Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle-Chapter 31: Corpse In The Well.

Some passing maids and eunuchs turned their heads at the sound, their gazes momentarily flicking toward her. Some sent her irritated glares, while others quickly looked away, as if fearing they'd be caught staring.

Working for Dimitri was never going to be easy anyway, she thought bitterly. But I didn't come here just to fetch water for his bath. I need to be by his side when he reads those documents, not serving as his personal errand girl.

Brushing away her irritation, Sorayah looked around until she spotted a wooden bucket that one of the other servants had left behind. She grabbed it and made her way toward the mansion's central well, a grand stone structure that stood proudly in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by ornate carvings of wolves.

As she reached the well and prepared to lower the fetcher inside, a sharp voice called out from behind her.

"Hey! Stop that!"

Sorayah turned to see a maid approaching, her hands on her hips. She was dressed in the same deep purple uniform as the other high-ranking maids, her expression a mix of annoyance and warning.

"The well is only to be used by His Royal Highness, the Beta Lord, and no one else," the maid continued. "And even then, it's only meant for his bath not for drinking or any other purpose."

Sorayah raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

The maids out as off. "Of course the water inside is sacred," she said in an arrogant tone. "It has... magical properties. I'm only telling you this because you're new and were recently assigned as his personal maid."

A flicker of intrigue sparked in Sorayah's chest. Magical properties?

"Well," she said with a polite smile, "this is for his bath. He specifically ordered me to fetch water from here."

The maid gave her a curt nod. "Then be careful."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Sorayah standing before the well, curiosity creeping into her mind.

She lifted the lid and peered down into the darkness before lowering the fetcher. When she pulled it back up, she gasped as the water inside was scalding hot, almost burning her hand.

"What the...?" She yanked her hand away just in time, her heart pounding.

How is this possible? The well was out in the open, exposed to the elements. There was no fire beneath it, no steam rising from within. Yet, the water was so hot it could blister skin.

Guess that's the magical part.

But as she gazed deeper into the well, something caught her eye.

A shape.

A solid shape.

Her breath hitched. She leaned in slightly, narrowing her eyes. The figure became clearer.

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And then it moved.

Sorayah stumbled back with a sharp gasp, her body colliding with the ground. Her breath came in short, frantic bursts as realization set in.

There's a person in the well.

"What's wrong with you?"

She jerked her head up to see one of the patrolling guards standing a few feet away, his stern face twisted in mild annoyance.

"There's a body inside!" she blurted out, her voice thick with panic. "Someone is dead in the well!"

The guard's expression shifted instantly. His brows furrowed, and within seconds, more guards rushed to the scene, followed by a small group of maids and eunuchs who had been nearby.

Several of them peered over the edge of the well, their faces going pale.

"Pull it out," one of the guards ordered.

Two others hurriedly secured a rope, carefully lowering it into the well before beginning the gruesome task of retrieving the corpse.

When the body finally surfaced, a collective gasp rippled through the gathered crowd.

The stench hit first, a sickening, putrid odor that made several servants gag and turn away.

The body itself was horrifying. The skin was peeling away in patches, revealing raw, red flesh beneath. The corpse was bloated, the stomach swollen, and painful-looking blisters covered its arms and legs. The once-white eyes were swollen shut, the lids dark and discolored. Clumps of matted, tangled hair clung to the scalp in damp strands.

Sorayah felt bile rise in her throat.

This is...." She swallowed hard. "This is murder."

She forced herself to look closer, her gaze locking onto the corpse's throat. There, just below the jawline, was a deep, ugly gash.

"Someone slit her throat before throwing her in," she murmured to herself. "She was dead before she even hit the water."

The realization sent chills down her spine.

"It's a maid!" someone gasped.

Heads turned toward the speaker, another maid, her hands clasped over her mouth in shock.

"Look at her uniform," she continued, voice trembling. "She... she was a high-ranking maid."

Sorayah's breath hitched. The corpse was dressed in purple.

Silence stretched for several moments before a eunuch muttered, "Did she... commit suicide?"

The idea sent a fresh wave of unease through the crowd.

"But why?" another servant questioned, shaking their head. "She was a high-ranking maid. Why would she end her own life like this?"

"Perhaps it wasn't suicide." A trembling voice, another maid chimed in hesitantly. "Perhaps she was... murdered."

That single word sent waves of unease rippling through the group.

The tension was thick enough to choke on.

"What's going on here?"

A sharp, authoritative voice cut through the murmurs. The gathered servants turned swiftly to see Liam, the Beta Lord's right-hand man, striding toward them.

At once, the maids and eunuchs bowed their heads in respect.

Liam barely spared them a glance before his nose wrinkled in disgust. He lifted a hand to cover it, eyes narrowing as he took in the horror sight.

"How did this happen?" he demanded, his irritation evident. When no one answered fast enough, he exhaled sharply. "Forget it. Just get rid of it before His Highness hears of this mess."

"Yes, sir!" the guards chorused.

Four of them stepped forward, unfolding a straw mat to wrap the body in. They crouched down, preparing to lift the corpse.

"Stop!"

Sorayah's voice rang out, sharp and unyielding.

The guards halted immediately, turning their heads toward her.

Tears welled in her eyes, though they had yet to fall. Her throat tightened, her hands clenched at her sides.

"Don't move her yet," she said, her voice shaking but resolute.

Liam arched a brow. "And why not?"

Sorayah swallowed, her heart pounding against her ribs as she recognized a bracelet on the corpse hand.