CYSWTF - Chapter 60

Episode 60. I have to win the second time, too, right?


Orl couldn’t hide his anger and went to the balcony. He tried hitting the railing with his fist, but he didn’t want to be dragged down to that extent.

The Empress, who followed him in with quick steps, patted his back and coaxed him like a child.

“That maid, she doesn’t know her place! What are you going to do with a child like Milliora to attract the people’s hearts?”

She shook her head.

“No, what would an illegitimate child know? The problem is Milliora. She knows what this competition is all about, and she's going to show it to you. Calm down, Orl. I’ll call her and make her realize her mistake.”

However, Orl shook his light silver hair vigorously. He was furious.

“No, Your Majesty. It’s not Milliora. It’s Grayon.”

“...What are you talking about?”

“Today’s winner is not Milliora, it’s Grayon!”

The empress said with a frown.

“I thought it was strange earlier. Grayon replaced the contest challenge with a mere invitation to the Imperial Hotel. But His Majesty is certain…”

“Zebron Hotel. According to information that Rene has obtained, His Majesty has instructed the first messenger to consider a plan to establish a naval base there.”

“My goodness, a military base in such a beautiful place!”

“But there is no need for that now. The pirates of the high seas have disappeared.”

“That is an internal conflict among pirates... Are you saying that it was Grayon’s doing?”

“If not, then Grayon must have swindled His Majesty greatly.”

“Haa!”

The Empress sat down as if she felt dizzy.

Orl stared out beyond the balcony where the beautiful birdsong could be heard and ground his teeth very softly.

The money he had spent to find the elixir of immortality was close to the price of the red diamond that had caused a stir in the world.

And it was useless?

He said, gritting his teeth.

“Grayon must have been involved in the destruction of the pirates of the high seas. Locard must have used some magic again.”

“I can’t believe it.”

The Empress muttered blankly and turned her head to look at Orl.

“Then we must defeat Locard. Who would dare to conduct military action on the high seas? If the first lion is involved, he must be punished as well. This is our chance to break Grayon’s power!”

“Please, Your Majesty.”

The Empress’s face hardened as if he was telling her to stop talking nonsense.

Her beloved and affectionate eldest son occasionally became sharp. She knew it was because of his health, but whenever he did, she felt as if a knife was stabbing her in the chest.

Love is always, why is it so difficult?

Orl, who had calmed down for a moment, said,

“His Majesty said, ‘I received the gift. Grayon.’ Since His Majesty has already approved it, we must bury this matter.”

“That, that’s what he meant?”

The Empress trembled at the secret deal between her husband and the second son that took place in front of her.

Wasn't she afraid that if she tolerated such dangerous behavior, her throat would be cut off by those young hands?

The Emperor became the Crown Prince at the age of five.

The powerful competed among themselves to line up for him, and those who were pushed out tried to live by attaching themselves to other Crown Princes.

They plotted persistently to get rid of him while he was still a year younger. Since his birth, he had lived his entire life in political strife.

The end was typical of the imperial family. One spring, long before his coming of age, the Emperor beheaded his siblings with his own hands and became the only direct descendant of Tagar.

The fact that he had not decided on the Crown Prince early made the nobles take a step back from lining up.

There must have been those who wanted to line up early and pave the way for the Crown Prince he had chosen.

However, if he had the intelligence to understand the Emperor's intentions, he would fear the hammer that would be used against those who went against his will.

The Emperor's intention to hold a competition after his children had grown up seemed to be to prevent his children from following the path of family strife, and at the same time to pursue stability in the transfer of the next imperial power.

However, the Empress always suspected that that was the only reason.

Was it not the Emperor's greed to suppress his children and secure his power for a longer time?

The Empress felt an extreme aversion to such speculation.

Why wouldn't it be desirable for this worthy son to ascend to the throne and create a beautiful empire like her dreams?

She thought of Grayon's always angry eyes and Locard's natural smile that protected him.

Only then did she understand why Orl had reported the theft of Milliora's ring in the newspaper.

If left alone, the illegitimate maid would have played no role. However, because of the article about the ring theft, she had no choice but to actively participate in this competition.

If she hadn’t intervened, this competition would have been a fierce battle between the two brothers, clearly determining the winner and loser.

It was true that Orl was currently at a disadvantage due to his health problems and Grayon’s victory.

