Chapter 07
I spoke in the gentlest tone I could muster.
Outwardly, that’s what I said—but deep down…
“I’m sorry I survived alone, Richard.”
Waves of guilt surged through me.
I didn’t know why, but looking back, Richard had shown me kindness in his own way.
He helped me when I was starving (although he nearly sliced me in half beforehand), and he got angry on my behalf over what happened (though he did slice my servant in half afterward).
Still, that wasn’t a good enough reason to side with Richard.
I had decided not to fail this time. There was no way I’d throw myself under a check certified by the original story as guaranteed to bounce.
Sorry for being a cowardly sister—no, wait—a cowardly younger sibling.
I kept the words I could never say locked in my heart and smiled at Richard.
“But I’m fine,” I said.
Because I know the future.
“Your Highness…!”
Just then, a strained voice came from the direction of my room.
Turning my head, I saw Luke stumbling toward us. I was slightly taken aback.
He’d taken Richard’s killing intent head-on, yet his limbs were intact and he was walking…? I guess being an aide to a monster means you have to be a monster too.
When Richard saw Luke, he muttered something under his breath. I couldn’t hear it clearly, but from the tone, I was pretty sure it was a curse.
Then, Richard took my hand.
I had grabbed his hand first, but I didn’t expect him to do the same, so I was a little surprised.
He wrapped his left hand around mine, applied a little pressure, and gently pried my hand free. Then, using his now-free hand, he returned his sword to its sheath.
Suddenly, I felt embarrassed. If he wanted to sheathe his sword, he could’ve just said so. I would’ve let go.
But even after that, Richard didn’t let go of my hand. He just stared at me.
I looked back at him.
His blood-red eyes held a storm of complex emotions. I could tell he was conflicted, trying several times to speak but stopping short.
Then, when he finally opened his mouth, what came out was disappointingly simple.
“Do as you wish.”
He released my hand, turned around, and disappeared down the stairs.
“Haah…”
Once Richard vanished from view, the tension drained from my body all at once. I felt like collapsing right there in the hallway.
“Your Highness, are you all right?”
Luke approached me. I nodded.
“I’m so sorry, truly sorry. I must apologize for what happened today, no matter what…”
“Don’t.”
“Pardon?”
Luke, of all people, needed to understand me. So I deliberately spoke slowly and clearly, enunciating every word.
“Don’t do anything.”
Luke’s expression immediately turned serious. He lowered his voice and said,
“Understood. In that case, we will suppress the rumors as much as we can.”
As expected of the prince’s closest aide. He instantly grasped what I wanted most. I gave him a slight smile.
“Please do.”
Luke left with the knights and returned to the Ruby Palace. Once the outsiders were gone, only the stench of blood remained.
It hadn’t even been an hour since Richard stormed in, but it felt like more than a month had passed.
I was utterly exhausted.
Come to think of it, my room must be a bloodbath right now. I wanted to sleep, but where could I…
“Your Highness.”
“Hmm?”
A soft voice called out. When I looked over, I was surprised.
Miriam was staring at me with a deeply moved expression, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Th-Thank you so much for sparing my life…”
“Stop.”
I cut off Miriam’s stuttering words with a stern voice.
I was far too tired to comfort a crying girl in this situation. I had already used up my daily limit of kindness on Richard.
Miriam shut her mouth immediately at my words.
‘I told her not to cry, not to stop talking altogether…’
What was even more amusing was how her face turned paler by the second as she held her breath. I rubbed my forehead.
“No, it’s okay to breathe. Just don’t cry.”
“Puhah!”
…She’s not just dumb—she’s really dumb. Who in the world planted her as a spy? I’m seriously curious now.
Ah, speaking of spies… what do I do about the servants’ bodies?
A headache began to pile atop my exhaustion. I just wanted to go lie down, but there were a hundred things to deal with first.
“Miriam.”
“You know my name?!”
Miriam screamed in a voice so high it hurt my ears. Her face looked like she might cry again.
Why is that surprising? There are only ten servants working in the Opal Palace. Of course I know your name.
“Don’t say weird stuff. Just… go tell the other servants to gather somewhere.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Miriam scurried downstairs, but not long after, she came running back.
“What now?”
“Where should I tell them to gather, Your Highness?”
Can’t you figure that out yourself? I’m so tired…
“Umm, the parlor?”
“But the parlor is a bloodbath. Is that okay?”
“What? Why?”
“His Highness the 12th Prince beheaded Steward Ivan there.”
So there weren’t three deaths, but four…? Richard, did you already take care of one before coming upstairs?
“Then tell them to gather in the dining room.”
“Yes!”
Holding my throbbing head, I headed for the dining room, wondering how I was going to handle this mess.
Luke promised to suppress the rumors as much as possible. That meant not just the servants within the Ruby Palace, but also the other eyes watching Richard.
I trusted Luke. More accurately, I trusted the character setting of Luke Saiten as described in the original novel.
He was someone who never broke a promise once it left his lips—and he had the power to keep them. So I could leave the outside rumors to him.
The problem was inside.
