Ever since the last time I reprimanded Cynthia for carelessly leaving her mask, I felt the need to watch her whenever she came in for her shift. Deep in my guts, I knew she would do something stupid that would put not just her life in jeopardy, but everyone else’s. The only one who knew about my fallout with her the last time was the prince. I kept it away from Jane because she already had a lot on her plate at the parlour.

I had also seen her flirt with prince Edward a few times since then. It didn’t bother me—maybe it did a little, but I paid no...