Chapter 6

Lizabella

The moon goddess had to be joking with me.

Honestly at this point, she had to be sitting somewhere with her legs crossed, sipping celestial tea and laughing at how many absurd, life-changing disasters she could throw at me in one lifetime. Because just when I thought I was done with one chaotic situation, an even crazier one unfolded right in front of me.

Now here I was, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room waiting for the maid the triplet Lycans said would come get me. I rubbed my palms together, trying to look composed because earlier, when they were lecturing me about what I should and shouldn’t do, I had to physically stop myself from punching one of them squarely in the face, or all three of them. 

They were infuriating in that effortlessly powerful, 'we’re in charge' way. But they had leverage over me and my entire future was dangling in their hands, so I forced myself to sit still, nod, and swallow every retort that tried to climb out of my throat. It was torture because they didn’t like interruptions either, so I just had to keep all my questions inside my head, where they collided with each other nonstop. It felt like someone shaking a jar full of angry bees inside my skull.

Sighing, I reminded myself that I couldn’t keep dwelling on the past. Not when my survival and escape depended on how well I adapted to find a way out of this realm and reclaim the remnants of my reputation.

Just then, the double doors swung open with a soft whoosh, and a woman stepped in, wearing a neatly pressed maid’s uniform, with her hair tied back in a tight bun. She walked toward me and gave a respectful bow.

“Good afternoon, my name is Maya," she said, smiling warmly. “I’ve been assigned to show you around the palace and later introduce you to little Pearl.”

“I’m Lizabella.” I returned a polite smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” She gestured toward the door and we both stepped out.

As we stepped into the hallway, Maya glanced back at me. “Before I introduce you to Pearl, I’ll tell you more about the palace and the places you are not allowed to enter unless called upon by the Lycan Kings.”

“Um,” I muttered and her smile widened.

“There are many rooms that have restricted entry except for the maids with clearance who step inside to clean. But as a nanny, you’re not to go in unless one of the Kings directly summons you," she  continued. “For example, the room we just left was the throne room and the reason it looked empty is because it’s undergoing renovation.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

She led me down a different hallway and stopped before another set of colossal doors.

“This is the council hall," she explained. “Only the Lycan Kings and the elders may enter. The only exception is when maids clean. But since you’re not a maid, you are not allowed inside.”

I mentally added that to the growing list of places I should avoid if I wanted to stay alive.

Then she pointed toward another door up ahead.

“This is King Damon’s private study.”

“This one is off limits, right?” I asked.

She nodded. “Only maids with his permission can step inside.”

We walked further, and she gestured to three doors, each beautifully carved with individualized crests.

“These belong to the three Lycan Kings and the same rules apply.” She clasped her hands together and asked, “Before we move on, do you have any questions?”

“I do, actually.” I folded my hands behind my back. “Earlier, you showed me King Damon’s private study. Then you showed me the rooms of all three Kings. But… you didn’t show me studies for the other two. Do they not have any?”

Maya smiled as if she’d heard that question many times. “Only King Damon has a private study.”

“…why?”

Her smile widened slightly, as though she admired him. “Well, he’s the one who manages the realm’s affairs," she explained. “He meets with elders, oversees companies, infrastructures and works closely with accountants to maintain financial records.”

I blinked. “Then, what do the other two do?”

“They have their own roles.” She chuckled. “For instance, King Damon is the commander of the realm. He trains the Blood Rage Army and leads them into war against rogues trying to dethrone the Arechon brothers. He acts as what humans would call the Chief Justice, handling crime, judging serious cases, and managing officers. He keeps everything in check. That's why he has a military base that's not quite far from the Palace.”

“As for King Damian," Maya continued. “He is the Archmedic of the realm. He handles all medical infrastructures and oversees research. You see, lycans suffer from disorders that shorten their lifespan or affect reproduction. King Donald develops and researches the drugs that extend lifespans or increase birth rates. Most of his responsibilities are confidential, though, but I know that he owns a huge laboratory.”

I nodded slowly. “They all have intense jobs.”

“That they do.”

“Any other questions?” She asked.

