Episode 43. I Didn't Steal the Ring
"I..."
Before I could even call Her Highness, the ring box flew towards me. I grabbed it in midair, and our eyes met.
Her Highness let out a gasp.
"Ha!"
'What the heck...'
I jumped out of the box and picked up a couple of rings that had fallen onto the carpet, then placed the box on the table.
When I glanced at Her Highness, her face was so shocked that she couldn't even breathe.
'Oh my, I should've just hit you! If I had been torn somewhere, Her Highness might've felt a little sorry!'
However, after looking at her closely again, I concluded that it was a good idea to grab the ring box.
Her Highness Milliora wouldn't even blink if my forehead had been torn or my eyes had burst.
She trembled and said,
"How dare you... You, a girl, won't stop humiliating me!"
"...!"
I tried to refute her out of resentment, but then I remembered that I had provoked Her Highness from the very first day, so I shut my mouth.
However, I couldn’t stay still any longer, so I spoke carefully and earnestly.
“Your Highness, instead of wasting time on constantly pushing me away, think about how you can utilize me. I will really work hard. Even though I look like this, I am the type of person who will do anything I tell myself to do.”
Prince Kydel said this as if praising me, but I wonder if it would work on the royal family.
“Shut up. Shut up and get out.”
“Your Highness, please...”
“I told you to get out!”
Her Highness Milliora’s hand went to the ring box again. If I accept that again, Her Highness will think that I am playing with her.
I decided to step aside.
“Then I will see you tomorrow, Your Highness. If you need me before then, please call me!”
As I ran out of the reception room and sighed in relief, Eria looked up at me with wide eyes.
I gave her a thumbs up and smiled tiredly, and Eria held back her laughter.
I headed to the backyard for the first time in a while.
I couldn’t say that the conversation just now was productive, but I had to consider it a development that Her Highness the Princess had started talking to me.
I offered Lord Rond tea and said,
“I finally talked to Her Highness the Princess.”
“...Is that so?”
I laughed at the pitiful look Lord Rond gave me.
“It wasn’t that bad. Don’t worry.”
He blew on his tea and said,
“Should I be worried?”
I followed his gaze and saw Eria coming with the palace servants.
She said with a very troubled expression.
“Maid, I can’t help it either...”
Then the servant pushed her aside and stepped forward and said,
“The chief maid is waiting.”
As I was led to the chief maid’s room by the servants, I knew that something was seriously wrong. Why did they send servants when they could have just told me to come?
My ominous premonition was right. When I entered the chief maid’s office, she was standing there holding a whip that was longer than her arm.
The servants who took me blocked the door as if they were trying to prevent me from escaping.
'What the f*ck?'
The chief maid ordered me.
"Kneel."
"..."
"I told you to kneel."
"Why?"
When I asked back instead of obeying, the chief maid's eyes widened. At her wink, the servants rushed over and pressed my shoulders down, forcing me to kneel.
I raised my voice, too.
"You have to tell me why you're doing this!"
"Is it because you don't know why, Miss Loire?"
Her voice was full of sarcasm. It was full of contempt, as if she were saying that.
"I don't know!"
"Hold out your arms."
"I told you to explain!"
"Hold out both your arms, Miss Lorisha Loire."
When I resisted, the chief maid winked at the servants. The servants forcibly stretched my arms forward. And then a spicy whip flew at me.
"Ouch!"
I screamed loudly, half out of surprise, but it actually hurt so much that I couldn't see for a moment.
“Now confess your wrongdoings.”
“What are you saying?”
The whip flew again. This time, my teeth ground together as I tried to hold back a scream.
“Is this the order of Her Highness Milliora?”
“Confess your wrongdoings.”
The head maid struck the whip every time. Red bruises were already blooming on my arms.
When I saw that, I couldn’t stand it.
“Let go! Let go! I’ll get hit!”
I struggled to push the servants away and stretched my arms out.
The chief maid glared at me and opened her mouth. But I shouted first.
“Confess my wrongdoing? I don’t know, so keep hitting me. If you’re going to beat Her Highness’s maid, you must have a good reason and evidence, right?”
The chief maid raised her whip high and glared at me like I was looking at a bug.
“Ha! How shameless are you?”
“I’ll get hit if you want. If I’m going to be punished by the chief maid as Her Highness’s maid, I’ll gladly take it. But you won’t hear that confession. I didn’t do anything wrong!”
“What the heck...”
