RPL 23

Chapter 23

“Here it is.”

Kashas handed the prepared documents to Ranut.

They were the financial records organizing the amount allocated to Princess Reijina after her confinement and the uses of that amount.

“Clean.”

Ranut scanned the documents and gave a bitter smile.

The documents were flawlessly clean. So clean that he didn’t even feel empty.

But if the appropriate daily necessities had been provided to Reijina according to these documents, that room could never have been in that state.

It was clear that the entire contents had been fabricated.

“And I was unable to bring the soldiers, as they are all dead. I apologize, Your Majesty.”

The moment Ranut closed the documents, Kashas bowed his head and spoke.

While Ranut had been staying by Reijina’s side, Kashas had been rushing about in every direction to carry out Ranut’s orders.

Not only bringing the documents, but also instructing the palace people to clean the inside of this castle until not a speck of dust remained, and filling it with the daily necessities and other luxury items Reijina needed.

However, he had been unable to bring the soldiers who had managed this castle during Reijina’s confinement.

Bringing dead people was an order that neither Kashas nor any human could carry out.

“I see.”

Hearing Kashas’s words, Ranut muttered as if he were not even surprised.

If, as Ranut had expected, Cayenne had tried to kill Reijina and had used the soldiers for that purpose—

There was no way Cayenne would have let them live. She would have killed them to perfectly bury what she had done.

‘It was Cayenne’s doing.’

Yet Ranut could be certain of his conjecture.

The cleanly fabricated documents and the fact that the soldiers were dead served as supporting evidence that Cayenne had tried to kill the confined Reijina.

“Where are you going?”

When Ranut began to move his steps, Kashas asked.

“To the Empress’s palace.”

Ranut answered in a voice like a freezing wind.

The red eyes of Ranut as he advanced toward the Empress’s palace were frozen as cold and piercing as his silver hair.

***

After the emperor left, I pounded the bed and cried loudly.

‘If only I weren’t sick! If I were at least thirteen or fourteen, I would have run away right away!’

Even though I hated the emperor to death, the situation of having to obediently submit to him simply “in order to live” was irritating and unfair.

‘But why does it feel so sorrowful? Because it’s a child’s body? Just breathing is hard enough—this is so annoying I could die.’

Dealing with a human I disliked while smiling was something one could experience any number of times while living, and something I had experienced before.

But strangely, I couldn’t control my emotions.

“My eyes hurt.”

How much time had passed?

I, who had been lying face-down on the bed sobbing, raised my body. When I felt my eyes, they were swollen tight like a goldfish’s.

“Hah.”

Fatigue washed over me from crying, and I wanted to sleep again, but I got down from the bed.

To the bed sheets that had been dirtied with vomit and dust, tears, runny nose, and saliva had now been added.

Rather than sleeping uncomfortably on this filthy bed, it was better to clean it thoroughly even if it was a bit hard and then rest properly.

Because I had just slept after vomiting, my mouth and sweat-soaked body also felt unclean.

“Hm?”

The nightclothes were new. Come to think of it, the traces of vomiting had also completely disappeared.

“…Did the emperor do it?”

I muttered as I clumsily slipped my feet into the indoor shoes that had been carefully placed to one side of the room.

‘But why did he come so suddenly?’

Earlier I had been so busy holding back anger and tears that I hadn’t been able to think about it.

But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand why the emperor was moving differently from the original story, so it was a pointless thought.

‘Don’t tell me he had some kind of awakening from my harsh words… No, that can’t be it.’

That wouldn’t do. If he awakened from something as trivial as that, how pitiful would the original Reijina be, who had lived while tightly suppressing everything?

“Oh my.”

It was when I was thinking that there was no way to know even if I worried about it, so I should just clean the bed. The door suddenly burst open.

Two women wearing aprons and hairbands. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be maids.

“We apologize, Your Highness. We did not know you were awake and have committed a discourtesy.”

I narrowed my eyes and looked back and forth between them.

‘The empress already?’

The empress had said with her own mouth that she would send palace servants, but…

I had thought there was no way that woman who disliked me would immediately grant my request.

‘Is it because I moved the emperor?’

But he had only left this place a short while ago, so their visit felt excessively early.

Somehow the flow of the story seemed to be heading in a direction I didn’t know, but I wasn’t dissatisfied.

Because one of them was holding bed sheets.

‘What a windfall.’

I nodded as a sign that it was fine. And I wore a chilly smile.

Of course I had no intention of obediently accepting the maids the empress had sent.

‘Because those maids are the villains who received the empress’s orders and tormented Reijina.’

I didn’t know which of the two was that villain, but since I had to act like a bastard anyway, I planned to throw a tantrum and subdue them in advance.

So that they wouldn’t even dare to do anything bad.

Having sorted out my thoughts, I steeled my resolve.

“We will bring a meal.”

I had steeled it, but—

Yes, I have to eat, so I’ll do it a little later.

“We will prepare a bath for you.”

I thought I had steeled it, but—

No. I should wash first. I just slept after vomiting.

“How is the water temperature? Is the scent of the oil all right?”

Since even keeping my body upright was difficult, there was no reason to refuse being washed.

