Maids cleaning. Maids bringing in luggage. And their appearance after she went to dinner.

“It was you. The thief.”

Lily’s figure was captured in the recording stone.

Sneaking in after looking around, rummaging through the drawers, and even the moment she left the room with the communication stone in hand was clear.

Adelia shook her head from side to side.

Sometimes her hunches were eerily accurate. Just like now.

“So boring. Too obvious and uninteresting.”

Tch. Adelia sighed and threw the recording stone into the air.

The sparkling recording stone made a dull sound as it rolled on the floor.

Then it floated up and entered her pocket.

“It’s too aggravating to let it slide… Maybe it could be useful.”

Her contemplation was brief. Adelia immediately opened the large window in the room.

The cold night air rushed into the room.

Phew. As she exhaled, white smoke flowed from her mouth.

Turning around with a loud voice, she said,

“I need some rest, so don’t let anyone in until I call.”

“Yes. Understood.”

A short response came from outside the door.

After a brief silence, the presence outside faded away.

Only the presence of two men remained, clearly guards standing by the door.

“Hmm, just in case.”

Adelia raised her hand and murmured softly.

A faint light flowed from her fingers.

The blurry light gradually gathered to form a human shape.

The light bundle, now about her size, floated into the bed under the covers.

“Surely they won’t notice? Unless they’re a swordmaster.”

Hehehe. Adelia let out a slightly sinister laugh and peeked out of the window.

She lightly climbed onto the windowsill and then stepped out into thin air.

Her red dress fluttered in the wind as her body tilted and fell outside.

The curtain covering the window fluttered, completely hiding her figure.

* * *

The maids’ room was quite spacious.

But at the count’s house, there were even larger rooms with closets, accessory rooms, studies, and countless other personal spaces.

Yet, there was only one reason Lily remained a maid.

“That kind of woman as his fiancée… His Highness must be deceived. He was momentarily charmed by that pretty face.”

To get even a little bit of attention from the crown prince.

After meeting the crown prince at her debutante ball, she begged her father until she finally got a position as a maid.

Although she couldn’t meet the Crown Prince often since he only kept his attendants close, her heart blossomed even in those few encounters.

Others called it unrequited love, but it was admiration and affection born from her respect for the imperial family.

When she heard that Adelia was entering the palace, she volunteered to become her maid.

To report any strange behavior immediately. Wondering if she brought anything unusual, she searched her room in her absence.

And found the communication stone. Lily secretly took it and hid it in her room.

After everything was done, she returned to her room and took out the hidden communication stone.

A splendid purple light was placed in her hand.

“Such a high-grade communication stone. This must be a means to communicate with someone behind the scenes. I should tell His Highness….”

“Tell His Highness what?”

Startled by the unfamiliar voice, Lily turned around. She couldn’t bring herself to lift her head.

The firmly closed window was wide open, and the clear view was blocked by someone.

The shadow of a long dress stretched out on the floor.

Lily slowly lifted her trembling head.

The familiar dress. Silver hair reaching down to her waist. And blue eyes.

“Ah…. Miss.”

It was Adelia.

Lily clamped her mouth shut in panic.

The communication stone that was on her hand fell to the floor.

A dull sound echoed in the room.

Her voice trembled.

“How did you….”

“How? I came through the window.”

Adelia smiled and pointed behind her.

Seeing the wide-open window, Lily’s pupils shook helplessly.

“I came to find what I own.”

Adelia waved one hand.

The communication stone rolling on the floor floated up and dropped onto her hand.

She picked up the communication stone between her thumb and index finger and looked at it in the moonlight. It was still transparent purple.

After thoroughly examining it, she spoke.

“It seems you haven’t used it yet. You couldn’t even find where it’s connected.”

There were no signs of use. If she had found out where it was connected, she planned to erase her memory.

The communication stone went into Adelia’s pocket.

‘How…!’

Watching the scene, Lily covered her mouth with both hands.

Adelia gently landed on the floor with a soft smile.

If one only saw the silver hair reflected in the moonlight and the fluttering hem of her dress, she looked quite beautiful.

But the trembling of her hands didn’t stop because of her expression.

She was clearly smiling. The corners of her mouth were up, and her eyes were half-closed.

