Chapter 61 THE SECOND MESSAGE

Chapter 61 THE SECOND MESSAGE
Lina

The linen room felt too small.
Lina stood frozen beside the wooden table, staring at the folded piece of paper the stranger had left behind. It rested there innocently among the stacks of neatly folded cloth, as if it belonged there.
But to her it looked heavier than stone.
Her hands trembled.
“I can’t do this again,” she whispered.
But even as the words left her mouth, she knew they carried no power. The stranger had made it very clear that refusing wasn’t really an option.
Her brother.
The thought of him tightened her chest painfully.
Samuel had always protected her when they were children. When their parents died, he had been the one who found work at the docks to support them both. He worked long hours lifting cargo, unloading ships, doing whatever was necessary to keep them fed.
And now someone was threatening his life.
Just to force her to carry messages.
Lina slowly sank into the small wooden chair beside the table.
“How did I get into this?” she murmured.
She had only worked at the estate for two months. Before that she had been a housemaid in a merchant family’s home in the capital. It had been a quieter life, but when she heard the Duke’s estate was hiring, she thought it might be a chance to earn better wages.
A fresh start.
Now it felt like the worst decision she had ever made.
Her eyes moved back to the folded paper.
The stranger had said it was another message.
Another secret.
Another trap.
Her fingers hovered over it.
For a moment she considered leaving it there. Pretending she never saw it. Pretending the stranger had never come.
But she knew he would return.
And if the message wasn’t delivered…
Samuel would suffer the consequences.
Her throat tightened.
“Just deliver it,” she whispered to herself. “Then it will be over.”
But deep down she knew that wasn’t true either.
People like that stranger didn’t stop after two favors.
They kept asking for more.
Still, she slowly reached forward and picked up the paper.
It felt light in her hands.
Too light for something that carried so much danger.
She unfolded it carefully.
Her eyes scanned the short message written in sharp, precise handwriting.
The preparations must continue.
The Duchess must attend the council gathering.
Ensure the estate does not interfere.
Further instructions will follow.
Lina blinked.
“That’s it?” she whispered.
She read the message again.
The words made little sense to her.
Preparations for what?
Why did the Duchess have to attend the council gathering?
And what did it mean for the estate not to interfere?
None of it seemed like something a maid should be involved in.
But clearly someone believed she was useful.
She folded the message again and slipped it into the pocket of her apron.
Her hands still shook.
“I just have to deliver it,” she told herself.
“Just like last time.”
But last time had already caused trouble.
The Duke had noticed something.
He had questioned her directly.
His calm voice echoed in her memory.
If anyone approaches you again… you will come directly to me.
The thought made her stomach twist.
Because part of her wanted to do exactly that.
To walk straight to the Duke and tell him everything.
About the stranger.
About the threats.
About the letters.
But the moment she imagined Samuel working at the docks…
She knew she couldn’t risk it.
Not yet.
Lina stood slowly.
She smoothed her apron, picked up the basket of linens again, and walked to the door.
Before opening it, she paused.
“What if someone sees me?”
The servant corridors were usually quiet, but the estate was large. There were always people moving between rooms, kitchens, and storage areas.
Still…
The message had to go to the same place as before.
The small wooden mailbox hidden behind the west wing staircase.
It was meant for private deliveries within the estate.
Most of the staff rarely used it.
Which was probably why whoever planned this had chosen it.
Lina opened the door carefully and stepped into the hallway.
The corridor was empty.
She began walking.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
At every corner she paused to listen.
At every doorway she glanced around nervously.
The estate that once felt welcoming now felt like a maze of watchful eyes.
She passed two other maids near the laundry room.
“Morning, Lina,” one of them said cheerfully.
“Morning,” Lina replied quickly.
She kept walking before they could notice how pale she looked.
The west wing staircase finally came into view.
Her heart began pounding harder.
The mailbox was hidden behind a narrow wooden panel in the wall beside the stairs. It looked like nothing more than part of the paneling unless someone knew where to look.
Lina approached slowly.
No one was nearby.
She shifted the linen basket to one arm and reached behind the panel.
Her fingers found the small latch.
She hesitated.
“This is wrong,” she whispered.
But Samuel’s face flashed in her mind again.
Her hand moved.
The latch clicked quietly.
The panel opened.
Inside was the small wooden slot used for internal messages.
She removed the folded paper from her apron.
Her hand trembled as she slid it into the slot.
The message disappeared into the darkness.
It was done.
Lina closed the panel quickly and stepped away from the wall.
Her breathing was uneven.
“I delivered it,” she murmured.
But relief didn’t come.
Instead she felt something worse.
A growing sense that the situation was spiraling out of control.
Because now she had helped deliver two secret messages.
And she still had no idea who was receiving them.
Or what they were planning.
Suddenly footsteps echoed from the nearby corridor.
Lina jumped slightly.
She quickly picked up the linen basket and pretended to adjust the folded cloth inside.
The footsteps grew closer.
Then a familiar voice spoke.
“Lina.”
Her heart nearly stopped.
She turned slowly.
Ace stood at the end of the corridor.
Watching her.
His expression was calm.
But his eyes were sharp.
“Yes… Your Grace?” she said nervously.
He walked toward her.
“What are you doing here?”
“Delivering linens,” she replied quickly.
Ace glanced briefly at the staircase.
Then back at her.
“I see.”
The silence stretched for several seconds.
Lina felt sweat forming on her palms.
Did he know?
Had he seen her open the panel?
Ace finally spoke again.
“You look pale.”
“I’m fine, Your Grace.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
His gaze lingered on her face.
“You seem nervous.”
“I… I just have a lot of work today.”
Ace studied her carefully.
For a moment Lina was certain he could hear her heart pounding.
Then he nodded slightly.
“Very well.”
Relief washed through her chest.
She started to step past him.
But his voice stopped her again.
“Lina.”
She froze.
“Yes, Your Grace?”
“If someone approaches you again…”
Her breath caught.
“…you will tell me immediately.”
Her voice barely came out.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Ace held her gaze for another moment.
Then he stepped aside.
“You may go.”
Lina hurried down the corridor, trying not to run.
Only when she turned the next corner did she finally exhale.
But she couldn’t shake the terrible feeling that Ace hadn’t fully believed her.
And if he started investigating the message slot behind the staircase…
He might discover everything.
Meanwhile, in the quiet corridor behind her…
Ace remained standing near the staircase.
His eyes slowly moved toward the wooden panel in the wall.
He hadn’t seen Lina open it.
But he had noticed something else.
Fear.
Real fear.
And that usually meant someone was pulling the strings from the shadows.
Ace walked slowly toward the wall.
His fingers brushed the edge of the hidden panel.
Then he quietly opened it.
Inside the slot…
A single folded message rested in the darkness.
Ace removed it carefully.
And as he unfolded the paper and read the words…
His expression hardened.
Because the message confirmed something he had begun to suspect.
The plot against Selene was already in motion.
And someone inside the estate was helping it happen.