𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟐
“. . .!!”
“!!. . . . .!””. . . let go!!”
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I thought I heard something, and then I heard a woman’s screaming voice.
Let go? Is someone being attacked?
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When I quickly headed towards the sound, a young woman in court lady’s attire,
Was being grabbed by the arm by a slightly chubby man in a civil official clothing.
It looked like the man was forcibly approaching the woman.
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“What are you doing there!”
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When Kyle reprimands, the man lets go of the woman with a surprised face.
The woman stops moving and looks at Kyle, relieved to have been released.
Is she someone Kyle knows?
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“. . .My, my. . .
We were just having a lover’s quarrel. . . I apologize for causing a scene.
We will leave immediately. . . please forgive us.”
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When we realized that it was us who had intervened to stop them,
The man bows deeply to me after explaining to Kyle, who questioned him.
The woman, who made a slightly displeased face, also noticed I was there,
Turned towards me and bowed deeply.
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I remember this woman. Ah, it’s Ellie.
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When I realized that the woman was Ellie, who had helped me in the laundry room before,
I felt that what this man was saying was a lie.
I didn’t think Ellie was the type to have a lover’s quarrel in a place like this.
She’s surely working as an assistant court lady now.
You can tell she’s an assistant because the ribbon on her uniform is a different color from the court ladies.
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“You there. . . assistant court lady, raise your face?”
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When I gave permission for Ellie alone to raise her face, the man’s body twitched slightly.
He must have something to hide.
Ellie raised her face, looking surprised at being the only one given permission.
And then, with an anxious look, she glanced at Kyle as if seeking help..
. . . As I thought, they’re acquaintances after all.
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“May I ask you some questions?”
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“. . .Yes.”
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“What are you doing here?”
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“I was on my way back from delivering documents from the Eastern Palace to the Main Palace.”
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“I see. Is this man your lover?”
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“No, he’s not.”
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“. . .!”
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The man seemed like he wanted to say something, but he hadn’t been granted permission to lift his head.
Yet, he wouldn’t be able to speak either.
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“I see. It seems there was some misunderstanding, but
It’s not good to bring someone who’s not your lover to a place like this while they’re working.
Make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Kyle. . . please escort this assistant court lady to the Eastern Palace.”
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“. . . . . Understood.”
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Kyle’s face looked dissatisfied, but he wouldn’t question my orders in public.
Ellie looked relieved to know she was being sent by Kyle.
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Kyle led the way, and Ellie followed.
Watching the two walk side by side, I felt a pain and looked away.
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The man seemed to want to make excuses, but
I left him and returned to the Main Palace with Chris.
Since Il and Dana were acting as guards,
It wouldn’t be a safety issue if Kyle was gone for a short time.
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Sigh, it seems I won’t be able to practice magic today.
I’m disappointed, but I’ll be glad that I was able to help Ellie.
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“Hey, Princess.
Why did you have Kyle send Miss Ellie?”
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“You knew about Ellie, so you and Kyle are acquaintances?”
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“We were classmates at the academy. I haven’t seen her since graduation.
I was surprised when I saw her doing the laundry while I was watching over you, Princess.”
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“I see.”
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I knew they were classmates at the academy. I had looked into it later.
Since neither Chris nor Kyle seemed to have many friends,
I couldn’t tell if they even knew any of their classmates at the academy.
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But at that moment,
When Kyle intervened, Ellie looked at him.
It wasn’t the expression of someone saved by a stranger.
Even after that, Ellie’s eyes clung to Kyle.
Is there something between them? Maybe they were former lovers? I thought a little about it.
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“So, why did you have him send her?”
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“Ellie helped me with the laundry,
That was all I could do to help Ellie.
All I could do was change her job from a lower-ranking servant to an assistant court lady.”
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To become a court lady, you need the signature of a noble as a backer.
If that court lady does something, that noble is held responsible,
And it seems that getting a signature is quite difficult.
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Well, that makes sense.
If the court lady who got the signature tries to target grandfather’s life, that noble would also be executed.
I don’t think there’s a noble who would back someone they don’t know.
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That’s why Ellie can only become an assistant court lady, not a court lady.
No matter how many years she serves, without a noble’s backing, she can’t become a court lady.
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Not only in the content of the work but also the difference in pay and status is clear between a court lady and an assistant court lady.
It’s the same for a civil official, and that man was a proper civil official.
Because he has the backing of a noble, his status is higher than Ellie’s.
. . .Even if she was forcibly taken away, she probably couldn’t refuse.
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Thinking about it, I wondered if Ellie, who seemed to be seeking Kyle’s help,
I felt the urge to help her somehow.
I thought that perhaps Ellie might want to talk to Kyle.
When I explained such a thing, Chris made a strange face.
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“I thought. . .the Princess wouldn’t let go of Kyle.
I thought you would keep him by your side and not let him marry anyone.”
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“That’s. . .”
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“. . .That’s a face that says you hadn’t thought that far.”
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“. . .Yeah. . .Kyle, will he leave if he gets married?”
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“. . .I wonder.”
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If Kyle and Ellie work out, will he leave me?
Ellie is beautiful, kind, and mature.
If she marries Kyle, Ellie will have the backing of a noble and can become a court lady.
It’s all good news, but. . .What if Kyle is not by my side?
Can I bless Kyle’s happiness. . .?
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“For now, shall we go back to the room?”
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“. . .Yeah.”
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Chris pats my head, maybe out of concern.
Will Kyle stop patting me like this?
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. . .Now, I regret what I’ve done.
If Kyle is gone. . .What will I do?
