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Cayena poked at the soup for a while, but just in case, she put down her spoon. Then, Annie returned, bringing in another maid with her.

“This is the maid who attempted to go to the central kitchen with Vera.”

‘Attempted to go?’

The maid carefully explained what had happened during their confrontation with Mrs. Sovenin.

Cayena then realized that the court ladies were trying to reign in Vera.

“She sent me away, then retreated to the ladies-in-waiting’s break room.”

Annie added onto the maid’s words. “However, there was nobody in the lounge. When I asked the doorkeeper, he said she went out with the new lady-in-waiting who had arrived today.”

“You mean she left with Olivia?”

“Yes. And Olivia stated that she was going to ask for practical training and guidance regarding castle work.”

“Is that so?”

Cayena’s brows furrowed slightly as she thought.

Their behavior was suspicious.

She was certain today was the first time the two of them had encountered each other. And what was this about practical training?

‘Come to think of it, in the novel, Vera was an independent character who often plotted and moved by herself.’

If so, Vera may have been acting on a hunch.

Cayena let out a short sigh.

She just wanted things to be quiet before she left for her fake marriage. Even if she did have authority over internal affairs, it was only a temporary thing. There wasn’t any reason to antagonize Rezef.

She was wondering about what to do when Donna burst into the bedroom.

“Your Highness! Vera is currently confronting the head chef in the central kitchen!”

Cayena sighed again.

“Well, then. Let’s go there.”

***

The palace had long been deprived of a woman with real influence ever since the late empress passed away from an allergic reaction. Since most of the women in the imperial family left the palace after marriage, Rezef took control of the internal affairs a long time ago.

With that power, he filled the palace with his own people. Among those who supported Rezef was Mrs. Helier, who ruled the servants in a violent and oppressive manner.

“It isn’t right to be so careless in managing the palace’s people,” declared Mrs. Helier, looking grim but resolute. “Only an empress who has learned and studied how to do so from the time when she was a crown princess can properly take care of the internal affairs.”

Mrs. Sovenin, who had a lower post than the head maid, added, “You’re completely right, Mrs. Helier.”

“Did you all hear that Princess Cayena chose only young and inexperienced ladies to be in her palace? Furthermore, she split all the power among just four ladies.”

Everyone laughed and scoffed, except for one. A court lady named Colleen, who had the capacity for rational thought, tilted her head.

“The princess’s palace only needs to take care of Her Highness, though, so isn’t that number all right?”

Mrs. Sovenin’s eyes sharpened at Colleen’s remark.

“Enough of that nonsense! If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. It’s clear the court ladies are substandard, and there’s no way that this enormous palace could be managed with just four!”

Mrs. Helier soothed Mrs. Sovenin, who had gotten angry in her place, by gently grasping her hand.

“Calm down. We’re here now to settle the situation,” Mrs. Helier said. “And even if we weren’t, I would have taught the court ladies of this palace a lesson as I watched over them.”

Even though the princess had control over the internal affairs right now, nothing would change. In the imperial palace, most people were associated with Rezef, as they rode on the coattails of the Evans family.

“Ask each department not to move recklessly against Her Highness’s instructions. Once Prince Rezef regains power, everything will return to its rightful place, so there is no need to do anything unnecessary.”

“As you say, Mrs. Helier.”

At that moment, a servant rushed into the ladies-in-waiting’s break room.

“Her Highness is overturning the central kitchen! The head chef has been detained!”

“What? The central kitchen?”

“Why did she suddenly arrest the chef?”

Did the princess catch tail of some ridiculous rumor?

The frightened court ladies stood up from their seats.

“Hurry, to the kitchen!”

Then, the servant who announced this news waved his hand.

“She isn’t in the central kitchen right now.”

“Then where is she?” Mrs. Helier snapped.

Mrs. Helier was someone who always pretended to be classy, and she was rarely so openly irritated. It meant the princess’s move had caught her off-guard.

“She said she would check all the closed-off annexes of the castle,” the servant said.

The blood drained from their faces.

