Newton was still seated in the tub with closed eyes when the sound of the door opening caught his attention. He shot his eyes open craning his neck to the door’s direction and found Jade smiling sheepishly at him. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

" I should have knocked. I’m sorry, " she said her gaze fixated on his half naked body before it darted everywhere else but him.

"You should have certainly," he said making her flinch in embarrassment. Was she that shameless that she burged into a man’s, no, a king’s bathroom anyhowly? Courtesy demanded that she knock at least!

"What do you want?" He asked curtly. If there was anything that angered Newton, then it was a scheming woman. Whatever her plans were for Griffin, he’d definitely find it out, soon.

Jade was surprised by his attitude towards her these last two days but she didn’t show it. Her face remained as calm and unreadable as before, perfecting in the art of drama. A quick glance at the mirror made her sigh softly. She had thought her disguise had fallen. Little did she know the man in front of her was way better in this field.

"I wanted to ask why your knights are restricting me to visit the princess, Your Majesty," she added pleasantly expecting a reaction from him but he remained as still as stone, not even batting his eyes. This was not the Griffin she knew. He was different, completely different!

"That is a royal matter My Lady. I’m afraid I can’t give the details," Newton said before he stood up, completely naked, his calculating gaze never leaving her. He could see how hard she swallowed trying her best to stare everywhere else but him. He chuckled darkly at that, wrapping a towel around his body. He slipped his feet in the sandals by the tub and took another towel now drying his dump hair.

"You can leave," he said when he noticed her still staring at the wall, immobile. He could see her nod lightly before she walked out of the room, her cheeks flushed red like a rose flower in full bloom. Rolling his eyes after she had left, he picked a golden robe, one that Griffin liked wearing during special occasions and slipped into it. He smiled imagining the range on his face if he found out about this.

Jade literally ran out of the room headed nowhere in particular. All she wanted was to be far away from that shameless jerk. She knew he was shameless but standing in front of her, naked at that! Shameless was in fact an understatement. But she had herself to blame. She was the one who walked into his bathroom in the first place, so what did she expect? To find him eating? Don’t be ridiculous, she scolded her being. Seeing a man’s nakedness was not in her wish list.

And why the hell did he instruct the knights to block anyone’s entry into Isadora’s room? Was she in danger? The thought alone made her heart skip a beat. She had lost her sister and she was not planning to lose her child as well. She had to find out what had happened to Isadora. But how? He said it was a royal matter. She rolled her eyes remembering how he emphasized the word royal.

A maid carrying a tray of food passed by lighting an idea in her foggy mind.

"Hey excuse me lady?" She called. The maid turned around and bowed slightly when she saw who it was.

"Greetings my lady," she curtsied, her ponytail dancing in rhythm with her movement.

"Do you happen to have visited the princess’s room?" Jade digged.

"No my Lady," the maid said, noticing a frown on her face. "But I happen to be taking these there," she said lifting the tray.

A spark of hope flashed across Jade’s face. This was one golden opportunity she was not going to waste.

"Maybe I can help," she offered, smiling at the already fazed maid.

"Thank you My Lady but I’ll get punished if the head maid finds out. I’m sorry," she said looking equally apologetic.

"You won’t get punished, I’ll see to it. Besides, I’ll say I’m the one who ordered you to do it, mmh?" She asked, coercing the poor soul.

"It’s fine but..."

"I’ll give you thirty pieces of gold in addition to having your job protected," she offered the betrayal amount. This was one golden opportunity no maid would miss. It would take her like a whole year to save up to that amount.

"That’s great!" She said, her voice filled with exhilaration. No sane maid would turn down such an offer just for this menial task. "Take it already," she said, handing the tray to Jade. A frown settled on her face when she saw it contained cold water and a towel. What the hell was the meaning of this? She had thought it would be food or something else but this...

"What is the towel and water for?"

"Oh about that. The towel is for cleaning the princess and the water too. I guess she has a fever," the maid hurriedly explained, thrilled by the fact that she was going to get rich soon.

"Oh, okay. You’ll get your pay once I’m out of the princess’s room, okay?"

"That’s fine. I’ll be waiting for you in the kitchen," she said and walked off the hallway grinning from ear to ear.

Jade shook her head lightly staring at the tray. Fever! Why would the king restrict people to see the princess because of a fever. That was ridiculous but she had to find it out herself.

She searched the hallways for a soul and when she was certain there was none, she disguised herself as the same maid who had just left. It would be easier to visit Isadora’s room undetected this way.

Her grip tightened around the tray before she walked straight into Isadora’s room but the knights blocked her entry as usual.

"What is your business here?" One of them asked in a gruff voice.

"I have been sent to deliver this to the maid inside," she said. The knights looked at each other before nodding at her to get in.