Chapter 36: Double Trouble
Asteria stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom, turning slowly from side to side as she examined her reflection. The lavender dress draped elegantly over her frame, its soft fabric catching the morning light and shimmering like spring flowers after rain.
The dress had been a gift from Faye—bought just days before the wedding, when Faye had insisted that Asteria needed something beautiful for the morning after.
At the time, Asteria had barely been able to look at herself in the mirror. The bruises had been fresher then, darker, and angrier. She had worn the dress once, cried in it, and hung it in the back of the closet where she wouldn’t have to see it.
But today felt different.
Today, she wanted to feel beautiful.
The dress fit her perfectly, as if it had been made for her—which, she supposed, it had. Faye had sent measurements to a designer and received the finished product three days later, because that was the kind of power the Eisenthurn family wielded.
The neckline was modest, the sleeves were long enough to cover the fading marks on her arms, and the waist
She touched the fabric gently, remembering Faye’s warm smile when she had presented the gift. "You’re part of this family now, Dear."
Asteria smiled at her reflection—a real smile, not the strained one she usually wore—and left the bedroom.
The moment she descended the stairs, Dina’s voice rang out across the entrance hall.
"OMG! Madam! You look so good in that dress!"
Dina came rushing toward her, her eyes wide and shining with genuine admiration. She had changed out of her casual clothes from yesterday and back into her uniform, but her energy was anything but formal.
She practically bounced on her heels as she circled Asteria, taking in every detail of the lavender dress.
"You look like a painting!" Dina continued, her hands clasped together. "Like one of those old portraits in the hallway, but prettier! The color suits you so well, Madam. You should wear purple more often!"
Asteria laughed, the sound light and genuine. "Haha, thank you, Dina. You’re too kind."
"I’m not being kind, I’m being honest!" Dina insisted. "The other maids are going to be so jealous they didn’t see you first."
Asteria’s cheeks warmed at the compliment. She had spent so long feeling invisible, feeling like nothing more than a burden or a obligation, that sincere praise still felt unfamiliar.
She didn’t know how to accept it gracefully, so she simply smiled and changed the subject.
"Madam, by the way, what do you wanna do today?" Dina asked, falling into step beside Asteria as they walked toward the living room.
Asteria opened her mouth to answer, but Dina stopped walking abruptly. The maid’s head tilted, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied Asteria’s face.
"Eh? Madam?" Dina leaned closer, her brow furrowed. "Your lips look a little swollen..."
Asteria’s hand flew to her mouth. Her cheeks erupted in color—a deep, burning red that spread from her neck to her hairline. She averted her gaze immediately, unable to look Dina in the eye.
"A-Ah? Uhm... N-Nothing! Nothing!" Asteria’s voice pitched higher than usual, her words tumbling out in a rush. "I accidentally bit my lips, that’s all. Yes. Bit them. While sleeping. Very hard. That’s all."
She was lying, and she knew she was lying, and she was fairly certain Dina knew she was lying too. But what was she supposed to say? Oh, your young master kissed me last night? Oh, your young master pinned me against the headboard and kissed me until I couldn’t breathe? Oh, your young master’s lips are the softest thing I’ve ever felt and I can still taste her?
No. Absolutely not.
Dina’s eyes narrowed further, clearly unconvinced, but before she could press further, her face suddenly lit up with realization.
"Eh? That’s strange..." Dina tapped her chin thoughtfully. "The young master’s lips were also a little swollen earlier this morning."
Asteria’s heart stopped.
"H-Huh?" She grabbed Dina’s arm, her fingers digging into the maid’s sleeve. "Keres came home last night?!"
Dina nodded, looking slightly confused by Asteria’s intensity. "Yes, madam. She did. But by 2 AM, she also went back to her office." She shrugged.
"That happens sometimes. She comes home to check on things, then leaves again. The driver says she does it often, especially when she’s stressed."
Asteria’s mind was racing. Keres had come home. Keres had come home while Asteria was sleeping. Keres had come home and kissed her—or had Asteria kissed Keres? She couldn’t quite remember.
The night had been a blur of warmth, softness, and lips that tasted like wine and something sweeter.
She pressed her fingers against her own lips, still swollen, still tingling with the memory of what she perceived as a dream.
"She came home for me," Asteria thought. "She came home just to... To hold me? To kiss me?"
The thought made her chest ache in a way that had nothing to do with her illness.
Asteria’s eyes darted toward the kitchen, and an idea began to form in her mind. If Keres was working herself to exhaustion—skipping meals, sleeping in her office, surviving on wine and stress—then maybe someone should do something about it.
"I should probably make something for her lunch, don’t I?"
