7 - The Crown I Will Take From You
Episode 7
“Why is Neril here…….”
‘Why is she still here? She should’ve been thrown out of the palace somewhere by now!’
Mariu knew about the Head Maid’s plan to drive Neril out.
“You weren’t even in the palace, yet you speak as if you saw it with your own eyes.”
At Medeia’s sharp interrogation, Mariu flustered and cried out.
“No, Your Highness! I had to go to the laundry room because there was a problem. I stayed by your side all night without sleeping or eating……. Your Highness?”
Medeia listened to the excuse half-heartedly as she scanned the line of maids.
All of them had been absent earlier.
‘They must have rushed here in a panic.’
Medeia ordered them to summon the Court Physician and examine Neril’s condition.
“Uh……. Yes…….”
The maids stirred. Their aimless, trembling eyes darted about nervously.
It was because Mariu was glaring fiercely beside Medeia.
“But, Your Highness. Neril shouldn’t be here. She committed a grave crime and must be punished-”
“Be quiet.”
Medeia cut off the interrupting remark.
“It seems I’ve been too lenient with you. How dare a mere daughter of a wet nurse talk back to my orders.”
“Y-Your Highness.”
Mariu was taken aback by the Princess’s cold demeanor.
“Do I need to repeat myself twice?”
“No, Your Highness!”
The resolute Princess, the flustered Mariu.
The choice was obvious.
They hastily bowed and took Neril away.
“Your Highness……. How could you say such harsh words…… to me…….”
Watching Mariu feign pitifulness with teary eyes as if shocked, Medeia swallowed a hollow laugh.
In her past life, she had cherished her. She considered her the only trustworthy confidant.
Until Mariu repaid kindness with betrayal.
“Over here, Your Highness! This way, please!”
“Your Highness, please don’t blame me. I had no choice if I wanted to survive.”
When the civil war broke out, Mariu pretended to help Medeia escape, only to abandon her to the rebels who had invaded the capital.
The rebel mob mocked the Princess, claiming she was fleeing to save her own life while abandoning the country, and kidnapped her.
Around that time, Peleus returned and the rebellion was eventually suppressed, but Medeia had long been wounded inside and out.
Her reputation and dignity were in tatters.
Finishing her brief recollection, Medeia looked at the detestable face.
“Come to think of it, Mariu, you attended that tea party that day too.”
Her voice was distant, as if groping through memories.
“Huh? Yes. That’s right. You remember? Neril hurt you, and I carried you, unconscious, back to the palace.”
Mariu nodded proudly.
“You should go see the Head Maid now.”
“Huh? Why the Head Maid all of a sudden…….”
Perplexed by the puzzling order, Mariu was bewildered.
“Do you have a message for her? Then I’ll send another girl……”
“No, you go.”
The Princess firmly blocked her objection.
“Go and tell her that you were also at that tea party that day.”
“Huh? What does that……”
“And tell her I like fairness too.”
“Yes?”
Mariu asked again, but Medeia had already turned her back and left.
“What on earth is wrong with her? Did she eat something bad? He must be waiting for me, this is so annoying!”
Mariu, boiling with irritation, grumbled and headed toward the Administrative Palace where the Head Maid would be.
Without even imagining what awaited her.
\ \ *
“Goodness, what happened?”
“Shut up! Before I tear your mouth apart!”
Mariu, who had gone to find the Head Maid on Medeia’s orders, returned well past midnight, dragging her swollen legs.
As soon as the Head Maid saw her, she snorted like a fire-breathing dragon.
“What happened? Neril came back perfectly fine! How did you handle things? Does the Duchess know?”
If Mariu had been a bit more perceptive, she might have noticed the icy atmosphere and the Head Maid’s heavy breathing, but it was an unfortunate turn of events.
“Her Highness told me to tell you that I was also at that tea party, and that she likes fairness—I have no idea what she meant.”
“The Princess…… said that?”
The Head Maid’s patience snapped.
She likes fairness?
Isn’t that her way of saying she’ll watch to see if I punish Mariu the same way!
Mariu was startled when the Head Maid suddenly glared at her.
“Seize her!”
“Wh-what are you doing!”
Without knowing why, Mariu had her arms tightly grabbed by the Head Maid’s loyal followers. Even struggling, she couldn’t break free.
“You! If you had just done your job properly, would that wench have come looking for the Princess? I told you not to take your eyes off her!”
“Ah! Why are you doing this!”
“Be sure to relay this: I will certainly live up to Her Highness’s expectations.”
