Episode 88
I woke up with a headache. I felt like I had slept for a long time, but my head was dizzy, and I felt nauseous, as if I hadn’t slept properly.
“Lily’s dying. Dying of sleepiness…”
I groaned and leaned against the headboard, feeling the breeze from the window. The cool moonlight shone on my hand.
‘It’s nighttime. So I slept for half a day.’
My headache persisted. I couldn’t focus, no matter how hard I tried. Transforming from a human to a bird required concentration, but my mind was foggy.
Then, I heard Prea’s voice.
“I didn’t expect you to be asleep for so long. It seems the Latrasi flower worked quite well on you.”
“Latra… what…?”
“It’s a flower that induces sleep when ground and ingested. Sometimes, it causes people to sleep eternally as a side effect, but… I’m glad that didn’t happen to you.”
Her words were clearly imprinted in my mind, despite my headache.
“Y-you fed me such a dangerous flower…?”
“I did it because I was worried you might run away again, and I might kill you in my anger. I won’t use it again since you shouldn’t fall asleep eternally. So don’t be scared, Valerie.”
Her sweet tone didn’t change the chilling nature of her words.
I had thought she was as beautiful as a blooming rose, but now, her face scared me. I shuddered at her cruelty, disregarding the basic decency of not tampering with someone’s food.
“It’s good that you’re quiet and obedient, though, now that you’re scared.”
Prea, looking at me with satisfaction as I lay there with my eyes closed, was truly… Prea.
I had thought my owner was the craziest person I had met, but now I was certain. The craziest person in this novel was Prea Seirthe.
‘That’s not something you say to someone who’s trembling in fear.’
I was dumbfounded, but I didn’t have the energy to be angry, so I just lay there limply. The situation was incredibly threatening, but my mind was blank, which made it even worse.
Still, I was able to maintain a neutral expression out of habit.
I stammered, addressing Prea, who was toying with my hair,
“There was no need to put me to sleep… there are guards at the door, and the bars on the windows are too narrow… I can’t even escape… yawn.”
I kept yawning as I spoke. I was worried that Prea, who valued manners, might find fault with this, but I couldn’t control my yawns.
But surprisingly, she reacted calmly.
“When I find something I like, I have to keep it by my side to be satisfied. And you said yourself that if your heart is set on something, that’s what you truly want, didn’t you? How brazen of you.”
Come to think of it, I did say something similar. But that was when Prea seemed to be contemplating between the Crown Princess position and something else, so I just offered her some advice.
“I thought about your words, and I’ve decided that being considerate doesn’t suit me, so I’ll take both. The Crown Princess position, and you, the impudent little maid.”
‘Impudent little maid?’
My mind processed her words slowly. It took me a while to understand her sudden remark.
Then, I remembered our conversation in the carriage, and chills ran down my spine.
‘Was she contemplating between me and the Crown Princess position? And I, unknowingly, practically begged her to kidnap me?’
“It seems like you’ve remembered our conversation.”
A cold hand caressed my cheek.
“I told you, didn’t I? If a strange person becomes interested in you, it’s partly your fault.”
‘I shouldn’t have meddled…’
Regretting my past actions wouldn’t change anything; Prea was still smiling in front of me. Her upturned eyes and gentle smile made her seem kind, but,
‘I’m scared! I’m so scared!’
I was terrified of her. I wanted to avoid her touch, but I obediently submitted, afraid of what she might do.
Prea’s smile widened at my reaction.
“I don’t usually get attached to people.”
‘Is she asking me to ask why?’
“Is… that so?”
My words were slurred from the lingering drowsiness. She seemed to like my question and continued,
“I had a cat once. It was a cute and pretty cat. It was very affectionate towards me. But as it got used to my touch, it started rubbing against other people and acting cute.”
The story sounded familiar. When I first acted cute towards the other maids, Cesar also seemed displeased. He even threatened me because of it.
But Cesar had taken care of me. Thinking I was acting out because I felt stifled, he even took me to the Emperor’s birthday banquet.
