~LENORA'S POV
The scent of polish clung to the air, mixed with damp linen and the faint metallic tang of the bucket I dragged across the marble floor.
The handle scraped softly each time it hit a seam in the stone, the sound loud enough to make me wince even though no one commented on it.
I had grown used to cleaning in silence, but what I had not grown used to was being watched.
I knelt near the fireplace in Lord Ashford's chambers, scrubbing the lower stonework carefully, aware of three pairs of eyes tracking my movement.
It was exhausting to be observed while pretending not to notice.
My shoulders felt tight from days of poor sleep, and my hands were rough from constant washing.
"Must you scrub that corner so thoroughly?" Lord Ashford asked mildly from where he reclined near the window, a book resting open in his lap.
His voice carried the bored patience of someone accustomed to being obeyed.
"It collects soot, my lord," I replied without lifting my head.
