「 A couple of hours later 」

"Checkmate," Mace says with a bright smile on his face.

"Congratulations my lord," Ophelia smiles politely making him sigh.

Mace had been trying his hardest to make her feel comfortable. He wished to become her friend but Ophelia was a tough nut to crack. She was always polite, no matter the situation they were in, and that made him feel slightly frustrated. 

"Mace. Congratulations, Mace," he corrects her but Ophelia looks at him conflicted, "Call me Mace when we're alone, please, it's a personal request," Mace's dark brown eyes were sparkling with anticipation as he smiled kindly. 

"Alright... Mace" she mumbled his name awkwardly and he laughed.

'Finally some progress,' he thought as he noticed her flustered expression. He wasn't particularly interested in Ophelia's power as a noble lady of the Criswell's, in fact, he pitied her since he knew how much of a monster his brother was. Throughout the years he had seen horrid scenarios, women that were taken only for his amusement and men who had lost their houses after trying to regain their family's honor.

Mace wished to change that, to correct his older brother but somewhere within his heart, he knew that was an impossible task.

"Mace... The day I arrived, were there any new maids entering the mansion?" he looked at Ophelia puzzled without understanding why she was asking such a peculiar question but, even then, he replied.

"There were" his blunt answer made Ophelia feel uneasy.

"Who were they? Do you know?" her eyes were hopeful as if these questions were of extreme importance to her.

"Why do you want to know?" Ophelia looks conflicted once again. She didn't want to provide this type of information to Mace, it was too confidential but, at the same time, she really needed to know who were the maids that had arrived that day.

In life, people make decisions, some are wise and good others are regretful and turn into mistakes. Ophelia felt like she was walking straight into a trap and that, most likely, this decision would turn into a regret but, even then, she knew that without any risks, there wouldn't be any rewards. 

'I can't lie to him either way... He will just see right through me again...' Ophelia also knew how cunning Mace was, he could tell when the people around him were lying. She didn't know how he was able to do so but she deeply wished to be able to fool him easily, as he could become a menace in the future. 

"I think Duke Criswell sent a maid of his own," Mace's eyes widen and soon his brows furrow down. He was deep in thought as he connected the dots.

"Well, that's something your father would do. Olivia and Ivy started working on the morning of your arrival, the other maids have been working here for weeks, some for months, others for years," Mace leans forward and for the first time, Ophelia saw a man that she hadn't seen before. His eyes were cold and cautious while his serious expression looked almost as if he had already suspected this. For a glimpse of a second, she thought that Mace should be the one to succeed the Duke instead of Terrel.

"Why do you think your father has planted spies in here?" he questions while looking at the chess pieces.

'It's not like I can say that the Duke paid an assassin to murder me...' Ophelia didn't want to explain the reasoning behind it. She had suspected that there were spies within the maids but she had no concrete proof, however, the presence of an assassin changes everything.

She had ordered her maids to burn the letters some days ago and now, miraculously, an assassin is inside the mansion, trying to kill her ruthlessly. There was only one conclusion for the Duke's quick response: there was a spy in the house. 

'Someone told the Duke about what happened at dinner,' that was the only possible explanation, after all, if the Duke didn't know anything he would keep on trying to contact her for weeks.

Ophelia smiles coldly right before grabbing the chess piece symbolizing the Queen on her side of the board. With a slow movement, she pushes the piece, making her fall onto the board right before rolling onto the floor. Mace looked at Ophelia's expression carefully as he analyzed her reply.  

Mace had comprehended that someone within the estate was after Ophelia's life, however, he didn't know who. 

'Should I investigate this matter further...?' he begins wondering as he sees her coldness turn into pure pain. 

"How about another game Ophelia?" he tries to relive the mood, removing the pressure of this topic from her shoulders. He knew that she couldn't be forced to show her heart, otherwise, she would just slip away from his grasp, making all the effort he had done so far go into ruins.

✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽

I leave Mace's study room and am greeted by Olivia who was heading to the back garden. She politely smiled at me but I immediately dismissed her. 

