“The Count has found a position for the imperial maid. Lorisha.”
“..."
“Aren’t you happy?”
“What is that?”
Of course, I know what a maid is. I have memorized the imperial family tree and the list of nobles up to three generations.
But how would I know what position she is offering me?
The Countess’s eyes shook slightly at my question. She pretended to straighten her expression and said.
“It’s a position where you live in the palace and become an assistant to the imperial family. It’s an honorary position, but it carries great influence. Only those who are excellent graduates of the Academy can be nominated.”
“Which imperial family?”
I thought I was smiling as much as I could, but my tone sounded cold. The Countess’s expression immediately turned fierce.
“You’ll know that when you enter the palace.”
When the Countess revealed her true colors, I immediately lost my patience.
I said coldly.
“Did Misha refuse?”
“You don’t know the value of something good. How ungrateful!”
For the past few years, I have lived with only one goal in mind: to enter the Academy. The shock of being frustrated was considerable.
I had barely gotten over that shock and decided on a new path, and now you’re blocking me again? The herbalist's job has nothing to do with you.
If that maid position was really good, would you have given it to me?
I’m going to sell herbs. I’m going to make all the pharmacists, doctors, and alchemists of the empire my clients! But what’s the big deal?
Even if I'm registered with the Loire family, who would make an illegitimate child a maid of the royal family? This was clearly Misha’s business. The Countess’s stepping forward was Misha’s business alone.
I unconsciously ground my teeth and glared at the Countess. Then she opened her eyes wide and looked at the Count, shaking.
“You now...! Count, look at that child!”
“..."
“Aren’t you happy?”
“What is that?”
Of course, I know what a maid is. I have memorized the imperial family tree and the list of nobles up to three generations.
But how would I know what position she is offering me?
The Countess’s eyes shook slightly at my question. She pretended to straighten her expression and said.
“It’s a position where you live in the palace and become an assistant to the imperial family. It’s an honorary position, but it carries great influence. Only those who are excellent graduates of the Academy can be nominated.”
“Which imperial family?”
I thought I was smiling as much as I could, but my tone sounded cold. The Countess’s expression immediately turned fierce.
“You’ll know that when you enter the palace.”
When the Countess revealed her true colors, I immediately lost my patience.
I said coldly.
“Did Misha refuse?”
“You don’t know the value of something good. How ungrateful!”
For the past few years, I have lived with only one goal in mind: to enter the Academy. The shock of being frustrated was considerable.
I had barely gotten over that shock and decided on a new path, and now you’re blocking me again? The herbalist's job has nothing to do with you.
If that maid position was really good, would you have given it to me?
I’m going to sell herbs. I’m going to make all the pharmacists, doctors, and alchemists of the empire my clients! But what’s the big deal?
Even if I'm registered with the Loire family, who would make an illegitimate child a maid of the royal family? This was clearly Misha’s business. The Countess’s stepping forward was Misha’s business alone.
I unconsciously ground my teeth and glared at the Countess. Then she opened her eyes wide and looked at the Count, shaking.
“You now...! Count, look at that child!”
Only then did the Count turn around and look at me.
His face was hard, and his eyes were cold. The Count seemed like someone I had never seen before.
No way...
At some point, my voice began to tremble.
“Do you agree, Count?”
“Yes. Lorisha.”
The Count was heavy and firm.
“...”
I turned around and ran to my room.
I sat down on the bed, but now I couldn’t even cry. It was just that my hands wouldn’t stop convulsing. Even if I grabbed the other hand with one hand, both hands were shaking, so it was useless.
‘Why am I shaking...’
This was probably a feeling of betrayal. The feeling that the Count had finally abandoned me.
I already knew that there was no one in the world you could trust and rely on. However, I had vaguely expected that the Count might be an exception. Because he had never betrayed me.
Until now.
The political standing of a servant was determined by the power of the imperial family, and sometimes he had to share his fate with the imperial family. That’s why nobles chose their masters, risking their own and their families’ fates.
