Warning – This is a psychological based adult novel. There might be some rape, violence and forceful love making scenes which might be uncomfortable for some readers. If you don’t like such contents then please avoid it.
- Toy horse
Chapter 1
“That’s a high quality product.”
Mrs. Pease spoke with some pride in her voice and pointed towards a girl.
“Helloise, come forward. Show me your face. Only then we can see you better.”
The child who was pointed at, openly flinched and lowered her head. But she was soon forced to lift her face by a strong hand.
The frightened green eyes were wide open, like those of a cat encountered in the middle of the night.
“This color is rare. Look, it’s a very precious emerald color.”
As if what she said was correct, Mrs. Pease looked at the man in front of her and asked again.
“… … .”
The man standing in front of her was tall and slim. His sharp eyes did not contain the slightest hint of laughter. The man, who
appeared extremely cautious and sensitive, exuded the air of nobility to his core.
This man was not the only one who visited the orphanage for sponsorship purposes. But he was different from other nobles. This was because Mrs. Pease’s behavior was more willing than usual. Even young Heloise could see that she looked more downcast than when she was dealing with other nobles who had visited the orphanage.
“Count, how is it? Isn’t she beautiful enough? She would be a flower that would be quite suitable for the imperial palace… … .”
‘Imperial palace?’
Héloïse’s eyes widened at the words that came out of Madame Pease’s mouth. She obviously said it was an imperial palace. In that case, that man belongs to the imperial palace. It means that someone like the Count had come to this place to pick out toys for someone else.
“It seems like she would be a pretty fun doll for ‘him’ to play with… … .”
Mrs. Pease said, turning Héloïse’s face from side to side. Her clenched jaw hurt, but Heloise couldn’t show it. Otherwise, she will be beaten harshly after this guest left.
Mrs. Pease had a great talent for whipping children without it being obviously displayed.
On the outside, she was the director of an orphanage who was extremely elegant and benevolent, and her clothes were extremely plain. The only jewelry she had worn was a brooch hanging on her chest.
However, it was an open secret that deep in the director’s office there was a secret safe that only she could open.
People working at the orphanage used to secretly gossip that there was a pile of money and gold bars received under the pretext of sponsorship.
“They will definitely like her. She plays very well even with children younger than her. There is no child better suited to be a play maid than her.”
That’s how Mrs. Pease, the director of the orphanage, introduced Heloise to the guests.
The man’s eyebrows narrowed as if he was thinking about something. His gaze was internally assessing whether it met the conditions he wanted.
“Take a turn.”
The man gave a brief command. Although the accent and pronunciation were refined, it felt somehow different and foreign from the people of the empire.
When Héloïse hesitated, Mrs. Pease quickly pushed Héloïse’s body around. Héloïse almost fell as her body was half-forced back, but she barely managed to keep her balance.
“Does she have any big scar on her body, bad habits, or a bad personality…”
“There isn’t any such thing. Of course. I wouldn’t have recommended you a child like that.”
“No matter how much it is a toy, it will belong to someone higher up, so it would be difficult if it had scratches.”
Heloise cringed more and more as she heard Mrs. Pease smiling softly again. No matter how young I was, I could tell right away that the conversation that was going on was absolutely not normal.
A toy for the Higher up.
At those words, Heloise felt as if her hair stood on end.
The man looked at Heloise for a long moment and then nodded.
“Let’s do it with that kid.”
Of course, Mrs. Pease’s face brightened up at those words. Héloïse, on the other hand, looked up at him with a frightened look on her face.
Mrs. Pease didn’t always have a friendly personality, but today she was even harsher.
After all preparations were completed, Héloïse boarded the carriage leaving the orphanage.
The golden lily decoration given to the empress as a symbol of her support was attached to the front door of the orphanage, shining brightly.
Heloise turned around and looked at the orphanage moving further and further away. She couldn’t say it was a place full of good memories, but she wasn’t happy about leaving. Now she had no idea what else was awaiting her.
Feeling a growing sense of anxiety, Héloïse quietly squeezed her hands folded over her skirt.
The man sitting in front of her closed his eyes and didn’t move a muscle. He didn’t look like he was sleeping, but he didn’t seem
like he would answer anything if she asked him something. It had been a long time since she had developed that level of tact.
In the end, Héloïse gave up and leaned back against the back of the carriage seat. It felt soft, but it never made her feel that comfortable.
* * *
“It’s not bad.”
The Empress’s eyes swept over Héloïse, who was standing in front of her as if she were criticizing her.
