Episode 36
Fortunately, access to the Imperial Palace was strictly controlled, and the Crown Prince seemed likely to keep the matter under wraps… but I couldn’t shake off my anxiety.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
“Before you go, Valerie. Could you tell me where you work?”
I scratched my cheek at the awkward question. I couldn’t tell her. I wasn’t working outside the palace; I was staying here.
“I’m sorry. It’s a bit difficult to say. And Miss Sylvia, could you promise me one thing?”
“A promise? What kind of promise, Valerie?”
“Don’t tell Duke Clovis about our meeting today, Sylvia.”
The Crown Prince’s sharp voice cut in between our conversation. I looked at him questioningly, and he mouthed the words,
‘Hide your face. And don’t cause any more trouble.’
I saw the Imperial maids approaching.
They handed me a robe. I quickly put it on, completely hiding my face. Sylvia, sensing something strange, looked at me and asked,
“…Valerie, are you involved in something bad with the Duke?”
“N-no. Just… please keep our meeting today a secret.”
As I smiled and made an X with my hands, Sylvia nodded.
After things settled down, the Crown Prince called out to her,
“How long are you going to keep your attention on that maid? I’ve been waiting for you. Aren’t you being too cold?”
Sylvia smiled faintly at the Crown Prince.
“…I’m sorry. But you don’t have to worry about that. There’s no way I would be cold to you, Your Highness.”
They looked at each other affectionately, like a well-matched couple. I unconsciously reached out to Sylvia.
“Valerie…?”
Despite my promise, I had left Cesar. And now Sylvia was also turning to another man, just like in the original story.
I didn’t want to see my owner, who hated being alone, left all by himself. I was scared, seeing Cesar’s future, destined for ruin because of his possessive obsession.
I didn’t want to let Sylvia, whom he would cherish even more than me, go to the Crown Prince.
“Miss Sylvia, I often visit the Imperial Palace. So if you have any business here, please contact me in advance. I’ll be at the place we met today, if I’m free.”
“I’d love to see you again, Valerie! But I might not be able to stay in the Imperial Palace for long. I always come here for other appointments…”
“I’m fine. I was worried I might be interrupting you.”
“You wouldn’t be. He’ll understand. Right?”
“…Ah, o-of course.”
The Crown Prince forced a smile and replied. But I saw a menacing glint in his eyes.
Sylvia, oblivious, smiled brightly like the moon illuminating the night, but I felt it. I had made a mistake by interfering.
The Crown Prince glared at me from behind Sylvia and mouthed the words,
‘Come see me after she leaves.’
I might die after she leaves.
I trembled in the suffocating silence. The Crown Prince’s expression was still grim.
‘So he wasn’t appeased while he was with Sylvia. What am I going to do?!’
“You.”
“…Y-yes!”
“What were you thinking?”
I carefully recalled my actions. Leaving the servants’ quarters, where I was supposed to be under protection, to follow Sylvia. Promising to meet Sylvia again.
It must have seemed very suspicious to the Crown Prince.
I thought hard and came up with an answer he might understand.
“She was too beautiful.”
“What did you just say?”
“I couldn’t refuse when Miss Sylvia Veronica smiled and spoke to me. And I was so captivated that I ended up promising to meet her again. I apologize.”
I cautiously observed the Crown Prince’s reaction as I spoke.
I remembered a passage from the novel. When the Crown Prince first met Sylvia, he was instantly smitten. I clearly remembered the description.
“Her blonde hair shimmered like moonlight, her eyes were clear like morning dew, and her smile… I couldn’t help but be drawn to such a beautiful woman…”
The Crown Prince turned his head. His usually stern expression softened, and his face was slightly flushed.
‘He remembers. What he thought back then.’
The Crown Prince coughed and finally spoke,
“…I see.”
“Yes. I’m sure others would feel the same way. But Your Highness, why is your face red?”
“…”
I was definitely teasing him. Teasing people about their love life was the most enjoyable thing. Of course, I had no intention of supporting their relationship.
I smiled brightly at the Crown Prince. He seemed unable to continue the conversation and changed the subject.
“Alright, that’s enough about that. First, it seems there were no other people who entered the Imperial Palace. And those you encountered must be Imperial servants, so I’ll make sure they keep quiet.”
