TCML 26

Chapter : 26

I’ll Change the Male Lead This Time

When I returned to my room, I was left momentarily speechless.
Nothing had been cleaned at all.

Normally I would have let it slide, but after what happened earlier, my nerves were already frayed, so I called for the head maid, Rina.

“Why isn’t anyone coming?”

But even after an hour passed, no one appeared.

If Rina—the highest-ranking maid—wasn’t showing up, then it made sense that the others wouldn’t either.

I had known from the beginning that everyone in the imperial palace was hostile toward me, but it was getting worse by the day.

“Phew…”

It was exhausting enough just managing myself—now I had to deal with pointless power struggles too.

With a sigh, I turned my gaze out the window.

If you won’t come, then I’ll go to you.

As I looked at the golden sunset, that handsome face flickered back into my mind.

The murderous demon who supposedly piled up mountains of corpses—that was the Hyperion I knew from the original story…
Yet he had such a gentle side, too.

“Oh, right.”

I remembered Raviel, which I had secretly kept tucked inside my sleeve, and took it out.

“I’ve definitely smelled this before.”

That crude elixir the old woman had made.
She’d said it was a medicine created with holy power—one that contained healing properties—so why did it smell so similar?

Raviel…

I retraced the events of the original story.

About 200 years ago, starting from the day the 8th High Priest of Ignis suddenly died…
Every emperor afterward died for the exact same reason, as if under a curse.

The illness was called madness.

A disease caused by the inability to withstand the heat flowing through the blood of the Lucius imperial family.
Like the current emperor—either losing consciousness entirely, or going without sleep until dying with eyes wide open.

Even this Raviel, made by the temple, only eased the pain temporarily.
It couldn’t overcome the curse itself.

That was why the Empire had waited so long for Hyperion—the third Sol.
And why they revered the Saintess so deeply.

Because only the two of them, made complete by each other’s existence, could overcome that curse.

“Lady, I’m so sorry!”

A knock sounded, and someone rushed into the room.

“I was cleaning the annex and preparing meals at the same time, so I didn’t see your calls earlier.”

“Why are you here? I called for Rina.”

“Ah…”

It was Amy—the youngest among the maids.

Judging by her wet hands and flushed face, she really had run straight from cleaning.

“And why are you cleaning the annex today? I remember someone else being assigned there.”

“Well… the older sisters had to step out urgently…”

More urgent than responding to my summons?
And on top of that, they dumped their own work on someone else?

At first they at least pretended to avoid me.
Now they were doing this openly.

“Where did they all go?”

“My lady, that is…”

“It’s fine. Tell me.”

After fidgeting with her fingers for a long time, Amy finally spoke.

“The temple festival is coming up soon… so they went to get outfits for that day.”

“Oh, the festival.”

Now that she mentioned it, the temple-led holy festival before the summer celebration was approaching.

Since it was a day when divine blessings fell evenly upon all, even commoners could wear fine clothes and stand beside nobles—the only day of its kind.

Skipping work to buy clothes?

I asked again.

“Why didn’t you go too? The palace should provide a clothing allowance.”

“Well… I thought someone should stay behind to guard the palace. And… I wanted my younger siblings back home to wear nice clothes and enjoy the autumn festival instead.”

“So you sent everything to your family?”

“Yes…”

As the youngest, her allowance must have been small to begin with.
If she sent all of it home, she couldn’t possibly afford expensive clothes for a single day.

I looked at Amy’s roughened hands and said,

“Wait here. I’ll give you one of my dresses.”

“W-What? No! My lady, that’s not what I meant—! How could I ever dare wear your clothes?”

Ignoring her flustered protest, I walked into the dressing room.

“Hmm, you’ve got fair skin… this would suit you well. Take it.”

I handed her a dress from a top-tier salon that catered exclusively to royalty and high nobility.

No matter how much money one had, this was not something just anyone could obtain.

“My lady! This is from the Bavid Salon! I can’t wear this!”

Recognizing it, Amy frantically waved her hands.

