Episode 61
“Lily?”
Choosing the name “Valerie.” Begging the Crown Prince to spare Cesar’s life in exchange for information about the future.
It was all because of this fluttering feeling in my heart.
All the plans I had made were crumbling. The glimpse of his past had touched my heart, and I found myself wanting to see him smile, my focus shifting towards him.
The person who would kill me.
I couldn’t bring myself to get close to him, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to watch him from afar, hidden as a human.
My heart pounded. I didn’t know if it was a mixture of anxiety and nervousness, or excitement.
I sighed, thinking how ridiculous I was, running away and then wanting to watch him from a distance, and waited for Cesar behind Sylvia.
There was no typhoon today, no heavy rain making the ground muddy. The sun was scorching, and the hot summer wind blew.
I heard the carriage arrive in the distance. When he entered the reception room, our eyes would meet, even if just briefly.
‘Don’t be nervous. Don’t make any mistakes… Cesar wouldn’t tolerate a clumsy maid by Sylvia’s side.’
As I waited with Sylvia,
The door finally opened, and a familiar face entered. The same face I had seen on that rainy afternoon. The one whose soft breaths had tickled my ear, making me flustered…
Flowing silver hair, cold purple eyes, and his chillingly handsome face, considered one of the most beautiful in the Empire.
‘…My heart is racing because of that face.’
I had been aware of his handsomeness even when I was a bird, but the impact of his appearance seemed even stronger now that I was human.
I quickly averted my gaze, lowered my head like a proper maid, and took a deep breath. I could feel my heart pounding.
“Cesar, welcome.”
Cesar replied warmly to Sylvia’s greeting.
“How have you been? How are things near the County these days?”
“There haven’t been any reports of monster sightings since you were here.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Saying that, Cesar sat down.
I quietly poured the tea, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. But my hand moved on its own, as if someone was controlling it.
The teapot tilted in the wrong direction, and the tea missed the cup and spilled onto the tea table. The water splashed everywhere.
Startled, I exclaimed in a small voice,
“I-I apologize!”
‘I messed up! Why did my hand move like that?’
I looked at my hand, puzzled, and then lowered my head. Apologizing first was the right thing to do.
Sylvia would probably forgive me, but I wasn’t sure if Cesar, who was only kind to the heroine, would overlook a maid’s mistake.
As I squeezed my eyes shut and trembled, a low voice reached my ears,
“Lift your head.”
I fearfully raised my head. And I saw him… smiling. I didn’t know if he was smiling to mask his displeasure or maintaining a pleasant expression for Sylvia’s sake.
“You. You were the clumsy maid last time as well.”
He seemed to remember me from when I attended to him before, having completely forgotten about our encounter at the Imperial Palace.
‘He should have forgotten about that too. Oh, what am I going to do?’
It would have been better to stay hidden in my room and avoid seeing him, not letting my emotions get the better of me.
“I have no excuse. I sincerely apologize, Your Grace.”
Since Sylvia was here, I hoped he would be more lenient than usual. I apologized again and lowered my head.
Cesar didn’t say anything. I could see his slender fingers, toying with his teacup, through the gap in my lowered gaze.
“Last time, you disappeared while you were supposed to be attending to me, and this time, you lower your head when I tell you to lift it?”
As I quickly raised my head, the corners of his lips curled up further, as if amused by my reaction.
‘Is he in a good mood or a bad mood?’
I looked at Sylvia for help, and she was about to speak. But Cesar spoke first.
“What’s your name?”
“V-Valerie, Your Grace.”
“Valerie…”
I heard the rhythmic tapping of his fingers on the tea table. A strange silence filled the air, and my heart pounded with nervousness.
I saw his eyes soften as our gazes met. He stepped closer, and the scent of musk made my eyes flutter.
“That’s a pretty name.”
His fingers lightly twirled a strand of my hair. His playful touch reminded me of the times he used to poke my beak.
This time, I knew for sure he was in a good mood. Because Cesar didn’t like anyone touching him, nor did he like touching others.
His purple eyes, seen up close, were filled with amusement, and his smiling lips seemed to be enjoying himself.
