Me, a Princess? My Lord! - Chapter 65

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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 65

The day of new maid Mabel begins around dawn.

Yawn.

Mabel yawned so wide her mouth nearly split, then tidied her spot and stepped into the corridor. Young faces emerged one by one, exchanging silent greetings with each other.

While experienced maids can sleep a bit longer, morning sleep is a luxury for young maids like Mabel.

“Good morning, Mabel.”

“Good morning, Marie.”

The young maids gathered in the courtyard behind the palace began starching the mountain of aprons piled up.

“Ah! It stings…”

Mabel, who had been spreading out damp aprons, looked down at the back of her hand. It was covered with burn marks from hot water and cuts from glass.

Mabel suddenly recalled yesterday’s events.

“Your Highness, I’m really fine. How could you do this for someone like me…”

“I’m not fine.”

“…”

“Always take care of your body while working. Understood?”

What a strange princess.

Never mind royalty—even among noble ladies, she had never heard of a master who would personally act for the sake of a maid.

‘Take care of my body.’

Mabel’s expression became subtle as she pondered Heidi’s words. She looked down at her hands.

Her hands were all wrinkled from absorbing water, and dirt was disgustingly lodged under her short, blunt nails. Now there would be a large scar on the back of her hand too.

‘Whatever. Let’s just work.’

Mabel forcibly pushed yesterday’s events from her mind.

Shivering in the cold dawn air, she noticed the surroundings had brightened before she knew it.

“Let’s hurry. At this rate we’ll be late and get scolded!”

Now it was time for the experienced maids to gradually wake up. Mabel delivered the crisply starched aprons to each room with her friends.

“Done.”

She was stretching her back and loosening her stiff muscles when—

“Mabel!”

A sharp voice came from behind.

“Yes, Housekeeper.”

It was Sheila who had called Mabel over.

“There’s a mountain of sewing piled up and you’re just idling around without even checking on it!”

“I was starching the laundry…”

“Quiet! How many times have I warned you not to make excuses.”

“…I’m sorry. I’ll correct it.”

Sheila glared fiercely at Mabel before clicking away. Only after the sound of her shoes completely disappeared did Mabel raise her head.

Sheila Emmett.

Excluding Heidi, she was the woman with the highest position in the Western Palace.

Honestly speaking, among the maids, Sheila’s influence was far greater than even Heidi’s. It was Sheila who directly managed the maids.

Most of the maids currently working in the Western Palace were those Sheila had brought from Anastasia’s Palace.

“I don’t want to go. No matter how demanding Princess Anastasia is, you know what great power it is to work there.”

“I heard from Lady Sheila that no one knows that woman’s origins or identity. Isn’t that strange?”

“I absolutely won’t go. I’ll work here until I die!”

At the talk of becoming like a kite with a broken string if they moved palaces, the maids stubbornly refused and held out.

In the end, maids without experience or young ones like Mabel were forcibly selected.

Sheila gathered the maids who would work at Heidi’s palace and said:

“I understand well the difficult feelings about leaving Princess Anastasia’s side. It must be hard in many ways to move to a palace that’s been neglected for decades. But moving palaces doesn’t mean you need to abandon your loyalty to Princess Anastasia.”

“…”

“If you learn any information while serving your new master, bring it all to me. I’ll reward you handsomely for it.”

“Information, you mean…”

“Well, it could be various things. Who she meets, what conversations she has… If there’s anything particularly unique about her, that would be good too.”

The eyes of the maids who heard this story sparkled like stars.

Of course they would. How much could a maid’s salary be?

Certainly, if they got older and caught their master’s eye for a promotion, they might handle quite a bit of money. But young maids’ financial situations weren’t very comfortable.

The maids passed information they learned while serving Heidi to Sheila and received money. It was actually small change when you thought about it, but for those without, even that was something to be grateful for.

‘I’ll just do my own work. They say a loose-lipped maid never comes to a good end.’

But Mabel had never once earned pocket money with information about Heidi. She had learned something from her mother, who was also a maid.

‘Princess Heidi seems so pitiful when I look at her. She doesn’t know anything…’

Heidi also felt somewhat pitiful to her on a human level.

It was a bit strange for a mere maid to pity a princess, but she really did.

Unlike the bad stories she’d heard in rumors, Heidi was a kind and gentle person. She was always friendly to the maids and never threw tantrums like Anastasia.

When she saw Heidi relying on and following Sheila, her heart would sting, but Mabel kept her mouth firmly shut.

‘It’s not a problem I can solve anyway.’

Mabel didn’t want to get involved in complicated matters. Politics and such gave her a headache.

What Mabel wanted was simply to work as a maid in the palace for a long time. Maybe she could meet a decent husband candidate and start a small family.

‘It’s better to pretend not to know.’

Mabel shook her head vigorously and lifted the basket full of sewing materials. The heavy weight made her grit her teeth.

That’s when it happened.

“Oh!”

A clear voice echoed through the corridor. When Mabel turned her head, a fair and pure face came into view.

“Your Highness.”

Mabel quickly set down the basket, grabbed her skirt, and bent her knees.

Then Heidi approached with quick steps and spoke in a welcoming voice.

“Yesterday, right?”

She seemed to remember yesterday’s commotion.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Is your hand feeling better?”

Heidi lifted up Mabel’s hand. Mabel’s face reddened with embarrassment at her dirty, ugly hand.

Regardless, Heidi carefully examined Mabel’s wounds.

“It’s still red. The torn parts must sting quite a bit.”

“…”

“It shouldn’t scar. Did you properly apply the medicine I gave you?”

Heidi asked with a worried expression. Mabel smiled awkwardly and withdrew her hand.

“Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I’m really fine.”

Heidi’s gaze fell on the cloth and sewing box piled full in the basket.

“Sewing with an injured hand… It would be good if you could rest and get treatment for even a day.”

“I’m fine, Your Highness. This is my job.”

Heidi looked at Mabel quietly, then nodded as if she had realized something. She muttered in a very small voice.

“I was thinking too naively. I could let her rest, but then this child would be hated by the other maids. She clearly looks like a newcomer who hasn’t been working long.”

Mabel, who couldn’t quite hear what Heidi was saying, tilted her head.

‘What is she muttering about?’

After pondering for a moment, Heidi suddenly raised her head. She met Mabel’s eyes and said:

“I have a favor to ask. Could you run an errand for me?”

Mabel’s eyes widened as she said:

“Yes, Your Highness. Of course. Please tell me.”

“Go to your seniors and tell them I need one maid to do a very unpleasant errand. It will be quite strenuous work. She’ll get rather dirty too.”

Heidi smiled mischievously.

“If you find someone, could you send her to my room? Please.”

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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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