Chapter 22

TL: Jaemicy

Chapter 22

That’s right. Our emperor doesn’t handle it unless it’s high quality.

“Then I’ll eat it. Thank you, Your Majesty.”

I took a glance at Cardan and tried to squeeze the hard bread into my mouth, but a disturbance came from outside.

“Hey, did you see that? Did you see that?”

They were the maids who were talking earlier.

“Wow, I’ve never seen such a handsome chin.”

“Why does he always wear a hood? I think he’ll look better without it.”

I don’t know how to judge the presence or absence of handsomeness by just looking at a person’s chin, but the maids made a fuss without a break.

Then, a knock on the door.

“Excuse me, knight. Do you have a moment?”

It was one of the maids.

In an instant, Cardan pressed the bear’s head all the way over my head, covered his face, and strode to the door.

Thanks to this, my face, which I was about to take a bite of bread, was stuck on the tray.

“What’s going on?”

Cardan opened the door half-way.

“I’m here to give you this!”

The maid held out a basket full of something.

“I bet you didn’t even eat properly because you’re so angry right now. You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

When the maid opened the basket, an ecstatic smell came.

I stared at the back of Cardan with a face dripping with tied soup.

There was a reason why he ignored my food as dog food.

He was eating all the delicious food by himself.

“I’ll set it up for you.”

The maid tried to walk past Kardan into the room.

The maid’s sudden action froze me for a moment.

“Wait a minute.”

Fortunately, Cardan quickly blocked the maid with one arm and turned around. His eyes met me dripping with food.

“The condition of the room is not a view for Lady.”

Cardan looked at me as he said those words.

I’m sure he said it while looking at my face.

But since I couldn’t protest because of the situation, I silently took out my handkerchief and started wiping my face.

“Oh, I see.”

The maid wept in a brooding voice.

“Well, then!”

I could see the hand of a maid handing a small note through the door.

“Please come here when you have time.”

And whispered in a lower voice.

“This is my room. If this room is too poor for you, feel free to come here.”

I felt like hitting my forehead.

You’re even inviting him to your room because you’re in love with Cardan’s jawline?

Although his jawline is definitely shaped nicely…!

I felt sorry for the maid, not knowing that he was a bloodless tyrant who would break down the empire.

Cardan smirked and snatched the note.

“I’ll think about it.”

The only one who’s happy is this promiscuous man.

Cardan closed the door as the maids left with a roar.

I completely changed the look on my face that was rotten to the core.

“I will! I will set it up for you.”

I put down the mess and hurried out of bed.

“Ugh.”

Then my head started spinning because I moved too fast.

Then, something pressed against my forehead and sank me into bed.

“Why don’t you wipe your face properly?”

Cardan wiped the soup off his fingers on the back of my hand.

“Dirty.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Your Majesty.”

I was in a hurry to wipe Cardan’s hand with the sleeve of my shirt, but Cardan snapped my hand.

“Forget it.”

He threw the basket the maid gave him onto the bed and opened the door.

“I won’t be back for a while, so you take care of that.”

The door closed quickly without a chance for her to answer.

“What?”

I glanced at the basket that still smelled good.

“No. I can’t do this.”

I touched that basket as if I’m going to burst into flames.

I tried to turn my eyes to the food in the mashed tray.

“Wow. It looks delicious.”

Cardan did not return at night.

I stole enough food from the basket to feed the pigeons.

“He must be spending a hot night in that maid’s room, right?”

Numerous R-19 scenes that I read in the original novel passed through my mind.

“You must be very busy until dawn.”

The pigeons nodded their heads up and down, crying eagerly as if they agreed.

“I knew he wouldn’t help.”

I took a piece of cold water out of my basket and bit it.

“You’ve been acting like you’d be in trouble if I died because of the contract. Are you saying it’s annoying to catch a criminal who tried to kill me?”

The pigeons flapped their wings in anger for me.

I sighed deeply.

“If I could get out of the room, I could catch the culprit.”

Once the assassin hears I’m dead, he’ll try to report it to his superiors.

If she could capture the scene properly, it would be solid evidence.

“The count is the only one I can trust.”

Then the door burst open.

“Wake up.”

It was Cardan.

I almost dropped the bread I was holding in surprise.

“I was checking if it was poisonous, Your Majesty!”

I hid the tooth marks on the bread and made excuses without breathing.

“What are you talking about?”

