that concerns us. Though I heard Duke Winter's daughter has gone missing." The Duke waved his hand dismissively. "Some say she was spotted in the lower districts. Quite the scandal."
Cassius caught the slight tremor in Lisa's shoulders. She was standing perfectly still now, too still for a normal maid.
[Interesting. She seems awfully concerned about Lyra Winter.]
"Missing?" Cassius asked, carefully watching Lisa's reflection. "How unfortunate."
"Indeed. Though what else can you expect from the Winter family? Always been an odd bunch," the Duke said. "Their daughter was supposed to be a promising healer, following in her aunt's footsteps. What a waste."
This time, Lisa's hands did shake, rattling the teapot slightly against its tray.
The Duke turned to look at Lisa, irritation crossing his face. "Girl, if you cannot control your hands, perhaps you should step outside."
"My deepest apologies, my lord," Lisa murmured, lowering her head. But Cassius noticed how her jaw tightened at having to apologize.
"That reminds me," the Duke said, returning to his meal. "The Winter family is offering a substantial reward for information about their daughter's whereabouts. They say she has distinctive blue eyes, just like that famous aunt of hers."
[Now that's interesting. Your new maid's eyes are brown.]
'Indeed,' Cassius thought, recalling how Lisa's potions had non-standard guild markings. 'And I doubt that's their real color.'
"How concerning," Cassius said. "To think a noble's daughter could just... disappear."
Lisa's reflection in the teapot showed a flicker of something. fear? annoyance? before returning to careful blankness.
"Though what's most peculiar," the Duke continued, "is that she vanished right after her engagement was announced."
Lisa's hand jerked, splashing more tea onto the tablecloth.
'That confirms it. Lyra Winter is my new maid.' He smirked. Finally, something he could use to his advantage.
"Remove this clumsy girl," the Duke ordered. "Send someone competent to replace her."
"If I may, father," Cassius interjected smoothly. "I'd prefer to keep her. She might improve with... proper guidance."
He caught Lisa's reflection in his cup again. The fear in her eyes was quickly replaced by confusion at his intervention.
[Planning to have a private chat with Lady Winter?]
'Indeed,' Cassius thought. 'And I'm quite curious to hear how a noble's daughter ended up serving as my maid.'
"Very well," the Duke said dismissively. "But keep her out of my sight until she learns proper service."
'Perfect,' Cassius thought. 'Now I have both time and authority to deal with our little runaway noble.'
"Of course, father." Cassius smiled, noting how Lisa's shoulders tensed at his tone. "I'll make sure she receives thorough... instruction."