Héloïse stepped back with an instinctive fear, but was immediately stopped by the man who brought her. Her body, held tightly against her will, was forcibly pushed forward.
“After feeding and washing her well for a few days, she started to look much better.”
“she must gain some more weight. Her eyes are half of the face.”
As the Empress spoke, the chamberlain nodded.
“We will pay more attention to the nutrition.”
“You’ll be prettier if your cheeks are plump.”
Heloise was startled as the narrowed eyes of the empress stared at her.
“So close.”
With a snap of her white, thin fingers, the chamberlain held onto Héloïse’s shoulders and pushed her further forward.
Heloise hesitated and forced herself to walk in front of the Empress.
It was difficult to guess her age with her smoothly combed black hair and dark shining eyes, and her perfectly maintained skin was overflowing with luster.
I could tell at a glance that the woman who exuded a strangely strong sense of intimidation was of unusual status. Even without her crown on her head, she was showing off her nobility to the fullest.
I couldn’t believe it was the empress. Even when she saw it right in front of her, Héloïse couldn’t believe it.
According to the story I picked up while staying in the imperial palace for several days, the emperor was in a state of deprivation after suffering a serious accident and was barely breathing.
In addition, the crown prince was also unwell, so the empress took over all the political affairs.
Her power was enormous because she was the empress regent, representing the authority of the emperor.
Heloise could only cautiously move forward in the face of her presence so clearly, that it overwhelmed all the fancy interior decorations in the room.
“… … .”
It was when the distance got so close that if she fell, she would be buried in the width of her skirt.
Swish.
A small face was lifted up in a hand. Héloïse, who met her dark, shining eyes, just rolled her eyes here and there, not knowing what to do.
Her long fingernails dug into her delicate skin, but Héloïse endured it without even moaning.
Cold eyes slowly swept across Héloïse’s face.
Every time I felt the empress’s eyes examining my green eyes reminiscent of summer greenery, my white skin, and my shiny,
bright pink-gold hair, sweat broke out in my cupped hands.
“She is quite pretty.”
A faint smile appeared on the lips of the Empress, who was looking at her small face for a long time.
“If we feed and cloth her more properly from now on, she will do much better.”
Heloise just gave up her face helplessly as the hand holding her chin moved.
“She is the same age as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, so she would be a suitable match. After being examined by the court doctor, I found that she had no illness and was very healthy.”
The chamberlain standing nearby said.
“I hope it becomes a good toy for Risid.”
The Empress sighed deeply and removed her hand from Héloïse’s face. Héloïse drew in her breath sharply.
The area around my chin that was held by the Empress’s hand was aching, but I couldn’t bear to show it.
“It will get better if he has someone to play with him. Didn’t the court doctor also recommend the same?”
The Empress’s face hardened again at the Chamberlain’s words.
“Isn’t it too early to expect a girl like this to be okay?”
“It will gradually get better. First of all, for the shock you received to go away, you need someone to play with… … .”
The chamberlain quickly closed his mouth as the empress’ eyes suddenly sharpened. Meanwhile, Héloïse felt like she was suffocating.
I couldn’t understand at all what the two people were saying. However, she knew exactly what her role was.
Eloise, who turned 12 this year, grew up learning the kind of awareness early on.
After losing both her parents in a carriage accident, Héloïse was left alone. Everything was scary for the young girl who was left alone with no relatives to care for her.
In the end, Heloise, who had no place to be left, ended up in an orphanage sponsored by the Empress.
It was the way of the world that if you did not have parents or money to protect yourself, you would be treated with infinitely low regard. Moreover, Héloïse’s doll-like appearance only served as a good excuse for further ostracism from children her age.
The place that Eloise naturally headed to was the room of children who were younger than herself and still needed the help of adults.
The children followed Héloïse very well. This was because she played well with those children instead of the absolutely inadequate daycare teachers.
“It’s up to you.”
Before leaving the orphanage, Mrs. Pease looked down at Heloise and said,
“You will be serving someone very precious. It’s a rare luck.”
“… Can’t I stay here?”
Heloise experienced nervousness for the first time since she came here. For some reason, an unexplainable feeling of anxiety enveloped her entire body. It was never because the orphanage was a good place. But she was afraid of leaving the place she
had adapted to.
Mrs. Pease emphasized this several times while holding Héloïse’s shoulder.
“They paid a very high price. If you make a mistake, we might have to cough up that money again. No, donations may stop altogether.”
The voice with which she was whispering was so soft that the Chamberlain could not hear was full of sharpness. Young Héloïse could clearly see that she was worried that she might ruin an important deal.
