Episode 81
Late at night, I heard a small tapping sound on the window. Knowing it was the contact I had been waiting for, I quickly opened the window.
“Meow.”
Its meows, as if it had been a long time, sounded welcoming.
“Why are you so late! I’ve been waiting!”
As I stroked its head, it purred and rubbed against me affectionately.
Well, the delayed message was the Crown Prince’s fault, not this cute little creature’s.
Feeling bad for scolding it, I gave it some food and untied the ribbon from its tail.
I had been worried that something went wrong since I hadn’t heard from him in a while, but it seemed like there was nothing to be overly concerned about. The message said that the Empress’s hysterics had reached their peak, and he had been busy dealing with it.
‘Does the Empress want to torment the Crown Prince even after treating him so badly?’
The Crown Prince had solidified his position to some extent; she wouldn’t be able to treat him as carelessly as before. I felt sorry for him, having to bear the brunt of her stress.
At the same time, a strange feeling tugged at me. What was the reason for the Empress’s sudden change in mood?
The Empress was more cautious and clever than the Second Prince. She didn’t reveal her emotions so easily.
‘What triggered her? The Second Prince’s incompetence compared to the Crown Prince? Or something else?’
Curiosity arose within me, but I quickly dismissed it.
There was no way I could find the answer here. I had to focus on dealing with Prea, who was approaching Sylvia.
「The Seirthe family, wary of the power-hungry Second Prince ascending the throne, pledged their support to me.
But after their daughter set her sights on becoming the Crown Princess, they’ve been subtly showing their ambition. So it’s not surprising that they would threaten Sylvia.
I’ve already planted someone there. So don’t worry.」
The Crown Prince already knew that Prea was planning to threaten Sylvia. I should have been relieved, but I felt uneasy.
“Then why was Sylvia kidnapped in the original story…?”
That stupid Crown Prince; if he’s going to protect her, he should do it properly!
I sighed at the message that was supposed to be reassuring.
The Crown Prince couldn’t perfectly protect Sylvia. There were flaws in his surveillance. Just placing a few spies wouldn’t be enough to prevent everything.
He would probably just follow Sylvia after she disappeared, just like in the original story.
“If she’s your woman, protect her with some sense of urgency! Sylvia is so precious! Are you even the male lead, you idiot?!”
As I furiously wrote my reply, I noticed an unpleasant phrase in the unread part of the message.
“Holy Kingdom?”
Why is that suddenly being brought up?
I suppressed my irritation and carefully read the rest of the message.
「At the Empress’s request, delegations from various countries will be visiting during the hunting competition. It seems there will be someone from the Holy Kingdom as well.
It’s strange that they’re visiting, since they usually avoid contact with the outside world. Do you know anything about this?」
“How would I know?”
I felt a strong sense of aversion.
I stroked the cat’s head and anxiously bit my lip. It felt like there was another story unfolding in this world, a story I didn’t know.
“Oh my, Valerie. Why do you look so gloomy today?”
“What’s wrong? Something bad happen?”
“Here, take this. You look pale.”
I heard comments from the people passing by. It was because I had stayed up all night, racking my brain, unable to find any answers.
‘I relied too much on the original novel.’
I had been caught off guard.
The main plot of the original story revolved around Sylvia, so I hadn’t considered the possibility of hidden storylines. But starting with my identity, the mark on the Empress’s brooch, the Holy Kingdom… It felt like there was a connection.
‘It feels like there is, but the problem is that I don’t know what it is.’
I would have ignored it if it didn’t pose a threat to Sylvia, but the chilling feeling running down my spine made it impossible to ignore.
I tried to hide my worries and maintain a neutral expression as I pushed the trolley, but the anxiety wouldn’t go away. Then, a voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“Lost in thought again?”
Cesar, who should have been waiting for Sylvia in the reception room, was standing in the hallway, looking at me.
‘Why did he come out now, of all times? I haven’t even managed to compose my expression.’
“…I apologize. I must have been too slow, so you came looking for me.”
