The maid who brought me in glanced at me as if she were uncomfortable with me looking into the palace’s dirty secrets.
When our eyes met, I smiled back, and she flinched and avoided my gaze.
On the other hand, the knight in front of the door stood looking at the distant mountains with a face that said, ‘I’m deaf.’ However, his body was absolutely not one to look indifferent. His muscles were so bulging that even though he was just standing there, I had the illusion that he was approaching me.
As I listened to Her Highness the Princess’s shouting, I suddenly thought that I would be taking care of Misha from now on. Then, my heart suddenly felt at ease.
Of course, our statuses were incomparable.
“Really? Really? Are you really telling me to take care of an illegitimate child? There’s a limit to insults! I’m going to go ask my eldest brother. No matter how much he hates me, I’m going to go and find out if he’s doing this to me!”
The man inside was exhausted from comforting the Princess. The maid glanced at me again at the mention of illegitimate children.
Probably no illegitimate children had ever set foot here. I sighed at that thought.
I paid no attention to the maid’s expression and focused on the conversation. It seemed that the one who had told the Count to send his daughter was his “elder brother,” the First Prince.
What on earth was he thinking, the First Prince, not His Majesty the Emperor? And was the Count really okay?
In the meantime, there was more noise of something breaking, and finally, an official from the palace opened the door and came out.
His face was completely rotten, and he looked old and tired.
“Follow me.”
“Am I already kicked out?”
I asked as I followed him.
“Haven’t you seen the Princess?”
“Follow me.”
He answered in a voice that was a mixture of fatigue and nervousness, and quickly walked ahead.
I was sure of it. He hated his job.
He took me to an office and disappeared, and soon an old lady appeared.
A thin woman with gray hair tied up in a bun, she looked very strict.
“I am Amella Collison, the head maid of the palace. Miss Loire?”
The way she called my name seemed to be asking if I dared to call myself Loire.
But I answered obediently.
“I am Lorisha Loire.”
“Are you officially registered in the Loire family?”
Hmm. That’s how it goes.
“I was called. Isn’t there a basic investigation into my background?”
“...”
The head maid looked at me, displeased, and answered.
“We don’t know everything that has been said in the upper chambers. We don’t need to know. Our work begins when we receive instructions. You should get used to it, too. If you are to stay in the palace.”
The fight that started from our first meeting was no joke.
It may have been inevitable to bring in the maids who were the children of high-ranking officials and establish discipline in the palace.
However, I am not the one who is feeling sorry right now. If it was not I who gave up first, but the Princess or the Ministry of the Interior who kicked me out, it would be them, not me, who would have to explain my departure to the First Prince.
I stared at her and answered dryly.
“Do it.”
The head maid had not shown me any favors, and I had not shown her any favors.
It is important to make friends when you go to a new place, but it is also important to know who you absolutely cannot be friends with. I could not become friends with this old lady.
“Her Highness wants a capable maid who will not damage the dignity of the imperial family. So I cannot help but be seriously concerned about your origins and abilities.”
So what does she want from me?
When I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at her, she said,
“Do you have any experience that can prove your abilities?”
“Since you are doubting whether I am Loire, I probably won’t.”
I answered and smiled. But the head maid was not shaken at all and said,
“First, we need to verify your abilities. We don’t usually do this, so it’s become a hassle.”
Verification of abilities? This was probably the result of the negotiation between the official of the Imperial Household and Her Highness the Princess earlier.
Since Her Highness made a fuss about not accepting me, she had taken a step back and said that she would verify my abilities.
They probably expected me to make an excuse that I was ignorant and incompetent and that I couldn’t possibly do it, but I don’t know how they plan to ‘verify’ it, but I was starting to get annoyed.
Illegitimate child, illegitimate child, illegitimate child.
I felt like I had heard every word about an illegitimate child in my life, all in one afternoon.
The unexpectedly strong atmosphere made it seem like I wouldn’t be able to last long in the palace, but I couldn’t back down on my own.
I felt better, so I spoke more brazenly on purpose.
“I’m the daughter of Count Loire, the third lion of His Majesty. Is that not enough?”
