I Became a Tyrant’s Maid - Chapter 66

Calix entered the formal dining hall, and the servants who couldn’t enter together had to gather separately to eat.

It would have been less awkward and better to be with the knights who came along, but unfortunately, their dining area was different, so I had to eat alone, feeling out of place.

‘Damn it.’

Calix was right.

All the royals brought their personal attendants to serve them directly.

The problem was that they brought at least four servants each. However, Calix only brought me, saying he couldn’t trust any of the servants in the Crown Prince’s palace.

‘When we get back, we’ll have to replace them all.’

I gritted my teeth and stabbed a sauce-marinated chicken leg with my fork.

Still, befitting an imperial palace, the food was quite delicious. There was plenty of meat too.

“Seems like there’s no one in Posnia. That maid always comes to eat alone.”

“I know. By the way, the Crown Prince is really handsome.”

I almost choked and spit out what was in my mouth at the sudden mention of me.

Coincidentally, thanks to the artifact Calix gave me, I could understand all languages.

And the people gathered here were rather careless.

Maybe because they thought everyone was from different countries and wouldn’t understand their language?

“Yeah, did you hear about that?”

“About what?”

I glanced at the maids in front while putting food in my mouth.

“You know, those beast tamers that Desart expelled.”

“Ah! I know! Weren’t they exiled to the desert as traitors?”

“Yeah. But you know what, the girl staying in the room next to mine said she saw one of those exiled beast tamers on the way here.”

“Eek, wouldn’t they be immediately executed if found here?”

“I don’t know either.”

Beast tamers? Are they talking about those nomads near the Posnian border?

I was almost done eating but continued to fork my food as slowly as possible.

“But apparently, their condition was a bit strange. The beast’s eyes were black. Completely black without any white.”

“Did they report it?”

“Yeah. But by the time the guards arrived, they had vanished without a trace.”

I swallowed hard.

I felt like I should report this to Calix as soon as I met him.

Traitors, and beasts in an unusual state.

Those nomads had certainly trembled and begged Calix for help.

Were they really unjustly exiled? Or did they commit treason and appeal with false tears? If so, what treason did they commit to be exiled? I had a very bad feeling about this.

“Ugh, I want to go back quickly. Desart is already in turmoil these days.”

“I know. I heard about it too.”

I carefully observed the clothes of the maids chattering in front of me.

I definitely saw them earlier today.

The country’s name was Eo, Eo… what was it? Eoshil?

I heard it was quite a large kingdom near Desart.

Maybe that’s why they seemed to know a lot.

After all, the closer the borders, the better countries know each other, right?

“I think they said there might even be a civil war if things go badly, but surely it won’t happen during the festival, right?”

“No way. If they have any sense, Desart will handle it well.”

“Ah, I want to go home.”

Civil war? Did they just say civil war? I frowned and stared at the chicken leg on my tray, now nothing but bones.

I suddenly started to feel tense.

Since it would take some time for Calix to come out, I thought I should inform Ruel first.

I quickly picked up my tray and left my seat.

Then I headed towards the knight’s table in the distance, where they sat in a row eating, dressed in dazzling attire.

From afar, I could see that he had almost finished his meal.

“Sir, Sir Ruel.”

“Rose?”

“Can I see you for a moment in private?”

Ruel looked at his subordinates with a puzzled expression, then nodded and followed me.

I quickly found a secluded spot, positioned Ruel beside me, and scanned the surroundings.

There was no one around.

“What’s the matter?”

“I think we might have a problem.”

I unconsciously fiddled with my nails out of anxiety.

Even though it was just overheard casually, it was better to be aware and prepared than to be caught off guard.

“It’s the language artifact His Highness gave me.”

I showed him the small necklace around my neck and continued.

“Thanks to it, I overheard people from Eoshil talking while eating. Do you remember the nomadic tribe we saw in the desert?”

Ruel nodded with a grim expression, and I quickly explained what I had heard.

At that, Ruel’s expression hardened.

“Did you hear any other symptoms about that beast?”

“I didn’t hear much beyond that… Just that the whites of its eyes were black.”

At my words, Ruel looked around once again to confirm that no one was around, then whispered.

