The Tyrant’s Leash Is Held by a Maid

Ch. 16:

Deborah stared at Liana’s bandaged foot and said, “Go to the dorm and apply more medicine. If it gets worse, it’ll be a big problem.”

“Yes, I’ll put it on.”

Despite Liana’s agreement, Deborah didn’t trust that her friend would follow through on taking care of herself. Worried, she said again, “Don’t forget! You always say you’re going to and then you don’t.”

“Alright, I promise.” With that, Liana scanned the ballroom. It didn’t take long for the faithful maid to find her lady.

‘Ah, there she is.’

Lady Natasha stood in the middle of the hall in her elegant navy dress. She was talking to someone Liana didn’t recognize- a man with jet-black hair and a matching black suit.

‘Which family is he from?’

The man was very tall and had a stern look about him. As Liana looked at him curiously, Deborah leaned in and whispered, “That’s the crown prince.”

Liana’s eyes widened. “His Highness the Crown Prince?!”

“Yeah. He’s really different from the second prince, isn’t he?”

Liana nodded in agreement, then turned to look again.

Just then, Illyd approached Natasha and his brother, cocktail in hand. This allowed Liana to compare the Imperial siblings at a glance.

Lennox Antonius Kadogan. The crown prince was the opposite of the second prince- even his name sounded dignified. A man with a commanding presence befitting his status, he had sky-blue eyes and hair so black it seemed to absorb even the brightest light. His tight jaw and strong frame, combined with his icy eyes, suggested a frigid temper.

The Kadogan Empire was a country that regularly expanded its territory through conquest. Considering this, it could be said that Lennox’s stern gaze was very suitable for the country’s crown prince. But what about his younger brother?

Liana’s gaze shifted from Lennox to the man now standing beside him, Illyd.

The second prince, who did not have to carry the heavy burden of being heir to the crown, always had a gentle smile on his face. His blond hair looked like spun gold in the light, and his eyes were like jewels, their color somewhere between sapphire and aquamarine. But there was something impish about his radiant face. If Lennox was the epitome of dignity, Illyd was the personification of a mischievous angel.

But if Liana was so bold as to choose between the two…

“Doesn’t it feel like the crown prince is being overshadowed?” Deborah giggled and whispered in a low voice. Liana shushed her scoldingly, but inwardly she couldn’t help but agree.

The crown prince was quite good-looking, but when his opponent was Prince Illyd… it was only natural that a wolf didn’t look impressive next to a lion.

Liana stared at Illyd, whose presence was impossible to ignore, then turned her head away. No wonder he couldn’t remember his maid’s names- it would be too much to remember even the names of all the noblewomen approaching him.

She let out an involuntary sigh. Then, Natasha turned her head towards the maids, making eye contact with Liana.

Realizing she was looking for her, Liana got up from her seat, telling Deborah, “I’ll go check on the lady.”

Only a few people remained at the edge of the ballroom since the dancing had begun. Natasha was not there either, instead walking to the maid’s waiting room near the entrance.

Liana, who ran into her at the edge of the hall, bowed her head politely. “Did you call me, Lady Natasha?”

“Yes, I need you to fetch me a shawl from the carriage. And…” After glancing around, Natasha leaned in to whisper in Liana’s ear. As she approached, the scent of her lily perfume Liana had sprayed on her a few hours before wafted around them. “Do you see the man in the gray tailcoat over there? On the second-floor terrace?”

Liana subtly turned her head to look. Everyone was dancing, and the terrace was empty except for a man with brown hair and a gray tailcoat. He had leaned over the railing to watch the people dancing as he sipped his cocktail, but his eyes were empty, as if he wasn’t taking any of it in.

“Yes, I see him,” Liana said, nodding.

“That’s Benjamin Owen. Here, take this.” Natasha slipped a small note into Liana’s hand. “Give it to him, and make sure nobody notices.”

Liana’s eyes sparkled at the young woman’s command. It seemed her clever mistress was already making her move. “Leave it to me, my lady!”

It had to be done without error- her lady’s future depended on it. Determined, Liana carefully put the note in her inner pocket and turned to leave.

Natasha watched the maid’s back as she walked away, and then slowly turned back to face the ballroom, fan covering the lower half of her face.

***

“Ah, I found it!” Liana finally caught sight of the ladder she had been searching for and sighed, squeezing the note in her pocket.

A maid ascending to the second floor via the marble staircase inside the hall would have been far too noticeable, so Liana had decided to find another way. She was certain there would be a fire escape.

