Haven't you seen up close how luxurious and extravagant the things your cousin Winfred eats and wears are?
When she thought that all of those things were actually things she should have enjoyed, she felt like a thousand fires were burning inside her.
'If I can't enjoy it, then he shouldn't be able to enjoy it either.'
She felt eerily similar to her father, Byron, and decided to follow his orders.
She decided to seize the opportunity that came to him.
“Aren’t you going to get out of work?”
“Oh, I have to do it now.”
As Binka stood there, lost in thought, a fellow maid approached her. Most of the staff had already left, leaving only a few people in the changing room.
In fact, she would have liked to stay at the palace instead of leaving work and finding a way to sneak into the banquet hall where the banquet was to be held, but unfortunately, she had no more leftover potions to change her hair and eye color, so for now, she had no choice but to return home.
And the next day, Binka arrived at the palace much earlier than usual. Instead of going to her workplace, the Crown Prince's Palace, she went straight to the Imperial Palace Banquet Hall, where the banquet was to be held.
She glanced through the window at the employees busy decorating the banquet hall, trying to spot a familiar face.
After wandering around for a while, Binka spotted a suitable prey. She recognized a fellow maid who had worked with her in the laundry department of the palace before being assigned to the Crown Prince's Palace.
She dug into her pockets and pulled out a wallet stuffed full of money. She had been preparing to bribe the maid who had recently lost her life at her hands.
'Let's try buying it with this money first, and if it doesn't work... well... we'll have to use another method.'
If she had more time, she would have found a more reliable method, but for now, this was the only method she could try.
'By the way, what was her name...? Emily? Alice? What was it...?'
It was while Binka was desperately trying to remember the name of her old colleague.
“Hey, Amy! Put this vase on the windowsill.”
“Oh, yes!”
The sound from inside finally allowed Binka to recall the name. Luckily, the hunter even sent the prey toward the window, making it easier for her to hunt.
Binka smiled broadly and knocked on the window. Amy, who was decorating a vase by the window, opened her eyes wide at the sight of a familiar face outside.
When Binka gestured for her to come out for a moment, Amy looked dumbfounded.
It was because she felt embarrassed that her former colleague, with whom she had barely interacted since moving to different departments, suddenly came to her at such a busy time.
But when Binka raised her index finger with an earnest expression and mouthed the desperate words, "Just once," she shrugged her shoulders as if she had no other choice and left the building.
“Long time no see, Binka. What brings you here?”
“Hi, Amy. You know, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it? I’m a little busy right now...”
Amy answered, glancing nervously around the banquet hall at the mention of a favor. She knew she'd be in trouble if she were caught leaving.
“It’s a little difficult to talk about this here... Let’s go somewhere quiet and talk. It’ll be over soon.”
Binka said with an awkward laugh.
Amy frowned. She was already busy, barely able to find the time to come out, and going somewhere so deserted was a bit of a stretch.
Still, she obediently followed Binka. She was curious about what was going on, since Binka rarely did anything like this.
When they arrived at the backyard, where no one was watching, Binka spoke with an earnest look in her eyes.
"Hey, Amy. Can you swap shifts with me today?"
“What? What is that...?”
"Actually... I just wanted to see Princess Weishaffen, just once. There are only rumors going around. I really want to see her in person."
It was a lame excuse, even to herself, but Binka couldn't think of a better one, so she grabbed Amy's hand and said.
Of course, it was a nonsensical statement.
"Does this kid think the Imperial Palace Banquet Hall is some kind of kid's joke? Stop talking nonsense and go now."
“Please, yes? Take this. It’s a token of my sincerity.”
Binka put a bag of money in her hand.
Amy's eyes widened as she counted the amount in the pocket. It was a large sum, roughly equivalent to a month's salary.
But the large sum of money backfired. Amy began to suspect her intentions. The problem was that she was a colleague who knew Binka's financial situation all too well.
"You always said you were broke because of your mother's medicine bill. Where did you get all this money? And you're giving me this much money just to watch Princess Weishaffen from afar? You must have some other ulterior motive. This won't do. I have to report this to the head maid immediately."
