Me, a Princess? My Lord! - Chapter 87

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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 87

Clovis pulled out two loaves of bread wrapped in thin cloth from his coat and handed them over.

“There’s no time, so take these quickly. You look terrible. Even if it doesn’t suit your taste, make sure to eat so your body doesn’t waste away.”

“…Thank you for your consideration.”

Sheila said as she received the bread from his hands.

“Since you said there’s no time, I’ll speak quickly. I was brought here in such haste that I couldn’t deliver a message to her.”

Even in this situation, she wanted to relay information to Anastasia. Clovis clicked his tongue, thinking her loyalty was almost frightening.

“Your sibling and Princess Heidi have joined hands.”

Clovis frowned.

“My sibling? You mean Lawrence?”

“Yes, that’s right. I was too far away to overhear their exact conversation, but your sibling visited Princess Heidi several times. The atmosphere seemed quite friendly.”

Clovis’s face crumpled like paper.

Even before Heidi’s identity as a princess was revealed, Lawrence and Heidi had gotten along quite well. Hadn’t he invited her to the town house several times?

But now that Heidi was in a succession battle with Anastasia, and especially since Anastasia had marked him as her fiancé, the situation was somewhat different.

“I understand. I’ll take care of it.”

Just then, the sound of a guard hurriedly coming down the stairs could be heard. Clovis whispered to Sheila.

“Then I’ll bring news again.”

“Please return safely.”

It was when Clovis was about to turn around.

“Wait, Viscount!”

Sheila grabbed Clovis with desperate hands. She released the robe hem she had been clutching tightly and spoke.

“Please take good care of her while I’m gone.”

Clovis’s eyebrow muscles twitched. Sheila’s eyes were filled with desperation.

‘Even a daughter born from one’s own womb wouldn’t receive such devotion…’

To Clovis’s eyes, that devotion seemed somewhat like madness, but instead of revealing his inner thoughts, he nodded.

“…I understand. Don’t worry.”

Sheila watched Clovis’s retreating figure as long as possible before slowly closing her eyes.

“How can I not worry.”

She muttered softly like a sigh.

“You probably won’t understand for the rest of your life. How could a man like you understand a mother’s burning heart?”

* * *

Sheila was born as the illegitimate child of a countryside baron. Her mother was a young maid who worked at the baron’s estate.

But the baron didn’t take responsibility for Sheila and her mother. After being driven out of the baron’s estate, her mother came up to the capital city holding Sheila. It was to find work.

“For a maid, a powerful master is power itself. You can receive better treatment wherever you go, and get better conditions when you move elsewhere later.”

“Who has the most power?”

“That would naturally be His Majesty the King. You must become a palace maid when you grow up. It won’t be easy though.”

Sheila had never once thought about what she would become when she grew up. Her fate was already decided. A maid.

As she grew older, Sheila came to terribly hate such a fate.

Just looking at her mother was enough. If her future was to live as the baron’s plaything and then be abandoned, to work at notorious noble families like her mother until her hands and feet were swollen and she became ill, she thought it would be better to die now.

But regardless of her likes and dislikes, Sheila became a maid. After her mother passed away and she was left alone, Sheila had no other choice.

“If you’re caught being lazy, know that you’ll be kicked out. Always maintain clean hands, and keep your hair neat at all times.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Sheila’s first job was at the Greed Household. It was a family with quite a good reputation in social circles, but the countess she served was notorious for being very strict with maids.

Countess of Greed was one of the ladies-in-waiting who served Queen Beatrice Gillian de Panther. Sheila often visited the Royal Palace following the countess.

“While I’m talking with the Queen, stand against the wall. You must not let your posture slip.”

“I understand, my lady.”

While they had their elegant tea time, Sheila had to stand against the wall like furniture and watch the two of them. Her gaze fell upon Beatrice, the Queen.

‘…Beautiful.’

The Queen was the most beautiful person Sheila had ever seen in her life. It was as if an angel had descended. Even though Countess of Greed was famous for being a beauty, and she herself was quite pretty, they couldn’t compare to the Queen.

Her perfectly arranged golden hair, her spotlessly white and radiant skin, and her doll-like features immediately captivated the eye. But what drew her heart more than the pretty face was the Queen’s expression.

Her innocent and naive eyes, as if she had never once seen the ugly side of the world since birth, tormented Sheila. She probably had never experienced hardship in her life. And never would in the future either.

‘How lucky.’

The corner of Sheila’s mouth twisted slightly. She knew it was ridiculous to be jealous of a nation’s queen, but inferiority complex wasn’t a guest that chose its targets.

Then, as if sensing her gaze, the Queen turned her head.

“…!”

Their eyes met. Then Beatrice smiled prettily at Sheila. She turned her gaze back to Countess of Greed and spoke.

“I should have small chairs brought to the room.”

“Chairs?”

“Come to think of it, I always have maids accompany me when receiving guests. It doesn’t seem right to make them stand and wait for hours.”

“Oh my, how thoughtful of you!”

Queen Beatrice was a woman whose heart was as beautiful as her appearance. Though she didn’t want to admit it, it was truly so.

Unlike Countess of Greed, she was kind and showed kindness even to the lowest maids. She even took care of Sheila, who wasn’t even her own maid, so she probably treated the maids who served her even better.

But Sheila didn’t like the Queen. The kinder she was to her, the more the inferiority complex in her heart swelled.

‘If I had been born into such a good family and raised preciously like that, I would have been purely good like that too. I’m not a bad or wicked person, just an unlucky one.’

* * *

Of course, not only bad things happened in Sheila’s life. She fell in love when she met Norbert Albett, a royal coachman.

“Sheila, you’re really lucky. How did you meet such a decent man?”

“I’m jealous. Why does my lady always take only you when she goes to the palace?”

“Don’t you know? It’s because Sheila is the prettiest among us.”

“Don’t you have any decent friends? Introduce me to someone too.”

Norbert was a good man. He had the flaw of being a bit older, but he was reasonably handsome and had a stable job.

‘He’s probably the best man I could meet. If I caught the eye of nobles, I’d only end up living as a mistress like Mother…’

Sheila continued her relationship with Norbert while swallowing her slight regret.

Then one day.

Sheila headed to the Western Palace where the Queen resided, following Countess of Greed as usual. She sat in a chair placed in the corner, glancing at Queen Beatrice.

“This bread was made with a recipe newly developed by the chef. It’s still warm from the oven.”

It was the moment when the Queen’s maid set down a basket of freshly baked bread on the table.

“Ugh!”

Beatrice covered her mouth tightly with both hands.

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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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