Episode 45. You Know You Chose the Wrong Master
“Maid, are you sleeping? Eat something and sleep.”
Eria carefully woke me up. I was in pain just from her touch, but fortunately, the painkiller was working. Eria fed me soup and said,
“I heard Her Majesty the Empress visited?”
“Yes. Her Majesty the Empress visited.”
“I’m so glad!”
I turned my sullen gaze toward Eria.
“Eria. I didn’t steal it.”
“...Yes.”
It sounded like she was affirming something, so I stared at her more intently, and she averted her eyes.
Eria knew that I was falsely accused. However, she couldn’t show that she knew.
As a palace maid, I had to live like a shadow and think, “Well, I guess so,” to preserve my entire body.
Yes, you must be having a hard time too.
I didn’t say anything else and just opened my mouth wide like a baby bird and ate the soup.
I was grateful that there was someone who showed me this much kindness in the middle of a storm.
“Her Highness the Princess?”
“She’s wailing. She won’t be coming out of her room for a few days, so rest easy, maid.”
I would have done the same. If I had heard that, and heard it in front of a child I hated so much that I could die, I would have cried and cried and hated myself.
Life was really strange. A worthless bastard has the best mother in the world, and the best daughter of the empire has the worst mother.
It was bitter to think that I was the maid gifted by that worst mother out of spite for her daughter.
Eria said as she cleared her tray.
“I think I’ll have to stay up all night here today.”
“No, no. I tend to sleep alone.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes. Thank you, Eria.”
There was only one reason I sent Eria away. I wanted to swear a little to my heart’s content for the first time in a while.
I was annoyed by my ambivalent feelings toward Her Highness the Princess Milliora. Is it really such a big wish that a villain stays a villain until the end? As soon as Aria left, I lay down. And I looked at the ceiling and grumbled indignantly.
“What is this, nothing works, and if it does, it’ll all just get messed up, and oh, I can’t really just ruin everything...”
“What are you going to ruin?”
“What am I going to ruin on my own? I'm just saying that because I'm upset... Keuk!”
The man’s sweet voice responded to my monologue.
I turned around in surprise and saw Prince Kydel closing the window he had come. His gesture was so calm that anyone who saw him would think it was his room.
“It’s really comfortable because we’re close. Isn’t it?”
“R-right now...”
Comfortable? Comfortable...? If that’s the word you’re thinking of, then I don’t really have anything to say, Prince.
But I didn’t even have the energy to get angry at him. Looking at his face, I just needed more painkillers.
“Ugh. Let’s put it off for today. As you can see, my condition is a bit like that.”
Prince Kudel approached the bed, looked down at me, and his face distorted grotesquely.
I knew that was how I looked, but I didn’t want to be looked at like that by a man who sneaked into a woman’s room.
“...‘Is that so?’ Haa.”
He bent his upper body down on the bed with a hardened face as if he were angry.
I held my breath involuntarily, and he pulled the blanket at my feet up to cover my chin.
‘What, what, are you burying a corpse now?’
I couldn’t think of anything to say in this situation, so I just opened my mouth and glared at him.
But he sat on his chair with a serious expression and crossed his legs.
“I can’t ask if you’re okay, Miss Loire.”
“It seems everyone is so sensitive to crime because of the security of the palace.”
When I pointed out that he had climbed through the window, Prince Kydel smiled bitterly and said.
“You stole the Princess’s ring, right?”
“That’s what I heard.”
“Ahem.”
That was enough for our conversation. He didn’t think I was a thief at all.
“Aren’t we done with our business?”
“I’m visiting you. Can’t you see?”
“...If it’s you, Sir, can you see it?”
When I winked at the window, he came through again, he followed me, and rolled his eyes, smiling.
What’s with that kind of sunny smile when the sun has already set...?
When I frowned, he wiped his smile away.
“Get your ass together when you leave the palace. I’ll take care of what you have to do.”
“...”
What kind of dog is this playing a flute after eating grass?
You’re the top cadet at the academy, aren’t you? You don’t need a tutor anymore. Who would hire someone with such mediocre experience? I was getting irritated all over again. Nothing really works out.
I dreamed of a maid job that I didn’t want, and ended up being accused of being a thief. That black-haired bastard keeps coming in and out of my room window.
Let’s not even mention my body, which was crushed like bread dough.
I wanted to shake my head, but I just shut my eyes tightly because it hurt.
“Excuse me, Sir.”
