CHAPTER 275: RUMORS AND SHADOWS

She called softly toward the door and when the guard opened it for her, she bowed her head politely and pushed the cart inside.

Asna was one of the regular palace maids who took turns doing different duties and she had brought meals to this office several times before.

Usually, Queen Isolde herself would be present working late into the night beside the Chancellor.

It was a sight that always filled Asna with quiet admiration.

But tonight, the Queen was not there.

She hadn’t gone to any council meeting or dinner with foreign envoys and it was rare for her to dine privately in her own chambers.

Perhaps noticing Asna’s curious glance, the Chancellor gave a small, knowing smile.

"Her Majesty Isolde has already returned to her private rooms," he said. "She’ll likely have her meal there tonight. I’ll eat later, once I finish this work. You can leave it there on the table."

"Yes, sir," Asna replied quietly while placing the meal down before bowing again.

Asna carefully arranged the dishes on the table at the back of the Chancellor’s office and placing lids and a thick cloth bag over the hot soup so it wouldn’t get cold.

She pushed the food cart to the corner of the room so it wouldn’t be in the way, then bowed deeply toward the Chancellor.

"I’ll return later to clear the dishes," she said politely.

The Chancellor gave a small nod, his eyes never leaving the papers spread out before him.

Closing the door quietly behind her, Asna thought it was unusual for the Queen to leave while work still remained.

Normally, Queen Isolde stayed long into the night, going over documents with the Chancellor.

Perhaps, Asna thought, the rumor about someone special waiting for the Queen in her private rooms was true after all.

Among the palace maids who shared a secret network of whispered information that no one outside their ranks could understand this was currently the hottest topic.

The maids of the royal palace were involved in every aspect of palace life.

Nothing escaped their eyes.

From changing bed linens and preparing clothes to serving meals and tea, all movements within the palace eventually reached the maids’ ears.

Because of that, even though Queen Isolde tried to keep it secret and even though her chief lady-in-waiting, Lady Phantylia, kept her mouth tightly shut, everyone in the servants’ quarters already knew the truth.

There was at least one man staying inside the Queen’s private chambers.

And judging by the Queen’s behavior lately, that man seemed to be someone very special to her.

Trying to keep her face calm and proper while secretly smiling inside, Asna continued down the corridor.

From the opposite end, she saw a short, stout man hurrying toward her.

She quickly stepped aside to make room and bowed her head deeply, waiting for him to pass.

The man is Lord Siobhan, the Queen’s cousin who is wearing an outrageously bright robe of blue and green silk embroidered with gold and silver threads.

Some of the more ambitious maids adored him, hoping to marry into wealth and rank.

To them, he was an ideal match: rich, noble, and easy to manipulate.

But Asna was not like them.

She wanted a marriage built on love, not money.

Just as she silently wished for him to hurry along, the golden brown fabric of his shoes stopped right in front of her.

Oh no! she groaned inwardly.

He was staring at her closely even leaning down to peer into her face.

Asna bowed her head lower, hoping he would just move on.

"You may lift your head," Lord Siobhan commanded.

Reluctantly, Asna obeyed.

When their eyes met, his small, narrow, pale brown eyes set in a round fleshy face that oozed arrogance.

"Are you a new servant? You’re quite young."

His lecherous gaze made her skin crawl.

Goosebumps ran down her arms.

"You’re a young one, aren’t you? Sixteen? What’s your name?"

"...Asna, my lord," she said softly.

"I see. I’ll remember it. You should feel honored."

Please forget it right away! she screamed inwardly, though of course she said nothing aloud.

The man had become utterly delusional, spoiled by the attention of those calculating maids who pretended to adore him.

"I’d like to chat more, but I have business today. Another time, then."

With what he likely thought was a charming smile, Lord Siobhan walked off toward the Chancellor’s office.

Asna exhaled in relief and hurried away in the opposite direction.

But before she reached the end of the corridor, a loud voice boomed from the open door behind her.

"What?! Isolde isn’t here again? She’s gone back to her chambers already? I was supposed to have dinner with her!"

"You were the only one who said that, my lord..." the Chancellor replied dryly.

Asna didn’t stay to listen further.

She simply walked faster, eager to get far away from the noisy scene.

...

When Shiao Yi returned to the spot where Dominic had disappeared, he first jumped into the air above the nearest settlement.

The stars still shimmered in the night sky, but the horizon was slowly lightening with the faint color of dawn.

The air was cool, carrying a refreshing breeze before sunrise.

He made sure that none of the villagers were awake yet before teleporting to a point he had spotted within the village.

Hiding in the shadows between buildings, he extended his telepathic senses outward.

He tried to touch Dominic’s mind or at least find any trace of thoughts that might suggest something related to him.

There was nothing, not even the faintest signal.

Still, he hadn’t expected success on the first try, so he wasn’t disappointed.

He had set two key points for her search.

The first was that teleporting a person remotely required a huge amount of magical power and extremely precise control.

That meant the one who had taken Dominic was likely a powerful magician that was capable of handling an enormous level of magic.