“Yes…” I started, but before the words came out, something tugged at my attention.

Ever since I had stepped into this realm, my senses were completely off and I couldn’t determine anyone’s level the way I used to. Back in the werewolf realm, all I needed was a single whiff of someone’s scent to rank them. But here? Everything was different as if the air itself scrambled my instincts.

Maybe it was because I had no reference point for lycan or enigma scents. I wasn’t born when the realms separated, so I’d never smelled one in my life until now. But amidst all the foreign scents swirling through the palace, I instantly recognized that Maya smelled human.

I knew this because the human realm was actually the poorest realm. So, their leaders often gave out slaves and maids to other realms for funding. That’s how I learned the difference between werewolf and human scents, because humans worked side by side with Omegas back home.

A snap jolted me back and I blinked, realizing Maya was snapping her fingers in front of my face.

“Is there a problem, Lizabella? You haven’t asked your question yet. You just… drifted off.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. “Sorry, sorry. I got lost in my thoughts.” Then, before I could talk myself out of it, I asked quietly. “Are you from the human realm?”

Her entire expression shifted but she forced a tight smile. “Yes, I am.” And almost instantly, she straightened and said. “Let’s continue our tour.”

It seemed like she didn’t want to think about her past even for a split second, probably because being given away as a slave wasn’t exactly a cheerful topic.

Smiling, I followed her silently. She showed me the second living room then the second living room, saying that the visitors usually stayed in the first living room while Pearl prefers to stay in the second.  Then we saw the kitchen, the swimming pool, the lounge, the storage rooms, the stables, the dungeons, and finally the staff quarters.

“These are for the important staff," Maya said. “Like the accountants, healers, and the guards.”

“What about the maids?” I asked and she responded. “The maid quarters are separate.”

By the time we finished touring the entire palace, my feet were beginning to ache slightly.

“Let’s return to the main building,” Maya said. “I’ll introduce you to Pearl then show you where your room is.”

I blinked. “Isn’t my room in the maid’s quarters?”

“No, dear. You’re a nanny.” She explained, laughing gently. “You must live on the same floor as Pearl in the room right beside hers, just in case of an emergency.”

Oh. Right.

With that, I followed her back inside and as we walked up the staircase and into the long hallway, Maya began listing more rules about the meal schedules, maid etiquette, cleaning procedures, ways to properly address the Kings, what to avoid touching, which doors never to knock on, how to bow, and how to request permission for anything.

Finally, we reached a hallway decorated with gold lamps and Maya stopped in front of a door, then placed her hand on the knob, but hesitated.

“Is something wrong?” I asked carefully.

She turned to me with a cautious expression.

“Before we go in, there’s something you should know about Pearl.”

I braced myself.

“She’s sweet sometimes, but most of the time she throws tantrums, creates a mess, and puts the staff in trouble. She rejects every nanny and when she doesn’t reject one immediately, she frustrates them until they quit.”

I stared. “How can a child frustrate a grown person?”

“Simple.” Maya sighed. “She pits them against the Lycan Kings who Kings cannot stand seeing Pearl cry, run around, get injured, make noise, or cause any distraction. But they refuse to yell at her.” Maya took a deep breath. “So they blame everything on the nanny and eventually the nanny says something out of frustration, and that leads to firing or arrest.”

My heartbeat faltered. Wow, the Lycan Kings are really ruthless.

“And now that you’re here,” Maya said softly. “I hope she doesn’t reject you. Or, get you fired.”

I smiled faintly to reassure her, though inside my chest was tightening because she didn't know that Pearl chose me, or that the Kings dragged me here or why I was actually standing at this door.

“Alright.” Maya finally turned the knob and opened the door. “Let’s go in.”

I stepped inside and froze because the room looked like a tornado had passed through. Toys scattered everywhere, pillows torn open, dresses tossed on the floor while a maid stood with her back to us, rummaging desperately through the wardrobe.

“Nancy!” Maya called out.

The maid spun around with widened eyes wide and a pale face. “Nancy, what happened?” Maya asked sharply. “Where is Pearl?”

Nancy’s lips trembled. “Pearl is… she’s… she’s missing.”