I Became a Tyrant’s Maid - Chapter 55

“Don’t you have any higher quality material? This feels a bit rough.”

“How about this one, madam?”

“Hmm… Isn’t the color a bit too flashy?”

Calix looked at me with a bored expression.

He seemed to be dying to ask what on earth I was doing.

“My husband’s face is already quite eye-catching. Something more subdued would be… Ah, that silk shirt would be nice.”

At my words, the shop owner’s face cooled off as he said he’d go check the size and went into the back of the store.

“Just how long are you going to keep this up?”

“We said we’d stay here for today, didn’t we? The journey to the capital seems quite long, so we should prepare as much as possible.”

I glared at him as I continued speaking.

“Don’t tell me you’re already tired after just an hour of looking around?”

“What I mean is, how long do we have to keep doing these useless things?”

I sighed at Calix’s words.

This man knows absolutely nothing about romance.

Fortunately, thanks to the jewels we brought from Leviathan’s nest, we had sufficient travel funds.

“Useless? It’s much better to choose good quality and pretty clothes than to pick shabby ones like a sucker for the same price!”

Of course, it looks better too.

Thanks to the damned couple cosplay event Calix suggested, I could play dress-up to my heart’s content.

Indeed, with his stunning face, anything he wore sparkled brilliantly.

Ah, is this how people who spend real money on games feel?

After always seeing princely clothes, it was refreshing to see him in commoner’s attire.

In fact, I preferred the back-alley ruffian style over the noble gentleman look.

“So pick yours instead of mine, that’s what I’m saying.”

At his words, I smiled brightly and replied.

“I’ve already bought mine.”

Calix’s eyes widened as if wondering when I had bought it, and soon the shop owner came out from behind the screen with clothes for both Calix and me.

“I quickly purchased them while you were trying them on.”

Personally, I liked the style here much more than Posnia’s.

While Posnia mainly wore skirts with lots of frills, this place, being a country with high temperatures, tended to wear thin silk pants.

They were like refrigerator pants, very comfortable to wear and great for movement.

“Your husband is so handsome, he’ll look good in anything.”

The shop owner, who had been looking annoyed just a moment ago, now smiled pleasantly and held out her hand.

She wanted payment.

I glanced at Calix, and he reluctantly took money out of his pocket and handed it to her.

“Please come again〜.”

Perhaps because it was a village near the so-called Death Desert, there were many spaces for monster hunters or adventurers looking for ruins.

“For a place that despises magic, it seems quite developed.”

I eagerly observed the architectural styles.

Perhaps abolishing magic was a wise choice in the long run.

It was leading to technological advancements.

In fact, I had heard that Desart was a country with highly developed medical technology. It was fascinating.

“Don’t you need pajamas?”

Calix asked with a sulky face, looking down at the short-sleeved shirt I was wearing.

“I can wear what I brought. Don’t worry, I already bought yours.”

At my words, he asked incredulously.

“So for your pajamas, comfort is all that matters?”

“Isn’t comfort the most important thing?”

Calix frowned deeply. Then he looked around hurriedly and dragged me to a secluded alley before saying solemnly.

“When we get to the imperial palace, I’ll give you my clothes.”

For a moment, I thought I had misheard.

Did this man get heatstroke from crossing the desert?

Or has he gone mad?

“What… do you mean?”

“The material will be much better than those commoner clothes, so you’ll have much better pajamas, won’t you?”

I felt his forehead. His temperature seemed normal.

“That won’t do, Your Highness. What would the servants think if I wore Your Highness’s clothes?”

“Then I’ll give them to you as a gift directly.”

“That’s even stranger, Your Highness.”

As I immediately refused, he leaned against the wall with a slightly annoyed face, standing crookedly and smiling at me.

Then, in a somewhat agitated voice, he said to me.

“Why is my clothing not acceptable, but that good-for-nothing kitchen worker’s clothes are fine?”

Surprised by Calix’s words, I replied.

“How did you know that guy was a slacker, Your Highness? Well, Aaron’s constant slacking off is quite famous.”

“…Is that what’s important right now?”

I was purely amazed at Calix’s ability.

Indeed, Aaron’s nickname in the kitchen was “slacker.”

Even though he seems not to care, he’s quite thorough in knowing the identities of the servants in the Crown Prince’s palace, huh?

He’s not the male lead for nothing. Impressive.

“Enough. I’ll give you money, so stop wearing these cheap clothes and buy proper ones.”

I failed to control my expression at the mention of money.

“You seem to like money quite a bit.”

“Who doesn’t like money, Your Highness?”

I sucked up to him diligently like a magistrate’s assistant, but Calix, seemingly uncomfortable with my behavior, pushed me out of the alley.

“Your High-“

“You should call me ‘darling.'”

Calix smirked, curling up the corners of his mouth wickedly.

