~Lydia's POV~
I caught Maribel just as she slipped past the kitchen archway, her tray balanced with fresh linens and a pitcher of water. I grabbed her wrist hard enough that the pitcher wobbled. She gasped, eyes wide, already knowing what was coming.
I pulled her into the narrow alcove behind the tapestry, where the light barely reached and the voices from the main hall sounded far away. My fingers dug in until I felt her pulse jump under my thumb.
"Keep doing it," I whispered, leaning close so only she could hear. "Every time you bring Serah her blood ration, mix in the poison. Same dose, and the child finds a way to slip just one drop into his milk, just one tiny drop. That's all it takes."
Maribel's face went pale, the color draining so fast I thought she might faint right there. "My lady… if Lord Jethro finds out I poisoned his own son, he'll tear me apart. He'll kill me slowly. Please—"
