Your Majesty, Please Don’t Kill Me Again!

While holding my diary and looking at it, I heard a knock on the door and quickly hid it under the bed.
It was written in an ancient language, so no one could read it, but if they could, the contents wouldn’t be suspicious, just the delusions of a twelve-year-old girl.

“Come in.”

The door creaked as it opened.
There was a funny sound when it was opening because it opened veeerrry slowly.

Creak….
Creaaak.

I’m curious about who the person is.
Soon enough, a girl with spikey platinum blonde hair popped out through a crack in the door.

“Tori!”

I called her name and gave her a warm smile.

Tori was much better dressed than she was at my birthday party.
Her hair is still dry, and her skin is slightly rough, but at least she’s wearing decent clothes today.
In her hands, she held a pretty black maid’s uniform, similar to what she was wearing.

“Hi… I mean… I greet you, Young Lady Bellua.”

She still hasn’t mastered the Imperial language used in the Palace.
She looked at me and hesitated with a slight frown when I gestured for her to come in.

Maybe she’s shy?

But after that, the way she practically jumped toward me as she approached me was just like a bunny.

I was curious about her relationship with Rupert since it seemed like she was a bit confused.

Tori said she had only been working here for a week.
But there’s a clear difference between the day they first met and the day she started serving him.

I don’t think that Rupert would be that kind to me for the sake of a maid who’s only been working for him for a week.
I don’t think he’s the kind of person to overlook my “mistake.” 1

“Lariette is fine.”

I figured that there was nothing wrong with currying Tori’s favor.
I gave her a soft smile and made her sit down.

“This maid uniform is mine, right?”

“Yes, Her Highness doesn’t have a maid to attend to her because there wasn’t anyone who had the proper age or rank amongst those who worked here in the first place.”

“Thanks for bringing it to me.”

“Oh… that’s—”

I bowed my head slightly, which I think made her uncomfortable.
She desperately waved her hands at me as a result.

Technically speaking, I’m of higher status than she is, so maybe that’s the reason why she felt the need to deny it.

I know what workers, merchants, and other common people think of the nobles.
Even though the majority were unhappy with how they were tasked with ‘feeding’ us, the minority, with their taxes, the minority still envied us.

It really was unfair because nobles who were born privileged could win others’ favor with minimal effort.
Even if I was unkind to someone, they would be forced to follow my will because I’m of higher standing.
Even more so as the world is run by nobles who don’t know how to show consideration to others.

I think it would be easier for me to gain Tori’s trust than for Tori to gain mine.
There’s no point arguing about these mundane things because, in the first place, we live in a very unfair world.

Even in this vast continent, even I, born as the blessed daughter of one of the five Count Houses in the entire Empire, unfairly died a miserable death at the hands of the cruel Emperor without being able to properly defend myself.

I couldn’t even protest since his words were the law itself.

Even though I died such a tragic death like that, I had no choice but to try and fool him into thinking I cared about him so I could survive.
The only thing I could come up with was to earn his favor with a favorable impression.

I wasn’t angry at myself for being weak, so I didn’t think twice about using Tori.

I know her tragic future.

As I watch her future unfold before my eyes, a future she didn’t know about, I promise I’ll try to do everything in my power to find a way out.

I can’t deny that it doesn’t hurt my conscience, but I couldn’t help it.
I left behind a life where I believed the process was more important than the end result.
No matter what happens during the process, I don’t care anymore.
The end results are much more important.
If it would prevent Bellua’s downfall, then the tragedy of the Empress’ death is something I could overlook.

I had such wicked thoughts as I unfolded the maid’s dress that Tori gave me.
Everything is black except for the smooth and seamless fabric and white lace embroidered on the collar and sleeves.

The dark fabric of this outfit matches Rupert’s soul and his dreary palace.

I looked at Tori and told her I could change immediately, but she shook her head and went towards the door.

“You can wear it tomorrow, but the Young Lady is being summoned by His Majesty.”

Crap… this is bad.

I got up from where I was sitting and fiddled with Riche’s clothes that didn’t fit.
I don’t want to go to work in these clothes, but Rupert is calling.

Usually, there are a lot of servants, like those working for Princess Nigelle, and some stay in the palace where their masters reside.
My room is on the same floor as Rupert’s room, but in a corner far away.

It might take me a few minutes if I ran.
But the Royal Family is strict on etiquette, so I could never even dream of running.

“Your Highness, this is Lariette.
I heard you called for me.”

Silence.

As always, there’s no answer.

I just looked at Tori, and she urged me to go inside first.
After heaving a sigh, I opened the door.

He was seated on the windowsill of a window the size of a door, with his golden hair fluttering and tangling from the wind.

Even after looking at him closely, I couldn’t find any class that was suitable for a royal.

I bowed my head just enough to show my respect.

He slowly stood up as he stared at the luscious green scenery of the garden outside the window.
I’m fairly sure he didn’t even look at me once.

