Maid's Night

Chapter 16

 

Alec deliberately took the time to eat with Rose and talk while having tea. He showed her the house and took her for a walk around the garden. Then, when the hem of the princess’ dress was trailing on the ground, he would act like a gentleman to hold it up.

 

A man referred to as the god of war. Everyone looked at him with fear and admiration, but the princess didn’t seem too afraid of Alec. Whatever he said, she naturally replied back.

 

The princess was somewhat cheerful, and Alec was also somewhat friendly. Watching Alec adjust his strides for the princess’s slow pace, they looked like a happily married couple.

But the two didn’t spend the night together.

This was because the princess was not feeling well every time. And she didn’t even accept invitations to balls from the nobles. But the strangest thing was, Alec didn’t say anything to her. He only told her to rest lots if she was unwell.

But Evely felt as if she wasn’t actually sick.

“You look so beautiful, Princess.”

 

Evely exclaimed at the princess sitting in front of the dressing table. Sitting on the princess’s hair was a headdress gifted by Alec.

 

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“It was made for me, so it does look good, I suppose.”

 

Rose raised her hand and stroked the headdress a few times. Her thin hands felt at the bejeweled surface and slowly reached her hair. As she swept down with her fingertips, locks of her fine hair flowed gently between her fingers.

“You’ve complimented me on my pretty hair before,” she grinned as she looked in the mirror. Then she turned his head and looked at Evely standing behind her.

“Come to think of it, your hair is red too.” Evely shook her head, as if she hadn’t thought about it.

“I’m a little different from you, madam. My hair is a dry, faded red color.”

 

“It’s pretty because it’s like the colour of a faded maple leaf.”

 

Unfamiliar with such compliments, Evely scratched the back of her neck. But a shy smile came on, if not a bit sad.

“Looking at you sometimes reminds me of my sibling. She’s your age, too.”

“No, how dare I…”

 

“Maybe I’ll never see her again.”

 

Her hand, which had been sweeping down her hair, stopped, and loneliness was etched on her face. Evely, who noticed the princess’ sinking mood, opened her mouth in a bright voice as if she was trying to lighten the mood.

 

“You can see her! It’s not that far from Astina! It may be a little hard, but if you take a wagon…”

 

“No, my father won’t let me. He doesn’t like me very much. ” Rose’s lips curled as she spoke in a loathing manner, her tone a bit uneven. “Astina is a conservative place, so once a woman gets married, that’s it for her. I assure you, they won’t even care if I die or disappear here. I don’t think he cares at all. Does he even remember my face? He rarely even came to see me.”

“That can’t be.”

 

Evely tried to comfort her, saying that it could not be like that, but Rose’s face was grim. But after a moment, she spoke again with her usual gentle face.

 

“Leave. I need to rest. I haven’t been feeling well lately. That’s why I can only eat half a bowl of soup, right?”

 

Evely opened her eyes wide at her words. She didn’t know if she was serious or making fun of her. Not knowing what to answer, she stood with her mouth open. Rose burst into laughter and gestured to Evely. Evely, who came out of the room and was looking at the endless hallway, muttered to herself. “Isn’t a princess’ life a happy one?”

Come to think of it, she was always happy when she lived with her mother. She barely managed to eat day by day, but it was still good. Her mother was warm and friendly. An important existence.

 

Evely remembered asking her a question.

 

“Don’t you sometimes hate or resent Father? Don’t you regret being with him?’

 

“It’s a lie to say I don’t care at all, but I honestly don’t regret it.”

“Why?”

 

“Thanks to him, I gave birth to this beautiful Evely.”

 

Her mother had never met anyone else even though her father had been dead for a long time. She was satisfied with just her father as her husband for this life.

 

Evely hadn’t heard the details, but her parents fled to protect their love and started living in a remote rural village. They didn’t even get married properly and lived in poverty, but they were happy with that. The father that existed in her memories was kind and perfect. He knew how to write and wield swords, so he used to come to the next village to help out. Her mother was weak, but she said she was happiest when preparing a meal for her father.

 

They were a very good couple.

So, Evely was implicitly thinking that marriage is to be with one’s spouse forever.

