Chapter 14: An Unbreakable Vow
The Krosiss family had solidified their standing as a Grand Ducal household for one fundamental reason: their blessed power.
What the world dubbed the ‘Devil’s Talent’ was a power manifesting solely within the direct lineage of the Krosiss family.
It signified an innate, overwhelming talent for either magic or swordsmanship.
Yet,
such prodigious talent within the Krosiss family proved to be a significant vexation for the Emperor.
The military might of a single noble house had simply grown too formidable.
Consequently, the Emperor gravely contemplated whether he should dismantle the Krosiss family for the sake of future imperial security.
It was then that the Krosiss family’s previous head, discerning the Emperor’s thoughts, presented a proposal that would forever alter the family’s destiny.
That proposal was this:
“To send my successor to the front lines.”
The Krosiss family’s successor referred to the direct descendant most profoundly blessed with their unique power.
In simpler terms, it meant the strongest direct lineage.
By sacrificing such a precious resource to the battlefield, the Krosiss family earned the Emperor’s trust, while the Emperor, holding the heir as a hostage, secured his own safety.
Thus, through this mutual arrangement, the tradition had persisted to the present day.
This was precisely why the genius Luen had intentionally failed every single test.
If she were to unleash her true power, she would undoubtedly be dragged to the front lines.
“We shall conclude our session here for today.”
Adeline, letting out a deep sigh as she gazed at the zero-point exam paper, exited the room.
Luen watched her for a moment before turning toward the terrace.
Truth be told, she genuinely enjoyed gazing at the garden from this very room.
Although she had stopped looking out at some point, Ariel’s arrival had rekindled her desire to observe the world beyond.
“……”
As she aimlessly watched the flowers, Ariel would inevitably arrive, heralded by a knock at the door.
Then, she would undoubtedly begin to pester her again.
It would be demands to clean her room, to brush her teeth, or to avoid lying down immediately after eating.
At times, it seemed Ariel mistook herself for Luen’s governess rather than her maid.
Yet,
‘Even so, I don’t entirely dislike it.’
Since Ariel’s arrival, Luen’s life had undergone a complete transformation.
Now, a life without Ariel was almost impossible to imagine.
‘I wish she would hurry and come.’
Thus, Luen passed the time, awaiting Ariel’s arrival.
Just then,
–Agh!!!
A piercing scream echoed in her ears.
A small ripple disturbed the depths of Luen’s eyes.
–It, it hurts so much! Adeline Joubert. H-hic!
That was unmistakably Ariel’s voice.
The crucial question was why, exactly, she was in such pain.
Luen was utterly bewildered.
Even as Luen pondered, Ariel’s screams persisted.
–Agh!! O-ouch…. Hic!
It was the first time Luen had ever heard Ariel’s voice so choked with tears.
Luen was suddenly reminded of the ultimate fate of the maids who had served her before.
They had been tormented by the Grand Duchess Consort until, in the end, they resigned from their positions.
Perhaps Ariel, too, would…
‘No.’
Luen sprang to her feet.
She left the terrace, quickening her pace towards the adjacent room from which the sounds emanated.
Just then,
–Will you submit your resignation now?
Adeline’s voice reached her ears.
Luen’s footsteps abruptly halted.
Forgetting even to breathe, she focused intently on the sounds from the other side.
Please, let her refuse.
Yet, let her accept.
She hated the thought of Ariel suffering because of her.
At the same time, she desperately wished Ariel would not leave her side.
A whirlwind of conflicting emotions swept through Luen’s mind.
In that fleeting moment, Ariel’s voice rang out.
–I… I will stay by the young lady’s side.
“……!”
–Then there is no other choice. You must endure the same number of lashes as the young lady made errors. Is that not your role, Miss Ariel? The whipping maid.
At those words, Luen found herself rooted to the spot, unable to take another step.
She was grateful for Ariel’s choice.
And she felt profoundly sorry for Ariel, who was being whipped because of her.
–Agh! O-one.
Luen bowed her head deeply.
****
It was a long while before Ariel finally managed to rise from the bed.
“Ugh…. ”
They truly struck without mercy.
‘If I were a man, that guy wouldn’t even last a single punch.’
Feeling a surge of pointless anger, she pounded the bed repeatedly before carefully rising, wary of her thigh brushing against the blankets.
Then, she pulled down her maid uniform, which had ridden up to her waist.