Now that His Highness the Second Prince has returned, the succession dispute between the two Princes will begin. However, it seems that the Count has been asked to give Misha to the royal family that he does not want.
So the Countess is planning to offer me as a burnt offering instead.
By offering the thorn in his eye, he will prevent the sacrifice of the legitimate daughter and clean up the filth in the house. Isn’t it killing two birds with one stone?
When necessary, the Count will say that he sent the daughter of the Loire family, but if it is disadvantageous, he will cut off the connection with the illegitimate child. He seems to reluctantly agree to this deal, but that was enough for me.
Up until now, the Count has never openly taken my side, but he has never taken the Countess’ side either. That alone made me think that he was on my side.
However, that belief ended today. Now, to me, he was the Countess’s husband, and just another of the common nobles.
‘Did you know, Mom? That the Count is this kind of person.’
I swallowed my tears and realized that I was an adult.
I packed my bag. I wasn’t a kid, so I didn’t need to go and come back. I’ll just stay at the herbal medicine shop for the time being...
Anyway, I can take my time thinking.
As I was walking around, packing my things to put in my bag, I suddenly turned my eyes to my desk.
There was my Imperial Law notebook. It was the only notebook I hadn’t memorized before the exam.
Why was it there...
I couldn’t believe that I had left that notebook on my desk all this time without realizing it.
But it didn’t matter anymore. This was no longer my room.
As I put my clothes in my bag, the Count came into the room before I knew it.
“Lorisha.”
I clenched my jaw and gritted my teeth. I didn’t know what I would say if I opened my mouth like that.
Even though I was in this state of despair, the Count had clothed me, fed me, and taught me, so I had nothing to criticize him for. I wish our separation had been less ugly.
A maid of the royal family? Don’t make me laugh!
As I turned around to pack my bags, he raised his voice.
“Lorisha!”
It was the first time in my life that he had yelled at me. I froze. My hands shook again.
“Enter the palace and serve His Highness Milliora, Lorisha.”
“What... why...”
I was so out of breath that I couldn’t continue speaking.
The Count came over and grabbed my arms.
His eyes, staring intently at me, looked very much like mine. That fact tore my heart apart.
“You’re right, Lorisha. This is your chance.”
I finally shouted.
“I didn’t do that! I called your father for nothing!”
The Count froze in shock, and I pushed away, backing away.
“Didn’t you want independence? Lorisha, get away from me, my wife, and Misha, and fly far away. From now on, fly wherever you want with your wings.”
“What are you...?”
“Her Highness the Princess is being ostracized by Her Majesty the Empress. She is isolated like an island.”
What are you talking about now?
The Count’s face was so serious that it seemed crazy as he spoke nonsense.
“Her Highness the Second Prince’s life depends on this competition. However, Her Highness the Princess has no power, so she can be quietly forgotten. You walk into that whirlpool and survive.”
“Count!”
“After that, decide where you want to go. Your wings will be big and strong enough to fly anywhere. A tutor won’t be a problem.”
“...”
The Count was like this.
He wasn’t the calm and rational person the world knew. He was a lion. He didn’t blink an eye after throwing his own cub off a cliff. He was so ruthless that he even used the royal family for that.
I sat down on the bed. All the strength left my voice.
“The competition is a bloody competition for the succession. I don’t know how to act in a way that benefits the Loire family.”
The Count snorted.
“Who told you to think about that? That’s my job, Lorisha Loire.”
My bag, which had been completely packed, was neatly placed on the balcony. I planned to grab it and climb over the railing whenever I made up my mind.
But dawn had come while I was tossing and turning under the covers.
I went out onto the balcony and looked at the sky that was starting to brighten. The cold air was chilling.
If I had been a royal servant, it wouldn’t be a problem to get a job as a tutor later. This time, the Countess wouldn’t touch my career.
