Chapter 20
“Ah.”
I stumbled, losing my balance and nearly falling forward. Someone caught me.
“…Lily?”
Ah, this is bad.
I had hoped it was Demian, but the voice above belonged to Chris.
Creak, bang.
The door closed on its own, leaving only Chris and me in the quiet corridor.
I was really caught. Caught eavesdropping on the prince.
I couldn’t lift my head. I hadn’t thought much when I peeked, but now I feared the aftermath.
A silence lingered between us. I kept my head bowed, staring at the floor, when a voice came from above.
“Lily. Can you look at me for a moment?”
I straightened the body Chris had been holding and glanced up at him.
I expected a face full of shock, but Chris only wore a faint smile.
“Sorry, for making you curious.”
An unexpected apology reached me.
Why is he apologizing? I was the one eavesdropping. It made me feel oddly guilty.
Chris’s green eyes looked at me steadily. The coldness I had felt when I first met him was gone.
It just felt warm. Comfortably so.
“I want to ask you one last question.”
One last?
I was supposed to serve as Chris’s maid only until tomorrow. We would cross paths again tonight while tidying his room.
While I mulled over his words, Chris closed his eyes. His pink hair gradually faded from the crown of his head, leaving only shimmering silver hair in the sunlight.
“What do you think?”
I thought of the silver hair from the original story.
Silver hair—symbol of the royal family and pride of the empire.
“…It’s beautiful.”
It wasn’t a forced compliment. Chris’s hair was truly beautiful. The cold impression was emphasized, but it suited him perfectly.
Chris smiled. He was smiling, but somehow it looked pained.
“That’s enough.”
His weak words reached me, and he passed by. I watched his silver hair disappear into the room.
I stared for a moment, then turned and went inside.
“Demian! Are you okay?”
Demian looked startled. He had been sitting at the tea table.
“What…?”
“Didn’t he ask you a strange question?”
Demian nodded, still confused. I sighed in relief and sat across from him.
“What did you say?”
“I don’t remember clearly… I was too nervous.”
Understandable, having a one-on-one with the prince.
I slumped over the table. I’d probably never know what they talked about. Chris was such an unknowable person; I had hoped to learn a little through this chance.
“Ah, but I remember the last thing. He asked what I would do if I kept lingering on Emily.”
Demian said, as if recalling. I lifted my head—yes, he had said “Emily” and “lingering feelings.”
I didn’t understand why Chris asked, but I was more curious about Demian’s answer.
“So what did you say?”
Demian smiled faintly.
“I said I’d forget.”
“…Why?”
“Clinging to the past and confusing Emily with Lu isn’t good for either of us. Lu said she’s not Emily, she’s Lu, so I had to respect that… I told the same to the prince.”
It was so like Demian. He fiddled with his teacup, head bowed. I quietly watched him.
Honestly, I had thought it was just a playful moment, a fleeting crush of a young boy. I hadn’t considered Demian’s feelings seriously.
“I’m sorry.”
There was sincerity in his voice. Demian looked up, surprised. I took his hand firmly.
“You’ll meet someone better.”
“…Thank you.”
Demian smiled as always.
The days of the ball flew by in a blur.
Today was the day Chris would leave the duke’s house. I would finally return to being a free maid.
Chris didn’t meet Deriksha, and I had proudly blocked the main and supporting leads from meeting.
I sat on the bed, glancing at Chris.
After yesterday’s strange moment, he went back to his usual playful smile. The only difference was his silver hair.
He hadn’t left the room yet, staring blankly at the magic stone in his hands. It seemed to be the flower-summoning one from before.
“Lily, do you know why I brought you as my personal maid?”
Typical Chris, saying random things. I closed the open window and answered casually.
“Hmm… because I work well?”
“Hahaha, that’s true… but there’s another, bigger reason.”
I listened without interest, pretending to be polite.
When I closed the last window, Chris spoke words I couldn’t ignore:
“I know the memories you lost.”
I immediately looked at him.
“…How?”
“I met you when you were a child.”
How had I met the prince as a child? Chris gave a teasing smile I had seen before.
“If I tell you your memories, you won’t be able to stay here. I’ll take you immediately.”
“….”
“Do you want to hear?”
Tempting words. Lost memories and Chris’s teasing curiosity.
But I shook my head. I couldn’t follow him to recover my memories.
What about Deriksha?
I thought of my friend who was always alone before we met. She was the heroine. She had to face countless hardships for her story to be complete.
I had to stay by her side, comforting her through struggles.
Chris smiled at my answer.
“I thought so.”
Still sitting on the bed, he raised a finger.
“Before I leave, I’ll give you some advice. Remember this if you want to continue your life here.”
I nodded, listening carefully.
“First, don’t get close to nobles. The duke’s house is fine. I’ll handle it. Demian too—just don’t get caught by the baron.”
I wondered what this had to do with my life here.
Without pause, he raised another finger.
“Second, don’t leave the duke’s house. If you must go out, hide your face as much as possible.”
I recalled him covering my face two days ago. Had he followed me to protect my identity?
Goosebumps ran down my spine. He looked serious.
“Lastly, don’t meet my sister.”
Chris’s sister was the crown princess-to-be.
“Absolutely. Don’t meet her.”
He emphasized it twice. I knew she must be terrifying.
After finishing, Chris stood. My curiosity grew, even frustration.
He gathered the magic stones on the bed into a cloth pouch. I hesitated but finally spoke.
“Can I ask one question?”
“Sure.”
Chris surprisingly agreed. I had many questions, but could only ask one.
How to ask a small question that answered a lot? One came to mind.
“Prince, do I look the same as I did before I lost my memories?”
I was indirectly asking how I had looked before.
Chris paused, the pouch in his hands stopped. His expression faltered slightly.
“…No, different.”
He barely said it, still serious.
Chris approached. Close enough that his green eyes reflected mine, he touched a few strands of my hair.
He held my golden hair in his hands.
“I wanted to see….”
He paused mid-sentence. Hair slipped through his fingers. He looked at his empty hand, then smiled and met my eyes.
“You are different from her.”
It was meant for me, but didn’t feel directed at me.
“I’ll visit often. See you next time, Lily.”
And Chris left the duke’s house.
