I Was Hired by the Black-Minded Prince for My Life's Ransom - Chapter 3

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 3. I’m certain I stepped on it…!
“You work so hard, Head Maid.”
The Third Prince answered softly, and the Head Maid bowed even more deeply.
“Your Highness speaks so kindly. I hardly know what to do with myself.”
“Please, don’t.”
As he shook his head, her cream-colored hair rustled and swayed.
Like a single petal fluttering in the breeze.
‘Good heavens.’
Such beauty actually existed in this world.
I was blinking blankly when the Third Prince turned to look at me, his eyes crinkling softly.
“I don’t believe we’ve met before.”
The Head Maid quickly stepped forward.
“This is Vanillin, a new maid in our service.”
“It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Your Highness…!”
I spoke in a trembling voice and bent into a deep bow.
Then the Third Prince said,
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Vanillin.”
His voice was warm, tickling gently at my ears.
“Thank you for the kind welcome!”
I bent even deeper at the waist.
He spoke in formal politeness even to a mere maid…
Truly, he was an angelic prince.
No wonder he earned the title Saint of the Empire.
I was marveling at this when it happened.
“Ahem! Hem-hem.”
The nobleman beside us coughed loudly.
A middle-aged man demanding attention, as if insisting not to be forgotten.
The prince turned toward the Head Maid with a gentle smile.
“Marquis Desmond expressed curiosity about the Imperial Palace’s treasures, so I brought him along.”
“Haha, I said it was fine, but my son-in-law here went ahead and arranged all this anyway.”
At his flippant tone, my eyes widened involuntarily.
‘Son-in-law…?’
So that meant he was married?
‘So he’s a married man….’
As I nodded to myself, the Head Maid’s brow furrowed and her voice grew sharp.
“Son-in-law?”
“Oh, that’s a secret. It hasn’t been officially announced yet.”
…….
So it was not what I thought.
I pressed my lips firmly shut and watched for signs.
Even to me, ignorant of noble society as I was, something seemed off about this.
Sure enough, the Head Maid’s eyes grew sharp.
“It’s a matter not yet finalized, so perhaps it would be best to guard your words carefully.”
“Hmm?”
Yet the Marquis paid no mind whatsoever.
“Well, it’s only a matter of time. The Second Prince is pushing forward quite enthusiastically.”
“…I see.”
“The Imperial Family needs substantial wealth in the end, after all. Ha-ha!”
A remarkably rude remark.
I glanced carefully at the Third Prince.
He ought to have been displeased, yet he only wore a gentle smile.
“My brother seems to regard the Marquis favorably. But do mind your footing—your pace is hurried.”
He even expressed concern for the Marquis, instead.
…If only Dai could learn at least half of that.
I turned my head away with a sorrowful expression.
The Marquis laughed heartily and shook his head.
“Ha-ha, not to worry! I’m not fool enough to slip on a floor like this.”
His movements radiated confidence.
Yet I felt uneasy, my eyes darting nervously.
The truth was, his outfit was rather excessive.
The silk garments didn’t fit properly, stretching taut in patches, the gold thread embroidery glinting with excessive sheen.
What worried her most was that cloak.
The expensive fabric didn’t fit right, dragging across the floor.
One wrong step and she’d be finished.
No wonder the Third Prince was concerned.
‘It’ll be fine, surely…?’
Still, she was a grown woman, after all.
I kept a respectful distance behind the two men, just like the other servants.
Standing with my hands folded properly, I caught fragments of their conversation.
“My, the Imperial Palace treasures truly are exceptional. A world apart from what our house possesses.”
“They’re relics of considerable historical significance.”
“Well, they’ll be ours soon enough, so it’s not unreasonable to examine them beforehand.”
No matter how overstepping the Marquis’s remarks were, the Third Prince maintained a gentle expression.
He even guided the Marquis further into the gallery.
“The Celestial Pottery is this way.”
“Oh, the Celestial Pottery!”
So this was the kind of composure required to earn the title of Saint of the Empire….
‘I get furious whenever I talk to Dai.’
Admiration bloomed in my chest.
The Marquis stopped before the ceramic piece, leaning forward to peer at it.
“It’s smaller than I expected.”
“Is this your first time seeing it?”
“Yes… ahem! I’ve only recently become a nobleman.”
He cleared his throat awkwardly.
No, wait.
‘The Celestial Pottery?’
What on earth was it that he found so fascinating?
I was curious.
Without thinking, I craned my neck forward for a better look.
“I’ve heard you can only see it in the Founding Emperor’s Era….”
“That’s because it’s National Treasure Number 1.”
“Truly, it deserves that honor.”
