Chapter 3: Intense Initiation (1)
‘Anyone could tell that kid is the Third Prince, Edwin.’
Edwin was dressed in a way that made it obvious he was of imperial blood. Only the imperial family would wear clothes so ridiculously adorned with embroidery and jewels.
‘But why would they be doing that to the prince?’
It was then that Rachel noticed the rude behavior of the boys surrounding Edwin.
“Damn it, really!”
A boy with orange hair abruptly pushed the prince to the ground. Rachel narrowed her eyes. She didn’t know much about children, but she knew very well the temperament of noble brats around that age.
‘He’ll probably start crying and call for his servants.’
Rachel watched the situation, waiting for the moment the prince would burst into tears, ready to step in naturally. But the boy’s reaction was unexpected.
“It’s mine! Give it back, you scammers!”
Rather than cowering, the prince fiercely charged at the boys, who were more than twice his size. Even though he had fallen hard on the dirt ground, which must have hurt, he showed no signs of giving up.
‘He’s got some guts.’
However, the boy with orange hair seemed to be just as stubborn. He continued to taunt the prince, waving something over his head.
“Why don’t Your Highness come and get it yourself?”
Rachel then realized that what the boy was holding was a piece of jewelry.
‘A bracelet?’
The item in question was a bracelet made of pearls and rubies, clearly designed for a woman. It didn’t seem to be of very high quality for something belonging to the imperial family. Maybe that was why it seemed oddly familiar.
“Your Highness, you should keep your promises. Especially as an imperial family.”
“I never made any promises with you!”
The prince shouted fiercely at the boy speaking to him, but the boy just shrugged.
“This is something we rightfully won in a bet with Your Highness. And now you’re trying to steal it back like a rat?”
The mention of a rat made the prince’s eyes waver.
“Th-that’s because you scammed me…!”
“Scammed you? What a dangerous accusation.”
The orange-haired boy responded with wide eyes.
“How could we lowly ones dare scam His Highness? Isn’t that right, Gale?”
At his words, a boy who seemed to be the leader stepped forward. The boy called ‘Gale’ was particularly burly and had a menacing look among the group.
“If you want it back so badly, why don’t you bet something else?”
Gale squatted down in front of the fallen prince and gripped his shoulder tightly.
“What will you wager this time? How about your hand?”
Gale gave a sly smile, his eyes full of malice. Honestly, watching these wet-behind-the-ears kids try to act like thugs was laughable.
Rachel let out a light sigh and took a step forward. Since she had decided to stay here for a while, she had to fulfill her role properly.
“Your Highness, what are you doing here?”
As soon as she spoke, the boys’ gazes all turned towards her.
“…Rachel?”
Prince Edwin looked at her, his eyes wide in surprise.
***
Gale frowned at the sudden appearance of an unwelcome guest. He had heard that the Third Prince was such a nuisance that even the maids wouldn’t look for him if he disappeared. It seemed the rumors were exaggerated.
Mistakenly thinking Rachel was just a maid, he clicked his tongue.
“Ugh, a party pooper has arrived. Let’s go.”
Just as Gale and his gang were about to leave, Edwin grabbed his sleeve.
“Give it back! Give me my bracelet!”
Gale scowled and shook off the prince’s hand at once. He didn’t like the prince. There was nothing about this pathetic boy that was better than him, yet he got to laze around simply because he was of the imperial family.
“Hold it right there.”
Rachel called out to him.
“It seems His Highness has something to receive from you.”
“What?”
Gale’s eyes widened, not expecting her to stop him.
“Leave it behind, while I’m still asking nicely.”
Rachel gave him the kindest smile she could muster as she looked at him. Though her face was smiling, her words were more akin to a threat. Perhaps because of her inherently gentle appearance, she didn’t seem threatening at all.
Meanwhile, the boys exchanged nervous glances.
“Hey, aren’t we screwed? If they find out we messed with the prince, we’re all dead.”
“Don’t be scared. All the maids in the Third Prince’s palace are from insignificant families. Worst case, we just shut them up…”
Gale gritted his teeth, hearing their whispers.
‘Idiots. Panicking over a single word.’