My goal was to grow old alone, without relying on others, like Miss Julia. Then maybe this was my chance.
But I had studied history. The words of the powerless royal family were miserable, and servants were those who had to accept their master’s fate as their own.
They told me to survive in such a gap. I decided not to think about the interests of the Count or the Loire family. The Count was the one who first drew the line, telling me to take this opportunity completely for myself.
And he must have already drawn a big picture in his head that included me as a variable.
The Count was right. This competition was a competition between the First Prince and the Second Prince.
All I had to do was bow my head and survive. It was no different from what I had done until now. That fact made me feel strange.
I could have returned to the herbalist later, but this might have been an opportunity I would never be able to grab again.
‘If I do well, I might be able to get my dream back...’
I had a crazy thought as I looked at the sky that had suddenly brightened.
‘Should I risk my life?’
And if I became a maid, I would be able to freely enter the royal library like Prince Kydel.
I stayed up all night and fell asleep almost in the morning. But then I suddenly felt a creepy feeling, like a snake had been released into the bed.
I forced my eyes open and saw Misha sitting on the edge of the bed, glaring at me.
Oh my, what a surprise!
“Misha! You surprised me.”
I sat down, roughly straightening my messy hair, and lit a candle. Misha sat there motionless.
When I turned to look at her, Misha slapped me right away.
“Misha! Why are you doing this?”
I was so shocked that I couldn't even curse. I was the one who got hit, but Misha said as I trembled even more.
"How dare you take what's mine?"
"...Ha!"
My ears and nose were blocked, so I just stared at her with my mouth open.
What are you talking about?
His face was hard, and his eyes were cold. The Count seemed like someone I had never seen before.
No way...
At some point, my voice began to tremble.
“Do you agree, Count?”
“Yes. Lorisha.”
The Count was heavy and firm.
“...”
I turned around and ran to my room.
***
I sat down on the bed, but now I couldn’t even cry. It was just that my hands wouldn’t stop convulsing. Even if I grabbed the other hand with one hand, both hands were shaking, so it was useless.
‘Why am I shaking...’
This was probably a feeling of betrayal. The feeling that the Count had finally abandoned me.
I already knew that there was no one in the world you could trust and rely on. However, I had vaguely expected that the Count might be an exception. Because he had never betrayed me.
Until now.
The political standing of a servant was determined by the power of the imperial family, and sometimes he had to share his fate with the imperial family. That’s why nobles chose their masters, risking their own and their families’ fates.
Now that His Highness the Second Prince has returned, the succession dispute between the two Princes will begin. However, it seems that the Count has been asked to give Misha to the royal family that he does not want.
So the Countess is planning to offer me as a burnt offering instead.
By offering the thorn in his eye, he will prevent the sacrifice of the legitimate daughter and clean up the filth in the house. Isn’t it killing two birds with one stone?
When necessary, the Count will say that he sent the daughter of the Loire family, but if it is disadvantageous, he will cut off the connection with the illegitimate child. He seems to reluctantly agree to this deal, but that was enough for me.
Up until now, the Count has never openly taken my side, but he has never taken the Countess’ side either. That alone made me think that he was on my side.
However, that belief ended today. Now, to me, he was the Countess’s husband, and just another of the common nobles.
‘Did you know, Mom? That the Count is this kind of person.’
I swallowed my tears and realized that I was an adult.
I packed my bag. I wasn’t a kid, so I didn’t need to go and come back. I’ll just stay at the herbal medicine shop for the time being...
Anyway, I can take my time thinking.
As I was walking around, packing my things to put in my bag, I suddenly turned my eyes to my desk.
There was my Imperial Law notebook. It was the only notebook I hadn’t memorized before the exam.
Why was it there...
I couldn’t believe that I had left that notebook on my desk all this time without realizing it.
But it didn’t matter anymore. This was no longer my room.
As I put my clothes in my bag, the Count came into the room before I knew it.
“Lorisha.”