 

Evely, who was thinking of her mother with a blank look on her face, experienced a stuffy feeling inside her chest. She slapped her face lightly to avoid being sentimental, when she heard a call from behind.

“Evely!” Evely grinned as she spotted Briana running towards with a cheerful face.

“Evely, do you want to hang out after work?”

“Shall we?”

“I haven’t seen the city in a while, too~”

“Yes, let’s go!”

“I want to look good for Aaron, so please help me pick a pretty necklace.”

These accessories were modeled after what’s popular among aristocrats, but Briana still enjoyed buying them. It was her pleasure to collect all these trinquets that she didn’t have and spend her salary to buy shiny and pretty things. Evely, who had nodded excitedly, now replied when something came to her mind.

 

“Briana, do you know why…”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Why do men take other women when they have a wife?”

 

“It’s not just men.”

 

Briana shrugged, seemingly insignificant.

 

“My mom used to say she loved my dad so much, but she cheated on him with the man next door, lived with him until he died. They still had a thing. There’s no such thing like permanent love.”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

“I don’t know, but I think it’s easier for men, as you know. There were prostitutes everywhere in alleys. Some of them use maids as toys.”

 

Evely had no choice but to smile awkwardly.

“In fact, many men indulge in this, but not our Master.”

 

What Briana said popped into her mind.

Alec didn’t play with her like a toy, but it was true that he did touch her. She thought they said he’d never touched a maid before, then why suddenly… “Why me?”

While this question revolved in her mind, Briana’s voice was heard again.

 

“Why what?”

 

“No, nothing.”

 

The master and the maids had different living spaces. He and the princess usually lived on the second floor. The maids all returned to their respective rooms on the third and fourth floors after their work. There were only two owners to serve, so few maids wandered around the mansion after Alec and the princess went to bed. Their nights together had only happened twice, so Briana and most maids didn’t seem to know what had happened. She wouldn’t be able to talk easily if someone noticed.

 

“I have to help with the garden. Let’s go out after this.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Evely’s eyes gradually slanted as she looked at Briana’s  back.

Why do men take other women even though they have a wife?

No, it’s also questionable whether she can even be called a woman.

Just as people don’t feel much guilt about using others’ things, he just used her to fix his mood.

Let’s not try to make sense of this.

Evely shook her head in tiredness. Her footsteps to the kitchen rang loudly down the hall.

 

She was on her way there after talking to Briana. The princess didn’t look very well today, so she asked to prepare the tea a little hot. Evely hurried back just in case the tea would get cold. She fumbled with the bedroom doorknob, wondering if the Princess had taken medicine.

 

“The tea is warm…” But she couldn’t finish her sentence. Because there was a huge man sitting in bed instead of a princess.

“She said she wasn’t feeling well, but she still went for another walk in that shape.”

 

Alec was fiddling with the canopy with a blank look.

(T/N: Canopy beds are a thing, y’all.)

“The princess, again…!”

She looked particularly ill today, so Evely had let her guard down for a moment, but she’d sneaked out again. Evely sighed unconsciously, but the Princess’ husband, Alec, remained calm.

Come to think of it, her master had never criticized the princess for going out. He didn’t take much action, nor did he bring it to anyone’s attention.

Instead, he just called on Evely. She didn’t know how the Princess escaped with all that snow outside. It wasn’t like there’s no way, but how would the princess know?

“Yes, again,” he replied, pulling out the lace linings as if he had lost interest. He wanted to see the face, but it was obscured by the canopy, revealing only his shadow.

As soon as she thought the large, thick curtains were blocking her view, he spoke in a clear tone.

“It’s time for you to pay the price. That ‘again’ was not for the princess, but for you. Come here,”

The momentarily dazed Evely stirred on hearing his laid back voice. She approached slowly as if crossing thin ice and stopped at a reasonable distance. To a shy Evely, he ordered gently, “Closer.”

 

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Evely took a step forward. Alec’s voice rang softly at a distance close enough to hear even for her to feel his breath.

 

“What’s your preference, me taking your clothes off or you stripping?”

“…If I tell you, will you let me do what I want?”