Dina’s face lit up like the sun breaking through clouds. "Yes! I’ll help, Madam!" She clasped her hands together, practically vibrating with excitement. "I’m not a great cook, but I can chop vegetables! And boil water! And stay out of the way!"
Asteria laughed again, and the sound felt easier this time—less forced, more natural. "Hm. Thank you. Let’s go."
They walked toward the kitchen together, Dina chattering about what they should make—soup? Sandwiches? Something fancy or something simple?—and Asteria listened, nodding along, her mind still half-lost in the memory of Keres’ lips against hers.
"Okay," she said, rolling up her sleeves. "Let’s make something simple. Something she can eat at her desk without making a mess."
"Rice balls?" Dina suggested. "Those are easy. And you can eat them with one hand while working."
Asteria nodded. "Perfect. Show me where everything is."
They spent the next hour working side by side, Dina chopping vegetables and Asteria molding rice into neat triangles. The kitchen filled with the warm, comforting smells of sesame oil and soy sauce, and for a little while, Asteria forgot about the blood in her palm, the pain in her chest, and the fear that lurked at the edges of every breath.
She was just cooking. Just being normal. Just doing something nice for someone who probably wouldn’t even appreciate it.
But that didn’t matter, did it?
Asteria wrapped the rice balls carefully in parchment paper, tucked them into a paper bag, and added a small container of pickled vegetables on the side.
It wasn’t much—certainly not the kind of elaborate meal the Eisenthurn kitchen was capable of producing—but it was made by hand. Made with care. Made for Keres.
She hoped that would mean something.
***
The Eisenthurn main office building towered above the surrounding streets. All glass, steel, and sharp angles. It was the kind of building that announced its importance without saying a word—utterly indifferent to the people who passed through its doors.
Asteria stepped out of the car and tilted her head back, staring up at the building with wide eyes.
"Wow~ this place is so beautiful," she muttered, clutching the paper bag to her chest.
Dina stepped out beside her, smoothing down her uniform. "Yes, I know right, Madam. The Eisenthurn family really makes sure that whatever place they have will be this beautiful." She gestured toward the entrance. "This way. I’ve been here a few times with Madam Faye."
They walked toward the entrance together, the doors slid open automatically, revealing a vast lobby with marble floors and a reception desk that looked more like a work of art than a functional workspace.
A guard approached them immediately, his posture stiff and his expression was professional. "Identification, please."
Dina pulled out her ID card first, presenting it with practiced ease. The guard scanned it, nodded, and turned to Asteria.
Asteria fumbled in her small purse, her fingers trembling slightly, and produced her identification card. She handed it to the guard with both hands, the way she had been taught to present things to people in positions of authority.
The guard looked at the card. His face went pale and his hands began to shake.
"Oh shoot!" The guard’s professional composure crumbled instantly. "Mrs. Eisenthurn! Forgive me, I almost didn’t recognize you!" He nearly dropped the card in his haste to return it, then scrambled to open the security portal, his fingers fumbling with the keys.
"Please, please, come through. I’m so sorry for the delay. I didn’t mean to—I would never have—please don’t tell Ms. Keres about this."
Asteria blinked, confused by his sudden panic. "Please don’t panic. I’m not mad." She smiled at him—warm, genuine, completely unguarded—and bowed her head slightly. "Thank you for doing your job."
The guard froze along with Dina.
The other people in the lobby—employees rushing to and from the elevators, visitors waiting at the reception desk—seemed to freeze as well. A woman dropped her coffee cup, and the sound of it shattering against the marble floor echoed through the sudden silence.
"U-Uhm... M-Madam..." The guard’s voice cracked. He looked like he was about to cry. "I... I-I... You can’t do that. No one does that." He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. "And besides, I am just a security guard."
"Yes, madam," Dina added quietly, her voice subdued. "We’re all just working for the Eisenthurns. We don’t expect... We don’t usually receive..."
Asteria’s smile faltered. She looked at the security guard—at his shaking hands, at the fear in his eyes, at the way he held himself like he was ready to be struck at any moment.
She looked at Dina—at her downcast eyes, at the way she had retreated half a step back, and the resignation in her posture.
And something in Asteria’s chest tightened—not with pain, but with something closer to sadness.
"But you’re just working for the Eisenthurns," Asteria said slowly, as if she were testing the weight of each word. "That doesn’t have to mean you’re less of a human, right?"
The question hung in the air.
The guard opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. No sound came out.
Dina stared at Asteria like she had never seen her before.
No one answered. No one knew how to answer. The concept was so foreign, so contrary to everything they had been taught about power and hierarchy and their place in the world, that they simply couldn’t process it.
Asteria’s smile returned—bright and polite and utterly unwavering. "Thank you for letting us in."
