While Chloe was talking to Vanessa, Callius's subordinate Andrew was sitting on the coachman's bench.
There was no way that the group of Callius, who had no common seeds, would have a separate groom.
Of course, the carriage was driven by his men in turns, and now it was Andrew's turn.
Andrew found it suspicious that Chloe and Vanessa were talking quietly in the carriage.
'What nonsense is the Princess trying to pull again?'
The Princess was waiting in the carriage, ordering the maids to complain about the shabby living quarters and the mistreatment.
She couldn't have looked good whispering to the maid in the carriage.
'Damn Idelian royal family.'
Andrew was curious about what the Princess was talking about, so he opened the window facing the stables slightly and eavesdropped on the conversation.
Chloe's voice was faintly heard.
“...Her Highness the Empress’s orders...”
The sound inside was muffled by the strong northern wind, but the word "Empress" was clearly heard.
Andrew held his breath and concentrated.
Chloe's words continued for a long time.
“...Gain the Marquis’ trust...and uncover his secrets...”
“...If the mission...fails...to Her Majesty the Empress...”
It was a feast of suspicious words.
"You want to uncover our lord's secrets? If you fail, will you be ashamed in front of the Empress?"
It definitely felt like that kind of conversation.
'Well then, that's right.'
Andrew, his face crumpled with a grimace, was about to report to Brentian, but he was currently arguing with Chloe's maids.
Andrew ran to his colleagues in a hurry, feeling sorry for them.
“Hey, everyone, listen up!”
The subordinates, who had been loitering outside in the cold, unable to enter the quarters because of Chloe and the maids, looked at Andrew with a cold look.
Among them was the red-haired knight, Alex.
"Why?"
“What did I just hear?”
“What is it?”
“Come here and gather closer.”
Andrew's colleagues gathered in a circle around him.
“I overheard the Princess talking to the maid, and it seemed like she was plotting something.”
“Tell me more.”
"At first glance, it seems the Empress has instructed the Princess to uncover our Lord's secrets. It seems the Princess is trying to gain his trust to do so."
Alex asked with a half-doubtful expression after hearing Andrew's words.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I heard her clearly.”
Andrew insisted forcefully.
Alex remembered Chloe smiling brightly as she found his Platus bracelet.
'Did she start acting from then on to gain my lord's trust?'
He shook his head as he thought about that.
"What use would she have in courting me, a lowly knight? It was clearly a pure act of kindness."
If she's trying to win Callius' favor, Brentian, the Knight Commander, or the Vice-Commander would be much more useful.
Alex was the youngest and least influential member of the Knights.
'It's confusing.'
Chloe looked very stiff and cold at her engagement party.
But Chloe, who came to find the bracelet, was kind, like a completely different person.
But this time, doesn't Chloe, who Andrew is talking about, seem like a sinister person?
'What on earth is the real thing?'
Just then, Chloe was seen getting out of the carriage.
Judging by Brentian's relieved expression, it seemed like the accommodation issue had been resolved.
Chloe, who got out of the carriage, looked like a small block of wood wrapped in a cloak because of her clothes, and her gait on the slippery snow was extremely awkward.
Seeing that, Alex found it harder to imagine Chloe whispering sinister plans in the carriage.
'Oh, I'm so confused. I'm so confused.'
He simplified complex thoughts.
'They'll take care of everything up there! There are plenty of people smarter than me.'
Andrew, who saw Chloe leading the maids into the quarters, reported to the Knight Commander and Brentian what he had heard, just as he had told his comrades.
Brentian's reaction to Andrew's words was indifferent.
“I had expected it to some extent.”
Andrew got angry.
“Even though you knew, you brought the Princess here?”
“It’s the Marquis’s decision. I wonder what he’s thinking.”
Brentian also said that he did not know Callius' thoughts well.
Andrew, feeling frustrated, muttered and lost his temper.
“That damn Marquis. We keep calling him Marquis, Marquis, in front of the Princess, just to be careful. Tsk.”
In Ronheim, Callius was called Prince. Some even went so far as to call him King.
The title of Marquis is simply a title bestowed by the Emperor of Arrental.
However, if the Emperor of Arrental learned that Callius was still called Prince or King, he might be suspected of plotting a rebellion.
Hawick, the Knight Commander who was standing next to Brentian, gave Andrew a firm warning.
“Don’t act rashly, Andrew.”
"Sorry."
“Get out.”
"Yes."
Although he apologized, Andrew's expression as he turned away was still pouty.