“Stop being so stubborn. You know you chose the wrong master, right?”
“...”
For the first time since he came into the room, I focused fully on him.
“Choose the wrong master.”
It was the right thing to say, but I was strangely irritated.
He continued to elaborate on my silence. I think he thought I was having a hard time and not understanding.
“Fraudulently accusing the daughter of the third lion of being a thief is way beyond the line. You don’t deserve to be treated like this. Miss Lorisha Loire.”
For a man who had come through the women’s room window, his voice was as serious as a speck. It was even solemn.
But why was he saying this to me?
I closed my eyes and said,
“Everyone has their own circumstances, Prince Kydel.”
“Circumstances?”
“Do you know what it feels like to be ignored by everyone in the world?”
I opened my eyes and turned my head toward him, thinking myself an idiot.
He furrowed his eyebrows slightly as if he didn’t understand.
“Some emotions crush people. If you hurt them, hurt them, and look at them again, all you see on the outside is scars. Ugly scars.”
“Right now... are you siding with Her Highness the Princess?”
“...”
Am I siding with Her Highness Miliora?
I don’t know.
Right now, I was so hurt that I was going crazy, and I hated Her Highness the Princess. I could ignore the words, “a vicious bitch,” “a dirty bitch,” but I couldn’t stand being called a thief.
But the words came out like that. Prince Kydel suppressed his anger and said,
“Are you saying this because you don’t know how Her Highness thinks of you? The situation will not change in the future. Now is the time to stop.”
“No, that’s not it...! It’s just that.”
I stared at Prince Kydel and suddenly became curious.
Why are we having this conversation?
“Is that what you came to talk about? You want me to leave the palace?”
“I’m saying that you have no reason to be treated like this.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll decide how I want to be treated, Your Excellency.”
“You...!”
Prince Kydel furrowed his brows. Seeing his face, which was so irritated that he didn’t know what to do, somehow I felt good.
This person is this person, but I’m not in my right mind either.
I smiled and said,
“It’s good that you’re concerned, but this is my parasite, Your Highness. The Empress has already intervened, so I can’t bite.”
“...You, you can’t handle it.”
He raised one corner of his mouth and leaned back in his chair. That smile was somehow darker than the other expressions.
Perhaps it was because he was tired of my stubbornness.
The Count, when trying to persuade me and I became stubborn, would stare at me with a similar expression for a long time.
“Since you’re here, please do me a favor. Director Royman must have made some medicine. Please give it to Lord Rond.”
The smile disappeared from Prince Kudel’s face at those words.
He was close to Director Royman, and the Third Palace was nearby. But it seemed like it was really worth asking for such a serious favor. It was embarrassing.
“Lord Rond’s medicine is about to run out, and I don’t think I can go out for a while... I’m asking for your sake, not mine.”
“I know. What do you mean? But it would be better to ask someone else.”
Lord Ronde didn't seem particularly fond of him the last time they met at the patronage.
“Ugh. Let’s put it off for today. As you can see, my condition is a bit like that.”
Prince Kudel approached the bed, looked down at me, and his face distorted grotesquely.
I knew that was how I looked, but I didn’t want to be looked at like that by a man who sneaked into a woman’s room.
“...‘Is that so?’ Haa.”
He bent his upper body down on the bed with a hardened face as if he were angry.
I held my breath involuntarily, and he pulled the blanket at my feet up to cover my chin.
‘What, what, are you burying a corpse now?’
I couldn’t think of anything to say in this situation, so I just opened my mouth and glared at him.
But he sat on his chair with a serious expression and crossed his legs.
“I can’t ask if you’re okay, Miss Loire.”
“It seems everyone is so sensitive to crime because of the security of the palace.”
When I pointed out that he had climbed through the window, Prince Kydel smiled bitterly and said.
“You stole the Princess’s ring, right?”
“That’s what I heard.”
“Ahem.”
That was enough for our conversation. He didn’t think I was a thief at all.
“Aren’t we done with our business?”
“I’m visiting you. Can’t you see?”
“...If it’s you, Sir, can you see it?”
When I winked at the window, he came through again, he followed me, and rolled his eyes, smiling.
What’s with that kind of sunny smile when the sun has already set...?
When I frowned, he wiped his smile away.
“Get your ass together when you leave the palace. I’ll take care of what you have to do.”
“...”
What kind of dog is this playing a flute after eating grass?
You’re the top cadet at the academy, aren’t you? You don’t need a tutor anymore. Who would hire someone with such mediocre experience? I was getting irritated all over again. Nothing really works out.
