"I see the rumors are true. You've lost your mind so completely that you think you can disrespect the Empress," the maid sneered, her eyes narrowing with contempt. "Do you really believe that just because she picked you over me for the mission, she won't have you killed the moment you step out of line?"
Ave turned back to face the maid upon hearing that. What mission was Selene on? And who was this maid to her to speak in such a way to a princess?
The maid's face twisted into a cruel smirk when she saw Ave's confused and curious expression, mistaking it for fear. Of course, Selene had always been a coward even when they were little in their kingdom. She would shake at the mere mention of danger, a flower guarded so preciously by her mother until they were brought here to serve the Empress.
Catherine, the maid, and Selene were stepsisters, both daughters of a high official in the kingdom of Gina rumored to be the kingdom of witches, which had been destroyed over a decade ago. Those who were investigated and found not to be witches were enslaved in the Pendragon Empire, Catherine and her younger sister had been among the child slaves.
However, due to Selene's beauty, as lovely as a rose, the Empress had taken her under her wing, dressing her in fine clothes and training her for a mission, the true purpose of her being under the Empress's care. Catherine had always secretly envied her stepsister who had gotten lucky enough to be chosen by the Empress while she was relegated to the position of a kitchen maid where she'd worked her sweat off to rise to the rank of head maid.
Selene and Catherine had never been close, even back in Gina, and things had only worsened after they'd been brought here. Catherine had secretly hoped she'd been the one taken by the Empress. Had she been chosen, she would never have given the Empress a reason to want to kill her and would have completed the mission by now.
As Ave studied Catherine's appearance, she noticed the maid's unhealthy ginger hair, pulled back into a tight ponytail that only accentuated her long, narrow face. The taut hairstyle made Catherine's forehead shiny, emphasizing her features in a way that made her look stern, almost severe. It was a face used to hard work and harder thoughts, a face that had learned to survive by any means necessary.
"Don't waste both our time here looking frightened, Selene. I have work to do. You were brave enough to run your stupid mouth in the dining hall, and now you're looking so pale, tsk, what a fool. Get moving." Catherine sneered as she crossed her arms, her stance defiant, as if daring Ave to challenge her authority.
Ave wasn't pale from fear—she had been pale ever since Lucian had strangled her. But she wasn't going to waste time explaining that to this maid. From the way Catherine spoke to her, Ave could tell the maid had a strong backing to talk to Selene like this, or perhaps they had some relation? Whatever it was, Catherine had sparked her curiosity about something, and she could only find out by meeting the Empress.
What was the worst that could happen? Nothing.
The Empress hadn't looked ruthless in any way; in fact, she'd seemed frightened herself when a sword was placed on Ave's neck. The history books had been wrong about a lot of things.
Ave sighed softly and dropped her lamp, then loosened her hair to cover the marks she knew were left on her neck, just to avoid any unwanted rumors and attention. She'd come to notice that words spread quickly in this land. She lifted her chin, cleared her throat, and tried to appear regal and composed.
"Lead the way, lowly maid," Ave said, her voice cold and commanding, intending to put the maid in her place for daring to talk down to her like that. The insult hit its mark; she saw the flush of fury on the maid's face.
"You...!" Catherine pointed a furious finger at Selene but held back. It seemed the rumors were indeed true. The Selene she knew would never speak like that to her and would instead bow in fear of what she knew Catherine could do to her in the palace.
Catherine regarded her for a second before deciding to let the insult slide. Selene wouldn't stay alive for long after what she'd done in the dining hall, and Catherine wouldn't have to lift a finger—Selene was walking into her grave on her own.
Plastering a smile on her face, Catherine nodded. "Very well. Let's go." She turned and led the way.
Ave followed behind, wishing somehow that Lydia was here with her so she could ask a few things before facing the Empress. She didn't like the way Catherine had looked at her before starting to lead the way, and she'd understand more if she knew who this girl was to Selene.
Where was Lydia when she needed her?
