I Became a Tyrant’s Maid - Chapter 71

We finally returned to Posnia from Desart.

Fortunately, there was no interference from the guide on the way back, and the journey was smooth, so we were able to arrive quickly.

I lay on the bed, quietly staring at the ceiling.

‘I’m not kidding, I feel like I’m going to die from exhaustion.’

I was at the point of admiring Calix.

How on earth does he manage to do everything alone without anyone helping him with his tasks?

Let me tell you roughly what he did as soon as we arrived.

He said he would recruit the group of tamers we saw when we left.

Secretly, under the Imperial Knights.

I thought he was out of his mind, but I could see that the probability of a civil war in Posnia was also subtly calculated in his intentions.

It wasn’t a good choice to act recklessly without Desart’s consent, but Calix had just witnessed the tamers’ strength with his own eyes.

Power comparable to that of the rare spirit masters.

So as soon as we arrived, without even resting, he immediately made plans and put them into action.

Of course, I had to participate in that plan too.

As Calix’s closest aide, I had to be fully aware of how the current situation was unfolding.

“Ah, I want to rest…”

It’s not to brag, but since I started working under him, Calix has been able to sleep properly for the first time in a long while.

Ruel told me.

He used to sleep only 4 hours, but these days he sleeps at least 6 hours.

I felt oddly proud.

“Rose, aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?”

Milla asked, crouching down beside my bed.

To that, I laughed as if I had reached enlightenment.

“No… I should work passionately while I’m young. Yes, yes.”

I barely got up from the bed with a groan.

The tamer issue was ongoing, but it wasn’t under my jurisdiction.

So why was I exhausted?

The biggest reason was the absence of the head maid.

When the head maid was absent, we had to quickly fill the Crown Prince’s palace with Calix’s people.

To do that, we first had to foster loyalty among the current employees and purge the reactionaries.

I flinched at the thought that suddenly occurred to me.

I must have been sticking too close to Calix lately. Purge, really?

‘My word choice is getting a bit strange.’

I tapped my head a few times, quickly erasing the unsettling thoughts, and opened my mouth.

“Milla, help me out a bit.”

“Huh?”

I got up and placed a pile of papers from the corner of the room in front of Milla.

Milla was sociable. She was kind-hearted and well-connected.

So Milla was a very helpful person for what I had in mind.

“I’m going to try it.”

“Rose, these days I get anxious whenever you say things like that.”

“It’s nothing weird, Milla.”

I smiled brightly at Milla’s drowsy gaze and said,

“How about joining the Crown Prince’s palace personnel team!”

***

First of all, my reputation in the Crown Prince’s palace wasn’t particularly positive.

There were still ridiculous rumors circulating that I had flirted with the Crown Prince to secure an important position, and because my experience was still short, the level of trust in me was almost zero.

‘That’s only natural.’

Even I would have been a bit annoyed if my superior was a parachute appointment from outside.

‘Anyway, to dispel this, I really need to do an outstanding job…’

At least I was confident.

I might be taking the job too lightly, but there’s no doubt that the 21st century’s work methods were far more advanced than here.

Not only abroad, but I had also personally experienced the intense hotel internship life in Korea, so I couldn’t possibly be bad at work.

I told Calix very proudly.

“I believe that the current work methods in the Crown Prince’s palace are disorganized. Therefore, I would like to introduce a method to increase efficiency through appropriate division of labor. Could you please review it?”

I didn’t know I would work this hard myself.

Ah, is this the taste of power they talk about?

I was tired, but the more I worked hard, the more visibly helpful I was to Calix, so I didn’t feel too bad.

“Did you come up with all this yourself?”

Calix sat at his desk with his legs slightly crossed, looking up at me skeptically.

I felt a bit awkward at that.

To be precise, I didn’t come up with it, but applied what I had learned.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Of course, there was no way Calix could know that, so I nodded confidently.

“I have planned to maximize the sense of belonging and pride of the employees working in the Crown Prince’s palace through a welfare system completely different from other imperial palaces, which should also increase loyalty to Your Highness.”

Although the welfare system only consisted of a leave system, it was a revolutionary attempt in this place where such concepts didn’t exist at all.

Calix chuckled at my words and replied.

“So, the conclusion is, you want more budget?”

As expected, he’s a clever one. He understands perfectly even when I speak indirectly.

