CH 2

Millicent pondered for a moment.

She was a bit confused these days. When she first set foot in the royal palace, she was an assassin disguised as a maid. However, now, she was so engrossed in chores, she even forgot how to kill people.

“You don’t even know your name?”

The man asked again mischievously as her silence lengthened. Millicent’s eyes widened. 

“Of course I know.”

She was also an assassin disguised as a maid. Millicent hastily grabbed at her vanishing identity. 

Then she was lost. She wondered if she could tell him her name, fearing that her name as an assassin would spread.

But on the other hand, while she was stuck as a maid, she often met people who delivered goods to the royal court, and she thought it would not be a bad idea to establish a proper relationship with them. 

If she got to know them well, she would pick up on any rumors that float around. 

“Millicent,” she eventually chose to introduce herself. 

“What’s your last name?”

“No last name”

“You don’t have a last name?” 

There was no reason why she should explain herself.

“Think of roughly anything if you must. Hmmm, how about Smith? Millicent Smith.” 

The name was made up on the spot and it turned out to be a ridiculous name. 

“…You want me to think of something random?” 

The hunter looked dumbfounded. Thanks to this, he looked as cold as he was handsome.

“Well, okay,” he said, “I’ll just go with Millicentra..?”

He repeated quietly. 

“It’s a nice name, but I think another name would suit the lady better.”

“What?” 

The man tilted his head to one side, causing his dark hair to cascade beautifully. 

“Ann or something like that suits you better.”

At that moment, Millicent felt like she’d been caught off guard.

But she was not upset. There was no need to think deeply. The man was just messing around, not poking at her identity. 

“Do you have a name for yourself?” 

Deciding she was being teased, Millicent raised an eyebrow and asked. 

“Freddie,” he said. “No one calls me that because it’s inappropriate, but in case you’re wondering, that’s my name.”

It was a somewhat meaningful way to speak, but Millicent didn’t bother to think because she was engrossed in countering.

“I guess nobody calls you that because it doesn’t suit you. It’s a bad impression to have such a common name.”

“You’re too much,” the hunter laughed again, as amused as he had been earlier. “No one ever said that about my face before. They all just said that I was good looking.”

The man was humbly describing himself. Millicent snorted. 

“Why? Did they all faint as soon as they saw your handsome face?” 

Surprisingly, he smiled without denying it. Despite this, he did not look brazen or arrogant. It was a reaction more befitting his marble sculpture-like appearance. 

“Thank god. I’m glad there are so many people who are willing to faint in my place.” (Millicent)

“How so?”

“Because I don’t feel any excitement to that degree.”

Millicent decided.

“The next time we meet, make sure to look better so that I may be impressed.”

“We will meet again…?” The man laughed. “I’m glad you think so too, young lady.”

The whisper that followed was meaningful.

“What a relief.” Millicent could only take it literally. 

“I mean why should I be in charge of the royal storehouse? It’s the same with these errands. It’s just too much work and troublesome.” 

Millicent grumbled and grabbed the handles of the cart.

“If you feel so sorry for me, please continue to bring me only fresh meat. I don’t want to be scolded by the head maid.”

She turned around, pulling the cart loaded with deer.

“…Millicent.”

The man stopped her.

“Oh, why?” 

“Be sure to remember.”

“What?” Millicent was getting annoyed as to why he was holding her back when she was in a hurry.

“My face,” the man said, not caring for the blunt response. “You must remember, so if I’m going to show up more handsome next time you can make a comparison.” 

His manner was somewhat ambiguous.He said it like a promise.

At the same time, however, she had the strange feeling that this was not what he really wanted to say. 

“Okay. Prepare properly to be more handsome next time.”

Millicent answered nonetheless, despite her strange feelings.

“I have very high standards.”

She turned away after saying so. The back of her head kept prickling, but the man called no more. And Millicent didn’t look back either. 

The results of this troublesome errand, however, were a little strange. As soon as she saw the meat cart Millicent was pulled, the old maid, Tracy, jumped up. 

“Why did you get the deer? And only two of them?”

“Why?” 

“You should have gotten the lark! That was supposed to be the main dish at this banquet.”

“There was nothing but deer.”

Millicent tilted her head, puzzled. 

“Wait a minute, what’s this? They look like they died naturally. How am I supposed to take care of these–!” 

Tracy, much more experienced than Millicent, was horrified when she inspected the dead beasts.

“Give me the receipt.”

Millicent finally realized what she’d forgotten.

“I forgot.”

Tracy’s eyes widened. “Then I’ll have to take the missing amount out of your weekly paycheck.”