But the blue eyes within those long, crescent-shaped eyes were cold.

The words coming out between her slightly reddish lips were too firm.

“What were you going to do with the stolen communication stone?”

“That…. That”

“Shall I guess? You wanted to see which place it was connected to first. If it was connected outside the palace, you would have reported it immediately. Saying, ‘That person is trying to communicate with a suspicious place.’ Then you thought His Highness would dismiss me. You think I don’t suit His Highness.”

Adelia spoke in a gentle tone from beginning to end.

The predictions she pointed out seemed to read Lily’s thoughts exactly.

A thought flashed through Lily’s mind, who couldn’t open her mouth.

‘If it was a legitimate communication stone, she wouldn’t have come like this but would have scolded me in front of the other maids.’

She didn’t come through the door but entered like a thief through the window.

There were neither knights nor other maids with her.

Lily smirked slightly.

“Well, seeing how you came secretly… it’s either an illegal communication stone… or you came to threaten His Highness. As a maid of the imperial family, I can’t overlook such danger!”

Her tone was like that of a hero defeating a villain.

If someone else saw her crying out these words, it would have been a situation prone to misunderstandings.

Adelia tilted her head with her arms crossed.

“Your thinking is simple.”

“What did you say!”

“Who would be so foolish as to bring an illegal communication stone into the palace? And to threaten His Highness. You really don’t know anything about His Highness.”

Lily’s face flushed at her words.

Adelia unfolded her arms and walked towards Lily with her hands behind her back.

Lily, who had been acting confident, stepped back hesitantly.

Then Adelia’s voice came out sternly.

“Being threatened doesn’t suit the imperial family. If I intended harm, they wouldn’t wait for evidence to cut off heads. They’re not the type to wait and watch for the right moment. And that communication stone is not illegal.”

“That is….”

Lily stuttered and clenched her fists. She realized her thinking was flawed.

She had assumed that Adelia had used some trick to secure her position and stole the communication stone to find out who was behind her.

But if that wasn’t the case, her actions were a shortcut to shortening her life.

Lily found herself cornered in the room. There was a wall behind her and Adelia in front.

Adelia stopped walking and leaned slightly to whisper in Lily’s ear.

“So what are you going to do if you start such things without knowing well? If I said I had my communication stone stolen in front of everyone, you would be punished. Just like we’ve seen countless times.”

Adelia tapped Lily’s neck lightly.

Even that brief contact made her tremble.

“Pl…. Please spare me!”

Lily collapsed to the floor, trembling.

During her time as a maid of the imperial family, she had seen the punishments handed down by the imperials.

They had no mercy. Servants who were beheaded for transferring information. Nobles who tried strange tricks, had their properties confiscated, and their families killed.

For those who valued their lives, it was an unwritten rule not to approach the imperials.

A theft within the imperial palace. If it’s a light offense, a wrist would fly off; if severe, one could be locked in an underground dungeon or even beheaded for such a serious crime.

Adelia looked down at her with cold eyes, standing straight.

“If there’s evidence, I can come secretly and still give you public punishment.”

Adelia took out a recording stone from her pocket.

As soon as the recording played, Lily’s complexion darkened extremely.

When the scene of stealing the communication stone appeared, she covered her mouth, trembling with fear.

Terrible thoughts engulfed her mind.

‘I must have been crazy!’

Why did she feel she was being so impulsive after seeing that communication stone? If she could go back to that situation, she definitely wouldn’t do it again.

Clinging to Adelia’s legs and begging for her life was almost instinctual.

“Pl…. Please! I was foolish. I’ll do everything you ask, please….”

Her trembling begging looked truly miserable.

“The laws of the imperial palace are excessive. Be thankful that I value human life. I won’t inform them about this incident. But that doesn’t mean your crime disappeared. You’ll receive personal punishment.”

“Thank you!”

Lily bowed repeatedly in gratitude, wiping away tears, her eyes turning red from the pressure.

Adelia listened to the apology with an indifferent face, as if she was barely paying attention.

“Stay confined here for a week. After that, quit your position as a maid and leave the castle.”

“Yes! Understood.”

“And attend various tea times until the imperial palace banquet.”

“Yes, of course, I’ll restrain my… What?”

Lily looked at Adelia with a dumbfounded face.