episode_0044

Episode 44.

“Well, hey, I, I can do it myself…”

“It’s okay. About this much. Please tell me if it hurts.”

Sinia’s face looks like it’s overloaded with yellowness. I put the medicine on a cotton ball and carefully rubbed it on the wounds on Sinia’s body.

I feel sorry for the scars on my pure white skin. The reason I did this myself was because I felt a little sorry for Sinia.

“Ugh…”

Is it bitter? Every time the cotton touched Sinia, she flinched violently.

Still, it didn’t seem like it would leave any scars. After applying the medicine, I wrapped it with a bandage to prevent it from spreading further.

“Thank you, princess…”

Even after receiving treatment, Sinia’s face was quite red. Actually, it would be even weirder if you were calm in this situation.

“Please keep today’s matter as secret as possible. Of course, it is inevitable that rumors will spread…”

Even if you are not Sina, there are many witnesses. It is impossible to control or identify everyone, including the maids on the spot and the people around them who heard the noise. Sooner or later, today’s events will become known throughout the palace.

“Yes, of course… But, princess…”

Sinia hesitated, looking at me. I think I know what Sina wants to say. I guess he’s trying to say that he doesn’t want to be Carmel’s exclusive anymore.

“Don’t worry, Sini. I will do whatever it takes to get it into my hands. In a way so sure that even my mother couldn’t help it.”

There are no sharp means yet. It is not possible for me to go against the queen’s will and change the queen’s exclusive maid on my own.

But still, if there was a way to force Carmel to do something, it wouldn’t be difficult to find one. It’s a waste to use it in this case, but I still have the strongest card left, Rika.

But Sinia shook her head.

“Well, that’s not it, Princess… That’s not what I was trying to say…”

This isn’t it? Is there anything that Sinia should be more interested in at this point than this?

Sinia cautiously opened her mouth.

“Se, Princess Sera…is in love with Queen Carmel, right?”

“…Do you know what you are talking about? Sinia. Insults directed at the royal family can kill you?”

Sinia flinched just like she did in front of Carmel. He was even shaking his legs as if he was afraid. But it seemed like he had no intention of picking up what he had just said.

“Sin, sin, sorry…! Well, if it was a mistake… Lord, I will atone with my death… Ha, but it only seems that way to me…”

Was I careless? No, there can be no such thing as confirmation of feelings in the first place. So what on earth does this timid maid believe when she says things like this?

I couldn’t help but ask.

“Why did you think that?”

“Well… on the day of the queen’s wedding ceremony, I ended up watching… After the queen had changed, I saw you two doing… something secret… That’s not what I meant to see! I left something behind so I tried to go in but stopped…”

On the wedding day of Carmel and Fehat, I ordered Carmel not to wear underwear. And after Sinia finished grooming herself, I even checked it from a low angle.

Moreover, I was the one who gave such a perverted request not to wear panties. Sinia knows that too.

It may have been a mistake to think that a weak Sinia would accept even a somewhat unreasonable reason without question.

Above all, the biggest mistake was that I was so drunk at the time that I didn’t realize that someone was watching.

Is there any other way to explain that scene? A natural reason for a princess and soon-to-be daughter to look under her mother’s skirt? There’s no way something like that exists.

If that’s the case, then we have no choice but to attack it head on.

“So?”

“Yes?”

“Why are you mentioning that fact in front of me? Sinia. Of course, that’s not a threat. Rather, saying such things out loud is just an act of suicide that will hasten your fate.”

It is said that the flawless Princess Sera was actually in love with her stepmother…

It’s a subject that only storytellers will find interesting, but as I said before, there is a 100% chance that it will be dismissed as a serious conspiracy against the royal family.

The Knights would judge that such absurd claims are not even worth investigating. Sinia’s head will just be blown away like the wind.

Unless Sinia is an idiot, there is no way she wouldn’t know that fact. Still, I can’t help but think that there was another purpose in bringing up that story.

“Ki, I’m sorry if I offended you… I can’t even imagine what your relationship is like. But from what I have observed… Wow, it seems like the Queen also thinks of Princess Sera in a special way!”

“…Yes?”

To be honest, it was an answer I didn’t expect at all. Until just now, I was thinking that Sinia was saying this with some nefarious intention.

