Episode 51
Crack. I stretched my shoulders, and my joints popped.
The lessons in the Imperial Palace were almost over, and I had accumulated a good amount of knowledge about this world.
The only regret was that I still hadn’t found a book or a person who could teach me how to properly use divine power… But I had no intention of returning to the Holy Kingdom or meeting anyone from there.
‘There’s nothing more to gain here. Now that I’ve dealt with the Second Prince, I should head to the Veronica County’s mansion.’
My beloved Sylvia was there. It would be a much more comfortable stay than when that damn Tower Master first dropped me into the Imperial Palace.
Just then, I heard a seemingly ordinary remark with terrifying implications.
“If he weren’t a prince, I would have taken care of him myself. I apologize, Lady Valerie.”
“That thought scares me, Pona…”
Seeing her say such things with a peaceful expression made me want to get away from the Imperial Palace even more.
The Second Prince was on his way to the Empress’s palace.
He was in a foul mood, not only because he was late from stopping by the Imperial Library but also because he hadn’t achieved his goal. A sharp, tense atmosphere surrounded him, and even the guard behind him held his breath.
Soon, the door opened, announcing his arrival. The person inside greeted him with a smile.
“Welcome, my son.”
The Empress greeted him with a warm smile. His frown, however, deepened.
As the door closed, he spoke, unable to hide his impatience,
“Mother, do you have time to be so leisurely? Do you know how many watchdogs that damn brother of mine has set on me?”
“Cardian, calm down and tell me slowly.”
“Didn’t you say the Emperor’s throne would be mine since I was a child? But the position of Crown Prince and the people’s support all belong to my brother!”
“Quiet.”
“Mother!”
“I said be quiet!”
A sharp sound echoed in the room, and Cardian closed his mouth. An angry voice scolded him.
“Do you even know how much I had to endure His Majesty’s nagging to transfer the authority of Petri, the heart of the Empire, to you! I’m going through all this because you’re incompetent!”
Stung by her words, Cardian clenched his fists and was about to speak.
“I…”
The Empress, looking at him with disdain, waved her hand dismissively.
“Enough. That First Prince, without a mother, is stubbornly clinging to life and causing me trouble, so my only son should at least be competent. But you’re no better than him.”
“…”
The Empress touched the brooch with the crescent moon mark and casually said,
“Cardian. Special guests will be arriving during the hunting competition. It’s a kind of deal; we’re getting what we need from them, but I have a bad feeling. They seem to have another motive.”
Cardian unclenched his fists and replied,
“Well, what they took as payment for the deal is quite substantial. They must be willing to come all this way because there’s something of equal value in the Empire.”
“It’s rare for you to give a useful answer. More importantly, we have to make sure they don’t become a problem after you ascend to the throne…”
The Second Prince thought of the Crown Prince, who was stirring up trouble around him, searching for the cause of the sudden increase in monsters.
The Crown Prince had become suspicious of him and the Empress, seeing monsters, which shouldn’t have been able to enter the Imperial Palace, appearing frequently. He was quick-witted, so it was only a matter of time before he found out.
“If he finds out that we handed over Petri, the heart of the Empire, to another kingdom, both you and I will be dead. Do you understand?”
“I understand, Mother.”
“Tsk, if you weren’t so incompetent, I wouldn’t have had to reach out to them for help. Treat them with utmost respect when they visit during the hunting competition, and find out what they want. It would be even better if you could find their weakness. It’s time to get Petri back.”
“But then my supporters will abandon me.”
“Don’t worry about that. That senile Emperor won’t realize I’m trying to kill him while fawning over him.”
The Empress held up a shimmering water bottle and shook it. The brooch on her chest sparkled in the light.
After a moment of silence, as if the conversation was over, the Empress suddenly spoke,
“Oh, by the way, what happened to that girl? Did you manage to bring the cause of that incident that shook the Imperial Palace under your control?”
“No. But she doesn’t seem to have sided with my brother either. She seems to be under the Tower Master’s protection.”
“The Tower Master? That’s a shame, to lose something you almost had. But it’s not bad. Everything is going according to plan. So don’t act rashly and ruin things.”
“Yes, Mother. Of course not.”
“I’m feeling rather tired. I should rest.”
As if exhausted from the conversation, the Empress summoned a maid to prepare for bed.
Watching her, the Second Prince’s face hardened, and he left the room. Bang! The sound of a fist hitting the wall echoed in the hallway of the Empress’s palace.