Amy took her hand and told her to go with her to find the maid.
Thinking that if things continued like this, she would fail without even being able to enter the banquet hall, Binka shook off her hand and began to strangle Amy with the scarf around her neck.
"Yeah, if you'd just listened to me when I gave you the money, this wouldn't have happened. Right? This is your fault. You rushed it, you know."
Amy, startled by the unexpected attack, tried to scream, but her throat was choked and she couldn't make a loud noise.
She struggled in suffocating agony, trying to free herself from the ropes that were strangling her neck, but she was unable to overcome Binka's strength, as if she had gained such incredible strength.
A moment later, Amy's body, which had been resisting, lost all strength and became motionless.
“Phew.”
Binka wiped the sweat dripping down her chin and took a deep breath. The repeated killings seemed to be fading away the fear and guilt.
"It's not that I'm bad. You dared to block my path, a commoner, and me, a member of the royal family."
She looked around and hid Amy's body behind the flower bed.
Anyway, everything was going to be over soon. Since the maid she'd killed yesterday hadn't been found yet, she figured it would be okay to leave her here for a while.
'...The Emperor or whatever, even my father's younger brother, is such an idiot. A person died in his front yard, and I didn't know about it for two days.'
Binka straightened her clothes and headed to the banquet hall, wondering how such an idiot could have surpassed her father and become Emperor.
Now all that remained was to get past the strict-looking banquet hall security.
The heavens seemed to be helping her, and the task turned out easier than expected. A familiar face was searching for Amy.
She was a senior maid who worked in the same department as Binka and Amy.
"Amy, Amy! I'm so busy, where did she go? Oh my, aren't you Binka? You said you went to the Crown Prince's Palace. What are you doing here?"
“Oh, actually... Amy suddenly said something urgent had come up and she had to leave work early, so she asked me to take over the banquet department for one day.”
"What? Amy? She was working with me just a moment ago, and she left early without telling me? So suddenly?"
The senior maid gaped in amazement.
If she thinks about Amy's usual personality, even if she wasn't particularly conscientious, she wasn't a child so thoughtless as to act so senselessly.
Moreover, it was strange that she suddenly asked her to do it, since Amy and Binka had not been that close when they worked in the same department.
It was a questionable situation in many ways, but she was so busy that she needed an extra pair of hands, so she offered Binka an extra apron.
“Put that on quickly and follow me. I’m really busy right now, so get your wits about you.”
“Yes, I will work hard.”
Binka entered the banquet hall with a cheerful smile. It was the start of a day that seemed poised for good fortune.
Contrary to Binka's prediction that the body of the maid she had harmed had not yet been found, the body had already been found a long time ago.
The maid happened to be the one in charge of cleaning the prison where Byron was incarcerated, so she kept quiet to prevent speculation.
“Your Majesty, the results of the initial autopsy of the body discovered yesterday have arrived.”
“What was the cause of death?”
Hiram looked at the report the investigator handed him with a nervous expression.
The cause of death was acute respiratory failure. There were no visible signs of trauma or poisoning.
A normally healthy young woman in her twenties was found dead, with no signs of strangulation or poisoning. Does this make sense?
“The victim’s identification was found abandoned in the bushes at the entrance to the palace, far from the body... No matter how I think about it, it’s suspicious.”
Hiram pressed his temples as if his head were pounding.
As soon as the body was discovered, Byron was questioned, but he naturally denied it, saying it was the first time he had heard of it.
‘...Looking at that sinister face, it’s clear that he knows something.’
He sighed deeply and closed the autopsy report.
He was thinking that he should discuss this with Roderick after the upcoming dinner.
“Your Majesty! New circumstances have been discovered.”
“What is that?”
One of the investigators he had secretly ordered to investigate came rushing into the room.
"We were investigating the victim's whereabouts, but according to the testimony of the last witness, a guard, it appears the maid who came in to clean the prison the other day was a different person from the victim. After examining the body, she testified that it wasn't the maid he saw."
