~Serah POV~
I walked through the quiet garden path the next evening, enjoying the cool air on my skin after a long day. Silas slept peacefully in my arms, wrapped in a soft blanket. The naming ceremony had brought a strange kind of peace to the palace, but I still felt watchful, as if something in the air felt off, like eyes were always following me.
Near the old stone wall by the side gate, I spotted two figures standing close together in the shadows. One was clearly Lydia and the other was a young rogue servant I had seen around the palace before. They spoke in low voices, heads bent toward each other as Lydia's hand rested on his arm as she whispered something urgent.
I stepped closer without thinking. "What is going on here?"
Lydia turned sharply and for a moment her face showed surprise, then it smoothed coldly. "Can't I speak to whoever I want now? Must every conversation now go through the queen?"
