Chapter 4.

This Is Interesting

It was far too coincidental in its timing to be dismissed as mere chance.

Could it really have been a coincidence that the Marquis lost his balance at that exact moment?

The Third Prince, Oswald Yulian.

The Saint of the Empire, kind and gentle to everyone.

And, as though his reputation were not exaggerated in the slightest, he had an almost angelic appearance.

I lowered my head, hiding my trembling eyes.

Yulian asked gently,

“What did you say your name was?”

His voice was incredibly gentle.

Low and kind, as if he knew nothing at all.

A warning bell rang in my head, telling me that I absolutely shouldn’t tell him—

“Vanillin….”

There was no way an ordinary maid could refuse!

I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Vanillin.”

He called my name as though rolling it around in his mouth.

Then he smiled, his eyes curving softly, and nodded.

“I’ll remember it. I’ll make sure you receive a generous reward soon.”

Chills.

‘A generous reward… as in death?’

It wasn’t something like that, was it?

I lowered my head, trying my best not to shrink back.

“It is an honor, Your Highness….”

“I didn’t know there was such a talented person in the Imperial Palace.”

His expression made me wonder if he was really the same person who had stepped on the Marquis’s cloak just moments ago.

Radiant, gentle….

A face so utterly flawless.

That perfect innocence shook my resolve.

‘Ah, maybe not…?’

Had I seen it wrong…?

Or perhaps it really had been an accident.

I bit my lip.

The cloak the Marquis was wearing was somewhat longer and more elaborate than ordinary formal attire, spreading widely across the floor.

Given that, perhaps he really hadn’t noticed that he’d stepped on it.

‘Well, if an accident had happened while he was giving us a tour, even a prince would have a hard time avoiding responsibility.’

They had said it was the Empire’s Number One National Treasure, after all.

The responsibility for destroying such a precious treasure would surely be severe.

The prince wasn’t an idiot. He wouldn’t deliberately do something like that and tarnish his own reputation.

Thinking about it that way, I felt a little relieved.

‘…Yeah. I was being too sensitive.’

I must have been too startled in the moment.

That’s right. There was no way that beautiful Prince would do such a thing.

I shook my head, casting away my suspicions.

Then I smiled brightly at him.

“Thank you so much, Your Highness.”

“…….”

The Third Prince gazed down at me for a moment before slightly relaxing the corners of his eyes and answering my smile with one of his own.

“Yes.”

With an exceptionally kind expression, he smiled brightly.

“Let’s meet again, Vanillin.”

And with that, he promised there would be a next time between us.

After the Third Prince and Marquis Desmond left—

“Vanilliiiin…!”

“You little lucky charm!”

The maids rushed toward me, their eyes brimming with tears.

“How did you manage to catch that porcelain with those thin arms?!”

“You may look so clueless, but you’re such a sweetheart!”

“I can’t breathe….”

Squish.

Countless arms wrapped around me.

They were warm enough to suffocate me.

As I wriggled helplessly among them, the Head Maid opened her mouth with a pleased expression.

“The Celestial’s Porcelain was a gift from the Celestials to celebrate the founding of the Empire.”

“The Celestials?”

I blinked and asked again.

“People who live in the sky…?”

“More precisely, people born of the blood of angels and humans.”

Half-angels?

I tilted my head.

Why on earth would angels marry humans and even have children with them…?

It sounded like such a far-fetched story.

The Head Maid shrugged.

“I don’t know much about it myself. They say the Celestials ascended to the heavens a very long time ago.”

“Then is it just a legend?”

“You could say that.”

I see….

I nodded.

I didn’t quite understand it, but regardless, this strangely beautiful piece of porcelain was the most precious treasure in the Empire.

And just now…

In my hands…

It had almost…

CRASH!

Chills.

I shuddered at the goosebumps spreading down the back of my neck.

“T-That was incredibly dangerous…?”

“Exactly.”

Gasp.

I felt as though my soul had left my body.

‘I really… really almost disappeared without a trace!’

In fact, everyone who had been there could have been killed.

The crime of destroying a national treasure would surely be that serious.

‘This is exactly why I said we shouldn’t accept jobs from the Imperial Family!’

Dai, that man, was so blinded by money…!

Tears welled up.

When I sank to the floor with red-rimmed eyes, the Head Maid gave my shoulder a hearty pat.

“That is why you’re truly a talent! Please, stay and work with us for a very, very long time!”