This was war. I didn’t ask her what confession she wanted to hear, and she continued to beat me while holding onto her sore shoulder. When my arms were covered in bruises and there was nowhere else to hit, the chief maid turned me around and started beating my back.
She panted as she struggled to swing the whip.
“Lady Loire. Holding on like this is insulting to Her Highness the Princess.”
“...”
I had nothing more to say. I just gritted my teeth and held back a groan. I counted to about ten, but I don’t remember anything after that.
Only when the servant stopped her did she huff and puff.
“Let’s start again tomorrow, Lady Loire. Think about how you should behave according to your conscience.”
I was dragged to my bedroom by the servants, and Eria came to my room with medicine.
I squirmed in pain and barely managed to squelch my voice.
“Do you not normally call a doctor after being hit this much? Or is it because of the country?”
“Stay still. Save your energy, maid.”
Eria was a peculiar person, too. It wouldn’t be good to call me a maid in this kind of atmosphere.
“Eria, why on earth did I get hit? Do you know why?”
Eria flinched and averted her eyes.
“Eria, please. I’ll get hit again tomorrow, so let’s find out why.”
“Huh? You’re getting hit again?”
“I said.”
Eria looked at me for a moment and then said in despair.
“The maid stole Her Highness’s ring...”
“...Yes?”
“The emerald ring disappeared after the maid touched Her Highness’s ring box.”
“What the heck. Was that it?”
“...!”
When I swore without thinking, Eria looked at me in surprise.
I wanted to wave my hand, telling her not to be surprised, but one arm was being bandaged by Eria, and the other arm just hurt too much. I groaned without realizing it.
“I’m a thief?”
“Yes. That’s why the head maid...”
“Shut up. Shut up and get out.”
“Your Highness, please...”
“I told you to get out!”
Her Highness Milliora’s hand went to the ring box again. If I accept that again, Her Highness will think that I am playing with her.
I decided to step aside.
“Then I will see you tomorrow, Your Highness. If you need me before then, please call me!”
As I ran out of the reception room and sighed in relief, Eria looked up at me with wide eyes.
I gave her a thumbs up and smiled tiredly, and Eria held back her laughter.
***
I headed to the backyard for the first time in a while.
I couldn’t say that the conversation just now was productive, but I had to consider it a development that Her Highness the Princess had started talking to me.
I offered Lord Rond tea and said,
“I finally talked to Her Highness the Princess.”
“...Is that so?”
I laughed at the pitiful look Lord Rond gave me.
“It wasn’t that bad. Don’t worry.”
He blew on his tea and said,
“Should I be worried?”
I followed his gaze and saw Eria coming with the palace servants.
She said with a very troubled expression.
“Maid, I can’t help it either...”
Then the servant pushed her aside and stepped forward and said,
“The chief maid is waiting.”
***
As I was led to the chief maid’s room by the servants, I knew that something was seriously wrong. Why did they send servants when they could have just told me to come?
My ominous premonition was right. When I entered the chief maid’s office, she was standing there holding a whip that was longer than her arm.
The servants who took me blocked the door as if they were trying to prevent me from escaping.
'What the f*ck?'
The chief maid ordered me.
"Kneel."
"..."
"I told you to kneel."
"Why?"
When I asked back instead of obeying, the chief maid's eyes widened. At her wink, the servants rushed over and pressed my shoulders down, forcing me to kneel.
I raised my voice, too.
"You have to tell me why you're doing this!"
"Is it because you don't know why, Miss Loire?"
Her voice was full of sarcasm. It was full of contempt, as if she were saying that.
"I don't know!"
"Hold out your arms."
"I told you to explain!"
"Hold out both your arms, Miss Lorisha Loire."
When I resisted, the chief maid winked at the servants. The servants forcibly stretched my arms forward. And then a spicy whip flew at me.
"Ouch!"
I screamed loudly, half out of surprise, but it actually hurt so much that I couldn't see for a moment.
“Now confess your wrongdoings.”
“What are you saying?”
The whip flew again. This time, my teeth ground together as I tried to hold back a scream.
“Is this the order of Her Highness Milliora?”
“Confess your wrongdoings.”
The head maid struck the whip every time. Red bruises were already blooming on my arms.
When I saw that, I couldn’t stand it.
“Let go! Let go! I’ll get hit!”
I struggled to push the servants away and stretched my arms out.
The chief maid glared at me and opened her mouth. But I shouted first.
“Confess my wrongdoing? I don’t know, so keep hitting me. If you’re going to beat Her Highness’s maid, you must have a good reason and evidence, right?”
