Chapter 3: He Definitely Stepped on It…!

“You’ve worked hard, Head Maid.”

When the Third Prince answered gently, the Head Maid bowed even deeper.

“It is too kind of Your Highness to say that.”

“Not at all.”

When he shook his head, his cream-colored hair softly swayed.

It looked just like a flower petal fluttering in the breeze.

‘My goodness….’

Could someone really look this beautiful?

I was still blinking blankly when the Third Prince looked at me and gently curved his eyes.

“This is a face I haven’t seen before.”

The Head Maid quickly stepped forward.

“She is a new maid, Vanillin.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness…!”

I bowed deeply, my voice trembling slightly.

Then the Third Prince spoke.

“Nice to meet you, Vanillin.”

His voice was warm and soft against my ears.

“Thank you for your kind welcome!”

I bowed even deeper.

He even spoke politely to an ordinary maid….

He really was a prince who was as kind as an angel.

No wonder people called him the Saint of the Empire.

I was admiring him inwardly when—

“Ahem! Hmm-hmm.”

The nobleman beside him cleared his throat loudly.

It was a middle-aged man making sure no one forgot about him.

The Third Prince gave the Head Maid a gentle smile.

“Marquis Desmond was curious about the Imperial treasures, so I came here with him.”

“Haha, I said it wasn’t necessary, but my son-in-law went to all this trouble to arrange this for me.”

At his careless words, my eyes rolled around.

‘Son-in-law…?’

Did that mean he was married?

‘So he was a married man….’

While I was nodding to myself, the Head Maid frowned and raised her voice.

“Son-in-law?”

“Ah, that’s right. It’s a secret. The official announcement hasn’t been made yet.”

“….”

Oh.

So he wasn’t married after all.

I tightly closed my mouth and watched the situation.

Even someone as ignorant of noble society as me could tell that this wasn’t quite right.

As expected, the Head Maid’s eyes became sharp.

“Since it has not been officially decided yet, I would appreciate it if you were careful with your words.”

“Hm?”

But the Marquis didn’t seem bothered at all.

“Well, it’s only a matter of time. His Highness the Second Prince is actively pushing for it.”

“…Oh. Is that so?”

“The Imperial Family needs enormous wealth in the end, after all. Haha!”

What an incredibly rude thing to say.

I secretly looked at His Highness the Third Prince.

He had every reason to be offended, but he only wore a gentle smile.

“It seems my older brother thinks highly of the Marquis. More importantly, please watch your step. You’re walking rather quickly.”

No, he was even worried about the Marquis.

…I wished Dai were even half as kind as him.

I turned my head with sad eyes.

The Marquis laughed heartily and shook his head.

“Haha, I’m fine! I’m not foolish enough to slip and fall in a place like this.”

He moved with complete confidence.

But I nervously shifted my eyes around.

Actually, his clothes were a little too much.

His silk clothes were tight in several places because they didn’t fit his body properly, and golden embroidery covered them almost excessively.

But what worried me most was his cloak.

The expensive fabric didn’t fit him properly and was dragging along the floor.

If he stepped on it wrong, it looked like he could easily end up dead.

I could understand why the Third Prince was worried.

‘He’ll be fine… right?’

Still, he was a grown adult.

Like the other maids, I kept a proper distance and followed behind the two men.

As I stood neatly with my hands folded, I could hear their conversation.

“Wow, the Imperial treasures really are something else. They’re worlds apart from the treasures in my household.”

“They are ancient artifacts with a long history.”

“Well, they will soon become my family’s possessions, so it wouldn’t hurt to take a look at them in advance.”

No matter how many outrageous things the Marquis said, the Third Prince only maintained his gentle expression.

He even guided the Marquis himself.

“The Celestial Man’s Pottery is over here.”

“Oh! The Celestial Man’s Pottery!”

One had to be this patient to earn the title of Saint….

‘I get really angry just talking to Dai.’

My respect for him grew.

The Marquis stopped in front of the pottery and looked around it.

“It isn’t as big as I expected.”

“Is this your first time seeing it?”

“Yes… Ahem! I only became a noble recently.”

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

But more importantly—

‘The Celestial Man’s Pottery?’

What was so special about it that he was this excited?

I was curious.

I secretly stretched my neck out to get a better look.

“They say it’s only displayed during the Founding Anniversary….”

“Because it is National Treasure No. 1.”

“I can certainly see why.”

The Marquis nodded without taking his eyes off the pottery.

I nodded along with him.

Only being displayed during the Founding Anniversary….

