Chapter 32 : Hunch (2)

“…….”

“…….”

Anna and the squirrel, a creature cute only in appearance, had been facing off in front of the 7th Prince's office for several minutes now.

“Here, I’ll give you this, so come here. You can't bite this time.”

Anna carefully held out a few pine nuts resting on her palm.

Anna, who had been bitten on the hand by its surprisingly sharp teeth during their first meeting, had been bitten several more times since then, keenly feeling the creature's foul temper.

At the same time, she felt a premonition that this tiny thing would one day cause big trouble.

Its scampering appearance was quite cute, but Anna, having already drawn blood, was not deceived.

Though it was a fearless little beast, Anna grew warier, feeling it would cause some kind of trouble.

And today, Anna had finally witnessed it.

The sight of that little creature carefully trying to enter the 7th Prince's secretive office.

Because it was a worn-out palace, a small hole had formed where a small crack had been under the door's hinge.

Anna recalled Sein from a few months ago, shouting not to spend money on such things as it wasn't bad enough to replace the whole door, and she resented that shameless face.

Still, it hadn't been bad enough to fall off completely.

Anna was certain that the violent squirrel must have done something to it.

Whatever the case, she had to stop the small beast from entering the office.

Anyone working in the 7th Prince's Palace knew how sensitively the 7th Prince reacted to anyone entering his personal territory.

Perhaps he might have hidden something inside that he wanted to conceal…….

Her thoughts reaching that point, Anna quickly shook her head.

A servant's life would be forfeit if they thought that far.

Anna did think the 7th Prince wouldn't kill people based on his mood like before, but she also didn't think he was lenient toward those who crossed the line he had set.

The servants who had gone to the bedchamber to help him change clothes had all chattered, warning everyone that the 7th Prince had driven them out, saying that if they were caught loitering around the bedchamber next time, he would make sure their hands and feet were no longer attached to their bodies.

There might have been some exaggeration, but the intention that he wouldn't let it slide was surely uninflated.

It wasn't likely that the violent squirrel would enter the office, look around quietly, and come out, and furthermore, if she were caught letting a wild animal inside, it was obvious that not only the creature's life but also the employees working at this time would not escape his wrath.

Anna, unaware of the strange relationship between the squirrel and Ran, thought so.

“So please. Come here. I swiped this from the kitchen leftovers, I’ll just give it to you. I have much more in my pocket? I'll give you all of that, too. Hm?”

At Anna's desperate whisper, the squirrel flared its nose and tilted its head.

But, just as it had for the past several minutes, it only stared at Anna and wouldn't budge.

“You're not actually just a beast, are you? Otherwise, there's no way you'd be this patient…….”

Anna’s drained voice did not continue.

Anna quickly stood up and listened toward the right staircase.

It was the sound of rather heavy footsteps.

It was time for the guards to change shifts, so no one should be coming, right?

More than anything, she was afraid the squirrel, startled by the sound, would pop right into the office, so Anna quietly held her breath.

Should I just bolt right now?

Later, if the 7th Prince got angry, should I just feign ignorance?

The steps of the person climbing the stairs were much faster than the panicked Anna's judgment.

“What? Is there only one maid on duty today?”

Blond hair with a strong reddish tint, a height and build larger than the 7th Prince.

It was the 8th Prince, Cellos Abalan.

Like most of the maids in the 7th Prince's Palace, this was the first time Anna had seen a real member of the Imperial Family other than the 7th Prince.

A huge build, an inhumanly handsome face, shallow blond streaks amidst red hair.

He was unmistakably part of the Imperial Family.

Young Anna, who had turned 13 this year, and had only heard that ordinary people naturally fell to their knees at the sight of the Imperial Family, collapsed on the spot not from respect or wonder, but from terror.

In truth, Cellos, who possessed only a speck of Manis, exuded a weaker aura compared to other members of the Imperial Family, but Anna was on the verge of fainting just from the shock of meeting one.

“I g-g-g-g-g-g-greet His Highness the 8-8-8th Prince.”

Cellos glanced at Anna, who had managed to show courtesy even while collapsed, as if looking at an insect, then moved on.

