Chapter 25
Abigail's POV
"Yes," I said, meeting Evelyn's cold gaze without flinching. "I'm certain."
The silence that followed seemed to stretch for hours, though in reality it lasted only a few seconds. The smile on her face remained perfect, like an exquisite mask.
"How touching," she finally said, her voice dripping with mockery. "So fierce over a mere servant. One might almost think you value her more than your own family."
"My family wouldn't torture an innocent person," I shot back.
"Innocent?" Evelyn let out a soft laugh. "The evidence says otherwise, dear. But if you're so convinced of her innocence, then—prove it to me."
My heart seemed to skip a beat. "Fine. Give me time to investigate."
"Investigate?" She raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think you'll find something my guards haven't discovered?"
"The truth," I said flatly. "Something they clearly weren't looking for."
Evelyn's smile stiffened almost imperceptibly. Behind her, a guard shifted uneasily, his hand unconsciously touching his weapon. Autumn tensed beside me, like a string ready to snap at any moment.
Evelyn raised her hand and waved it lightly, stopping the guard's movement.
"Very well," she said slowly. "Since you insist on wasting your time, I might as well be generous. I'll give you three days to prove Orchid's innocence."
Three days. Pitifully little time, but better than nothing at all.
"During these three days," I continued immediately, "Orchid stays in my quarters. No interrogations, no guards torturing her."
Evelyn's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're in no position to make demands, Abigail."
"I'm not making demands," I said. "I'm stating the prerequisites. If you want me to prove her innocence, you must first ensure she's alive. What use is a 'confession' forced from someone who's been beaten so badly she can't even remember what she's accused of doing?"
A brief silence descended between us again. Her jawline was pulled tight, and I could almost see her weighing the pros and cons—refuse now and risk an open confrontation with me, or agree and continue maintaining her facade of reasonableness.
Finally, she nodded, the movement stiff.
"Fine. Three days," she said slowly. "But if you can't produce anything by then... don't blame me for being ruthless."
"I won't need to blame you," I said. "Because I will prove it."
Evelyn's smile bloomed again, cold and triumphant. "Then we'll see, won't we, dear."
She turned to the guards and issued her command. "Open the cell. Let Miss Rodriguez take her precious servant."
A guard stepped forward and produced the keys. His fingers trembled slightly as he unlocked the cell, the keys striking the iron lock with a sharp sound. The rusted hinges let out a piercing shriek as the door was pushed open, and I immediately stepped inside.
Orchid had nearly lost consciousness, curled up on the cold ground, her body trembling slightly from pain and extreme exhaustion. I knelt beside her and carefully reached out to support her shoulders.
"I'm here," I said softly. "Can you still stand?"
She tried to nod, but the slightest movement made her brow furrow in pain. Autumn hurried forward, and we supported her from both sides, using our own strength to bear nearly all her weight. Every step toward the cell door seemed to tear at her wounds, yet she didn't let out even a single moan.
As we passed Evelyn, she leaned in slightly, moving closer, lowering her voice to something only I could hear.
"Don't waste your effort, Abigail," she said softly. "You know how this will all end."
I looked directly at her, my voice equally low. "No. I know how it was supposed to end. But this time, it won't."
She stepped back, making an exaggerated gesture of invitation, as if she were truly being magnanimous.
The climb up from the dungeons felt endless. With each step we ascended, Orchid would gasp quietly from the jolting pain, and by the time we finally reached the top of the stairs, she was almost entirely leaning on us.
The moment we stepped out of the dungeon's shadows, the light outside nearly stung my eyes. The afternoon sun spilled across the courtyard and stone walls, forming an almost cruel contrast with the cold and dampness of the dungeons. I squinted to let my vision adjust to the brightness while readjusting my hold on Orchid as we made our way toward my quarters.
"Almost there," I murmured reassuringly. "Just hold on a little longer."
Orchid's breathing was rapid and shallow, each inhale seeming to drain all her remaining strength. By the time we finally reached my door, Autumn moved ahead to push it open, and we carefully laid Orchid on my bed.
I turned toward the washstand, pouring clean water from the pitcher and pulling out a clean cloth. As I wrung out the cloth, I realized my hands were steadier than I'd expected.
"This might sting a bit," I warned first, then gently wiped the blood from her face.
She couldn't help but flinch, yet still tried her best to remain still. As the blood and grime were gradually cleaned away, the full extent of her injuries became visible—large bruises covering her arms and the sides of her neck, small shallow wounds on her wrists and the backs of her hands, the injuries deliberately controlled to be "painful enough" yet "not disabling."
Classic interrogation tactics, specifically designed to break someone's will while not leaving overly obvious aftereffects.
My jaw unconsciously tightened, the earlier burning fury in my chest cooling and solidifying into something colder and more focused.
"Miss..." Orchid croaked, her voice sounding as if it had been scraped over sandpaper. "I'm sorry. I didn't—"
"Don't," I interrupted her gently but firmly. "This isn't your fault."
"But those things in my room—I don't know how they got there. I swear, I didn't take anything." She explained with desperate urgency.
"I know," I said. "I believe you."
Tears welled up in her eyes, whether from pain or because someone finally believed her. Her voice was barely audible. "Then what do we do?"
"We're going to prove your innocence," I said.
Autumn, who had been quietly standing guard by the door, finally spoke up. "Miss, how do we prove it? The 'evidence' was found in her room. The witness will say whatever Luna wants them to say."
I set down the cloth and turned to face her. "Then we find the holes in their story. Mother said the items went missing three days ago, but she only arrested someone this morning—why wait until today? And who is this witness who so conveniently came forward?"
I looked back at Orchid. "Do you remember anything unusual from three days ago? Anyone who entered your room who wouldn't normally go there?"
Orchid frowned, trying to recall, the movement pulling at her wounds and making her gasp in pain. "I... I can't remember, Miss. I was with you most of that day. When I wasn't with you, I was in the kitchen or helping with the laundry."
"What about your door—do you normally lock it?"
"No, Miss. Servants aren't allowed to lock their doors."
Of course not. That made it all the more convenient for anyone wanting to plant evidence.
I stood up and began pacing the room, my mind rapidly sorting through the timeline of those days. "Autumn," I suddenly stopped. "I need you to find out who that witness is. Be careful—don't let Mother's people notice you're asking about this."
"I know a few servants who don't exactly buy what Luna's selling," Autumn immediately understood. "I'll ask around and see what I can dig up."
"Good. Go now. Stay safe."
She nodded and slipped out silently, deliberately keeping her movements quiet as she closed the door. The room suddenly became quiet, leaving only Orchid and me.