"What is the lore about him?" Shiqi repeated slowly, her voice measured, as the maids kneeling before her exchanged uneasy glances.
No one answered.
The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable. Shiqi's fingers tightened around the whip in her hand. With a sharp movement, she struck it against the floor. The crack echoed through the room, loud enough to make several of the maids flinch.
"Just because I don't whip you," she said coldly, "doesn't mean I won't." Her gaze swept over them one by one. "Answer me. All of you are from outside this place. You serve the guests. You hear things others don't. Are you telling me you know nothing about Lord Aron?"
Still, no one spoke. Heads remained bowed. Hands trembled where they rested on the floor.
Shiqi clicked her tongue in irritation. "Who is serving him this time?" she asked sharply.
Again, silence.
