The servants made up all sorts of excuses to stop me from leaving my room, and they stubbornly opposed even a light outing, saying that nothing could be done without the lord's permission.
When I got angry and asked if I was daring to restrict the Princess's movements, they got down on their knees and asked me to punish them, saying that it was they who had provided insufficient assistance that was the problem.
When I was so shocked that I went to see the lord, they made up all sorts of excuses, such as saying he was sick and in bed, or that he was not in Vostok due to a busy schedule.
By this point, they meant that I should have figured it out on my own.
What I'm saying is that there's nothing I can do in Vostok.
This time, the fact that my support base was commoners was poison.
If I were to enforce the loyalty of my servants by using rank and order, or even punish them.
The public opinion that was favorable to me now will turn around like a palm. The Princess that the citizens were proud to have raised is actually no different from those who were held up with dignity all their lives.
The Lord of Vostok probably knows that, and that's why he's stretching it out like that.
I gritted my teeth and twisted my nightcap.
“Your Highness. I will prepare the water for washing...”
I turned my head away from that position.
The maid who opened the door and came in was surprised by my aura and took a few steps back without even finishing her sentence. As if she had seen a madman. She didn't even realize that the water in the bowl she was holding was overflowing.
I looked at the maid's appearance carefully from head to toe.
Among the maids assigned to me by the Lord of Vostok, she had the youngest face, a figure that made me think she was thirteen or fourteen years old at most, and eyes that looked particularly weak-hearted…
“I... Your Highness, Princess?”
Besides, the other maids were shameless, just like their master, but that innocent, naive girl who couldn't even make eye contact! Yes, that girl was perfect.
I made up my mind and called the maid with the gentlest face in the world.
“Come closer and take a look.”
She took another step back, as if she had heard something she shouldn't have heard.
“Um, uh, my mother strongly advised me to leave this behind...”
Those words gave me some understanding of the situation.
The young maid's mother is at least someone who works in this castle and is in a position to command a maid, and that girl is well-educated enough to come and go from my room as the Princess... She is probably the daughter of the head maid.
The signs were very good from the start. I had a completely innocent and innocent-looking smile on my face.
“This is it...”
Jacqueline froze in place as he opened the door, as if he couldn't believe the sight before his eyes. Sonya, who was eating chocolate and cookies with both hands, also hesitated.
That guy really... surprised me. I glared at Jacqueline with fierce eyes. Jacqueline flinched at my gaze and entered the room awkwardly.
“...What’s going on?”
"You came?"
I replied in a feminine tone and followed Jacqueline's gaze around the room.
A mess of candy wrappers scattered across the table, steam rising from a fancy teacup, a frame and a drawing book brought for the sake of culture, fancy art supplies... All of these things were spread out on the young maid’s apron.
Jacqueline was understandably amazed, for it was an incredible luxury for a mere maid.
“....”
I spoke as if making excuses, stroking the maid's soft brown hair, as if I was bothered by Jacqueline's stinging gaze.
“When I was living outside the palace, there was a child I considered like a younger sibling. When I saw this child, I suddenly thought of Lauren, whom I had left behind...”
When I raised my head, trailing off, Jacqueline looked at me with narrowed eyes and a look of suspicion.
That quick-witted guy... Well, Jacqueline’s suspicions were justified. There was never a child like that whom I regarded as a real younger sibling from the beginning.
And Lauren? The only person in George with such a noble name is the old pharmacist's wife.
Suddenly, the maid opened her mouth cautiously as if something occurred to her when I mentioned the outside of the palace.
“I... the kids are saying that you lived in the North when you were young.”
“That’s right. I’ve been following Tilbot around this time.”
“Your Highness, will you also take Tilbot?”
"Then."
The remaining wariness on the maid's face disappeared without a trace, as is typical of northerners.
When it comes to being exclusive, they are extremely exclusive, but when there is even a little connection, there are no people more loyal than these people.
“Oh, Jacqueline. Look at the picture she drew.”
I naturally changed the subject and handed the maid's small drawing book to Jacqueline.
The sunflower painting was really cool and pretty, regardless of how much I intended to exploit this kid. Unlike her, who was just starting to learn how to paint, she was making a mess with fancy paint supplies.