As they ascended a series of stairs and began walking along a polished, glimmering corridor, Ave's attention was drawn to the bright chandeliers above, which illuminated the space with a warm, almost magical glow.
Unlike the gloomy corridors they had just left, this one looked like a paradise in comparison. Ave couldn't help but look around in admiration, the intricate carvings on the walls, the gold accents, and the rich tapestries. Not even the historical dramas of her era could capture this ancient beauty. If she made it back to her time, she would definitely make a lot of corrections in historical movie settings for the producers.
As Ave was marveling at the palace's splendor, she heard the maid leading her stop to greet someone. "Your Highness," Catherine's voice was polite, yet strained with an edge of surprise.
Ave turned to see who it was and was taken aback to find the prince who had been sat across from her in the dining hall standing in front of them. He had changed into a new set of clothes that seemed to be his night robe, and in his hand, he held a delicate goblet crafted from ancient glass and filled with a red liquid he casually swirled in his fingers.
His expression was the same as when they were in the dining hall—His gaze locked onto hers with a smoldering intensity, his brown eyes glinting with playful confidence and unspoken promises, as if she were the only one in the room.
What was it with this prince and that disgusting look on his face? Ave thought as she glared at him, but her glares only seemed to amuse him further as his red bow lips carved into a charming smile.
"You must have missed me too, darling," he said, his voice a low purr as he stepped closer, slipping his arm around her waist with an ease that suggested familiarity. He then turned to Catherine. "I will take it from here, Catherine. I will bring her to my mother's chamber."
Catherine looked ready to object, but the prince raised an eyebrow, and she quickly bowed her head. "Yes, Your Highness," she murmured, though her eyes shot daggers at the stunned Ave before she turned on her heels and disappeared down the hallway, leaving the two alone.
"Come with me, I have something for you," Caelan whispered into her ear, the warmth of his breath against her ear made her skin crawl and sent an unpleasant shiver down her spine. It was enough to snap Ave back to her senses, and she jerked away from his touch.
What was going on? Wasn't Selene married to Lucian? Then why the hell was this prince holding her in such a way that suggested he'd done it many times before?
Caelan noticed the look on her face and how she'd recoiled from him. He misinterpreted her reaction as anger from the last time they'd been together.
He grabbed her wrist and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss against her skin. When Ave instinctively tried to pull away, he held firm, speaking softly, "I'm sorry I fled the inn that day. You know how my brother can be when angered, and Mother had warned us, but still, we went against her and did the deed in secret. I know you're still angry I left you to face that son of a witch alone. But I have a wonderful gift that will cheer you up, my love."
He smiled as he tugged her into a nearby room, locking the door behind them before she had a chance to react. He dropped the glass on a nearby table and pulled her into his embrace, his hands beginning to caress her body as he said,
"I know you're mad, Selene. But don't be. I still love you, and just like I told you that day, the moment I become Emperor, I will marry you and make you my Empress. And don't worry, we will have many more babies to make up for the last one I made you flush away with that medicine. You have every reason to be mad at me, and I understand, my love." He whispered while pressing his lips against her head.
Ave was too shocked upon hearing everything the prince was saying to move away from his disgusting touch.
Oh my God! Selene is a cheater! Ave thought in shocked disbelief as everything began to make sense to her. She recalled Lydia's words about Selene meeting him tonight.
'…he's going to be there as well. I know you must have missed him and snuck out in the middle of the night to see him, Your Highness…'
Ave had naturally assumed Lydia meant Lucian and hadn't bothered to dig deeper into those words, resuming her breakfast instead.
She had thought Selene loved her husband despite how he treated her and that she looked forward to seeing him, but it turned out Lydia had been referring to this prince!
Selene had been cheating on her husband… Lucian had hated her for this…
Realization dawned on her, a sinking feeling settling in her gut. How could she have been so blind to this? Lucian's anger, his hatred—it all made sense now. No man would still live with a woman who had dared to get pregnant by her husband's brother and even aborted it. What else had Selene done to that poor prince?
And then the scene at the inn came rushing into her head like she'd been the one there.