He raised his hand high, pausing in a motion to pound forcefully on the office door, then flinched for some reason and lowered his hand into a posture to knock lightly.

The thought that she must stop him flashed through her mind, but Anna dared not open her mouth.

She felt that if she opened her mouth right now, he would really harm her as if crushing an insect.

But there was one thing Anna had momentarily forgotten: in this space, there was one beast more fearless and violent than a human.

“Ack!”

With a short scream, Cellos Abalan gripped his right hand and stepped back from the door.

It was only for an instant, but the crimson of blood flashed on his finger.

Anna, feeling like she was about to faint, hastily scrambled backward.

And the culprit that bit his finger had, in that gap, quickly leaped down from the man's hand and hidden.

The problem was that it had popped right into, of all places, Anna's apron pocket.

***

Cellos turned his rage-filled face toward Anna.

“You there, bring that rat bastard here right now.”

Anna knew she had to offer the squirrel to the 8th Prince, even if it meant ripping off her apron and throwing it at him.

Or that the enraged 8th Prince might take her life.

But whether her mind was paralyzed with terror, or whether the affection she'd built for the squirrel while feeding it over the past period was strong, Anna found herself blurting out words entirely different from her thoughts.

“I- I-I-I-I-I ap-p-p-p-pologize, but His Highness the 7th Prince cherishes this ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-child very much, so…….”

Her voice was already ant-sized, but she was trembling so pitifully that she couldn't even finish the words ‘I cannot give it to you’.

But soon, Anna’s trembling was able to stop.

Because the moment she met the 8th Prince's eyes, which glared at her as if they would spew fire, Anna felt her heart freeze, and her trembling and her breath had to stop.

“What did you just say?”

Cellos, his pride wounded to the core by her words—a mere maid daring to refuse to even offer up a squirrel—snapped at Anna, but there was no way she could answer.

“I asked what you said!”

At the roar, Anna finally exhaled the breath she had been holding and let out a physiological sob along with it.

“Ugh, heuk.”

Her mind finally started working again.

What did I just do?

What nonsense did I just say?

I'm going to die like this.

I'm dying like this, just trying to save a squirrel's life.

Why did I stupidly defy the word of the Imperial Family?

I'm not that kind of person, where did I get that courage?

If I die here like this, will my family even receive compensation for my life?

The greedy face of Sein flickered in her mind, the one who, long ago, had lowered the money meant to be sent to the hometown of a servant the 7th Prince killed to an absurd price and pocketed the rest.

These days, he was staying quietly cooped up, so perhaps a more generous sum would be sent home than that.

……Still, that's a relief.

Watching the 8th Prince approach menacingly, Anna squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to lessen the fear even a little.

“When exactly do you plan on learning the rules of visiting?”

At that moment, a familiar voice, albeit a little rough, cut between the two.

Anna’s eyes flew open.

Taking in the sight of the black hair, which was now so much more reassuring than blond hair, the child lost consciousness just like that.

***

“Hey! Why are you fainting?! Huh? Did I hit you? Did I do anything?!”

Cellos Abalan snapped at Anna, who had collapsed limply and couldn't possibly answer.

It seemed that ordinary people fainting at the sight of him wasn't a particularly special occurrence.

“Damn it, I shouldn't be worrying about crap like that.”

The clueless Cockscomb guy waved his hand dismissively, turned his gaze from the collapsed Anna, and spoke directly to me.

“I came because I have something to say.”

“It doesn’t look like you have much.”

“What nonsense is that?”

“…….”

The guy, who had been looking at me in confusion as I watched him silently, nodded as if he finally understood, and opened his mouth again.

“I came because I have something to say……yo?”

Cellos, who glanced at my expression, rolled his eyes once when I still didn't answer, then scowled deeply and continued.

“Older brother……nim?”

Though he spat out the last syllable as if chewing on it.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the answer I wanted either.

At this rate, it would take all day.

I unfolded my arms and gestured to the collapsed Anna with my chin.

“The maid you made faint, carry her inside. Carefully.”