“Aah!”
The rough, poor-quality fabric of the maid uniform scraped against her thigh, sending a dizzying wave of pain throughout her entire body.
Ariel shrieked, leaping up like a cat with its tail on fire, her face contorted in a grimace.
‘Damn, that really hurts….’
Helpless, Ariel stood before the mirror in an awkward posture, careful to keep the bruised area from touching her clothes.
As she cautiously lifted her uniform in that position, her bright red thigh was reflected in the mirror.
It looked precisely like a canvas messily scribbled over with a red pen.
Her already fair skin made the marks stand out even more starkly.
‘Luen would surely make a huge fuss if she saw this.’
“Hmph.”
Sighing, Ariel released the maid uniform she had been holding.
After shaking out and tidying her disheveled clothes, she turned and headed towards Luen’s room.
–Thump-thump.
As she walked, she pondered.
‘Why did Luen get a zero?’
Ariel believed the reason stemmed from Luen’s physical condition.
After all, Luen had expended all her energy healing Ariel just before the exam.
‘She had complained of dizziness, hadn’t she?’
It was clear she must have been in considerable pain.
‘At times like this, I should call a doctor.’
But Luen absolutely detested having a doctor summoned.
Ariel intended to stay by her side until she fell asleep.
–Knock, knock, knock.
Having arrived at Luen’s room, Ariel knocked on the door.
“Young lady, it’s me.”
“……”
Lately, she had always responded promptly.
Could she, perhaps, be in a lot of pain?
Receiving no reply, Ariel, startled, pushed open the door.
The room’s atmosphere, which had grown noticeably brighter recently, now felt inexplicably subdued.
Furthermore, Luen, who was typically on the terrace, was nowhere in sight.
“Young lady?”
Ariel, a flicker of unease crossing her face, scanned the surroundings.
Soon after, she spoke with a sigh of relief.
“Oh, there you are, young lady….”
Luen was seated on the bed.
She was wrapped tightly in her blankets, much like a silkworm in its cocoon.
“How was your lesson today? Are you feeling alright?”
Ariel approached her with a gentle smile.
Then, she carefully reached out and placed her hand on Luen’s forehead.
Fortunately, Luen did not flinch away, allowing Ariel to check her condition.
‘No fever…’
Yet, a faint warmth lingered, making her uncertain.
As she tentatively withdrew her hand, Luen’s face, previously obscured by her arm, immediately came into view.
Her reddish, glistening eyes were fixed precisely on Ariel.
“Young lady?”
Wondering if Luen had something to say, Ariel tilted her head inquisitively.
Luen’s lips trembled slightly, quivering as if to speak.
Then, as if making a firm decision, she stared with wide eyes and spoke.
“Are you… hurt anywhere?”
Ariel had expected a curse or a command to leave.
Instead, Luen’s voice was surprisingly gentle, prompting Ariel to reply with a soft smile.
“I’m not particularly hurt anywhere.”
Then, she straightened her back, which she had bent to examine Luen.
At that moment, a sharp, stinging pain shot through her whipped thigh.
“……”
Ariel froze in her awkward, half-bent posture.
She managed to stifle a scream, but moving any further felt utterly impossible.
‘The maid uniform is touching my thigh.’
‘But if I stay like this, Luen will realize I was whipped.’
Ariel made a swift decision.
She would straighten her back, very quickly.
‘First, a deep breath.’
One, two!
“Ugh…!”
A muffled groan escaped through her tightly clenched teeth.
She hastily raised a hand to cover her mouth, but it seemed already too late.
She could see Luen’s eyes trembling ever so slightly.
Ariel forced a nonchalant expression and spoke.
“Haha. Perhaps it’s from bending over for so long, but my back is aching.”
“……”
Despite Ariel’s efforts, Luen’s cold gaze remained unchanged.
If anything, it intensified, like a predator spotting its prey.
“You…”
Now, that predator seemed poised to bite the delicate neck of its prey.
Like a herbivore facing imminent death,
Ariel frantically waved her hands and cried out before Luen could say anything more.
“N-no! I am hurt. But it’s not because of you, so don’t get any strange ideas! You’re not feeling well yourself!”
Then Luen spoke.
“Lie.”
“What?”
Ariel asked, bewildered.
It was only natural to question being called a liar.
Hadn’t she told the complete truth?
