Not a single person has called me that since the rebellion.
The roses floating on the water were swirled around in a mess because of the sudden movement of the body.
“Are you sure you’re stuck here now?”
The maid's face was filled with desperation as she asked that question.
'Me, locked up?'
I blinked as if I couldn't understand what the maid was saying.
It seems that she mistook me for someone who was locked up in my room all day.
“That’s it, I...”
What should I answer?
It's all my fault. I'm not locked in, I'm just not going out. I was wondering if I should say that.
'If I tell you that I am not locked up, knowing that I am Ernest's fiancée....'
Despite the rebellion, the woman who was the Crown Prince's fiancée is living comfortably in such a luxurious room.
It was no different from admitting to her that I had participated in the rebellion.
While I hesitated over which answer to give.
The maid's expression changed to a serious one as she accepted my silence as confirmation.
“I see, that’s what happened..."
“No, that’s me...”
“Don’t worry, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”
Melanie looked at me, clutching the sponge in her hand.
“I will definitely save Your Highness the Crown Princess.”
"...Me?"
I who was about to say, "I'm not locked up," closed my mouth.
“I can’t tell you how surprised I was when I found out that Your Highness the Crown Princess was alive. That’s why I came to see you so late to find out what was going on.”
The maid looked around and whispered in my ear.
“Actually, I was sent by His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“...!”
At those words, my eyes grew bigger than ever.
“A person sent by His Highness the Crown Prince...? Does His Highness know that I am alive?”
But Melanie shook her head slowly from side to side as if to say that wasn't the case.
“His Highness the Crown Prince is safe. However, he never dreamed that Your Highness the Crown Princess would be alive. Because right now in the square...”
She quickly shut her mouth before saying anything.
“Anyway. We’ll talk about the details later. For now, you need to leave the palace with me.”
I'm leaving the palace?
Me, a traitor?
A tidal wave of complicated thoughts came rushing in.
My lips did not part easily.
It was a stark contrast to the attitude I had shown just a few days ago when I was waiting for Isaac to contact me.
"I am..."
“I don’t know why they kept the young lady alive, but if we continue like this, it’s dangerous. We don’t know when you’ll die.”
Melanie's words were what I had been thinking because I also thought it wouldn't be strange if I died at any time.
Because now that Carsis is away, it's the right time.
I bit my lip nervously.
“There is a secret passage leading out of the Rose Palace. If you go through it, you can safely escape to the outskirts of the capital.”
But if we get caught...
There will be no turning back.
Melanie added, noticing my anxiety.
“Don’t worry. The palace security isn’t tight yet because they don’t have enough manpower. If not now, then who knows when we’ll get another chance. It could even be the last.”
Although they said they were filling the palace's personnel, it was true that it was still insufficient.
Because of that, there would be no one standing guard in an empty palace where no one lives.
I bit my nails.
Then I raised my head as if I had gathered my thoughts.
“Yes. Let’s go together.”
Since the instigator of the rebellion was Elizabeth.
Carsis would most likely return to the palace and ask me about my future plans.
Although I may have been lucky enough to avoid it so far, I will not be able to avoid the suspicions and questions that will pour in from now on.
Rather than living in anxiety every day, leaving the palace was the best option for me.
Melanie took my hand in confirmation.
“His Highness the Crown Prince will certainly be pleased.”
I was unable to respond to Melanie's addition that Ernest would be waiting.
Even if I left the palace anyway, I had no intention of meeting the Crown Prince.
Even if we meet, it will only be for a very short time.
I was thinking of leaving after just a little while.
Because he doesn't know that I am a traitor.
If nothing else, I hoped Ernest would never know that fact again.
Two days later, it was the day I had promised Melanie.
Tonight, while everyone was asleep, I planned to escape the palace.
As I was taking a bath yesterday, I thought back to the conversation I had had with Melanie.
"Tomorrow at 10 p.m., on the second floor of the Rose Palace. At the end of the hallway on the left of the central staircase, there is a room that the late Empress used. It is a small study, and there is a secret passage leading out of the palace inside that room."
"Secret passage?"
