It's been two days and so far, so good. She's tried to keep under the radar, and it's been working out better than she thought it would. The king has somehow forgotten about their library discussion, and she's managed to stay out of trouble too.

It was a win for her.

She'd just finished delivering fresh linens to the upper floor when she heard someone call her name.

"Adina!"

She turned to see another slave she shared the room with, rushing toward her with wide eyes and flushed cheeks.

"There's a spill in the east corridor—you need to help clean it up. Fast. The nobles are using that path tonight," the girl said breathlessly.

Adina blinked, surprised. "Me? But—that's not my for—"

"Just go! We can't afford to slacken right now. The king will be furious if this gets out. I'll cover your next round."

Without waiting for a response, the girl shoved a rag and bucket into her hands and disappeared down another hallway.

She rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand, pausing for just a second to gather her thoughts. She'd been so careful lately, so diligent. Her every move calculated to avoid attention. But the girl's words echoed in her ears—"The king will be furious."

No. She couldn't afford to ruin the fragile good streak she was on. Not now.

Without wasting time, she rushed towards the east corridors like the girl had said. When she got there, the hallway was… pristine. Not a single drop of anything. No water, no dirt. There was nobody there.

Adina looked around confused, she stepped forward, "Hello." She called out but there was nothing. No reply.

She took a few more cautious steps forward, glancing down both ends of the corridor, trying to make sense of the situation. Was she too late? Did someone already clean it?

No, the girl had been panicking. She'd made it sound urgent. Desperate.

Then why was everything… perfect?

The girl's words echoed in her head again. She was sure she said east corridors so what was going on? Was the girl mistaken?

She turned to go back and suddenly slipped. She stumbled, and the bucket she held crashed to the floor, splashing water everywhere.

She gasped as she fell to the ground harshly, palms stinging from the impact. Shit. Shit. Shit. If only she'd been more careful. The day was going horribly already. When she looked up, her stomach dropped.

A noble woman and two servants were standing at the end of the hallway. All staring at her like she committed an abomination.

The lady gasped as a few splatters of the water fell on her. "What is this mess?!"

"I—I'm so sorry," Adina stammered, scrambling to gather the bucket and cloth. "I didn't—someone told me—"

"You do realize this is where the other nobles will be passing? How dare you spill water so stupidly? Look at it, I'm soaked to the bone. Are you stupid or what?" The woman snarled.

Adina swallowed, ignoring the burning sensation on her palm and knees. "I'm sorry, ma'am."

The woman rolled her eyes, turning to the servants behind her. "Have the head maid here immediately! She's clearly not done enough in training these things right. Imagine the sheer audacity of this one. What if someone was there?"

Adina kept her head down, face burning.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Get to cleaning it!" She snarled, and Adina immediately got down, her hands trembling as she tried to wipe the floor dry.

"Is this the kind of slaves the palace is keeping now? Clumsy and—"

"That's enough." A deep voice said, and the woman stilled for a second.

Levi stepped into the corridor smoothly, his eyes flickered from the noble woman who was clearly soaked in water to Adina.

The woman huffed angrily. "Lord Levi. Do you not see what this girl has done? What if someone was there? A noble? The embarrassment this would've—"

"Lady Ilya. No noble was hurt. In fact, it's her who is hurt. You can just change into another expensive dress. You don't have to take your anger out on a maid."

The lady didn't speak again, no. She only glared at Adina before storming off with her two maids.

Adina swallowed hard, her nerves shooting up the roof. She looked around, wondering how she fell when there was nothing slippery here. And more importantly, why the other slave had lied to her.

"Are you okay?" Levi's voice jolted her from her thoughts. She looked up only to find him already staring at her.

She blinked twice and nodded. "Thank you, my Lord."

He smiled, "You're hurt, right?" He asked, but she shook her head, quickly hiding her bruised palm.

"So you didn't get injured when you fell?" He asked, and she nodded again. So much so for keeping a low profile.

Levi stared at her blankly for a few seconds then hummed. He didn't believe her but didn't press further too. Instead, he signaled to his guards who came rushing forward. "Get some maids and have them clean this place up."

Adina shook her head. "N-no—you don't have to—I will clean it all so—"

Levi arched his brow. "Are you defying me, Adina?" He asked, and she stilled.

"No, my lord. I'm sorry. It's just that—"

"It's just nothing, Adina! Go now or will you continue to defy me?" He then stepped closer, "Would you rather I inform the king about it."

Adina gulped hard then shook her head.

"No, my lord."

He smiled and nodded, "Good. Go rest and clean yourself up. You're wet." He paused and smirked to himself.

Adina blinked, confused on seeing him smile like he told a joke.

"Go now, Adina." He urged.

Adina swallowed hard and bowed her head. "Thank you again, my lord. Truly."

"Stop thanking me," Levi said gently, his voice far softer than it had been with the noblewoman.

Adina nodded again and stepped out, her heart still pounding hard. There were different thoughts running through her mind, but only one stuck out. Why did the girl lie?