So just for a moment, let’s accept the help.

“Which fragrance oil would you prefer?”

I’ve finished washing, so now I have to act like a bastard…

“We will trim your fingernails and toenails. Please tell us if it is uncomfortable.”

Ah, that feels refreshing.

It feels good.

Before I knew it, I was wearing a gown and sprawled on the sofa.

Even the touch of the hands trimming my nails and toenails was so soft that my eyes grew hazy.

‘I’m sleepy.’

Let’s admit it. Bastard or whatever—this is extremely comfortable.

If I throw a fit here, I won’t be able to enjoy this luxury, will I?

“Moa. Before that, apply medicine to Her Highness’s body first.”

“Understood, Nea.”

Listening to their conversation, I blinked my hazy eyes.

Hearing their names made the tension loosen even more—no, completely.

In the original story, the name of the maid who had received the empress’s orders, come to Reijina, and tormented her was “Mary.”

She had been so vicious that the name had not been forgotten.

But since neither of them seemed to be named Mary, the tension couldn’t help but loosen.

‘This is like Doraemon.’

Watching the maid named Moa carefully applying medicine over the wounds on my skin, that thought came to me.

They brought useful items from somewhere one after another without hesitation.

Where in this room had there been oil, fragrance oil, nail-trimming tools, and medicine?

Even the gown I was wearing now was something I had never seen before in my life.

“Wow, they’ve become as pretty as maple leaves, Your Highness.”

The maid named Nea, who had been kneeling in front of me to trim my nails, said with a bright smile.

At those words I looked at my fingertips and saw that the beast-like nails had become neat.

“Just a moment. I’ll apply some cream.”

Nea brought cream from somewhere and applied a generous amount to my chapped hands.

The scent of flower petals rose from the tip of my nose.

“If you are tired, shall we prepare hot water for you to soak in?”

I, who had been blinking slowly, slowly opened my mouth.

“I’ll eat and then sleep. Thank you.”

Even if these people were not the villain named Mary, they were still suspicious people sent by the empress.

It might be better to establish dominance in advance as I had planned.

But even so, I couldn’t enjoy all the conveniences to the fullest and then treat them roughly once I was done.

‘That wouldn’t be human.’

It wasn’t just the convenience.

Without them I would have had a wrestling match with the bed, and I would have worried about where and how to beg for food.

So there was no reason not to be grateful. Even if they were suspicious people sent by the empress.

‘Suspicious but kind maids…?’

At that moment something seemed about to rise in my mind, but Moa, who was arranging my hair, and Nea, who was applying cream to my hands, noticeably paused, and the thought scattered.

“We will bring the clothes for you to change into.”

When I tried to force myself to rise at their puzzling behavior, Nea said with a soft smile.

At those words I hurriedly opened my mouth.

“I don’t have any clothes…”

Looking at me, who had half-risen, Nea gently narrowed her eyes.

“Please don’t worry, Your Highness.”

She flung open the wardrobe in my room.

The wardrobe was packed full of various clothes, including nightclothes.

‘Where did those come from? The emperor again?’

What on earth was that man thinking?

Suspicious of the emperor’s intentions, I changed into nightclothes with the maids’ help.

After that I sat at the table where the food had been placed, as they led me.

“The doctor who examined Your Highness said that a light meal would be good, so we have brought a simple meal like this. We apologize, Your Highness.”

“No. Thank you.”

I said as I picked up the spoon.

“I’ll eat well.”

Moa and Nea looked at each other and made awkward expressions.

At that sight I tilted my head while still holding the spoon.

Nea opened her mouth hesitantly.

“Your Highness. We are grateful that you respect us, but we are mere maids. Please speak down to us.”

This was a hierarchical society, and no matter what my actual situation was, I was at the top of the pyramid.

I knew that, but spitting informal speech at people who treated me with politeness and respect was a difficult thing that didn’t come easily even if I deliberately tried.

“…Yes.”

Hearing my answer, Moa and Nea mumbled awkwardly but did not say anything particular.

They went to change the bed sheets, and I scooped up a spoonful of soup.

“…?!”

While eating, I tried to recall again the certain memory that had almost risen earlier but stopped.

But the taste of the soup I had scooped up in one spoonful snatched away every thought.

I wolfed down the soup in a hurry.

The taste was good, but more than that, the moment I ate one spoonful I recognized the fact that I was extremely hungry.

‘Come to think of it, when was the last time I had a proper meal?’

With my face buried in the bowl as I ate greedily, my face soon became sticky with soup.

Even knowing that, I was busy eating. Adult or whatever—there is no one who can stand before starvation.

After finishing the meal that was like a war, I lifted my face from the soup bowl.

Then Moa and Nea rushed over at once and tried to wipe my face with a wet towel.

“Ah, it’s fine. Give it to me. I can do it myself.”

When I waved my hand, Moa and Nea were startled.

“No, Your Highness! We will do it for you!”

Their eyes looked moist for some reason.

I was a little puzzled, but it was better than being looked at with contempt or pity, so I quietly accepted their touch.

*Knock knock—*

And at that moment.

When the towel fell from my face, a knock that should not have been audible was heard.