“That’s right! We look forward to working with you, Vanillin!”

“We love you, Vanillin—!”

“I have absolutely no intention of doing that….”

Why should I?!

Waaah.

I swallowed my tears internally.

‘I just want to run away right now.’

Should I pretend I needed to use the bathroom and go find Dai…?

If I told him that something like the Divine Contract was nothing but an illusion and urged him to get us out of here, wouldn’t he listen to me?

‘I’d be lucky if he didn’t beat me.’

I sniffed.

If I went to find him before our agreed meeting time,

he would obviously beat me black and blue while asking, ‘Are you trying to get us caught? Do you even know where you are?’

So for now, I had no choice but to keep working here….

“I… Could I go to the bathroom for a moment?”

Still, I wanted to use the bathroom….

I began walking away hesitantly, and the Head Maid asked jokingly,

“Vanillin, you’re not running away, are you?”

“Of course not!”

I answered without even turning around.

But inside, I was clasping my hands together and screaming.

‘I’m sorry! I want to disappear right now…!’

Perhaps fate wasn’t quite cruel enough to kill me, because nothing happened after that.

I simply polished various treasures,

polished them,

and polished them some more.

‘Ugh… I’m so stiff.’

After all the treasures had been put on display, from the entrance of the palace all the way to the banquet hall,

I rubbed my aching lower back and looked out the window.

It was already evening, with the moon rising in the sky.

The Founding Festival was in full swing.

Which meant our meeting time was approaching.

‘What a shame….’

When would I ever get to go outside again?

My feet didn’t want to move, but I forced myself to get up.

“I’ll go to the bathroom for a moment.”

Unlike before, I said it with the intention of escaping.

Creak—click.

Without arousing anyone’s suspicion, I quietly slipped outside.

“Haa….”

The meeting place was… the abandoned garden of the Imperial Family, wasn’t it?

It was quite a distance away, so I simply began walking.

The Imperial Palace at night wore a completely different face from the daytime.

Tall, magnificent buildings melted softly beneath the quietly shining starlight.

Golden lights spilled from every window, while beautiful music drifted out from the open balconies.

“Wow….”

A gasp escaped me before I knew it.

Just a moment… Could I take a look?

Just for a little while?

As though spellbound, I approached the enormous door that was half-open.

An enchanting scene swept through the gap in the door.

Flowing dresses fluttering like waves, laughter, sweet fragrances….

Everything sparkled and shone.

It felt as though a world inside a painting had come to life.

“So this is what a banquet is like.”

My heart tingled with excitement.

I never knew the world could be this beautiful.

I felt like I could look at it every day and never grow tired of it.

And then, as I stood there absentmindedly peering inside—

“Oh….”

A familiar figure suddenly came into view.

I blinked.

“It’s Dai.”

My employer.

Come to think of it, he’d said he was going to the banquet.

But something was strange.

His usual sly expression was nowhere to be seen. His face was flushed as he strode toward somewhere with long, purposeful steps.

And Marquis Desmond was beside him.

‘What is going on…?’

Something felt wrong.

Did the two of them know each other? Since when?

Sensing that something serious was happening, I pressed myself closer to the crack in the door.

Looking carefully, I saw that the Marquis’s face was flushed red as well.

The Marquis angrily pointed a finger at someone while forcefully snorting through his nose.

I couldn’t hear what they were saying clearly, but the atmosphere was unmistakable.

‘Whoa, they’re totally fighting….’

Who was he fighting with?

I leaned forward a little more.

At that moment, I caught sight of a familiar head of cream-colored hair.

W-Wait a second.

“T-The Thi….”

The Third Prince…?!

“Hic!”

I was so shocked that I hiccupped.

I quickly covered my mouth and hid behind the door.

It was definitely the Third Prince.

There was no way I could mistake that face.

‘What on earth is he doing there…?!’

Why wasn’t he coming to the meeting place he was supposed to go to, and what was he doing over there?!

It felt ominous.

Very, very ominous.

I peered through the crack in the door again.

In the brief moment I’d looked away, it seemed that the argument had escalated into a full-blown fight.

“…What did you just say?”

“…You said Your Highness lost his mother as well!”

Oh, please.

Daiiiii—!

No matter how much of a prince he was, Dai was definitely going to get himself punished for this.

Just as I squeezed my eyes shut—

The Third Prince smiled.

“Interesting.”

With the exact same gentle expression he’d shown me earlier.