Liora brought her hands up to tie her hair, but the motion pulled at her bruises.
"Ouch..." she winced and quickly lowered her arms, giving up.
Beatrice snorted without sympathy. "You're wincing, yet still insisting on helping? What, are you trying to frame me for overworking the concubine now?" She narrowed her eyes at Liora, but the teasing in her tone softened the bite.
Even though Beatrice knew what task Liora was meant to carry out, orders from the Queen Dowager herself, she still waited for the girl to confirm.
"It's just a little pain," Liora insisted, her voice low but steady. "Tell me, Madam. What's the work"?
Beatrice hummed thoughtfully. "Let's see. I won't have you cleaning with those arms. But since you're feeling so very good," she looked at Liora with mock skepticism, "why don't you look after Master Lucien instead?"
Liora's face paled instantly.
In the morning, there had been others around… But going to him alone?