"Yes, there is a secret passage behind the bookshelf. Fortunately, the security there isn’t that tight, so you should be able to get there without any trouble."
'Room at the end of the left hallway on the second floor of the Rose Palace.'
The Rose Palace was one of the closest palaces to Solerian as it was the palace where empresses had stayed for generations.
It has been an empty place ever since the former Empress died of illness about 20 years ago.
'There certainly won't be any soldiers standing guard there.'
It was a palace that had been empty for a long time. There was no way to post guards there at this point when there was a shortage of personnel.
Moreover, Carsis was not scheduled to arrive in the capital until tomorrow morning.
Even if I assume that he comes to see me as soon as he arrives at the palace, by then the two of us will have already fled to the outskirts of the capital.
The timing was perfect. Barring any major variables, we would be able to successfully escape.
'Now all we have to do is put it into action.'
I pretended to read a book in my room and looked at the clock on the table.
The time the second hand is pointing to is 9:10.
Now it was time to slowly get ready to go out.
I looked at Jenna, who was embroidering at the head of the bed.
Jenna pursed her lips and was absorbed in her sewing, not even dreaming that I would run away.
“Jenna, it’s getting late. Why don’t we go back now?”
At my question, Jenna, who had been looking at her watch, jumped up from her seat in surprise.
“Oh my! Time flies so fast. I never know how time flies when I’m with you.”
Jenna, smiling brightly, tidied up my bedding.
“Then I’ll be going now. See you tomorrow, Miss.”
"Yes."
According to Melanie, Jenna goes to bed at 10 p.m.
And once she falls asleep, she falls into such a deep sleep that she won't even know if someone catches her.
But then I remembered Melanie's face, confidently telling me all this information, wondering how she had found out all that.
'Why did you come to the palace without even knowing I was there?'
No matter how lax the security was, infiltrating the palace as a spy was a life-threatening mission.
There's no way Ernest wouldn't know that.
Nevertheless, there must be a reason why they planted people in the palace.
"I came because I needed to find something."
'I have to find out... I'll have to ask once I safely leave the palace.'
The only time I could talk to Melanie alone was during bath time.
But if the bath time is longer than usual, I can't have a long conversation because it could lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.
'We'll have a lot of time to spend together anyway.'
As I was thinking about this and that, the time to leave the room soon arrived.
I pretended to be asleep and made the bed bulge with pillows just in case something happened.
I changed into the maid's uniform that I had prepared.
Because I hadn't been out of the room much recently, not many people knew my face.
Because of that, even if I was unlucky enough to get caught by passing soldiers, I planned to pretend to be a lost maid because it was my first time working.
Since there are a lot of new people coming into the palace at the time, there won't be much suspicion.
'Let's go.'
I took a deep breath and carefully left the room.
But to my dismay, I didn't encounter anyone along the way.
The Rose Palace I arrived at like that.
I went up to the second floor and started looking for the room Melanie had mentioned.
'It was at the end of the left hallway on the second floor...'
I walked towards where Melanie had told me to go.
Could it be because the Empress dowager has been dead for a long time?
Although there was some dust, this place seemed to have been largely unscathed by the rebellion and still looked clean.
“I think it’s here...”
I put my ear to the door as I arrived.
‘I can’t hear anything...’
According to the plan, Melanie should have been there, but when I heard no sound, I hesitated for a moment and then entered the room.
Well, even though no one is coming to the Rose Palace, I don't think she can wait for me comfortably since she's sneaking out of the palace. She's probably waiting for me in silence.
I, who thought so, slowly entered the room.
I cautiously called out to Melanie, not even able to light a candle in case someone saw me through the window.
“Melanie?”
But, contrary to expectations, there was no answer.
Weird.
Clearly, she said she would come first and wait.
I tilted my head, feeling somewhat uneasy.
“It’s so dark I can’t see anything.”
I was thinking of waiting quietly for Melanie to come, but then I went to the window, thinking that maybe I could at least open the curtains.
I groped around in the dark room, barely making it to the window, then grabbed the curtain and pulled it aside.
Then, moonlight poured in and illuminated the dark room.