One of his eyebrows twitched at my words.
Ah, that. It was the expression he made when he was displeased.
But he was a Duke, and I was a maid. It would be strange for us to casually chat and smile at each other like we did when we were alone.
‘Whatever.’
I grumbled inwardly, since he couldn’t understand me anyway, and slowly entered the reception room. But his first words made my heart sink.
“You were having some impudent thoughts just now, weren’t you?”
I flinched.
My owner was incredibly perceptive. He didn’t notice when I cursed him in my mind as a bird.
Was I the type to wear my heart on my sleeve? Did my bird form hide my true feelings?
As I touched my face, trying to maintain a serious expression, he tapped my head.
“It’s best not to think such things; they’ll be revealed eventually. So what were you thinking about so intently?”
“I was thinking about the dinner menu.”
“What?”
He looked at me in disbelief and then, after a moment of thought, seemed to accept it as something I would do. It annoyed me even more.
I couldn’t tell him my real worries, so I pretended to be obsessed with food, since he seemed to believe it.
“The dinner menu is important! You might not know, Your Grace, being a noble, but for commoners, their daily meals are a serious…”
He cut me off sharply.
“Did I starve you when you were a bird?”
“No.”
“Then did they not feed you properly at the Imperial Palace?”
“The meals were so plentiful I could barely finish them.”
“Then why are you bringing up commoners? You barely ate even as a bird, pecking at your food like it was a grain of rice.”
“My appetite increased after becoming human!”
He tilted his head at my retort. His cold gaze made my face sting.
“Hmm. Sylvia isn’t here yet, and I’ve dismissed the other servants.”
I wondered why he was saying that. This felt ominous.
My instincts told me to run, but he was faster. I felt a firm surface against my backside and looked up. Cesar’s face was right in front of me.
‘Why am I sitting on Cesar’s lap?’
As I blinked, wondering what kind of novel punishment this was, he smiled.
“I’m a kind and somewhat easily bored owner, so I’ll listen to what’s bothering you before Sylvia arrives. What were you thinking about so seriously?”
I still wasn’t used to his condescending tone, like a parent coaxing a child, just like when he showered me with sweet words in the carriage.
“Well… Your Grace.”
“Are you finally ready to talk?”
“They say people suddenly change right before they die.”
“…What did you just say?”
“…Well.”
Was he angry? As I cautiously observed his reaction, his voice tickled my ear.
“Valerie, why would you think that?”
His unusually gentle voice was as sweet as honey. I would have preferred him to be angry or threatening like usual.
“W-well…”
“Do you dislike me being kind to you? I’ve been quite lenient.”
“But you used to threaten to throw me to the monsters! You haven’t forgotten! I remember! I remember everything… but you’ve been so kind lately…”
“Kind?”
“It’s… unsettling…”
My voice trailed off, and I lowered my head.
The closer he got, the harder it was to control my feelings. He wasn’t going to marry me, so why was he acting like this? What was I supposed to do?
It wouldn’t be fair if he made my heart flutter and then drew a line. I would be the only fool.
“I don’t understand. You like kindness, don’t you? You smile so sweetly when someone whispers sweet nothings to you.”
He spoke as if jealous.
Jealousy? It was a word that didn’t suit him at all. I almost hiccuped.
“And you so casually call him Heron, but you address me so formally, as if it’s glued to your tongue.”
“That’s because…”
“If I told you to call me Cesar, would you?”
My eyes widened. This man, why was he acting so out of character?
“Pardon? How could I dare address Your Grace so casually?”
“Really? You did before.”
“When did I?”
“I know you’ve been cursing me and calling my name in that little head of yours.”
As I flinched, he seized the opportunity.
“So call my name.”
“…I’m a maid, and Your Grace is the esteemed Duke of Clo…”
“It’s not that difficult, Valerie.”
His fingertip touched the corner of my lips. He smiled seductively, like a teacher patiently instructing a clumsy student.
“Do I have to say it myself for you to repeat it?”