Shadow Betrayal: An Assassin's Story

10 - BERRY BASKET DISASTER - 10

Boyfriend: Something I'll never have because I'm waiting for fictional characters to exist,
Anyways, enjoy!
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Raven's POV

"No, not like that, you foolish girl. How can anyone be as useless as you?" Madam Senka shoves me aside for the sixth time today, snatching the brush from my hands as if I just committed a crime against dishwashing. My teeth grind together in frustration. Assassination is my specialty, not scrubbing plates like a kitchen maid. This woman is testing my patience. If she weren't so useful, I'd have gladly 'accidentally' knocked her into the stew by now. But unfortunately, she's the head maid, and blending in means playing along—at least for now.

Jane and Sara are standing off to the side, barely holding in their giggles, clearly convinced I'm as incompetent as they come. Like I care. I didn't come here to win "Dishwasher of the Year." I'm here for one thing—my mission.

Madam Senka hands the brush back to me with an exasperated sigh, and I make another attempt at scrubbing the dishes, following her exact instructions. Instead of approval, her face turns the color of a beet, and she throws her hands up like she's asking the gods what she did to deserve me. I roll my eyes internally. Trust me, lady, I didn't want this either. We're both trapped in this nightmare until further notice.

"Just go pluck some berries from the garden. We'll need them for the ball tonight. Take that basket."

I practically throw the brush down in my haste to grab the basket and escape the kitchen. The scent of flowers and fruit hit me as soon as I step outside, and I wrinkle my nose. Who actually enjoys this flowery nonsense? Ridiculous.

I trudge over to the berry bushes and start plucking. Sure, I could sneak away right now, but that would ruin the whole 'gaining their trust' thing. And I still don't know the full layout of this place. Patience, I remind myself, yanking the berries a bit more aggressively than necessary.

My mind drifts to Kaemon. As much as he annoys me, I hope he's doing alright. He's still recovering from that injury, and if anyone so much as looks at him funny, he's in no shape to fight back. And I'm not there to help him. Great.

I tug a bit harder on a particularly stubborn berry. It comes off with a satisfying pop, and I imagine Senka's face on the next one

A rustling sound comes from the nearby bushes, and I glance over. Nothing. With a huff, I return to my aggressive berry-plucking, shifting my weight from one leg to the other. This dress is the most uncomfortable, scratchy thing I've ever worn. Who designs these torture devices? Certainly not someone who has to work in them. I tug at the fabric, but the infernal thing doesn't budge. Great. I'm itchy, irritated, and now paranoid.

Another rustle comes from the same bush. This time, I straighten up, my senses on high alert. There's definitely someone hiding in there.

"Come out," I command, my voice sharp and steady. "Before I call the guards."

Normally, I'd just handle this myself—violently, if necessary. But like I said, I'm trying to blend in here. Randomly murdering someone in Suncrest? Yeah, that'll get me thrown in prison faster than you can say "guilty." I need to play nice. For now.

There's a pause before a pair of hands slowly rise from the bush, followed by a mess of sunny blonde hair and a pair of deep hazel eyes, wide and startled, like a deer caught in a very stupid trap.

"Who are you?" I ask, though it probably sounds more like a demand than a question.

The man grins sheepishly, like he's about to say something ridiculous. "An idiot spying on a beautiful lady."