The words, gritted out through clenched teeth, were ominous.
And so, Mariu became the scapegoat without knowing why. Only after all the Switches hanging on the wall had broken could she leave the Punishment Room.
“Goodness, Lady Mariu……”
The maids couldn’t hide their shock upon seeing Mariu’s state.
Horrid lines, red and bruised, marred her once-proud, fair and delicate calves.
Her face, flushed bright red, was smeared with dried tears and snot. Her hair was disheveled, and her dress was torn in places, even stained with blood.
To anyone, it was clear she had been severely beaten.
“What on earth happened?”
That was what Mariu wanted to ask.
Why on earth!
Without a word, she was just subjected to a whipping.
She didn’t know why, but it was certain that she had been made a scapegoat because of the Princess. Resentment surged like waves.
“Let go!”
Mariu snatched the medicine a maid brought and threw it away, venting her frustration.
“Move. I’m going to my room.”
“Um, about that……”
The maid hesitated.
“What now!”
As if it would be easier not to see and just say it, the maid tightly closed her eyes.
“Your room has been changed, Lady Mariu. You need to go that way.”
“What nonsense, my room is here!”
“Her Highness the Princess ordered your room to be moved.”
“What?”
Mariu’s mouth dropped open in shock.
She felt dazed, as if hit hard on the back of the head with a club.
Has Medeia gone mad?
This can’t be. How could she do this so suddenly, especially after sending me to the Head Maid to get beaten……
“It’s because of whom! I ended up like this!”
A hysterical scream echoed.
The next day. Dozing off in her new, shabby room, Mariu jolted awake and stormed straight into the Princess’s bedroom.
“Your Highness! What did I do wrong!”
“What is this commotion.”
Medeia scanned Mariu, who had barged in rudely, with indifferent eyes.
Despite the early hour, the Princess was dressed in outdoor attire, as if she had been somewhere.
No one noticed due to Mariu’s furious state, but the hem of Medeia’s dress was stained with faint traces of grass.
“Do you know what happened?”
Mariu immediately poured out her grievances from the previous night.
“The Head Maid whipped me! Look here? This badly! As soon as she heard the message, she grabbed me without any explanation-!”
“…….”
But it was strange.
Upon seeing the injuries, the Princess’s reaction was too quiet, when she should have been outraged, asking who dared hurt her, with tears in her eyes.
“Your Highness, are you listening? Mrs. Cuisine beat me!”
The Princess turned her head. Mariu realized she had been looking elsewhere.
“My, my.”
A monotone voice. She didn’t seem very surprised.
“That must hurt. Get her some medicine.”
Medeia simply gave the order to a nearby maid and walked past Mariu.
Is that it?
Without thinking, Mariu grabbed the Princess’s sleeve.
“Your Highness?”
A suspicious thought crossed her mind.
‘Don’t tell me…… she sent me there on purpose……?’
“Why?”
The utterly natural reply left Mariu speechless.
“Th-that is……”
Is that it? Is that all?
“Your Highness, those lowly servants, last night, while I was away, they arbitrarily changed my room! How dare they torment me without Your Highness’s permission, you must punish them severely.”
But Medeia’s face showed no reaction.
She had no intention of letting Mariu continue her luxurious lifestyle.
“I ordered it moved.”
“Huh?”
“They said they needed a bigger place to treat Neril. Stay there for the time being.”
Mariu couldn’t believe her ears.
“Y-you gave my room to Neril?”
Why to that wench?
“Why, how could you…… without even telling me……”
At the stammered words, the Princess’s green eyes turned cold.
“Do I need your permission to take care of one of my own people?”
“N-no. What I meant was……”
“Seeing this, your insolence truly knows no bounds.”
Mariu flinched. And while she was confused,
“Mariu, you seem too hurt to think straight, so rest for a while. You don’t need to work either.”
Medeia indifferently slapped Mariu’s hand away.
As if this brief moment was all the time she would spare for her now.
‘This can’t be. She can’t treat me like this.’
Mariu’s face flushed red at the blatant disregard.
‘How dare she, who became Princess by mere bloodline! How dare she ignore me!’
Intense resentment welled up toward the Princess, who showed no consideration for her dignity.
“Wait a moment.”
Mariu chased after the slender back. Silver hair swayed behind the silk.
She barely suppressed the urge to grab that delicate hair.
“Your Highness, wait-!”
It was the moment Mariu tried to violently grab and pull Medeia’s hand.
