Translator: Nox
(10) The Darling of Lily Palace (2)
"Princess, you should rest as you're still not feeling well."
Roxana's eyes, which had been as frozen as a doll's, turned to Petria. Only then did Petria realize she hadn't introduced herself.
"I'm Petria, the maid... no, the lady-in-waiting who will be serving you from now on."
Petria, being from a woodcutter's family, didn't have a surname, so she had been worried about how to answer if Roxana asked about her family. However, Roxana didn't ask anything and quietly sat on the bed.
Moving as she was told, she seemed as if her soul had vanished, leaving only an empty shell. Her appearance, as if she would be worn away and scattered by the wind, was pitiful.
"Princess, I'll tell the kitchen to bring up your meal. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
"I'm not a princess."
Roxana's lips, which seemed as if they would never move, parted.
"Pardon?"
"I'm not a princess. Can't you see this?"
Roxana pulled at the neckline of her dress. The dress, which already revealed her collarbones, slipped down further, exposing more of her white skin.
Petria stared at the sunflower branded on Roxana's collarbone. The slave mark was even more distinct against Roxana's pale skin.
The person who branded her was truly cruel. To brand her in such a visible place.
Petria, feeling anger towards someone she didn't even know, said,
"His Highness called you Princess, so you are a Princess to me."
Petria truly meant it. She didn't care what the other employees thought of Roxana. Petria resolved to treat this princess, whom the Grand Duke was concerned about, as a princess herself.
Then, wouldn't this fragile princess eventually become stronger? She held onto that hope.
But that wasn't what Roxana wanted. Her expressionless face twisted, and pain was revealed without filter.
"No, no, no, no. No. No, Petria. I'm not a princess anymore. My country is ruined, and my family is all dead. The Franche Royal Family failed to protect its people, and Kanta has fallen as a colony of Gania. So how can I be a princess? How can someone who couldn't protect her family or her people be a princess?"
"Princess..."
"Please, please. Please don't call me a princess. Please. I'm not a princess."
Petria realized that the title of princess was like a blade stabbing Roxana. She didn't know what kind of despair it brought to fail to protect one's country and people, but she knew a little about the sorrow of losing one's family.
If she had been called a princess when she was with her family, then that title must be very painful now that she had no family.
"Then what would you like me to call you?"
"Slave girl, you, that thing. Anything is fine. Call me anything, just please don't call me a princess."
"Then I'll call you, Ro, Roxana-nim."
"No, I..."
"Please, Roxana-nim. If I don't serve Roxana-nim with all my heart, His Highness will be angry. You have no idea how scary His Highness is when he's angry."
Fortunately, Roxana was someone she could communicate with. She realized that she had been pushing Petria, and lowered her gaze. Her long eyelashes cast a dark shadow beneath her eyes.
"I'm sorry,"
Roxana said.
"I was only thinking about my own situation. I was very rude. I'm sorry."
Deep sorrow often robbed people of their reason. Petria felt affection for Roxana, who, even in such a state, thought of her subordinate's feelings and apologized honestly.
She wanted to treat Roxana well, even if it wasn't Floyd's order. So that Roxana could one day regain her light and smile.
"Roxana-nim, please lie down a little longer. I'll bring your meal soon."
Roxana didn't stop Petria from leaving.
She didn't want to eat anything. She felt like she would throw up everything she ate. Even the breath she was taking now felt disgusting.
But she didn't want to trouble Petria any further. Petria was innocent. If there was any sin, it was her own sin of praying at the Great Temple without knowing that her family was dying.
So she had to bear all this sin and sorrow entirely on her own.
Roxana lay down on the bed as Petria wanted and pulled the blanket up to her face.
'If I could just fall asleep and die, and they would throw my body away anywhere, I would be so grateful...'
+++
Grand Duke Floyd Ratean's office was made entirely of steel. From the desk and chairs to the display cabinets, there was nothing that wasn't steel. He didn't bring in anything that could burn, so there wasn't a single rug, tapestry, or curtain to be found in the desolate space.
The reason was to prepare for moments like this.
A haze was blazing around Floyd, who was sitting at the head of the long table where the meeting was being held.