***

Alex, the deputy chef of the central kitchen, was taking a short break after confirming the meals for the imperial family were prepared. As soon as the afternoon shipment came in, the kitchen staff had to prepare the ingredients for dinner.

The central kitchen only had to prepare meals for three people, but as all three were members of the Imperial family, they had to prepare a variety of things.

Alex smoked a cigarette near the loading dock.

He looked over to the side. Next to the central kitchen was another kitchen in charge of preparing the employees’ meals. That place was a complete war zone.

“That’s something to see after becoming successful.”

Alex was the head chef’s aide. Thanks to good timing, he had become the deputy chef of the central kitchen, which required the least amount of labor among all the kitchens. There was another perk to the position as well.

A substantial amount of money was generated off-the-books here. The head chef even gave him some black money that he could pocket.

“Oh?”

Suddenly, Alex noticed a strange figure.

‘A handmaid?’

The woman carried herself well for a handmaid. Her hair was shiny, and though she was concealing her face with a mask, Alex could guess she was attractive. In addition, she looked young. Handmaids were usually very old or extremely young, since women in their prime preferred to work as regular maids.

Alex snubbed out the cigarette. As the deputy chef of the central kitchen, he could easily sweet-talk a handmaid.

His lechery rose.

The handmaid was clumsily carrying things from the loading dock to the central kitchen. When she entered into that secluded area of the dock, Alex followed.

“You don’t seem to have been working here for long,” he said.

“……!”

The maid stopped and turned around.

“This is the central kitchen, where the emperor’s food is made. And I’m the deputy here.”

He slowly approached the maid.

“Is your work hard?” he asked.

The maid lowered her head. “…It isn’t.”

Alex also liked the maid’s voice. Her way of speaking felt refined, like the way a youthful noblewoman would talk.

The more he saw of her, the more he desired her.

“If you’re nice to me, I can arrange for you to work in the central kitchen. You can serve the imperial family directly.”

“No thank you.”

Alex had to take care of the afternoon shipment after the break. He thought he could seduce the maid before things got too hectic.

Then, a servant came to find him.

“Alex!”

“What?”

“A senior court lady from the princess’s palace wants to receive practical training.”

“The princess’s palace again? Fine. I got it, so you go and deal with it first. I’ll follow you later.”

“Yes, sir.”

Alex was in a rush, so he spoke sharply to send away the servant.

“There’s nothing for you to think over. If you miss your chance now, you’re missing out on becoming a servant in the central kitchen.”

“Sir, I don’t need that!”

“Stop playing coy!”

The maid took a step back, and Alex roughly grabbed her.

“Kyaa! Let go!”

As he got closer, he could see the maid was definitely a beauty. He ripped off her mask, then exclaimed in surprise.

“I, it’s you!”

It was the court lady from the princess’s palace who had been pestering the central kitchen every day recently.

“How dare you try to coerce a helpless maid with your fake authority? You don’t even have sway over personnel decisions!”

Vera glared at Alex.

Though he was astonished at first, he quickly regained his composure.

“Ha! Well, you’re the one sneaking around disguised as a handmaid… And where’s your evidence? I was merely catching a suspicious person.”

Vera was dumbfounded. It was too impudent, claiming there was no evidence right in front of the person whom he had tried to molest! She swallowed her humiliation and fear, unable to speak.

Alex laughed meanly.

“It’s clear to anybody who sees. A suspicious person disguised themselves and hid in the loading dock.”

“You dare…!”

An annoyed voice rang throughout the loading dock at that moment.

“Alex! What are you dawdling around for?”

It was the head chef. The head chef strode into the loading dock and then stopped.

“Sir!”

Alex hastily ran to the head chef’s side and pointed at Vera.

“Look here. The princess’s court lady disguised herself as a handmaid to skulk around!”

The head chef turned to Vera with a murderous expression.

~~~

[TN] By popular demand, the additional update day is Tuesday! So the new schedule is Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays around 12 a.m. Eastern.

[PR] Thank you all for the welcome. I’ll do my best