The Princess is Going on Strike - Chapter 21
Chapter 21
I woke up the next morning and reached for my mask and sighed when I remembered that it had been cracked the night before. I got out of bed, shuffled through my bed, and took out the extra mask I had brought with me. I lifted it to my face then stopped when I recalled what Estian said.
There’s no need to wear a mask if you’re being forced to.
Am I really wearing this because I’m forced to?
I stared at the white mask while thinking for a second. It showed a stiff face without any expression.
“Are you awake, Miss?”
I heard Alissa’s voice with the sound of knocking on the door. I gave up thinking about any complicated thoughts, covered my face with the mask, and turned around.
“Yes.”
After hearing my short answer, Alissa entered the room, smiled, and paused as she glanced at my face.
Ah, is it because I changed my mask?
I smiled behind my mask as Alissa cautiously approached me and tilted her head.
“By any chance….. Did something bad happen yesterday?”
“Why do you ask?”
“You’re wearing a new mask. Don’t people cut their hair, buy new clothes, or clean their rooms for a change whenever they’re in a bad mood or having a hard time? They do something in order to change their mood. So I was wondering if it was the same for you, Miss.”
I chuckled and smiled as I looked at her innocent expression. I wasn’t trying to cheer myself up or anything, but she wasn’t entirely wrong. Despite being young, I liked her since she was quick-witted and talented.
“Since you went out yesterday, will you be resting in your room today? If so, I will prepare your meal and some refreshments.”
I shook my head while organizing my thoughts. Alissa’s eyes widened as if I had given her an unexpected answer. I smiled as I took off my slip gown and set it aside.
“I’m thinking of visiting the barracks.”
“The barracks?”
Barracks usually referred to the building where soldiers lodged together as a group, but Knightage lodgings within the Imperial Palace were also called barracks. Soldiers normally commuted to and from work, but knights lived in the palace. This was because when an emergency situation occurred, a single knight was more important than a hundred soldiers.
“There’s something I need to confirm for myself, so please help me get ready.”
“I understand.”
I looked at Alissa’s back as she headed towards the bathroom and took off my mask. If I stayed in my room, Oledin and other members of the Brixia family would only come and bicker about what happened yesterday, anyway. Even if they didn’t, my head was full of chaotic thoughts which caused me to not be able to sit still and want to work. In fact, there was no need for me to see the defective equipment since I’ve already seen them before. However things were different then and now. At that time, I inspected the equipment in order to bring the least amount of damage to the family by covering up the smaller flaws. But now, it was necessary to bring those flaws out into the public in order to increase the severity of the crime.
* * * * * * *
[Tap tap]
Oledin tapped the desk with his pen with a dissatisfied expression. He immediately threw the daily newspaper which was brought in by his assistant and yelled.
“Which bastard wrote this article?!”
The assistant picked up the newspaper that was thrown at his face, rolled it up, and stuck it under his arm. Grinding his teeth, Oledin sat down in his chair and massaged the wrinkle between his brows with his finger. He recalled the headline of the newspaper he just read.
[Princess Aerylle, the illegitimate child of the gentle Duke Oledin. Was it actually the Duke who was wearing the mask and not the princess?]
Oledin sighed and muttered saying that it was all because he drank too much yesterday. The assistant anxiously glanced at Oledin before he flinched when Oledin turned to him. Oledin looked up and down at the assistant then leaned forward with a frown.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked what you were doing?”
The duke tapped his finger on his desk as he asked his assistant with a serious expression.
“Were you planning to anger me by bringing me today’s newspaper?! Go to the publishing company this instant and have them retract this article! That is, if they’re not curious about what’ll happen next. If an article about me is written again tomorrow, then it’ll be your neck that gets dragged away by a horse carriage!”
The assistant became contemplative after hearing Oledin’s violent threat and quickly left the room. Oleden sighed and leaned his head back on his chair after seeing the assistant disappear from the room.
Yesterday…..
