Chapter 4
With such strong determination, Cezanne moved without anyone’s knowledge as the night fell. She changed into clothes that the maids would wear.
She heard that Fletta’s room was in the maid’s palace since she did not receive a separate palace like the other princesses.
It took her a long time to reach the maid’s palace from the 2nd princess palace because she had to avoid encountering people.
In particular, if the maids at her palace saw her, she would be summoned back to her palace.
After the maids passed by, she successfully entered the maid’s palace after aiming for a time when people were scarce.
Now the problem was figuring out where Fletta’s room was.
‘It must be the oldest and most shabby room.’
‘Was it here?’ Cezanne tilted her head. There was a place that seemed to be a storage for things rather than a place where a person lived.
Her prediction was right. A small room without even a single moonlight. As she lifted her foot and peered through the gratings, she could see a dirty, ragged bed.
The door had a rusty but thick padlock, and a key was inserted.
It looked like it was made so that she could not open and leave the room from the inside. When she pushed the door, it opened with a squeaking sound.
It was such a cramped and shabby place that it was hard to believe that a person lived there. As she stepped inside, the foul smell of filth stung her nostrils.
‘Oh my gosh.’
Cezanne came inside and took a deep breath. Her heart was beating like crazy, and her hands were wet with sweat.
Squeak.
At that moment, something black flicked past the floor. She suppressed her desire to step back immediately out of disgust.
The only furniture in the room was a small chair and a ragged bed.
Cezanne stiffened at the sight she saw the next moment.
A small figure was tied to an old chair.
The eyes, which now became more accustomed to the darkness, captured the image of a child.
The messy hair that she saw during the day; it was indeed Fletta.
Her head was drooping as if she had already lost consciousness.
Cezanne went close and cast a spell.
“Light!”
The sphere of light that rose from Cezanne’s fingertips brightly lit the surroundings, but the view before her eyes was a terrible sight that was hard to look at.
Slender limbs and a limp body similar to a corpse.
Fletta’s face looked pale as if there were no trace of blood. Her lips were dry and her forehead was covered in cold sweat.
The red wounds on her exposed limbs were covered in blood scabs.
Her wrists and ankles were bound with tight shackles, so blood did not pass through properly, which then led her to bleed.
A fly buzzed over the child’s dry lips, but the child did not even budge.
‘Unbelievable. This is…’
While looking at Fletta, Cezanne felt her eyes and cheeks heating up.
Cezanne was surprised when she touched Fletta’s body. The child’s body was very cold.
‘Is she dead, by any chance?’
Looking at her state, it looked so serious that it would not be strange if she died right away.
Cezanne shuddered and bit her lips.
Whether they were from the imperial family or not, it didn’t matter.
‘How can you do this to a person?’
She felt anger and compassion at the same time. Cezanne unwittingly took off her shawl and covered the child’s body.
The pale, bare child seemed as if the fire igniting within her had been extinguished.
Cezanne hugged the child over her shawl for a while, forgetting everything she had decided to abandon the child.
If she could share even a little bit of warmth… She would gladly do it..
Now, she had a great desire to save the poor child in front of her. Cezanne wiped away her tears and went out immediately to call a maid.
Fletta was moved to a bed in another room so that she could be examined and treated immediately.
Looking at the child, the doctor said, “It seems she has been severely malnourished, dehydrated, and sick. If it hadn’t been discovered right away, it would have been a real disaster.”
“I see.”
“The scars on her body, how is she in such a terrible state…”
Cezanne nodded as even the doctor was speechless and filled with pity.
Mrs. Milla, who was called in late, showed a sad expression on her face.
“The Pri, Princess saved our Miss Fletta. I didn’t know this was happening…”
Cezanne glared at Mrs. Milla, who was acting casually.
“Mrs. Milla, are you saying that you had no idea about this…at all?”
“Yes, that, that’s right. I really didn’t know about it. She always ate well.”
Mrs. Milla’s lie made Cezanne speechless, but she decided to ask again.
“Tell me. What’s your main job?”
“I, I am to directly discipline the maids myself.”
“Not that.”
“Of course, I’m the nanny of Miss Fletta.”
“A nanny locked the child in such a room and tied her up with chains?”
“N, No. That’s because Miss Fletta is so ill-mannered that she needs to be disciplined. I only did it for that reason. Please don’t get me wrong.”
“Is it a form of discipline to starve a child and beat her up like a beggar?”
“I, I have never done such a thing. Actually, Miss Fletta doesn’t eat and wash well. But I’ve never hit Miss Fletta before. I’m afraid she probably fell and hit herself.”
Cezanne felt something swell inside.
