Joy could not sit impatiently and went round and round the same seat like a cockroach.
“I’m going crazy! Because I’m sitting still!”
“Where did the princess go?”
Dorothea left Joy in the palace and went somewhere. Joy had no idea how she was going. Dorothea said, ‘I’m going to get the liver and gallbladder from you, so wash your body clean and change your clothes.’
Then she went away.
Because of that, Joy was caught by the servants of the palace and washed away the dirty body for more than an hour. She felt like her skin was peeling off after washing.
Then they put on a lace dress on Joy. The dress, which appears to be Dorothea’s, was too small for tall Joy, so the length was high above the knee and short sleeves.
Joy lowered down the dress that kept going up several times.
Wearing a dress like a princess, and applying oil with a strange scent to her hair, the smell of flowers came out of her hair.
It’s not that she didn’t like the rich clothes, but the clothes she wore for the first time were awkward and even embarrassing. Besides, it wasn’t just that it was uncomfortable. It was like committing a sin because it felt like Joy was wearing something she shouldn’t have worn, and it seemed like she was going to get ridiculed because it was obvious that it wouldn’t suit her.
‘What the hell is the princess going to do…?’
Joy nervously drenched her cracked lips with her saliva.
‘You’re not really going to steal my liver and gallbladder, are you?’
Joy had already asked to save her brother and the deal had been made, so she couldn’t change her mind.
Joy’s father, Gutt, came in after drinking alcohol and swung his hand at Joy, saying, ‘ A person shouldn’t speak two words with one mouth since they were born.’
It was also unfair when he hit Joy not to say anything even though she said only one word.
‘He says a hundred words with one mouth…’
In front of her father, whose words change according to his mood, he was always right.
‘But what about Po without me? What if he lives alone with my father?’
Joy was worried about her younger brother as she let go of her combed hair.
‘Shall I go find my mother who ran away and ask if she can take care of Poe since I cannot take care of him anymore?’
While she was in serious trouble, she heard the sound of a carriage returning from afar. The servant of the palace told Joy to come out and took him in front of Dorothea as she got off the carriage.
Dorothea got out of the carriage with arrogant steps and immediately found Joy and stopped. Standing in front of Dorothea, Joy clenched her fists and couldn’t lift her head.
Instead, she pulled her fists down several times over the dress that showed her knees.
‘I’m ashamed of my clothes, what is this!’
Joy closed his eyes tightly.
Unsurprisingly, the princess looked at Joy’s outfit and touched her chin as if she didn’t like it, and the bear-like knight kept his mouth shut with a flat face.
“You don’t seem to have the guts.”
Dorothea, who was fiddling with her chin, nodded as if she realized.
Joy didn’t understand what she was saying.
“Follow me.”
Dorothea said a word to Joy, who was bowing her head and entered the Palace.
Stefan beckoned Joy, who was standing still, to follow Dorothea.
Dorothea took Joy to a room with a closet large enough to use as a home. As soon as Dorothea arrived, the servants opened several closet doors.
Dorothea was certainly frugal among the nobles, but she still needed a spacious dressing room. The clothes were neatly hung in the closet, and it was very different from Joy’s house, where tattered clothes were folded in corners or stuffed in old baskets.
Clothes were occupied one by one, proudly as if they were precious things.
No, clothes must be very precious.
Joy guessed that those clothes would cost more than Her ransom.
Dorothea looked at those precious things with stern eyes and pulled out brown pants and a white blouse from one side. The high-waisted trousers that reached the waist were wide, but it looked neat because of the crease angle and the basic blouse without decorations was white and clean without any stains.
Dorothea glanced at her clothes and Joy, giving her a rough estimate of Joy’s length.
“Change your clothes.”
At Dorothea’s words, the servant took Joy and changed her clothes in an instant.
‘What’s so special about a change of clothes, why do people rush to it like this?’
But what was better was that the changed clothes were less colorful than the previous ones and were easier to move around.
“What do you think?”
“Better than before. Previously, the clothes looked too expensive and burdensome.”
Joy thought that the clothes she was wearing now had little decoration and looked casual, so it would be cheaper than the previous ones.
‘It would be better not to know that the clothes you are wearing now are three times more expensive than the dress you were wearing earlier.’
Dorothea looked at Joy and smiled.
Unlike before, when she was very upset and embarrassed, Joy looked a little more comfortable now.
