Blood drained from the maids' faces. "My lady… please have mercy… please!" the maids cried.
Agnes sighed. "It's fine, I'll spare you only this time. But in return, you have to swear loyalty to my son." A mischievous glint flickered through her calm face.
Without thinking twice, the maids nodded their heads. "We swear our loyalty to the young prince." They bowed their heads to the ground.
A small smile tugged on Agnes' lips. Her eyes shone with both wisdom and cunningness. "Plum, give them a dagger."
Plum tossed a dagger to the maids. The maids' eyes fixated on the dagger lying just a few inches away from them. The tension in the air was palpable.
'What is White Lotus doing? Does she want them to kill themselves?' Kaelith watched with amusement, sitting on his mother's lap.
The silence was so loud that the maids could hear their hearts beating in their chests. The maid who had pleaded earlier to be spared moved—she grabbed the dagger swiftly, slashing the other maid's throat.
Blood sprayed all over her face, her body shook like a leaf before the wind. Tears poured down her cheeks. Her chest heaved heavily up and down. She let go of the dagger; it fell to the ground with a clunking sound, its once silvery steel painted with blood.
Agnes covered Kaelith's eyes. "Imposterous!" she glared at the maid. "How dare you draw blood in front of me and my child?"
'Mother, you are not a White Lotus for nothing. You sound like you didn't request her to do this, but your silence has been an approval for her action. You are so good at manipulating people's psychology. You purposely dropped the dagger in front of them because you wanted to see what they were capable of doing to survive.'
"Forgive me, my lady, I thought you wanted me… to…" she trailed off. Her eyes trailed over the other dead maid's body.
"I wanted you to draw blood from your palm to swear loyalty. But you killed without batting an eye." Agnes' voice softened, her calculating gaze fixated on her.
"I apologize, my lady." She hit her head on the ground.
A faint smile curled on Agnes' lips. "You just committed a murder in my presence. If I give you to the law…"
"My lady, have mercy," she cried.
Agnes sighed. "If I spare you, that would be unjust to the colleague you just killed." She paused. "If I spare you, what can you do for me?"
'I knew it, White Lotus is always cunning. And remove your hands from my eyes. I have seen and caused more gruesome things than this.' His little hand pried his mother's hands away, but no matter how he tried, his attempt was futile.
"I can swear my loyalty to you," her lips quivered.
"You were just about to do that. What can you do for me that would make me spare you?" she asked again.
The maid's eyes darted around the room in deep thought. "A spy," she muttered. As realization dawned on her, she straightened her back. "I can be your eyes and ears in this palace," she voiced out.
"Just that?"
The maid hesitated for a moment. "I can also become your sword. I'll die for you, my lady."
Agnes' eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "I don't want you to die for me." She looked down at Kaelith. "I want you to die for my son."
Hearing this, the maid nodded her head hastily. "I'll die for your son."
"Good. Plum, you know what to do."
Plum took the dagger from the ground, wiping the blood off the blade before stepping towards the trembling maid. Her face had gone pale, but she didn't move away.
"Hold out your hand," Plum ordered calmly.
The maid obeyed without hesitation, her fingers trembling as she extended her palm. Plum made a precise cut across the skin. Then she murmured an incantation, and the blood shimmered unnaturally before forming a glowing symbol across the maid's wrist.
A small circle with a flame at the center burned into her skin.
The maid winced but didn't dare to pull away. She shut her eyes tightly.
"What is your name?" Agnes asked, her voice smooth like silk, but there was no warmth in it.
"Mariah Flockton," the maid whispered.
As soon as she spoke her name, the glowing symbol ignited, searing into her skin. She gritted her teeth, but a faint cry escaped her lips. The mark glowed once more before fading into her skin like it had always been there.
"Welcome to my household, Mariah," Agnes said casually.
Kaelith rested his chin on his mother's shoulder. 'So her name is Mariah. I wonder how long she will last.'
The room remained quiet after that. Plum dismissed the body of the slain maid, calling in two guards to carry it away. The silence returned, heavy and still.
The next day came with thick clouds and a drizzle of rain outside the windows. Agnes sat in her study, her back straight and her long hair cascading behind her shoulders like a curtain of silk. She was reading a spellbook, flipping the pages slowly, absorbing every word like it was written for her alone.
Kaelith sat on a cushion near the fire, idly spinning a small marble between his fingers. Plum stood behind Agnes, holding a tray with tea and scrolls.
Suddenly, a knock echoed through the quiet room. Plum raised her head. The knock came again, louder this time—insistent.
Plum walked over and opened the door, only for her eyes to widen.
Standing outside was a young maid, drenched from the rain, cradling a newborn baby in her arms. Her uniform was slightly wrinkled, but her posture was bold, almost arrogant.
"You're not expected," Plum said sharply, already moving to close the door.
But the maid stepped forward, forcing her way in. The baby in her arms stretched but didn't cry.
"I'm here under the Emperor's orders," the maid declared, her tone stiff with authority.
Plum narrowed her eyes, but before she could say another word, Agnes spoke from her seat.
"Let her in."
The maid stepped fully inside. Water dripped from her hem onto the marble floor, but she didn't seem to notice. Agnes didn't even look up from her book as she turned another page lazily.
Her voice was calm. "What does the Emperor want from me now?"
The maid straightened her shoulders, her chin slightly tilted in pride. "By His Majesty's command, this child is to be placed in your care."
Agnes raised her eyes slowly from the book. She looked at the maid for the first time, then at the child in her arms.
"A child?" Her voice was barely a whisper, but it carried across the room.
"Yes," the maid said. "A child the Emperor had fathered out of wedlock… with a prostitute."
Kaelith's marble dropped to the floor with a dull clack.
Agnes blinked once, then gently shut her book.
"So, he finally did it." Her words held no surprise, only the faintest trace of amusement. "And what does he want from me?"
The maid stepped forward and offered the child out. "He wants you to adopt the child. Raise it. As your own."
Agnes's eyes didn't even flicker. "And why me?"
"Because no one else has the power, position, or reputation to do so without scandal."
"Ah," Agnes said, leaning back slightly. "So once again, I'm the shield he hides behind."