“What? Why me? If I leave her there, they'll clean her up later on their own.”

Cellos spoke as if he truly didn't understand why he should have to do that.

As if.

This was the 7th Prince's Palace, always short on hands.

If we left a fainted child lying on this stone floor, who knew when someone would come.

My head was already aching from the incidents that had suddenly occurred recently.

I didn't know how much trouble it would have been if Cellos's business had gotten entangled here too.

It meant that thanks to that little kid buying time by blocking Cellos, the situation had become a little less tiresome.

I, too, had a conscience, one that prevented me from leaving such a kid on the floor where her face might get twisted.

“If you don't want your new title starting today to be 'chicken-headed bastard', just bring her in.”

Although his expression clearly showed he couldn't accept it, the guy, perhaps realizing from past experience that I wouldn't explain further, grumbled and approached Anna.

Taking my eyes off the back of that huge idiot's head, I turned my body toward the room.

***

Whether he really did have urgent business, the guy, despite his muttering, brought Anna inside with a relatively gentle touch.

It was only relatively gentle; by no means was it a soft motion, so Anna's limbs, slung over his shoulder like a piece of luggage, swung helplessly.

Seeing as she couldn't wake up despite that, the shock must have been considerable.

“Lay her down there.”

Cellos was about to toss Anna onto the old sofa I indicated with my chin, but after checking my expression once more, he at least set her down like a person.

As I checked the child's breathing and flipped her eyelids, the guy watched me discontentedly and dusted off his clothes.

“If you want to give me a hard time, use a different method. Don't make me do crap like this that feels lousy.”

The chicken head still didn't seem to know why I'd ordered him to carry Anna.

Scaring a child not even 15 years old, making her faint, and then intending to leave her on the floor—to him, it must be just a perfectly normal part of life.

He'll regret that later.

I turned my gaze from the guy who couldn't see an inch in front of him and checked Anna's condition.

In any case, thanks to this child, I'd also prevented Cellos from entering the empty room at a critical moment.

Fortunately, other than losing consciousness, there seemed to be no other external injuries.

It didn't look like she hit her head falling, either.

She's surprisingly lucky.

I rolled her upturned eyes back into place and pointed to a door for the guy, who had been standing there awkwardly the whole time.

“Follow me.”

***

The small room, located to one side of the office, had a thick door but was very narrow; it was a place without enough space for two adult men to sit.

In the first place, there was only one chair.

“What, do we really have to talk in a place like this…… yo?”

When I sat in the only chair as if it were obvious, the guy complained as he looked around the narrow room.

“She's the child you made faint, so you should at least be considerate enough to let her rest in peace.”

At my firm reply, the guy's expression crumpled instantly.

“What did I do? She fainted on her own.”

At that answer, I laughed with a pik sound, like air escaping.

“You weren't unaware she was on the verge of fainting from fear.”

“…….”

The guy agreed with my words but wore an expression that said, 'what the hell is the problem with that'.

In the end, I finished letting out my sigh and asked again.

“Enough. What business brings you here?”

“Am I supposed to talk standing up like this in here?”

“If you don't want to stand, you can walk out.”

“……Damn it.”

Although he felt humiliated by the fact that he had to stand and talk like a student being scolded by a teacher, the guy didn't kick open the door and leave.

It seemed something truly urgent had happened.

Around this time, there shouldn't have been anything special happening to this guy, originally.

Or had the original work sped up again?

“I asked what's wrong.”

“…….”

Now that I'd laid out the mat for him, Cellos just chewed his lip and looked down, unable to easily open his mouth.

At this timid appearance, which didn't match the momentum he'd arrived with, I tilted my head sideways, and the guy flinched once more, then repeated opening and closing his mouth.

It'll be morning at this rate.

“What's wrong, did a ghost appear while you were sleeping and scare you?”

When I deliberately offered a sneer to make it easier for him to react, the guy's head snapped up.

Cellos, who I expected to lunge at me asking if I was treating him like an idiot, slowly raised his head.

A bit of shame and fear was visible on the guy's face.

“……How did you know?”

What, it was real?