CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 44: SHE KNOWS.

Flora’s voice cracked against the still air of the chamber, her frustration spilling over like water against stone.

"Luna, I’m telling you, he is not like what you are thinking... why don’t you just listen?"

Her hands trembled where they pressed against her dress, fingernails biting into silk, but it wasn’t anger that shook her—it was desperation. She could feel Luna slipping away from her with every passing word.

Luna, perched near the window where the fading light painted her hair a blood-red halo, folded her arms across her chest. Her twin ponytails swung like whips with the sharp jerk of her head, each strand catching the glow of the late sun. Defiance clung to her body like armor.

Her eyes, though, were soft. Too soft for the sharpness of her words.

"Flora..." she said again, her voice both cold and carrying an undercurrent of care. "That peasant. That fucking peasant of yours. He is a dangerous one, I tell you. Ambitious—very ambitious."

The word peasant struck Flora like a lash. She puffed her cheeks, trying to hold back the sting, the way a child would hide tears behind stubbornness.

"...He is ambitious. So what? If he was not, how would he rise? How would he reach the station of butler from a measly servant? And he is a man, Luna. All men are ambitious."

Her defense rang thin even to her own ears, but her heart beat furiously in her chest, clutching onto Aiden as though he were the only tether left between her and the world’s judgment.

Luna pressed a hand against her forehead, her patience thinning with each exchange. They had been circling the same words for hours—logic hurled against emotion, reason breaking against a wall of blind devotion.

"...Flora," she breathed, stepping forward. Her hands landed on her friend’s shoulders, fingers digging in harder than she intended.

"Ambition in the hands of a lion—that is acceptable. For lions are meant to rule. But ambition in the hands of a fox?" Her eyes narrowed, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Then there is no leadership. No balance. No peace. There is only chaos. Only chaos."

The weight of those words pressed like iron, but Flora shoved her hand away, retreating a step. Her chest rose and fell rapidly.

"...I thought you would understand," she whispered, the words trembling with hurt. "My heart... my love. I thought you would understand how I feel—as a friend. Because I know all others, my parents and all nobles alike, will only scorn me for loving him. I thought at least you...you...."

Her voice cracked. The shimmer of tears rimmed her eyes, but she turned her face before they could fall, before Luna could see the fragile fracture in her defiance.

All she had wanted was comfort. Just comfort. A single hand to rest on her back instead of another voice telling her she was wrong. But even here, even with Luna, all she found was scorn.

She left in silence. The sound of her retreating footsteps echoed until—

Thud!

The door closed between them like the dropping of a blade.

Luna exhaled sharply, her shoulders sagging. She turned back toward the bed and sat heavily, the mattress sighing under her weight. Her hands, pale and delicate, rubbed her temples as though trying to massage clarity into her tangled thoughts.

But clarity didn’t come. Memory did.

It was still vivid—those nights, those muffled sounds. Days had passed, yet the echoes remained, haunting her like a forbidden hymn.

She remembered lying awake, the shadows deep, her body stiff beneath her sheets. She hadn’t dared move, hadn’t dared breathe too loud, because the sounds were so close.

Impure sounds. Lustful moans that seeped through the cracks of night.

Her cheeks burned even now at the memory of Flora’s voice, breathless and broken in ways Luna had never imagined her composed, noble friend could sound. Her body had jerked, her voice trembled, as if experiencing something otherworldly—grace and sin tangled together in flesh.

Luna’s throat tightened. She pressed her hand against her chest as if she could cage the memory there, lock it away.

"Haaa... even thinking about it makes me..." she whispered, though the words faltered and trailed into silence.

Part of her wanted to march directly to Aiden, to rip truth from him face-to-face. But the mansion was his battlefield. From the lowliest servant to the armored guards, everyone seemed to bend toward him as though he carried some secret authority. Even Lady Catherine, even Lord Augustus... all favored him.

She knew the rules of survival. One does not confront a predator in its den. You wait until it is weakened, until the moment it least expects your strike.

Knock. Knock.

