Chapter 25

At that moment, Marianne was watching over Eileen, who had not yet awakened, with worried eyes. Each time Eileen stirred or moaned, Marianne recorded her condition.

Last night, after entering with Prince Kallian, Eileen had dismissed all her other maids except Marianne, who alone knew what had happened between Eileen and Prince Kallian.

‘I shouldn’t have left the Princess and returned to the palace.’

Marianne spent the night blaming herself. The skin covered in bright red spots, the obvious marks of excessive friction on Eileen’s thighs, and the rashes from grass poison that had turned her back blotchy. Marianne could see all too clearly where and how Eileen had been with Kallian, and only after Eileen fell into a deep, almost unconscious sleep did Marianne finally cry.

She hadn’t heard the details, but she knew Eileen wasn’t emotionally close enough to Kallian to suddenly have a physical relationship. Marianne was certain Prince Kallian must have coerced Eileen and dared to take her body.

That handsome face, the Prince who had supported Eileen inside and disappeared with a smile, lingered in Marianne’s mind all dawn. If he hadn’t been a prince, if it hadn’t been a sacred marriage contract with the Empire, this would have caused a huge scandal, but the fact that it couldn’t made Marianne burn with anger.

“Uh, uhh…”

“Princess!”

“Mari…anne…”

Eileen’s face was deathly pale as she moved her hand. Marianne quickly approached her bedside and handed her a cup of lukewarm water. But Eileen couldn’t even hold the cup, dropping it so it soaked the blanket.

“…Ah.”

“A-are you all right? I’ll change the blanket right away.”

“Marianne…”

Marianne jumped up to leave the Princess’s room, but Eileen’s weak voice calling her made her turn back.

“I hurt all over…”

“Princess, ha, Princess…”

“Will you bring me some medicine?”

“You haven’t eaten anything since last night. You can’t take medicine yet. Wait a moment, I’ll bring you some clear soup with it.”

After confirming Eileen had a slight fever, Marianne resolutely laid her down again and moved quickly. It took only a short time for her to bring a fresh blanket to cover Eileen and return with soup and medicine. Considering the size of Ruby Palace, it was clear how urgently Marianne had moved.

“Just lean back a while. I’ll feed you.”

To be fed soup by someone else—except when she was a child, this was the first time, and Eileen felt embarrassed. But she had no strength to lift a finger, so she nodded slightly. Her whole body ached as if every muscle was screaming. Last night’s encounter with Kallian had been intense, but she’d also walked all over the capital with a body unused to much movement, so it was no wonder she was so sore.

Marianne stacked thick pillows behind Eileen’s back and propped her up halfway, then brought the soup bowl. The smell of gently warmed potato soup filled her nose, and her stomach twisted as if her body had been waiting for it.

“Open up.”

“Ahh…”

Eileen ate the soup Marianne offered several times, and some of the worry lifted from Marianne’s face. But her troubled expression remained, born of deep guilt for not serving Eileen to the end as Ruby Palace’s chief maid. Marianne bit her lip, unable to smile or cry.

Fortunately, the bottom of the soup bowl appeared, and Eileen took her medicine. When Eileen said she couldn’t lie down immediately after eating, Marianne sighed and pulled a chair to sit beside her bed. Eileen seemed to struggle even to breathe, her slender shoulders trembling again and again.

Eileen’s body calmed somewhat as the medicine quickly took effect. All the medicine Eileen had taken before was recorded by the royal physicians, and Marianne brought the most effective one. As Eileen’s breathing steadied, Marianne finally opened her mouth to say what she’d been holding back.

She didn’t want to press the sick Princess, but she needed to know about last night as soon as possible, so Eileen could deal with whatever came.

“Princess.”

When Marianne called her softly, Eileen slowly closed and opened her eyes, watching Marianne. Just seeing Marianne’s face, she could guess what she was thinking.

“No need to worry, Marianne. The worst you imagined didn’t happen.”

Marianne’s job was to support her, yet Eileen was comforting Marianne instead. When Marianne couldn’t hold back her tears, Eileen reached out and grabbed her hand.

“I only allowed you in this room because I don’t want my relationship with His Highness to spread to others yet.”

“Princess, but if His Highness was truly disrespectful to you, the King must know. If your future husband is so shameless and inconsiderate, His Majesty would reconsider.”

Marianne spoke in a rush, her face flushed with anger, but Eileen smiled faintly at that. Would Adrian take action if he found out she’d slept with Kallian? No. Adrian would welcome it with open arms, hoping for the heir to the Kingdom to be born as soon as possible.

“That’s not it.”

Eileen shook her head. The conversation she’d had with Kallian before their encounter, and the unexpected location, may have surprised her, but nothing Kallian said was unreasonable for a Princess.

She was obliged to bear Kallian’s child, and if the Empire knew that, Kallian’s tolerance of Leios’s presence was a huge favor to her. Besides, Kallian seemed genuinely fond of her. The words he whispered during their time together—calling her beautiful, lovely—didn’t seem false. It was odd that he tolerated her relationship with Leios, but their marriage was a contract anyway. Many couples kept lovers and only pretended to be married, so Kallian’s broad-mindedness made sense.

It wasn’t love, but both had rational and human affection for each other. That was enough for a decent outcome.

“He was better than I expected.”

“Princess…”

“I shouldn’t have judged His Highness by rumors. He has a caring side.”

“But I still don’t understand how you suddenly slept with him. I know who you truly love, Princess. How could you…”

Eileen understood Marianne’s frustration, but she couldn’t reveal the secret: ‘I must bear his child. That child will be the Kingdom’s heir.’ No matter how close they were, she couldn’t tell even her chief maid.

What to do?

Eileen couldn’t think of a logical excuse. She wasn’t in any shape to do so.

“My date with His Highness was enjoyable. I grew fond of him, and just accelerated a relationship I’d have to have anyway.”

“Princess…”

“So please don’t make an issue of it, Marianne. Stay by my side until I recover.”

The best she could do was claim she’d grown fond of a man and slept with him. She knew how much that diminished her, but it was all she could say, and it was true. She’d enjoyed every moment with him, even eating cake by Lake Criang.

“……”

Marianne couldn’t erase her serious expression, but then changed it. She’d spent over ten years by Eileen’s side. She couldn’t fully believe Eileen had just grown fond of the Prince and slept with him, but if Eileen said so, that was that. That’s what a maid does.

“Understood. You should sleep a little more. If you need me, just pull the bell rope. I’ll handle the other maids.”

“…Thank you, Marianne.”

“I’m always on your side, Princess.”

Marianne repeated the phrase she always used, giving a gentle smile. Only after seeing Marianne’s smile did Eileen finally relax, lying back in bed with Marianne’s help. Soon, Eileen’s eyes slowly blinked and then closed completely.

That day, Kallian’s attendant briefly visited Ruby Palace, but Marianne, with a stern face, sent him away with, “The Princess isn’t feeling well.” After that, no one disturbed the peace of Ruby Palace. Eileen lay sick for two days before she could finally get up.

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