“Uh… why is it so… special? What does specially mean specifically?”

“Well, that’s… Sometimes the Queen stares blankly into space… Every time she does that, she moves her mouth. How many times have you said the princess’s name ‘Sera’…”

No, no, that’s probably ruminating on resentment. I think there is a high possibility that it is not the dim state that Siniah thinks it is.

“Hmm, that’s all?”

“Last time, I ordered you to bring all the information about the princess. There was no need to hide it in particular, but he told me to bring it quietly if possible… After that, he read them several times at his desk.”

…I guess they were looking for a weak spot to attack. Or maybe he was trying to find a clue to read my thoughts…

However, even if it is done out of malice, I feel a strange joy when I imagine Carmel being so devoted to me. The cold feeling from earlier had disappeared, and before I knew it, I was asking Sinia as if urging her to do so.

“Again? Are there any more?”

“And, whenever the queen was in the same position as the princess… His eyes kept turning towards the princess. For some reason, I keep… This, maybe, isn’t that…”

Well, that’s also natural. As much as I look at Carmel, Carmel also looks at me a lot. I might have to be a little cautious about this part…

“I really wanted to tell you this. The queen is also thinking very much of you…!”

There is a high possibility that it was Siniar’s illusion. No, I’m sure Carmel is thinking a lot about me, but it’s probably not the romantic kind that Sinia thinks about.

But after listening to Sinia’s story, my mood improved considerably. So much so that the soles of my feet shake off the ground.

“You risked your life… to talk about that?”

Depending on who heard it, it was an issue that could truly cost lives. In fact, I was seriously thinking about what to do with Sinia just now.

In a way, it may be said to be a great act of courage. This small and timid maid seriously believed that I was in love with Carmel, and risked her life to let me know that her feelings were not in vain.

“Sinia…”

I gently placed my hand midway between Sinia’s cheek and chin. It was quite soft to the touch. Sinia’s face looked like steam was coming out of her head.

“Yes, yes?”

“It was quite an interesting delusion. But as I said before, if you say something like that carelessly, you could endanger yourself. Please don’t mention that anywhere in the future. Got it?”

“Yes, yes!”

It’s pretty easy to understand. Although Sinia is sharp at recognizing other people’s feelings, she appears to be immature at hiding her own feelings.

It seems that Sinia has more feelings for me than just a princess to serve. I still don’t know if it’s just a yearning for a noble princess, or something more pure than that.

If so, this method will work best.

I turned Sinia’s cheek slightly and kissed it lightly. He looked at Sinia, who was in great shock, and said.

“Please keep it a secret. Got it?”

“Hwa, Hwaaa… Yes, yesss…”

That face looks like something that couldn’t have happened has happened. It was truly the look of a believer as if he had witnessed a miracle.

* * *

“You seem to be feeling better now, aren’t you, Pilgret?”

“Yes, it’s all thanks to the princess.”

I don’t know what it was thanks to me, but Pilgret seemed to be doing really well. When he saw me entering the room, he got up from his seat and showed courtesy, so I barely felt any discomfort.

The desk where he is sitting is piled with documents so much that his face is obscured. When I got closer and looked at it, I saw that it was, so to speak, a letter of recommendation.

“Are these all letters of recommendation? Are you reviewing all of this?”

“Yes.”

The nobles… they’re acting petty. Was it your intention to disturb me in this way? It is a very petty means to say the least.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to see everything. After all, you have the final authority, right? Wouldn’t it be okay to just appoint the person you originally thought was the result of a thorough review?”

“It may be so…but there may be someone who is outstanding. But I will do it if the princess orders it.”

…You are sincere. Well, it’s not wrong.

“No, Sir Pilgret is right. Then is there anything I can help you with?”

“I am very grateful… but this is my job.”

I don’t know if it’s about finding talented people, but if it’s just sorting out unsuitable people, it would be possible for me. The moment I was about to say that, someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

The person who entered the room was not a member of the knights’ order, but a servant carrying out errands for the royal family. He looked at me, bowed his head, and said.

“You are here, princess. His Majesty the King is looking for you. He is asking you to come to the inner room.”

Fehat?