Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book

“Sometimes I just want everything to pass.”

“Then, reply me.”

“That’s a different matter.”

He curled his eyes.

When I first read the novel, I wondered if such a fool really existed in the world. However, in reality, he was just a boy who was like a piece of paper that had the outline of what I wanted to draw already drawn out. Someone who complied without knowing what they wanted for themselves.

“My beloved brother, I plead you to accept this honourable position, yes? This is not something I ask just anyone, you know.”

“My answer remains the same. What are you up to?”

“You make it sound like I’m giving you a bad offer.”

I had carefully asked him out of the sincerity of my heart but his reply was clear.

“What do I need to do to convince you? Do you really think I’m a good person? Well, I’m going to be wearing a very pretty dress on that day. I think that would be worth seeing. Do you dislike the thought of being my patronus?”

“Well. I might want to see that.”

Amor held his chin before smiling calmly.

“But, no.”

This would be the last time I would be throwing the offer in the air before I returned but his reaction remained the same till the end.

“Why do you have to refuse me so adamantly? Is it because of me? Or is it because of you?”

“Well, so what happens if I tell you? Are you going to fix it then”

“So, it’s because of me. Are you ashamed of me?”

I tried not to make it awkward so I controlled myself. Amor burst into laughter at what I playfully yet calmly said.

“Is there a problem with my appearance?’

Look at Rusbella. She was objectively the most beautiful woman in the world. Rebecca, who acted like the villainess, was also very beautiful and Auresia whom I’ve only seen in paintings was also very pretty.

“Honestly, even if I worked hard,… this was not something I can easily solve.”

I rubbed my cheek and thought about the people who were disgusted by my face.

I had forgotten. This was considered a flaw here, right?

The thorn-like gazes directed towards me in the symposium. I couldn’t cover it up forever and I think it would be exhausting to continue to do so even in the future.

Anyways, my appearance is impossible for me to control. Then, how can I persuade this impregnable fortress-like man? Just when I was lost in thought.

“Lower your hand.”

As Amor caught my wrist, my grabbed hand slowly lowered.

“It’s definitely not because of that.”

He added as a mutter.

“It’s just… It’s my problem.”

“…..”

“All you need to know about it is that no one can do your job for you.”

He slowly turned his head.

“I have to deal with something like that.”

What problem? Was it something he couldn’t tell me? Yet I couldn’t ask him.

“Then I’ll be on my way.”

Vowing to try again after that bitter failure, I returned to my palace. However, the palace I returned to was a little noisy.

“Nancy? What’s going on?’

My head maid was bustling about before disappearing down the hallway. The place she was snooping around in was the maid’s living area. When I poked her, she was startled.

“Kyack! P-Princess? W-Why did you come through the rear entrance? Ah, ah. You returned from the Administrative Office…”

“Yeah. Why are you sweating so much? Are you sick?”

The sight of my head maid fumbling over her words was unfamiliar to me.

“One of the maids went missing.”

She placed her hand on her forehead before spitting out.

“She went missing? She disappeared?”

“Yes.”

She nodded her head slightly. She looked completely different from her usually strict appearance. She looked nothing like her regular calm and rational self. She continued.

“It’s ‘Haina’, a chamber maid… she hasn’t returned even though her break was supposed to end eight days ago.”

She spoke with hesitation.

“Did you find out what happened? Is she sick or did something bad happen to her?”

The problem was not that she had not returned for a long time. The problem was that the issue did not end there.

“Ha, for Jupiter’s sake, how can this happen… Actually, I did send another maid to check on the situation. She’s called ‘Tevela’. I sent her because she lived in the same area as Haina but even that child has disappeared.”

“What?”

“Also, according to those living at Haina’s house, Haina had left home eight days ago. Just in time for the end of her break.”

It was not completely uncommon for a maid to disappear without a word. Generally, amongst those working for tenure, there were cases of maids disappearing since they got themselves caught in unsavoury affairs. Whether they became the concubine of a nobleman who visited as a guest or eloped because they fell for another staff member.

“This is bad.”

But since this was my palace we were talking about, there should be a different problem. There were no aristocrats visiting my palace and no burning romance was going on anywhere. I mirrored the head maid’s expression and grimaced as well.

Just when I patted the resigned maid’s back and thought about the missing maid. Goosebumps travelled down my back. I raised my head in a blink of an eye as if someone had called for me.

“Nancy!”

“Yes?”

“Was Haina a templar…. No. Did she have any divinity?”

Nancy replied immediately.

“What? Ah, yes. Her powers are weak but she can wield god’s power! As a Templar Candidate of Arachne, she was really good at sewing.”

My expression turned serious.

God’s power.

“I didn’t know there were templar candidates in my palace.”

“There’s Thebe from gardening. Gaen’s father was also from a family of Templars of Strength.”

