Lilian went for another stroll, and she was quietly relieved that she hadn't encountered the Duke this time during the entire walk.
A small, contented smile curved her lips as she climbed the stairs afterwards, her maids following at a respectful distance behind her.
Halfway, her steps slowed.
When she reached the third corridor, where her chamber was located, her gaze drifted to the staircase leading to the upper level. An unsettling stillness clung to that floor, so empty and untouched, that it felt as though no one had set foot there in years. The air itself seemed abandoned, and for reasons she could not explain, staring at it unsettled her greatly.
Now that she thought about it… during her first day here, was this the floor the Steward told her not to enter without the Duke's permission?
"Is there a reason no one is allowed up there?" Lilian asked her maids, her voice soft but curious.
