Beatrice's POV
I woke long before the house stirred.
The light that slipped through the curtains was weak and pale. It brought no warmth, only the sign that night had passed. I lay still beneath the covers, my body heavy, unable to make myself rise. It was not tiredness that held me there, but hesitation.
For the first time in a long while, I did not fear opening my eyes.
The room was silent. No hard footsteps. No door pushed open without warning. No voice reminding me of what I was or where I belonged.
I liked this feeling.
I liked the careful politeness, the softened voices, the way the servants now paused before entering my space. I liked how my name was spoken without sharpness, how my presence no longer seemed to offend the very air I breathed.
And I wanted it to remain.
That thought unsettled me the most.
Because deep down, I knew I had not earned this kindness. It had not come from regret or affection. It came from fear. From the Duke's name. From the weight of the title I was about to carry.
Once I was married… once I crossed into his world… What then?
What if the truth followed me?
The secret of my birth. The truth of the blood I had spilled. If it were exposed, would all of this disappear as quickly as it came? Would the doors close again? Would the hands that now served me turn cold?
I pressed my fingers into the coverlet, my chest tightening.
Just as my thoughts began to spiral, a sound cut through them.
A knock.
I froze.
It happened yesterday.
And now it was happening again.
"Lady Beatrice," a careful voice said from beyond the door, "may I come in?"
I let out a slow breath. "…Yes."
The door opened, and a maid stepped inside, her movements restrained, her head bowed. Two others followed her, standing just inside the doorway, as though unsure how far they were permitted to enter.
Just as they had done yesterday.
"You are to be prepared for breakfast," the maid said. "With the Count and Countess."
Again.
"I understand," I replied.
They moved closer, but not too close. One reached for my cloak, then stopped.
"May I?"
"Yes."
That single question may I still startled me.
They spoke in whispers, glancing at me often, careful not to meet my eyes for too long. My bath was drawn warm. My hair was brushed gently. When one of them tugged too hard, she immediately stilled.
"I beg your pardon, my lady."
My lady.
A title I knew, yet one that still felt strange upon my ears.
"It is all right," I said.
She looked up, surprised, then nodded quickly.
As they escorted me through the corridors, servants stepped aside. Some bowed their heads. Others pretended to busy themselves with nothing at all.
"She walks differently now," one murmured.
"Hush," another warned. "She may hear."
I did hear.
I said nothing.
At the dining hall, I braced myself for the familiar sting of humiliation.
"Sit," the Count said shortly.
I obeyed.
The Countess did not acknowledge me at first.
She ate in silence, then dabbed her lips with her napkin.
"When you are married," she said at last, lifting her eyes, "you will go to the Duke's estate with servants from this house."
My fingers tightened slightly around my cutlery.
"They will serve you there," she continued, "and report to us as needed."
As needed.
They wished my life to be watched. To be held, even when I was no longer under their roof.
"You may choose whom you wish," she added smoothly. "We are generous in that regard."
Generous.
Every maid, every servant in this house belonged to them. Loyal not to me, but to their command. Whoever I chose, the result would be the same.
"Yes, my lady," I replied, my expression carefully composed.
Inside, something twisted.
It was a choice that was not truly a choice at all. Sending their servants with me would be like placing chains around my neck and casting me into the sea, then expecting me to swim while I struggled to breathe.
The Countess studied me for a moment, as though searching for resistance. Finding none, she nodded.
"You will also visit the seamstress today," she said. "There is much to be done, and little time."
"I will be ready," I replied, my voice steady.
After breakfast, I was dismissed.
The walk back to my chamber felt longer than usual. With every step, my thoughts returned to the servants I was expected to select. Faces passed through my mind—some fearful, some indifferent, some quietly resentful.
None were truly mine.
And then, slowly, a bold thought formed.
Before returning to my room, I changed direction and stopped outside Elena's door something I had never done before. I knocked once, then again.
Her maid opened the door and stared at me in shock before stepping aside to inform Elena.
When I was brought inside, Elena looked at me only once before sending everyone away.
"You wouldn't come without reason," she said quietly.
"I need your help," I replied.
Her brows drew together. "With what?"
"I need money," I said honestly. "Not much. Just enough."
She did not ask why. She only nodded. "And?"
"And I need you to come with me."
"Outside the estate?"
"Yes."
She hesitated for only a moment. "All right."
"I will explain everything at the seamstress's shop," I whispered. "I don't wish to take chances."
We left shortly after.
As we entered the seamstress's shop, whispers followed us like dust in the air.
"Is that her?"
"The one from the rumors?"
"The one from the brothel?"
"I heard she still gets to marry Duke Edward of Fairmont."
"They say many things," Elena murmured.
I kept my gaze forward.
I did not have the luxury of caring. I would deal with the rumors later. For now, I had more pressing matters.
While the seamstress measured and fussed, I leaned closer to Elena.
"They will watch me," I whispered. "Through the servants they send."
Her eyes widened slightly. "And you intend to stop them?"
"I intend to see clearly," I corrected. "Before I am blindfolded."
She nodded.
"If I find someone here who will favor me, I will take them," I continued. "If not, I will look to the Duke's house. Either way, I need information."
"And that is why we are here," she said softly.
"Yes. We will go to the Information Guide. I need details on the servants, maids, and guards both in this house and the Duke's."
She looked at me, then nodded without question.
Later, back in the carriage, Elena leaned forward.
"Driver," she said sweetly, "I wish to stop for something personal."
After a short hesitation, he agreed.
We stepped down onto a quiet street, elegance clinging to the buildings like perfume. At the end stood an establishment spoken of only in whispers.
The Information Guide.
This establishment network runs so deep that its network reached every dukedom and earldom in the country. Even the King knew of its existence and allowed it to operate. But this place in itself is surrounded in mystery the owner of this place is unknown yet it's influence still remains massive.
"I will wait here," Elena said, gripping my hand. Fear crept into her voice. "Please be careful."
"I will," I said, though the words were as much for myself as for her.
Inside, the air was thick with incense and secrets. A man behind the desk studied me calmly.
"What do you seek, my lady?"
"Discretion," I replied. "And truth."
He smiled faintly. "Those are costly."
"I am prepared."
As I explained what I wanted, his eyes sharpened not with greed, but interest.
"You will have it in two days," he said.
"Delivered directly to your room."
He did not ask my name.
That told me he already knew it. And that alone reminded me of the amount of power they hold.
When I stepped back into the street, my heart was racing.
And then I felt it. A feeling I know all too well because of how much I was ignored
A gaze not just that but a stare. I turned sharply but saw nothing. I could have sworn I was right. I know how it feels because even though I did not get acknowledged often when I got it I wished it didn't happen so much so that the fear imprinted itself into my very being.
I turned quickly, but saw nothing.
Perhaps it was nothing.
Perhaps it was not.
I did not wait to find out.
I took Elena's hand and walked swiftly back to the carriage.