Chapter 07
Anyway, I never planned to let them actually find anything. Even if they did, they’d just pretend they didn’t see it.
What they needed to find was…
“Yes! Treasure hunt! I’m going to find pretty stones!”
“P-Pretty stones?”
“Yes! Stones that shine like the Aurora! Let’s do flicking again! The one who finds the least…”
“That’s too cruel.”
“Cruel?”
“Yes, Your Highness. Maybe there could be another punishment? Like singing a song, or reciting a poem.”
Roselina smiled gently. Her eyes, full of contempt for me, curved prettily.
It was like she was saying, “I’m not sure you can do something like that.” The maids nodded eagerly—they didn’t want to be flicked anymore.
“Shall we do that? I can teach you how.”
“Nope.”
Roselina looked flustered.
“Huh?”
Here, I set the rules. The punishment had to be as humiliating as possible. That way, they would struggle desperately. Especially girls like Roselina.
“Boring. Hmph, you’re boring now.”
“Y-Your Highness?”
“Cherina, Rosy. Tell her to go. I don’t want to play with boring people. Not friends anymore! Let’s start now!”
“Your Highness, I’ll find the most!”
Roselina ran into the garden with a determined voice, as if she had never been so elegant before. She clearly wanted to stay near me.
She probably wanted the crumbs she could get.
“We’ll come too!”
“I’ll find the most, Miss!”
Cherina and Rosy quickly ran into the garden.
I squatted on the ground and watched them pick stones like gathering herbs, smiling wickedly.
No matter what plans they had, I was above them.
I needed to exercise my fingers carefully.
Since they looked busy, I could sneak around and look too. Cherina and Rosy probably used codes. Where would assassins leave their marks?
Think.
They would place them where rain, snow, or wind wouldn’t ruin them.
Like a gap in a big rock, for example.
“Found it.”
I pulled out a paper from the crack. It had numbers and dots.
It was sloppy. That meant they underestimated me. Other marks might not be this easy.
I didn’t know what it meant, but it was good to have it. I could use it later—or figure out a way to decode it.
I would keep it in my jewel box in my room.
It was a box with a big heart gem, kind of like a magical girl’s compact.
No one touched it because they knew I hated it.
While the girls searched for Aurora stones, I found another note.
I hid it in my pocket, and the three who finished the treasure hunt ran toward me. Their eyes were full of excitement.
Determination, anger, and the spirit of struggle filled their gaze.
Their palms, full of dirt, showed the stones they had found.
“I found the most, right?”
Roselina smiled proudly. She seemed to forget her own goal. Cherina and Rosy looked down, defeated.
For the winner, praise.
“Well done, Roselina! Do your best tomorrow too! If you collect 100 stones, I’ll make a necklace for you!”
“A… necklace? I…”
“Don’t you like it? It’s a gift from a friend.”
I puffed my cheeks.
“No. I like it so much.”
Roselina answered stiffly. She didn’t look very happy.
For the losers, punishment.
“Roselina, flick Cherina and Rosy! That’s the rule of the treasure hunt!”
While Roselina released her anger on the losers, I grabbed the Aurora stones they had found.
Hehe. Treasure hunt, successful.
Three days later, at the Duke of Spellman’s house.
“Strange. Still no contact from Cherina and Rosy. They were supposed to find out the Crown Prince’s guard shift.”
The Duke muttered to himself.
Something had clearly gone wrong. Even if they couldn’t find anything, they would leave a message. But no message had come in days.
The Duke watched his son reading while drinking tea.
His son was smart and perfect, unlike the daughter who had become childish due to a fever.
Evelyn Spellman.
She had absorbed knowledge like paper absorbs water. She would have been perfect as his heir if not for the accident.
He felt regret every time he looked at Augustine. Evelyn had patience and calmness, unlike somewhat aggressive Augustine.
Now, she had become a child and a tool.
‘It’s better to send Augustine than go myself.’
Too many eyes watched the Duke. Augustine was the right choice for this task.
“You’ll have to go, Augustine.”
“Me?”
Augustine looked uncomfortable, taking his eyes off the book. The Duke disliked his son’s arrogance.
“Who else would? Check how your sister is doing too.”
Augustine frowned. He spoke coldly:
“No, Father. She’s not really my sister. A useless pest.”
The Duke replied calmly.
“Even pests can be useful. Thanks to her, we’ve placed people in the castle openly, haven’t we, Augustine?”
“…Huff.”
“Besides, the Crown Prince had to let Count Karma go. That means your sister has fulfilled her use.”
Augustine raised his eyebrows. Hearing this, he could not refuse the order.
The Duke was a gentle dictator. Augustine, who hadn’t inherited anything yet, had no choice but to obey.
“I’ll go. I can go tomorrow, right?”
The Duke nodded. They didn’t care about etiquette, informing the palace first, or contacting Evelyn.
Spellman’s will was above all else.
Evelyn had no idea about the unwelcome visitor who would soon arrive.
Rosy and Cherina were desperate to leave my side. So at the end of work, whether I slept or not, they disappeared like ghosts.
At that time, guards patrolled more and limited movements.
That actually helped me. I could do my work without pretending to be a child.
I spread out the notes I had collected over the past three days and studied them carefully.
“Even though I keep them close, they still manage to do other things. Amazing.”
The notes had sequences of numbers. Every note I collected over three days had different numbers. What did it mean?
I groaned. I wished the novel had explained this part in detail.
I bit into the blanket and stomped my feet. Nothing came to mind. Should I just grab Cherina and Rosy and ask? Maybe a few flicks and they’d tell me everything.
I sighed.
This is exactly how Hong Gil-dong must have felt. Seeing his father but not being able to call him father.
I rolled on the bed, alternating the five notes. Then…
“Ack!”
I almost fell off the bed. Then a voice came from outside I didn’t expect.
“Your Highness, the Crown Princess might be sleeping already…”
“Then I’ll just come out…”
The door opened, and Serden’s eyes met mine. There was a thump, and silence fell for a moment.
Perfect timing.
The burning sensation in my butt almost disappeared from shame. Serden scanned me.
I slid one leg off the bed and swallowed nervously.