“Haina’s a Templar Candidate of Arachne.”

The Empire only recognises those who have been officially appointed by the state as templars. To be exact, only those who have fully awakened with the help of the Imperial Family could be considered templars. Someone who has not been appointed cannot be called on even though they have the divinity.

“They kidnap women with divinity.”

When I thought about it again, it was obvious.

“Na-Nancy. Who was close to those who went missing?”

“What? Hannah and Lena.”

The Empire was kidnapping women with divinity. There were also maids in my palace who had the qualities of a templar.

The men who forcibly dragged a woman into an alley in broad daylight. The woman who was being dragged for no reason had stood out as she desperately cried for help.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“I need to figure something out first. Call for Hannah.”

I can’t leave someone I knew behind. I took in a breath.

“Nancy?”

However, light would never shine on foreboding feelings of sadness. Nancy, who quickly returned with a hardened expression, spoke.

“Princess… Hannah has disappeared too.”

***

Bang! As soon as the doors opened, the first person I saw was the surprised Rebecca.

“Mistress?”

“Lord! Call Dane and Fleon. Right now.”

The sky hasn’t turned dark yet. It looked to be about 4? Lord Ray quickly lowered his head.

“What’s wrong, mistress?”

“Ah…”

How should I explain this? My maids are gone? I need to find them so we should postpone it?

“Rebecca, about the stage, let’s put off our discussion for a few days. That should be alright, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

There was too much adrenaline in me. I knew, I knew what happened to them.

“Something came up.”

I realised. Nothing I say now would persuade Rebecca.

“It’s a very big problem. Hannah is gone.”

“Hannah?”

I explained what was going on at once with a sigh. After listening to my explanation at once, Rebecca looked at me with a strange expression as if she had no idea what I said.

“I do not understand. So what if one maid went missing? Is a maid more important than your duty?”

To Rebecca, Hannah was the only maid she was familiar with. She had lived her entire life as a noble led by her aristocratic spirit. Rebecca did not understand why I was anxious.

“It’s important. If I leave this be, she’d either die or get hurt. She’s been with me since I was very young.”

This was because of an environmental difference so I could not blame her. However, I could not back down.

“If she disappeared in the capital, that’s for the capital guards to deal with.”

“No, Rebecca. I’ve seen the kidnappers’ faces before recently.”

Almost everyone in the Terena Palace must have already heard and so must the troops.

“How can you be sure they are the same people? Even if they are, what can you do, mistress?”

“She might be there. I’m not sure.”

“Is there anything us powerless women can do against something as violent as kidnapping? Even if there was, my hands are tied. What I’m trying to say is that there’s nothing you can do.”

Her cold eyes that resembled the winter sea stared back at me. The black eyes that were clearly staring back at me remained silent.

“If you’re going to be stubborn about this, you’re being an idiot.”

Her blue dress was rippling like calm waves.

“Mistress.”

Rebecca placed her book down and walked towards me in one stride.

“Why do you not know? How important that ceremony is to you?”

“… Rebecca.”

“You don’t have a patronus right now. You don’t have the manpower or the wealth. Even though we’re doing our best in the worst situation possible, we still have a busy schedule to stick to. Are you telling me that all this means nothing to you?”

Rebecca who had been talking this whole time looked at me with a soft calm gaze.

“I’m going to ask you once again. The noble princess. Is the disappearance of one lowly maid more important than your duty?”

Her gaze was firm, arrogant and determined like an old tree’s. Instead of replying me back, I slowly lowered my gaze.

Was it important?

It was so important to me I didn’t feel the need to say it. I still had secrets I needed to keep from Rebecca. This was not a good time to tell her everything.

I bit my lips hard. It would be better to act naturally so that I could persuade her. Perhaps I would lose the image she had of me until now. But…

“But still, I have to go.”

The debt I have to her from the past and the guilt. If I just let it pass…

“You look like you’re adamant in doing this.”

Rebecca who spoke was also firmly holding her fan.

“I have been busy preparing for the Founding Festival. This is my duty.”

Rebecca bit her lips.

“Do you know how hard I worked because of this while my mother lays sick in bed? This is ridiculous.”

Rebecca spat out before scoffing.

“I did think you were a little immature but I didn’t think you would be this childish. You have just got rid of the small part of me that was hoping for you to do well. I must have been a fool. Being so excited for you.”

Her bright black eyes were facing me again.

“It’s the same for me.”

“…..”

Her emotions were clear. It was resentment.

“You show no responsibility to the point where I think you’re actually being ignorant. I never thought I would meet someone like this.”

“Rebecca.”

“Enough. There’s no need for me to be pathetic enough to list everything I’ve done for you. I’ll be in my room until you call for me.”

“Don’t go. Let’s sit down and talk about it, yeah?”

I held onto Rebecca who was about to take a step forward. Her wrist was so slender.