"I wish I had your life Nero," after entering the room and sitting on the chair I look at the black cat that was curled up on the bed. His eyes were looking at me as I let out a sigh.

"Ah... I'm so tired..." my head was hurting as I felt a burning sensation increase. I thought that for at least a month I would be able to live peacefully but now I realize how foolish those thoughts were. 

'I knew he hated me but...' I couldn't bring myself to believe my own blood was trying to get me killed for personal gain. 

I genuinely thought that the majority of my emotions were lost, leaving only hatred within the sorrow and regret but, as I am now faced with something that never happened before, something I never even considered, I feel a deep sting in my heart.

"Why... Just what did I do wrong..." I place my head between my hands and grab my hair strongly with all the rage I was feeling. Tears begin leaving my eyes as I felt my sanity become one with pure sadness.

I didn't know why this kept on happening to me. I didn't know what I had done wrong. I didn't know anything.

This ignorance made me feel sick to my stomach as I knew that the only person I could blame was myself. Of course, I could say this is the work of the gods or the devils but, truthfully, all of those beliefs just sounded like an excuse that I found to prevent my self-loathing. 

Nero jumps on top of the table and starts rubbing his head against my hands.

"Are you trying to comfort me?" I mumble while petting him slightly. Surprisingly, he doesn't run away. At that moment someone knocks on the door. I clean my tears hurriedly and sit straight. 

"Lord Bradley is here to see you miss," Ivy enters with her golden curls and hazelnut eyes. I was never close with her since she never tried to approach me but maybe that's the only thing she needed to do. Keep an eye on me and not raise any suspicion.

On the other hand, Olivia was the complete opposite. An air-headed woman that looked kind on the outside and that ended up trying her best to be close to me.

One of them was the spy. Maybe both of them had been sent, who knows. Right now everything is based on assumptions and I needed to devise a plan to discover who was the backstabbing snake in this den. 

"Tell him I am busy, he should come back another day, after agreeing to a date that will work for both of us, of course," I get up and stare at Ivy's troubled expression.

"But milady..." she is interrupted by a male voice.

"You hurt my feelings like that Lady Ophelia. I even brought you this wonderful gift to thank you for your generosity," Bradley appears from behind the wall holding a big bouquet of red roses.

"My Lord, are you alright? A sane and sincere engaged man wouldn't be courting his fiancée younger sister," he smirks and I head towards the door while Ivy places the bouquet in a small glass jar. 

"I wouldn't do such a thing, I am just sending my appreciation towards my fiancées family," his sweet charming voice made Ivy blush.

"Then in that case please don't forget to take some roses to the Duke, I am sure he will be thrilled," I mock him as I see his grin disappear. I needed to force him to leave my life for good as his presence was only putting me in harm's way. 

As Bradley was about to reply I notice Gilbert passing by while trying to take a look inside the room. Of course, butlers couldn't exactly enter the room of the ladies, that wasn't a proper thing to do so, understanding his intention I pass through Bradley and close the door behind me. 

'Let's play a game little rat,' I approach him, 'It's time for you to pay me back... a hundredfold.'

"Are you new here?" I ask Gilbert as I ignore Bradley's presence and keep an eye on Ivy's expression.

"Yes, I'm a new butler," he replies while averting his eyes.

"I wonder why the Duke would hire a servant who can't even properly greet their master," I glare at him and, after understanding his mistake he asks for forgiveness, "Kneel," I point towards the floor and the man looks around hesitantly. As a prideful assassin, he didn't want to show respect to his victim, but that only made this more amusing.

"Milady..." his dark brown eyes looked conflicted.

"He is a new worker milady, please be merciful," Ivy intervenes and I grab her by the neck harshly. I glare at her and her complexion starts to turn pale, she looked frightened.

"Both of you... Kneel!" their bodies sank on the floor as they instantly asked for forgiveness.

Several minutes passed and I continued to glare at them, waiting patiently, without saying a word. Then, suddenly, Gilbert looks up slowly.

"I didn't order you to raise your head, I see you haven't been raised properly," around us several maids and butlers had gathered and were now watching the whole show. They were whispering while mocking the situation these two had been put in, "Someone bring me a wooden plank," I state as Bradley quietly observed.

