NARRATOR

From the moment Freya stepped into the housekeeper’s room, she felt a pang of regret—but it was too late now.

"Sit down, please, sit here," Mrs. Prescott invited her politely, gesturing toward the armchair by the fireplace—conveniently with its back to the bathroom.

"Tell me, how can I help you?" she asked, standing in front of the old woman, pressing her hands together to hide their trembling.

"Well, you submitted the account ledger, and the Duchess instructed me to review it…"

"You? But you’re a nanny—what would you know about accounting? I mean…" The housekeeper caught herself, realizing her rudeness.

Now that she saw the massive book in the old woman’s hands, she remembered another important detail—one that also incriminated her.

"Yes, I’m a nanny, but I was also the administrator of a household for decades. Not as grand as this castle, but there are some very obvious basics," Freya’s tone hardened.

This was precisely why she should have waited for Katherine—but she was i