Calm reigned in the dimly lit room after the princess had departed. The curtains, drawn just enough to let in a gentle light, cast golden and rosy reflections on the walls. Elisabeth slowly regained her composure, reflecting on everything that had transpired since her awakening. She took a deep breath, stretched, and rose unsteadily, making her way toward the refectory.

As she approached the entrance to the grand common hall, the lively chatter abruptly ceased. The gazes of the other workers turned toward her, a mixture of curiosity and suspicion in their eyes. Elisabeth froze, her heart pounding in her chest. Then, slowly, as if a tacit signal had been given, everyone resumed their conversations, though hushed whispers continued to ripple through the room.

Blushing slightly, Elisabeth understood that her situation was unusual, but she accepted it with calm resignation. She took her meal and sought a quiet seat at a table in the back of the room. While eating in silence, she couldn’t help but notice the furtive glances cast her way.

After finishing her meal, Elisabeth made her way to the director's office, a place where each worker received their daily instructions. Before she could enter, however, she was intercepted by the head housekeeper, a respected elder named Madame Gertrude. The woman invited Elisabeth into her small but surprisingly cozy office. Shelves crammed with ledgers and antique trinkets lined the walls, and a small oil lamp cast a flickering glow.

“Elisabeth,” Madame Gertrude said in a low, measured tone, “I wanted to speak to you about... your situation. I know what has happened, but you must understand that it is a secret we must keep.”

Elisabeth frowned. Was she truly the only servant aware of the vampiric nature of their masters? Madame Gertrude continued, her eyes heavy with gravity:

“You are now different. But that changes nothing about your duties here. Be prudent, and above all, discreet.”

The meeting was brief but laden with meaning. Though troubled, Elisabeth nodded and returned to her tasks. As the princess's personal servant, her external obligations were fewer, but she was determined to remain useful. She began by cleaning the long palace corridors.

The colorful stained glass windows cast shifting shadows on the stone floors, creating a hypnotic display. Several times, she paused, captivated by the scenes depicted in the fragments of glass: mythical battles, dreamlike landscapes, and noble figures. Her distraction, however, earned her reprimands from passing workers.

“Focus, Elisabeth! This isn’t an art gallery,” grumbled a gardener, broom in hand, as he passed by.

Blushing, she resumed her work with greater diligence.

The time came for preparing the nobles’ meal. The kitchens bustled with activity, filled with the enticing aroma of spices and roasting meats. When Elisabeth entered, the same awkward silence that had greeted her in the refectory briefly fell over the space, followed by a hesitant return to the commotion. Though she felt their judgment, she focused on her task, preparing the dishes with care.

When the hour for the nobles’ meal arrived, Elisabeth stepped into the dining hall, a vast room with walls adorned with tapestries depicting the royal family’s exploits. The vaulted ceiling, supported by intricately carved columns, seemed to disappear into shadow, and a long ebony table dominated the center, illuminated by imposing chandeliers.

Elisabeth placed the dishes with precision before stepping back as the nobles began to enter one by one. Their ethereal beauty and commanding presence lent the atmosphere an almost supernatural quality. To an ordinary person, their apparent silence might have been unsettling, but to Elisabeth, their lively conversations were unmistakable. Every word and laugh drifted into her mind like a breeze, an unseen exchange of souls.

As she refilled an empty glass, the princess’s younger brother addressed her telepathically:

“Could you refill my glass, please?”

Still clumsy with her newfound abilities, Elisabeth replied aloud:

“Of course, right away!”

Silence fell like a heavy curtain. All eyes turned to her. The nobles regarded her with restrained surprise, while the other servants, oblivious to the true nature of their masters, looked at her as though she had lost her mind.

Blushing, she completed her task in silence and slipped away discreetly once the meal concluded. However, she noticed that the king and the princess lingered in the hall, engaged in a low conversation. Intrigued, Elisabeth strained to hear, but a powerful psychic barrier emanating from the king prevented her from perceiving anything. Nonetheless, the princess’s expressions, shifting from determination to anxiety, did not escape her notice.

When the meal ended, the king rose with natural authority, drawing everyone’s attention. His ruby gaze briefly rested on the princess before he gave her a subtle but commanding gesture. Understanding the unspoken order, the young woman stood, smoothing the invisible folds of her gown before following her father out of the dining hall.

Elisabeth, still lingering after clearing the empty dishes, felt her heart tighten. The king’s demeanor, coupled with the tension she sensed in the princess’s movements, stirred a mixture of curiosity and apprehension within her. As the massive doors of the hall closed with a solemn creak, she cautiously moved closer, hoping to catch fragments of their exchange.

But as soon as she approached the threshold of the adjacent room, an invisible barrier pushed her back gently yet firmly, as if an impenetrable wall of energy had been erected. It wasn’t a brutal force but rather a psychic boundary created by the king himself. Disconcerted, Elisabeth stepped back slightly, biting her lip in frustration. She had only caught a few indistinct murmurs, too faint to decipher. Yet the fleeting bursts of emotion she sensed through her newfound sensitivity were enough to stir her suspicions.

She observed the princess’s face closely when she finally reappeared, accompanied by her father. The young woman seemed troubled, her delicate features slightly tense, as though burdened by a heavy and embarrassing secret. Her icy blue eyes avoided her father’s and remained fixed on the floor an unusual expression for her. Elisabeth immediately understood that their conversation had something to do with her. Every gesture, every subtle expression from the princess reinforced this intuition.

As the nobles dispersed to attend to their various responsibilities, Elisabeth, driven by a mix of concern and insatiable curiosity, decided to discreetly follow the princess. Her steps, barely audible on the ancient marble floors, led her through the palace’s long corridors, where the twilight light danced through stained glass windows. Shadows stretched across walls adorned with frescoes depicting the royal dynasty’s exploits, adding to the atmosphere’s mystique and weight.

The princess seemed lost in thought, her usual graceful demeanor marked by a certain heaviness. She did not glance behind her, making Elisabeth’s task easier. The palace, typically bustling with servants’ activities, felt strangely silent, as though time itself held its breath.

Eventually, the princess stopped before a large bay window overlooking the palace gardens. She stood motionless, her gaze lost in the darkness of the park. Elisabeth hesitated for a moment, hiding behind a column adorned with Gothic motifs. Should she approach? The heavy silence seemed to invite her to ask her questions, yet she feared going too far.

Gathering her courage, she took a few steps forward, her hesitant voice finally breaking the quiet:
“Your Highness... is everything all right?”

The princess turned slowly, her face illuminated by an expression that was difficult to read a mix of surprise, fatigue, and an unexpected tenderness. A faint, almost imperceptible smile brushed her lips.
“You’re curious, aren’t you?” she murmured, her tone both gentle and enigmatic.

Elisabeth blushed slightly, lowering her eyes.
“Forgive me... I didn’t mean to be intrusive.”

The princess stepped closer, her elegant silhouette outlined by the silvery moonlight streaming through the glass. Her brilliant eyes searched Elisabeth’s, as if trying to read beyond her words.

“You’re right. The conversation with my father was about you,” she finally admitted. “But I can’t tell you anything for now. Just know that everything that was said... was to protect you.”

Though the words were outwardly reassuring, they left Elisabeth with even more questions. Nevertheless, she nodded in understanding. She didn’t want to press further, knowing that some secrets needed time to be revealed.

The princess placed a light hand on her shoulder a gesture both comforting and imbued with a certain gravity.