“I already know that. But...”
“Ah. I didn’t think the Count would be trusted this much outside...”
I muttered, sighing heavily on purpose, so that she could hear. Then the chief maid turned around and left.
I waited for the chief maid and went to the window. The well-kept garden of the Third Palace, the palace servants and officials who were busy coming and going...
I felt anew that I was in the palace.
‘A country girl has come a long way.’
Now that I think about it, the Second Prince, His Highness Grayon, and Prince Kydel were also in the same fence. I got annoyed when I thought about what Prince Kydel would look like if he met me here.
“My head hurts.”
Isn’t it? He was going to hold onto his stomach and burst out laughing. Where is this place that you are here? Are you in your right mind?
He seemed more noble than anyone else, but he also had a childish and easygoing side. It was probably an attitude that he developed while working with soldiers of various social classes.
He deserved respect for fulfilling his duty as a commander of the battlefield and the successor of the Kydel family, at only a few years older than me.
However, when he questioned me with his fierce eyes, I wanted to hit him.
Ah. I have no conscience.
'Let's avoid him.'
The conclusion was surprisingly simple. Prince Kydel would not want it to be known that he was acquainted with this illegitimate child.
As a servant of the royal family, there would inevitably be clashes, but when that happens, I could just lay down a sheet of iron. I poked my cheek with my fingertips to check how thick my face was.
Then the chief maid came back. Her face was even more rigid than before, and now she looked like a plaster statue.
How can a person be so lifeless?
When I swallowed dry saliva without realizing it, she said,
“It’s time to take the test, Miss Loire.”
I took the test from her and sat on the sofa.
The first two questions were nothing special. The basic information about the empire and the palace organization was basic knowledge that anyone would ask about.
However, the difficulty level increased dramatically from the third question. It reminded me of the Academy entrance exam.
They said that only those from prestigious families and excellent graduates of the Academy could become candidates for the position, so that must have been the case.
I filled out the answer sheet while grumbling to myself under the hawkish gaze of the chief maid. As the questions continued, I felt that she would fail me no matter what, but I also wrote the answers with the determination that I would pass even if I died.
‘I’m sorry, but I have to do my best, test.’
As I clenched my teeth, my pen moved faster.
When I handed her the test I had finished, the chief maid glanced at me disapprovingly and disappeared.
Then the palace maid came in.
“Miss Loire, I will take you to your bedroom.”
It seemed like the day’s schedule was over since it took time to grade.
My room at the end of the hallway below Her Highness’s bedroom was not much different from my room at the Count’s residence.
It was an ordinary room, not particularly nice, but not bad either.
I thought they would treat me like a maid of the royal family, but that wasn’t the case.
I decided to focus on the fact that it wasn’t bad at all.
“Thank you.”
When I greeted her with a satisfied smile, the maid replied with an awkward smile and disappeared.
I threw myself onto the bed.
“It’s just a little soft...”
I sighed and opened the bag of clothes the Countess had prepared for me to change into, but I was surprised.
The Countess had only given me new clothes so that this illegitimate child wouldn’t feel intimidated when she went out. Among them were clothes that Misha had only worn and didn’t wear, but a lot of them were new. She told me to go out and save face for the Loire family. Or to die properly for Misha.
“I hope it’s not bad, Your Excellency.”
Locard looked up from Lorisha’s test paper and asked,
“You want me to grade it unfairly?”
The head maid, who had caught on to her intentions, met his gaze as if she was displeased with his smile. Then she turned to look out the window.
Locard continued to speak absentmindedly as he read the test paper.
“Even without considering the honor of the Third Lion, I will grade it exactly as it is. If I, the Second Prince’s servant, were to intentionally fail the Princess’s maid, who would take responsibility for the consequences? The head maid would not do it.”
“I was only conveying the wishes of Her Highness the Princess.”
“Is Her Highness Milliora very angry?”
“If we’re not careful, the palace will never be safe again. Because of one illegitimate child!”
“...”
Locard, who was about to say something back, tightly shut his mouth. The smile that had been coaxing the chief maid also cooled and disappeared.
