Me, a Princess? My Lord! - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 11

Heidi asked with a bewildered expression.

“The master is… no, the teacher isn’t here right now?”

“Yes, he went out this morning.”

“Th-then when will he return?”

“I don’t really know either… Since he didn’t say anything special, he’ll probably return sometime today.”

This was a disaster.

A complete disaster.

‘If the plan gets exposed here…’

This wasn’t just anything – it involved royal blood. Something that could shake the succession to the throne.

If Desion’s plan was discovered by the princess, he would be accused of plotting treason.

‘It’s not just the teacher’s problem. Miss Eloise and the other maids would be in danger too.’

Heidi chewed on her lower lip nervously.

‘And I’d be finished.’

The fact that she was of the King’s bloodline was still only known to Desion – she was just a commoner. She would probably disappear without a trace.

‘I need to hide for now. That’s the only option right now.’

Escaping outside the estate was too dangerous a choice at this point. Too many eyes watching.

That left inside the estate.

Several candidates came to mind for Heidi. Places like the storehouse or basement.

But she soon shook her head.

‘Too obvious.’

If the soldiers outside the estate had come to find something, they would think of such places first too.

Heidi anxiously looked around the room.

‘Isn’t there somewhere they wouldn’t easily imagine? Somewhere they’d carelessly pass by…’

That’s when it happened.

The apron the maid was wearing came into Heidi’s view. As if she had rushed here and bumped into a wall, it was lightly dusted with dirt.

“…!”

This was it.

Heidi’s eyes sparkled.

* * *

With practiced movements, she tied the apron tightly around herself. After pushing her hair into the hood, the mirror reflected the unmistakable appearance of a maid.

Dull blue-gray fabric with white sleeves.

An apron that showed signs of use with a bit of grass staining.

“…”

This was an appearance she had seen every day until just two months ago, so why did it feel so strange now?

But there was no time to indulge in such idle sentiments. The murmuring from outside the estate was now beginning to reach Heidi’s ears too.

While the servants erased her traces from the room, Heidi tactfully picked up a tray full of cleaning supplies.

“I’ll help too.”

The maid shook her head at Heidi’s words.

“It’s dangerous for you to deal with the soldiers directly. The other maids might react awkwardly when they see you, miss.”

“Mmm.”

“For now, if you go to the room at the end of the downstairs corridor, there’s a supply storehouse. Stay there for now. I’ll come tell you when I find a safe place.”

Heidi nodded and quietly slipped out of the room.

As she stepped into the corridor, the murmuring became much clearer. The soldiers from the Royal Palace and the butler were having an argument.

Stealthily. Muffling her footsteps as she went down the stairs, Heidi listened to their conversation.

“The master is currently away. But for what reason have you brought so many soldiers…”

“Ah, we’re just passing through. We plan to take a ship from Rotem Port to cross over to Aras, and we need lodging for the night, so we ask for your cooperation.”

The butler’s brow furrowed at the words of the man who appeared to be the squad’s commander.

“If that’s the issue, I believe it would be proper to give advance notice.”

“We sent word, but it seems it didn’t reach you. What a pity.”

The man replied shamelessly and raised his head to look around the rooms.

“Fortunately, there seem to be plenty of rooms. We’re just asking for a place to stay, not requesting special treatment, so don’t feel too burdened.”

The butler took a moment to compose himself before speaking.

“We need the master’s permission.”

“We’ll wait inside until he returns. We have nowhere else to go anyway.”

“…”

“His Lordship the Marquis will permit it. The Princess has guaranteed it. Coming here today was also on the Princess’s orders.”

Heidi paused.

‘The Princess?’

Heidi’s ears perked up.

She wanted to hear more. She really wanted to hear more.

But if she hesitated here, there was a risk of being spotted by people.

Heidi reluctantly moved on, as naturally as possible.

After turning the landing and going down to the lower floor, Heidi crossed the corridor almost at a run.

Click.

She opened the small door at the end of the corridor and immediately closed it after entering.

Instantly, the surroundings were dyed in darkness.

“…”

Heidi could barely make out objects by the light seeping through the door crack. Wooden boxes filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items were haphazardly stacked.

Heidi brushed off the accumulated dust with her hands and sat down on a wooden box.

The tension drained from her body all at once.

“Hah.”

Heidi caught her breath and looked around.

A closet-like space with a musty smell of dust.

It wasn’t unfamiliar to Heidi. It was a place she had frequented to the point of boredom when working as a maid.

‘It’s been a while since I hid in a storehouse.’

When she first started working as a maid, she would briefly catch her breath in places like this, hiding from others’ eyes. She had cried a lot from the senior maids’ hazing too.

‘Who would have thought I’d miss those days.’

Heidi buried her face in her hands, briefly recalling her exhausting days as a new maid.

‘Was it wrong to say I’d do it?’

Though she hadn’t eavesdropped for long, the soldiers had definitely said they came here on the Princess’s orders.

They might have caught a suspicious scent. Or maybe they definitely knew something and came.

‘That would be terrible…’

Growing anxious, Heidi chewed on her lips nervously.

Then heavy footsteps began to be heard from the corridor.

“…!”

Heidi gasped and held her breath.

“What exactly are we supposed to find?”

“For now, let’s take anything that seems suspicious. Probably documents or something?”

“Coming all the way down to this countryside for this kind of hardship, really.”

The grumbling voices of the soldiers grew closer and closer.

Thud, thud.

As the footsteps approached, her heart clenched tight. Heidi covered her mouth tightly with both hands.

That’s when it happened.

“You two there!”

A clear male voice echoed through the corridor.

“Didn’t you hear me say to refrain from chatting during duty?”

“We’re sorry.”

“Move quickly.”

“Yes!”

Heidi, who had been listening quietly, slightly furrowed her brows.

‘This voice is….’

It sounded somewhat familiar, so it seemed to be the commander who had been talking with the butler earlier. Heidi abruptly stood up from where she was sitting.

‘Have they left now?’

The corridor had become quiet, suggesting the soldiers had departed. Wanting to hear the sounds from outside, Heidi quietly approached the door.

That’s when it happened.

Creak.

“…!”

The closed storehouse door swung wide open.

And standing in front of the open door was.

‘I’m screwed.’

The man she most wanted to avoid at this moment.

“Who are you?”

It was that commander she had seen earlier.

The man spoke with a furrowed brow.

“What were you doing here?”

Heidi slightly bowed her head and made an excuse.

“I was preparing cleaning supplies. I was told I need to clean all the guest rooms.”

“Hmm.”

The commander examined the items placed on the tray Heidi was holding and scratched his beard. The suspicious gleam in his eyes instantly died down.

Having lost interest, he fiddled with his earlobe and said.

“Make sure to clean my room especially thoroughly. If there’s dust, my throat gets itchy all day.”

“Yes, I’ll take special care to tidy it up.”

Heidi bent her knees in a bow.

‘Did I get away with it? Successful escape just like this?’

Hiding her anxious heart, Heidi left the storehouse room as if nothing had happened.

One step, two steps.

Just as she was carefully trying to pass by the man blocking the doorway.

Grab.

Heidi’s wrist was caught.

Clang!

The metal tray in Heidi’s hand clattered noisily across the floor.

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

“Did I see wrong.”

The man muttered quietly. He pulled Heidi’s wrist toward him and said.

“Your eyes….”

Heidi’s heart sank with a thud.

‘Eyes? Don’t tell me… he saw the color of my pupils?’

Perhaps because she was too flustered by the unexpected situation.

Her mind went blank for a moment, and Heidi squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

Just when she thought it was all over.

“I heard you were looking for me.”

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