I’m Supposed to Be the Neglected Princess in the Future, but Something Seems Strange... - 10 - The Princess’s Maid and the Cold-Hearted Future King
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- I’m Supposed to Be the Neglected Princess in the Future, but Something Seems Strange...
- 10 - The Princess’s Maid and the Cold-Hearted Future King
“Are you really going dressed like that?”
Raphael looked at Rose, who was wearing a wig that Mira had prepared, and made a very displeased face.
The wig was something Mira brought to hide Rose’s short bangs after they had been cut on the ship. With the wig, her bangs looked like they hadn’t been cut, so no one would notice.
“We’re going to my sister’s room, right? Then I have to wear this.”
Rose had agreed to Raphael’s idea to move into Lea’s room, but she couldn’t let Lea’s maids see her with her hair like this.
If people found out she had moved rooms and that she had cut her bangs and shown her face, even if Raphael tried to protect her, the king—their father—would surely become furious. He hated Rose’s face, which didn’t look like his, and saw it as one of the biggest stains in his life.
“It’s a waste to hide such pretty eyes, don’t you think?”
Raphael said this with clear frustration, and Rose was shocked.
“…Pretty eyes?”
What was he talking about? Pretty eyes were like Raphael’s pomegranate-colored ones or Lea’s emerald green ones. Rose’s tanzanite-colored eyes were not pretty. Even her mother, the queen, always hit her and shouted, “Don’t show those dirty twilight-colored eyes!”
“They’re beautiful. Maybe you’d call it a deep bluish purple? When I look at them, it feels like I’m being pulled in. Your dark blue hair is beautiful too, but I truly think your eye color is the most beautiful.”
Because he said it with such a serious face, Rose’s cheeks turned bright red. It was the first time someone had called her eyes pretty. She had always been told they were dirty and had to be hidden. It was hard to believe, but it also made her happy.
As Rose shyly looked down, Mira, who had been helping her get ready, raised her head and spoke with energy.
“Your Highness! That’s exactly right! Lady Rose’s eye color is very beautiful! Please tell her more!”
“Oh? I think we’ll get along well. You’re Mira, right?”
“Yes! My name is Mira Globe.”
“Alright. I’ll remember it.”
Raphael nodded cheerfully and reached out to touch the bangs of Rose’s wig.
“So take this thing off.”
“N-No, I can’t!”
Rose quickly grabbed her wig, making sure he couldn’t take it. Raphael let out a sigh and shrugged.
“Alright. I’ll allow it—until we get to the room. But after that, you have to take it off.”
“…But—”
“In short, it’s fine as long as the King of Gridor doesn’t find out you cut your hair, right?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“Then there’s no problem.”
No problem? But Lea’s maids would be in the room too.
Rose tilted her head in confusion but followed Raphael toward Lea’s room, with Mira carrying her luggage.
When Raphael brought Rose to Lea’s room, the maids inside all looked annoyed.
“Prince Raphael, may I ask what this means?”
One of them, the head maid Surin, stepped forward with a frown.
Surin was the daughter of Count Adolg, who was also a minister. She had been with Lea since Lea turned fifteen and became an adult. She clearly disliked Rose. Mira once warned Rose, “Please don’t go near Surin. Who knows what she might do?”
“We cannot let someone like that enter Lady Lea’s room.”
“Someone like that, huh?”
Raphael’s face suddenly went blank.
Rose flinched, and Raphael gently pulled her close.
“Rose is the second princess of Gridor, and Lea’s younger sister. A maid should not speak like that to a princess.”
Surin smiled politely and replied,
“We have no reason to show respect to someone His Majesty does not acknowledge as his daughter. Perhaps you are not aware, Your Highness…”
“I see. So you accept Lea as a princess, but not Rose. You’re loyal to Lea but owe Rose nothing. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Of course. We serve Lady Lea. Everything is for her. So bringing that girl here is unacceptable.”
“I understand. Then let me ask you, the maids of Lea. This morning, Lea disappeared, leaving behind this letter. You all work with complete loyalty to her, so you must know where she went. Are you saying you helped her escape? That would make you criminals.”
Surin’s expression suddenly changed.
The other maids turned pale too. Raphael gave them a calm but chilling smile.
“Even if you say you don’t know, that still makes you guilty. You’re her maids. Not knowing is not an excuse. But I’m sure smart people like you do know. In that case, as criminals, you cannot stay in this room. That means you also no longer need to serve someone like Rose. Isn’t that great?”
Rose turned to look at Mira in confusion. She didn’t really understand what Raphael meant.
But Mira was smiling happily, as if something good had happened.
As Rose tilted her head, Raphael turned to the guards and gave them an order.
“Take them away. All of them, including Lea’s bodyguards. I’ve already spoken to the captain.”
“Yes, sir.”
As the guards began taking them away, Surin shouted at Raphael, glaring at Rose.
“You’ll regret this, Your Highness!”
Raphael smiled and answered.
“Will I? If Lea is never found, Rose will become the queen of the great nation of Martan, and you all will likely be executed for helping Lea disappear. Think carefully about what you’ve done.”
Why was that? Even though Raphael was smiling, Rose felt a chill.
He was smiling, but he didn’t look happy at all.
After Surin and the others were taken away, Raphael turned to Mira.
“Now that the noisy ones are gone, do you think you can take care of Rose on your own?”
Raphael offered to provide help if needed, but Mira gave him a big smile.
“Of course! Lady Rose is humble and gentle, not like Lady Lea. I’ve always taken care of her alone, and it’s never been a problem.”
She answered proudly, and Raphael seemed pleased. He called the service staff to bring tea and invited Rose to the sofa.
“You must be tired. Let’s rest.”
He said that, but Rose hadn’t done anything to feel tired. They had only moved rooms.
When she saw tea and sweets being prepared just like in the last room, she wondered, Why does he always give me sweets? But since Mira could eat the leftovers, she decided it was okay.
Rose looked up at Raphael, who naturally sat beside her.
“Um, Your Highness—”
“Raphael.”
“…Lord Raphael, where are Surin and the others going?”
They were kicked out of the room… so where would they sleep now? When she asked, Raphael answered with a bright smile while pushing a piece of chocolate cake into her mouth.
“Let’s see… Probably in the ship’s jail?”