Chapter 33

To begin with, the reason why Alicia, a princess of the kingdom, was living in the countryside can be traced back to over a decade ago, just before Mary and Alicia were born.

At that time, fortune-telling was in vogue among the nobility, and inviting famous fortune-tellers to tea parties and giggling with delight became a favorite pastime for noblewomen.

However, this was mostly about asking for the lucky colors for love and having dresses made in those colors, or asking about compatible animals and having taxidermy displayed in the manor. While they poured money into it, it was mostly just that, and there were even fortune-tellers who, in cahoots with designers, manipulated trends—though they hardly deserved the title of fortune-teller.

To put it bluntly, it was a child's play. Of course, the participants were aware of this, and as long as it provided topics for tea parties and an excuse for luxury, the credibility of the fortune-telling was secondary.

However, there were those who were deeply captivated, keeping fortune-tellers in their manors and chasing after them, calling them "Master, Master" despite their noble status. Some even shared all the details of their household without reservation and decided their heirs based on the results of the fortune-telling.

The young queen—needless to say, Alicia's biological mother—was also fond of fortune-telling, but she maintained a proper distance from the fortune-tellers.

She would invite them to tea parties, listen to their predictions, and reward them if they were accurate. The topics of the fortune-telling were light, such as love, health, and the weather for the next tea party, and she never divulged any information about the royal family.

She had ascended to the position of queen at a young age, but she possessed good judgment.

However, her personal fortune-teller was different.

He believed that he was the royal family's personal fortune-teller and that the royal family's stability was due to his predictions. He boasted of this shamelessly, thinking that if he did so, his name would spread, and the nobles would come to him with large sums of money, asking, "Master, please tell my fortune." It was the most amusing thing for a mere fortune-teller to have nobles bow to him.

Then, one day, the fortune-teller told the queen:

"From tonight, for three days and three nights, receive the king's favor. If you do, you will conceive a fine son."

Of course, it was natural for a healthy young couple to conceive after three days and three nights of intimacy. Anyone could have predicted that without a fortune-teller.

However, the queen was delighted to hear this. She was so excited that she even rewarded the fortune-teller before the prediction came true.

—This only encouraged the fortune-teller, though neither she nor anyone around her realized it.

After all, the queen was young and, despite a political marriage, deeply loved her husband. The opportunity to have her husband all to herself for three days and three nights, after a long period of diplomatic duties, was invaluable. If she could conceive a child during this time, it would be the happiest thing possible.

The courtiers, understanding her feelings and the fact that the two truly wanted to be together, and admiring the king's dedication to the country, decided to give them three days and three nights as a normal couple. If an heir were born, it would be the best outcome.

Thus, the two spent three days and three nights at a villa under the pretext of the king's convalescence... and, as predicted, she became pregnant.

However, the child born was a girl—Alicia.

No one was disappointed, and both the king and the queen rejoiced at the birth of their lovely daughter. The courtiers, who had hoped for a son, celebrated the birth of the princess, as it proved that the queen could bear children. The entire country rejoiced at the princess's birth, and gifts of congratulations poured in from both within and outside the kingdom.

Only the fortune-teller was not among the celebrants...

However, no one blamed or criticized the fortune-teller for the incorrect prediction. They were grateful that his advice had led to the birth of the princess.

But the fortune-teller himself could not accept this outcome.

He believed that as the royal family's personal fortune-teller, there must have been a reason for the incorrect prediction, that something had interfered... and he harbored resentment towards Alicia, whom he saw as the cause of his failed prediction. Eventually, he even...

"Abducted her, you mean?"

"That's right. The abducted princess was entrusted to a distant orphanage in the countryside and remains missing to this day... This is the truth behind the princess's abduction."

Mary explained, and Adi nodded in understanding.

They were in the kitchen of the Albert household, a place where the maids and servants prepared and ate their meals, essentially the staff canteen.

It was unusual for the employer's daughter, Mary, to be there, but the lively atmosphere and constant hustle and bustle made her feel comfortable, and she often spent time there.

Moreover, the chaotic environment and the resulting indifference made it a good place for confidential conversations.

...Though occasionally, the chaos led to requests like, "Miss Mary, please peel this for me!" as vegetables were thrust into her hands.

"But if that's the case, why did Alicia have the royal seal?"

"There was someone who suspected the fortune-teller's actions and, in a moment of panic, stuffed the royal seal into Alicia's baby clothes. It was a good move, and in the game, they even prepared a specific illustration for it... but..."

"Miss, what's wrong?"

Adi looked curiously at Mary, who hesitated to continue.

In the game, Alicia's past was depicted in sepia tones to create a certain atmosphere.

The young queen, who looked exactly like the current Alicia, and the handsome king, who was a non-playable character, were shown, along with the fortune-teller, whose face was obscured to add to the mystery.

After a few exchanges, the scene changed to a single illustration of the night of the incident.

