Ch. 18:
Liana was bewildered as Illyd looked at the large handprint on her wrist.
“It doesn’t look like it belongs to that masked woman. Was it Lennox, or was it Marquis Owen?”
“This is… it’s a bruise that has nothing to do with this.”
Illyd was silent at her words.
Liana kept her head down and tried again to pull her hand out of his grip, but he was inescapable.
“Balls are more than just entertainment for nobles, you know,” Illyd said, finally letting go of her with a sigh.
Liana bowed her head lower, expressing her gratitude once again. “Thank you, your highness.”
“If you’re grateful, don’t speak of today’s incident to anyone.” His face was impassive as he watched her. “Especially to your master.”
“…Yes.”
“You’re better off keeping quiet. It’s not just your livelihood at stake, it’s your life.”
Did that mean there was more to come? Liana looked up at Illyd with a puzzled expression, but his gaze was elsewhere.
“What’s this?” His brow furrowed, Illyd leaned down and picked something up.
Recognizing it as the note from Lady Natasha, Liana gasped and reached for it. “That’s, that’s mine!”
Illyd waved her off as though her interruption was nothing. “I picked it up, so now it’s mine.”
He scanned the note quickly and frowned. The pale-faced maid winced, unable to hide her distress.
“Did Natasha tell you to send this to Benjamin Owen?”
“No, she told me to…”
“[There’s no way you can speak Etailan.]”
The note was written in Etailan. The loyal maid, who hadn’t even opened the note, broke out in a cold sweat as she heard the prince speak the aristocratic language fluently.
Though their affair was short-lived, he had shared a bed with Lady Natasha. While the flirtation with Benjamin Owen was just insurance to protect the lady’s future, it would look very bad to the man who was her current lover.
“Hm… Alright.”
Contrary to Liana’s fretting as she tried to think up excuses, there was no significant change in Illyd’s expression.
“You came here to deliver this by climbing that ladder to the second floor?” he muttered, expression lightening.
Maybe he was the type of person who smiled when he was angry? Liana cautiously reached out for the note and was surprised when he returned it obediently.
“Well, I suppose Natasha should be prepared.” He smiled at Liana, who blinked in surprise. “As I said, I’m a generous lover.”
“Yes…” Liana nodded eagerly in agreement, though she privately thought that it seemed more neglectful than generous.
Illyd glanced at her face, which was still deathly pale. “Wouldn’t it be better for you to leave early and go rest?”
“…I have more work to do.”
“The life of a maid sure is hard. Even though you almost died, you have to work until the end of the party.”
Liana didn’t respond, unsure of what he wanted her to say. She kept her head down, trying to straighten out the crumpled piece of paper.
Illyd was staring at her intently, his gaze piercing.
‘I’ll get the job done, even if there’s an accident, because that’s my duty.’ Liana, stubborn in her sincerity, glanced upwards. ‘So I’d really appreciate it if you would tell me I can leave…’
As she mentally prepared herself to climb the ladder with her shaky legs, Illyd called out, “Sheron, isn’t there another evacuation staircase around here?”
“…I don’t know.” A man with curly brown hair and a grumpy expression appeared from behind the corner, and Liana shivered at his deadpan voice.
Illyd looked at him, smiling familiarly. “Why are you being like this? You definitely know.”
At the prince’s joke, the man- Sheron- gave him a dark look. “If you’re going to do something rash again, please tell me beforehand. Working for you is going to give me a heart attack.”
“Aw, c’mon, I know you love it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Sharon scoffed. “I’m really going to retire. As soon as I pay off that carriage and suit from last time…”
Finally noticing Liana, he cleared his throat and spoke in a commanding voice. “The emergency staircase to the Great Hall to the left. It’s straight across from here, in the center of the wall.”
Illyd laughed at the solemn appearance of his faithful attendant. Sheron frowned at him, but it wasn’t at all intimidating.
“Thank you, Mr. Sheron.” Liana curtsied low in gratitude and began to shuffle away.
‘Ugh, why didn’t I put my shoes on properly…?’
As Liana stumbled along, cursing herself for her stupid choices, she heard Illyd’s voice behind her.
“Liana.”
She turned to look at him nervously and saw his blue eyes trained on her.
“Make sure to put some medicine on your wounds, okay?”
Was it because her heart was still pounding? His eyes, which had always seemed so distant, suddenly seemed so warm.