Just as she predicted, Liana could see a ladder going up to the second floor behind the building. For a moment she hesitated, afraid to climb a ladder in the dark, but this was important. She bravely began walking towards it.

‘It’s in the imperial palace, so it should be safe. Lady Natasha’s future is at stake… I must deliver this note, no matter what.’

She had just rounded the corner, muttering to herself soothingly, when something flew past her and hit the wall.

‘What-?!’

Liana moved her eyes to where the object had landed, not even daring to breathe, and saw her pale reflection in something reflective, like a mirror…

Embedded right next to her face was a gleaming blade.

“Ah….!”

As soon as she realized, she stepped back frantically, but someone grabbed her. Before she could so much as scream she had been pushed to her knees, arms jerked behind her back and her mouth covered.

It seemed the person holding Liana was a woman in black, but it had happened so quickly she had no idea what was going on.

“Where did you hear about this? It was top secret. And don’t give me the excuse that you just happened to be here- not at this time of day.”

Pain shot through her from the nape of her neck due to how strong the grip on her was, but Liana couldn’t even groan. She had no idea why this was happening or who this woman was.

She could feel the damp earth on her knees, and the sharp blades of grass brushed her face as she was pushed to the ground and her hands were tied.

‘Why are you doing this?’ Liana tried to ask with her eyes, still unable to speak. But despite her confusion, things only got worse.

The woman roughly searched her body, soon finding the note Liana had tucked into the pocket in her skirt. Her forehead, the only part of her face visible through the mask she wore, wrinkled as though she was frowning. Still holding Liana tightly, she turned her head to the side and said, “You can come out now.”

“Why were you sent here?” A sharp voice came from the darkness, and Liana strained her ears, trying desperately to place the owner. “You don’t look like much. You don’t even look like you can wield a dagger. So, how did you end up in this place?”

Finally able to speak, Liana gasped, “I- I’m just here to deliver a note! From Lady Natasha Baldwin to Sir Benjamin Owen!”

“To my son?” Another voice boomed from the darkness.

Liana’s eyes widened as she spotted a stout body emerging from the bushes. This was someone she knew. It was the Marquis Arnold Owen, recognizable by the few hairs left on his balding head.

The Marquis reached out to the masked woman, a look of displeasure on his face. “Give it to me.” As he began to read the note, his expression crumpled in anger. He balled up the piece of paper and said, voice, low, “Where did this bitch…”

His sagging cheeks were red with anger.

“How the hell does the Earl of Baldwin manage his daughter?! It’s only been two weeks since that bastard promised her to me!”

“Keep your voice down.”

“But your highness, Baldwin’s youngest daughter has sent a love letter to my second son! All the business opportunities I missed out on to get my hands on her…!”

“Marquis Owen. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Arnold scowled at the order, but he remained quiet.

Liana, who had been listening to this exchange from her position on the ground, raised her eyes. She desperately hoped she had misheard as she watched the figure emerge from behind the stairs.

But the aristocratic man who stepped out onto the grass arrogantly, looking out of place in the darkness, was exactly who she had feared.

‘Lennox Antonios Kadogan…!’

The crown prince of the empire looked at the cloaked woman with a murderous expression. “Vanessa. I believe you guaranteed no one would come by here.”

“This is due to my negligence, your highness.”

Lennox clicked his tongue and lowered his gaze. Upon meeting the man’s cold blue eyes, Liana unconsciously lowered her own. She knew that look- it was one of utter contempt, like he was looking at an insect.

Liana’s mind was filled with excuses. She had only been following orders! It hadn’t even occurred to her that anyone would be back here, let alone a prince and a Marquis!

Even after wracking her brain and piecing together context clues, she couldn’t grasp the nature of this situation. There was one thing she was sure of, though… whatever was happening back here was illegal and should not have been seen by others.

‘And now I’m a witness.’

Liana bit her lip, feeling like a bug crawling on the floor.

She had seen them- that was her only sin. But for an insect in someone else’s home, that was a terrible sin indeed.

“What should we do?”

“The Baldwin family’s maid…” The prince paused for only a moment, then made his decision without much thought. “Get rid of her. Leave no trace.”

 

TL/N: Well that escalated quickly O.O I’m probably gonna translate the next few chapters quicker than usual cuz things are getting interesting and I shooould save them up for busy weeks but… leave a comment if you want me to post the next chapter tomorrow instead of waiting till Monday and I will! I wanna know what you guys think <3