In sepia tones, the hair and eye colors were indistinguishable, but a baby, presumably Alicia, was held by a woman who clutched the royal seal in her hand and then hid it in the baby's clothes.

A new character then appeared. Though only the back was visible in the sepia tones, the character had impressive pigtails and immediately took the baby and disappeared...

This series of illustrations depicted the outline of the princess's abduction.

Adi's cheeks twitched at this.

"Prominent pigtails, you say?"

"Yes, they were like drills."

"Silver?"

"It's sepia. You can't tell."

"Then... that's..."

"But even after investigating distant relatives, there was no fortune-teller with such prominent pigtails in our family."

Reassuring Mary, Adi sighed in relief.

In the game, the prominent pigtails seemed to point directly at Mary. However, at the time, Mary was just a baby and could not have been involved in the abduction.

Mary's mother had silver hair, but it was wavy, and no one in the extended family had pigtails as prominent as those in the illustration or as prominent as Mary's.

Moreover, in the sepia illustration, the hair color was indistinguishable, so it could have been a different color entirely.

In the game, the flashback scene ended immediately after the baby was abducted, and no connection between the fortune-teller and Mary was mentioned.

It was likely that the production team had intentionally depicted the pigtails to strengthen Mary's villainous image, or perhaps there was a pigtails fetish among the production team, or the illustrator had become obsessed with drawing pigtails.

That was Mary's conclusion.

That's why she was enjoying a leisurely tea break, taking advantage of the school's closure due to the Alicia incident.

If the culprit of the princess's abduction had been a relative, she would not have been able to remain calm.

Mary's goal was a "game-like decline" for her family.

In the main story, the Albert family lost their authority and declined, but in the fan disk, Mary's parents still claimed the title of nobility, apologized to Alicia, and pledged loyalty to the royal family.

The parents depicted in the fan disk were not as wealthy as before but still wore well-tailored clothes. Mary was not present in those scenes.

Thus, her ideal decline was one where only she was exiled to the northern land, not a complete downfall due to a major crime like the princess's abduction.

If such a drastic downfall was her goal, she would not have resorted to petty actions like insulting Alicia; she would have simply attacked the royal family.

That's why it was a delicate balance... Mary sighed, and Adi sighed in sync.

"By now, the palace must be in an uproar. Poor Alicia... Aren't you going to help her, Miss?"

"Why should I? No matter how chaotic it is, it's none of my business."

Mary sipped her tea, turning away with a huff.

Adi sighed at her indifferent attitude but took a sip of his own tea and muttered just before taking a sip:

"You always carry the bracelet Alicia gave you, you know."

Mary, who had just taken a sip of tea, choked and managed to swallow without spitting it out.

As the daughter of the Albert family, she could not afford to lose her composure, even in the staff canteen. She coughed loudly.

"Why do you know about that?"

"How many years have I served you? I can tell when you have something in your pocket."

"Yes, you are a good servant. But please, don't tell anyone."

"Understood, I won't tell anyone from tomorrow!"

"It's too late! Who did you tell?"

Adi mentioned Alicia and Patrick, the very people Mary did not want to know about her carrying the bracelet. Mary's scream echoed in the noisy canteen.

She had kept the bracelet in her pocket to avoid losing it, but she could not leave it at home or wear it, as it would be too conspicuous. She had tried to keep it hidden from Alicia and Patrick, but now that they knew...

"Why do you know about this!?"

"I've served you for years. I can tell when you have something in your pocket."

"Yes, you are a good servant. But please, don't tell anyone."

"Understood, I won't tell anyone from tomorrow!"

"It's too late! Who did you tell!?"

Adi mentioned Alicia and Patrick, the very people Mary did not want to know about her carrying the bracelet. Mary's scream echoed in the noisy canteen.

She had kept the bracelet in her pocket to avoid losing it, but she could not leave it at home or wear it, as it would be too conspicuous. She had tried to keep it hidden from Alicia and Patrick, but now that they knew, she felt a creeping embarrassment. She fanned her cheeks, which were growing hot, and glared at Adi.

As always, her servant understood her well but betrayed her in the most satisfying way. If she called him a "traitor," he would look surprised.

"I'm a traitor!? No way! I'm on your side!"

"Sure, sure, you're the captain of the 'Alicia Support Team.'"

"I'm the commander of the 'Alicia Support Team'!"

"That's why you're a traitor... Wait, you got a promotion!?"

Mary threw a random insult, and Adi chuckled in satisfaction.

They continued this meaningless banter—though calling this betrayal "meaningless" was problematic—when the kitchen door slammed open.

A beautiful woman with silver, wavy hair stood there, her presence commanding attention as she surveyed the room.

Spotting her target,

"Mary, we're going to the palace! Get ready!"

she announced.

Her voice, clear even in the noisy kitchen, echoed...

"Mother!?"

"Lady!?"