"...She is acting as usual. She has dinner with His Majesty after learning to ride a horse, but she shows no personal interest in His Majesty."
"Are you sure? But why is His Majesty devoting so much time to that woman?!"
Marie's jaw trembled as if in response to the sharp voice piercing her ears.
"Th-that, I don't know either. It seems His Majesty has taken an interest, as the wolf follows the Princess so closely."
"Is that really the only thing?"
"Ugh."
Marie's head was lifted by Serira's hand, which suddenly grabbed the back of her head. Marie's pale face was reflected in her gleaming crimson eyes.
"No! That really is all! Just as you said, the Princess is cheerful, but she is actually of few words, and she actually fears His Majesty the Emperor, so she tries to avoid him."
"Then you should be the one bringing up a topic of conversation. I told you to stir things up to annoy her, to pique that immature Princess's curiosity. She must have caused some trouble to displease His Majesty, so why is there still no news?!"
"I told her about the wolf and the maid just as you instructed! However, perhaps because she is so timid, she is not doing anything..."
Marie cleverly twisted the facts to convey them.
Although she had passed on the rumors, she could not urge Elisha to do anything. The back of her head was in so much pain from being grabbed, and terrified of the situation, she wanted to frame Elisha as she was told and escape from this reality, but in the end, she could not.
“Please take care of me.”
Marie fell for Elisha at first sight. She was like a beautiful Princess from a fairy tale.
Her brightly smiling face seemed to have received all the light in the world, and not a trace of darkness lingered in her eyes, which were as clear as a sparkling emerald sea.
It was amazing.
Because Elisha was a woman of few words, unlike her bright demeanor, the time they spent together was mostly filled with silence, but strangely, that stillness did not feel stifling. On the contrary, Marie truly loved being by the warm Princess's side.
The time spent quietly serving her felt like a breath of fresh air, so much so that on some days she even briefly thought she wished she could be the Princess's lady-in-waiting for a very long time.
"You fool. The Head Maid didn't give the position of personal maid to a lowly nobody like you for no reason, did she? Huh? If you get kicked out of here, where do you think you can go? Your only option is to go back to that stinky backwoods place that suits you so well and just cook meals, isn't it? Vulgarly, I mean."
As Marie's head was freed, a sharp slap echoed from her cheek. As Marie staggered, clutching her slapped cheek, her hair was grabbed mercilessly once again.
"Serira, please keep yourself in check."
A calm voice came from Countess Ante, the head lady-in-waiting who had maintained a chillingly blank expression the entire time beside the two.
"Headmaid! But this is not a proper job."
"The appearance of the ladies-in-waiting is important. Do not let their honor be tarnished by vulgarity."
At Countess Ante's words, Serira's face, which had been like a demon, changed completely. Soon, the strength in the hand that had been tormenting Marie released.
"You really are the Head Maid. You always bring to mind things I hadn't even thought of. Hehe."
Serira's face, smiling sweetly to the point of being repulsive, was cute with its delicate features. She swept back her deep yellow hair, which she usually cared for with great attention, as if tidying it up.
Serira walked to the front of the display cabinet with light steps, her scarlet eyes sparkling. Marie, watching her with anxious eyes, had a pale face, looking as if she were about to collapse at any moment.
"Hmm—they say she doesn't really do anything, but how is it that the Princess is spending more and more time with His Majesty? Isn't it truly a strange thing?"
Serira approached Marie, speaking in a tone full of cuteness that was in stark contrast to the sharp voice she had used just moments ago. Wearing thick pink gloves that were out of place for the passing season of spring, she held a switch she had just taken from the display cabinet.
"You're the only one close by, so why don't you realize it? Huh? You're such a useless girl."
"Se, Serira."
"What are you thinking? If my pretty hand gets hurt because of you? Ugh. I'm so upset."
"Hmph, I did something wrong. Please, just forgive me this once. P-p-please..."
"Marie, she will leave soon. Whether to her homeland or up into the heavens, you just need to watch over her for a while, get the money and letters of recommendation you need so much, and then leave for a good place."
The smile on Serira's face slowly faded away the moment she finished speaking.
"Lift your skirt."
"Sob sob... I'm sorry."
"Aren't you looking forward to the hunting festival tomorrow? It's been so long that I already feel like seeing some blood, but since you have something to do tomorrow, I won't go that far."
Marie stepped onto the worn-out chair with practiced ease, lifted her skirt, and revealed her trembling legs.
"You just have to lure that woman into the maze forest tomorrow. People say it's a place you shouldn't go, but that's not actually true."
"A, a maze forest?"