However, with the appearance of the maid, the atmosphere was diluted as the three-way structure was formed.

Grayon, who had been oppressed by his brother and full of resentment, was now flying with the wings of Locard.

The maid was the perfect person to grab his ankle. The clever Orl had given the illegitimate child a role for him.

The Empress finally smiled.

***

The Princess went wild.

The sight of her handing champagne to the tea party members was no different from the soldiers who had been drunk and yelling on the deck of Prince Kydel’s ship.

“I thought Your Highness, the Princess, would win the competition! You will become the Crown Princess, Your Highness!”

“Cheers to Your Highness, the Princess’s victory in the competition!”

“Cheers to the future first Crown Princess of the Tagar Empire!”

Who was it that made a fuss about my neck being cut off?

Someone who has been praised should receive it, but Her Highness the Princess seemed to be unable to handle it since it was the first time she had experienced praise and accomplishment since her head had fully grown.

I tried to stop them in my thoughts, but Her Highness the Princess was the one who raised her glass the highest.

“Cheers! Everyone, empty your glasses, cheers!”

I decided that it would be better for me not to see this than to stop the tea party ladies.

Then I snatched a bottle of champagne from the end of the table and went outside.

Lord Rond’s eyes widened in surprise when I held out the champagne bottle from behind me.

“Maid, it’s broad daylight.”

“Oh my. You should have seen Her Highness’s reception room. It’s already a mess there.”

Sir Rond looked at my face, displeasedly over the champagne bottle. I could read his expression quite well now.

'Why don't you go and protect the Princess so she doesn't get drunk and make a mistake?'

I said with a bitter smile.

"I think the Princess should enjoy the taste of victory at least once."

"..."

Sir Rond finally took the champagne bottle and smiled brightly at the label. Then he looked at my expression and felt embarrassed.

It seemed to be a good drink.

"Have you found the answer to the next competition?"

"That one? It's a pretty standard question, so it's actually difficult. I don't have enough time, so I'll think about it little by little. You know you can't take this drink with medicine, right?"

He laughed softly when I got up.

***

The next day, I went to the bedroom instead of the reception room of Her Highness Miliora. She couldn't get up because of her hangover.

It was strange. Tagar's silver hair was a mess from the hangover, but it still flowed down when she woke up.

She clutched her head and said,

“Ah, my head hurts. I can’t remember anything.” 

That’s what I was hoping for.

“What about the other ladies?”

“They drank more than I did. They shouldn’t be able to move by now.”

I know that. I was the one who loaded them into the carriage and sent them home, having made them unconscious.

I continued to bring alcohol and delicious food to Her Highness Miliora’s reception room.

If everyone drank like that and lost their memories, wouldn’t they forget yesterday’s miserable conversation?

The Crown Princess. How miserable.

If it were before, I wouldn’t have taken it so seriously.

But I couldn’t forget the look in His Highness Grayon’s eyes when he said he would kill me.

If she were dealing with someone like that, I could never cheer her on.

I concluded that my duty as a maid was not to make Her Highness Miliora stand out, but to protect her.

What does Her Highness Miliora have? She has no power; she has no army. She doesn’t have any ambitions to begin with.

Even if she does have anything, it’s just one maid who was born out of wedlock...

It’s disheartening to say this myself, but reality is reality.

If word gets out that Her Highness the Princess is intoxicated by her victory in the first competition and is after the Crown Princess, something I can’t handle will happen.

In that case, wouldn’t it be better to clear my mind?

However, Her Highness Milliora’s mind was still not clear.

“What are you still doing there?”

“Yes?”

“What are you going to do for the second competition? You should give a good answer like last time, right? If you’re my maid.”

“Your Highness...”

“You have to win the second time too, don’t you? Don’t you have any pride?”

My pride is more interested in surviving safely and peacefully.

But I answered exaggeratedly.

“Of course I have to do my best the second time too, Your Highness. I’ll think about it until my head hurts!”

“Yes. That’s it! Get your mind together and do it properly. As you’ve already seen, Orl is no joke. The elixir of life, oh my!”

That’s something you can buy with money and connections, and I’ve seen something even more incredible with my own eyes on the high seas, Your Highness.

I sighed inwardly and forced a smile on the outside as best I could.

“But Your Highness, there’s one thing you have to do for me, too.”

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