“Tori.”

At his call, Tori walks up to him.
After he looked at Tori standing on his left, he shifted his gaze to me.

Is he telling me to come too?

Why is he not conveying it with words?

I can’t read his mind, so of course, I don’t know the meaning behind his gestures.

I frowned internally as I walked up to him, but I outwardly showed him a professional attitude by looking at the ground calmly without any emotion.

“You will check my meals from now on.”

He means that I’ll be eating his food and checking his meals to see if they’re poisoned or not.
After bowing my head, I looked at Rupert, but he wasn’t looking at me.
He intends to use me to the fullest because he thinks I’ll only serve him temporarily.

“Your Highness, that’s the duty of a maid… how can you make the Count’s Young Lady do that?”

Tori was the one who spoke up, not me.
But Rupert frowned for an entirely different reason.

“Stop talking so formally.
She’s a maid, just like you.”

Crap.

I wanted to grab my stomach and laugh at how absurd it was that he could take care of Tori like that, but proceeds to throw me under the carriage any time he gets the chance.
I forcibly swallowed my laughter and suppressed it.

“Very well, Your Highness.”

Rupert turned to look at me with surprise when I unexpectedly answered so obediently.

Green eyes without any light.
Emotionless even though it’s a summer day.
Even the grass has more personality than his eyes.

“What?”

Even so, I know I’m not happy.
I politely answered his question again.

“I’ll do that.”

“Do you have any pride left as Bellua’s daughter?”

“Is there a need for pride when taking care of Your Highness?”

The side of Rupert’s red lips curved slyly.
He laughed at me with a sigh.

He then looked into my eyes, then grabbed my chin.
He didn’t appear angry but rather somewhat offended.

“Take care? Your father really didn’t tell you anything.”

“My father thinks of you as a smart and pretty Princess.”

“Count Bellua would never say anything like that to me… If you’re only here so that you could go to Nigelle, better scram out my way.
You’re getting in my way.”

Rupert’s claim made me frown slightly.

He said he had never met my father.

If that’s how things transpired, how could he say that about him?

But I know this isn’t the time to ask about their relationship.

The first step is to break down Rupert’s walls.

“Helping Your Highness has nothing to do with Princess Nigelle or my father.
I will work hard and do my job well to the best of my abilities because I want to.”

Even hearing what I said, it seemed like a sincere promise made in good faith.

As I bowed to Rupert, who was about to walk past me after saying such horrible things, a dangerous sound rang through the quiet room.

I got up quickly because I was so confused, but things only worsened.

My fat body stayed bent for a long time, so I couldn’t straighten my body!

I tried forcing it, but suddenly, a button popped off from my dress.

Starting with the middle button that bounced off, the buttons started flying at Rupert, who was in front of me, making a complete, unbearably light sound.

Then one hit Rupert.

I tried to find a way to stop it, but he was hit with a button in the end.

Rupert kept his hand on the button on his forehead and closed his eyes as if his patience was running thin.

I was so shocked that I couldn’t bow down and ask for forgiveness, so I just looked at him with my mouth agape.

“You try hard in a bizarre way.”

“Your… Your Highness, things… this is not what it looks like….”

I babbled, but Rupert didn’t even acknowledge me.
Instead, he left the room.

After he left, I looked around his room and saw a bunch of guns in one corner.

I pouted.

Guns inside the room of a thirteen-year-old boy.

From hunting rifles to pistols that the military was starting to develop and manufacture at this time, I was shocked to see them so carefully maintained and polished enough to shine as they hung on the walls.

Why is he collecting them, and what is he planning on using them for?

Where did he even get them from?

I frowned and bent over to pick up the buttons scattered all over the floor.

Tori came right away to help.

But there’s one missing.
I couldn’t find it immediately, so I gave up searching for it.

“Thank you.”

“Oh no, it’s alright… You told Her Highness that you’re Count Bellua’s daughter, so you don’t need to worry about anything.”

Now that I think about it, Tori is one of those people who knew me.
She came to my birthday party.

Even though I wasn’t worried, I thanked her again for her concern.
Tori’s cheeks, which are freckled, blushed red.
I didn’t understand why she didn’t go with Rupert and instead stayed in the room.

Apparently, Rupert held Tori in high regard.

“Is it okay for me to go out by myself?”

“Don’t worry, Lord Baden will take you there.”

Louis Baden.
He was the one who took Lehan and Father into custody without telling them what crime they committed.

When I remembered that dog’s name again, I grit my teeth.
Tori thought that my facial expression was because of Rupert, so she spoke again.

“Please understand, she’s a little harsh on people she doesn’t know well.”

‘A little harsh’?

I laughed a bit because it seemed like Tori and I viewed Rupert’s personality through different lenses.

“It’s not a problem.
I knew that even before deciding to serve her.”

Mistake of being the “dumpling thief”. ↩️