Chapter 15
“Honestly, my sister got scolded so badly by her boyfriend. He said I should maintain my dignity as a prince and all that. Typical of someone from the Deren Empire—so conservative.”
“You need to mind yourself too.”
“Why~ If I followed Deren Empire rules, you’d already be executed!”
He said such a fierce thing so casually. Yet, he still handed me another sweet. That made the fourth one.
I was thirsty, but I didn’t dare ask him to stop, so I had no choice but to chew them down.
Lou glanced at me mid-conversation.
Noticing my condition, he offered me his teacup.
“Want some? I haven’t touched it yet.”
“No… it’s okay…”
“Oh, I didn’t bother bringing it out since you said no. Want me to get it for you?”
“No, really… it’s fine…”
The care from the Duke’s young masters nearly brought tears to my eyes.
Please, just act like I don’t exist…
Luckily, there were only three chairs at the tea table; otherwise, I’d have had to sit facing the prince, too.
“Uh… Your Highness, didn’t you have something to say?”
I tried to steer the conversation to get them to focus on something else.
The Leofrum brothers finally seemed to remember the purpose of the tea time and looked at the prince.
“What is it?”
Lou asked, feigning zero curiosity. How could the prince’s usual behavior allow him to be treated like this?
Odin didn’t even glance up, sipping his tea calmly. Neither of them seemed to care about what the prince might say.
But what the prince said made them instantly pay attention.
“I ran away from home. Let me stay here.”
Odin choked on his tea, coughing violently.
A prince running away from the palace? Wow. This empire was really something else.
“You ran away? Not kicked out?”
Lou jumped, surprised. Of course, he was focusing on the wrong part.
Odin, finally regaining his composure, glared at the prince like he wanted to kill him.
In just that one hour, I felt like I’d seen more new expressions on Odin than in the past six months.
He looked like he was about to hurl his teacup at the prince.
Lou, seeing Odin too busy glaring, asked on my behalf.
“Why did you run away?”
“Since my sister’s boyfriend stayed at the palace, she hasn’t paid any attention to me~ She didn’t even acknowledge her little brother while dating… I got so sad I ran away.”
Wow. What a load of nonsense.
The prince pretended to wipe away tears that weren’t even there and sniffled. That explained why no guards were around—he’d come alone, fearless.
Everyone stared silently. Odin and Lou both looked bewildered.
The prince hurried to justify himself.
“Well, the ball is coming soon anyway. Just think of it as arriving a few days early.”
“…Did you bring a personal maid?”
“Nope, came alone!”
Odin pressed his temples as if a headache was forming.
“We already don’t have enough hands, and now this…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll stay in my room quietly and only appear on the day of the ball!”
“Still… shouldn’t you have at least one maid? Word would get out.”
Lou munched on a cookie while speaking. In the harmonious Duke’s mansion, even minor events spread like wildfire. There was no way the prince’s stay could remain secret.
The prince still smiled. Then he spoke casually:
“Then… what about Lily?”
“Huh?”
I blinked, surprised my name was suddenly called.
All three pairs of eyes were now on me.
The prince leaned back in his chair, smiling his signature eye-smile.
“Since you already know, and you do your work well, Lily, I don’t think we need any other servants. You’re enough.”
I was good at my duties, yes, but I didn’t expect even the prince to know that. Where did the rumor come from?
I felt a little uneasy.
“Who says you can take her? Lily is my personal maid!”
Lou frowned.
Lou, looking so reliable, felt like a lifeline. Better to have him as my conversation partner than deal with a stranger serving me.
While cheering him silently, I saw the prince looking at Lou, grinning:
“You said you need a teleportation magic stone, right?”
“Thanks, Lily. See you after the ball.”
Lou waved casually, his loyalty swayed by the magic stone. I shook my head at my own gullibility.
Odin sighed, watching us.
“Lily, if it’s uncomfortable, you can refuse. Your opinion is the most important.”
Odin seemed genuinely considerate. Typical hero-like consideration.
I wished Lou could inherit even half of that.
I wanted to refuse, but I couldn’t openly admit it was uncomfortable. Instead, I forced a smile.
“I’m fine.”
“She says she’s fine!”
The prince beamed at my answer.
I had been scared at first, but it was just a joke. Odin and Lou treated me kindly, so he wasn’t truly scary.
Lou had been unpleasant at first, too, but I got used to him quickly.
I decided to take the offer positively.
Thinking back, it worked out well.
I needed to keep Deriksha and the secondary male lead apart. Being at the prince’s side all day would be more effective than being with busy Deriksha.
As his personal maid, I would remain beside the prince throughout the ball. I knew enough of Deriksha’s movements to avoid collisions.
After passing Odin’s message to Deriksha, I went to the prince’s room.
Though I tried to think positively, I couldn’t help feeling nervous. After all, he was a prince, one of the highest-ranking people on the continent.
“Lily?”
Just as I was about to knock, I heard a familiar voice. I turned to see Able, dressed in a house gown, smiling brightly.
“Wow, it’s really Lily!”
She ran over and hugged me tightly. I smiled and hugged her back.
“Did you have a good trip?”
“Yes! I told my mom all about you too!”
Able had stayed at the Duke’s mansion for two months. Lou had kept me occupied, so I couldn’t go meet her.
She returned earlier than expected.
“Lily, want to come to my room? I learned makeup from my mom! This time I can do it well!”
She punched the air confidently.
I forced a polite smile, grateful for an excuse to leave.
“Sorry, I have to stay with the personal maid of a guest from the royal family.”
“Royal family?”
Able’s cheerful face instantly darkened. Her expression was unfamiliar but not unknown—I had seen that serious, almost fearful look before.
I couldn’t say anything. Thankfully, someone opened the door, saving the moment.
“Ah, it’s Able! I heard your voice, so I came out!”
The prince appeared, smiling as always. I laughed along at the sudden cheerful mood.
I expected Able to greet him warmly, given his friendly demeanor with the Leofrum brothers.
“Why…?”
But her voice trembled, and she looked terrified.
When her gaze met mine, I felt confused. Able’s eyes held pure fear, as if facing something dangerous.
“…Miss Able?”
I called her. She just stared at me.
“Able, what’s wrong?”
The prince noticed something off and stopped smiling, watching her carefully. She didn’t even glance at him and slowly backed away.
“…I’m going.”
She said that and bolted away. I stared blankly at her departing figure.
Before I could make sense of the situation, a cheerful voice sounded nearby.
“Ah, looks like Able’s still mad…”
The prince scratched his cheek, laughing. I looked puzzled, and he explained:
“I once pranked her room with a bunch of frogs. They were illusions made with magic, so they disappeared quickly… but I guess she’s still mad.”
I frowned, forgetting the prince’s status. Pranking a well-raised noble lady like that—no wonder she was so horrified.
I glared at him, scowling, and he smiled sheepishly before opening the door.
“Anyway, come in, Lily! I was bored, might as well talk together.”
The prince stopped smiling slightly and lifted his eyelids, gazing at me with those striking green eyes.
“I have a lot I want to ask you.”