Brentian glanced at Hawick.
“Isn’t the discipline among the knights too lax?”
Hawick, with a solemn expression, nodded.
“Well, it was about time they got their act together.”
Callius's men were exceptionally skilled and loyal, but they were also intricately intertwined by blood ties and long-standing friendships, and tended to be overly close.
Trust between colleagues is good, but excessive camaraderie that surpasses rank can be toxic to the group.
So the Knight Commander would periodically correct the hierarchy of his subordinates.
“Anyway, Andrew said something, and I also think the Princess is suspicious, so it would be best to keep a close eye on her.”
Hawick nodded firmly at Brentian's words.
“Leave it to me.”
"Thank you for your hard work. Then I'll go look for Callius."
“Come to think of it, where did my lord go?”
Brentian sighed softly.
“To feed the cats.”
Fortunately, Callius said he would be sharing a different room with me.
'I guess I can't spend my first night in a place like this.'
I stood there, dumbfounded in the room I was led to.
It was the first time I had formally met all the maids that Kavala had given me.
There were four maids in total, including Vanessa and Lamia.
The maids kept their mouths shut and didn't even look at me, just doing what they had to do under Vanessa's direction.
'I'm seeing all of these faces for the first time.'
Of course, since I didn't go to the Empress's Palace often, I didn't know all the maids' faces.
Still, I tend to remember the faces of the high-ranking maids who mostly followed Kavala.
'They don't seem to be Kavala's close maids.'
If he had decided to plant me as a spy, he wouldn't have chosen the maids he sent along carelessly.
'There must have been some plan behind them singling each and every one of them out.'
For now, I decided to just watch the maids without saying anything.
They unpacked only the bare minimum and quickly packed their belongings.
'Hmm...'
I thought Lamia, who was sneaking in among the maids, would run away.
Since the palace maids are trained in palace etiquette in advance, it was thought that it would be difficult for Lamia, who had not received any training, to hide her identity for a long time.
But contrary to expectations, Lamia didn't stand out at all. The other maids' actions were also quite clumsy.
'What's going on with everyone?'
Although she was used to things like organizing and cleaning, I didn't feel like she had been trained in etiquette in those actions.
Besides, they were overly concerned about Vanessa's reaction.
Vanessa must have held a grudge against me for what happened in the carriage earlier.
She gave orders to the maids without even lighting the fireplace in the cold room.
“Take off the Princess’s clothes.”
The maids clung to me and took off my clothes.
Even though it was indoors, the cold air seeped through the walls, and it was extremely cold.
I was shivering in my thin petticoat.
Vanessa pretended not to notice me shaking.
The maids kept glancing at me, but no one stepped forward, only looking at Vanessa.
Vanessa said coldly.
“Please wait, I will prepare water for you to wash in.”
Lamia stepped forward and asked Vanessa if she felt too pitiful.
“Your Highness seems to be cold. Shall we light a fire in the fireplace?”
Vanessa frowned and spoke stiffly.
"From now on, don't do anything until I tell you to. There's always an order to everything."
"Sorry."
Lamia kept her mouth shut.
But there was no sign of agreement in her eyes.
Vanessa glared at Lamia and gave instructions.
“You, tell those Ronheimers to bring us some heated water. The Princess wants to take a bath, so bring enough to fill the bathtub.”
Vanessa was not only ignoring me, the Princess, but was also trying to treat the knights of Callius like servants.
At this point, I had no choice but to step forward.
Having roughly figured out the relationship between the maids, I spoke kindly to the other three, excluding Vanessa.
"Enough with the bath. Everyone's worked hard all day. Should we eat something instead of this?"
The eyes of the maids who had been dead from exhaustion brightened a little at my words.
"Ask the innkeeper to prepare a meal. Everyone can leave except one person. Tomorrow will be a tougher day, so get some rest early."
“Your Highness, that is...!”
As Vanessa, who had lost command, tried to say something, Lamia quickly stepped forward and answered briskly.
“Yes! Good! I’ll go and get the Princess some food!”
And then she just left.
The maids who saw Lamia like that secretly watched Vanessa and then followed her out.
“I, I...!”
I asked Vanessa, who was just smiling.
“Are you the only one left?”
Vanessa flinched and raised her head.
“I have a lot of work to do, so I’ll ask the other child to stay behind.”
Then she ran away as if she were afraid that I might catch her.
I thought as I wrapped the blanket around myself.
'As expected, they weren't all trained palace maids. That's probably why Lamia was able to sneak in so easily among them... I need to learn more about these maids.'
