Chapter 131: What Do I Have to Do?
The scent of lye soap and damp, heavy wool hung thick in the morning mist, clinging to Sabrina’s skin as she scrubbed the sheets, her knees pressed against the hard stone. Her knuckles were raw and scrubbed red against the wooden washboard. Every muscle in her arms throbbed with a dull, sickening ache—a constant reminder of what she had been reduced to.
Two weeks ago, her hands had been brushed with scented oils. But because of that bastard sister of hers, she was now a common maid washing bedsheets alongside commoners.
Sabrina gritted her teeth as she reached for the laundry line, lifting a damp linen sheet to spread it, when a harsh force shoved her shoulder. She stumbled, her feet slipping on the slick, wet cobblestones.
Before she could regain her balance, a hand cracked across her left cheek. The sting was instant, a burst of heat that set her ear ringing. Tiny stars danced across her vision.
"That’s my space," a voice sneered.
Sabrina slowly brought a hand up to her burning face, her thumb tracing the sharp bite of a fingernail scrape. She turned her head. It was Martha—one of the laundry maids who had spent the last two days ensuring her life was a living hell.
"You slapped me?" Sabrina asked, shock written across her face. "What is wrong with you?"
A few maids standing nearby laughed as they stopped to watch the altercation.
"Where were you when I was clearing this section at dawn? Still sleeping in your bed," Martha said, shrugging with an arrogant scoff. "You forgot you had laundry to do. Too bad—you’ll have to wait for mine to dry before spreading yours."
Sabrina glared at her, then turned back to the line and continued spreading her bedsheet.
Martha hissed. Taking a step forward, she snatched the damp sheet directly out of Sabrina’s hands and tossed it onto the dirt.
"I warned you."
Sabrina stared at the fresh sheet she’d scrubbed all morning, now caked in mud. Everything she’d been bottling up since she arrived at the pack house snapped.
Without a word, Sabrina lunged.
She caught Martha around the throat, bringing them both crashing down into the wet grass. Martha shrieked as Sabrina drove two fists into her hair, yanking her head back. Martha’s claws scraped frantically at Sabrina’s face as she tried to push her off, but Sabrina didn’t budge.
With a surge of raw fury, Sabrina slammed a punch square into Martha’s nose. A sharp crack echoed through the air before blood spilled over the girl’s lip. Martha screamed and grabbed Sabrina’s hair, yanking violently in return.
The other girls instantly rushed in to pull them apart.
"Enough!"
The sharp voice cut through the chaos, and everyone froze.
"It’s a lady of the court," one of the maids whispered, bowing her head immediately. The others scrambled to do the same.
Sabrina pushed herself up slowly, her breathing ragged as she spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, but she did not bow.
Lady Joanne descended the stone steps of the upper courtyard, her handmaid following closely behind. Her eyes swept over the scattering washbasins, the torn sheets, and finally settled on Sabrina.
Joanne stopped, her brow twitching in mild surprise.
"Is that not the Luna’s sister?" she asked in a low tone.
The maid behind her stepped forward and bowed. "Yes, my lady, it is. The Luna made her a maid in the pack house after the incident at the coronation."
"I see..." Joanne replied. Her eyes appraised Sabrina from head to toe before a slow, calculated smile curved her lips. She began walking toward them.
"The pack house is loud today," Joanne murmured, her gaze lingering on the blood running down Sabrina’s chin. "I see the new addition to the servant quarters is settling in poorly."
"Good day, my lady," the maids chorused, their heads bowed low.
Joanne stopped, her gaze fixing on Sabrina. "What is your name?"
Sabrina looked up, a flick of surprise crossing her features. She cleared her raw throat. "Sabrina Storm."
A small smile tugged at the corner of Joanne’s lips. "Why are you fighting here and disturbing the entire pack house?"
Sabrina lowered her eyes to the trampled grass. "We apologize for the disturbance, my lady," she ground out through her teeth.
"Return to your duties immediately," Joanne instructed the group. The maids bowed again and quickly dispersed.
Sabrina turned to go with them, but Joanne’s voice stopped her dead in her tracks.
"You."
Sabrina turned back, confusion drawing her brows together as she pointed a thumb at her chest. "Me?"
"Yes." Joanne nodded, turning on her heel. "Come with me."
Sabrina didn’t move at first, her eyes fixed on Joanne’s back as a thousand questions raced through her mind.
