09. I should remember.
If I had to die, shouldn’t it be now?
Bianca was extremely sincere.
“If you don’t like anything, I’ll prepare it again as soon as you order.”
The gentle treatment that she could not enjoy even when she was a princess, and a luxurious bedroom that made her eyes feel blinded.
The duke’s attitude was extremely friendly, although his true feelings were unknown.
It was such a wonderful ending to a life that seemed destined to end.
As if she was a very precious person.
Everything was so incredibly perfect that the illusion of being loved was hard not to believe in.
Bianca took a deep breath.
I thought I was reflecting on my situation every now and then, but the human mind was more unreasonable than I thought.
Even though I knew it clearly.
Even though I really, really knew for sure.
But with promises to taste all the warmth I’ve been longing for my whole life, things like reason disappeared without a trace.
Bianca looked at Hailey, who was waiting for her answer, and made a harsh voice.
“Enough already.”
It was a little dangerous like this.
“The meal is ready, so there is no need to change anything. Did you say the bath water was ready?”
“Yes, madam.”
“Then, let’s take a bath right away.”
I thought I spoke in a calm voice, but the end of my words became shaky.
It was because of the emotions welling up.
I was convinced that if I didn’t get rid of them quickly, I would be in trouble.
I need to be alone!
In desperation, Bianca quickly added:
“You’ve finished serving me, so it’s okay to leave.”
I wasn’t planning on saying this, but I became impatient with the thought of having to be alone, so my tone became overbearing.
I looked back thinking it was a mistake, but Hailey’s expression didn’t change.
Not only did the gentle smile and polite attitude remain,
“Then, may I help you change clothes?”
In fact, her tone of voice became more cautious.
For some reason, I felt like crying when I saw that.
“No, I decline.”
Thanks to my close attention, my speech returned to normal, but even after sending Hailey away and being alone, my heart rate still did not calm down.
Bum babum bum.
I felt like my heart would burst at any moment.
“Ha.”
Bianca cupped her red cheeks with her hands as if to cover them.
***
“Then, shall we take you straight to your house?”
Deborah quietly nodded at the maid’s words.
Her head throbbed and her whole body ached.
Although basic treatment was provided, it was half-hearted.
She was barely able to get up and the bandage on her head came off halfway.
There was no way the treatment could have been done properly, so it was better to return to the marquis’ residence quickly, even if her whole body was screaming.
How can they treat me like this, the princess’s exclusive maid?
Although she was appalled by the unbelievable neglect, Deborah sighed as she was used to it.
When she decided to become the sinful princess’s maid, she had already prepared herself for it and experienced it many times.
She was tired now, but no matter what…
“So what time is it…?”
“It’s just past midnight.”
“Ha…..”
The moonlight shining on the top of her head made her wonder.
What if she was left unattended in the empty hall room until past midnight.
Even if they did that, it would really be too much.
Deborah, grumbling inwardly, got up and asked the maid who was watching her without an expression.
“What about the princess?”
“She left.”
It seemed like her head injury was worse than expected. She wasn’t hearing things properly.
Deborah ran her hand over her throbbing head and asked again.
“Who is attending to the princess now?”
“The princess has left.”
“…Are you talking about Princess Bianca?”
Why did she keep hearing the same words?
Deborah stood up from the sofa and responded angrily.
The maid, who had been staring blankly the whole time, approached without a sound and skillfully supported Deborah.
Living as the daughter of a marquis, Deborah also received a lot of help from the maids, but she could swear this is the first time she has received help like this!!
Somehow, a shiver runs down her spine and her blurred mind tightened.
“Thank you, but please tell me…”
“Princess Bianca left the palace with Duke Baloch.”
Tuk.
The force of pressure on her back caused Deborah to take a step with her maid without realizing it.
“What is…!”
The story I heard with my ears and my body going out of control were equally disconcerting.
“Rosvella Palace collapsed before they left.”
Tuk.
The sound of shoe heels hitting the marble floor was eerie.
“What does it mean that the palace collapsed, collapsed…”
Even though she didn’t want to, Deborah stuttered like an idiot.
It was because what she heard was so shocking.
But no matter how much she searched for memory, nothing came to mind.
Deborah’s memory was cut off around the time she was running through the first floor of Rosvella Palace.
At that time, Deborah was desperate.
The reason for sending Bianca to Duke Baloch was obvious.
It appeared as a marriage symbolising peace, but the true intention behind it was for the Emperor to escape by using Bianca as a sacrifice.
There was no need to consider his dirty and petty feelings.
Even though she was his daughter, he was always a vicious person who couldn’t wait to use her.
Didn’t she know that she was sent to him to die?
That alone made her feel heartbroken, but in fact, there was another reason why both Deborah and Elijah Marquis wanted her to escape so badly .
Bianca had been threatened all her life.
Wearing a collar that reads ‘Elijah Marquis’.
‘Was there any evidence of treason?’
The moment Bianca said those words to her begging her to run away, Deborah felt a familiar feeling of despair.
This time too, it was clear that she had been threatened.