There was no way that the group of Callius, who had no common seeds, would have a separate groom.
Of course, the carriage was driven by his men in turns, and now it was Andrew's turn.
Andrew found it suspicious that Chloe and Vanessa were talking quietly in the carriage.
'What nonsense is the Princess trying to pull again?'
The Princess was waiting in the carriage, ordering the maids to complain about the shabby living quarters and the mistreatment.
She couldn't have looked good whispering to the maid in the carriage.
'Damn Idelian royal family.'
Andrew was curious about what the Princess was talking about, so he opened the window facing the stables slightly and eavesdropped on the conversation.
Chloe's voice was faintly heard.
“...Her Highness the Empress’s orders...”
The sound inside was muffled by the strong northern wind, but the word "Empress" was clearly heard.
Andrew held his breath and concentrated.
Chloe's words continued for a long time.
“...Gain the Marquis’ trust...and uncover his secrets...”
“...If the mission...fails...to Her Majesty the Empress...”
It was a feast of suspicious words.
"You want to uncover our lord's secrets? If you fail, will you be ashamed in front of the Empress?"
It definitely felt like that kind of conversation.
'Well then, that's right.'
Andrew, his face crumpled with a grimace, was about to report to Brentian, but he was currently arguing with Chloe's maids.
Andrew ran to his colleagues in a hurry, feeling sorry for them.
“Hey, everyone, listen up!”
The subordinates, who had been loitering outside in the cold, unable to enter the quarters because of Chloe and the maids, looked at Andrew with a cold look.
Among them was the red-haired knight, Alex.
"Why?"
“What did I just hear?”
“What is it?”
“Come here and gather closer.”
Andrew's colleagues gathered in a circle around him.
“I overheard the Princess talking to the maid, and it seemed like she was plotting something.”
“Tell me more.”
"At first glance, it seems the Empress has instructed the Princess to uncover our Lord's secrets. It seems the Princess is trying to gain his trust to do so."
Alex asked with a half-doubtful expression after hearing Andrew's words.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I heard her clearly.”
Andrew insisted forcefully.
Alex remembered Chloe smiling brightly as she found his Platus bracelet.
'Did she start acting from then on to gain my lord's trust?'
He shook his head as he thought about that.
"What use would she have in courting me, a lowly knight? It was clearly a pure act of kindness."
If she's trying to win Callius' favor, Brentian, the Knight Commander, or the Vice-Commander would be much more useful.
Alex was the youngest and least influential member of the Knights.
'It's confusing.'
Chloe looked very stiff and cold at her engagement party.
But Chloe, who came to find the bracelet, was kind, like a completely different person.
But this time, doesn't Chloe, who Andrew is talking about, seem like a sinister person?
'What on earth is the real thing?'
Just then, Chloe was seen getting out of the carriage.
Judging by Brentian's relieved expression, it seemed like the accommodation issue had been resolved.
Chloe, who got out of the carriage, looked like a small block of wood wrapped in a cloak because of her clothes, and her gait on the slippery snow was extremely awkward.
Seeing that, Alex found it harder to imagine Chloe whispering sinister plans in the carriage.
'Oh, I'm so confused. I'm so confused.'
He simplified complex thoughts.
'They'll take care of everything up there! There are plenty of people smarter than me.'
***
Andrew, who saw Chloe leading the maids into the quarters, reported to the Knight Commander and Brentian what he had heard, just as he had told his comrades.
Brentian's reaction to Andrew's words was indifferent.
“I had expected it to some extent.”
Andrew got angry.
“Even though you knew, you brought the Princess here?”
“It’s the Marquis’s decision. I wonder what he’s thinking.”
Brentian also said that he did not know Callius' thoughts well.
Andrew, feeling frustrated, muttered and lost his temper.
“That damn Marquis. We keep calling him Marquis, Marquis, in front of the Princess, just to be careful. Tsk.”
In Ronheim, Callius was called Prince. Some even went so far as to call him King.
The title of Marquis is simply a title bestowed by the Emperor of Arrental.
However, if the Emperor of Arrental learned that Callius was still called Prince or King, he might be suspected of plotting a rebellion.
Hawick, the Knight Commander who was standing next to Brentian, gave Andrew a firm warning.
“Don’t act rashly, Andrew.”
"Sorry."
“Get out.”
"Yes."
Although he apologized, Andrew's expression as he turned away was still pouty.
Brentian glanced at Hawick.
