Chapter 3

I took a deep breath and let the basket sink all the way to the bottom.

As usual, I waited in silence.

Just as I was about to pull the rope up, a barely audible voice, rough as sandpaper, floated up from the depths of the well.

"Who are you?" the voice asked.

It was a man's voice.

My blood ran cold. I froze, my mind going completely blank.

My heart was pounding at the man's voice.

I thought the person locked down there was the deposed queen. How could it be a man?

The realization that I had to get out of here struck me like a bolt of lightning. This was no ordinary situation; it was a massive deception, far beyond anything I could have imagined.

Panic surged through me as I tried to yank the rope up, but my hands were trembling so badly, I couldn't get a grip.

The voice came again, this time tinged with urgency. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

His voice was so weak, it sounded like it could fade away at any moment.

I forced myself to calm down, clutching the icy rim of the well, though I was still shaking.

"I-I'm just a palace maid," I whispered, my voice as small as a mosquito's buzz.

There was a moment of silence from below.

"Have you been the one bringing me food?" he asked.

I nodded, then it hit me that he couldn't see me from down there.

"Yes," I whispered, still trembling.

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't know," I murmured, barely audible. "I just felt it was wrong to hurt someone with stones."

Another long silence stretched out from below, so long that I started to wonder if he'd passed out.

Just as I was about to call out, his voice came again. "Thank you."

There was something in his voice I couldn't quite figure out; it sounded complicated, like he was feeling things I couldn't understand.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Zora Ralph," I replied.

"Zora Ralph," he murmured, rolling my name on his tongue like he was tasting a piece of candy.

"It's almost dawn. You should go. Take care," he said.

I let out a quick "mm" and yanked the rope up as fast as I could. The basket was empty.

Clutching the basket, I dashed back to the woodshed without looking back.

Lying in bed, my heart was still pounding like crazy.

It wasn't the queen everyone said was locked up; it was a man.

Sally had lied to us. Or maybe everyone in the palace was lying to us.

I wondered who he was and why he was locked up there.

My mind was a whirlwind of questions, leaving me sleepless all night.

After that day, our conversations became more frequent.

I kept bringing him food late at night, and he'd always be waiting for me down in the darkness. We whispered to each other, our voices barely reaching across the distance between us.

That was when I learned his name.

His name was William Samson.

When he said it, I was completely stunned.

William Samson was the king's older brother, the former crown prince.

Although I was just a lowly maid, that name echoed throughout the palace halls. Three years ago, he was accused of plotting rebellion, and with undeniable evidence, the late king stripped him of his title and threw him into the imperial dungeon. Not long after, rumors spread that he was dead.

The late king never recovered from the shock and soon passed away. Then, Nelson Samson, who was Prince Nelson at the time, ascended the throne.

It turned out that he wasn't dead after all.

He'd been locked up here, in this pitch-black, forgotten well, condemned as an unforgivable woman, suffering humiliation day after day.

My heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible force, the ache so sharp I could hardly catch my breath.

"Y-You're really the crown prince?" I asked, my voice shaking.

A bitter chuckle echoed from the darkness below. "I was, once. Now, I'm nothing more than a wretch barely surviving."

I didn't know what to say. This was way beyond anything I could ever imagine. I was just a palace maid trying to survive, and now I'd stumbled onto a secret that could shake the whole palace.

I didn't know what to do.

Should I just pretend I never found out and keep living my life? Or...

I couldn't even let myself finish that thought.

"Don't be afraid," William said softly, sensing my fear. "Just keep doing what you've always done. Don't let anyone find out. If I ever make it out of here alive, I'll never forget what you've done for me. I promise I'll repay you, no matter what."

I bit my lip, saying nothing.

I started thinking of ways to get him something better, something more nourishing.

Just giving him bread wasn't enough. He was so weak.

I started keeping an eye on the kitchen. I knew they always had leftover vegetable scraps and meat bones no one wanted. Whenever I was out dumping the kitchen waste, I'd sneak a few bits and hide them away.

I even used the money I'd saved up from my monthly allowance to secretly trade with the young valet who delivered the vegetables for some medicine for his injuries.