The roses floating on the water were swirled around in a mess because of the sudden movement of the body.
“Are you sure you’re stuck here now?”
The maid's face was filled with desperation as she asked that question.
'Me, locked up?'
I blinked as if I couldn't understand what the maid was saying.
It seems that she mistook me for someone who was locked up in my room all day.
“That’s it, I...”
What should I answer?
It's all my fault. I'm not locked in, I'm just not going out. I was wondering if I should say that.
'If I tell you that I am not locked up, knowing that I am Ernest's fiancée....'
Despite the rebellion, the woman who was the Crown Prince's fiancée is living comfortably in such a luxurious room.
It was no different from admitting to her that I had participated in the rebellion.
While I hesitated over which answer to give.
The maid's expression changed to a serious one as she accepted my silence as confirmation.
“I see, that’s what happened..."
“No, that’s me...”
“Don’t worry, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”
Melanie looked at me, clutching the sponge in her hand.
“I will definitely save Your Highness the Crown Princess.”
"...Me?"
I who was about to say, "I'm not locked up," closed my mouth.
“I can’t tell you how surprised I was when I found out that Your Highness the Crown Princess was alive. That’s why I came to see you so late to find out what was going on.”
The maid looked around and whispered in my ear.
“Actually, I was sent by His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“...!”
At those words, my eyes grew bigger than ever.
“A person sent by His Highness the Crown Prince...? Does His Highness know that I am alive?”
But Melanie shook her head slowly from side to side as if to say that wasn't the case.
“His Highness the Crown Prince is safe. However, he never dreamed that Your Highness the Crown Princess would be alive. Because right now in the square...”
She quickly shut her mouth before saying anything.
“Anyway. We’ll talk about the details later. For now, you need to leave the palace with me.”
I'm leaving the palace?
Me, a traitor?
A tidal wave of complicated thoughts came rushing in.
My lips did not part easily.
It was a stark contrast to the attitude I had shown just a few days ago when I was waiting for Isaac to contact me.
"I am..."
“I don’t know why they kept the young lady alive, but if we continue like this, it’s dangerous. We don’t know when you’ll die.”
Melanie's words were what I had been thinking because I also thought it wouldn't be strange if I died at any time.
Because now that Carsis is away, it's the right time.
I bit my lip nervously.
“There is a secret passage leading out of the Rose Palace. If you go through it, you can safely escape to the outskirts of the capital.”
But if we get caught...
There will be no turning back.
Melanie added, noticing my anxiety.
“Don’t worry. The palace security isn’t tight yet because they don’t have enough manpower. If not now, then who knows when we’ll get another chance. It could even be the last.”
Although they said they were filling the palace's personnel, it was true that it was still insufficient.
Because of that, there would be no one standing guard in an empty palace where no one lives.
I bit my nails.
Then I raised my head as if I had gathered my thoughts.
“Yes. Let’s go together.”
Since the instigator of the rebellion was Elizabeth.
Carsis would most likely return to the palace and ask me about my future plans.
Although I may have been lucky enough to avoid it so far, I will not be able to avoid the suspicions and questions that will pour in from now on.
Rather than living in anxiety every day, leaving the palace was the best option for me.
Melanie took my hand in confirmation.
“His Highness the Crown Prince will certainly be pleased.”
I was unable to respond to Melanie's addition that Ernest would be waiting.
Even if I left the palace anyway, I had no intention of meeting the Crown Prince.
Even if we meet, it will only be for a very short time.
I was thinking of leaving after just a little while.
Because he doesn't know that I am a traitor.
If nothing else, I hoped Ernest would never know that fact again.
***
Two days later, it was the day I had promised Melanie.
Tonight, while everyone was asleep, I planned to escape the palace.
As I was taking a bath yesterday, I thought back to the conversation I had had with Melanie.
"Tomorrow at 10 p.m., on the second floor of the Rose Palace. At the end of the hallway on the left of the central staircase, there is a room that the late Empress used. It is a small study, and there is a secret passage leading out of the palace inside that room."
"Secret passage?"
