The next day.
"It's almost noon. Why aren't they here yet?" Catherine muttered to herself. She sat in her chair, chin resting on one hand, her lips pursed into a pout as she stared at the shadows in the corner of her room.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The sudden sound made Catherine's heart skip a beat. She jolted upright, then rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Come in!"
Creeeeak...
The maid pushed the door open, quickly closing it behind her before rushing toward Catherine, panting heavily. "M-Miss! It's bad! It's terrible!"
"Stop," Catherine frowned. "Take a breath, then tell me what happened."
Huff... puff...
The maid took two deep breaths and whispered urgently, "Miss, there are a dozen more knights outside your door. Are they... are they forcing the wedding early?"
"What?" Catherine's face paled. "You're saying there are more knights outside?"
Girrkk!
She lunged to her feet and yanked the door open. Where there had once been four knights, there were now twelve, with several more standing further down the hall.
"Is it possible...?" Catherine's face went white. A terrifying thought struck her: Was Jones discovered?
Slam!!
She slammed the door shut, leaving the guards outside blinking in confusion. They had been bracing themselves to block her if she tried to run, but she had only taken one look at them before retreating.
"Quick, tell me—was there any commotion last night? Did they catch anyone?" Catherine gripped the maid's shoulders, her eyes wide with panic.
"No, nothing like that," The maid stammered, startled by Catherine's intensity. "I haven't heard of anyone being caught."
"Thank God..." Catherine let out a long breath of relief. As long as Jones hadn't been captured, everything was okay.
"Miss, what's going on?"
"Nothing," Catherine shook her head, though her mind was still racing. She gave the maid a sharp look. "Go back out and keep your ears open. Find out if anything unusual happened in the manor last night."
"Yes, Miss."
Meanwhile, in the Duke's study, Kerrac was reviewing intelligence reports while his eldest son, Tove, stood by his side.
"So, you didn't catch the intruder?" Kerrac asked, his voice booming with authority as he set down a sheet of high-quality paper.
"Father, she was too slippery. We followed her for two blocks, but then we lost her," Tove said, gritting his teeth in frustration. "However, based on her silhouette and movements, it was definitely a woman."
The security at the Duke's manor was incredibly tight, especially around Catherine's chambers. To prevent her from escaping, they had elevated the guard level to be almost on par with the Duke's own security.
"I told you to increase the guards around Catherine today. Is it done?" Kerrac asked calmly.
"Yes. If that woman dares to return, we will catch her," Tove said firmly.
"Why do you think she broke into Catherine's room?" Kerrac asked, testing his son.
"Maybe... a friend? Someone coming to visit her?" Tove ventured.
"No." Kerrac narrowed his eyes, his expression cold. "Catherine is not resigned to her fate. Keep a close eye on her. Search every maid that enters or leaves her room. I'm sending two more matrons to watch her 24/7."
He knew his daughter too well; her emotions were written all over her face. She had spent months half-dead with grief, but after that mysterious visitor last night, she had suddenly started eating again.
The only thing that could cause such a shift was hope—likely a plan to elope.
At lunchtime, the maid carried a tray toward Catherine's room, only to find two stern-looking, middle-aged matrons blocking the doorway.
"Who are you?" The maid asked, startled.
"The Master sent us to help. You need to be searched before you enter," One of the matrons said flatly.
"Give me the tray. Once we've checked you, you can go in."
"You... fine." The maid bit her lip and allowed the woman to pat her down. Finding nothing, they handed back the tray and allowed her inside.
Creeeeak...
"Ugh, how annoying!" The maid hissed as she set the tray down and closed the door.
"Well? What did you find?" Catherine asked eagerly.
"Nothing, Miss. Last night was quiet as usual," The maid said, trying to soothe her.
"Really?" Catherine frowned. If nothing happened, why the sudden increase in security?
"Miss, someone searched me at the door just now," The maid complained.
Catherine froze. Her face turned pale. Jones had been spotted—there was no other reason for them to start searching the staff.
This is it. It's over, Catherine thought, sinking into her chair. If the security was this tight, Lucas's rescue mission would be impossible.
"Miss, please eat," The maid said, setting out the food. Seeing Catherine's despair, she tried to find a topic of conversation. "The cook in the kitchen was being so strange today. He claimed this lunch was prepared using 'Sedona City culinary techniques.' He was bragging like he was some master, not realizing we've actually been to Sedona City! The nerve of some people."
"Wait... Sedona City techniques?" Catherine's eyes snapped open.
She remembered Nicole once telling her that Sedona's recipes were a strictly guarded secret. Could it be...?
She grabbed her chopsticks and began frantically digging through the lunch. After flipping over a large steak, she noticed a slit in the side. Inside the meat was a tiny, sealed bamboo tube.
Catherine's heart hammered against her ribs.
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