“But I can’t go to the mines wearing these clothes…”
“Who wears those clothes to go to the mines?”
Why are you going to the mines in those expensive clothes?
“Then?”
“I told you to give me everything, including liver and gallbladder.”
“Yes…”
“So, if you want to go, you have to leave your liver and gallbladder.”
“….”
At Dorothea’s words, Joy closed her eyes as if she had given up and knelt down
“What are you doing?”
“I will ask you one last time. Kill me at once.”
“….?”
Joey shook his head and placed his hands neatly on his lap.
‘No way, are you putting your head out for me to hit your head?’
Dorothea opened her mouth wide, unable to say anything, as she was determined to be ignorant and ignorant.
‘You’re second after Ray for not paying attention.’
Dorothea sighed deeply.
“I mean you have to work for me from now on.”
“Then the Count?”
Joey lifted his head, which had dropped.
‘You are afraid of the Count in front of the princess.’
Dorothea crossed her arms and looked down at Joy.
“Would the count be strong or would I be strong?”
“Count.”
Dorothea’s forehead wrinkled at the answer, and the faces of Stefan and the servants who were beside her also hardened.
“Why? Isn’t the Count bigger?”
Dorothea was nothing more than a 12-year-old. So it was a natural conclusion that she would lose if she fought the Count.
‘Princess was strong enough to make it to the final of a swordsmanship competition, but if the count hits her, she’ll die, right?’
Dorothea’s short fist won’t even reach the Count.
Joy had a confident expression on her face, and Dorothea clicked her tongue at the imposing foolishness that was beyond common sense.
“Where should I start teaching you?”
“Why? I know everything I need to know.”
Joy opened her chest and exclaimed as if her self-esteem had been hurt.
‘Ha, Yes. What do you know?’
As Dorothea gave her a rough look of approval, Joey stood up with her knees bent and looked as if she knew something great.
“Does that princess know how babies are born?”
At Joy’s question, Clara and Stefan behind her, as well as everyone, fell into a moment of silence.
Clara and Stefan’s eyes glanced at Dorothea.
They seemed to think that Dorothea was still a pure princess who did not know the secrets of adults. She had never taught anything like that in this seaside private palace.
* * *
“Don’t you know?”
“I know.”
Why I don’t know. I was a married woman in my first life. Of course, I’ve never spent the night with Theon, but I know everything!
But at my answer, Clara and Stefan looked into each other’s eyes. Their eyes could also be felt in the back of my head.
“How does the Princess know that? Maybe she believes the stork will bring the baby?”
As Clara whispered in her mouth, Stephan thought seriously and nodded.
‘I can hear you, Clara, and why are you nodding, Stefan?’
“Don’t pretend to know such a useless thing while you’re here from now on. It’s forbidden.”
At my words, Joey raised an eyebrow in triumph as if she had won.
“I can’t talk even though I know, Princess?”
“You are more childish when you talk about things like that. And from now on, don’t talk nonsense to me.”
“Are you upset, Princess?”
“No, I’m not.”
I’m not upset. it’s that I was trying to point it out from the beginning!
It was a thing that I thought Joy had to fix because the tone that crossed that line was annoying. It will be fun if she leaves it alone, but one day, if she gets caught by someone by mistake, her neck might be blown away.
“And no swearing. From now on, learn the etiquette thoroughly.”
I took the list of simple etiquettes I had been carrying out of my arms and handed it to Joy. But Joy didn’t take the list and stood still.
“I can’t read.”
“Oh My God…, there is more to teach than I think.”
I forgot for a moment that there were only a few people who could read among the common people.
“I have to teach you letters first.”
“Do I need to know the letters? I didn’t know until now, and I lived a good life. Everyone I know doesn’t know how to write, but they live a good life. Even my father doesn’t know the letters, but he’s living well up to that age.”
The only thing Joy’s father, Gutt, could read was the cards.
No, her father was in debt because he couldn’t even read it well.
Knowing her well, my eyes narrowed.
“Did you almost get dragged into the mines by living well without knowing the letters? with your brother?”
“That has nothing to do with reading or not being able to read!”
“Unfortunately, it does matter. To be able to read is to expand the world many times. And the wider world gives you more opportunities and more power.”
However, Joy’s face, not understanding it, became slightly sulky.
‘I think she resembles someone who is ignorant and has no interest in studying.’
I sighed heavily.
“So, Joy, What jobs do you have confidence in?”
* * *