Thanks to that, I had enjoyed the fresh air, met a snake, met Heron, and experienced many things…
Looking back, it felt like a fond memory. Back then, it had been an experience I never wanted to repeat, but time seemed to embellish memories.
“That’s… quite an affectionate cat…”
I responded half-heartedly, trying to give her the reaction she wanted, and then froze at her next words.
“Yes. So I killed it in a fit of rage.”
Her tone was as casual as if she was talking about what she had for breakfast.
I was grateful that my body still felt weak. It prevented me from overreacting to her sudden words.
‘…They say those who abuse animals eventually harm humans, too.’
Prea was a perfect example.
Even Cesar, in the original story, had fully awakened to his villainy after killing me.
‘What did that animal do to deserve that? Do they not have animal rights here?’
I bit my lip, mourning the cat that died at her hands, and acknowledged the consequences of my carelessness.
I had been wary of her because she was the villainess of the novel, but I must have unconsciously assumed she had a kind heart, like Cesar. He had been so gentle to me, despite being depicted as a cruel and dangerous villain.
Although he would occasionally threaten and act mean, he had given me gifts I liked, talked to me, and showed me affection in his own way.
So I mistakenly thought Prea might not be as bad as I thought.
“I like objects. As long as I have them, they won’t leave my side. But living things are different. They leave when I take my eyes off them, and sometimes, they even rebel.”
Her clinging voice held a dangerous warning. It wasn’t an empty threat, and her eyes, devoid of any kindness or forgiveness… were those of someone who would kill me if I disobeyed her.
I had become so accustomed to being threatened and having my life at stake. Why was my life so difficult?
“Valerie, I hope you won’t be like that. It’s been a long time since I’ve taken an interest in something alive.”
‘I don’t need that kind of interest! I wouldn’t take it even if you offered!’
I suddenly missed Cesar so much. I had always called him a bad owner and complained about him, but compared to this truly dangerous person, he was an angel.
As I racked my brain, trying to escape this hellhole, drowsiness washed over me.
‘Damn flower. It’s too effective.’
I stammered and asked,
“But… you said you would send me back… to the Veronica County…”
“Ah, that? Something… troublesome happened. I might not send you back to the Veronica County for a while, or… perhaps not at all.”
Something troublesome? Did her attempt to harm Sylvia fail? That would be a relief, but…
It wasn’t good news that I had to stay here longer. My face darkened, and her face came closer.
“Valerie.”
“…Yes?”
“Don’t even think about running away. I can hear your little schemes.”
She tapped my ear, and I slowly nodded. It seemed like it was best to appease Prea while I was here.
Her hand stroked my head.
“You seem very sleepy. But eat before you sleep. You’re too thin.”
Telling me to eat after drugging my food… she was a strange person.
A normal person would show some remorse, but she didn’t seem to care about other people’s feelings at all.
‘Well, it would be strange if Prea was considerate of others.’
I could eat without worry now, since she said she wouldn’t drug my food again, but…
Before getting up and transforming into a bird to escape, I asked one last question.
“…Why do you… like me?”
Prea’s eyes widened in surprise. Genuine surprise.
She, who always maintained her noble composure and etiquette, laughed out loud.
“Like you? That’s funny.”
‘Did I ask something strange…? Even objects have a reason for being liked.’
Honestly, the way Prea treated me suggested she saw me more as a cute pet bird than a human.
“I don’t dislike the way you act affectionately towards me while cautiously observing my mood. And I also like seeing how devoted a cute little maid is to her mistress.”
Was that it? I should have acted like a disobedient maid.
“But perhaps the reason I’m interested in you is because you unexpectedly touched my heart.”
‘What does that mean?’
“I like you. I don’t want you to run away, and I don’t want to kill you. But I ended up hurting you.”
She touched my fingertips, which I had left untreated to avoid suspicion.
“Valerie, I’m a bad woman. I’ve lived like this since I was young, and I have no intention of changing.”
Her relaxed eyes turned cold. Just as I realized I was in deep trouble, she added,
“So if you’re thinking of running away, don’t let me catch you. If you run and I catch you—”
I will kill you.