Cezanne beckoned to Mrs. Milla, who spoke with a brazen face, and gestured at her to raise her head in front of her. Without a moment’s hesitation, Cezanne raised her hand.
Slap!
Mrs. Milla’s head turned sideways.
“You’re fired for abandoning your duty.”
“Yes? Pri, Princess, what…”
Mrs. Milla touched her red, swollen cheek, and looked at her with a look of resentment and absurdity.
“It doesn’t make sense that the nanny didn’t know about the condition of the child.”
“…That, that’s because I was busy disciplining the other young maids. This is not fair. Princess! Please revoke your order!”
“Get that noisy girl out of here and put her in jail at once. Don’t give her food or water for three days.”
“Yes, 2nd Princess.”
“Ack! N, No! You, let go of me. Princess, Princess!”
When the two maids dragged Mrs. Milla, who kept on struggling, out, it became quieter.
Cezanne looked down at the child as the doctor gave her medicine and the healer casted a healing spell on her.
Her pale complexion had improved and she was sleeping deeply.
Cezanne, who was still looking down at Fletta, murmured to herself.
“She’s really small.”
She didn’t know how old she was, but she was really small.
Considering the shabby room, she must have not eaten properly.
She was even given terrible corporal punishments, and was often shackled and beaten. That must be why she couldn’t grow up properly.
“Princess!”
When they heard the news, Mel and the other maids from the Second Princess Palace came.
“…I just stopped by on the way.”
It was a sillt=y excuse, but Mel didn’t ask any further questions.
“It’s getting late. The Empress will be very worried if this is known. I’ll have other maids to attend to Miss Fletta so it would be better for the Princess to return to the Palace.”
Even though Mel said that, she still had a bit of trouble dealing with the vile and dirty Fletta.
“Okay. Then, as soon as she wakes up, prepare a warm meal and bath for her.”
“I understand. I’ll tell them that.”
At Mel’s words, all the maids in the maid’s palace avoided eye contact. She pointed out one of them and ordered them to take care of Fletta. Cezanne, then, returned to the Second Princess Palace.
‘Will they really take good care of Fletta? It somehow bothers me for no reason.’
Around noon the next day, Cezanne entered the room where Fletta was staying with her maid. Sure enough, Fletta’s appearance was still dirty. They didn’t even wash her face. Moreover, the child was sleeping as if she had fainted.
“What’s going on here?”
Cezanne’s eyes made Mel bring the maid with a perplexed look. The maid, who had been quietly watching, answered.
“…Miss Fletta never woke up.”
Not long after, she heard a small noise from the bed.
Rustle.
It was the sound coming from under the covers. Fletta, who was rolling her black eyes, couldn’t speak because she didn’t know what was going on.
“Bring me a meal right now.”
When Cezanne’s order was given, the maid rushed to the kitchen of the Imperial Palace.
Fletta had no idea how to behave. She wanted to get up from the bed, but she didn’t know if she could. She thought it over, but she was still perplexed.
‘Where am I?’
It was not a room like the prison she had always stayed in, but a clean room with bright lights.
For some reason, her body felt light and refreshed. What happened while she was sleeping?
When people saw her, they either avoided, cursed, or bullied her. It was her first time to be in the same space with so many people.
The most amazing thing was the presence of that person with such a shining appearance.
The second princess, who is said to be as beautiful as a fairy— even looking at her felt like she was committing a sacrilegious crime, so Fletta tried to drop her gaze to the floor.
‘Why is the 2nd princess in this room?’
Has she done something wrong? Did she come to punish her?
By the time Fletta reached a conclusion, she met Cezanne’s green eyes.
Clear and transparent emerald eyes.
“Ah…”
Come to think of it, whenever she sees the princess, she has to greet her with courtesy… but she forgot again. Foolish Fletta.
If Mrs. Milla knew this, she might not feed her for another few days and hit her.
“I greet the 2nd Princess…”
Fletta, who was forced to raise herself, looked up at her and offered her greetings.
Cezanne approached the bed and said, “Don’t do that. Lie down.”
“……”
Cezanne gently pushed Fletta with her palm to lie down again. Fletta glanced at Cezanne without saying a word.
She was so beautiful that words alone couldn’t describe it.
The prettiest thing that Fletta had ever seen in her life was a white rabbit with soft fur, and the princess had just taken its place.
In addition, the princess smelled very good.
It was the first time that she had seen the princess so close and had a conversation with her.
‘I don’t know what it is, but did she come to punish me?’
Fletta tilted her head, and her stomach growled again.
As she buried her head under the blanket in embarrassment, she heard Cezanne’s voice along with a fragrant smell.
“Here, have a meal.”