"Yes, there is a secret passage behind the bookshelf. Fortunately, the security there isn’t that tight, so you should be able to get there without any trouble."
'Room at the end of the left hallway on the second floor of the Rose Palace.'
The Rose Palace was one of the closest palaces to Solerian as it was the palace where empresses had stayed for generations.
It has been an empty place ever since the former Empress died of illness about 20 years ago.
'There certainly won't be any soldiers standing guard there.'
It was a palace that had been empty for a long time. There was no way to post guards there at this point when there was a shortage of personnel.
Moreover, Carsis was not scheduled to arrive in the capital until tomorrow morning.
Even if I assume that he comes to see me as soon as he arrives at the palace, by then the two of us will have already fled to the outskirts of the capital.
The timing was perfect. Barring any major variables, we would be able to successfully escape.
'Now all we have to do is put it into action.'
I pretended to read a book in my room and looked at the clock on the table.
The time the second hand is pointing to is 9:10.
Now it was time to slowly get ready to go out.
I looked at Jenna, who was embroidering at the head of the bed.
Jenna pursed her lips and was absorbed in her sewing, not even dreaming that I would run away.
“Jenna, it’s getting late. Why don’t we go back now?”
At my question, Jenna, who had been looking at her watch, jumped up from her seat in surprise.
“Oh my! Time flies so fast. I never know how time flies when I’m with you.”
Jenna, smiling brightly, tidied up my bedding.
“Then I’ll be going now. See you tomorrow, Miss.”
"Yes."
According to Melanie, Jenna goes to bed at 10 p.m.
And once she falls asleep, she falls into such a deep sleep that she won't even know if someone catches her.
But then I remembered Melanie's face, confidently telling me all this information, wondering how she had found out all that.
'Why did you come to the palace without even knowing I was there?'
No matter how lax the security was, infiltrating the palace as a spy was a life-threatening mission.
There's no way Ernest wouldn't know that.
Nevertheless, there must be a reason why they planted people in the palace.
"I came because I needed to find something."
'I have to find out... I'll have to ask once I safely leave the palace.'
The only time I could talk to Melanie alone was during bath time.
But if the bath time is longer than usual, I can't have a long conversation because it could lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.
'We'll have a lot of time to spend together anyway.'
As I was thinking about this and that, the time to leave the room soon arrived.
I pretended to be asleep and made the bed bulge with pillows just in case something happened.
I changed into the maid's uniform that I had prepared.
Because I hadn't been out of the room much recently, not many people knew my face.
Because of that, even if I was unlucky enough to get caught by passing soldiers, I planned to pretend to be a lost maid because it was my first time working.
Since there are a lot of new people coming into the palace at the time, there won't be much suspicion.
'Let's go.'
I took a deep breath and carefully left the room.
But to my dismay, I didn't encounter anyone along the way.
The Rose Palace I arrived at like that.
I went up to the second floor and started looking for the room Melanie had mentioned.
'It was at the end of the left hallway on the second floor...'
I walked towards where Melanie had told me to go.
Could it be because the Empress dowager has been dead for a long time?
Although there was some dust, this place seemed to have been largely unscathed by the rebellion and still looked clean.
“I think it’s here...”
I put my ear to the door as I arrived.
‘I can’t hear anything...’
According to the plan, Melanie should have been there, but when I heard no sound, I hesitated for a moment and then entered the room.
Well, even though no one is coming to the Rose Palace, I don't think she can wait for me comfortably since she's sneaking out of the palace. She's probably waiting for me in silence.
I, who thought so, slowly entered the room.
I cautiously called out to Melanie, not even able to light a candle in case someone saw me through the window.
“Melanie?”
But, contrary to expectations, there was no answer.
Weird.
Clearly, she said she would come first and wait.
I tilted my head, feeling somewhat uneasy.
“It’s so dark I can’t see anything.”
I was thinking of waiting quietly for Melanie to come, but then I went to the window, thinking that maybe I could at least open the curtains.
I groped around in the dark room, barely making it to the window, then grabbed the curtain and pulled it aside.
Then, moonlight poured in and illuminated the dark room.
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