Chapter 8
At his question, Anesa replied in a sorrowful voice.
āEven if I wanted to tell someone, I couldnāt. Somehow, my voice never reached anyoneā¦ā
Of course, the Anesa of the past hadnāt been able to reveal this unfair reality. She had suffered abuse from the maids since childhood, so she had never even thought that the situation itself was strange.
āEven if I tried to report it, it probably would have stopped with the head maid, Marien.ā
Marien was an ardent follower of Elodie. Not only had she served Elodieās mother since the days when she was still a ducal lady, she had also been Elodieās wet nurse.
Even if Anesa had told someone, it likely would never have reached the kingās ears.
Thus, the method Anesa chose was to inform Jeff, the kingās close friend and royal physician.
āAt the very least, once he knew about this, he wouldnāt pretend not to see it.ā
The one Jeff was loyal to wasnāt Elodie or her maternal ducal family, but the king. And Anesa knew that once the king learned of this, he would at least take measures to ensure that such an outrageous act of insubordination would never happen again.
The king had no affection for his children, but he had a strong sense of possessiveness over what belonged to him. Moreover, he cared greatly about social reputation.
If it became known that his daughter had been abused by maids, how harshly would people point their fingers at him as a heartless father?
To avoid that, he would have no choice but to rescue Anesa.
āSo thatās why you even bit your own tongueā¦ā
Jeffās voice was filled with pity as he grasped the entire situation. He felt sympathy for the young princess who had only just come of age.
āIt was a rather extreme method, but it was truly the only option I had.Ā Cough.ā
With a fragile voice, Anesa coughed. Blood that hadnāt yet been fully stopped flowed from her mouth.
The sight looked like the last desperate struggle of a frail girl, making anyone who saw it sigh. Jeff spoke in a firm voice.
āI understand. I will report this matter in detail to His Majesty. For now, let me examine your mouth. Stopping the bleeding comes first.ā
Then he began treating Anesa. As Jeff examined the inside of her mouth, he let out a short sigh.
How desperate must the young princess have been to bite her tongue this hard? As a father who had a daughter around her age, he couldnāt help but feel pity for Anesa.
āThank you, Jeff.ā
After he finished the treatment, Anesa expressed her gratitude.
As he rose from his seat, he replied,
āWhat happened today will be reported to His Majesty in full detail. Someone who carries His Majestyās blood must never be treated like this.ā
As he spoke, the physician cast a sharp glare at Sophie.
āThank you, Jeff. Iām not asking for much. I only want proper meals.ā
āDo not worry.ā
When Jeff signaled to his assistant behind him, the man brought guards into the room from outside.
Sensing the ominous turn, Sophie rushed to Anesa and fell to her knees. She grabbed Anesaās hand and clung to it.
āY-Your Highness. P-Please forgive me just this once. You know, donāt you? It wasnāt only me. Then why am I the only oneā¦ā
Looking at Sophie, who still hadnāt come to her senses, Anesa clasped her hand.
Just as a relieved smile began to form on Sophieās lips, thinking it was a hand of salvation.
āYes, youāre right. You werenāt the only one.ā
Anesa whispered softly, so that only Sophie could hear.
āSo donāt worry. Iāll make sure youāre not the only one who suffers.ā
āWhatā¦ā
Instead of answering, Anesa gave a gentle smile.
āDrag that one out of my room. Now.ā
āW-Wait a moment! Let go of meā¦!ā
Watching Sophie being dragged away while screaming, Anesa smiled coldly to herself.
Sophie, youāre only the beginning.
Every single person who made her die such a miserable death would be judged.
Her eyes were colder than ice.