When she thought that all of those things were actually things she should have enjoyed, she felt like a thousand fires were burning inside her.
'If I can't enjoy it, then he shouldn't be able to enjoy it either.'
She felt eerily similar to her father, Byron, and decided to follow his orders.
She decided to seize the opportunity that came to him.
“Aren’t you going to get out of work?”
“Oh, I have to do it now.”
As Binka stood there, lost in thought, a fellow maid approached her. Most of the staff had already left, leaving only a few people in the changing room.
In fact, she would have liked to stay at the palace instead of leaving work and finding a way to sneak into the banquet hall where the banquet was to be held, but unfortunately, she had no more leftover potions to change her hair and eye color, so for now, she had no choice but to return home.
And the next day, Binka arrived at the palace much earlier than usual. Instead of going to her workplace, the Crown Prince's Palace, she went straight to the Imperial Palace Banquet Hall, where the banquet was to be held.
She glanced through the window at the employees busy decorating the banquet hall, trying to spot a familiar face.
After wandering around for a while, Binka spotted a suitable prey. She recognized a fellow maid who had worked with her in the laundry department of the palace before being assigned to the Crown Prince's Palace.
She dug into her pockets and pulled out a wallet stuffed full of money. She had been preparing to bribe the maid who had recently lost her life at her hands.
'Let's try buying it with this money first, and if it doesn't work... well... we'll have to use another method.'
If she had more time, she would have found a more reliable method, but for now, this was the only method she could try.
'By the way, what was her name...? Emily? Alice? What was it...?'
It was while Binka was desperately trying to remember the name of her old colleague.
“Hey, Amy! Put this vase on the windowsill.”
“Oh, yes!”
The sound from inside finally allowed Binka to recall the name. Luckily, the hunter even sent the prey toward the window, making it easier for her to hunt.
Binka smiled broadly and knocked on the window. Amy, who was decorating a vase by the window, opened her eyes wide at the sight of a familiar face outside.
When Binka gestured for her to come out for a moment, Amy looked dumbfounded.
It was because she felt embarrassed that her former colleague, with whom she had barely interacted since moving to different departments, suddenly came to her at such a busy time.
But when Binka raised her index finger with an earnest expression and mouthed the desperate words, "Just once," she shrugged her shoulders as if she had no other choice and left the building.
“Long time no see, Binka. What brings you here?”
“Hi, Amy. You know, I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it? I’m a little busy right now...”
Amy answered, glancing nervously around the banquet hall at the mention of a favor. She knew she'd be in trouble if she were caught leaving.
“It’s a little difficult to talk about this here... Let’s go somewhere quiet and talk. It’ll be over soon.”
Binka said with an awkward laugh.
Amy frowned. She was already busy, barely able to find the time to come out, and going somewhere so deserted was a bit of a stretch.
Still, she obediently followed Binka. She was curious about what was going on, since Binka rarely did anything like this.
When they arrived at the backyard, where no one was watching, Binka spoke with an earnest look in her eyes.
"Hey, Amy. Can you swap shifts with me today?"
“What? What is that...?”
"Actually... I just wanted to see Princess Weishaffen, just once. There are only rumors going around. I really want to see her in person."
It was a lame excuse, even to herself, but Binka couldn't think of a better one, so she grabbed Amy's hand and said.
Of course, it was a nonsensical statement.
"Does this kid think the Imperial Palace Banquet Hall is some kind of kid's joke? Stop talking nonsense and go now."
“Please, yes? Take this. It’s a token of my sincerity.”
Binka put a bag of money in her hand.
Amy's eyes widened as she counted the amount in the pocket. It was a large sum, roughly equivalent to a month's salary.
But the large sum of money backfired. Amy began to suspect her intentions. The problem was that she was a colleague who knew Binka's financial situation all too well.
"You always said you were broke because of your mother's medicine bill. Where did you get all this money? And you're giving me this much money just to watch Princess Weishaffen from afar? You must have some other ulterior motive. This won't do. I have to report this to the head maid immediately."