The chief maid raised her whip high and glared at me like I was looking at a bug.
“Ha! How shameless are you?”
“I’ll get hit if you want. If I’m going to be punished by the chief maid as Her Highness’s maid, I’ll gladly take it. But you won’t hear that confession. I didn’t do anything wrong!”
“What the heck...”
This was war. I didn’t ask her what confession she wanted to hear, and she continued to beat me while holding onto her sore shoulder. When my arms were covered in bruises and there was nowhere else to hit, the chief maid turned me around and started beating my back.
She panted as she struggled to swing the whip.
“Lady Loire. Holding on like this is insulting to Her Highness the Princess.”
“...”
I had nothing more to say. I just gritted my teeth and held back a groan. I counted to about ten, but I don’t remember anything after that.
Only when the servant stopped her did she huff and puff.
“Let’s start again tomorrow, Lady Loire. Think about how you should behave according to your conscience.”
I was dragged to my bedroom by the servants, and Eria came to my room with medicine.
I squirmed in pain and barely managed to squelch my voice.
“Do you not normally call a doctor after being hit this much? Or is it because of the country?”
“Stay still. Save your energy, maid.”
Eria was a peculiar person, too. It wouldn’t be good to call me a maid in this kind of atmosphere.
“Eria, why on earth did I get hit? Do you know why?”
Eria flinched and averted her eyes.
“Eria, please. I’ll get hit again tomorrow, so let’s find out why.”
“Huh? You’re getting hit again?”
“I said.”
Eria looked at me for a moment and then said in despair.
“The maid stole Her Highness’s ring...”
“...Yes?”
“The emerald ring disappeared after the maid touched Her Highness’s ring box.”
“What the heck. Was that it?”
“...!”
When I swore without thinking, Eria looked at me in surprise.
I wanted to wave my hand, telling her not to be surprised, but one arm was being bandaged by Eria, and the other arm just hurt too much. I groaned without realizing it.
“I’m a thief?”
“Yes. That’s why the head maid...”
“I thought there was something big going on. Now I feel a little relieved. Thanks for telling me, Eria.”
“...”
Eria made a face that seemed like she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at my answer.
In fact, that was exactly how I felt. Should I laugh or cry?
What was certain was that I felt like a fool.
Was it intentional from the beginning that Her Highness Milliora threw the ring box at me, or did she decide to frame me when she couldn’t find the ring that bounced off?
I wanted to believe the latter, but the answer is usually the former. And people get hurt when they can’t believe what they want to believe.
After Eria left, I curled up like a shrimp and lay down, lost in thought. My back was swollen from the beating, and it was too painful to lie down straight.
I was thinking about sneaking into Her Highness’s reception room and looking for the ring. However, even if I found the ring, if I showed up with it, I would be caught stealing, so she would obviously think I was putting on an act. Her Highness would probably make a deal that I would give up my position as a maid and leave the palace in exchange for the theft.
If I held out, I’d be beaten until there was no flesh left, and then I’d be sent to prison.
I felt like I was caught in a trap. Misha had pushed me into traps many times, but now it wasn’t about the Countess’s persecution, but whether or not I’d go to prison.
I thought to myself, if in my depression.
It was a little better for me to give up first than for the illegitimate child the Count had risked his reputation to send to the palace and end up in prison for touching the royal family’s belongings.
Just a little.
In any case, my dream of becoming a tutor was over once again.
“Ugh...”
As I struggled to get up, my whole body ached as if it were going to break.
The situation was a mess anyway, and since I was already a thief, there was no reason why I couldn’t be a worse thief.
***
“Your Highness, it’s Lorisha.”
In front of Her Highness’s bedroom, I waited nervously for an answer.
“Come in.”
I entered the room and looked around the room with my eyes wide open without realizing it.
The spiderweb-like curtains draped over the gold-plated bed, the bedding woven with patterns that were definitely foreign, the porcelain with patterns I’d never seen before...
This was exactly the kind of room you’d imagine when you imagine a luxurious royal bedroom.
Her Highness looked at me in a thin gown with sparkling lace decorations. Seeing the languid satisfaction in her gaze, I felt a sudden sense of resentment.
What should I say? She seemed like a mix of the smart Misha and the Countess.
“What’s going on?”
Her Highness’s soft tone told me that she was waiting for my surrender.
Yes. Life was like this.
I said firmly.
“I didn’t steal the ring, Your Highness.”
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