“Thank you.”
‘Thankfully, I managed to smooth things over. I thought I would be in big trouble after Sylvia left.’
Relieved, I looked at the Crown Prince.
“Did the Second Prince approach you again?”
“No, he hasn’t visited me.”
“I wonder if he lost interest or if he deemed you useless… I’ve been observing you, but I haven’t found anything either.”
‘I don’t even know myself, so it would be surprising if you did.’
I just smiled without saying anything. There’s a reason why they say silence is golden.
He then told me what I was curious about,
“…I haven’t received any further contact from the Tower Master, and I’m keeping an eye on the Duke’s movements. He hasn’t done anything since then, but I don’t think he’s lost interest, so… It seems you’re being targeted by a rather troublesome person.”
At his definitive statement, I thought of Cesar. I couldn’t imagine myself cheerfully telling him I had become human.
It would be the opposite, if anything.
‘I mustn’t be caught.’
I had no intention of being discovered. Even though he crossed my mind, I didn’t want to return to his side.
Sylvia felt the warm sunlight. Spring had passed, and summer was approaching since the day of the festival.
Suddenly, the thought of Lily crossed her mind, and Sylvia lowered her gaze.
Worried about Lily, who had suddenly collapsed, she had visited the Dukedom. But Cesar only said that Lily had been sent to the villa to recover and didn’t tell her what was wrong or how she was doing.
He had even refused her request to visit Lily at the villa. She was a little hurt by that.
She hadn’t seen Cesar since then. Until he visited her today.
“It seems summer is approaching, Cesar.”
He smiled and replied to her casual greeting,
“Indeed, Sylvia.”
“What brings you here today?”
“We don’t have to have a reason to see each other.”
Cesar was right, but he had been avoiding her, saying he was busy exterminating monsters. It was strange that he suddenly visited her, acting as if he had urgent business, the day after she returned from the Imperial Palace.
Cesar was as kind and gentle as ever. And he still wore a carefully crafted mask, maintaining a certain distance.
He seemed to have improved after Lily arrived, but perhaps she had been mistaken.
Mentioning Lily naturally reminded Sylvia of the maid who resembled her.
‘If you have any business at the Imperial Palace, please contact me in advance. I’ll be at the place we met today, if I’m free.’
She was such a lovely person. She had accepted Sylvia’s touch naturally and smiled brightly. Sylvia found her so cute that she couldn’t take her eyes off her, and she wanted to keep her close, as if she was with Lily.
Sylvia smiled unconsciously.
“Something good must have happened?”
At Cesar’s words, breaking her train of thought, Sylvia nodded.
“Ah, yes. Something good happened at the Imperial Palace.”
“What was it?”
Looking at the curious Cesar, she was about to tell him about meeting the maid who resembled Lily.
“You see, Cesar. I…”
‘Just… please keep our meeting today a secret.’
The words that suddenly came to mind made Sylvia close her mouth. She shook her head. She could picture the maid’s troubled expression, and she didn’t want to cause her any difficulties.
Seeing Sylvia’s expression, Cesar didn’t press further.
“I see, that’s a shame. Then tell me how you’ve been. I’m curious.”
Cesar’s seductive tone was the same as always. Sylvia wondered if the sense of déjà vu she had felt earlier was just her imagination.
As usual, they shared stories about their daily lives, and when the time felt right, he stood up. Walking him to the carriage, Sylvia smiled at Cesar.
“Then I’ll be going now, Sylvia.”
“Yes, take care.”
Sylvia saw him off and entered the mansion. And she slowly recalled what she had to do.
“Nanny, what do maids my age like?”
“Why do you ask, Miss? Are you planning on giving gifts to the servants?”
“Servants? They’re all precious people to me. Of course, giving them gifts would be nice, but there’s someone else I want to give a gift to… I want to become close to her.”
Seeing Sylvia’s shy expression, the nanny offered her various advice.
“Really? Then would she like that?”
She imagined cute accessories and sweet cookies that Valerie might like and decided to take them to the Imperial Palace.
Not knowing why she wanted to shower the girl with gifts, Sylvia smiled, excited to see Valerie again.