He glared at the test paper, then quickly turned it over to the back page. Even his eyes lost their warmth.
When our eyes met, I smiled back, and she flinched and avoided my gaze.
On the other hand, the knight in front of the door stood looking at the distant mountains with a face that said, ‘I’m deaf.’ However, his body was absolutely not one to look indifferent. His muscles were so bulging that even though he was just standing there, I had the illusion that he was approaching me.
As I listened to Her Highness the Princess’s shouting, I suddenly thought that I would be taking care of Misha from now on. Then, my heart suddenly felt at ease.
Of course, our statuses were incomparable.
“Really? Really? Are you really telling me to take care of an illegitimate child? There’s a limit to insults! I’m going to go ask my eldest brother. No matter how much he hates me, I’m going to go and find out if he’s doing this to me!”
The man inside was exhausted from comforting the Princess. The maid glanced at me again at the mention of illegitimate children.
Probably no illegitimate children had ever set foot here. I sighed at that thought.
I paid no attention to the maid’s expression and focused on the conversation. It seemed that the one who had told the Count to send his daughter was his “elder brother,” the First Prince.
What on earth was he thinking, the First Prince, not His Majesty the Emperor? And was the Count really okay?
In the meantime, there was more noise of something breaking, and finally, an official from the palace opened the door and came out.
His face was completely rotten, and he looked old and tired.
“Follow me.”
“Am I already kicked out?”
I asked as I followed him.
“Haven’t you seen the Princess?”
“Follow me.”
He answered in a voice that was a mixture of fatigue and nervousness, and quickly walked ahead.
I was sure of it. He hated his job.
He took me to an office and disappeared, and soon an old lady appeared.
A thin woman with gray hair tied up in a bun, she looked very strict.
“I am Amella Collison, the head maid of the palace. Miss Loire?”
The way she called my name seemed to be asking if I dared to call myself Loire.
But I answered obediently.
“I am Lorisha Loire.”
“Are you officially registered in the Loire family?”
Hmm. That’s how it goes.
“I was called. Isn’t there a basic investigation into my background?”
“...”
The head maid looked at me, displeased, and answered.
“We don’t know everything that has been said in the upper chambers. We don’t need to know. Our work begins when we receive instructions. You should get used to it, too. If you are to stay in the palace.”
The fight that started from our first meeting was no joke.
It may have been inevitable to bring in the maids who were the children of high-ranking officials and establish discipline in the palace.
However, I am not the one who is feeling sorry right now. If it was not I who gave up first, but the Princess or the Ministry of the Interior who kicked me out, it would be them, not me, who would have to explain my departure to the First Prince.
I stared at her and answered dryly.
“Do it.”
The head maid had not shown me any favors, and I had not shown her any favors.
It is important to make friends when you go to a new place, but it is also important to know who you absolutely cannot be friends with. I could not become friends with this old lady.
“Her Highness wants a capable maid who will not damage the dignity of the imperial family. So I cannot help but be seriously concerned about your origins and abilities.”
So what does she want from me?
When I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at her, she said,
“Do you have any experience that can prove your abilities?”
“Since you are doubting whether I am Loire, I probably won’t.”
I answered and smiled. But the head maid was not shaken at all and said,
“First, we need to verify your abilities. We don’t usually do this, so it’s become a hassle.”
Verification of abilities? This was probably the result of the negotiation between the official of the Imperial Household and Her Highness the Princess earlier.
Since Her Highness made a fuss about not accepting me, she had taken a step back and said that she would verify my abilities.
They probably expected me to make an excuse that I was ignorant and incompetent and that I couldn’t possibly do it, but I don’t know how they plan to ‘verify’ it, but I was starting to get annoyed.
Illegitimate child, illegitimate child, illegitimate child.
I felt like I had heard every word about an illegitimate child in my life, all in one afternoon.
The unexpectedly strong atmosphere made it seem like I wouldn’t be able to last long in the palace, but I couldn’t back down on my own.
I felt better, so I spoke more brazenly on purpose.
“I’m the daughter of Count Loire, the third lion of His Majesty. Is that not enough?”
“I already know that. But...”
“Ah. I didn’t think the Count would be trusted this much outside...”
