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Chapter 34
Although Roabellin had learned the routes inside the Imperial Palace fairly well while working in the laundry department, she still hadn’t figured out the shortest way to leave the palace and get out of Visentium.
After receiving permission to go out and leaving the Imperial Palace, Roabellin immediately used magic to change her face into that of Yuli from the laundry department. Even if she could change her hair and eye color, walking around with her real face was far too risky.
Once she stepped outside the palace where she always lived in fear of being exposed, her breathing felt easier.
“Wow… I can finally breathe. From now on, I should volunteer for every errand. Just getting out of the palace makes me feel like my lifespan is getting longer.”
Feeling a sense of freedom she hadn’t felt in a long time, Roabellin even hummed to herself as she headed for the merchant guild.
However, someone recognized her.
It was Kaisertern, who had briefly come outside the palace to secretly meet an external informant while avoiding the eyes of newly risen noble ministers.
‘Yuli?’
After being extremely busy for a while, he remembered that he himself had ordered Yuli to be assigned to the Imperial Palace.
‘But why is she outside the palace?’
Seeing that she was still wearing the Imperial Palace maid uniform, she seemed to have come out on duty.
But when he observed more closely, she wasn’t looking at goods so much as she was studying the roads. She even went to the nearest carriage rental and asked something.
‘Is she learning the geography of Visentium while she’s out?’
Without realizing it, Kaisertern quietly began to follow behind Yuli, not even aware that he was showing her an unusual level of interest.
As Roabellin wandered through the market, she spotted a whole roasted pig at one corner. The pig, skewered and hanging, was being scorched over a fairly large fire burning beneath it. The moment she saw it, she hurriedly covered her mouth with one hand.
‘Ah…!’
Even now, whenever she saw a large flame, the memories of “that day” were summoned without fail. The day when the bodies of her beloved family burned, and she could only watch while hiding. The smell of the pig’s burning hair and skin made her recall the smell from the moment her family’s bodies were burned.
“Ugh…! Ugh!”
She grabbed the wall of a nearby building with one hand and gagged. Kaisertern, who had no idea what was going on, watched her from a distance in surprise.
‘What? Is she feeling sick?’
After gagging a few more times, Roabellin collapsed against the wall with a drained expression. Those memories that suddenly assaulted her from time to time still had the power to leave her helpless.
‘I thought I’d overcome everything… but I haven’t yet. No, Roa, it’s fine. It’s all in the past… It won’t happen again.’
With a pale face, she forced herself to calm down. Her heart was still pounding. She covered her face with her hand and crouched for a moment, then pressed her hand to the ground to stand up.
At that moment, a large shadow fell over her.
‘Huh? Who…?’
When she looked up at the owner of the shadow, Roabellin was shocked.
‘Kai?!’
Outside the palace, he stood out even more among the rough townsfolk. He was holding out one hand to her, gesturing for her to take it and stand.
“Th… thank you.”
After taking his hand and standing up, Roabellin quickly let go and bowed. Kaisertern looked at her and spoke.
“Your name was Yuli, wasn’t it?”
“Ah, y-yes.”
Roabellin answered nervously. Kaisertern’s expression looked indifferent, but perhaps because of his intense golden eyes that seemed to pierce right through her, she felt herself shrink.
“What is a palace servant doing outside the Imperial Palace?”
“Ah, I-I came out on an errand. I was told to go to the ingredient supplier and retrieve some items that were missing from today’s delivery…”
As she gave her long explanation, Kaisertern’s gaze moved to the basket she was holding, then back to her face.
“You were transferred to the Imperial Palace, but I haven’t seen you at all.”
“Ah, is that so…?”
Not knowing what to say, Roabellin replied vaguely, then suddenly felt something was strange.
‘How does the chief aide know that? Wait… was it Kai who arranged my transfer?!’
Thinking about it, it was entirely possible. Someone as close to the Emperor as the chief aide would have no difficulty transferring a single maid. Even if it wasn’t strictly his authority.
While Roabellin’s thoughts raced, Kaisertern continued questioning her.
“Which department in the Imperial Palace? Where do you work?”
“The kitchen. I’m a kitchen assistant.”
“Hmm…”
He nodded slightly and asked again.
“You said you were on an errand. Have you finished it?”
