Chapter 6

‘The Prince… is coming.’

In a month, the man who would become the Princess’s husband would arrive. The thought of handing Eileen over to a man known for his wild ways and lack of real power made Leios’s anger rise, though he forced it down. Why was the King so eager to marry off Eileen? And last night, Eileen herself seemed to accept it naturally. Of course, she’d said she didn’t want her first night with a stranger and had given her lips and body to him, but she showed no resistance to marrying the Prince.

‘Leios, just a little longer. Can’t you stay with me?’

Eileen’s slightly swollen lips, bitten and sucked by him, muttering those words, weighed heavily on Leios’s heart.

‘My Eileen, my beautiful Princess.’

Just before dawn, Leios had watched Eileen drink her contraceptive medicine before leaving Ruby Palace. Biting his lip at the vivid memory, Leios finally answered the King.

“…I will obey.”

As the commander of the royal knights, it was only natural for Leios to handle such matters. Adrian, pleased by Leios’s answer, suddenly sensed a wave of hostility directed at him and gripped his chair.

‘Did I imagine it?’

It was clear hostility, but when he looked up again, it had vanished. Adrian, unable to know it was Leios’s gaze, glanced curiously around the meeting room before rising.

“That’s enough for today. You all have much to prepare. Earl Kratis, come to my office.”

“Pardon? Yes… Understood, Your Majesty.”

Some nobles were already restless, eager to rush home and dress up their daughters. As Adrian stood, smirking, all the nobles rose and bowed. Only Earl Kratis, summoned to the King’s office, leaned against the wall with a dead look. The waiting secretary opened the door for the King, and as his footsteps faded, Leios raised his head to gaze out the western window toward Ruby Palace.

‘Eileen, what are you doing now?’

At this moment, Leios didn’t know what choices he could make. The Duke of the Kingdom couldn’t break off an arranged marriage, but one thing was certain—he wanted Eileen with all his heart.

If necessary, enough to run away with her.

* * *

At that time, a quiet commotion was brewing in Ruby Palace. It began when Stella, the chief maid, visited Eileen’s room that sunny morning, noticing she wasn’t waking up as usual.

Eileen, still asleep, had her blanket pulled up to her stomach, and as Stella approached, worried she might be ill, something caught her eye.

“…What is this, really.”

Shock. What else could describe this bewildering feeling?

Should she wake the Princess immediately, or alert the other maids?

Stella’s heart was extremely complicated and had begun to race. It was clear that their gentle and impeccably behaved princess had caused an incident last night. And not just any incident—a very serious one.

“Umm…….”

Eileen frowned as if the increasingly warm spring sunlight was too hot, shifting slightly under the covers. The blanket slipped further away, exposing her thin chemise and revealing her bare skin. As the sunlight illuminated the princess’s translucent skin, countless mottled marks became visible, and Stella nearly collapsed onto the spot.

‘The princess, our princess…….’

Eileen was still breathing softly, as if her fatigue hadn’t faded, her breaths quieter than ever. But above that, Stella’s rough breathing overlapped. Her mind had gone completely blank, as if wiped clean.

‘W-What should I do? More importantly, when? With whom? What in the world happened?’

The princess had six maids in total, usually all residing in Ruby Palace. But last night, three had returned to their own homes, so the responsibility for this incident fell on the remaining three, including Stella.

Soon the marriage would take place, and if this reached the king’s ears—or worse, if the Third Prince learned that the princess’s purity had not been preserved—who knew what would happen? Stella’s hands trembled as she imagined countless dreadful and scandalous outcomes.

But then, Stella’s eyes caught sight of something white and hardened on Eileen’s abdomen and wrists. She decided to focus on her duties first.

“Princess, Princess Eileen.”

“Umm……. Let me sleep a little longer.”

“Princess, please get up first.”

Before finding out the details of last night, she needed to check the princess’s condition. That was a maid’s duty. Women who have their first night often suffer severe pain, and if things happened suddenly, even contraception might not have been properly handled. And knowing who the partner was was also crucial. If, by any chance, the princess had been forced into something she didn’t want……

Then urgent action would be necessary.

“Princess, please get up. Please.”

At Stella’s trembling voice, which was unusual for her, Eileen couldn’t resist the pouring sunlight and half-opened her eyes before closing them again. Her body felt stiff and heavy. Her waist felt as if a weight had been attached, and her slender legs, which had been held up all night, screamed as if to remind her of every muscle.

“Stella?”

“Yes, it’s Stella, Princess.”

“What time is it now?”