It felt like I was starting to fall for my own trick, but… Did you think I’d miss this opportunity?

“Darling, I’m getting hungry. Shall we go to the inn?”

“……”

And Calix didn’t answer.

He felt extremely embarrassed.

***

Damn it. I berated myself for missing something big.

“What a pity.”

Calix was grinning from ear to ear, seemingly very pleased to see me flustered. I was boiling with a sense of defeat.

“I deliberately got you a nice room. Have a good night.”

We had abruptly entered a decent-looking inn, and it seemed they had seriously misunderstood.

The kindly-looking older innkeeper even winked as he tossed the key to Calix, and I belatedly realized my mistake, kneeling down and silently crying.

One room? What is this, some kind of one-pot chicken stew situation?

“Your Highness, I think it would be better to act out a marital quarrel and use separate rooms next time.”

“Is that really necessary?”

Unlike my despair, Calix looked very relaxed.

Of course. You’re my superior, after all.

Damn it.

“I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“The desert city’s temperature drops drastically at night. Do you want your face to be paralyzed?”

“Then I’ll secretly sneak out of the inn and stay at a cheaper place separately.”

“The outskirts must have very poor security. Are you exceptionally strong?”

In the end, the answer is already decided, so you’re just telling me to say it, aren’t you?

You’re telling me to sleep next to you, right? Are you really crazy?

“It wouldn’t be the first or second time you’ve slept with me, so what’s the problem?”

I almost grabbed the back of my neck at Calix’s words.

“Your Highness, your words are quite strange.”

“If that’s not sleeping together, then what is it?”

This bastard was openly teasing me.

It was clearly revenge for what happened earlier today.

He seemed quite displeased that I had acted arrogantly, saying whatever I wanted when I thought I had the chance.

‘Petty bastard!’

I calmly explained the dictionary definition of sleeping together.

“Strictly speaking, wouldn’t that be considered camping rather than sleeping together, Your Highness?”

“We fell asleep in a narrower space than this bed, didn’t we?”

As he said, the bed in the room the innkeeper gave us was very large.

It was much cozier than the cave floor we had slept on before and big enough for us to sleep far apart.

“Well, Your Highness. Even so, I am a proper lady, and if this fact were to leak out, it would tarnish your reputation.”

I gave him some practical advice with great effort, but Calix was still busy teasing me with a faint smile.

“There’s only the two of us here anyway, so who would know? Besides, it’s part of state affairs, so no one would say anything.”

Right, so you’re saying you don’t care? In the end, I didn’t want to do this, but I had no choice but to pull out my trump card.

“Even so, I’m concerned that this might hinder my future marriage prospects, Your Highness.”

At those words, Calix’s expression completely froze.

In this world, marriage is a very sacred and important matter.

It seemed that even he felt something when I brought up marriage.

“Marriage?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Like hell.

“You dare to think about getting married?”

“Pardon?”

Calix openly shouted.

“I haven’t even ascended to the throne yet, and in this situation where there’s only one measly lady-in-waiting, you’re thinking about marriage?”

“Your, Your Highness? I’m not saying I’m going to do it right away…”

“Don’t even dream about it until I ascend to the throne! How dare you talk about marriage.”

I clasped my hands together and bowed my head, thinking.

Crazy.

When we return to Posnia, I need to find the female lead first, regardless of the original timing or whatever.

I had an ominous feeling that I might not be able to retire even after he sat on the throne.

Why, didn’t even King Sejong work Hwang Hui to death?

“Then, if Your Highness ascends to the throne, would marriage be possible…?”

“Why are you so desperate for marriage? Others are dying to work in the palace for even one more year.”

Calix asked me with a disgusted expression.

He was right. Usually, people working in the palace rarely get married, intoxicated by the much higher salary than most other places.

If they get married, they have to live in the palace every day, making it difficult to enjoy a normal life.

There’s no such thing as parental leave here, and men don’t take care of children, and there are no kindergartens.

But the important thing is, when did I ever say I was desperate for marriage?

He’s really good at twisting words and interpreting them as he pleases. Impressive.

“This humble one has had a romantic notion of married life with my own prince charming, like in novels, since I was very young…”

I tried to lay the groundwork for a quick retirement, but Calix didn’t even consider it and threw it straight into the trash.

“Stop talking nonsense and do as I say. You can’t sleep on the floor, and you can’t sleep in a cheap inn.”

He very kindly pointed to the bed and said,

“Sleep here.”

“…Yes, Your Highness. Of course.”

Damn it.

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  Hwang Hui was a prominent prime minister during King Sejong’s reign, known for his outstanding service since the time of King Taejong, Sejong’s father. He held the highest government position in the Joseon dynasty and lived to be 90 years old. Despite requesting to resign from age 70 due to poor health, King Sejong refused to accept his resignation. To accommodate Hwang Hui, King Sejong provided a palanquin for his commute or allowed him to work from home.