"The rest of you, finish up her laundry," Joanne called over her shoulder.
"Yes, my lady!" The maids hurried to obey, scooping the wet sheets from the mud.
"After you," Joanne’s handmaid urged quietly, noticing Sabrina’s hesitation.
Sabrina wiped another trace of blood from her lip, then reluctantly fell into step behind Joanne.
They walked in silence away from the laundry grounds, the noise of the pack house fading as Joanne led her through the grand corridors toward the quiet wing. Joanne hummed an absentminded tune until they reached the double doors of the tea room. Her maid rushed ahead to push them open.
Joanne glided inside, with Sabrina trailing behind—dust, dried blood, and grass still clinging to her maid’s uniform.
"Please bring us tea," Joanne instructed. Her maid bowed and withdrew, gently pulling the heavy wooden doors shut.
Sabrina remained standing in the middle of the room, her hands folded neatly in front of her. Joanne sat down in a plush armchair and appraised her from head to toe, still softly humming.
"It must have been a lot," Joanne said at last, "being humiliated by your own sister."
Sabrina’s brow twitched. She looked away toward the far window, shifting her weight onto her other foot, but didn’t respond. Joanne caught the subtle shift, her smile broadening slightly.
A moment later, the maid returned, setting a silver tray with a steaming teapot and delicate porcelain cups onto the side table.
"You can leave us," Joanne dismissed her softly. The maid bowed and stepped out once more.
"Please, sit." Joanne gestured to the empty armchair beside her.
Sabrina stared at the woman for a few seconds before dragging her feet across the rug and sinking into the soft cushion. Without waiting to be served, she reached out, picked up a teacup, and took a slow, deliberate sip.
Joanne chuckled softly at her attempt to maintain dignity despite the blood and bruises on her face. "You seem far more refined than your sister. You make a maid’s attire look like a noble gown."
Sabrina’s tense expression softened slightly at the shade thrown at Nina, though she refrained from speaking. Instead, she took another slow sip of her tea.
A quiet beat passed between them.
"I heard you were the one chosen, and she went in your stead?" Joanne continued softly. "And now she has become the Luna, while you... are a maid."
Sabrina stilled. Her knuckles turned white around the teacup before she leveled an icy gaze at Joanne. "If you called me here to talk about Nina, I am not interested. I would like to take my leave."
She set the teacup down with a sharp click and made to stand, but Joanne’s next words stopped her dead in her tracks.
"I’m here to give you a way out."
Sabrina froze. She turned back slowly, a deep frown settling across her face.
Joanne smiled warmly, setting down her own teacup casually. "I know you hate your sister. We both want the same thing."
Sabrina arched an eyebrow. "And what do you think I want?"
A heavy silence filled the room as Joanne studied her. Then, her lips curved into a subtle, sinister smile.
"You want more than anything to get rid of her."
Sabrina held Joanne’s gaze for a long, quiet moment. On the surface, the woman appeared poised and gentle—almost incapable of harboring such malice.
Sabrina blinked, then slowly sat back down in the armchair. "She’s the Luna now. I don’t think there’s anything I can do to her."
Joanne smiled. "As a maid, no."
Sabrina’s eyes shifted sideways toward her.
"But I can," Joanne added with a faint grin. She leaned back in her chair with a soft exhale. "I just need your help."
Sabrina studied her, letting the silence stretch before scoffing softly. "Why are you so confident that I will hurt my sister? What’s to stop me from walking out of here and telling her your entire plan?"
"Because if I become the Luna, you’ll become a lady of the court." Joanne tilted her head, inspecting Sabrina from head to toe before pouting her lips thoughtfully. "I don’t think you have any chance of becoming one while you’re stuck in the servant quarters, now do you?"
Sabrina stared at her.
She did want to get rid of Nina. That much was true. But helping this woman become Luna when that title should have belonged to her in the first place?
Sabrina almost laughed. Almost.
There is nothing I can do as a maid, Sabrina thought, weighing her options carefully. First, I need to drag myself out of this dirt. Once I’m back on my feet, I can figure out how to take back what is rightfully mine.
Sabrina slowly leaned back into the soft cushions of the chair.
"Okay." Her eyes narrowed as she locked eyes with Joanne. "What do I have to do?"
Joanne smiled and leaned forward, ’’We are going to kill the Luna.’’