After Amanda’s wedding, the Windsor mansion was a hive of activity. The one who found himself busiest of all was the butler Michael.
“Are you all set to enter the palace tomorrow?”
Mary answered with a vigorous nod.
“Yes.”
The wedding completed, some of the servants prepared to arrive at the Imperial Palace to attend to Amanda. Oftentimes when a noble was married, they took familiar servants from their own families, and Amanda, as Crown Princess, would need more people to comfortably take care of her.
‘The maids are almost ready…’
The list of maids going to the Imperial Palace had already been taken care of by Amanda. A few other servants, however, were not well-acquainted with Amanda, and she left it to Michael to choose those who could be trusted. Michael didn’t think much of it, and told the Windsor household they needed more assistance at the Imperial Palace…
Quinlen, who had been employed a while ago, volunteered. Michael remembered how Amelia’s face was like death when she found out, and he pressed his fingers against his temple.
“What the hell is going to happen…”
Mary, who was standing opposite of Michael, widened her eyes.
“Hm? What did you say?”
“N-nothing….”
Michael confirmed that Mary was fully packed, then moved to check another maid’s room.
“Rest well, Mary.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Michael finally left the small room.
Kkiig, tak!
The door shut with a loud click, and Mary turned to the luggage case she had packed, a complicated expression on her face. She didn’t have much, as she was given her daily necessities by the family she served.
“…Well.”
Mary heaved a sigh, and then pulled out the item she had secretly hidden in the luggage case. It was a letter from Tilda that had arrived unexpectedly last night. Tilda was Elice’s friend, and was currently in the employ Lady Brown. She had also previously worked for the Windsor family for a long time.
“Why is she sending me a letter now?”
She hadn’t opened the envelope yet, and she wondered what was inside. When Elice had received a sudden letter from Tilda, Elice had torn Amanda’s dress into pieces and fled.
A letter sat before Mary now. She was hesitant to read the contents, but discarding it felt like ignoring the camaraderie they had built. Mary considered telling Amanda about it first, but she was worried it would be a mistake.
‘Alright. I’ll just take a look at it, and I’ll tell her if it’s anything strange.’
Fully resolved, Mary finally opened the sealed envelope.
It came as a sudden shock to Amelia when she found out that Quinlen would leave for the palace. She had settled down her mind and decided to go on a picnic with Quinlen, but now she felt as if everything was falling apart.
“Quinlen, are you really going to leave for the palace?”
Quinlen replied immediately, despite the quiver in Amelia’s voice.
“Yes.”
Her clear, green eyes trembled even more at his answer.
“Why? Why would you go to the palace so suddenly?”
“It pays well…”
“Then I’ll pay you better than the Imperial Palace does.”
“…”
Quinlen stared at Amelia’s determined face before a thin sigh escaped from his mouth. He had failed to capture the rat hiding in Windsor mansion, and now that Amanda was married, the rat would naturally follow her to the palace. Quinlen had to do the same. He had to complete his original mission, but now an unexpected obstacle lay before him.
‘What do I do here?’
Quinlen felt the stare of some maids as they walked past. Though the maids were some distance away, his sensitive ears managed to pick up on their conversation.
“Look, the Young Lady is with that servant again.”
“I know. I think it’s true that she’s in love with him.”
Amelia’s intense affection had put Quinlen in the center of attention in Windsor mansion. He couldn’t help but sigh again.
“…Haaa.”
Amelia looked at him questioningly.
“Quinlen? Oh!”
Amelia was about to open her mouth to speak when—
Tag, hwiig!
Quinlen grabbed her shoulders and quickly pushed her where no one else could see them. She was quickly driven into a dark storehouse, with a hard wall at her back and Quinlen’s face right in front of her. It was an awkward position. Amelia’s eyes widened even further in embarrassment.
“Th-this—”
“Shhh. Or other people will see.”
Quinlen’s low voice caused her cheeks to color, but she managed to steady herself.
“What does it matter if others see us?”
“They’ll gossip about a close relationship between master and servant.”
“The servants in my family don’t do that—”
“Everyone’s the same. Take my advice so you don’t get involved in a scandal.”
Amelia’s face scrunched up as she reflected on his words, but Quinlen only stared down at her with a smooth expression.
“….I’ll be more careful in the future.”
“Please keep it in mind. In any case, I’ll be leaving for the palace.”
“Why? Did I do something wrong?”
Amelia pouted at him like an abandoned puppy. Quinlen furrowed his brow at the sight and swallowed the words he couldn’t say.
‘You’re the problem.’
The lady of the house could do no wrong to a servant, and she couldn’t be criticized for any mistakes she made. Such was noble society, and such was the gulf between Amelia’s and Quinlen’s positions.
“This relationship with you is somewhat uncomfortable, Young Lady.”
In truth, Quinlen needed to return to the Imperial Palace to complete his mission for Oliver. Amelia’s behavior towards him had nothing to do with him leaving, but it was a convenient excuse, even if it hurt her. After all, the relationship between the two was only a fantasy from the beginning.
Amelia’s face paled.
“My actions made you uncomfortable?”
“Yes. I don’t want people to stare and gossip about me, and I don’t feel comfortable with someone who knows my past. I’d like to make a fresh start in the palace, where no one knows me at all.”
That was the perfect, plausible reason. Quinlen thought it would be enough, but Amelia turned out to be surprisingly stubborn.
“…I don’t like it.”
“…?”
“Even if you’re uncomfortable…stay.”
Quinlen looked surprised as if someone knocked him over the head.
“I’ll be more careful now that I know what the issue is. You still have some time left on your employment contract, and…and I’ll give you a raise, as I said. Oh! I can also make other tasks easier if you want.”
Amelia started to ramble, but it was a hopeless distraction from Quinlen’s point of view.
“…Young Lady.”
Amelia’s face stiffened as she knew what his soft tone meant.
“You won’t be able to go anywhere unless I allow you. You are contracted with Windsor mansion for a year.”
Quinlen was speechless. She wasn’t wrong, however. He had signed exactly that on his contract.
“…So I will not send you. Don’t go.”
Amelia clutched at Quinlen’s collar in a childish gesture, a stark contrast to the sternness of her words just before. She gave orders like a noble and completely disregarded his thoughts, but she was gripped with desperation. Quinlen looked alternately between her thin hands and trembling green eyes.
He didn’t know what to do with this little bird-like girl.