CH 58

Self-Awareness and Secrets (14)

“I’m sick of it, really. How long do I have to live here as if I’m dead?”

Erita shouted as she hurled a fan with such colorful laces anxiously.

“Ah!”

One of the maids who was by her side had been hit on her forehead all of a sudden by the fan. And immediately, blood began to drip from the maid’s forehead. Her forehead was all torn up by the sharp side of the fan.

“The carpet is all dirty! What the hell is that maid even doing? Without putting it away at once!”

Erita, the perpetrator who had caused the wound, was just proudly blaming the maid and urged sharply instead. Right after the said maid had bowed her head and apologized, Erita proceeded to wink at the other maids.

“I’m sorry, Princess! Please forgive me! Please have mercy! Ouch!”

As soon as the other maids grabbed onto the injured maid’s arm, she instantly screamed with her face that was already turning blue as if she had realized something. However, the maids just tried to drag her out with such expressionless faces in return.

“No! I don’t want to! Let go of me! Princess Erita! Please…”

The maid continued holding on desperately. Blood began oozing from her forehead as it covered her face and neck, but she didn’t even care about that in any way.

Of course, it was only her life that had been more important than merely that.

She knew full well what would happen if she were to be kicked out like this. Perhaps she would then be killed off without leaving a single trace at all.

Just as those four or five maids and servants who got treated exactly like that ever since arriving at the King’s secret villa.

“Argh! Please save me…”

However, it was simply impossible to handle the power of several people with only the strength of a weak woman. The maid was then dragged out as it was and as the door closed itself, her scream was instantly cut off.

“…Is brother really trying to lock me up here for the rest of my life?”

Erita was just in that mood as she was temperamental just as if she didn’t even care that she had driven another person straight to death. But no one could even say a slight thing about her attitude.

‘Who would even dare to say something?’

To Erita Rakain, the Royal Daughter of Rakain.

Although she was now in a situation where she had to conceal herself secretly from the eyes of the Seroif Empire, it did not mean that her original status had ‘fallen’ as well.

Since she was the only Royal Daughter of Rakain.

The maid recalled the fake Princess, who had left for the Seroif Empire instead of Erita herself. Then, she narrowed her forehead without even realizing it. This was due to the rumors that she had accidentally heard while visiting the capital recently which came to her mind.

“I want to attend a ball and go out to the salon. I need to get a new dress and a necklace as well. What is this? If only that monster hadn’t proposed…”

Erita looked at the maid as if she had suddenly remembered while feeling irritated. The maid quivered since she thought that Erita had caught onto her thoughts. However, as if Erita didn’t even notice her reaction at all, she then continued to speak while burying herself deep against the backrest.

“I just can’t believe they asked me to marry him even though he’s a monster. Haah—then, they match each other well, right? The monster and the fake… It’s such a shame that I can’t go over and tell that monster who the girl really is.”

Erita smiled and laughed while wondering about when she was feeling annoyed. It had been her usual habit to laugh at others as she mocked them to enjoy her own sense of superiority. Moreover, the reaction of the room was rather calm as well since they did not experience her fickleness for a day or two recently.

At that moment, the maid who was standing near the door began mumbling to herself.

“I heard that it’s not really a monster though…”

“What?”

“Hmm! No, it’s not…”

When the maid realized that she had muttered casually, she turned blue and immediately fell down at that spot. As she remembered the maid who had recently been dragged out before, her fear was bound to be doubled instantly.

“Come over here and say it again.”

“Princess, please forgive…”

“Can’t you just come over here? Do I have to grab your tongue and pull it out in order to wake you up?”

Erita shouted sharply. Then, the maid trembled before approaching her knee and lowered her head once again as she began to draw out the words.

“Well, I heard rumors and…”

“So, tell me in more detail what the rumor actually is. It’s not a monster? The Emperor is not a monster, is that right?”

“That’s right.”

The maid continued to talk while looking at Erita’s intent.

“There is a relative of my family who had organized the merchant group. But he said that he had gone back to the Seroif Empire himself a little while ago. And luckily, he was able to witness the Emperor’s wedding…”

“But?”

“……it was such a beautiful wedding. The Princess who became the bride—no, she was wearing a golden dress and a veil woven in gold as well.”

“……”

“And the Emperor, who was rumored to be a monster, is actually a handsome man with black hair resembling the night sky and possesses a pair of noble gold eyes like the owner of the Empire itself… Besides, I even thought the rumor that he was savage and ferocious had really been a false rumor… oh! I’m sorry! Please forgive me, Princess!”

The maid couldn’t even finish her words as she trembled while asking for forgiveness. However, Erita just clutched onto her armrest tightly without giving the maid a single glance at all.

“What’s going on here? The Emperor is not a monster at all?”

“That child must have heard some false rumors instead, My Queen. Please let go of your anger…”

“Still, she must have said so because of some apparent evidence.”

Erita shot a look at her maid, who was only trying to calm her down. Then, she exerted more force towards her hand that was grabbing onto the armrest. The wind had broken the tip of her finely trimmed nail. Nevertheless, without having to realize it, she opened her eyes narrowly and began gnawing at her lips as well.

It was utterly ridiculous. It didn’t work either way. What did she mean by the fact that he was not a monster? What did she mean, a handsome man? He was polite to that mere fake. Gold? A veil made of gold? A golden dress?

That just couldn’t be true, but if they were actually true…

Erita jumped up from that spot. Surprised by her actions, the maid immediately opened her eyes wide.

“I’ll have to check it out with my very own eyes. Come and contact His Highness right away.”

“What?”

“Did you not understand me? Send someone to the Palace right now!”

Erita clenched her hands tightly and said so as if she were spitting the words out.

“…I will definitely be going to the Empire and see it for myself. Whether the Emperor is a real monster or not—as the rumors say.”

Her blue eyes were all gleaming with sheer greed and jealousy.