Cardan frowned and beckoned to me.

“Come out.”

“Yes, yes.”

I hurried along with his gesture.

The castle at night was as silent as death. Cardan, who had been walking along the corridor for a while, stopped in front of a window and pointed outside.

“I think that’s the culprit.”

When I looked carefully at the scenery outside the window, I saw someone rushing toward the mountain behind me.

I couldn’t see his face well, but it was suspicious to see him rushing while being wary of his surroundings.

I immediately started running down the hall.

Cardan’s room is on the sixth floor, which is at the top floor of the count’s castle.

Time was running out to get down to the ground floor and catch up with him.

“Keuk.”

Cardan snatched the bear’s head and I was dragged away with a strangled sound.

“You wouldn’t be able to catch up with him by going down the stairs.”

Cardan opened the window and made a gesture.

“Jump, do you mean jump?”

If it wasn’t for the contract, he would have killed her with his own hands. 

As I faltered, Cardan sighed and again grabbed the bear’s head and put me on his shoulder and climbed up the window frame.

Before she could grasp the situation, Cardan flew from the window frame to the nearby tree.

‘Argh!’

She couldn’t make a sound out of her mouth for fear of being caught by the criminal, so she roared louder than a bear who was angry in her mind.

While it became chaotic, Cardan climbed down a tree and landed on the ground.

I managed to get back on the ground, dangling from Cardan’s hand.

“Ah, thank you. Your Majesty.”

However, she almost fell down in a few steps due to her shaky legs.

She still hasn’t fully recovered, and her surprised heart hasn’t calmed down as she fell from the top floor of the castle.

Meanwhile, the suspicious man was rapidly moving away among the dense trees.

At this rate, I’ll miss him.

I tried to crawl on my legs.

“Kuk.”

Having snatched the bear’s head again, Cardan began to run, with me hanging on his back.

After being thrown around like luggage for a long time, she was stuck on the ground at some point.

“Shh.”

Cardan pointed to the criminal who stopped in front of a large tree, putting his finger near his mouth.

I was suffocated by myself.

It was the old butler.

Now everything fits. As much as he received the count’s trust, he still did such a bold thing.

The old butler pulled out the bushes and took out the cage hidden underneath it.

“Gugugugu.”

The pigeon’s cry sounded low.

The old butler, who shook the cage to take out a pigeon, took a note from his arms and began tying it to the pigeon’s feet.

I held my breath.

That’s proof, clear evidence. I have to catch the pigeon before it flies.

I rushed right at the old butler.

Thump.

I crashed into him and they rolled on the ground together.

While the old butler groaned, I stretched out my hand to catch the pigeon.

“Who are you?”

The old butler, who soon came to his senses, staggered at the push.

It was a huge difference in strength. While my legs were shaking, the butler again swung his arms and tried to run away.

At this rate, I’ll miss him.

“Argh!”

I rushed again. And hit the butler head on.

The butler’s face, whose eyes met mine, was stained with astonishment.

I grinned. You must have been quite surprised that someone whom he thought was dead came back alive.

“Yes, I’m alive and not dead. You bird–”

However, the butler’s face was still twisted as if he had seen it.

“Ah, ah, bear!”

He gave a terrible scream and fell flat on the ground.

“Hmm?”

While staring blankly at the fainted butler with bubbles in his mouth, Cardan, who was watching the situation from behind, snatched the pigeon and put it back in the cage.

Then I pressed the bear’s head over my face.

“The old man was mistaken because you’re wearing this.”

“Oh.”

Only then did I realize how I am dressed.

“What should I do?”

I hurried over to the butler. Fortunately, I was able to get a slight pulse.

“It would be difficult if he dies of a heart attack.”

Cardan picked up the cage and laughed.

“I can’t believe you’re worried about that. It’s unlike the Duke of Baloa.”

Then he gestured at the fallen butler.

“You bring that.”

My whole body trembled as I lost all my strength, but I immediately thrust my hand into the butler’s armpit.

“Yes, yes!” 

***

“I swear! I swear! I never imagined that this sly person would be doing this behind my back.”

The count, with his knees down, grabbed my leg and cried.

“It’s all ordered by the count.”

The butler stared at the count. I was barely awake, but I tried my best.

“Hey, you punk!”

The count came at the butler with a red hot, bursting face.

“How could you do this to me!”

“Stop.”

I raised my hand, and the count shut his mouth.