* * *
“Here, Phoebe.” Liana picked up her niece easily despite her bruised wrists. “Where did you say your savings are?”
The child looked up at her aunt sleepily. “In the bottom drawer of the dresser, in the smallest bag.”
“Alright. And what should you do if I don’t come home one day?”
“I’ll go to Aunt Deborah with that bag.”
“That’s right, Phoebe. And the fact that you have money saved up?”
“I won’t tell anyone, I promise! Not even Alice,” Phoebe swore, putting her tiny hand over her heart. Then she rubbed her eyes and whined, “Auntie, do we really have to talk about this right now? I was sleeping really well…”
“Sorry sweetheart, I was in a hurry.” Liana kissed the child on the forehead and patted her back a few times. After a few more confirmations from her niece, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Alright, let’s go to bed.”
Liana laid Phoebe’s head down on the pillow and rubbed her shoulder as she got comfortable. The child looked at the woman’s ashen face and asked, “What happened, Auntie? You’re so pale.”
“Nothing happened, I just look like this because I spent too long washing my face. Don’t worry, you can go back to sleep.”
Phoebe, reassured by her aunt’s smile, soon closed her eyes and began to exhale evenly as she drifted off to sleep.
Liana continued to pat the child at a pace similar to her own heartbeat. It wasn’t just to appease her niece.
As she watched Phoebe sink deeper and deeper into slumber, Liana’s shoulders finally relaxed. She was so relieved to have made it back alive.
If she had died today, she never would have seen this sweet little face again.
It felt like an eternity before she could take her eyes off Phoebe, but eventually she gingerly rose from her seat.
The salve she’d used on Phoebe before should be around here somewhere…
Liana silently rummaged through the drawers, relying on moonlight to see. Soon she found the yellow ointment container and sat down in front of her desk.
She winced as the medicine touched her reddened flesh. It seemed she had been hurt worse than she thought. But she pushed through the pain to carefully apply the ointment and cover the wounds with white bandages.
As she lowered the bandage to her wrist, her eyes suddenly fell on her hands.
When she had first begun working as a maid, her first assignment was to the kitchen.
Her hands had to be wet all day long to handle the endless number of dishes she had to clean. Naturally, the baking soda, vinegar, and salt in the water had left her hands damaged.
It wasn’t noticeable from afar, but even after all these years, Deborah still got a sad look on her face when she looked at them closely. But despite her friend’s thoughts on the matter, Liana wasn’t ashamed of her mangled hands.
She was the sole guardian of her young niece, and a grown woman who had to provide for herself. She had always been proud of her scars because they were a testament to how hard she had worked to survive.
Today, however…
Liana stopped without putting on the last of the bandages.
Today, she had been ashamed. Illyd’s hands were so beautiful, like he had never done any hard work in his life. It would have been obvious to him how damaged her hands were, even if he hadn’t touched them.
Liana closed her eyes tightly. Without her permission, her mind rewound backwards, replaying the events of earlier in the night.
At the moment she truly thought she was about to die, the clang of sword against sword had rung out like a church bell. Guided by that sound, she had turned her head and seen Illyd standing there.
The backlight had surrounded him like a halo, and his dazzlingly blue eyes were like the dawn breaking at the end of a terrible night. In that perfect moment, he was her saving grace.
Liana realized then why people believe in God. The relief that runs through their veins, the intensity of their faith.
Paradoxically, that moment of relief had also made her realize just how terrified she was. She had been seconds away from getting murdered.
Her hands trembled as she realized the obvious. If Illyd hadn’t come at the right time, she would have been buried in the ground without saying goodbye to Phoebe.
No last words… not even a will.
Liana was grateful to him. She was glad that he had spared her life, even if it was an accident, even if it was only to prevent his brother’s moral corruption. It was a blessing that she would be allowed to continue living this humble life of hers.
Yes, it was only natural that she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
Even in the darkness behind her eyelids, she saw his shining hair, as bright as stars. Her heart fluttered in her chest like a butterfly.
Despite her exhaustion, her mind kept drifting back to him, further complicating her already mixed-up mind.
And so Liana sat there for a long time, unable to finish wrapping the last bandage as her thoughts raced.
TL/N: AAAAAAH she’s fallen for him!!! <3 <3 <3 I was wondering when/why it would happen lmao, it’s good to know she’s not just weak to looks. I forgive you for the plot holes Author-nim, this chapter was so sweet UwU
