Agnes's fingers trembled against mine. "Yes, my lady."
She pulled me toward the' stairs, moving quickly. We climbed in silence.
When we reached my room, she practically pushed me inside, her eyes wide with barely contained fear.
"Young master, you should rest," she said quickly, her voice shaking. "I-I'll check on you later."
"Agnes—"
"Please. Just stay here. Don't come downstairs."
Before I could respond, she turned and fled back down the hallway.
The door swung shut with a heavy thud.
I stood there for a moment.
Then I moved and pulled the box of purification tablets from under my cloak and shoved it under my pillow, hiding it quickly. Then I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands gripping the rough blanket.
My chest tightened, a familiar anxiety clawing its way up my throat.
I tried to tell myself it would be fine. But the way Vivienne had looked at us...
The way—
"NO!"
A high-pitched scream shattered the silence.
My blood ran cold.
"Agnes?" I whispered.
I quickly stood up, stumbling toward the door. My legs wobbled, threatening to give out, but I forced them to work.
I yanked the door open and lurched into the hallway and moved toward the main staircase, using the wall for support.
I reached the landing and looked down.
The scene below froze me in place.
Agnes was on her knees in the center of the entrance hall, her hands clasped in front of her like she was praying. Tears streamed down her face. Her shoulders shook with sobs.
"Please," she begged, her voice breaking. "Please, my lord, my lady, I need this position. I didn't... I would never—"
My breath hitched in my chest.
Aldric stood over her like a judge pronouncing sentence. "You stole from this household."
"No! I didn't!" Agnes's voice cracked. "I would never steal from you, I swear it on my life!"
Vivienne stepped forward, holding something in her hand.
The moonflower vial.
She held it up. "Then how," she said dangerously, "did you afford this?"
Agnes stared at the vial, her face going pale. "I-I saved my—"
"Don't lie to me," Vivienne snapped, her composure cracking for just a moment. "This is moonflower. Do you know how expensive this is? More than ten silver coins at minimum."
"I was saving!" Agnes sobbed. "For years, I've been saving! Please, you have to believe me!"
"You send your wages back to your mother every month," Aldric said coldly. "I review the household accounts personally. You have no savings."
"I kept a few coppers each time! Just a few!" Agnes's hands were trembling violently. "I saved for three years to have enough! My lady, please, I need this job! My mother is sick, she needs medicine, I need to pay—"
"Enough," Aldric cut her off. "I will not have thieves in my household."
Vivienne's expression shifted.
"I'm sorry, Agnes," she said, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "But we simply cannot tolerate this kind of behavior."
Then she opened her hand.
The vial fell.
Crash!
Glass shattered against the stone floor, scattering in glittering shards. The moonflower petals spilled out, their delicate silver veins catching the light one last time before Vivienne's boot came down.
Crunch!
She ground them into dust beneath her heel.
Agnes made a sound like something had broken inside her chest. Her hands flew to her mouth, muffling a sob.
My own chest constricted, panic and fury warring inside me.
No. This can't be happening.
"Out," Aldric said, his voice final. "Now. I want you off my property. Thief."
"NO!" I shouted, my voice cracking.
Every head turned toward me.
I gripped the stair railing with both hands, my legs shaking so badly I could barely stand. But I forced myself to take a step down.
Then another.
"Don't—" My voice came out too thin, too weak. "Don't do this."
I descended slowly, each step an effort.
Vivienne's expression transformed instantly. The cold calculation vanished, replaced by perfect maternal concern. She moved toward me with her arms outstretched.
"Jin, dear! What are you doing out of bed?" Her voice was honey-sweet, worried. "You should be resting!"
She reached me at the bottom of the stairs, her hands gently catching my shoulders.
"Dear, I know this is upsetting," she said softly. "But that woman was stealing from us. She was buying silly luxuries for herself while lying about where the money came from."
"No," I gasped, trying to pull away. "That's it's not true! It was me! I asked her to—"
Suddenly pain exploded through my shoulder.
Sharp, piercing, like a needle driving straight through muscle and bone.
I hissed through my teeth, my vision blurring.
What?
Vivienne's thumb pressed harder into my shoulder.
"Shh, shh," she cooed, her other arm wrapping around me as my legs gave out. "Poor thing. You're getting yourself all worked up."
She guided me to the couch, cradling me against her chest with practiced gentleness. To anyone watching, it looked like a mother comforting her distressed son.
[StatusEffect.Poison]
[Damage: 6HP/hr → 8HP/hr]
Fuck!
"I said OUT!" Aldric's voice cut through the fog in my head.
Crack!
The sound of his palm connecting with Agnes's face echoed through the hall.
Agnes cried out, her head snapping to the side from the force of the blow. She fell sideways, catching herself with one hand against the floor.
A red mark bloomed across her cheek.
"No," I whispered, but the word barely made it past my lips.
Vivienne's hand tightened on my good shoulder. "Don't look, dear. She's not worth your distress."
But I couldn't look away.
Agnes slowly pushed herself back to her knees, tears streaming down her face. She pressed her hand to her reddened cheek, her whole body shaking.
"Please," she whispered one last time. "My mother..."
"Not. My. Problem," Aldric said coldly. "You have one hour. If you're still on my property after that, I'll have you arrested for theft and thrown in the town jail."
He turned his back on her, dismissing her completely. "Someone fetch her things and throw them out."
Agnes stayed kneeling there for a long moment, broken and sobbing.
Then, slowly, she forced herself to stand.
Her legs wobbled. Her hands trembled. But she stood and walked toward the servants' quarters, her head bowed, shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
I tried to call out to her, to tell her I was sorry, to explain that this was my fault—
But Vivienne's hand pressed harder into my shoulder.
"There there, dear," Vivienne murmured, stroking my hair. "Everything will be alright now. That terrible woman is gone. You're safe with Mother."
The entrance hall door opened and closed.
And...
Agnes was gone.