A heavy wave of humiliation washes over me as I sit sprawled out on the cold hardwood floor. My cheeks instantly flare bright red, burning with embarrassment at how helpless I must look right now.
Before I can even scramble to my feet, Lily and the other maid are already at my side. Lily's eyes sweep across the room, quickly taking in the scene: the disheveled blankets, my awkward posture, and the open letter from Arthur resting on the bed beside my pillow. In an instant, she pieces the entire puzzle together. She sees the fallen paper, the empty hands, and the unmistakable blush spreading across my face.
"Ah—every-everyone, it's fine! I'm quite all right, really!" I stammer, waving my hands frantically as the other maids reach out to help me up. "There's no need to fuss, it's nothing at all!"
Despite my flustered protests, Lily gently and firmly wraps an arm around me, lifting me up with practiced ease. She guides me back over to the bed.
Once I am safely seated, Lily turns to the rest of the staff. "The situation is handled," she says calmly, her voice carrying a quiet authority. "Everyone back to your duties. You may leave the rest to me."
The other maids nod respectfully and quickly file out of the room, closing the heavy doors behind them.
Left alone with Lily, my embarrassment flares up all over again. I pull the edge of the blanket up slightly, trying to hide my burning cheeks. "Actually, I'm completely fine, Lily. You can go back to your work or your room, too. There's really nothing wrong with me."
"Yes, yes, of course," Lily replies, though her expression is doubtful.
Instead of leaving, she drops gracefully to her knees right in front of the bed. Without a word of warning, she reaches out, carefully lifting my legs to check my ankles and feet. "Are you hurt anywhere, my Lady? Did you bruise yourself when you fell?"
Mortified, I shrink back slightly, pulling my feet away. "N-no, nothing is hurt! It's just... I've been sleeping for so long that my legs went completely numb. When I tried to stand, my feet just wouldn't listen to me. It's so embarrassing for a noble lady collapsing just from trying to step out of bed."
Lily's expression softens instantly, replaced by genuine warmth. "Please don't speak like that, my Lady. You have been severely ill and unconscious for days. It is entirely natural for your body to be weak. There is nothing embarrassing about recovering. If you needed anything, you only had to call for me instead of trying to push yourself."
Hearing those words, a sudden realization hits me. My eyes narrow playfully, and I lean forward, adopting a stern expression.
"Wait a minute. What are you even doing here?" I demand, pointing a finger at her. "Didn't I give you a direct order to go back to your quarters and rest for the day? Why are you still in my room? Are you trying to defy my commands? You certainly have some nerve, Lily!"
Lily flinches slightly, her hands smoothing down her apron as a sheepish look crosses her face. "Ah... well, my Lady, please forgive me," she stammers, dropping her gaze. "After you gave the order, I did go back to my room. I tried to sleep, I truly did! But... I'm so used to tending to you and managing the duties all day long that my mind wouldn't quiet down. I couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard I tried."
She looks up, her eyes earnest and pleading. "So, I came back out and stood quietly outside your door. I didn't interfere with anything! I was just watching to make sure everything ran smoothly. But since no one else is assigned to your immediate care right now, I couldn't just sit idle. Please bear with me, my Lady. I will take a proper break later, but right now, I just couldn't rest knowing you've only just woken up."
Listening to her frantic, loyal excuses, a soft sigh escapes my lips. Good grief... she's just as much of a workaholic as me.
A sympathetic, defeated smile touches my face. I shake my head slowly. "Alright, alright, I understand. You really are hopeless, aren't you? Do whatever you want, but please... don't run yourself into the ground. Take care of yourself before you worry about me, okay?"
Lily beams, her face lighting up with a mixture of relief and deep affection. "Yes, my Lady! I will keep that in mind."
A second later, Lily's eyes flicker toward the bedside table, and a knowing smile plays on her lips. "By the way... were you trying to get up to fetch some writing paper and a pen, my Lady?"
I blink in utter astonishment, my jaw dropping slightly. "What? Yes, I was! But... how on earth did you know that?"
Lily chuckles softly, gesturing toward the pillow. "It's not hard to guess, my Lady. The letter from Lord Arthur was right beside your pillow. I saw it when I came in. It's obvious you wanted to write a reply to him."
A fresh wave of pink dusts my cheeks, and I instinctively look away, suddenly finding the patterns on the bedspread fascinating. "Y-yes, well... I wanted to get the supplies myself because I know how busy you and everyone else have been. I didn't want to be a burden..."