I dreamed of a maid job that I didn’t want, and ended up being accused of being a thief. That black-haired bastard keeps coming in and out of my room window.
Let’s not even mention my body, which was crushed like bread dough.
I wanted to shake my head, but I just shut my eyes tightly because it hurt.
“Excuse me, Sir.”
“Stop being so stubborn. You know you chose the wrong master, right?”
“...”
For the first time since he came into the room, I focused fully on him.
“Choose the wrong master.”
It was the right thing to say, but I was strangely irritated.
He continued to elaborate on my silence. I think he thought I was having a hard time and not understanding.
“Fraudulently accusing the daughter of the third lion of being a thief is way beyond the line. You don’t deserve to be treated like this. Miss Lorisha Loire.”
For a man who had come through the women’s room window, his voice was as serious as a speck. It was even solemn.
But why was he saying this to me?
I closed my eyes and said,
“Everyone has their own circumstances, Prince Kydel.”
“Circumstances?”
“Do you know what it feels like to be ignored by everyone in the world?”
I opened my eyes and turned my head toward him, thinking myself an idiot.
He furrowed his eyebrows slightly as if he didn’t understand.
“Some emotions crush people. If you hurt them, hurt them, and look at them again, all you see on the outside is scars. Ugly scars.”
“Right now... are you siding with Her Highness the Princess?”
“...”
Am I siding with Her Highness Miliora?
I don’t know.
Right now, I was so hurt that I was going crazy, and I hated Her Highness the Princess. I could ignore the words, “a vicious bitch,” “a dirty bitch,” but I couldn’t stand being called a thief.
But the words came out like that. Prince Kydel suppressed his anger and said,
“Are you saying this because you don’t know how Her Highness thinks of you? The situation will not change in the future. Now is the time to stop.”
“No, that’s not it...! It’s just that.”
I stared at Prince Kydel and suddenly became curious.
Why are we having this conversation?
“Is that what you came to talk about? You want me to leave the palace?”
“I’m saying that you have no reason to be treated like this.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll decide how I want to be treated, Your Excellency.”
“You...!”
Prince Kydel furrowed his brows. Seeing his face, which was so irritated that he didn’t know what to do, somehow I felt good.
This person is this person, but I’m not in my right mind either.
I smiled and said,
“It’s good that you’re concerned, but this is my parasite, Your Highness. The Empress has already intervened, so I can’t bite.”
“...You, you can’t handle it.”
He raised one corner of his mouth and leaned back in his chair. That smile was somehow darker than the other expressions.
Perhaps it was because he was tired of my stubbornness.
The Count, when trying to persuade me and I became stubborn, would stare at me with a similar expression for a long time.
“Since you’re here, please do me a favor. Director Royman must have made some medicine. Please give it to Lord Rond.”
The smile disappeared from Prince Kudel’s face at those words.
He was close to Director Royman, and the Third Palace was nearby. But it seemed like it was really worth asking for such a serious favor. It was embarrassing.
“Lord Rond’s medicine is about to run out, and I don’t think I can go out for a while... I’m asking for your sake, not mine.”
“I know. What do you mean? But it would be better to ask someone else.”
Lord Ronde didn't seem particularly fond of him the last time they met at the patronage.
However, it was unexpected that Prince Kydel was uncomfortable with him as well. He seemed to be the type who didn’t discriminate between people.
I thought, this is it.
Let’s find at least one weakness of Prince Locard Kydel.
“Why?”
“...”
“Please tell me why. Instead of a gift for visiting me in the hospital.”
Only then did he realize that he had come empty-handed and seemed embarrassed. It was natural that he couldn’t bring anything while climbing up the wall, but he was the one who said he was visiting me in the hospital first.
I stared at him with sparkling eyes at this moment, and he frowned and looked into the air for a moment.
“Lord Rond was in my unit at the Battle of Amata. He was wounded while guarding my rear.”
“Oh my...”
It was an unexpectedly surprising story. Prince Kydel continued with a heavy face.
“He strongly refused to return from Tunbar, saying that only his remains would be returned, but I sent him back to the rear.”
“Of course.”
“He is the son of the southern warlord Amoega. It would be unthinkable for them to return home before the war is over. His family also considers his actions a disgrace.”
“What nonsense...!”
Lord Rond did not refuse to return home; he could not return.
It was better for his healthy son to die, you damn nobles!
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