The Book Had Changed

Nora had always loathed bedrest.

Being confined, being treated like fragile glass—it reminded her too much of her childhood, of the countless days spent trapped within the walls of her chambers, listening to the world move on without her.

She despised it even more now.

Her usual doctor had come earlier in the morning, a greying old man with a perpetually disapproving frown named Leonard. He had examined her, muttering under his breath about exhaustion, stress, and how pushing herself would only make things worse.

"You must rest, Your Grace," Leonard had said firmly. "Your body is under immense strain. If you continue this way, your health may decline even further."

Caspian, standing stiffly beside the bed, had listened intently. His arms were crossed, his expression unreadable, but the way his fingers tightened against his sleeves told her that he was taking every word seriously.

"Ensure that nothing agitates her," the doctor continued, turning to Caspian as if he were the only one capable of making such a decision. "She needs peace, calmness—nothing that will stir her emotions too much."

A humorless thought curled in Nora's mind.

Nothing that will stir my emotions?

Hard to achieve with serpents lurking in her own backyard.

Caspian had only nodded, thanking the doctor before sending him on his way.

Now, as the afternoon sunlight filtered through her bedroom curtains, Nora lay in bed, staring up at the canopy with a deep, simmering frustration.

Peace? Calmness? Impossible.

Her mind refused to settle. Not when questions burned inside her; not when she knew something wasn't right.

With a slow inhale, she turned her head toward the nightstand.

The book.

It sat there, untouched since last night, its leather cover mocking her.

She hesitated for only a moment before reaching for it. Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened it, flipping through the crisp pages until she landed on Chapter Fifteen.

The chapter that confirmed her deepest fears, the deceit, the betrayal, the hidden world he had built right beneath her nose.

She had read it so many times that she could recite it word for word. But tonight, as her eyes traced the lines once more, something caught her attention.

He had taken them to the city—to the lantern-lit streets filled with music and laughter, where the air smelled of roasted chestnuts and spiced wine. He had carried the child on his shoulders, had smiled at Lacey like she was the only woman in the world, had spent the night giving them the kind of life that should have belonged to her.

Nora's stomach twisted as she read through the passage again, her nausea returning with a vengeance.

And yet—

There. Now there was something new.

A small, insignificant line tucked near the end of the chapter.

One that hadn't been there before.

"Caspian cut the evening short, departing from Lacey and the child sooner than planned after receiving urgent news that the Duchess had collapsed."

Nora's breath caught.

Her hands tightened around the edges of the book as she read it again. Her eyes flickered across the sentence, over and over and over, as if expecting it to disappear. It hadn't been there before, that much she was sure of.

In the novel, Caspian had spent the entire night with Lacey. He hadn't left early.

But now—

Now the book had changed.

She read further, her eyes scanning the text until another detail made her jaw clench.

Lacey.

Even that woman had been concerned.

"Lacey bit her lip, concern flickering in her eyes as she turned to Caspian. 'Is she alright?' she asked hesitantly. 'I know things between you are... complicated, but she is still your wife.'"

Nora snapped the book shut, her stomach churning with fury.

She didn't want Lacey's concern.

Did Lacey pity her? Did she feel guilt?

The thought of it made Nora sick. She pressed a hand to her forehead, breathing heavily.

This book—it wasn't just telling her what was supposed to happen.

It was watching her.

Changing with her.

A chill ran down her spine, but she refused to dwell on it.

There was something more important nagging at her. Something that didn't add up.

Caspian.

How had he managed to sneak out so easily?

She had lived in this manor for years. She knew its every hallway, every creaky floorboard. For him to have slipped away unnoticed, he would have needed help.

A carriage, a driver, three sets of commoners' clothing—That wasn't something he could have done alone.

Which meant….

Someone in this household had helped him.

A servant. Or perhaps more than one.

Nora's nails dug into the bedsheets. Her own servants. It could even be the ones closest to her.

The people who were supposed to serve her—the true Duchess—had betrayed her, had sided with her husband's mistress.

A slow, sharp anger coiled in her chest.

I will find out who.

No matter what it takes.

As if summoned by her thoughts, a knock came at the door before Ruth and Lillian stepped inside, carrying a tray of tea and light food.

"My lady," Ruth said gently, setting the tray down. "You should rest a bit longer."

"You had us worried," Lillian added, folding her hands in front of her apron. "You're always so intent on pushing yourself; it's worrisome."

Nora offered them a weak smile, as if she weren't calculating her next move. A part of her felt guilty for having her guard up around her two most trusted servants, but the knowledge that someone, anyone, was no longer on her side jaded her more than she cared to admit.

"I must have overexerted myself," she said, taking the teacup Ruth handed her. She let a moment of silence stretch between them before adding, "I suppose it was fortunate that the Duke was informed quickly."

Lillian perked up at the mention of Caspian. "Oh, yes! His Grace was beside himself when he heard. He rushed back as soon as he could."

Nora took a careful sip of her tea, watching Lillian's expression. "Who told him?" she asked, feigning mild curiosity. "I don't recall sending anyone."

Lillian blinked, looking mildly surprised by the question. "I did, Your Grace."

Nora tilted her head. "You?"

"I couldn't find the Duke myself," Lillian admitted. "I checked his study first, thinking he might still be working, but he wasn't there. Since I didn't want to waste time searching, I went straight to the butler and asked him to relay the news. He would have known where to find the Duke, after all."

Of course, the butler would have known where Caspian was; why hadn't she thought of that? He was in charge of everything that went on in the manor and could be considered a bit of an overseer.

"How odd," Nora murmured, setting down her teacup. "I wonder where he was."

Ruth and Lillian exchanged glances, clearly unsure whether she was asking them directly.

"Perhaps he had already retired for the evening?" Ruth suggested.

"Perhaps," Nora echoed, though she wasn't convinced. "And who else was awake at that hour? I imagine only a few of the night staff were still working."

"Oh, yes," Lillian said, nodding. "Most of the household had already gone to bed, but a few of the kitchen staff were still cleaning up from dinner. And of course, the night guards were still on duty. The butler, naturally, was still awake—he's always the last to sleep."

Nora tapped her fingers lightly against the armrest of her chair. The butler. Carrington, a man who had worked at the manor since before she was even born.

He had been the one to find Caspian, which meant he knew where Caspian had been that night, and it was very likely he had been the one to help Caspian leave the manor undetected. He knew about Lacey.

Nora's chest tightened. Would Caspian truly have been able to keep Lacey and a young child out of sight alone? It was very unlikely, even if he made up the story about the nanny and sealed off an entire wing of the manor. Something would have slipped through the cracks.

Was Carrington loyal to her, or to Caspian?

She had always assumed his allegiance lay with the household as a whole, but now she was starting to wonder. If he had been covering for Caspian, how much more had he hidden from her?