Saved By The Mad Duke

"Well, I don’t see any reason why not! It appears that you’ve grown more lively over these past few days, and your body is healing nicely, so..."

Bella leaned in closer to the princess, whispering into her ear as if divulging highly confidential information.

"His Grace doesn’t appreciate when we deviate from his orders, but what he remains unaware of won’t harm him, wouldn’t you agree, Your Highness?"

Releasing a soft chuckle, Bella fixed her large eyes on Aideen’s face, patiently awaiting her reaction. However, instead of the expected reciprocation, the young lady’s features darkened slightly, perhaps out of fear that her venture outside her room violated the rules.

The maid awkwardly cleared her throat, silently cursing herself for making a daring joke. She continued,

"Please, do not fret, Your Highness. I assure you that leaving your room should be perfectly fine. If His Grace has any issues, I will take full responsibility. I promise!"

Aideen remained skeptical; trusting a maid’s word was never a wise idea, particularly for someone like her. Throughout her life, she had been nothing but an object of ridicule, even to the help.

However, after spending half a week confined to a single room and memorizing every detail within it, she felt a desperate longing to explore more, even if it only meant exercising her other senses.

"Alright... Thank you, Bella."