Ariel’s eyes widened into perfect circles.
Luen, in turn, shouted at her.
“Don’t lie to me!”
“……!”
“You were whipped because of me. Because I… I failed all the tests! You volunteered to be my exclusive maid, which made you the whipping maid!”
Ariel was stunned for a moment.
It felt as if someone had struck her head hard with a hammer.
It wasn’t because Luen had shouted.
Small tears had welled up in Luen’s eyes.
“O-oh, young lady….”
Ariel’s voice trembled as she spoke.
To see tears from the usually cold Grand Princess.
She felt she should offer comfort, but she was so flustered that words failed her.
She kept opening and closing her mouth, utterly at a loss.
Just then,
“Just leave. Don’t be my maid anymore; just leave!”
“……”
“It’s better for both of us. If you keep enduring it, the torment will only get worse. And eventually!”
‘You’ll leave.’
At Luen’s softly whispered words, Ariel flinched.
Only after hearing her did Ariel realize what Luen was truly worried about.
Luen was…
‘She’s afraid I’ll leave.’
Numerous maids must have passed through her service over the years.
And all of them, undoubtedly, had left.
Luen simply didn’t want to experience that again.
More than anything,
“……”
Ariel gazed into Luen’s eyes.
Her ruby-crystal eyes were infinitely cold.
But upon closer inspection, a clear tenderness was hidden within them.
‘She must hate seeing me suffer because of her.’
Ariel let out a soft chuckle.
‘Truly…’
How could such a kind child have been corrupted?
In the novel, Luen was, quite literally, a villainess.
A villainess whose every action was horrifically repulsive.
Such a demeanor was nowhere to be found in the current Luen.
However,
‘If I weren’t here, Luen would inevitably become that way.’
Subjected to the Grand Duchess Consort’s oppression.
Despised by everyone.
She would become Luen, the villainess mad with love.
But,
‘As long as I’m here, that won’t happen.’
Ariel herself would protect this audacious and demanding young lady.
And when the time came, when Luen became the Grand Duchess,
‘She’ll be too busy to worry about someone like me.’
That’s when Ariel would pack her money and leave.
So, until then,
‘I’ll take responsibility and stay by your side.’
Ariel smiled gently and spoke.
“I will not leave your side, no matter what, young lady.”
“Lie.”
“It’s true! How much I enjoy being with you. I love being with you, young lady. That’s why I’ll always be with you.”
“Even if the Grand Duchess Consort torments you?”
“I don’t care at all! And…”
Ariel glanced around, then whispered softly.
“I don’t know if I should say this to my mistress. But I’m not afraid of the Grand Duchess Consort at all. Do you know why?”
“……”
“Because I have you!”
Ariel exclaimed with a bright smile.
“It’s true, come on, let’s make a promise.”
Then she extended her hand to Luen.
Luen’s face, as she stared blankly at the outstretched hand, was brighter than before.
Joy filled the space where sadness had been, and a blush now colored her once cloud-covered face.
In other words, Ariel’s words had, in the end, transformed Luen’s heart.
“……”
Ariel saw Luen trying to pull down the corners of her lips, which were attempting to curl upwards.
Hehe.
Finding the sight endearing, Ariel smiled faintly.
As if suddenly embarrassed, Luen quickly turned her head and said,
“You’re really not going to leave, right?”
“Yes, really. So hurry. My finger hurts!”
As Ariel urged her, Luen, as if she couldn’t help it, linked her pinky finger with Ariel’s.
Feeling the warmth of Luen’s hand, Ariel said,
“I will never, young lady…”
“Forever.”
“……?”
‘Not forever?’
Ariel stopped speaking and looked at Luen.
Her gaze met Luen’s sharply gleaming red eyes, and she flinched, then continued,
“…promise not to leave you forever.”
At the same time, Luen firmly locked their pinky fingers together.
She squeezed so hard that Ariel’s finger tingled.
Watching her finger gradually turn red, Ariel thought,
‘Something feels uneasy.’
‘This won’t come back to bite me later, will it?’
‘My job is only until you become the Grand Duchess, Luen!’
Ariel’s own dream was to farm.
She was earning money for that.
She didn’t want to end her life as a maid!
Still,
‘Well, she’ll probably forget once she becomes the Grand Duchess.’
She surely would.
Ariel nodded, trying to convince herself.
