TSKSML 28

chapter 28

“…Liliana?”

Before confirming the face, those words slipped out of Zighart’s mouth.

The teasing wind finally stopped after hearing that name.

Angelina greeted Zighart with a shy yet lovely smile.

The sentence from The Perfect Princess Angelina was fading away.

Zighart, who had accidentally called someone else’s name, showed an expression on Angelina’s face that was neither a smile nor tears — it was a strange look.

A few hours ago, when Angelina arrived in the capital, Lepia, she had been excited to tease Duke Zighart, whom she hadn’t seen for a long time.

Seeing the beautiful and cozy room that the royal maids had decorated themselves, Angelina once again felt how much he loved her.

She had imagined Zighart hiding behind the curtains, surprised and delighted to find her.

“Ah, Princess Angelina…”

Zighart was embarrassed and also flustered.

Why had he called out “Liliana” before even seeing her face?

Making such a careless mistake made his face burn with shame.

Angelina didn’t say anything, but that made Zighart even more worried.

He had never seen the lively Angelina make such a strange expression before.

But only for a moment, Angelina gently closed her eyes at the corners and burst out laughing.

“Pfft, Zighart oppa, do you know your expression right now is really weird?”

Angelina was back to being the Angelina Zighart knew very well.

Zighart scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

Yes, the weird one was probably himself, who was overly flustered by such a trivial mistake.

It was probably because he never imagined Angelina arriving two days earlier than scheduled in Lepia.

It was natural for him to think of Liliana as Angelina’s head maid who worked in her room every day.

Though his mind was logically sorted out, Zighart’s heart was still tangled and noisy.

Even with Angelina, whom he had missed so much, right before his eyes, his eyes seemed strangely lost.

“…Did I surprise you by suddenly showing up?”

Angelina asked Zighart in a kind voice.

She decided to let it go generously.

Although the reception was different from what she expected, if she cheerfully got past it, it would be like it never happened.

‘Liliana… whoever that is.’

She planned to tease Zighart about it someday.

Just as she was about to finish it off as a trivial and silly episode—

The door creaked open again.

Of all times, the owner of the name Zighart had called as if possessed appeared.

Liliana stood at the door, eyes wide like a startled rabbit.

Zighart became confused again at Liliana’s appearance.

Standing between the two women, he felt a strange guilt.

It was a heavier guilt than when he faked being sick as a child to skip temple worship.

Zighart couldn’t understand why he was feeling such a heavy emotion.

He awkwardly made eye contact with Liliana.

But Liliana froze the moment she saw Zighart and Angelina.

No matter how many times she had imagined this moment to hurt less, reality was no help.

Liliana felt as if her heart was being torn to shreds.

Looking at Duke Zighart and Princess Angelina facing each other, she painfully realized she was just a spectator.

But there was no time to indulge in pathetic feelings.

She was now Princess Angelina’s head maid.

Liliana bent her knees and bowed toward the mistress she was to serve from now on.

“Ah, Your Highness Princess Angelina, it is an honor to meet you.”

She anxiously worried that even the slightest emotion might show in her words and actions.

Angelina walked toward Liliana.

As Liliana looked up, about to introduce herself, Angelina shook her head.

“I think I already know who you are without you saying.”

Angelina gave a meaningful smile.

“Shall I guess?”

She was confident.

Hidden beneath her kindness was an arrogant smile no one noticed.

“You’re Liliana, right?”

‘Liliana.’ That name was just meant to be called out like this.

Without any meaning or feeling, just like calling any servant.

‘Liliana…’

She was definitely not someone to be thought of so deeply or to be quietly repeated like this.

It had been a long time since Angelina had thought about someone this much.

And it felt very unpleasant.

From Zighart’s letter, she had heard that a young lady from the Emeldia count family named Liliana had been appointed as her head maid.

She never thought that name, which she casually heard once, would keep echoing in her mind like this.

“Y-Yes, Your Highness Princess Angelina. I am Liliana Emeldia, the head maid who will serve you in the royal palace from now on.”

The clueless Liliana was amazed that Princess Angelina had memorized her name even before meeting her.

To think that such a delicate and kind princess dared to covet the man, she hated herself so much.

Liliana bowed her head even more, feeling ashamed to face Angelina.

“All right then, I look forward to working with you, Lady Liliana.”

‘I hope I never silently repeat your name again.’

Angelina swallowed the words she couldn’t say out loud.

As soon as she regained consciousness, Helene opened her eyes wide and struggled to sit up with all her strength.

Maybe because of the medicine she had taken, her head was dizzy and painful, but understanding the situation came first.

From the sound of hooves and rattling, it seemed she was in the cargo area of a carriage.

Helene cautiously lifted the cloth covering the front part of the carriage.

‘Of course…’

No matter what, only that reckless and brave guy in the world would dare kidnap Countess Helene in front of the count’s mansion.

Helene looked at Shakia and his subordinates, locking eyes with him.

“…Sorry, I’m new to asking someone out.”

Shakia chuckled as an apology.

Helene suddenly wanted to faint again.

“Oh, it hasn’t even been two months yet, right? Shakia, you can’t do this…”

Though she wanted to grab him by the collar and scold him for kidnapping her, Shakia was clearly the superior and she was the subordinate.

Helene straightened her disheveled hair and ruined clothes, suppressing the surge of emotion.

“I didn’t intend to make you faint. I originally planned to talk like a gentleman. But those guys misunderstood me.”

As soon as Shakia finished speaking, his big subordinates bowed their heads and apologized to Helene.

Their method of making Helene faint was very skillful.

Helene no longer wanted to know or ask anything else.

“…I see. So what you really want is a date?”

Helene asked in a trembling voice.

‘Could it be that this crazy guy really likes me?’

Is the purpose of kidnapping me at midnight really to ask for a date?

Shakia didn’t answer Helene’s question, and perhaps coincidentally, he got off the carriage.

Helene also got off with him.

Benya, a poor village on the outskirts of the capital Lepia.

There were shabby and faded roofs gathered closely, unlike the splendid Lepia.

“…Or it might be a part-time job.”

A part-time job.

It was a fate inseparable from Han Yena of her previous life.

Because of her foster parents’ debt, she always needed quick money and was the first choice for all acquaintances’ part-time job replacements.

It was better news than a date.

Helene’s eyes sparkled.

“…So, how much will you pay?”

“First, 50,000 gold. And after the work is done, I’ll give another 50,000 gold.”

A whopping 100,000 gold.

That meant the job must be extremely difficult.

Shakia’s eyes showed no sign of regret at offering such a generous price.

Helene was both afraid and more curious about what kind of request would make a cruel loan shark offer 100,000 gold.

“Alright, then what exactly is this job?”

Shakia’s thin eyes suddenly became sharp.