I clenched my jaw and gritted my teeth. I didn’t know what I would say if I opened my mouth like that.
Even though I was in this state of despair, the Count had clothed me, fed me, and taught me, so I had nothing to criticize him for. I wish our separation had been less ugly.
A maid of the royal family? Don’t make me laugh!
As I turned around to pack my bags, he raised his voice.
“Lorisha!”
It was the first time in my life that he had yelled at me. I froze. My hands shook again.
“Enter the palace and serve His Highness Milliora, Lorisha.”
“What... why...”
I was so out of breath that I couldn’t continue speaking.
The Count came over and grabbed my arms.
His eyes, staring intently at me, looked very much like mine. That fact tore my heart apart.
“You’re right, Lorisha. This is your chance.”
I finally shouted.
“I didn’t do that! I called your father for nothing!”
The Count froze in shock, and I pushed away, backing away.
“Didn’t you want independence? Lorisha, get away from me, my wife, and Misha, and fly far away. From now on, fly wherever you want with your wings.”
“What are you...?”
“Her Highness the Princess is being ostracized by Her Majesty the Empress. She is isolated like an island.”
What are you talking about now?
The Count’s face was so serious that it seemed crazy as he spoke nonsense.
“Her Highness the Second Prince’s life depends on this competition. However, Her Highness the Princess has no power, so she can be quietly forgotten. You walk into that whirlpool and survive.”
“Count!”
“After that, decide where you want to go. Your wings will be big and strong enough to fly anywhere. A tutor won’t be a problem.”
“...”
The Count was like this.
He wasn’t the calm and rational person the world knew. He was a lion. He didn’t blink an eye after throwing his own cub off a cliff. He was so ruthless that he even used the royal family for that.
I sat down on the bed. All the strength left my voice.
“The competition is a bloody competition for the succession. I don’t know how to act in a way that benefits the Loire family.”
The Count snorted.
“Who told you to think about that? That’s my job, Lorisha Loire.”
***
My bag, which had been completely packed, was neatly placed on the balcony. I planned to grab it and climb over the railing whenever I made up my mind.
But dawn had come while I was tossing and turning under the covers.
I went out onto the balcony and looked at the sky that was starting to brighten. The cold air was chilling.
If I had been a royal servant, it wouldn’t be a problem to get a job as a tutor later. This time, the Countess wouldn’t touch my career.
My goal was to grow old alone, without relying on others, like Miss Julia. Then maybe this was my chance.
But I had studied history. The words of the powerless royal family were miserable, and servants were those who had to accept their master’s fate as their own.
They told me to survive in such a gap. I decided not to think about the interests of the Count or the Loire family. The Count was the one who first drew the line, telling me to take this opportunity completely for myself.
And he must have already drawn a big picture in his head that included me as a variable.
The Count was right. This competition was a competition between the First Prince and the Second Prince.
All I had to do was bow my head and survive. It was no different from what I had done until now. That fact made me feel strange.
I could have returned to the herbalist later, but this might have been an opportunity I would never be able to grab again.
‘If I do well, I might be able to get my dream back...’
I had a crazy thought as I looked at the sky that had suddenly brightened.
‘Should I risk my life?’
And if I became a maid, I would be able to freely enter the royal library like Prince Kydel.
***
I stayed up all night and fell asleep almost in the morning. But then I suddenly felt a creepy feeling, like a snake had been released into the bed.
I forced my eyes open and saw Misha sitting on the edge of the bed, glaring at me.
Oh my, what a surprise!
“Misha! You surprised me.”
I sat down, roughly straightening my messy hair, and lit a candle. Misha sat there motionless.
When I turned to look at her, Misha slapped me right away.
“Misha! Why are you doing this?”
I was so shocked that I couldn't even curse. I was the one who got hit, but Misha said as I trembled even more.
"How dare you take what's mine?"
"...Ha!"
My ears and nose were blocked, so I just stared at her with my mouth open.
What are you talking about?
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