Amia's POV
I was woken by a light knock on the door.
For a moment, I remained still, confused, my mind still half lost in sleep. Then I blinked a few times and sat upright, looking around the unfamiliar room.
The worn walls, the dusty fireplace, and the large bed.
It clicked instantly where I was.
The serpent nest.
I quickly got to my feet and walked toward the door. My steps slowed as I reached it, hesitation creeping into my chest. I wasn't sure if opening it was the right thing to do.
Another knock came.
Soft, but firm.
After a short pause, I reached for the handle and opened the door.
My eyes widened in surprise.
A serpent woman stood there, holding a tray filled with food. The warm aroma drifted through the doorway, making my stomach tighten with sudden hunger.
"Pardon me, my lady. I came to bring you food by the order of General Xier," she said politely.
I frowned deeply.
"What?" I asked in disbelief.
"I came here to serve you food, my lady, by the general's orders," she repeated calmly.
I fell silent, my thoughts racing.
Why would a general order someone to bring me food?
Could it have been the man from the study?
My heart gave a small, uncertain beat.
I wanted to ask her questions, whether the general often visited the study or if he was the type to spend time reading.
Or perhaps it had been someone else entirely.
Maybe the man who had shown me kindness wasn't the general at all.
I carefully took the tray from her hands.
"Thank you very much," I said softly before walking back toward the table and setting the tray down.
The scent of warm bread and cooked meat filled the room.
"Um… I am called Amia," I said nervously, turning back toward her.
"And I want to thank you for being kind enough to bring me food."
She hesitated slightly before answering.
"I believe serving you is part of my duty, my lady. That is why I decided to bring you food."
A smile spread across my face.
"What is your name, if you don't mind me asking?" I asked.
"Serai," she replied respectfully.
She then leaned forward slightly, raised her hand, and touched her fingers lightly against her forehead three times.
I stared at her in confusion.
I had absolutely no idea what that gesture meant, and the awkwardness made my shoulders tense.
"Serai, thank you so much for showing such kindness to me, a mere she-wolf," I said sincerely.
I moved to sit down when she gestured gently toward the chair.
"You are not just a mere she-wolf, my lady," Serai said quietly. "You are royalty, the queen of this nest, the one who will soon bear the heir to the lord's throne."
Her words struck deep.
I forced my expression to remain calm, though inside I felt something twist painfully.
Yes.
That was my purpose here.
To give birth and produce an heir.
Nothing more.
Don't show your sadness to a stranger, I reminded myself silently. She may be pretending to be kind while hiding her true intentions.
Life here would not be easy.
If anything, I suspected I would be forced again and again to produce a child.
The thought made my chest ache.
But I had to survive.
For Cassidy.
My gaze shifted toward the tray of food, yet an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach.
"Is something bothering you, my lady?" Serai asked, raising a brow.
I looked at her, then at the food again, before shaking my head.
Still, the doubt lingered.
The lord clearly cared little about me. I had been placed in an abandoned room with old clothes in the wardrobe.
And now this food…
A dangerous thought crossed my mind.
Could it be poisoned?
"My lady, forgive me for saying this, but you seem troubled," Serai said gently.
Her voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Um… it's just that…" I trailed off while reaching slowly for a fork.
"Forgive me, I almost forgot," she suddenly said.
Before I could react, she picked up another fork and calmly took a bite of the food from my plate.
After chewing, she placed the fork back down and smiled slightly.
"I almost forgot to taste it for you, in case it was poisoned."
My face burned with embarrassment.
She knew exactly what I was thinking.
"Thank you," I murmured quietly.
I began eating slowly.
The food was warm and rich, far better than anything I had eaten in a very long time.
Between bites, I glanced at Serai, expecting her to leave.
But she remained standing nearby, watching quietly.
"Um… Serai," I said carefully.
"Yes, my lady?"
"Do you happen to know who has white hair in the nest?"
Her expression didn't change, but I quickly raised my hand.
"It's just a random question. Please don't think too much about it."
My mind drifted back to the man in the study.
His broad shoulders.
The calm way he sat.
"Well… my lady," Serai said slowly, "a few of our males have white hair like our lord. It is a rare trait among those of higher rank."
I nodded thoughtfully.
"Among them, who is most likely to spend their time in the study or library?" I asked.
Her eyes widened.
"You mean the private study?" she asked sharply. "My lady… did you go there?"
Her face turned pale.
My heart skipped.
I quickly shook my head.
"No! Of course not," I said with a nervous laugh.
"I'm glad you didn't," she said quickly. "The private study is usually off-limits to everyone except the oracle, our lord, and General Xier."
I smiled thoughtfully.
"So besides the lord, do the other two have silver-white hair?" I asked.
"Yes," she answered slowly. "Why?"
I quickly shook my head and focused back on my food.
So it was one of them.
Either the oracle…
Or the general.
One of them had been the man who gave me the cookies.
A small warmth spread in my chest at the thought.
One day, I hoped I could thank him properly.
"Serai," I said quietly.
"Yes, my lady."
"I want to ask you for a favor."
"Anything, my lady."
"Is there a way you could bring me cleaning equipment?"
She froze.
"Cleaning equipment?"
I blinked.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"My lady… most of the equipment in this palace is enchanted by magic wielders. They are not like the ones you might be used to," she explained carefully. "They can be… difficult to operate."
I frowned slightly.
"Can't I learn how to use them?"
She hesitated.
Just as she was about to answer, a faint hiss came from outside the door.
Serai's entire body stiffened.
Her eyes darted toward the tray of food.
"I'm sorry, my lady, I must excuse myself," she said quickly.
"If news of me serving you reaches her ladyship Rachel, I will..."
She abruptly stopped speaking, covering her mouth.
"Her ladyship Rachel?" I repeated curiously.
"Um… forget I said anything, my lady," she said quickly.
I stood up.
"Serai, that wasn't silly. Please tell me, who is Lady Rachel?"
She looked visibly conflicted.
"Lady Rachel… um…"
She hesitated for a long moment.
Then suddenly, she shook her head firmly.
"Forgive me," she whispered.
Before I could stop her, she grabbed the tray and hurried toward the door. Her tail pushed it open, and she slipped out quickly.
The door shut behind her.
Silence filled the room again.
I stood there, staring at the empty doorway.
My mind raced with questions.
Who was Lady Rachel?
And why had the mere mention of her name frightened Serai so much?