“Isn’t the discipline among the knights too lax?”
Hawick, with a solemn expression, nodded.
“Well, it was about time they got their act together.”
Callius's men were exceptionally skilled and loyal, but they were also intricately intertwined by blood ties and long-standing friendships, and tended to be overly close.
Trust between colleagues is good, but excessive camaraderie that surpasses rank can be toxic to the group.
So the Knight Commander would periodically correct the hierarchy of his subordinates.
“Anyway, Andrew said something, and I also think the Princess is suspicious, so it would be best to keep a close eye on her.”
Hawick nodded firmly at Brentian's words.
“Leave it to me.”
"Thank you for your hard work. Then I'll go look for Callius."
“Come to think of it, where did my lord go?”
Brentian sighed softly.
“To feed the cats.”
***
Fortunately, Callius said he would be sharing a different room with me.
'I guess I can't spend my first night in a place like this.'
I stood there, dumbfounded in the room I was led to.
It was the first time I had formally met all the maids that Kavala had given me.
There were four maids in total, including Vanessa and Lamia.
The maids kept their mouths shut and didn't even look at me, just doing what they had to do under Vanessa's direction.
'I'm seeing all of these faces for the first time.'
Of course, since I didn't go to the Empress's Palace often, I didn't know all the maids' faces.
Still, I tend to remember the faces of the high-ranking maids who mostly followed Kavala.
'They don't seem to be Kavala's close maids.'
If he had decided to plant me as a spy, he wouldn't have chosen the maids he sent along carelessly.
'There must have been some plan behind them singling each and every one of them out.'
For now, I decided to just watch the maids without saying anything.
They unpacked only the bare minimum and quickly packed their belongings.
'Hmm...'
I thought Lamia, who was sneaking in among the maids, would run away.
Since the palace maids are trained in palace etiquette in advance, it was thought that it would be difficult for Lamia, who had not received any training, to hide her identity for a long time.
But contrary to expectations, Lamia didn't stand out at all. The other maids' actions were also quite clumsy.
'What's going on with everyone?'
Although she was used to things like organizing and cleaning, I didn't feel like she had been trained in etiquette in those actions.
Besides, they were overly concerned about Vanessa's reaction.
Vanessa must have held a grudge against me for what happened in the carriage earlier.
She gave orders to the maids without even lighting the fireplace in the cold room.
“Take off the Princess’s clothes.”
The maids clung to me and took off my clothes.
Even though it was indoors, the cold air seeped through the walls, and it was extremely cold.
I was shivering in my thin petticoat.
Vanessa pretended not to notice me shaking.
The maids kept glancing at me, but no one stepped forward, only looking at Vanessa.
Vanessa said coldly.
“Please wait, I will prepare water for you to wash in.”
Lamia stepped forward and asked Vanessa if she felt too pitiful.
“Your Highness seems to be cold. Shall we light a fire in the fireplace?”
Vanessa frowned and spoke stiffly.
"From now on, don't do anything until I tell you to. There's always an order to everything."
"Sorry."
Lamia kept her mouth shut.
But there was no sign of agreement in her eyes.
Vanessa glared at Lamia and gave instructions.
“You, tell those Ronheimers to bring us some heated water. The Princess wants to take a bath, so bring enough to fill the bathtub.”
Vanessa was not only ignoring me, the Princess, but was also trying to treat the knights of Callius like servants.
At this point, I had no choice but to step forward.
Having roughly figured out the relationship between the maids, I spoke kindly to the other three, excluding Vanessa.
"Enough with the bath. Everyone's worked hard all day. Should we eat something instead of this?"
The eyes of the maids who had been dead from exhaustion brightened a little at my words.
"Ask the innkeeper to prepare a meal. Everyone can leave except one person. Tomorrow will be a tougher day, so get some rest early."
“Your Highness, that is...!”
As Vanessa, who had lost command, tried to say something, Lamia quickly stepped forward and answered briskly.
“Yes! Good! I’ll go and get the Princess some food!”
And then she just left.
The maids who saw Lamia like that secretly watched Vanessa and then followed her out.
“I, I...!”
I asked Vanessa, who was just smiling.
“Are you the only one left?”
Vanessa flinched and raised her head.
“I have a lot of work to do, so I’ll ask the other child to stay behind.”
Then she ran away as if she were afraid that I might catch her.
I thought as I wrapped the blanket around myself.
'As expected, they weren't all trained palace maids. That's probably why Lamia was able to sneak in so easily among them... I need to learn more about these maids.'
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