It really was an incredible treasure.

Maybe that was why it was so beautiful.

One step.

Then another.

The Marquis moved toward the pottery as if he were under a spell.

“It certainly looks very precious.”

His protruding belly touched the edge of the display stand.

Ugh….

Something really bad might happen if he kept doing that.

I nervously moved my eyes around.

And then—

“This will soon be mine….”

Another step.

Before he could finish speaking, the Marquis’s body suddenly swayed.

“Huh?”

They say accidents always happen without warning.

The Marquis lost his balance and fell.

It seemed he had stepped on his long cloak by mistake.

“AAARGH—!”

Everyone’s mouths fell open in shock.

The Celestial Man’s Pottery was right in front of him.

Marquis Desmond’s face turned completely pale in real time.

“N-no…!”

The Marquis desperately waved his arms, trying to regain his balance.

But his center of gravity had already been lost.

His poor body was falling forward without mercy.

And at the same time—

Clang—!

With a horrifying sound, the pottery flew into the air.

It bounced off the display stand and fell away in a perfect arc.

Slowly, slowly, the image of the falling pottery was burned into my eyes.

‘If that breaks….’

I urgently looked at the Head Maid.

Her eyes, nose, and mouth were all wide open, her entire body showing her shock.

That alone told me everything.

If it broke, something terrible would happen.

‘That can’t happen…!’

I-I want to live for a long, long time!

Without even having time to think, I calculated where the pottery would fall.

One step, two steps, and five pillars away from the window.

Then the pottery following its arc began to fall rapidly.

Whoooosh—!

“Vanillin!”

I ran.

The Head Maid shouted in shock, but I couldn’t hear her.

“Hngh….”

The only thing I could see was the pottery above my head.

Focus, Vanillin.

You can do this…!

Think about catching the plates Dai used to throw at you.

I took a deep breath.

I spread both arms wide and positioned myself to absorb as much of the impact as possible—

“Come here…!”

Catch—!

I caught it perfectly.

The pottery settled safely into my arms as if it had curled itself around me.

“Haa….”

I let out a sigh of relief.

Then I gently lifted the pottery and gave an awkward little smile.

“Luckily… it’s fine.”

“….”

Silence fell.

Dozens of pairs of eyes turned toward me at once.

“….”

It was strangely quiet.

Wh-why…?

I slowly lowered my arms.

As I held the pottery against my chest and looked up, I met the Third Prince’s eyes.

“….”

Was it my imagination?

His gaze wasn’t fixed on the pottery.

It was fixed on me.

It wasn’t surprise.

It wasn’t anger.

His eyes were strangely deep, as if he were trying to figure something out.

Cold sweat broke out on my skin.

“Was… I not supposed to catch it?”

My voice trembled with anxiety.

The Third Prince quietly looked down at me.

Then he gave a small smile and shook his head.

“No.”

His voice was low and gentle.

“You did very well.”

He slowly approached me and held out his large, firm hand.

I carefully handed the pottery to him.

Our fingertips lightly touched.

It lasted only a moment, but the sensation remained strangely clear.

I secretly rubbed my fingertips.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Uh… Ah….”

It was such a kind yet strange question.

What was he asking if I had hurt?

The pottery?

…Or me?

There was no subject, so I couldn’t tell.

While I stood there, unable to answer and only opening and closing my mouth—

The Head Maid finally came to her senses and rushed over.

“L-let me check if there are any scratches or damage, Your Highness.”

“I don’t think there are any.”

The Third Prince shrugged and smiled.

Only then did I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

S-so he was asking about the pottery after all.

What a surprise….

When the Third Prince handed over the pottery, the maids rushed over and checked its condition.

“How is the surface?”

“It’s perfectly fine. There isn’t even a spot where the glaze has come off. No scratches, marks, or even the slightest damage.”

“Vanillin caught it perfectly.”

“That tiny girl…. What a miracle.”

The Head Maid let out a deep sigh.

Perhaps because of sheer luck, the pottery was completely unharmed.

The Third Prince smiled as if relieved.

“What a relief. Heaven must have helped us.”

“Indeed, Your Highness.”

“What a relief.”

The maids eagerly agreed.

Everyone seemed to believe it had simply been an unlucky accident and that they were fortunate enough to avoid disaster.

However—

‘S-so scary….’

The truth was,

I couldn’t simply accept the Third Prince’s smile at face value.

Because I had seen it.

‘He definitely stepped on it.’

Right before Marquis Desmond fell,

I had seen the Third Prince step on the edge of his cloak.