“It’s already past ten o’clock.”

“Ten o’clock?”

Eileen, who had never missed breakfast, widened her eyes in surprise at how late she had woken up. But her body refused to rise, as if the bed itself was pulling her back.

“Stella, help me get up.”

“……Yes, please take my hand.”

Seeing Eileen’s peaceful face, Stella realized that the worst scenario she had imagined likely hadn’t happened. At least, the princess hadn’t been forced into anything unwanted. Stella, unable to hide her bitter expression, helped Eileen sit up by supporting her hand and waist. The thin blanket fell away, revealing red spots on the inside of the princess’s thighs.

‘Ah, Princess.’

Whoever it was, it must have been an extravagant first experience. Stella swallowed the words, unable to say them aloud. There were more important things to address first.

“Princess.”

“Umm, Stella. Can you give me some water?”

Even considering she had just woken up, Eileen’s voice was much quieter than usual. Stella hurriedly poured lemon water from the princess’s nightstand and handed it to her. Eileen grabbed the cup and drank it down in one go. Eileen, who always carried herself with dignity, moved with a strikingly different energy.

Stella couldn’t shake the feeling that the princess had become a different person overnight.

“I’m so tired today. Is there anything on the schedule?”

“No, you can rest all day today. But……”

“Hmm?”

After drinking the water, Eileen seemed more awake. Her throat felt scratchy, a lingering effect from last night, but now she realized Stella was in front of her and tried to put on a relaxed expression.

She had done this by her own choice, but she knew how her current state must look to Stella. For Eileen, who had never gone against anyone’s expectations, it was embarrassing.

What if she gets scolded?

Seeing Stella’s eyes shake as if a storm was raging inside, Eileen felt a pang of guilt and turned her head away.

“Princess, please look at me.”

“……Is something wrong?”

“If something’s wrong, Princess, you’d know best. So, h-here, this—”

Stella couldn’t finish her sentence, so Eileen decided to take the lead. Grabbing Stella’s hand with a determined look, Eileen pressed her lips together before speaking.

“This must never reach my brother’s ears.”

“Princess. Ah, Princess. Are you really alright?”

“I’m fine. There’s nothing for you to worry about, Stella.”

“But, um, what if you’re… pregnant……?”

She had already chewed the contraceptive herbs that Leios brought over the Ruby Palace wall again last night. Remembering his passionate gaze, Eileen’s cheeks flushed as she cleared her throat.

“Don’t worry about that either. I took the medicine.”

“……How did this happen, Princess? If word gets out……”

“That’s why it mustn’t get out. The marks will fade, and who would check anyway? As long as it doesn’t leak outside Ruby Palace.”

“But, how will you handle this?”

“Stella, having a first experience isn’t such a big deal.”

Eileen’s rather shameless words left Stella speechless. Well, for most women—even noble ladies in Staerfix, who were very open about romance and physical affection—having a first experience wasn’t something to make a fuss about or interrogate over.

But.

“……You know you’ll be married soon. Did you have a lover?”

She had never seen the princess meet anyone privately. Stella had known this for certain since she grew up alongside the princess as her maid and playmate in Ruby Palace. But she had to ask, because the marks on the princess’s body seemed to have been made with great care.

Anyone attending to the princess’s night would surely leave such marks, but these were excessive. And Stella didn’t think the princess had spent the night with a stranger, so she knelt carefully before Eileen and met her gaze.

“In that case, Princess, your marriage will surely be unhappy. I don’t want that for you.”

“Stella……”

“For now, you must be hungry, so please wash up and eat. After that, please tell me what’s on your mind. I’m always on your side.”

Like a trustworthy older sister, Stella’s words made Eileen’s eyes well up with tears.

“Alright, I’m getting hungry now.”

“I’ll prepare everything so you can wash right away. Please rest for a moment.”

Stella stood up in front of Eileen and left the bedroom to gather clothes and scented oil for her to change into. Click. As the sound of the princess’s door closing echoed, Stella leaned weakly against the door and slid down to the floor.

Nothing she said to Eileen was a lie. Stella had resolved to live for Eileen no matter what happened. But beneath that was also a maid’s tactic to get Eileen to open up and share the details of last night. That was the role of a seasoned maid.

‘More importantly……’

She couldn’t decide whether to tell the other maids about this, or to handle it alone.

“Ugh.”

Stella briefly cried out and covered her eyes with her hands. Please help me, Mother. In the ten years she’d served the princess, this was the first time. Stella wanted to disappear from Ruby Palace for a while.