Chapter 10 The Whispering Servants

Leo stood just inside the doorway of Bella’s sitting room, his gaze fixed on the floor. The morning sun was trying to peek through the thick curtains, but Bella had ordered them drawn shut hours ago. She did not want the light coming in. She said the light made her eyes burn.

Across the room, two older maids were quietly sweeping the rug near the fireplace, speaking to each other in low, hushed tones. They were just talking about the weekly laundry, their voices completely normal.

Suddenly, Bella snapped her head toward them. Her silver hair flew over her shoulders, her emerald eyes widening with absolute panic.

"Stop it!" Bella shrieked, slamming her teacup onto the small side table. The tea sloshed over the rim, staining the white lace cloth. "What are you saying about me? Why are you whispering in my presence?"

The two older maids instantly dropped their brooms, their faces turning completely white as they fell to their knees. "Nothing, my lady! We were only discussing the linens!"

"You are liars!" Bella screamed, her voice cracking with a terrifying amount of fear. She clutched the sides of her head, her breath coming in fast, shallow gasps. "I can hear you! You look at me and then you whisper. You are planning to leave the side doors unlocked tonight, aren't you? You want them to come back into my room!"

Leo stepped forward, his heart heavy with guilt. This was the mental decline the system had warned him about. Her mind was breaking, twisting every small sound into a plot to end her life. "Lady Bella," Leo said softly, trying to draw her attention away from the terrified servants. "They are just doing their daily chores. Nobody is talking about you."

"Shut up, Leo!" she yelled, turning her wild glare onto him. "You always defend them! You are blind! They want me dead, all of them!"

Before Leo could answer, the door opened and a young maid named Mina stepped inside, carrying a fresh basin of water. Mina was young, maybe sixteen, and she was already trembling from the loud shouting echoing through the room. As she walked past Bella’s chair, her foot caught on the edge of the rug.

Mina gasped, stumbling forward. The basin slipped from her hands, and cold water splashed heavily across the floor, soaking the hem of Bella's long dress.

The room went dead silent.

Mina scrambled backward on her hands and knees, sobbing instantly. "I am sorry! I am so sorry, Lady Bella! My foot slipped, I didn't mean to—"

"You tried to drown my feet in poison!" Bella roared, standing up so fast her chair tipped backward onto the floor. She pointed a shaking, pale finger down at the crying girl. "It's a trap! She wanted to make the floor slippery so I would fall and break my neck! Leo! Take her out to the courtyard and execute her right now!"

Leo froze. His stomach turned over. "My lady, she just tripped. It was a simple accident."

"It was not an accident!" Bella shrieked, tears of pure terror spilling down her cheeks. She grabbed Leo's arm, her small fingers digging into his metal sleeve with surprising strength. "She is one of them, Leo! If you don't kill her, she will come back tonight with a knife! Do your job! Kill her!"

Mina let out a loud, miserable wail, bowing her head to the wet floor. "Please, guard! Please don't kill me! I have a mother to take care of!"

Leo looked from the sobbing maid to Bella's desperate, broken face. He knew he couldn't kill an innocent girl. But if he refused directly, Bella would completely lose the last bit of her sanity, or she might call the guard captain, which would get Mina killed anyway and ruin his position. He had to be smart. He had to play along with the delusion to save the girl.

"Lady Bella, look at me," Leo said, his deep voice carrying a firm, calm authority. He gently placed his hand over hers, forcing her to let go of his arm. "You are completely right to be suspicious. It was a very strange time to drop that water."

Bella blinked, her breathing slowing down just a fraction as she listened to him. "You... you see it too?"

"Yes," Leo lied smoothly, keeping his face totally serious. "But if I execute her here, her partners inside the estate will know we are on to them. They will change their plans, and we won't be able to catch the leader."

Bella’s eyes darted around the room, her paranoid mind absorbing his words. "The leader... Yes, someone is paying her."

"Exactly," Leo said, nodding slowly. "Let me drag her down to the underground cells myself. I will lock her in the deepest room where she cannot speak to anyone. I will question her all night until she tells me who sent her. That way, we keep you safe and we find the real enemy."

Mina looked up, her eyes wide with terror, but Leo gave her a tiny, barely visible nod.

Bella stood there for a long moment, her chest heaving as she thought it over. The sheer exhaustion of her own madness seemed to drain her strength, and she sank back down against the edge of the table. "Yes... yes, lock her away. Don't let her near my food. Don't let her near my doors."

"I will take care of it personally," Leo said. He walked over to Mina, gripping her arm firmly but making sure not to hurt her. "Get up. You are coming with me."

He dragged Mina out of the room and down the long corridor, closing the heavy doors behind them. The moment they were three hallways away from Bella's quarters, Leo let go of the girl's arm.

Mina collapsed against the wall, shaking violently as she wiped her tears. "Are you... are you going to torture me, sir?"

"No, Mina," Leo said quietly, looking around to make sure no other guards were watching. "Listen to me carefully. You need to gather your things and leave the estate right now. Go to the outer village and stay with your family. If anyone asks, tell them I banished you from the house."

Mina blinked through her tears, totally confused. "But... Lady Bella said—"

"Lady Bella is very sick right now," Leo interrupted softly, his voice full of a deep, sorrowful pain. "She isn't herself. I am saving your life, Mina. Now run before someone else sees you."

Mina stared at him for a second, then nodded quickly. "Thank you, sir. Thank you." She turned and ran down the servants' stairs as fast as she could.

Leo stood alone in the quiet hallway, leaning his head against the stone wall. He felt completely drained. He had saved the maid, but he knew this was only a temporary fix. Bella’s mind was slipping further into the dark every single day, and the real dangers hadn't even arrived yet. He had to find a way to heal her soul before her fear completely consumed them both.