Chapter 83

"Is what you just said true?"

Lana, trembling with anger, glared at Samuel.

"Inviting that orphan into the prestigious Naris Kingdom, how could you even think of such a monstrous thing?"

"I heard it from the holy maiden's maid, so I believe it to be true."

"Perhaps it would suit Rolf, who has half commoner blood, but adding a major sinner from the Daido Kingdom to the ranks of the Naris royal family is simply out of the question. How could His Majesty allow such a thing!"

Sighing, Lana looked at Samuel, who smiled.

"Such a wicked story, we can just crush the holy maiden and there will be no problem. For that, Lady Lana, I need your cooperation."

"Cooperation?"

Lana snorted unhappily, but after hearing Samuel's words, she burst into laughter.

"Hehehe. That's amusing. You want me to act. Well, I can't help it, if you say so, I'll be quiet for a while. ... Still, you really are devious. That maid is completely smitten with you, isn't she?"

"Women with high self-esteem like that, if you show them a bit of weakness and then prove yourself reliable at the right moment, they fall easily. Lady Lana, be careful of bad men."

Smiling, Lana looked at Samuel's serious face.

"Only a naive country girl would fall for a man like you. You're cheeky."

"I apologize... I was out of line."

Between the master and servant, a poisonous flower-like laughter spread.

◇◇◇

A few days before their return, Samuel appeared before Kiri with a troubled look.

"Kiri, I want you to trust me."

Samuel showed Kiri a small bottle containing a light pink liquid.

"This is a mild sleeping potion that noblewomen in our country take when they can't sleep. Could you give it to Lady Shina?"

"What?!"

Kiri was shocked and recoiled, trying to escape from Samuel, but Samuel grabbed her arm and pleaded.

"It's for Lady Shina, please!"

"What do you mean... for Lady Shina?"

"Do you really think it's for her good that Lady Shina becomes the consort of Prince Zinklett? If she, a commoner, relies only on the prince's favor and is then discarded when he changes his mind, what will she do? Abandoned with no support, and once a consort, she can't even leave."

In the monogamous Marita Kingdom and Naris Kingdom, divorce was not easy. Once married, even if their hearts were no longer together, they would continue to be a couple in form.

"Commoners marrying into lower nobility is not uncommon, but it rarely leads to happiness. Commoner wives, without the support of their families, are often neglected and sometimes even abused or fall ill. You know this, don't you?"

Kiri, a commoner herself, had indeed heard such stories. Marriages between nobles and commoners were not as simple and happy as fairy tales. Without the power balance between families, commoners were often in a weaker position.

"Moreover, being cultured and socially adept is a must for a wife who manages a noble household. For a royal, even higher standards are required. Can Lady Shina, a commoner, meet these standards? If not, she might be looked down upon in society and suffer. And if the prince's feelings also waver..."

"But Prince Zinklett said he would definitely make Lady Shina happy..."

"Is that really out of genuine affection, or is it a convenient statement to use her abilities or out of sympathy? Because Lady Shina was in an unfortunate situation, he felt the need to protect her, and because she is useful, he kept her under his protection. Is he saying he will marry her out of sympathy?"

"No, that's not it!"

"Can you say for sure, from your perspective, that the prince's feelings for Lady Shina are not just for convenience or out of sympathy?"

Kiri bit her lip. When Shina and Zinklett first met, Zinklett said he couldn't leave Shina alone. She couldn't say for sure if that was out of genuine affection.

Recently, there was the incident with the Marita Kingdom's suspicions and Prince Rolf. The King of Marita had chosen the younger brother of the Naris Kingdom as a potential fiancé for Shina, and Zinklett knew about it but didn't tell Shina.

Isn't that the clearest evidence that he is using her for the country's benefit, disregarding her feelings?

"Kiri, Lady Lana is also worried about Lady Shina. She has calmed down recently, and her tantrums have decreased, hasn't she? I told her what I heard from you. She was very concerned."

"Lady Lana? You told her?"

Despite her promise not to tell anyone, Kiri looked at Samuel accusingly, but he shook his head.

"Kiri, this is not a light matter. Lady Lana is very worried. She sees that making a young, inexperienced woman a consort will lead to her unhappiness. Even if she is now lost in a fairy-tale romance, she will soon face reality. It's unbearable to watch her be used by the Marita royal family. Lady Lana has also suffered from false rumors and hardship after her engagement was broken. She doesn't want Lady Shina to go through the same pain. She regrets her past behavior and wants to apologize to Lady Shina."

Indeed, Lady Lana has been calm recently, staying in her room, and even apologizing and showing concern to the maids.

"She has finally returned to her true self. It might sound like an excuse, but she has truly suffered in society. That's why she became defensive and aggressive. The true Lady Lana is a noble and kind young lady. That's why she is genuinely worried about Lady Shina."

"But if that's the case, why the sleeping potion?"

Kiri questioned Samuel, who was pleased that Lady Lana had returned to her true self.

"Lady Lana can't meet Lady Shina because Prince Zinklett and the king interfere. Lady Shina is not allowed to meet anyone from the Naris Kingdom, right?"

Lady Shina is currently forbidden by the king to meet anyone from the Naris Kingdom. She can't even see Prince Kanon, whom she used to meet daily, which has only increased her loneliness and sense of isolation.

"Considering Lady Lana's past behavior, it's understandable. But Lady Lana wants to talk to Lady Shina about what it means to be a prince's consort. If Lady Shina has any doubts, Lady Lana can help. If Lady Shina is determined, Lady Lana will step back from Prince Zinklett and use the power of the Colts family to protect Lady Shina from being used by the Marita royal family. Being a consort is not all sweetness and light. Lady Lana is worried that Prince Zinklett is only telling Lady Shina what she wants to hear."

Samuel smiled wryly, saying that Lady Lana is a worried and kind person. She used to be a confidante for other noble daughters in her homeland. However, after her engagement was broken, even those she had helped turned cold towards her, which hurt her deeply.

"But she has remembered what it means to be a duke's daughter. As a role model for other nobles and as a duty of her high status, she wants to live with pride and support the weak. That's why she wants to help Lady Shina."

Samuel grabbed Kiri's shoulders and looked at her with a pleading gaze.

"So, I need your help to take Lady Shina out of her room and introduce her to Lady Lana. If we tell Lady Shina beforehand, Prince Zinklett will find out. I want to give her this potion and take her to a quiet place to talk."

"But that's..."

"Kiri, I'll take full responsibility. If anything goes wrong, blame me. Lady Lana has guaranteed this."

Samuel took out a leather pouch from his pocket along with the small bottle.

"I'll give this to you."

The sound of coins clinking together was heard. Samuel opened the pouch to show its contents.

"Gold coins... so many?"

The pouch contained about a hundred gold coins.

"Lady Lana said to give this to you as a guarantee. If you lose your job as a maid, she wants you to use this money to live for a while. She also promised to take care of your future."

"Such... so many? I've never seen so many gold coins before!"

"Really? Considering your skills, you could earn gold coins easily. If a beautiful, excellent maid like you came to the Naris Kingdom, you could earn even more."

As he said this, Samuel blushed and added quietly, "But I don't want my wife to work."

"... Samuel"

Kiri looked at Samuel, her eyes welling up. She savored his quiet addition.

"Kiri, I want you to trust me. I just want to protect your precious Lady Shina. If Lady Shina is determined to marry Prince Zinklett, I and the Colts family will support her."

Kiri had thought she had no allies. Even though she had resolved to protect her, she had been struggling with how to protect her against a whole country. But help had come from an unexpected place.

Looking at Samuel's earnest gaze, Kiri slowly nodded.