The Marquis nodded, unable to tear his gaze from the pottery.
I found myself nodding along with him.
A treasure visible only in the Founding Emperor’s Era—no wonder it was precious beyond measure….
And it really was beautiful.
One step, then another.
The Marquis drew closer to the pottery as if enchanted.
“It truly does seem invaluable.”
His protruding belly brushed against the edge of the display stand.
Oh no—this is really going to end badly.
It was in that moment of anxious watching.
“Soon this shall be mine….”
One more step forward.
Before he could finish speaking, the Marquis’s body lurched.
“Huh?”
They say accidents always come without warning.
The Marquis lost his balance and toppled forward.
It appeared he’d stepped on the hem of that flowing cloak.
“Nooo―!”
Every mouth fell open in horror.
The Celestial Pottery was directly in his path.
Desmond’s face drained to ashen in real time.
“No, no, no―!”
The Marquis thrashed his arms desperately, trying to regain his center.
But the weight was already distributed wrong.
His body tumbled forward without mercy.
And in that same instant,
Crack―!
A sickening sound, and the pottery shattered, flying into the air.
The pottery bounced off the stand in a perfect arc, and the image of it falling away was seared into my vision in slow, deliberate motion.
‘If that breaks….’
I glanced urgently at the Head Maid.
Her eyes, nose, and mouth were all wide open, her entire body radiating shock.
That alone told me everything I needed to know.
If it broke, we were in serious trouble.
‘That can’t happen…!’
I want to live a long life, damn it!
Without time to think, I calculated where the pottery would land.
One step, two steps, and five pillars away from the window.
The pottery began its rapid descent along that arc,
and I let out a sharp cry—
“Vanillin!”
I ran.
The Head Maid cried out in alarm, but I didn’t hear her.
“Ugh….”
All I could see was the pottery above my head.
Focus, Vanillin.
You can do this…!
Think of the plate Dai threw—the one you caught.
I drew in a breath.
Spreading my arms wide and positioning myself to absorb the impact—
“Come here…!”
Soft thud—
I caught it perfectly.
The pottery settled into my embrace as gently as if it had always belonged there.
“Hah….”
I released a breath of relief.
Then, with a slight, somewhat awkward smile, I held the pottery up to show it.
“Fortunately… it’s unharmed.”
“…….”
Silence fell.
Dozens of pairs of eyes fixed on me all at once.
“…….”
It was oddly, eerily quiet.
Why… why…?
I slowly lowered my arms.
As I raised my head, cradling the pottery, my eyes met the Third Prince’s directly.
“…….”
Was I mistaken?
His gaze was fixed not on the pottery, but on me.
Not surprise, not anger…
Something like assessment in his eyes—strangely, deeply thoughtful.
Cold sweat beaded on my skin.
“Was… was I not supposed to catch it…?”
My voice wavered with anxiety.
The Third Prince looked down at me quietly, then let out a soft laugh and shook his head.
“No.”
His voice was low and gentle.
“On the contrary, you did very well indeed.”
He approached slowly and extended a large, steady hand.
I carefully passed the pottery to him.
Our fingertips brushed faintly.
Though it was only for an instant, that sensation lingered with strange clarity, and I found myself rubbing my hand discreetly.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Uh… no….”
A tender, oddly cryptic question.
What exactly was he asking if was hurt.
The pottery?
…Or me?
It was hard to tell without a subject.
As I stood there, mouth opening and closing without an answer,
the Head Maid finally came to her senses and rushed over.
“L-let me check if there are any wounds or damage, Your Highness.”
“Well, it doesn’t seem like there are any.”
The Third Prince shrugged and smiled.
Only then did I exhale the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
Oh—it was the pottery he was asking about, then.
What a fright.
As the Third Prince handed over the pottery, the maids rushed over in a flurry to inspect it.
“The surface condition?”
“Perfect. No glaze chipped off, not a scratch or dent, not even the smallest flaw.”
“Vanillin caught it completely.”
“That tiny little thing…. It’s a miracle.”
The Head Maid let out a long breath.
Whether by divine fortune or not, the pottery remained flawless.
The Third Prince smiled with obvious relief.
“How truly fortunate. Heaven has blessed us.”
“Indeed, Your Highness.”
“What a blessing.”
The maids chimed in their agreement, awash in relief.
Everyone seemed convinced that it had been an unlucky accident, and that they had been lucky enough to escape harm.
But then.
‘How frightening….’
In truth, I
could not take the Third Prince’s smile at face value.
Because I had seen it.
‘He definitely stepped on the hem of his cloak.’
Just before Desmond tumbled.
The Third Prince had deliberately trodden on his cloak.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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