Perhaps the boat my father launched was also discovered.
All the methods that had been prepared were in vain, so there was no way to save Bianca.
Bianca, who turned around to see her crying, was more beautiful than ever.
It was then that Deborah, who had been crying uncontrollably, came to her senses.
She realized why Bianca, who usually didn’t wear makeup, decorated herself with so much care.
She was desperately trying to win the heart of Duke Baloch for Marquis Elijah.
So I started running late.
I was trying to somehow save that poor blood relative.
‘Someone…! Someone, the princess!’
Help her!
The memory of Deborah ended with the words that could not be uttered.
The back of her head was throbbing.
Tuk.
“Can’t we just leave this place that dares to look down on the person who will become the Lady of the North?”
Her tone of voice was friendly and her actions were moderate.
However, Deborah had a strong feeling that this was no ordinary maid.
Although her imperial etiquette was perfect, it was different from that of a maid.
This…
“Are you a knight?”
A faint laugh rang out at Deborah’s words
“Baloch’s?”
“How are you feeling?”
She didn’t deny it.
Perhaps because she thought her identity had been revealed, the knight became even more aggressive in her movements, as if she had given up pretending to be a maid.
Her stride instantly became wider, her body gained strength, and her actions became lighter.
“You were rescued. You were found accidentally after being caught in an explosion and losing consciousness. Yiu suffered serious injuries that no one would suspect it even if you needed about five years of treatment, but you were lucky enough to have suffered no aftereffects.”
“Do you think this is Baloch’s workmanship?”
There was no answer back.
Deborah burst into silent laughter when she realized that the sound of her shoes hitting the floor had completely disappeared.
She had never seen such a monster in her life.
Well, didn’t they say that Duke Baloch wasn’t human either?
He was said to have single-handedly killed the monsters beyond the ice wall.
As she walked, her head pounding, Deborah realized that her condition was much worse than she thought.
She didn’t know how she knew it, but she had a strong feeling that she was going to lose consciousness soon.
“What about my sister?”
“She left.”
“She did it safely, right? Is she alive?”
Her mind became blurry and she couldn’t tell if I was walking or being dragged by the ‘maid’.
“Her arms and legs are fine, she is alive… right?”
“Who would dare harm the Lady of the North?”
“Of course…”
Deborah’s voice, which had been continuing intermittently, suddenly stopped, along with the feeling of the floor suddenly rising.
Amidst the eerie silence everywhere, the ‘maid’ who lightly held the fallen Deborah moved quickly and at an incredibly light pace compared to before.
It was almost like she was half running.
The place where she stopped walking was where she felt like she was outside.
She put Deborah down then carried her on her back, but she began to moan in pain.
“Who, gasp, is there anyone?”
“….Who are you?”
“Well, Deborah is going to die! Omg.”
“Deborah?”
The knights who seemed to be on guard came running one by one at the familiar name.
Deborah Ilion was more famous than anyone else in the imperial palace today.
The former maid of honor for Princess Bianca who luckily survived a castle that collapsed without warning.
Since her owner, Bianca, who had left for the duke’s residence, did not take her, she should have been sent as a maid to another royal family, but because her condition was critical, the imperial family decided to let her be.
The knights helped the maid, who was collapsing under the weight, and helped Deborah into Marquis Elijah’s carriage.
Everything went smoothly.
The escape of Deborah, who was originally a great ‘hostage’, was not supposed to be handled this easily.
However, the doctor’s opinion that the prognosis of Deborah would not be very good even after recovery due to her severe head injury was decisive.
Deborah, in her condition, was of no value.
Rather, she would only incur the resentment of Marquis Elijah.
That was the reason for her release.
As a result of today’s incident, the imperial family suffered great losses in one way or another.
“Then, I’ll be back.”
In response to the young maid’s words, the knights stepped aside, adding that she should be careful.
The makeshift drawbridge was lowered long ago, and Marquis Elijah’s carriage could leave the castle in an instant.
Takkak. Takkak.
The sound of horseshoes hitting the well-paved road was loud.
***
I sat in the bathtub until the steaming water cooled down and only then did I come to my senses.
Bianca began to tremble as she looked for her clothes.
I’m not the type of person who likes to overwork my body, but today was exceptional.
I believed that I had given up on things like expectations a long time ago.
However, she couldn’t quite grasp the excitement she felt at the sight of the friendly Duke and the Duke’s staff that treated her with utmost respect.
When I soaked myself in the cold water that made me feel like my whole body was freezing, my excitement calmed down and I was reminded of my own situation that I had forgotten about.
The enemy’s daughter.
The imperial shackles.
“……..”
Bianca got out of the bathtub and shook out her wet hair with her cold hands.
It was so cold that my whole body felt frozen.
I really needed a cup of warm chocolate and a thick robe.
When Bianca who was trembling about to pull the rope.
The angry Emperor’s shout struck her head like a thunderbolt.
‘How dare you, you were born to kill people!’
Her white hand that had lost its way fell.
***
TL:
I know that I may have made a lot of mistakes, please point it out if you find it and don’t fell shy ~