I lay down in the rattling carriage. As the tension eased, sleepiness washed over me.
‘The Imperial Palace is so draining.’
The Crown Prince suddenly appearing and threatening me, the monster extermination… I had been swept away in a whirlwind of events.
It felt like the storms of the world were crashing down on me, a bird who had only known the safety of the greenhouse, as if trying to teach me a lesson for leaving my nest.
‘Sylvia’s mansion. She said I just had to attend to her, but… I’m still a maid. A maid working at Sylvia’s mansion.’
It meant I would be holding a rag, diligently scrubbing the floors and dusting the windowsills. Even if Sylvia offered me special treatment, I wasn’t going there to slack off.
I intended to work diligently. And I shouldn’t forget to help Sylvia avoid the villainess’s petty schemes.
I would let the kidnapping incident happen as it should, but the time when the villainess started making her moves was when she noticed the growing affection between Sylvia and the Crown Prince.
Screech.
I heard the carriage stop, smoothed down my skirt, and strode towards the guards at the gate.
My attire, a modest commoner’s dress, wouldn’t be suspicious.
“Excuse me, I’m the new maid who was referred to the Veronica County’s mansion. Where should I go?”
“Ah, what’s your name?”
“I’m Vale…”
As I was about to finish my sentence, I saw someone approaching with a bright smile.
The person behind her seemed to be Sylvia’s nanny. I could hear her shouting as if trying to stop her, but Sylvia ran towards me and stopped in front of me.
“Welcome, Valerie.”
“Miss Sylvia?”
“I’ve been waiting for you. I was so excited when you said you were coming today. Can I show you around?”
Usually, the head butler would do that. Sylvia was known for treating her servants informally, but this was…
“It’s okay. And Miss Sylvia, as I said before, you don’t have to use formal language with me.”
“Then can I treat you comfortably?”
Sylvia’s eyes sparkled at my question. It would be appropriate to treat each other comfortably, considering the relationship between a maid and a noble lady. But Sylvia seemed to be expecting something else.
“Yes. I’m a maid here to work at your mansion.”
“Alright, Valerie.”
She smiled and led the way. The nanny behind her sighed briefly and then smiled.
‘Nanny, you shouldn’t be smiling. Shouldn’t you be stopping Sylvia, saying a maid should act like a maid?’
It seemed like they couldn’t hear my inner thoughts.
Why did I feel like communication was just as difficult now that I was human, as it was when I was a bird?
“Miss Sylvia.”
“What is it, Valerie?”
“This is too much. I’m just a maid here to serve you…”
I looked at the luxurious refreshments laid out before me. Despite my repeated refusals, Sylvia insisted on having tea with me and made me sit down.
I sighed. I was worried the other servants at the County’s mansion might resent me for Sylvia’s favoritism.
“I told you when I invited you, Valerie. You just have to attend to me.”
“But if the other maids see this, they’ll think you’re showing favoritism.”
I spoke cautiously, feeling uneasy. Sylvia smiled brightly.
“You don’t have to worry about that. This isn’t unusual. I often sit and share cookies and chat with others when I’m bored.”
“But…”
“You see, Valerie, I was very sickly when I was young. So everyone treats me carefully. They’re all kind people who indulge my every whim.”
I had already heard this when I was Lily. She had said her social debut was late because of her illness, and it was difficult for her to fit in with other noble ladies.
“But I couldn’t become friends with them. Perhaps because they’ve known me since I was young, they only treated me as the precious young lady of this house.”
I understood why Sylvia was so excited. To her, this wasn’t tea time with a maid; it was tea time with a close friend.
In the original story, the villainess, Prea Seirthe, would use this same psychology to approach Sylvia.
Prea was the only daughter of the prestigious Seirthe Marquisate. She was famous for her beauty and extravagant appearance, and she was also very jealous.
She was in love with the Crown Prince, and she would initially approach Sylvia, proposing friendship. Then she would betray her, laugh in her face, and eventually meet her downfall.
Sylvia was kind and gentle, but she wasn’t so naive as to be unaware of malice directed towards her.
It was just that Prea meant a lot to her, so she couldn’t let go easily. It was the first time a noble lady her age, and of the same gender, had approached her.
That’s why she trusted and followed Prea, even though she felt something was off, turning a blind eye to the warning signs. And then she would be betrayed.
“Miss Sylvia, do you want to be friends with me?”
Sylvia’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s as she looked at me.
“Well, w-would that be burdensome for you…?”