Chapter 43
While I was playing Jenga alone with Chris in the room after Deriksha left, the door opened again.
Even the reception room probably didn’t have this many visitors.
I frowned and looked toward the door, wondering who it was this time. It was Lou.
“Already finished greeting her?” Chris asked first.
Lou was still holding the doorknob, blinking.
“…No. I was asked to do something.”
“Lady Abel is inside the bed,” I said.
At my words, the blanket fluttered. It looked like Abel, who was hiding inside, kicked it to tell me to be quiet.
“I’m not interested in her.”
Lou waved his hand firmly. If he didn’t come for Abel, then why? I had assumed he was sent by the Crown Princess to take her.
Lou continued,
“Odin hyung told me to hide Lily.”
Even while saying it, he looked like he didn’t understand why he had to deliver this message.
I didn’t understand either.
While I was still confused, Chris suddenly jumped up from his seat.
“She’s coming now?”
The Jenga tower collapsed with a crash. I widened my eyes and looked up at Chris.
He was staring at Lou with a flustered face.
Lou, also confused by Chris’s reaction, nodded.
Chris spoke urgently.
“Lou, hide Lily somewhere. I’ll block the door!”
“Huh? Okay.”
Why do I have to hide?
Because of Chris’s sudden panic, the peaceful mood in the room shattered instantly.
Even though he didn’t seem to fully understand the situation, Lou decided to follow Chris’s lead.
But even if I had to hide, there weren’t many places in a small maid’s room.
After thinking for a moment, Lou opened the wardrobe.
“Get in here.”
I stared at him in disbelief. When I first saw the wardrobe, I had thought it was big enough for two or three people. I just didn’t think I would ever actually have to go inside.
Still not fully understanding, I asked,
“Why do I need to hide?”
“I don’t know either.”
Lou was no help. I looked at Chris instead.
As soon as Chris opened the door, Odin appeared outside. He had a similar expression to Chris.
“…Is Her Highness the Crown Princess coming?”
Seeing even Odin—who should have been meeting her—coming here, I finally began to understand.
Lou nodded.
Why is the Crown Princess suddenly coming to the maids’ room?
Feeling anxious, I grabbed Lou’s wrist and pulled him into the wardrobe with me.
When I made sure the door was tightly closed, I finally felt relieved and let out a small sigh.
“Safe…”
I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead with my sleeve. Light coming through the crack in the wardrobe door shone on Lou’s face. He looked extremely dumbfounded.
“…Why did you drag me in too?”
“You were within reach…”
I had been in such a hurry that I pulled him in without thinking.
The wardrobe was quite large, but with both of us inside, it was narrow enough that our shoulders touched.
Lou didn’t need to hide, so I raised my hand to open the door for him.
Just then, a sharp, unfamiliar voice was heard.
“Why are all of you blocking my way today?”
It was an irritated voice. I had never heard it before, but I could guess who it was.
I slowly lowered my hand.
“…Let’s just stay like this.”
“Do whatever you want…”
Through the crack of the wardrobe, I could see the room.
The woman who walked in past Chris had sharp features, just like him.
Her eyes were slanted and fierce-looking.
With the same silver hair and green eyes as Chris, she was clearly the Crown Princess.
“This is the maids’ room. Why are you here?” she asked Chris.
Chris panicked at the sudden question.
“I had something to ask the maids to do!”
“What?”
“Uh… clean up the Jenga?”
Chris avoided her gaze as he spoke.
Next to him on the table was the collapsed Jenga tower. The timing was perfect.
It was obviously a lie, but the Crown Princess only narrowed her eyes.
“You’re making maids do something like that? If you have hands, clean it up yourself.”
As she said that, she stepped hard on Chris’s foot.
Chris made a tearful face and looked at her.
“I sent you to the Academy to learn independence. You learned nothing, you brat.”
“He skips classes every day,” Odin added with a smile instead of stopping her.
The Crown Princess glared at Chris as if she might kill him.
The cold aura around her was so strong that even I shivered.
“If you get another academic warning, I’ll remove you from the family register.”
“Noona…”
“Don’t call me that, you bastard. I’ve never had a younger brother like you.”