Amy took her hand and told her to go with her to find the maid.
Thinking that if things continued like this, she would fail without even being able to enter the banquet hall, Binka shook off her hand and began to strangle Amy with the scarf around her neck.
"Yeah, if you'd just listened to me when I gave you the money, this wouldn't have happened. Right? This is your fault. You rushed it, you know."
Amy, startled by the unexpected attack, tried to scream, but her throat was choked and she couldn't make a loud noise.
She struggled in suffocating agony, trying to free herself from the ropes that were strangling her neck, but she was unable to overcome Binka's strength, as if she had gained such incredible strength.
A moment later, Amy's body, which had been resisting, lost all strength and became motionless.
“Phew.”
Binka wiped the sweat dripping down her chin and took a deep breath. The repeated killings seemed to be fading away the fear and guilt.
"It's not that I'm bad. You dared to block my path, a commoner, and me, a member of the royal family."
She looked around and hid Amy's body behind the flower bed.
Anyway, everything was going to be over soon. Since the maid she'd killed yesterday hadn't been found yet, she figured it would be okay to leave her here for a while.
'...The Emperor or whatever, even my father's younger brother, is such an idiot. A person died in his front yard, and I didn't know about it for two days.'
Binka straightened her clothes and headed to the banquet hall, wondering how such an idiot could have surpassed her father and become Emperor.
Now all that remained was to get past the strict-looking banquet hall security.
The heavens seemed to be helping her, and the task turned out easier than expected. A familiar face was searching for Amy.
She was a senior maid who worked in the same department as Binka and Amy.
"Amy, Amy! I'm so busy, where did she go? Oh my, aren't you Binka? You said you went to the Crown Prince's Palace. What are you doing here?"
“Oh, actually... Amy suddenly said something urgent had come up and she had to leave work early, so she asked me to take over the banquet department for one day.”
"What? Amy? She was working with me just a moment ago, and she left early without telling me? So suddenly?"
The senior maid gaped in amazement.
If she thinks about Amy's usual personality, even if she wasn't particularly conscientious, she wasn't a child so thoughtless as to act so senselessly.
Moreover, it was strange that she suddenly asked her to do it, since Amy and Binka had not been that close when they worked in the same department.
It was a questionable situation in many ways, but she was so busy that she needed an extra pair of hands, so she offered Binka an extra apron.
“Put that on quickly and follow me. I’m really busy right now, so get your wits about you.”
“Yes, I will work hard.”
Binka entered the banquet hall with a cheerful smile. It was the start of a day that seemed poised for good fortune.
***
Contrary to Binka's prediction that the body of the maid she had harmed had not yet been found, the body had already been found a long time ago.
The maid happened to be the one in charge of cleaning the prison where Byron was incarcerated, so she kept quiet to prevent speculation.
“Your Majesty, the results of the initial autopsy of the body discovered yesterday have arrived.”
“What was the cause of death?”
Hiram looked at the report the investigator handed him with a nervous expression.
The cause of death was acute respiratory failure. There were no visible signs of trauma or poisoning.
A normally healthy young woman in her twenties was found dead, with no signs of strangulation or poisoning. Does this make sense?
“The victim’s identification was found abandoned in the bushes at the entrance to the palace, far from the body... No matter how I think about it, it’s suspicious.”
Hiram pressed his temples as if his head were pounding.
As soon as the body was discovered, Byron was questioned, but he naturally denied it, saying it was the first time he had heard of it.
‘...Looking at that sinister face, it’s clear that he knows something.’
He sighed deeply and closed the autopsy report.
He was thinking that he should discuss this with Roderick after the upcoming dinner.
“Your Majesty! New circumstances have been discovered.”
“What is that?”
One of the investigators he had secretly ordered to investigate came rushing into the room.
"We were investigating the victim's whereabouts, but according to the testimony of the last witness, a guard, it appears the maid who came in to clean the prison the other day was a different person from the victim. After examining the body, she testified that it wasn't the maid he saw."
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