(*Here Count is the Chamberlain of the imperial family)
Since the director, Mrs. Pease, had decided, there was nothing she could do. She just followed her words. Heloise answered by lowering her head.
“Sorry. I’ll go. I will prepare for it.”
“It would be a good opportunity for you too. The crown prince’s play maid. It’s a place that other people are anxious to get.”
Mrs. Pease, who was a little relieved by the obedient response, sighed and patted Héloïse’s head. It was like treating a dog that
listened to her well.
Mrs. Pease’s unusual kindness made Héloïse feel a surge of doubt in her heart that she could not bring herself to express.
The position of the crown prince’s play maid that everyone else is anxious to get.
How did such a position come to me?
As Madame Pease said, not just anyone could be a playmate for the royal family, especially for the crown prince who would become the next emperor. At the very least, they were bound to be chosen from noble families of noble descent.
Because it was an opportunity to build a relationship with the crown prince, who would hold real power in the empire, from an early age, each family was eager to place their children with the royal family.
Yes, it was that kind of place. Still, what was the reason for choosing her? A position that all the nobles of the empire would covet. And that too at a high price.
Heloise didn’t bother to ask that. From the day she started living here until now, she has always been paying attention to what people think.
If I refused this offer, I could see how I would be treated within the orphanage. I had a creeping premonition that no matter where I went, I would never feel at ease.
Madame Pease turned away from Héloïse and smiled politely again.
“I’m sure Your Majesty will like it.”
It seemed as if Mrs. Pease’s voice was still piercing Héloïse’s ears.
It was only when I arrived at the imperial palace that I learned that the man was the empress’ chamberlain. He was said to be chamberlain, but his title was count, and he was like a hand and foot of the empress.
“If you’re going to use it as a toy, wouldn’t it be better if it’s pretty? If it looks pretty, it will be nice to play with it.”
Mrs. Pease spoke kindly to the chamberlain with a big smile on her face. Heloise’s small shoulders twitched at those words. Only then did Héloïse clearly realize her situation.
That she was chosen as the crown prince’s ‘toy’.
The expressionless Chamberlain nodded and then placed a
seemingly heavy bag of gold coins on Mrs. Pease’s hand.
“It is an act of disrespect to speak of Your Highness carelessly, Mrs. Pease.”
“… … Oh, I made a mistake. sorry.”
Mrs. Pease apologized obediently and bowed down. No, she almost fell flat in front of him.
“From now on, this child will belong to the imperial family, so if word spreads outside… … .”
“Is that even possible? That kid hasn’t even gone outside since she entered this place.”
Well, there was no affection in the way she looked back at Heloise.
“Even if she disappears one day, there will be no repercussions.”
The last words lingered in Heloise’s ears for a long time.
Even if I disappear one day…
Mrs. Pease’s eyes said that it was entirely up to them when that would happen.
It felt like my whole body was twisted with tension. What will happen now? What is going to happen in the future?
Heloise was brought to an unfamiliar imperial palace one morning, thoroughly washed from head to toe, then put on a beautiful dress, decorated hair with a large silk ribbon. She even ate a table full of food.
It was a luxury she had never enjoyed in an orphanage, but Héloïse was shaking the entire time. Because I could never accept this situation positively. Everything changed suddenly, so quickly.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of, baby.”
Heloise was embarrassed by the sudden warm tone in the Empress’s voice and rolled her eyes.
“You are not my daughter, but I specifically decided to take you in and raise you. It would be nice if you could hang out with my son and be his friend. Just like his sister… … .”
Every single thing the Empress said was a lie. She was originally brought to the imperial palace as a toy for the crown prince, but it was only a means to make her look more attractive to others.
“You can have everything you want. Anything to eat, anything to wear… Life in an orphanage is an honor that can never be compared to here.”
“Thank you… Your Highness”
Heloise hesitated before answering, not knowing what to say. Because it was true that she was thankful.
The greatest hope that the orphanage children had was to have themselves adopted by a wealthy and noble family, if possible.
If that were the case, we wouldn’t have to sleep together in a small room, and we wouldn’t have to fight over what little snacks we can eat.
But such luck did not come to everyone. It was something Héloïse had dreamed of sometimes, but she knew that the chances of it coming true were extremely low. However, she came into the imperial palace.
Now all that was left was to look as good as possible to the person who brought her here. As Mrs. Pease emphasized several times.
“Risid is very sick.”
Risid. Heloise’s body trembled at the familiar yet unfamiliar name.
