Chapter 10: Lucian, the Ice Prince

The air in the Vasiliev mansion was always cold, but that evening it felt icier than usual. Anne was kneeling on the foyer floor, her fingers numb as she tried to wipe up the spilled wine stain on the gold-threaded embroidered carpet.

-You are useless! -Mrs. Petrovna, the housekeeper, her voice cutting like a whip, bellowed.

Anna gritted her teeth and lowered her head. She had learned that answering only made things worse.

-Do you know how much this carpet costs? More than you'll ever be worth in your entire life," the woman continued, stomping her feet on the floor near her.

The murmurs of the other maids scattered like a poisoned breeze. They knew what was coming next. Anne knew it too. The rule in the mansion was clear: mistakes had consequences. And just as the punishment was about to fall, a slow, icy voice broke the air.

-Enough, Petrovna.

The hallway fell into stony silence. Anna looked up cautiously and saw him. Lucian Vasiliev was leaning against the doorframe, his bearing impeccable and his presence commanding. His black suit was perfectly tailored to his silhouette, and his steel-blue eyes surveyed the scene with an eerie calm.

Petrovna immediately tensed.

-Mr. Lucian, this maid has-

-I said that is enough. -Her voice was not raised, but the tone was sharp as a blade.

The housekeeper shut her mouth immediately, backing away like a tamed dog. Anne held her breath as Lucian walked toward her with slow, measured steps. He crouched down in front of her, his eyes meeting hers for the first time up close.

-Did they hurt you? -he asked in a whisper.

Ana blinked, surprised. It was not the question she had expected. She shook her head slowly, unable to speak.

Lucian took the cloth she was holding and, to everyone's surprise, used it to wipe the last trace of wine from the carpet. The act was simple, but the message was clear: no one else was to touch her. When she finished, she threw the cloth to the floor and stood up as gracefully as she had come.

-Get up. -It was not an abrupt order, but neither was it a request.

Anne obeyed awkwardly, still puzzled.

Lucian watched her for a few seconds longer, his expression unreadable. Then, without further ado, he turned and disappeared down the corridor, leaving behind him an air of mystery and bewilderment.

-You were lucky..." whispered one of the maids when he was gone. Lucian never intervenes for anyone.

Anne did not answer. She only pressed the edge of her apron with her fingers. She didn't understand why he had done it. She didn't understand anything about him.

But that was the first time Lucian Vasiliev made her feel that, perhaps, he was her only protection in that ice palace.