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~Chapter 22~
A little yellow chick-like Lemon fluttered up into the blue sky.
“Lemon.”
Pipi.
Lemon circled above Dahlia’s head, as if asking why she called.
“Do you remember where we met Monet? Please guide me there.”
Pipi.
Lemon looked like he was laughing at her for not knowing, but Dahlia just smiled and ignored it.
“Let’s go!”
Pipi.
Dahlia hurried along after Lemon’s little wings.
After flying a while, Lemon perched on a large branch.
Underneath, Monet was in her maid uniform, looking around as if searching for someone.
Dahlia quickly went to her side and waved.
“Hi, Monet.”
“Hello, Miss. Thank you for coming again today.”
Monet blushed as she bowed.
“Of course. I always keep my promises.”
Dahlia took out a candy and placed it on Monet’s palm.
“Thank you, Miss.”
Monet hugged the candy happily and put it in her pocket.
“Enjoy it.”
“Yes. But, Miss… I don’t think we can meet anymore.”
Monet looked sorry and lowered her head.
“Why? We’ve barely even met.”
“I want to focus more on serving the person I work for, so I won’t take breaks anymore. I’m sorry, Miss.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me. But Monet, you’re amazing.”
Dahlia tried to hide her disappointment and praised her.
“No, I just want to do better for the one I serve—I want to protect them…”
Monet’s voice faded, looking helpless.
“Why?”
“I just don’t know what to do.”
“You care so much already. You must be doing well.”
Monet shook her head sadly.
Dahlia crouched down and met her orange eyes.
“Whoever it is, they must be a good person, right?”
“Yes! That person does so much for a maid like me…”
Monet was about to cry, unable to finish.
There must be some secret she couldn’t share.
She wanted to protect her master. What happened to them? Dahlia thought Monet’s heart was truly kind.
Dahlia gently comforted her.
“If you keep growing up with such a good heart, you’ll definitely be able to protect them.”
“Can a maid like me do that?”
Monet looked up desperately.
“Of course. Wanting to protect someone has nothing to do with status. What matters is your heart.”
“Thank you for saying that, Miss.”
Monet looked moved.
“But you have to take breaks, too.”
“Yes.”
“I only brought one candy, thinking I’d see you again.”
Monet quickly shook her head at Dahlia’s apologetic look.
“One is enough. Thank you.”
Pipipipi.
Just then, Lemon, who was grooming his feathers on the branch, lifted his head and chirped loudly.
Dahlia looked around and saw the emperor standing there, arms crossed, watching them.
When Monet noticed him, her face went white as a sheet and she quickly bowed.
“Greetings to Your Majesty the Emperor.”
Dahlia also bowed.
“You’re not feeling well?”
The emperor asked in a bored tone.
“Me? No, I’m fine.”
He looked at her as if he expected that.
“You’re very good at diplomacy, Young Lady.”
“Thank you, but… why do you say that suddenly?”
Dahlia looked at him, confused.
“You’re trying to get close to all the imperial royals.”
Dahlia frowned, trying to understand.
“You look like you don’t know what I mean.”
“Um, should I?”
He took a step forward, quickly closing the distance.
“You’re very skilled at approaching the royals one by one with that innocent look.”
“When did I do that?”
Dahlia’s voice jumped in surprise.
At that, the emperor’s cold gaze moved to Monet, who was trembling.
“What is the princess’s maid doing here with a stranger?”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”
Monet fell to her knees, forehead to the ground.
Dahlia froze, then looked at the emperor in shock.
“Wait. So Monet is the princess’s maid? Do you think I’m using Monet to get close to the princess?”
He didn’t answer, but his icy eyes said everything.
“If I knew Monet was the princess’s maid, I might have tried.”
His look became even colder at her honest confession.
“So you admit it?”
“But I didn’t know!”
“You just said you would have if you had known.”
“Yes, I would have. But I didn’t know until you told me.”
“Young Lady, don’t you think we’re repeating ourselves?”
“No, it’s different. I didn’t know, so I never tried. If I knew, maybe I would.”
Dahlia stood her ground. Why scold someone for something they didn’t even do?
“Even if the order is different, the result is the same. Now you know, so you’ll try.”
“Your Majesty, do people in your empire get punished for things they haven’t done yet? In our kingdom, that doesn’t happen.”
She faced the emperor with confident eyes.
“There’s no such law here, either.”
He finally backed down.
“Good. I’m relieved.”
Dahlia let out a big, obvious sigh of relief.
“So you won’t try to get close to the princess?”
“It’s not that I won’t—I can’t. Thanks to you, Your Majesty.”
“You’re really good with words.”
“I—”
“It was a figure of speech.”
He cut her off.
“You really like figures of speech, don’t you?”
Dahlia answered playfully, and he raised an eyebrow in annoyance.
From behind, Oreon tried to hide his laughter with his hand. It was the first time he saw anyone out-talk the emperor.
Lady Herdan, I’m cheering for you!
“Anyway, Monet didn’t do anything wrong, right? She can get up now?”
Dahlia gently touched Monet’s shaking shoulder.
“Yes.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Monet stood up, legs shaking.
Dahlia, seeing how scared she was, gently patted her shoulder.
“May I send Monet away now?”
Dahlia stood protectively next to Monet and looked at the emperor.
He nodded his permission, and Monet hurriedly bowed.
“I’ll leave now.”
Dahlia watched her run away.
“She’s scared.”
“You should be, too.”
At his sarcastic words, Dahlia suddenly remembered and hurried to hide behind a tree.
“What are you doing?”
“This isn’t our third meeting, right? Accidental meetings don’t count as number three?”
The emperor let out a deep sigh.
“Your Majesty, it’s time for your meeting.”
Oreon’s voice was full of laughter as the emperor looked back.
Dahlia crouched behind the tree and waved.
“Goodbye, Your Majesty!”
The emperor gave her a dissatisfied look, then turned away with a chill in the air.
As she watched him go, Dahlia buried her face in her knees and whispered softly,
“Monet, I hope you’ll be okay…”