I blurted out in a voice full of emotion, as if I had just seen a great masterpiece.
“You probably didn’t even have the right paints... Isn’t it amazing? If you learn properly from the painters in the capital, you’ll probably become a famous painter within a few years. Isn’t that right, Sonya?”
Sonya's cheeks turned red at my affectionate question.
When she lowered her head, I couldn't help but laugh at her cuteness. I gave Jacqueline a fierce look, telling him to be careful, as he froze without saying a word.
"...Yes."
Jacqueline reluctantly returned the book to me and answered me halfheartedly. I could tell that he did not at all agree with my idea that Sonya would become a great artist.
I didn't see it that way... Jacqueline seemed to think the same way as the boring artists. The kind who think that abstract obfuscation is true art.
I quickly continued speaking before Sonya noticed the look of disappointment.
“So I’m going to find you a proper teacher.”
At those words, Jacqueline's and Sonya's eyes widened simultaneously.
“I found out that Lapizello is currently staying in the North to paint a portrait of the Countess of Cidre.”
Now Sonya's eyes were so big that they were almost bulging out.
Well, he is one of the great court painters... so he must be like a dream to her who dreams of becoming a painter.
“I think if I ask him to look into it, it will lead to a much better outcome than if I were to look at it myself. Jacqueline, I was just about to send you a message to discuss this matter with the police.”
“...”
“Would you mind if I showed your drawings to Lapizello, Sonya?”
“Ha, but... I, I, I, dare...”
“Of course, if it’s burdensome to you, I won’t do it...”
At the words that he would completely follow your wishes, Sonya's wavering expression gradually calmed down.
I read the eagerness in those eyes. Soon, the trembling lips stopped, and the expression became more determined than ever.
“...I want to meet him.”
"Good."
I smiled and stood up from my chair. I gave my educational supplies to Sonya, who stubbornly refused, as a gift. I also told her that Sir Jacqueline, who is here, would be a witness that she did not steal them.
She left the room with her arms full of high-quality paints, her cheeks flushed with happiness and anxiety.
I looked at the door Sonya had closed with a pleased smile on my face for a while.
“What on earth are you thinking?”
Jacqueline asked me with a stern expression. I chuckled and pulled down the parchment that was lying on the table.
“What are you thinking?”
“Your Highness, you are not the type of person to give without meaning...”
“...What kind of person am I in this world?”
“...”
Jacqueline looked at me silently.
Well, from the moment he first met me until now, he's been manipulated without any proper compensation...
To be honest, I was a little hurt, so I admitted it hesitantly.
“Of course, it’s not like that happens without any calculations.”
“I knew it.”
It was an attitude that was truly certain.
“...What made you so sure?”
“Your Highness’s face?”
“My face?”
Jacqueline put both hands to her mouth and made a funny face.
“When Your Highness pretends to be calculating, the corners of your mouth move like this.”
In response to that ridiculous answer, I ended up kicking Jacqueline in the shin.
The news that Lapizello was coming to Vostok to see Sonya swept through the castle, along with stories of other gifts I had generously bestowed.
Before a day had passed, everyone working at the lord's castle knew about Sonya's good fortune.
But the operation using Sonya came to an end the very next day. To be precise, it was when her mother, the head maid, came in with a firm hand in the wash water.
Although I had somewhat expected this, I spoke with a bewildered look on my face as if I had never expected this to happen.
“Did Sonya not come out today?”
“My daughter was sick and couldn’t come out.”
The maid said, placing a bowl of water on the table.
She almost cut me off, but it seemed like it was more because she was mentally unstable than because she forgot her manners.
She put down the rough recycling bag she had been carrying at her side next to the bowl. Inside were all the paintbrushes I had given Sonya.
“I will return it to Your Highness.”
“...”
“I can’t accept something like this.”
The maid spoke firmly.
I looked up at the maid, my eyes looking down at the crater.
“That is a gift I gave to Sonya. Are you saying that you cannot accept what the Princess bestows upon you?”
It was not a matter of courtesy to refuse a gift from the royal family. There was a time when all sorts of harassment were carried out on the pretext of this, and even then, not even the nobles dared to raise a flag.
When I asked her sternly, the maid knelt down and said,
“I’m a poor mother... but I know that the child doesn’t have much talent for drawing.”
