Luzia's eyes widened. "A face you have never seen before?"
"Yes, my lady. I was just about to go into the servants' quarters when I heard footsteps in the distance. I followed the sound and found her hidden under a black hooded cloak..."
"How did you know that person was a she?"
"I saw her face briefly when I followed her. The moonlight through the window illuminated her features—she had light blue hair and light blue eyes."
'That's unusual... Soone like that on this estate—I would have known... And Such a person did not appear in the novel, you know what I think at this point the information from the novel is useless...' Luzia thought.
"So you're not sure if she ca from or went to the servants' quarters?" Luzia asked.
Elena shook her head. "No, I'm not sure. I'm sorry, my lady..." Then realization struck her. 'Wait, why did I tell this to the young lady? I should have told the duke first.'
"Do not say anything to my father yet. Let's solve this mystery together," Luzia said, placing her index finger on her lips.
'Sothing tells this stranger is the person helping Ivan... ' Luzia thought, her mind already spinning with possibilities.
Elena looked at Luzia, her thoughts swirling. 'Sotis the young lady doesn't act like a ten-year-old... it's odd.'
Luzia smiled brightly, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Thank you for telling this, Elena. Oh, and I'm glad I got to see you make different expressions. That ans you're human after all."
"Eh?" Elena blinked in confusion, her cheeks flushing slightly. "uh..What do you an by that, my lady?"
'Elena just acts aloof but she is just soft at heart,' Luzia thought as her eyes wandered around the room. The space was small but neat. As she looked closer, sothing peculiar caught her attention. Beneath the small wooden table, tucked away in the corner, was a hidden compartnt in the floor. It was slightly ajar, as though it had been hastily closed. Her heart skipped a beat as she narrowed her eyes to see more clearly and walked closer.
Inside the compartnt was a slender, well-maintained dagger—sharp enough to cut through flesh with ease, its blade glinting faintly in the dim light of the room.
Luzia's breath caught in her throat. 'So Elena's not just a maid...' she thought, her mind racing. She didn't want to jump to conclusions yet, but the evidence before her was hard to ignore. This was no ordinary dagger—it was a weapon of soone trained, soone who knew how to kill.
Before Luzia could process what to do next, Elena's cool voice broke the silence.
"My lady, what are you looking at?"
Luzia froze as she felt the presence behind her. Elena was standing just inches away, her movents silent. A hand was pointed at the vital point of Luzia's neck—a subtle but undeniable threat.
Luzia turned slowly, eting Elena's gaze, her heart racing. "Elena...I wouldn't do that if I were you." she whispered, her voice faltering for a brief mont.
"You are in no position to say that." Elena said, her voice barely a whisper. " I'm not scared of the duke."
'Then I will have to use another thod!' Luzia thought as she glanced up at her, her gaze sharp and calculating. "The fact that you beca a maid ans either of these two options: you are a spy from a rival noble, or you gave up that assassin life and chose to live simply as a maid," Luzia said, her voice cool and steady, yet laced with certainty.
Elena's eyes widened slightly, the shock evident on her face for a brief mont before she quickly regained her composure.
"It can't be the first option," Luzia continued, her lips curling into a small smirk. "Because you are bad at lying."
Elena froze. Her fingers faltered, no longer pressing against Luzia's neck. Her hand slowly withdrew as if realizing the situation had shifted in an instant. The mont hung between them, a silent acknowledgnt of the truth.
"So it must be the second option," Luzia spoke again, her voice quieter now, but with a knowing edge. "You gave up that assassin life and chose to live simply as a maid."
"Are you really just ten years old, my lady?" Elena asked.
Luzia raised an eyebrow at the sudden question, her expression thoughtful as she t Elena's gaze.
"Why, are you doubting ?" Luzia replied, her voice light but with an undercurrent of amusent.
Elena's lips twitched as if trying to suppress a smile. "No, it's just... you're very observant for soone so young. Most ten-year-olds wouldn't notice sothing like that."
Luzia smiled sweetly, but there was an edge to it. "I suppose I'm just not like most ten-year-olds," she said. "Besides, I've been watching people long enough to know how to read them... I grew up in a rough environnt, rember?"
Elena looked at her for a long mont, and then nodded slightly. "You're not just a child, are you, my lady?"
Luzia shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm whatever I need to be."
Her gaze shifted to the hidden dagger again, her smirk returning as she turned back to Elena. "And you, Elena, aren't just a maid either."
Elena's gaze sharpened, her lips pressing into a thin line as she crossed her arms. "What do you want from then? What do you want to do for you so you can keep this secret?" Her voice was flat.
Luzia's lips curled into a faint smirk, the mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Protect ," she said simply.
Elena's brows furrowed. "But you have Ivan."
Luzia's expression didn't change, but her eyes flashed with a subtle glint. "Ivan?" she repeated, her voice laced with a dry humor. "Ivan is... Ivan." She paused for effect, her words more biting than they appeared on the surface. "And as for trust? Well, let's just say he's... not soone I'd stake my life on."
Elena's lips parted as if to argue, but Luzia shot her a look.
"Do I make myself clear?" Luzia said, her tone flat but commanding, her sharp gaze cutting through any room for debate.
Elena hesitated for a mont before nodding slowly. The weight of Luzia's words settled heavily in the air. 'Well, as long as she keeps my secrets,' Elena thought.
"Good," Luzia said, her voice softening, though her authority remained unshaken. "Now, let tell you what you'll do." She gestured for Elena to crouch down.
Elena arched an eyebrow, reluctant but intrigued, and knelt to et Luzia's eye level. Her stiff posture betrayed her guardedness, but Luzia leaned in closer, her words barely more than a whisper.
"You will keep an eye on ," Luzia murmured, her tone steady and deliberate. "Stay close, but not too close. Observe. Stealthily. And if you notice anything out of place, anything unusual... you'll be the first to know, won't you?"
Elena's eyes narrowed as the gears turned in her mind, assessing Luzia's intent. A flicker of intrigue danced across her face before she offered a small, asured smile. "Yes, my lady. I will do as you say," she said, her voice smooth as she bowed lightly.
Luzia nodded, her expression unreadable, and turned on her heel without another word. Her steps were deliberate as she exited the room, leaving Elena in silent contemplation. The door closed softly behind her.
She left the servants' quarters and headed toward her own room. As she approached, Luzia noticed Cecilia and Ivan standing near her door, deep in what appeared to be a hushed conversation.
'What are they discussing?' Luzia wondered, narrowing her eyes as she walked closer.
Luzia stopped silently just behind Cecilia, her presence unnoticed. Ivan, however, spotted her almost imdiately. His gaze shifted sharply, and he raised a hand to interrupt Cecilia mid-sentence. With a wry smile, he said, "The young lady is standing right behind you."
Cecilia's eyes widened in surprise. She spun around quickly to face Luzia, crouching slightly to et her height. Her face softened with concern as she exclaid, "My lady, I've been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been? I was so worried!"
"I just went with Lady Beatriz for a little while," Luzia replied smoothly, her tone calm and composed.
Ivan crossed his arms with a small smirk. "See? I told you there was nothing to worry about."
"Yes... it seems so," Cecilia said, exhaling a relieved sigh.
Luzia's sharp eyes lingered on the two of them. 'So that's all it was—she couldn't find and ca to Ivan for help,' she thought.
Suddenly, Cecilia brightened, her face breaking into a cheerful smile. She reached out, revealing sothing she had hidden behind her back. "My lady, I brought the perfect flower to match your dress. It's simply lovely—you'll adore it!"
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