Even though Chris made a pitiful expression, she didn’t soften at all.
I had thought she would dote on her much younger brother.
Chris, who always acted carefree and fearless, looked completely weak in front of her.
While watching her scold him, I quietly whispered to Lou,
“…She’s really the next Emperor?”
Even in private, nobles wouldn’t act that rudely. She seemed more like a mercenary than royalty.
Lou whispered back,
“She made bad friends at the Academy.”
So this was the side effect of a society where class differences were fading.
What kind of friends did she make to end up like this after strict royal education?
Chris was different since he wouldn’t inherit the throne, but the future Emperor acting like this?
Is this Empire really okay?
“…Does the Crown Prince of the Dern Empire know she’s like this?”
The Dern Empire valued etiquette so much. I couldn’t imagine their Crown Prince seeing this side of her and staying silent.
Lou nodded.
He knew and still continued the engagement?
If he was really the Crown Prince of Dern, I thought he would have broken off the engagement immediately over such lack of elegance.
“…Is the Crown Prince like this too?”
I suddenly felt uneasy.
“No. He’s normal,” Lou answered immediately.
So even Lou didn’t think the Crown Princess was normal.
He continued,
“He’s just completely in love with Ria noona…”
Lou gave a dry smile and looked drained.
Right. How could you not be worried… You’ll have to serve under rulers like them.
I quietly patted Lou’s shoulder.
“Why is Lou mumbling over there?”
The Crown Princess glanced toward the wardrobe where we were hiding.
What? She knew?
The distance wasn’t even that close. How could she hear our whispers?
Odin and Chris’s faces stiffened.
“…Maybe they’re playing hide-and-seek?” Chris said awkwardly.
She looked at him in disbelief.
“At that age?”
“Lou has a childish side,” Odin said with a smile, teasing him.
Lou twitched angrily.
I placed a hand on his shoulder.
Our Lou is kind. Just let it go once…
After receiving my look, Lou calmed down but still glared at Odin as if he wanted to kill him.
It looked like he would punch him the moment we left the wardrobe.
“But why isn’t anyone looking for him? Poor thing.”
Maybe the hide-and-seek excuse backfired, because the Crown Princess started walking toward us.
Odin and Chris’s expressions became even more colorful.
My body froze. I couldn’t hear anything except her approaching footsteps.
Without realizing it, I grabbed Lou’s clothes tightly.
“…Lily?” Lou seemed to call me.
But I couldn’t pay attention. I bit my lip and held onto him.
Just as the Crown Princess placed her hand on the wardrobe handle—
“Unni!”
Abel’s sudden voice rang out.
Everyone turned toward the bed.
Abel had already climbed out and was running over.
She hugged the Crown Princess tightly around the waist and smiled brightly.
“I want to go play in your room. Can we go now?”
“Abel…!”
For the first time since entering the room, the Crown Princess smiled.
She looked at Abel with emotional eyes, as if she might cry, and held her hand tightly.
“Of course. Let’s go right now! Hey, move. How dare you block Abel’s way.”
She pushed the two men aside like they were insects and left the room with Abel, smiling just like Chris.
For a brief moment, I saw Abel’s face.
She already looked exhausted.
Thank you for your sacrifice, my lady…
When the tension left my body, I finally released Lou’s clothes.
“You can come out.”
Odin opened the wardrobe door.
After letting out a deep sigh, I stepped out.
“You’ve worked hard…”
I bowed to the two brothers.
Odin and Chris looked just as tired as I felt.
“So why were you hiding? Now tell me,” Lou said irritably after stepping out with me.
After acting that obvious, there was no way he hadn’t realized something was being hidden.
I could make up an excuse, but I didn’t want to lie anymore to someone I had built trust with.
I glanced at Odin and Chris. They seemed to be thinking the same thing. After exchanging looks, they nodded.
Feeling reassured, I finally spoke calmly.
“You’re right, Young Master. As you probably guessed, I’m not an ordinary maid.”
Lou frowned.
“Well… I’m actually a noble lady.”
More precisely, I just decided to let whatever happens, happen.