I muttered, sighing heavily on purpose, so that she could hear. Then the chief maid turned around and left.
I waited for the chief maid and went to the window. The well-kept garden of the Third Palace, the palace servants and officials who were busy coming and going...
I felt anew that I was in the palace.
‘A country girl has come a long way.’
Now that I think about it, the Second Prince, His Highness Grayon, and Prince Kydel were also in the same fence. I got annoyed when I thought about what Prince Kydel would look like if he met me here.
“My head hurts.”
Isn’t it? He was going to hold onto his stomach and burst out laughing. Where is this place that you are here? Are you in your right mind?
He seemed more noble than anyone else, but he also had a childish and easygoing side. It was probably an attitude that he developed while working with soldiers of various social classes.
He deserved respect for fulfilling his duty as a commander of the battlefield and the successor of the Kydel family, at only a few years older than me.
However, when he questioned me with his fierce eyes, I wanted to hit him.
Ah. I have no conscience.
'Let's avoid him.'
The conclusion was surprisingly simple. Prince Kydel would not want it to be known that he was acquainted with this illegitimate child.
As a servant of the royal family, there would inevitably be clashes, but when that happens, I could just lay down a sheet of iron. I poked my cheek with my fingertips to check how thick my face was.
Then the chief maid came back. Her face was even more rigid than before, and now she looked like a plaster statue.
How can a person be so lifeless?
When I swallowed dry saliva without realizing it, she said,
“It’s time to take the test, Miss Loire.”
I took the test from her and sat on the sofa.
The first two questions were nothing special. The basic information about the empire and the palace organization was basic knowledge that anyone would ask about.
However, the difficulty level increased dramatically from the third question. It reminded me of the Academy entrance exam.
They said that only those from prestigious families and excellent graduates of the Academy could become candidates for the position, so that must have been the case.
I filled out the answer sheet while grumbling to myself under the hawkish gaze of the chief maid. As the questions continued, I felt that she would fail me no matter what, but I also wrote the answers with the determination that I would pass even if I died.
‘I’m sorry, but I have to do my best, test.’
As I clenched my teeth, my pen moved faster.
When I handed her the test I had finished, the chief maid glanced at me disapprovingly and disappeared.
Then the palace maid came in.
“Miss Loire, I will take you to your bedroom.”
It seemed like the day’s schedule was over since it took time to grade.
My room at the end of the hallway below Her Highness’s bedroom was not much different from my room at the Count’s residence.
It was an ordinary room, not particularly nice, but not bad either.
I thought they would treat me like a maid of the royal family, but that wasn’t the case.
I decided to focus on the fact that it wasn’t bad at all.
“Thank you.”
When I greeted her with a satisfied smile, the maid replied with an awkward smile and disappeared.
I threw myself onto the bed.
“It’s just a little soft...”
I sighed and opened the bag of clothes the Countess had prepared for me to change into, but I was surprised.
The Countess had only given me new clothes so that this illegitimate child wouldn’t feel intimidated when she went out. Among them were clothes that Misha had only worn and didn’t wear, but a lot of them were new. She told me to go out and save face for the Loire family. Or to die properly for Misha.
***
“I hope it’s not bad, Your Excellency.”
Locard looked up from Lorisha’s test paper and asked,
“You want me to grade it unfairly?”
The head maid, who had caught on to her intentions, met his gaze as if she was displeased with his smile. Then she turned to look out the window.
Locard continued to speak absentmindedly as he read the test paper.
“Even without considering the honor of the Third Lion, I will grade it exactly as it is. If I, the Second Prince’s servant, were to intentionally fail the Princess’s maid, who would take responsibility for the consequences? The head maid would not do it.”
“I was only conveying the wishes of Her Highness the Princess.”
“Is Her Highness Milliora very angry?”
“If we’re not careful, the palace will never be safe again. Because of one illegitimate child!”
“...”
Locard, who was about to say something back, tightly shut his mouth. The smile that had been coaxing the chief maid also cooled and disappeared.
He glared at the test paper, then quickly turned it over to the back page. Even his eyes lost their warmth.
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