Chapter 51

I couldn't recall when my tears had lulled me into sleep the night before, but the tapping on the door jolted me into wakefulness. My eyes, still heavy with traces of sorrow, fluttered open as a maid entered, her footsteps light against the polished floor.

She greeted me with a genuine smile, a warmth that I hadn't encountered for a long while. Surprised, I found myself reciprocating the gesture. It had been an eternity since someone had extended a true, sincere kindness towards me. In this world of shadows and deceit, genuine emotions were as rare as a summer breeze in the heart of winter.

The memory of past encounters flashed through my mind. Those around me had worn smiles as mere masks, a façade to conceal their underlying fear. They had acted politely, not out of genuine kindness, but driven by the dread of my relation with Carmine. I had grown accustomed to the superficial gestures of those who surrounded me. The genuine smile from the maid stirred something within me.

She told m