“Ah? Ah… well…”
Roabellin had intended to look around a bit more before returning, so she couldn’t answer properly.
“It’s already getting dark. Let’s go back together.”
Since she was already carrying the items for the errand, she had no excuse to refuse his proposal. Roabellin answered reluctantly.
“Ah, yes…”
Thanks to Kaisertern, who knew the palace grounds well, they reached the front of the Imperial Palace without getting lost. The moment she saw the entrance ahead, Roabellin’s face darkened.
‘No… if I pass through there, my face will change…!’
Even if she passed through the gate, her hair and eye color would remain Yuli’s thanks to the potion she had taken the night before. But she couldn’t avoid returning to her original face.
‘If someone who’s been with me this whole time sees my face change in an instant, Kai will immediately investigate me as the chief aide. No, since I’m a palace servant, he might lock me up in prison first.’
No matter what, it wouldn’t end well. Roabellin hurriedly spoke.
“I-I forgot there’s another errand I have to do! I’ll just pick something up and then go in. You go ahead first!!”
Before Kaisertern could reply, she quickly turned around and ran off.
“…?”
Kaisertern looked at her retreating back in confusion, then soon turned and entered the Imperial Palace.
From a hiding place in the distance, Roabellin confirmed that he had gone through the main gate. Only then did she let out a long breath and clutch her chest.
‘Wow… if I keep living like this every day, I won’t die of natural causes. I really need to accomplish my goal quickly and get out of the palace.’
Now, “leaving the palace as soon as possible” had been added to her goals.
As he ate dinner, Kaisertern kept thinking about Yuli. The more he thought about her, the more suspicious she seemed.
‘It feels like she keeps trying to avoid me and run away. And people like that are never clean in the back. And there was that thing about her having mana before, too… She might have another purpose. I should keep a closer watch on her.’
He immediately selected several people and ordered them to keep Yuli under surveillance. If she left the palace, they were to notify him immediately with a magic tool.
A few days later, one of them reported in.
“Your Majesty, that palace servant is leaving the Imperial Palace. It seems she is going out on an errand.”
Since he happened to be wearing casual clothes instead of imperial ceremonial attire, Kaisertern rushed out of his office and caught up to Yuli.
‘There she is!’
Carefully hiding his presence, Kaisertern followed her at a suitable distance. After leaving the palace, Yuli went straight to the market and bought several items. Watching her, Kaisertern could easily guess.
‘Those must be the things she was sent to buy. From here on, it must be her real personal business.’
After quickly finishing the errand, Yuli began to walk through the city, glancing around.
‘She’s learning the roads.’
She walked toward the harbor and approached a ticket seller, apparently asking about destinations and fares. Kaisertern nodded as if he understood.
‘She seems to be planning to go somewhere. Easy to read.’
Just then, ahead of them, two dirty men with bulging bellies were laughing and talking. Judging by their looks, they were rough sailors.
“Hey, look at that woman. Over there—the thin one with brown hair.”
“You mean the one in the white blouse and dark blue long skirt? Damn… even just her back is killer.”
They were talking about Roabellin.
“Just looking at those pale legs, you can tell what her body must be like. Hehehe…”
Roabellin was wearing the Imperial Palace maid uniform. Even though it was neat and modest with a skirt reaching her calves, they were still appraising and mocking her body.
These louts were the kind who would put a woman on their tongues and mock her no matter how fully covered she was.
Hearing them, Kaisertern felt a violent surge of disgust.
‘Should I drag them out and execute them on the spot…? Maybe wipe out their entire families…’
It was anger close to murderous intent. Yet he didn’t realize that he was feeling excessive rage over a mere common palace maid being harassed.
Kaisertern took a deep breath and calmed himself. Then he silently moved behind the men.
‘Even if I don’t kill them, I can’t just let them go.’
In an instant, he grabbed the little hair left on their heads and smashed their heads together. The impact was so loud it echoed, and they collapsed unconscious without even making a sound. The spot where their heads struck each other immediately turned red and swelled.
“Hah… filthy bastards.”
Kaisertern tossed their unconscious bodies into an alley and brushed off his hands. From his fingers, the few precious strands of hair they had left fluttered to the ground.
After dusting off his hands, he turned toward where Yuli had been standing. She was still there, apparently checking the road.
Letting out a light sigh, Kaisertern walked toward her.