“....”
“As Your Highness already knows.”
When I got angry and asked if I was daring to restrict the Princess's movements, they got down on their knees and asked me to punish them, saying that it was they who had provided insufficient assistance that was the problem.
When I was so shocked that I went to see the lord, they made up all sorts of excuses, such as saying he was sick and in bed, or that he was not in Vostok due to a busy schedule.
By this point, they meant that I should have figured it out on my own.
What I'm saying is that there's nothing I can do in Vostok.
This time, the fact that my support base was commoners was poison.
If I were to enforce the loyalty of my servants by using rank and order, or even punish them.
The public opinion that was favorable to me now will turn around like a palm. The Princess that the citizens were proud to have raised is actually no different from those who were held up with dignity all their lives.
The Lord of Vostok probably knows that, and that's why he's stretching it out like that.
I gritted my teeth and twisted my nightcap.
“Your Highness. I will prepare the water for washing...”
I turned my head away from that position.
The maid who opened the door and came in was surprised by my aura and took a few steps back without even finishing her sentence. As if she had seen a madman. She didn't even realize that the water in the bowl she was holding was overflowing.
I looked at the maid's appearance carefully from head to toe.
Among the maids assigned to me by the Lord of Vostok, she had the youngest face, a figure that made me think she was thirteen or fourteen years old at most, and eyes that looked particularly weak-hearted…
“I... Your Highness, Princess?”
Besides, the other maids were shameless, just like their master, but that innocent, naive girl who couldn't even make eye contact! Yes, that girl was perfect.
I made up my mind and called the maid with the gentlest face in the world.
“Come closer and take a look.”
She took another step back, as if she had heard something she shouldn't have heard.
“Um, uh, my mother strongly advised me to leave this behind...”
Those words gave me some understanding of the situation.
The young maid's mother is at least someone who works in this castle and is in a position to command a maid, and that girl is well-educated enough to come and go from my room as the Princess... She is probably the daughter of the head maid.
The signs were very good from the start. I had a completely innocent and innocent-looking smile on my face.
***
“This is it...”
Jacqueline froze in place as he opened the door, as if he couldn't believe the sight before his eyes. Sonya, who was eating chocolate and cookies with both hands, also hesitated.
That guy really... surprised me. I glared at Jacqueline with fierce eyes. Jacqueline flinched at my gaze and entered the room awkwardly.
“...What’s going on?”
"You came?"
I replied in a feminine tone and followed Jacqueline's gaze around the room.
A mess of candy wrappers scattered across the table, steam rising from a fancy teacup, a frame and a drawing book brought for the sake of culture, fancy art supplies... All of these things were spread out on the young maid’s apron.
Jacqueline was understandably amazed, for it was an incredible luxury for a mere maid.
“....”
I spoke as if making excuses, stroking the maid's soft brown hair, as if I was bothered by Jacqueline's stinging gaze.
“When I was living outside the palace, there was a child I considered like a younger sibling. When I saw this child, I suddenly thought of Lauren, whom I had left behind...”
When I raised my head, trailing off, Jacqueline looked at me with narrowed eyes and a look of suspicion.
That quick-witted guy... Well, Jacqueline’s suspicions were justified. There was never a child like that whom I regarded as a real younger sibling from the beginning.
And Lauren? The only person in George with such a noble name is the old pharmacist's wife.
Suddenly, the maid opened her mouth cautiously as if something occurred to her when I mentioned the outside of the palace.
“I... the kids are saying that you lived in the North when you were young.”
“That’s right. I’ve been following Tilbot around this time.”
“Your Highness, will you also take Tilbot?”
"Then."
The remaining wariness on the maid's face disappeared without a trace, as is typical of northerners.
When it comes to being exclusive, they are extremely exclusive, but when there is even a little connection, there are no people more loyal than these people.
“Oh, Jacqueline. Look at the picture she drew.”
I naturally changed the subject and handed the maid's small drawing book to Jacqueline.
The sunflower painting was really cool and pretty, regardless of how much I intended to exploit this kid. Unlike her, who was just starting to learn how to paint, she was making a mess with fancy paint supplies.
I blurted out in a voice full of emotion, as if I had just seen a great masterpiece.