Millicent tried to defend herself, but then realized that the pay she received for servant’s work was pitiful anyway. Her real way of money making wasn’t being a maid.

“I understand. I don’t have a choice anyway.”

Despite her generous acquiescence, Tracy went amok.

“Everyone’s excited to get the glory of supplying to the royal court, but the Hunter undermines the honor!” she said, squeezing her apron. “Call him back and I’ll do the talking. I’ll take this opportunity to pluck that disgusting mustache off his face.”

“What mustache?”

Tracy walked briskly away without answering. Millicent recalled the hunter’s face. He had no mustache that she could see. In the end, she felt like she was in a maze, alone.

***

It was already time to find out why Millicent claimed to be an assassin herself. 

Night fell. Millicent pretended to run an errand in the kitchen and headed to the Queen’s palace. 

It was late and the queen’s attendants had all retired. Only the maid, who was preparing the warming fan to warm the bed, was busy. 

“So, was it worth it pretending to be a maid?”

A woman emerged, walking through the luxurious curtains. Her reddish-gold hair spilled out beneath her thin, pearl-embroidered hood. Her pale face was clearly defined with light brown eyes, a pointed nose, and thin lips. Her waist, bodiced with a yellow gown, was particularly small.

“Your Majesty the Queen.”

Millicent stopped bouncing her legs, tired of waiting. She hesitated and bowed.

“It’s still fun.”

She looked disheveled. She would be lucky if they didn’t think she was drunk.

The Queen examined Millicent with cold eyes.

She was indeed very beautiful, but at the same time there was something neutral about her. The look in her eyes was particularly interesting. Underneath the deep and dreamy atmosphere, there was a cynical side to her. Her eyes were wild and defiant. They did not suit her slender physique at all. She wasn’t like the Queen herself.

“But I didn’t hire you for fun,” the Queen added coldly.

That’s right. Jadalin, queen of the Holy Kingdom of Kintland, was the very client of assassin Millicent. 

“Well, I’ve spent enough time to realize that this camouflage is the worst experience I’ve ever been in. It’s passing the hours.”

Millicent, who was unkind to everyone, queen or client, replied bluntly.

“What’s so hard?”

Queen Jadalin did not seem particularly disrespectful. 

“The piles of laundry are terrible,” Millicent said. “The kitchen cellar management is even worse.”

The day before yesterday she had to clean out the ingredients that had rotted before they were dried or pickled. She was completely fed up.

“It’s obvious that’s what a palace maid has to do.”

The Queen waved her hand like it was no big deal. 

“What did you expect?”

“To help the queen hem her dresses and do some sewing for the poor…Isn’t that what a Queen’s maid usually does?”

Millicent grumbled.

“That’s what maids from noble families do.”

Queen Jadalin’s eyes glowed coldly. “…the very women you will kill.” 

“That’s right. I have a stack of five women I have to kill.” Unconcerned, Millicent growled. “I’ve been washing about a hundred shirts every day, and there are pants I haven’t counted.”

“You need some excuse to approach the noble maids.”

Queen Jadalin pondered for a moment.

“Do you have any special skills?”

“I’m familiar with herbs.”

“Anything to please young women whose lives are more boring?” 

“I can tell fortunes with cards.”

Millicent pondered what she would enjoy if she was a noble lady who did not have to worry about making a living.

“I know how to skim through constellations.”

“All right,” nodded Jadalin.

“I’ll put a rumor on your tail that you’re an excellent washer and even an apothecary and astrologer. I suppose it won’t be any different than a clown.”

“I wouldn’t want my presence to be noticed.” Millicent countered unenthusiastically. 

Jadalin snickered, “You’re an idiot. The ladies of the court don’t give a damn about being inconspicuous. An unknown presence won’t even get close enough to them to poison them.” 

Millicent also had a rough idea of the atmosphere of court society, with its pursuit of vanity and pleasure. The fact that she had to kill someone as an entity rather than a shadow made the request even more difficult. 

“Can you do it?” Jadalin ventured to ask. 

“Yes, I can,” Millicent dared to answer. “When I first met the Queen through Cardinal Mulally, I simply accepted the request…” 

Cautiously, Millicent changed the subject. “Why does the Queen want to kill the noble maids?”

She had no intention of refusing the request from the beginning, so she immediately accepted it without knowing the details. But she felt that the more she knew about her client, the better off she would be.

“Are you hungry?” Jadalin pointed to the white bread, a cheese loaf, and chocolate-covered cookies on the table. 

It was a signal that the conversation was going to be long.