“First of all, on the day the festival starts, don’t leave my or His Highness’s side under any circumstances. If that story is true, the capital could be in danger…”

“What do you mean?”

Ruel let out a short sigh-like breath and said.

“It would be more accurate if we had seen it directly, but black eyes in summoned beasts or spirits are a typical symptom of mental contamination.”

“What?”

“It means magic that borrows magi, or black magic. If that happens, the medium is easily exposed to magi and becomes contaminated.”

I racked my brain at Ruel’s words.

Magi?

“But isn’t magi only found in the Posnian Empire? I’m sure the sealed power of Morisius is called magi…”

Ruel sighed again at my words and replied.

“That’s why it’s a problem. As you know, Rose, the state of magical beasts has been strange lately, so if something goes wrong, the responsibility for terrorism could be directed towards Posnia.”

Ruel remained silent for a while with a troubled expression. After pondering for a moment, he smiled faintly as if to reassure me and said.

“For now, I’ll report this matter to His Highness first.”

“Okay.”

As Ruel returned to his place, I sat down, rubbing my forehead.

Why do I feel so uneasy?

That maid could have seen it wrong.

But since coming here, has there ever been a time when ‘what if’ didn’t catch someone?

‘Is Calix just the type to attract trouble?’

It made sense, considering he was the protagonist.

By the way, what should I do without a diary? This time, I had to overcome the crisis purely with my own strength.

Should I go find that wizard again? Or…

‘Should I go find the elf?’

I took out the old tree clock I had put in my pocket.

The clock was still glowing.

***

Calix laughed as if he had lost his mind.

“Do you think that makes any sense right now?”

Fortunately, the deal with the Imperial Princess was progressing smoothly.

I couldn’t enter the formal dinner, so I’m not sure how they cooked it, but anyway, he got a chance to have a private audience with her.

“Still, it’s not certain information yet, so I suggest you just keep it in mind for now.”

Calix responded sharply to Ruel’s words.

“Keep it in mind? If this turns out to be true and the fact that the beast tamer was contaminated with magi becomes known outside, Desart will surely use it against Posnia.”

He messed up the hair I had painstakingly styled, as if annoyed, and slumped down on the couch.

Ah, my hair! Well, technically Calix’s hair, but still!

Calix looked at me with tired eyes and said.

“Anyway, you did well. It’s better to know than not to know.”

He let out a deep sigh. He must be perplexed as if the matter with the Imperial Princess wasn’t enough of a headache already.

“How many guild personnel can come to Desart secretly right away?”

Calix asked Ruel. Guild?

I just stared blankly at Calix and Ruel.

Then, as if Calix realized something, he gestured for me to come closer.

“You should know without me saying it. Everything you hear here is confidential. No one in the empire knows that I’m the owner of the Arcadion Guild.”

Arcadion?

It was a name I was hearing for the first time.

I had fully expected that Calix would have a personal source of funds.

The jewels he occasionally throws at me as extra allowance didn’t come from digging the ground, after all.

And since he’s the male lead, it wasn’t surprising that he owned such a secret organization as per the norm.

The problem was, what on earth is Arcadion?

Even if it’s called a guild, I wasn’t even a commoner living in a village, but merely a maid confined to the Crown Prince’s palace.

So I rarely had the chance to see the large guilds in town.

Moreover, this world doesn’t plaster logos or names on all sorts of goods like 21st-century Korea.

How could I possibly know the name of a guild?

“Why that expression?”

“Pardon?”

“Aren’t you surprised?”

I looked at Calix with an awkward smile.

‘How can I be surprised when I don’t even know what it is, you fool.’

Then I pretended to know.

“Why would I be surprised by anything Your Highness does? It’s something you’re doing, after all.”

But our tactless knight commander asked me.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know about Arcadion?”

Calix’s soured gaze turned towards me, and I forced a smile while lightly patting Ruel’s back, saying.

“Ahahahaha! Sir, you jest. Hahahaha!”

“I can see you have no idea what it is.”

“Haha, hahaha…”

At Calix’s words, I had to wipe the smile off my face and bow my head with a solemn expression.

“I apologize, Your Highness.”

Damn it.