Iris followed behind Anna, her steps small and unsure.
"You'll be doing window cleaning today," Anna said, glancing at her from over her shoulder. "Not a single stain should be left behind, alright? If the boss sees any dirt, he'll get angry."
Iris nodded silently.
Anna handed her a scrub, a bucket with water, and a small cloth. Iris gripped them weakly, took one shaky step toward the nearest window—and fell hard to her knees with a soft thud.
Anna turned quickly. "Are you okay?"
Iris looked down, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Her voice was quiet, almost ashamed.
"I... I'm sorry. I haven't eaten for two days. I think I'm just... out of energy. Just give me five minutes. I'll be fine."
Anna blinked.
Two days?
Riven only brought her in last night. Had she really gone without food even before that? Did her parents... not feed her?
The thought made something twist inside Anna's chest. This girl looked so small — fragile, even — like a stray kitten someone kicked aside.
Without a word, Anna turned and walked to the kitchen.
She returned moments later with a small bowl of soup — thick, warm, and quietly steaming. She glanced around and then pulled Iris by the arm toward a dim corner of the hallway, hidden from the cameras and patrol routes.
"Shh," Anna whispered. "Come here. Sit. Eat this quickly before anyone sees."
Iris stared at the bowl, her hands trembling as she took it. "But... what if he punishes you?" she whispered, her voice full of concern — not for herself, but for Anna.
The older woman froze.
She was stunned. This girl, who hadn't eaten in days, who had clearly been abandoned, was worried about her?
It hit her like a brick to the heart.
"It's okay," Anna said softly, her voice gentler now. "Come. Eat."
Iris sat down on the cold marble floor, curling her legs beneath her. She held the bowl with both hands, trying not to spill even a drop. And then she took her first spoonful.
It was warm.
Savory.
Comforting.
She didn't rush. But the hunger was visible in the way her body leaned in toward the bowl, in the desperate way her lips clung to each spoonful like it might be her last.
Anna stood beside her, watching silently. She just looks like a weak, starved stray cat, she thought.
Iris finished the soup in minutes, licking the last drop from the spoon. Then, suddenly, her face lit up — bright and genuine.
Her entire being seemed to glow.
"Thank you so much, Miss Anna!" she beamed. "It was amazing! I'm full now."
Anna blinked.
For a moment, she couldn't even speak. She hadn't given her much — just a small portion, barely a full serving. But Iris was satisfied. Genuinely full. Her appetite was probably as tiny as her body.
And her smile... was so beautiful, so childlike, Anna almost forgot where they were.
She smiled back, warmth finally reaching her tired face. "Hurry up and start working, little one," she said softly, "What's your name?"
"Iris," the girl answered brightly.
Anna nodded. "Iris... what a pretty name."
Iris returned to her cleaning.
She worked without complaint, pressing the wet cloth to the tall, dirty windows. She wiped slowly, carefully, trying not to leave streaks behind. The water bucket sat near her feet, and the scrub brushed rhythmically in her small hands.
But every time a man walked by — one of Riven's guards, suited and cold — she flinched.
Her entire body would stiffen.
Even the soft creak of the hallway floorboards made her shoulders jump. She couldn't help it. She was terrified of all of them. In this mansion of shadows, every noise could mean he was back. Riven.
She worked faster.
She scrubbed harder.
Fear kept her upright when exhaustion tried to pull her down. No one noticed the shaking in her fingers, the way her lips moved soundlessly like she was whispering prayers to herself.
And so, the night passed.
She cleaned window after window — her small figure moving through the halls like a ghost, unnoticed, silent. The mansion was cold, the marble floors aching beneath her knees, but she didn't stop.
Not until the sun began to rise and the golden light spilled through the very windows she'd cleaned, catching the shine of her damp hair and hollow cheeks.
She stood by the last window, swaying slightly.
Her hands were numb. Her feet ached. But the windows? They sparkled like crystal.