She bowed her head again, just slightly enough to show respect, and then she took Dina’s hand and walked toward the elevators.
The silence stretched behind them like a held breath.
Dina didn’t speak as they waited for the elevator. She didn’t speak as the doors closed, she didn’t speak as they began to ascend. But her eyes kept drifting to Asteria’s face, and her expression was one of wonder.
Who is this woman? Dina wondered. How can she be so kind in a world that has been beneath her feet?
The elevator doors opened onto the floor where Keres’ office was located, and immediately, the atmosphere changed.
Chaos.
Employees rushed through the hallways, clutching armfuls of papers and speaking into headsets and looking generally like they were about to collapse from exhaustion. A woman sprinted past with a stack of reports so high she couldn’t see where she was going.
A man stood by the water cooler, his head in his hands, muttering about deadlines and impossible expectations. Phones rang constantly, a discordant symphony of stress and urgency.
"Dina," Asteria whispered, pressing closer to the maid. "What’s going on?"
Dina sighed, the sound heavy with familiarity. "Err... This... Well, this is normal here." She gestured at the chaos around them. "Because the young master Keres is very strict, competitive, and very perfectionist when it comes to business. Everyone is always trying to meet her standards, and no one ever quite succeeds."
Asteria watched as an employee tripped over a power cord, spilled his coffee everywhere, and immediately burst into tears. No one stopped to help him. No one even looked.
"That’s terrible," Asteria murmured.
Dina shrugged helplessly. "It’s just how things are, Madam. Let’s just go through it. These people won’t stop for us unless it’s Ms. Keres herself."
Asteria nodded nervously, her throat tightening as she looked at the sea of stressed, rushing bodies. She had never done well in crowds—too many people, too much noise, too many places for danger to hide.
Her hand reached out instinctively and grabbed Dina’s long sleeve, clutching it like a child holding onto a parent.
Dina looked down at Asteria’s white-knuckled grip, then at Asteria’s pale face. Understanding softened her expression.
"Come on, Madam." Dina took Asteria’s hand properly, threading their fingers together. "Just follow me. Don’t look up. I’ll get us there."
Asteria kept her eyes down, her gaze fixed on the floor and her lips pressed into a thin line. She could feel people brushing past her, could hear their frustrated sighs and clipped conversations, but she didn’t look up. She just held Dina’s hand and walked, one step at a time, clutching the paper bag with Keres’ breakfast and lunch tightly.
They reached Keres’ office door and Dina pushed it open without knocking.
The scene inside made Asteria gasp.
Faye Eisenthurn—Keres’ mother, Asteria’s mother-in-law, a woman who normally radiated elegance and grace—had Keres’ ear pinched between her fingers and was pulling with the determination of someone who had been doing this for decades.
"Agh! Agh!" Keres was bent over at an awkward angle, trying to escape her mother’s grip and failing miserably. "M-Mom! Ouch! Ouch! No! It hurts!"
"Who are you cursing, you son of a brat!" Faye’s voice cut through the room like a blade, sharp and merciless. She gave Keres’ ear another twist for good measure.
"I’m not cursing anyone! I didn’t even know you were here! Agh! Mom, please!"
Keres yanked at her mother’s hand, but every time she broke free, Faye simply grabbed her ear again—sometimes the same one, sometimes the other—with the precision of a woman who had been practicing this particular skill for over two decades.
Alfonso Eisenthurn stood in the corner, his arms crossed over his chest, watching the scene with an expression of profound resignation. He had learned long ago not to interfere when his wife was on the warpath.
"Papa!" Keres called out desperately, her voice cracking. "Papa, help!"
Alfonso shook his head slowly, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "Ah~ about that, Keres. We both know your mother can also do that to me, so no." He took a deliberate step backward, putting more distance between himself and the conflict. "I value my ears. They’re still attached. I’d like to keep them that way."
"You coward!" Keres accused.
"Experienced," Alfonso corrected. "There’s a difference."
"You’re too noisy!" Faye continued scolding, ignoring the exchange between father and daughter. "People are talking about how much of a tyrant you are! Do you know what they’re saying in the newspapers? In the business journals? They’re calling you the Ice Queen! The Dragon Lady! Do you want that to be your legacy?"
"Agh! Mom! It hurts! Stop! You’re gonna tear my ear off!"
"I don’t care!" Faye declared, loosening her grip slightly—because despite her harsh words, she did care. She always cared.
Asteria stood frozen in the doorway, watching the scene unfold. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, but not from fear. Something else was driving her now—something hot and urgent and entirely instinctive.
Before she knew what she was doing, she rushed forward.
"M-Mama, y-you’re hurting Keres...!"
