Darius pov

    “Check if she has a mole.”

    :

    I ordered, my voice cold as I stared down at the trembling maid. Her eyes went wide, her hand flying to her neck as if she could hide it, the mole.

    The she–wolf had been right. She was the culprit.

    I knew it the moment I looked at her face.

    Not guilt.

    Fear.

    Fear of being caught.

    At first, when Nyssa said she knew who the maid was, I hadn’t believed her. I thought it was just a trick to lure the culprit out. A not–so–clever trick.

    After all, someone bold enough to steal the keys and shove her into that forbidden room wouldn’t confess so easily.

    But I was wrong. It hadn’t been just a trick. Nyssa had really known and she’d given the girl onest chance to reveal herself before calling her out.

    Now, all that was left was to confirm it.

    If she had that mole on her neck, there was nothing more to discuss. Nyssa could punish her however she wished for all I cared.

    Because she wasn’t the one I wanted.

    There was someone else behind her. That much was obvious.

    She wasn’t smart enough, or skilled enough, to have stolen those keys on her own.

    The one who gave the order, the true mastermind was the one I intended to punish myself.

    How dare anyone enter that room? It was my only safe ce in the packhouse, the ce where I kept Liana’s paintings, the only pieces of her I had left, the only way I could still remember her.

    And yet, they had dared to trespass. To risk destroying those paintings just to target the she–wolf.

    My hands clenched into fists as the memory surged back, how close I hade to strangling Nyssa.

    And for a brief moment, I felt it.

    Guilt.

    For the first time in years, I felt guilty for nearly taking a life. It hadn’t been her fault, and yet I had almost killed her, especially when I heard her say those words:

    “No… no, you don’t understand, Darius. I am your mate. I am Liana! Yes, I am Liana. I remember who I am now, I’ve been born again-”

    The corners of my lips tugged into a frown at the memory. But in the next second, she spoke again, her voice calm and steady. When I flicked my gaze toward her, I found her smiling at me.

    “You are right, my king. Let’s check the mole. That should prove if she’s really the one or not.”

    She didn’t wait for my response before turning to the two maids at the corner of the room, one her personal maid, the other recently assigned to follow her closely.

    “Serena and Isabe. You two shoulde and check her neck for me.”

    Almost immediately, the two girls lowered their heads in a respectful bow before stepping forward. Without a word, they obeyed their mistress. The maid in front of them gasped and stumbled backward, trying to create distance but it was useless. All eyes were on her as Serena and Isabe stopped in front of her, gently but firmly guiding her forward, tilting her head slightly downward to face Nyssa.

    I watched as the maid struggled against their grip, twisting and pulling, but it was no use. Their hold was tight

    “W–what are you doing?! Let me go! I’m telling you, let me go!” she screamed, thrashing, her voice shrill. “I–I am not the one who did that. Please believe me, mydy! I really went to the restroom!”

    Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried to plead, but Nyssa didn’t flinch. Her eyes remained cold and unblinking, locked firmly on the girl before her.

    “Why are you crying now?” Nyssa asked, the corner of her lips curling into a slow, knowing smile. I tilted my head slightly, watching her as I idly toyed with the coin in my hand.

    “M–mydy…” the girl stammered, sobbing even more as she looked up at Nyssa. But Nyssa’s smile only widened.

    “You did nothing wrong, right? We’ll know for sure when we check your neck, so let’s just get on with it already,” she said, turning to her maids and nodding.

    The moment they tightened their hold, the girl gasped, struggling to resist, but it was useless. Nyssa’s personal maid grabbed her cor and yanked it back just enough to reveal the back of her neck. As soon as the skin was exposed, everyone around gasped in shock, their eyes locking on the mole, exactly where Nyssa had said it would be.

    “Oh my goddess, it’s really true! She’s the one!”

    A scream echoed, and immediately the room erupted into whispers and murmurs, voices ovepping as everyone tried to make sense of it.

    I said nothing, my gaze flicking briefly to Nyssa. She stood there, deadpan, emotionless, as the chaos erupted

    around her. The corner of my lips tugged into an amused smirk, and I leaned back, resting my head on my hand, watching intently.

    Interesting. The way she handled this… it was quite interesting.

    “How could you do something like that, ire?” one of the maids finally asked, her voice trembling in shock.

    “Yes, a–and you didn’t say anything! You almost got us all in trouble!”

    ire, that was her name, cowered as Nyssa’s maids released her. She immediately covered her neck, shaking her head. Her mouth opened to speak, but only a few broken words escaped before she broke down, crying harder.

    “I- I didn’t… I really wasn’t…”

    “Oh, enough already,” Nyssa cut her off, rolling her eyes with a bored expression, as though she’d grown tired of hearing the maid’s repeated excuses. In the next second, she stood, and all eyes turned to her. I couldn’t help but notice something different about her..

    It was subtle, barely noticeable, but there was a shift. The way she carried herself, the calm in her voice—it felt like someone else entirely. And yet, I couldn’t shake the strange sense of familiarity.

    “I don’t think you can say that anymore. You’ve already been exposed, so drop the act,” she said, her tone firm but not cruel, simply tired of the maid’s protests.

    The maid froze instantly, her eyes flickering with fear as she looked up at Nyssa, who had stopped right in front of her. The full weight of the situation seemed to hit her, and she dropped her head to the ground with a thud, trembling. Lifting her head slightly, blood trickling down her face, she began to plead.

    “P–please forgive me, mydy. Please forgive me, I was wrong. I didn’t mean to do it,” she sobbed, her hands sped together tightly.

    “Please spare me! I had no choice! If I didn’t do it, I would have been punished!”

    My eyes narrowed as her words confirmed my suspicions. Nyssa’s expression didn’t change; she simply smiled, crouched to the maid’s level, and, with her face inches from hers, asked calmly, unfazed by her confession:

    “So, you admit that you are the culprit… and that someone was behind you. They asked you to lure me into that room?”

    The maid hesitated for a moment, then, under Nyssa’s piercing gaze, swallowed hard and nodded.

    “Yes, mydy. I admit it. I was the one who led you to that room and lied that the king wanted to see you. It was me… but someone else asked me to do it.”

    Nyssa’s smile widened, and she leaned even closer.

    “Who is it? Tell me, and I might spare you. Don’t forget, your punishment is in my hands.”

    The maid swallowed hard, but this time she didn’t hesitate.

    “T–the person who asked me to lure you into the forbidden room was…‘

    She paused, trembling, before finally whispering,

    “Miss E.”