"Right, tell her that if she goes in just a little further from there, she'll see a path, and if she goes a bit further, a beautiful villa. And if she looks like she's waiting for His Majesty, just casually mention that it's a place His Majesty frequents; otherwise, just say it's a place where no one comes, and he can rest comfortably alone. Oh my, that's too easy. Right?"
"Unlike managed hunting grounds, there are many wild animals there, so it could be dangerous. If the Princess were to get hurt by any chance..."
"It’s better if she gets hurt. If she dies, we’ll be at ease."
Serira's eyes grew sharp as she looked at Marie, who was hesitating despite being terrified.
"Looks like there are beasts here, too. I guess they need a beating to come to their senses."
The switch swung by a frail arm began to make a cruel sound. And gradually, sad screams filled the room.
***
Finally, morning dawned at Hunting Hill.
I gazed down at Marie, who was putting boots on me while wearing a brown hunting suit that fit well and a black cloak.
“Marie, are you okay?”
"Yes?"
Marie, who had been consciously avoiding my gaze for a while, looked up at me with a surprised expression.
A deathly white face, cold sweat drenching her forehead, and dry, cracked lips. It was obvious at a glance that she was in poor condition.
“You look sick.”
I carefully reached out and smoothed her disheveled hair once, then naturally wiped the sweat from her forehead.
The trembling ginger eyelashes looked pitiful.
"Let's see a doctor. I've already prepared everything anyway, and I can go by myself from now on. I think it would be best to rest today."
"Oh, no. I'm just a little tired, that's all. It's not like I need to rest."
"Are you saying it's because you're tired?"
I glanced briefly at one of her cheeks, which was slightly swollen, unlike yesterday. Unless she has a toothache, man. That looks like she got hit and it's swollen.
However, seeing Marie hunching her shoulders like someone she wanted to hide, I turned my gaze away as if I hadn't seen her.
"If you are tired, it would be good to go get some sleep right away. I can go with Sir Oscar now, so you don't necessarily have to follow me."
"Princess, I'm really fine."
"...I'm sorry, but even if Marie says you're fine, it makes me uncomfortable to watch. Please go rest."
"I-I'll just watch until you leave. Then, as you said, I'll go rest. Really."
That's strange. She's so different from usual.
Although she occasionally showed signs of being wary, this was the first time she had looked so restless and terrified.
She seemed ready to cling to my leg if I sent her off too forcefully, so I thought it would be better to let her do as she pleased and go rest rather than pressuring her unnecessarily.
"Phew—okay. Are you sure you'll rest after seeing me off?"
"...Yes. I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing to me? It's Marie who can't rest. It's all done, right?"
“Yes, smile.”
As Marie straightened her knees and stood up, she suddenly staggered. Fortunately, I managed to catch her in my arms as her legs trembled like a newborn fawn.
I stumbled for a moment, but perhaps thanks to the lower body strength I had built up while riding, I avoided falling over.
'The smell of blood?'
The air carried by the rustling of the skirt was metallic. It was strong enough that even I, who usually have trouble pinpointing the smell of blood, could identify it clearly.
"Ugh, I'm sorry. Princess, are you alright?"
"Marie... Are you hurt somewhere?"
Marie, who had stepped back in surprise and anxiously checked to see if I was hurt, froze completely at my words as if by magic.
"Marie?"
"Yeah. I got a little cut by a knife yesterday."
“Is it a knife?”
“Yes. It’s a knife.”
Marie pressed her lips together tightly as if she had nothing more to say and took a step back.
"...Okay. Make sure to get treatment later."
Feeling like I was needlessly digging into someone who was already having a hard time, I tried to leave the room, suppressing my uneasy feeling.
"Um... Princess."
"Yes?"
"..."
"Marie?"
"...Near the hunting grounds, there is a path leading to the maze forest."
Why a maze forest all of a sudden?
I looked strangely at Marie, who was squeezing out a voice with a face that looked like she was about to collapse at any moment.
"If you stay there, if you head towards the East Palace, you will come across the entrance to the maze forest. The forest only looks a bit complicated at the beginning; once you go inside, it isn't like that at all. Just keep walking straight, and you will come across a villa."
"Aha..."
"Bye, I hear the villa is incredibly beautiful. I heard that no one comes there, so you can rest peacefully all alone. If you happen to be looking for that kind of place... there..."
I wondered why she was telling me this when she had told me not to go before. Moreover, she was trembling and speaking in a way that looked suspicious to anyone; it was to the point where I wondered if she had been threatened somewhere.
"Does Marie want me to go there?"
Marie, who had been staring at the ground like a sinner, suddenly turned her eyes toward me. Her tear-filled, cold, yellowish-green eyes blurred pathetically.
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