Asteria reached Faye and Keres in three quick strides. She didn’t grab Faye’s hand roughly or try to force her away—she simply placed her own hands over Faye’s, gentle but insistent, and pulled with just enough pressure to ease the grip on Keres’ ear.
Faye’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked down at Asteria—at the lavender dress, at the worried expression, and at the way Asteria’s hands trembled slightly but didn’t withdraw—and something in her face softened.
"Asteria?" Faye’s voice was gentler now, the sharp edges smoothed away. "What are you doing here, Dear?"
Asteria didn’t answer. She was focused entirely on Keres—on the red, swollen ear, and on the pained expression. The way Keres was hunched over like she was trying to make herself smaller.
"Mama, don’t hurt Keres, please?" Asteria’s voice was soft, pleading, and utterly sincere. She gently pulled Faye’s hand away completely, cradling it in her own for a moment before releasing it. "She works very hard. She doesn’t need to be in pain too."
Faye blinked. Then she laughed—a warm, surprised sound that filled the room. "Well, well. Look at this. My daughter-in-law, defending my daughter." She stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest, and nodded approvingly.
But Asteria had already turned away from them, her attention fully on Keres. She stepped closer, her hand reaching out to gently check Keres’ ear—the one that had been pinched, red and angry-looking against her pale skin.
"Are you okay?" Asteria asked softly, her brow furrowed with concern. Her fingers brushed against Keres’ ear, feather-light, checking for damage. "Does it hurt? It looks sore. Mama pinched very hard."
Keres didn’t answer because she couldn’t.
Asteria was touching her, she was standing close enough that Keres could smell jasmine and something softer underneath. Asteria was looking at her with those wide, worried eyes, and her lips—those lips, the same lips from last night, the same lips that had been pressed against Keres’ own—were parted slightly, and she was so close, too close, too much, too—
"Your... Your ears and face are red," Asteria continued, oblivious to Keres’ internal crisis. She pressed the back of her hand against Keres’ forehead, testing for fever. "Are you okay? Or perhaps you have a fever? You feel warm. Very warm. Warmer than normal."
That was the final blow.
Keres felt something warm trickle from her nose.
"Oh my god!" Faye immediately step forward. "Keres, you’re bleeding!"
"I’m fine!" Keres clamped her hand over her nose, but the blood was already dripping between her fingers, bright red against her pale skin. Her face was flushed—not from fever, but from pure, undiluted embarrassment.
"Stop overreacting, Mom!"
She turned away from Asteria, from her mother, from everyone, trying to hide her face. But the damage was done. They had seen it, and Alfonso was pretending to look at his phone but was clearly trying not to laugh.
"I’m fine!" Keres repeated, her voice muffled by her hand. "It’s just dry in here. The air is dry. Very dry. That’s all."
Faye raised one elegant eyebrow. "The office has a state-of-the-art humidification system, Keres."
"Then it’s broken!"
"It’s not broken."
"Then I have a condition!"
"You’ve never had a nosebleed in your life."
Keres made a sound of pure frustration—something between a growl and a whine—and stormed towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
The room fell silent.
Faye turned to Asteria, her expression caught somewhere between amusement and curiosity. "What did you do to my daughter?"
Asteria blinked, completely lost. "I... I don’t know? I just asked if she was okay?"
Faye and Alfonso exchanged a look—the kind of look that married couples develop after decades together, a silent conversation that conveyed everything words could not.
"Hm," Faye said, her lips twitching. "Interesting."
Inside the bathroom door, Keres pressed a cold, wet towel against her face and stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Her nose had stopped bleeding, but her face was still red—tomato red, embarrassment red, I-just-had-a-nosebleed-because-my-wife-touched-my-forehead red.
"What the fuck is wrong with me?" she muttered to her reflection.
Her reflection didn’t answer.
It just looked back at her with wide eyes and flushed cheeks and the unmistakable expression of someone who was in very, very deep denial about something very, very obvious.
Keres groaned and pressed the towel harder against her face.
She was not going to think about this.
She was not going to think about Asteria’s gentle hands, or Asteria’s worried eyes, or the way Asteria had defended her to her own mother.
She was not going to think about any of it.
She was going to stay in this bathroom until everyone left, and then she was going to pretend this never happened.
It was a perfect plan.
It was a plan that lasted approximately four seconds before she heard Asteria’s soft voice on the other side of the door.
"Keres? Are you okay in there? I brought you breakfast and lunch. Rice balls for lunch. They’re not fancy, but I made them myself. Dina helped."
Keres closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the cool wood of the door.
I’m in so much trouble, she thought.
And for the first time in a long time, she didn’t entirely mind.
