After the King and Queen of Cassiana left, the Empress Dowager received an unexpected request for an audience from the commissioner. Intrigued, she welcomed him into her chambers, her forehead furrowing slightly upon seeing him accompanied by a woman younger than her.
The commissioner greeted her imperial majesty with a respectful bow, and the woman beside him followed suit. "Your Imperial Majesty," he began, "may I introduce Lady Amelia Sinclair, a close confidante of mine."
The Empress Dowager studied the woman curiously. Lady Amelia's presence seemed oddly familiar, and then it dawned on her. "Ah, Lady Amelia, you were the maidservant in charge of the late Emperor's chambers before," the Dowager recalled, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Lady Amelia nodded, her gaze steady. "Yes, Y