"Milady that's..." Olivia speaks up after seeing how serious the situation had gotten. She had arrived a couple of minutes ago after hearing it from the other maids. 

'Rumors do travel fast...' I chuckle at this pathetic thought. 

"Olivia... Kneel!" she instantly bows down as, once again, she noticed her behavior had been out of line. I am not merciful enough to allow something like this slide.

One of the older butlers arrives with a big wooden plank and I grin.

"Beat him up ten times," the servant looks at me dumbfounded, unsure if he should obey my commands or not and, the more he waited, the higher the commoners talked, "I wonder why the trash keeps talking?" I glare at them just to see them avert their eyes and quiet down.

The environment was heavy as everyone watched the old man beat Gilbert with the wooden plank, however, due to his age, his hits were nothing more than scratches on the assassin's back. I found it annoying, I wanted him to hurt for his disgusting pride.

"Do you think that's how you punish someone!?" suddenly Bradley speaks up, his expression looked mad, furious in fact and I instantly felt the need to walk away from him. His emotions were ruling over his logic. 

'I can't waste such a good opportunity now, can I...?' I grin as I begin devising a vicious plan inside my mind. 

"Then how would you deal with this situation my lord?" I glare at him. After clicking his fingers three servants approach.

"Aiden, beat this man ten times for his impertinence. Rats should know their place," a servant with dark green eyes and chocolate hair that passed his shoulders walks forward right before grabbing the wooden plank from the older butler. I had already seen this servant but I thought he belonged to this estate since he was always so far away from Bradley but now, I completely understand how foolish I was.

"Milady, please! Anything else but this...!" Gilbert begs loudly as he understood the gravity of the situation. Aiden was a tall and extremely fit man, and so, the assassin knew he would be in a lot of trouble by taking this beating. I was well aware that this would delay his purpose but, even then, I was feeling pleasure by seeing him suffer, his desperate expression as his eyes begged for forgiveness. 

'All of them... They are so... Beautiful...' I end up feeling the adrenaline through my veins every time he asked to be spared. 

"Milady, please have mercy...!" he yells and I immediately look down on him. Anger possessed my body as I felt my insides twist with disgust.

'Mercy? Like you were merciful to me... Instead of burning me alive you could've given me a swift death but no, you were too self-centered,' his hypocrite words made me want to rip off every one of his limbs and then wait until he bled to death. 

"A man should bear the consequences of his actions, wouldn't you agree?" I smile at him coldly and, as he saw the dark expression on my face he realized there was no way out but, even then, he had to try and play all his cards.

"Please milady! I beg of you!" quickly he grabs onto the hem of my skirt strongly. Afraid of his touch I moved back and as I was losing my balance I feel a hand grab my waist.

"Aiden... Make it fifteen," Bradley's eyes were focused on Gilbert, glaring down at him almost as if he wasn't a human, almost as if he was nothing but a waste of life in a filthy body. Bradley's right foot pushes Gilbert away strongly, knocking him away from me.

Aiden grins and his expression becomes filled with lust. His large arms swing the plank and beat Gilbert's back. He squirms in pain while trying to hold out his screams. Olivia and Ivy just kept on kneeling and, every time the wood touched the assassin's body, their bodies shuddered out of fear. 

Blood began to pour out of his skin, tainting his body with red and his eyes with despair. The marble floor was soon colored differently and everyone around watched, horrified. The scene kept unfolding as if someone had made a time loop, repeating the same action over and over again, and then, I noticed the intense satisfaction in Bradley's eyes and in Aiden's smile.

'Two sides of the same coin,' I thought as I realized how similar they were to each other even though their social statuses were completely different.

Gilbert's clothes were now ripped, as the blood had become one with cheap fabric and, after the fourth swing he stopped holding back his screams. His yells filled with despair and pain were echoing through the estate but, even then everyone else remained quiet. Olivia and Ivy didn't raise their heads. I assume that they knew that if they spoke up they would be next and, truthfully, their judgment was right.