Chapter 26: The Last Support

⁠​​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​⁠There was alarm in the Wildenau Palace. The countess had suddenly returned, without notifying the servants—in plain words, without asking the servants' permission. She had intended to remain absent several months—they were not prepared, had nothing ready, nothing cleaned, not even a single room in her suite of apartments heated.

She seemed absent-minded, went to her rooms at once, and locked hersel