I smiled brightly and nodded.

As I heard before, Calix was secretly running a merchant guild.

The largest magical artifact merchant guild in the empire, to be precise.

So I knew very well that his pockets were quite deep.

“We don’t need that much. After a bit of investigation, it seems the previous head maid and her close associates might have embezzled some of the budget.”

I said to Calix with a smug smile.

“Of course, I would never do such a thing, so you can rest assured, Your Highness.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t.”

Calix said, casually pushing aside the paper I had handed him.

“Do as you wish. Whatever you want.”

I frowned slightly at that.

Why is he being so compliant?

“Your Highness, no matter what, you should approve it personally… What if I end up embezzling funds midway like the previous head maid?”

However, despite my words filled with concern, Calix just looked at me skeptically, as if finding it ridiculous.

“Didn’t you just say with your own mouth that I could trust you?”

“Ah, well, that’s true, but…”

I stared at him with wide eyes.

As I had felt before, he seemed to have changed a lot from when I first met him.

He sometimes chuckles, and he seems to have reduced his irritability a bit too.

Lately, I often felt strange whenever I saw Calix.

How should I put it?

‘Should I say I understand the feelings of a loyal eunuch serving his king?’

Whenever Calix said things like that, there was a strange, intermittent feeling of elation rising from my stomach.

Others seem to fall in love when they’re possessed in romance fantasy novels, but I don’t know why I’m feeling loyalty in such strange ways.

“Are you planning to betray me?”

At Calix’s words, I shook my head.

“How could that be, Your Highness? Of course, you can trust me, but I’m not the only one who could embezzle public funds, am I? That’s why I’m planning to have each department create financial statements.”

Calix didn’t have many trustworthy talents right now.

Moreover, it wasn’t feasible for me to stick by his side and manage everything forever.

Because someday, I would leave him.

“Financial statements? Isn’t that something only the ministers can do?”

I shook my head.

“It sounds grand, but in reality, I plan to have them just write down the budget they’ve used for a month and how much they’ve spent.”

Calix, looking a bit dazed, looked me up and down before speaking.

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to do. Do you think the servants in my palace have that level of intelligence?”

“We can teach them. It’s easy, Your Highness.”

At my words, Calix looked again at the paper I had handed him.

“The plan isn’t bad.”

He pushed the paper towards me, pointing at a specific part, and said:

“But what’s this?”

I looked at the part Calix’s finger was pointing at.

It was a list of personnel to be assigned to Calix’s bedchamber.

“Ah, I’ve selected and assigned people with the best reputations for now. I thought it might be a bit too much for me to work alone.”

At my words, Calix’s expression became deeply distorted.

Why is he suddenly like this?

“Your Highness?”

I cautiously called out to him as he remained silent.

Calix kept silent for a while, then asked me in a slightly sharp voice.

“What makes you trust these people? Then what are you going to do?”

I thought he had softened a bit, but I guess not.

Calix was still distrustful of people, and in the end, the number of people he could employ was limited.

“I will do the final inspection. You’re the Crown Prince, Your Highness. It’s absurd for me alone to serve you.”

At those words, Calix looked at me as if he was displeased.

I awkwardly spoke, as if making an excuse to that gaze.

“Besides, even though Your Highness has been accommodating to me, it’s too much for me alone to manage everything for Your Highness.”

Calix stared at me silently as if telling me to continue, then sighed while rubbing his face.

Is this really something to sigh about? What is he so displeased with?

“Your Highness, are you perhaps not satisfied?”

At my question, Calix beckoned me with his finger.

Of course, I approached him casually.

Calix still said nothing and just looked at me with a dissatisfied expression.

“I understand what Your Highness is worried about. Of course, it’s dangerous for an untrustworthy person to serve Your Highness.”

I spoke with measured calm, as if to soothe his agitation.

“But I will work harder to manage and supervise to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

At my words, Calix spoke with difficulty.

“So you’re going to entrust my care to them and take the position of head maid?”

I shook my head at Calix’s words.

“No? If I become the head maid, there will be many people who will oppose it. As Your Highness knows, I’m a noble-born maid who hasn’t worked in the Crown Prince’s palace for long.”

I smiled brightly and said to Calix.

“I will continue to serve Your Highness as your closest aide. Someone else will take on the role of head maid.”