“You probably didn’t even have the right paints... Isn’t it amazing? If you learn properly from the painters in the capital, you’ll probably become a famous painter within a few years. Isn’t that right, Sonya?”
Sonya's cheeks turned red at my affectionate question.
When she lowered her head, I couldn't help but laugh at her cuteness. I gave Jacqueline a fierce look, telling him to be careful, as he froze without saying a word.
"...Yes."
Jacqueline reluctantly returned the book to me and answered me halfheartedly. I could tell that he did not at all agree with my idea that Sonya would become a great artist.
I didn't see it that way... Jacqueline seemed to think the same way as the boring artists. The kind who think that abstract obfuscation is true art.
I quickly continued speaking before Sonya noticed the look of disappointment.
“So I’m going to find you a proper teacher.”
At those words, Jacqueline's and Sonya's eyes widened simultaneously.
“I found out that Lapizello is currently staying in the North to paint a portrait of the Countess of Cidre.”
Now Sonya's eyes were so big that they were almost bulging out.
Well, he is one of the great court painters... so he must be like a dream to her who dreams of becoming a painter.
“I think if I ask him to look into it, it will lead to a much better outcome than if I were to look at it myself. Jacqueline, I was just about to send you a message to discuss this matter with the police.”
“...”
“Would you mind if I showed your drawings to Lapizello, Sonya?”
“Ha, but... I, I, I, dare...”
“Of course, if it’s burdensome to you, I won’t do it...”
At the words that he would completely follow your wishes, Sonya's wavering expression gradually calmed down.
I read the eagerness in those eyes. Soon, the trembling lips stopped, and the expression became more determined than ever.
“...I want to meet him.”
"Good."
I smiled and stood up from my chair. I gave my educational supplies to Sonya, who stubbornly refused, as a gift. I also told her that Sir Jacqueline, who is here, would be a witness that she did not steal them.
She left the room with her arms full of high-quality paints, her cheeks flushed with happiness and anxiety.
I looked at the door Sonya had closed with a pleased smile on my face for a while.
“What on earth are you thinking?”
Jacqueline asked me with a stern expression. I chuckled and pulled down the parchment that was lying on the table.
“What are you thinking?”
“Your Highness, you are not the type of person to give without meaning...”
“...What kind of person am I in this world?”
“...”
Jacqueline looked at me silently.
Well, from the moment he first met me until now, he's been manipulated without any proper compensation...
To be honest, I was a little hurt, so I admitted it hesitantly.
“Of course, it’s not like that happens without any calculations.”
“I knew it.”
It was an attitude that was truly certain.
“...What made you so sure?”
“Your Highness’s face?”
“My face?”
Jacqueline put both hands to her mouth and made a funny face.
“When Your Highness pretends to be calculating, the corners of your mouth move like this.”
In response to that ridiculous answer, I ended up kicking Jacqueline in the shin.
***
The news that Lapizello was coming to Vostok to see Sonya swept through the castle, along with stories of other gifts I had generously bestowed.
Before a day had passed, everyone working at the lord's castle knew about Sonya's good fortune.
But the operation using Sonya came to an end the very next day. To be precise, it was when her mother, the head maid, came in with a firm hand in the wash water.
Although I had somewhat expected this, I spoke with a bewildered look on my face as if I had never expected this to happen.
“Did Sonya not come out today?”
“My daughter was sick and couldn’t come out.”
The maid said, placing a bowl of water on the table.
She almost cut me off, but it seemed like it was more because she was mentally unstable than because she forgot her manners.
She put down the rough recycling bag she had been carrying at her side next to the bowl. Inside were all the paintbrushes I had given Sonya.
“I will return it to Your Highness.”
“...”
“I can’t accept something like this.”
The maid spoke firmly.
I looked up at the maid, my eyes looking down at the crater.
“That is a gift I gave to Sonya. Are you saying that you cannot accept what the Princess bestows upon you?”
It was not a matter of courtesy to refuse a gift from the royal family. There was a time when all sorts of harassment were carried out on the pretext of this, and even then, not even the nobles dared to raise a flag.
When I asked her sternly, the maid knelt down and said,
“I’m a poor mother... but I know that the child doesn’t have much talent for drawing.”
“....”
“As Your Highness already knows.”
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