The doorknob twisted. The door creaked open. Three maids filed into the room, their faces blank, cold, soulless. They moved like a firing squad, not a shred of softness in any of them. The two guards flanking the door stiffened but made no move to stop them. They stepped back reluctantly, nostrils flaring, jaws locked tight. The lead maid, an older woman with a sharp nose and a black, twisted bun at the nape of her neck, swept her cold gaze over Sera’s trembling, ruined body. She sniffed disdainfully. “Filthy little thing,” she muttered, wrinkling her nose like Sera was something rotting. The younger maid at her side…a pretty, plump girl with pale hair tucked neatly into a cap..giggled under her breath. “She’s still dripping,” the girl whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear.