In the corner of the staircase, the dim yellow lamp cast strong, blurred shadows along the corridor.
After finishing the cleaning of the main hall and the work in the laundry room, the maids would always sneak away, taking advantage of the brief respite before lunch to secretly gather here and chat.
“To be honest, Amane’s cooking these days is simply…”
Karsanna started off, her brows furrowing slightly, her expression full of exaggerated distaste, as if she could already smell the flavor drifting here, making her involuntarily pull a dramatic face.
“Exactly, exactly, it’s like she’s just going through the motions with us,” Duli chimed in, tapping her fingers lightly against the wall, producing a faint but rhythmic sound. “Lately, it looks like she’s trying out some new dish called ‘Stargazer’s Something’. When I saw a plate piled with dead chicken heads, I was terrified!”
“I… I actually thought that dish tasted…” Bohm said awkwardly, “It was kind of hard to eat.”
“But Bohm, you still ate a lot!” Karsanna walked up to Bohm, making her shrink back even further, almost hiding herself completely.
“T-that’s because… Because Amane specifically asked me to try it…”
“Of course you’d go for the softest one, except you, who else could she ask? Hahaha!”
Karsanna laughed unreservedly, and Duli joined in. Bohm glanced around anxiously, gritted her teeth, and ran to hide behind Tii, finally finding a bit of peace in her familiar sanctuary.
“Enough, don’t tease me anymore.”
Tii patted Bohm’s shoulder, gazing at her with her usual gentle eyes. Bohm felt that gentle gaze had a healing power, and she quickly regained her composure.
“It’s only Tii who would protect Bohm like that,” Karsanna reached out and flicked Bohm’s forehead.
“Hey Bohm, stop clinging to Tii. The Tii you used to like so much isn’t just for you anymore, you know.”
Bohm’s fingers gripped Tii’s sleeve, her eyes closed tightly, and she remained silent, her face displaying a faint loneliness.
Seeing that expression on Bohm’s face, Duli seemed even more eager to stir up trouble, fanning the flames.
“Anyone could tell, right? These days, Tii spends most of her time with Su Ling. Your Tii has already been snatched away, ha!”
Just then, footsteps echoed up the spiral stairs. Su Ling happened to come up at that moment and stood before them.
Hearing Duli’s teasing words, Su Ling was taken aback for a moment. Then she quickly lowered her head, her long, smooth hair swaying gently.
“No, I didn’t take Tii from anyone. We just happen to work together more often these days, that’s all. Tii gets along well with everyone.”
“Oh really? But just look at Bohm’s glum face…”
“I said I didn’t, so I didn’t.”
Why had the topic suddenly shifted to her?
Su Ling felt at a bit of a loss, unable to cope with the teasing warmth of these lively maids.
As the atmosphere turned a bit awkward, Tii, who had been silent all this time, suddenly smiled and spoke up.
“What Su Ling says is right. I’m not an object to be possessed by anyone, am I? You’re all my friends. If anyone needs anything, I’ll help however I can.”
“Sigh, it’s still Tii who knows how to smooth things over…”
Just like that, the subject changed again, and the three of them began to talk animatedly as usual, chattering happily about the latest happenings in the Castle.
But Bohm’s expression grew darker. The things Duli and Karsanna said were, in truth, already clear to her.
No matter how gentle Tii usually was with her, her words always held a hint of distance. But when she looked at Su Ling, those clear, shining eyes would sometimes show a different emotion.
It was the affection Bohm had always yearned for, but never received.
“Do you know, I had a dream last night—a really strange dream.” As the conversation continued, Su Ling suddenly remembered something and spoke.
Everyone’s attention immediately shifted to her. Su Ling’s voice held a trace of shyness, her cheeks tinged with red, seemingly still affected by the scenes in her dream.
“Hurry, tell us! What kind of dream was it?” Duli’s curiosity was piqued, her eyes wide with anticipation, her expression that of a gossiping friend.
“I dreamt… I kissed someone.” Su Ling’s voice dropped even lower.
“What?!”
“Yeah, that person kissed me. When I woke up, my heart was pounding. I don’t know why, but… I was a little happy.”
That dream, filled with the aroma of wine and the sweet taste of fruit, the tingling sensation when their tongues touched—even if it was just an illusion, the feeling had been so real, as if it had truly happened.
“I never thought Su Ling would dream of something like that…”
“Who was it?”
Halfway through Duli’s question, Tii suddenly cut in, gazing at Su Ling with surprise. The red-haired girl’s face was calm, but there was a hint of a smile at her lips.
It was the usual tone of casual conversation, but in Tii’s eyes there was a rare seriousness.
“Su Ling, who did you dream you were kissing?”
“Huh? Me?”
For a brief moment, something flickered in Su Ling’s eyes. She certainly couldn’t say the real name aloud, so she hurriedly brushed it off.
“It’s not anyone special, just someone from my old village, I think.”
“Could it be… Shansang?” Tii seemed to be pondering.
“That must be someone Su Ling has a crush on, right?”
Taking advantage of the moment, Bohm spoke up, carefully watching Tii’s reaction.
“No, not at all!” Su Ling’s face instantly turned red. “Definitely not a crush. Maybe just a slight fondness. There’s no way I’d have romantic feelings for that person.”
“That’s not necessarily true, Su Ling. Dreams often reveal your true feelings. Maybe, in your heart, there’s already someone special.”
“Is that so…”
Seeing that Su Ling was already flustered, Bohm pressed on, continuing to speak.
Sure enough, Tii’s expression changed ever so slightly. The shift was almost imperceptible, but for Bohm, who always paid attention to her, it didn’t go unnoticed.
Miss Tii, that woman has never responded to your feelings. Wouldn’t it be better to give up soon… and choose me instead? Bohm couldn’t help but think.
This thought had occurred to her countless times already. Yet, even for Bohm, Tii had never given any response.
The clock chimed after they had chatted for a while—it was time to prepare lunch.
Su Ling walked at the end of the group.
This area had always been somewhat unsettling. The recent worship rituals kept the servants busy all night, sometimes until dawn. Even walking up the stairs, Su Ling felt dizzy and almost stumbled a few times.
“Ugh… we barely got any rest before getting busy again…” She leaned against the stair railing, her head tilted to the side, dragging out her words in a weary tone.
Looking up ahead, she realized the corner of the stairs was now empty. The others had already vanished from sight.
She needed to hurry and catch up.
Su Ling took a deep breath, trying to shake off her fatigue. She straightened her back, but her body still felt unsteady and sore.
Just as she was about to continue up the stairs, a strange sound suddenly pierced the silence.
She stopped involuntarily, about to turn and look for the source, when a tall, hooded maid appeared silently behind her.
The woman’s figure was unusually slender and much taller than average, exuding an oppressive aura.
Su Ling frowned she was certain she had never seen this person before.
Just as she was about to take a closer look, the hooded maid seemed to deliberately avoid her gaze, turning slightly so the wide cloak covered half her face, leaving only a mysterious profile visible.
“Excuse me, are you…”
Before she could finish, the woman had already hurried away. As she left, a flash of silver caught Su Ling’s eye.
It was silver hair, just like hers—hair color rarely seen among humans in this kingdom. An outsider.
At the same time, a thought flashed through Su Ling’s mind.
That woman—she’s not from the Castle.