He approached Rachel with a confident smirk. Perhaps it was because Gale was bigger than other boys his age, or maybe Rachel was simply smaller compared to others, but he looked down at her as if she was far beneath him.
“Miss Maid, this bracelet is something we won from His Highness fair and square,” Gale spoke, hands in his pockets, as if he were interrogating her.
He continued, “But then His Highness tried to sneak into our quarters and take it back. Isn’t that basically theft?”
Hearing his words, Rachel looked over at the prince. Edwin was trembling with frustration.
Gale sneered at the sight.
‘Hah, that thing is supposed to be an imperial family?’
The way the boy avoided his gaze the moment their eyes met was pathetic.
Then, Rachel spoke in the gentlest voice possible, “Then why don’t you make a bet with me?”
“…What?”
“I’m saying let’s bet for that bracelet.”
Gale was stunned by her unexpected proposal.
“If you got it through a bet, you shouldn’t mind losing it the same way, right?”
She smiled brightly, showing her teeth.
Gale was so taken aback that he let out a laugh. He had heard that all the maids in the Third Prince’s palace, even if they were nobles, came from insignificant families. But Gale was different. He was the youngest son of a count, a squire to the Second Prince, and also an apprentice to the artisan who crafted the Emperor’s carriage.
Although he was only an apprentice, he was still much higher in status than a maid serving the Shabby Prince.
After exchanging glances with the boys beside him, Gale finally spoke, “Alright then. If Miss Maid insists.”
He looked her up and down with a glint in his eyes and asked, “But what will you wager, Miss Maid?”
“Well…” Rachel shrugged casually. “How about my hand, if that’s what you want.”
“What?”
Gale was bewildered by her nonchalant response.
‘Hah, even if she’s just a maid, she’s still a noble, huh.’
He found her confident demeanor extremely irritating and decided. Just like that pathetic Third Prince, he’d make this woman kneel before him.
***
Gale and Rachel sat facing each other with a wooden box between them. Gale roughly placed the cups on top of the box.
“The game is ‘Monte.’ Ah, I wonder if a noble lady would know it?”
Rachel’s eyes narrowed at his words.
‘Monte.’
A simple street gambling game that required just three cups and one ball. It was a common pastime throughout the entire continent, including the Empire.
“I know it.”
Gale frowned at her still-relaxed demeanor.
At that moment, Edwin pulled at Rachel’s sleeve from behind.
“What are you doing? Get up, now!”
The prince urged her in a hushed voice, but Rachel ignored him and stared straight at Gale instead.
“Do you not need that bracelet?”
At her question, the prince’s voice became even smaller.
“N-no, that’s not it…”
“Then stay quiet.”
“But they’re going to cheat! I fell for it too!”
“It’s alright.”
“What? What do you mean it’s alright?”
Edwin couldn’t understand Rachel’s calm tone. Gale, too, couldn’t understand her.
What made her so confident?
Seeing this, the boys behind Gale quickly regained their arrogance and began mocking Rachel.
“Do you realize you picked the wrong opponent, Miss Maid? Gale is a master of Monte!”
“Too bad, Miss Maid. Even if you beg later, we won’t go easy on you!”
But Rachel, her face still calm, muttered softly, “…Well, that’s a shame.”
She genuinely seemed to find it unfortunate.
***
Gale placed the ball under the cup on the far right and flipped it over.
“You get three chances. If you pick correctly twice, you win.”
“Alright.”
Before Rachel’s response had even finished, Gale began shuffling the cups. The three cups moved so quickly that they seemed like mere afterimages of each other. All eyes were fixed on the cups flying across the box.
Smack.
Finally, Gale’s hand stopped. He grinned and asked Rachel, “Which one is it?”
“The right one.”
Her answer came without a moment’s hesitation, and silence fell.
Rachel’s expression was impassive, but she was confident. Edwin, watching her, swallowed nervously.
“Not bad, Miss Maid.”
Gale shrugged, as if he had let her win on purpose, and flipped the cup. As she said, the ball was under the cup on the far right.
“If you get it right one more time, you win.”
Rachel looked at Gale with a cold expression. Unintentionally, Gale flinched under her gaze.