“And besides, clothes like this would only suit someone as beautiful as you…”

“Amy. This is an order.”

I stopped mid-step near the vanity and turned to her.

“Wear this dress where everyone can see you. No matter what.”

Reflected in the glass clearer than the priceless jewels around me, my silver hair shimmered brilliantly.

“Then they’ll understand, won’t they?”

“Yes…?”

“If they want to stay by my side…”

I had no intention of responding to their provocations one by one.

“They need to learn how they should behave.”

I could always repay them in kind.

That evening.

The reaction came back immediately—before even half a day had passed.

“You’re saying Amy stole your dress?”

“Sarah, who shares a room with her, said Amy had an extremely expensive dress. When questioned, she even lied and said you gave it to her.”

“I saw it myself. It had the Bavid Salon label on it. How could Amy possibly own such a dress?”

I looked at Rina, who had arrived with the head maid.

“You know too, don’t you? That Bavid Salon dresses aren’t something just anyone can get.”

“….”

Rina looked visibly displeased at the thought of Amy possessing a dress from a salon she herself couldn’t even enter.

“I apologize for coming so late, my lady. But we came to ask whether any of your dresses are missing.”

“More importantly, Amy cleaned this room today. She must have stolen it.”

“Wait. Before that.”

I raised a hand, cutting Rina off as I had quietly listened until now.

“Shouldn’t you first ask why Amy was cleaning my room?”

“What? What are you saying? Rina, wasn’t Amy assigned to room cleaning today?”

“Well, that is…”

At the head maid’s question, Rina stiffened.

She clearly hadn’t expected me to push back like this after letting things slide for so long.

“Funny thing is, Amy was the only maid who stayed in the palace all day. So I rewarded her.”

“…….”

“If you had been doing your job properly, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Resting my chin on my hand, I continued calmly.

“You must’ve known I called for you multiple times. What were you doing then? And now you come spreading this kind of rumor—at this hour, no less?”

Rina’s face flushed red, unable to accept my words.

“Good timing. I was planning to summon the head maid tomorrow anyway.”

I turned to the head maid.

“Replace the head maid in charge.”

“My lady!”

“I believe I have authority over maid assignments.”

“Yes. Of course, my lady.”

The perceptive head maid quickly grasped the situation and bowed.

“You are now the master of this palace.”

“H-Head maid! My lady! I can explain! I didn’t mean to—!”

“I’m tired. Both of you, leave.”

“Yes. Understood.”

“H-Head maid!”

“Come at once, Rina.”

At the stern command, Rina had no choice but to follow.

Once the door closed, I shook my head.

How long did she think I’d stay obedient?
She didn’t even realize I was waiting for her to let her guard down.

“Sigh. I should sleep early.”

Suddenly exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed.

Between Hyperion and then encountering the Saintess, each day here felt far longer than my peaceful life at the duke’s estate.

I’ll think about the rest tomorrow.

Forcing away my thoughts, I closed my eyes.

—M… master.

I wasn’t sure how long I slept. When I opened my eyes at a strange presence, it was dawn.

I definitely heard something…

Did someone enter my room? At this hour?

It felt too unsettling to dismiss, so I got up.

“Who’s there?”

I hesitated.

Light was leaking out from the jewel box beside my bed.

Why is it glowing all of a sudden…?

The moment I instinctively opened it—

—Master.

“Eek!”

A low voice echoed from nowhere, startling me so badly I collapsed onto the floor.

—It is I, Master.

No matter how much I looked around, there was no one there.
I couldn’t tell where the voice was coming from.

“Y-You… who are you?”

I asked, clutching my wildly pounding chest.

—Please do not be alarmed, Master.

As it spoke, its presence filled the air unmistakably.

—You and I are bound by the key. Thus, I can speak to you from your side.

“What? Master… key…?”

“Don’t tell me…”

Searching my memory, I jumped to my feet.
The key inside the jewel box was glowing brightly.

—

This key can remove this slave’s mask, and also functions as a communication device. Whenever you wish, you may contact your slave.

—

“Messis?”

“So you finally remember.”