Luna jerked upright, her pulse racing. A flicker of fear stabbed her chest—irrational, she told herself, because why should she fear him? He was just a servant. A peasant. And yet...

"It’s me, Akidna."

Relief flooded her body. She smoothed her skirt quickly, steadying her voice. "Come in."

Akidna entered, balancing a tray of afternoon snacks, her posture as precise and gentle as always. Her presence brought with it the faint scent of cinnamon and lavender soap, a comfort that calmed Luna’s frayed edges.

"Oh, Lady Luna," Akidna said softly. "I thought Lady Flora would be with you."

"No, Akidna." Luna’s voice cracked with fatigue. "She just left. We... had an argument."

Akidna’s expression softened, that familiar blend of servant respect and sisterly warmth she had shown since the days Luna and Flora were children. "Oh... I’m sorry to hear that.... What happened to you both?"

For a moment Luna remained silent, biting down on her lip. Her thoughts boiled like storm clouds, too heavy to contain. Finally, she looked up.

"...Do you know the butler, Aiden?"

She watched closely. She caught the faintest stiffening in Akidna’s posture, the way her hands faltered just a fraction as she set down the tray. But the maid masked it quickly.

"Yes, of course," Akidna replied, a hint of pride slipping into her tone. "The rising star among all the servants."

Luna’s sigh came out shaky. She leaned forward, her elbows resting against her knees, her voice low. "Haaa... Akidna, no. He is not. Where do I even begin?"

She pressed closer, her words slipping into a whisper, the kind meant only for a confidante.

"Please... listen to me. Aiden—that man—is not what he seems. He is dangerous. He will say anything, do anything to get what he wants. I have listened. I have watched. His ambition is not harmless—it burns. He wants to take over the fief. And our dear Flora..." She leaned in, the urgency in her eyes almost feverish.

"He is taking advantage of her."

Akidna’s body stiffened again, though this time her face betrayed a flicker of panic. Someone knew. Someone had seen past the veil.

Her thoughts raced. Should she run to Aiden and warn him? Should she try to silence Luna here and now? But Luna wasn’t just another noble—she was the duchess’s daughter. One word from her could unravel everything.

Clap!

Luna’s hands clutched hers suddenly. "Akidna, are you listening? I know this is a troublesome truth to digest, but please—help me convince Flora. She may listen to you more than me. Together, we can deal with this ..... problem."

Deal with him?

The words carved through Akidna’s chest like a blade. If only Luna knew—that same man had taken her only hours ago, in the shadows of the warehouse. That her body still quivered from the force of him, that her legs were weak even now. That his seed was still warm, still leaking, a secret stain of loyalty and sin no water could wash away.

She swallowed hard, forcing her voice to remain steady. No... I must protect him. At any cost.

’At.Any.Cost.’

"Lady Luna," she whispered, bowing her head slightly. "If I may?"

"Yes—yes, please." Luna’s voice trembled with relief, her grip tightening. "At last, someone who understands."

Akidna forced a small smile. "Tonight, I can arrange a meeting with you and Aiden. I will be there. Together, we will convince him to release Lady Flora. And if he refuses... I will be your witness when we bring this before the lord."

Luna’s face brightened, a rare, unguarded smile breaking through her exhaustion. "Of course! Akidna, I knew I could trust you. You are the best—truly the best." She pulled her into a tight embrace, her noble perfume mingling with the lingering scent of Aiden still clinging to Akidna’s skin.

Akidna’s arms moved stiffly at first before she returned the hug, her heart thundering with dread.

How do I save him... how do I silence her without betraying this trust?

Sniff. Sniff.

Luna suddenly pulled back, her nose wrinkling slightly. Her golden eyes narrowed with curiosity.

"Akidna..." she said slowly. "You smell different.... Did you change your cologne? What is it? I like it."

Akidna’s pulse jumped. For a moment, her tongue caught against her teeth.

"O-oh... yes. It’s my new cologne. Perhaps tonight, I’ll show you the one I’ve been using."

Luna smiled, leaning back at ease. "You know me well, Akidna. Don’t worry. Tonight will be the night of victory. He is Done for."