Chapter 177: Irreversible Certainty
The castle was unusually silent and solemn, as if anticipating something of great importance to happen and shake its very foundation.
Everyone tried to remain calm and occupy themselves as much as possible to avoid thinking about Bella, who still hadn’t returned from her trip to the chapel. This task, however, proved to be difficult, and a shared restlessness followed every single castle dweller, no matter what they did or where they went.
Though it was the first day of the weekend and Tillian stayed home to take care of the fiefdom affairs, he, too, couldn’t help but feel worried. After several fruitless attempts to work, he finally gave up and decided to get some rest while waiting for Bella and Stanis’s return.
Safie, too, tried to remain as calm as she could, though her obvious clumsiness and distracted mind were clear signs that she was not alright. As she continued to take care of Aideen instead of her friend, the princess noticed that the maid was all over the place. No matter how many times she inquired, Safie had to lie and simply tell her that she was not feeling well.
"First Bella, now you... You shouldn’t be working if you are unwell, Safie, get some rest... I shall ask Tillian to send for a doctor... I don’t want you to be sick."
Lady Valentine’s words were filled with sincere kindness and care, which made it even more difficult for Safie to keep up the act, pretending that she wasn’t bothered by something much more distressing than mere illness.
"It’s alright, My Lady, please don’t worry about us," was the only reply Safie could come up with. She then arranged the dishes on the bedside table, urging the princess to eat some broth, and quickly left the bedroom, hoping that Aideen didn’t see through her fake facade.
Marching through the second floor hallway, the maid paused the moment she turned around the corner and leaned against the wall, pressing her free hand against her chest where her heart was beating like a drum.
’Goodness... How much longer do we have to wait? I cannot deal with this any longer...’