As I blinked, time seeming to stand still, he withdrew his hand.
“This maid is new here, right?”
“Yes… I’m sorry for all the mistakes. I’ll get better at serving you, so please don’t be too ang…”
“I’m not angry. Why would I be angry in front of Sylvia?”
I listened to their conversation, my body stiff. I wanted to step back. But I had a feeling that would ruin Cesar’s good mood.
“It’s just that I’ve never seen Sylvia be so fond of a maid.”
“I-I’m not that fond of her! Of course, Valerie is very cute and lovely, and I want to keep her close, but… you know I like all the servants working at our mansion.”
Her rapid-fire words were filled with blatant compliments directed at me. Cesar chuckled and replied,
“I know. But it’s just strange that you’re so close to a clumsy maid who’s new here.”
Cesar’s gaze, which had been on Sylvia, returned to me.
My owner, with his bad temper, sometimes enjoyed teasing me. He seemed unaware of it, but he would occasionally say things like I was stupid or insignificant, enjoying my flustered chirps.
Just like now.
“You seem close, as if you’ve known each other for a long time.”
Cesar’s gaze followed my wavering eyes.
I gulped. The fluttering in my heart subsided, replaced by a sense of danger.
‘…Don’t show any signs of panic.’
Beads of sweat formed on my forehead as his eyes scrutinized my every reaction, but I forced a smile. As I smiled as if I didn’t understand what he meant, Cesar looked away.
My throat felt parched. I didn’t think he had been fooled. On the contrary, it only strengthened his suspicion.
I wondered if Cesar was subtly testing me, knowing everything.
It felt like he was playing a dangerous game, as if waiting for me to confess.
Cesar smiled at Sylvia and said,
“It must be my imagination, but you seem very close.”
“…Did we? Maybe it seems that way to you because Valerie is around the same age as me.”
Sylvia also seemed uncomfortable, choosing her words carefully. The awkward atmosphere persisted.
‘Close? I want to watch him from afar, satisfied with just that?’
I seemed to have underestimated my owner, the villain of this novel. He was someone who could easily search the entire Empire if he wanted to.
Anxiously waiting, worried he might say something more, I quietly stood behind them. Cesar would occasionally glance at me while I was pouring tea, but that was all.
‘Is he really testing me, knowing everything?’
Even if he was, I didn’t understand. Considering my owner’s bad temper, he should have grabbed me by the throat and threatened me the moment he realized I was Lily.
Of course, the current situation, where he was subtly testing me and watching my nervous reaction, wasn’t pleasant either, but he was being unusually lenient.
I was just a runaway bird. No, it would be more accurate to say I was a mysterious, dangerous bird who had become human and run away. So I deserved to be killed, the answer to everything pointed to my death, yet,
Cesar seemed calm. He didn’t grab me by the throat, threaten me, or drag me away and lock me in a cage.
‘Why?’
Questions arose. Judging by his contact with the Second Prince, he must still have feelings for Sylvia.
All his actions were a mystery.
The ticking of the clock sounded unusually slow. They exchanged trivial pleasantries.
Cesar, still speaking kindly to Sylvia, seemed no different than usual. But the moment he checked the time and stood up without hesitation, I realized something had changed.
“I should get going.”
“Already?”
Normally, Cesar would have lingered, wanting to spend more time with Sylvia. He enjoyed their time together.
He used to cherish the time he spent with the woman he loved, never seeming to have enough.
“I’ve heard about what you’ve been up to, and I just stopped by to check if there were any monsters near the County. So I should get going.”
Since there was nothing wrong with his words, Sylvia glanced at me and nodded. She must have sensed the awkward atmosphere, so she decided not to press further.
I breathed a sigh of relief as Cesar and Sylvia left.
‘It seems like he knows, but judging by his reaction, he doesn’t.’
Even if he was half-certain, I wasn’t sure what I would do even if I confronted him.
‘Should I say, “I’m your runaway bird. Please forgive me, even if you’re angry?”’
It would be like walking into the enemy camp unarmed.