Yesterday was clearly unfortuitous. Oledin may have gotten drunk and caused a scene before, but he had never completely lost his mind. But he committed the atrocity of insulting the Crown Prince at the Imperial Banquet as if he was someone who was living the last day of his life. Oledin got a headache just thinking about it again. It wouldn’t have been strange if he got stabbed at that spot. It was lucky that he was still alive. However, Oledin couldn’t care less since in the end, he survived. He was more busy trying to figure out the cause of how that situation came to be where he had made a fool of himself. Of course, he believed that the cause wasn’t himself but another.
“Fuck… that damn bitch.”
Oledin disliked the strange news he had been hearing over the past few days, and in the end, ended up causing trouble.
She should’ve stayed in her room since I didn’t bring her to the banquet, so how dare she come and disgrace me like that!
Grinding his teeth, Oledin stood up. He blamed everything, from insulting the Crown Prince and being ridiculed by the people, on Aerylle.
It’s that damn monster’s fault!
Oledin continued to think negatively about Aerylle as if possessed as he walked in the direction of her room. Now that he thought about it, Oledin remembered seeing the skin on Aerylle’s face briefly when her mask was removed yesterday, and remembered that there were strangely, no spots on it.
Did I see wrong because I was drunk? No, my mind was surprisingly sober then.
Oledin himself was the one who brought Aerylle home and raised her. He then placed the mask on her face and taught her to obey him completely. He also pointed out how her discolored spot on her face made her into a monster and that it was proof that she was a devil. But…..
There were no spots.
Oledin was puzzled since the spots couldn’t be removed with magic or medicine. There was a rumor that one could use other people’s skin through black magic to cover one’s blemishes, but it was difficult to think that Aerylle would have the chance to encounter someone who could use black magic since she was always at home.
Then where did those spots go? Wait, are they really gone for sure? Other people may not have seen her face, but I’m sure I did.
Oledin chewed on his lips as his eyes shifted back and forth before squinting them. After organizing his thoughts on Aerylle, he caught a passing maid. It may have been due to the rumors about him quickly being circulated that the maid showed a surprised expression as she flinched at his calling, when in the past they would show him proper respect. Her reaction caused Oledin’s anger to rise once more and he struggled to suppress it.
“…..Is Aerylle in her room?”
Oledin had a slightly distorted expression as he asked the maid. He wasn’t any good at hiding his emotions and it never mattered before as his position and Aerylle’s amazing abilities only satisfied him. The maid shook her head.
“I-I don’t know, Your Grace. Another maid is assigned here, so…..”
“Alright….. I got it.”
After waving his hands indicating that the maid could leave, Oledin headed to the room where Aerylle was staying. He didn’t knock or announce himself, like others usually did, and just opened the door as soon as he approached her room. When the door opened with a click, Alissa, who was making the bed, widened her eyes in surprise. She bowed her head after confirming who it was. Oledin looked around the room then fixed his gaze on Alissa. He didn’t bother to hide his annoyance and frowned.
“Where is that bitch?”
That bitch?
Alissa froze and thought in her head whether she heard correctly. She couldn’t believe that someone would call their own daughter by such a vulgar word rather than her own name or a nickname. She shook her head with a puzzled expression causing Oledin to tap at his chin.
“Didn’t I ask you where that monster went?”
“Th-that’s…..”
Alissa was having a difficult time dealing with Oledin. Since she didn’t answer him right away, Oledin rolled his eyes and walked towards Alissa. She had her mouth shut tight and leaned back when Oledin noticed a folder on Aerylle’s desk. He went over and shuffled through the files with his eyebrows twitching in annoyance. They were sent by Velfor and inside were the reports. Oledin’s hands trembled as he read through them as if they belonged to him in the first place. The report was on the corruption that Velfor had yet to report to Oledin. These were files that were brought over while Aerylle was away. Unable to contain his anger, Oledin tore up the report.
“That damn bitch!”
He turned his head and swore. Alissa flinched as Oledin approached her, reached out, and grabbed her ribbon that was tied in her collar. His voice was filled with anger as he looked down on Alissa as she screamed with tears in her eyes.
“Where is she?!”
Oledin’s anger turned deadly as his voice echoed within the room.
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