Even excluding the dead, there were six witnesses. And I had no power to silence six insiders.
‘Maybe I should’ve just let them die…’
Maybe it was the fatigue, but my mind wasn’t working well. As I entered the dining room, I silently prayed that the servants were all too terrified to speak.
If worst came to worst, I’d resort to threats. This was probably the best time to make them stick.
In a few minutes, Miriam returned with the other servants, one by one.
Each had a different expression—some were ghostly pale, some seemed completely out of it, and some nervously glanced at my face.
Yes, yes. I know. The shock was too great for you, who were living peaceful lives while secretly skimming money.
And then it happened.
“Your Highness!”
With a piercing voice, someone dropped to their knees in front of me.
“Thank you for saving me!”
Startled, I looked down at him.
It was Isaac, one of the errand boys. Seventeen years old. One of the younger ones at Opal Palace, and had been working here for about a year. One of the 7th Princess’s attendants.
And he was the one Luke had saved.
He had entered my room, and thanks to Luke stopping Richard, he’d survived by sheer miracle.
So if he wanted to express gratitude, it should be to Luke—not me. I asked, dumbfounded,
“Is that thank-you meant for me?”
“Of course!”
Isaac shouted at me. Then, with a solemn look, he lowered his voice.
“Your Highness, I… I actually overheard everything.”
I had no idea what he meant by that, but the dramatic tone caught everyone’s attention. All the other servants turned toward him.
“Earlier, Laura, Charles, and Jack…”
As soon as he mentioned the dead, the atmosphere in the dining room sank like a stone. Isaac shut his eyes tightly and continued.
“…that happened, and I almost died too. I was so scared, I couldn’t run far. So I hid in a nearby room.”
I could understand that. When I’d run into Richard in the forest, I had been too scared to take even one step. It made sense he didn’t get far.
“When His Highness headed toward Miriam…”
Isaac’s voice began to tremble.
“I knew Miriam was in danger, but I couldn’t bring myself to step forward. But then…!”
At that point, Isaac burst into tears.
As for me, I just wanted him to hurry up and get to the point. I was too tired for this.
“That’s when Your Highness appeared!”
Suddenly, Miriam joined in. She looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.
“Yes! Her Highness appeared!”
Isaac shouted with a sob in his voice—twice as loud now, thanks to Miriam’s emotional reinforcement.
What is this? This is scary. I’m feeling unfamiliar madness from my own servants.
“And Her Highness said, ‘If my servants die, I die too!’”
Isaac wailed.
W-Well, yeah. I did say that. But it was a political move. You heard that, didn’t you?
“And when His Highness got angry, Her Highness said this too! That we are her lifeline! That we are the ones who protect her!”
W-Well… I did say that… but aren’t you leaving out some context…?
“And, Your Highness…”
Now Isaac wasn’t just crying—he was beating his chest. No, seriously, what are you doing? You’re scaring me.
“You knew we were spies from other palaces!”
The other servants froze. Of all things, that seemed to shock them most.
“His Highness told you to torture us if we were spies!”
Richard did mention torture, but not in that context…?
“But Your Highness! You said you wouldn’t kill us or torture us! That all you wanted… was for us to do our jobs!”
…Okay, I think I get it now.
I rubbed my forehead and organized my thoughts.
Isaac had overheard the conversation between me and Richard. From beginning to end. Every word.
But whether it was because he was too terrified, or because he simply lacked political sense, he had completely misunderstood what he heard.
I gave a hollow laugh as I looked at Isaac, still sobbing.
Isaac was not in his right mind. He was in a near-delusional state—just like earlier.
Given what he’d been through, it was understandable.
The problem was that Isaac wasn’t the only one who had seen blood and feared for his life today.
“What… Your Highness…”
“Have you been looking the other way this whole time…?”
The rest of the servants started falling under Isaac’s spell.
“You never said a word…”
True. I didn’t say anything—because there was nothing I could do.
“And yet… you risked your life for us.”
I did not. I’m very much alive, thank you.
“Your Highness, I just don’t understand. Why—why would you do such a thing?!”
“What do you mean why? Isn’t it obvious?!”
Just as the nonsense was about to reach its peak, a sharp voice sliced through the air.
“It’s because Her Highness is too kind!”
It was Miriam.
She didn’t even wipe the tears streaming down her cheeks. With her hands clasped tightly, as if in prayer, she cried out,
“Because she’s kind to a fault…!”
Miriam couldn’t even finish her sentence before collapsing on the spot and sobbing like a child.
Thud, thud.
One by one, the servants dropped to their knees.
“Your Highness, I was wrong!”
“Please forgive me! I—I was trash!”
“I, Thomas, hereby abandon the 16th Prince! From this day forth, I serve only one master—Lady Lucilia El Esperuzaaaaa!”
The dining hall overflowed with tears, groans, repentance, regret—and oaths of loyalty.
I took a step back. Then another.
And looked out the window. The moon was rising in the night sky.
Ah, really, truly…
I wanted to run away. Right now. Far away. I was terrified.
And far more than that—
I was dead tired.