Floyd was extremely angry, but even he couldn't figure out the exact cause of his anger.
'That damn princess!'
He had saved her from being sold as a slave. If she had been sold as she was, she would have been laid under a man who treated female slaves in a dirty and merciless way, suffering for the rest of her life until she died.
He had saved her from such a fate and given her the best Lily Palace in the Grand Duke's residence, so shouldn't she be prepared to live a new life with gratitude? Isn't that normal?
Even if she had lost her country and family, she should endure her sorrow and resolve to live on. What the hell was with that attitude?
Okay, with his magnanimous generosity, he would concede that he understood her desire to die. But to ask for her body to be thrown away? What nonsense was that?
What? To that end, she would become his sword, his shield, and the Sorceress on his bed?
What an amazing princess. She was so amazing that it made him so angry.
While Floyd glared at the table and replayed his conversation with Roxana, the captains of the royal guard were watching him carefully.
Hexter yawned without thinking and put his elbow on the table, then took his arm off, saying, "Ouch, that's hot!"
The steel table was turning red because of the heat emanating from Floyd's body. Cain blinked his one remaining eye and cautiously opened his mouth.
"Um, Master. It's too hot."
The gray eyes that had been on the table flicked towards Cain. Floyd said plainly as Cain flinched and backed away.
"Sorry."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The heat that had been heating the air enough to melt everyone slowly subsided.
Taking advantage of the gap, Arsene quickly reported.
"Master. The owner of the merchant ship said he didn't know the ship was carrying slaves. The captain hired someone recently, and it seems he was acting for a bribe. We'll investigate further and compensate for the ship repair costs when it's confirmed."
Floyd nodded with his eyes closed. Adrian followed after him.
"The number of slaves, that is, the slaves excluding that... Princess of Kanta... is 17 in total. 10 of them want to stay in Torkan, and the rest want to return to their hometown. I told the person in charge to take care of that. And..."
Adrian gestured to Cain to continue, but Cain avoided his gaze. Adrian stretched his foot under the table and kicked Cain in the shin. Cain gritted his teeth and glared at Adrian with his one remaining eye.
Floyd, who felt all these movements even with his eyes closed, opened his eyes wide and shouted.
"If you have something to say, say it properly!"
Adrian looked back at Cain, but Cain was staring intently at the wall as if he had made a great discovery there. Eventually, Adrian sighed and said.
"Master, what are you going to do with that woman?"
"That woman?"
"That... Princess of Kanta."
"What does it matter what I do with the princess I saved?"
A haze rose again from Floyd's body, but Adrian didn't give in and said.
"It matters. The Princess of Kanta, who was thought to be dead, is alive and branded as a slave. She couldn't have branded herself, and it doesn't seem like she was caught while running away. Then Lucas Pelure must have done that and announced that the Princess of Kanta was dead. If we take that woman in, there will definitely be friction with Gania."
"If there's friction? Am I not allowed to do what I want because I'm afraid of Gania? Do I have to live in fear of Lucas, that damn bastard?"
"No, it's not that I'm afraid of Gania. It's just that we're already short on manpower to take care of the monsters here, and if Gania sends troops to deal with the last survivor of the Franche Royal Family, things will get a little complicated for us. Gania has made Kanta a colony, so the knights of Kanta have been absorbed into Gania, and they have plenty of troops."
Floyd glared at Adrian.
"So what are you trying to say?"
"I think it would be best to give that woman some money and send her out of Torkan as soon as she recovers."
Bang-!
Floyd slammed the table with both fists. The long, heavy table couldn't withstand his strength and tilted. Hexter tried to grab the end of it, but shouted, "Ah, hot!" and took his hand off.
Kirshan, who was standing next to Floyd, pressed down on the shaking table with his scabbard and said.
"Master, calm down."
"Calm down? How can I calm down right now? The guys I personally selected and put in the position of captain are sitting here trembling in fear of Gania, and you're telling me to calm down? You're telling me to kick out a poor woman who was betrayed by her fiancé, lost her country, and lost her family? Are you kidding me? Or is this a joke? If I laugh here, will this crazy joke be over?"
