Shadow Queen

Chapter 27

“Greetings to Princess Veronica. My name is May.”

Her waist, head-down angle, and polite hand shape were just as good as most aristocrats.

“Madame praised you.”

“I’m still not enough.”

Elena glanced down at May, who showed humility. She looked great when she tried to overcome all the hardships and adversities with this delicate body to assassinate Grand Duke Friedrich.

“Don’t you wonder? How you ended up in the grand house.”

“I know it’s because Madame recommended me.”

May’s answer was perfunctory. That’s why Madame de Flanrose was famous in society. This is because May had the correct posture as a maid, as she had been educated by Madame.

May assumed that’s why she came to the Grand House. Considering the status of the Grand Duke, she would have had to send a particularly outstanding maid of honor among Madame de Flanrose’s maids.

“No. I asked Madame. To let you go.”

“…!”

May’s pupils were shaking. It was because she instinctively felt that what Elena said was unusual. But she couldn’t understand her intentions. Elena smiled.

“You didn’t ask. Why did I ask her to let you go? How I knew about you.”

“That’s right. Your Highness has such an idea…”

Elena put her side hair behind her ears and said meaningfully.

“Everyone hides a knife in their hearts.”

“I’m stupid, so I do not understand all of those words.”

Just like the maids of Madame de Flanrose, she lowered herself and praised Elena with cultured words. Then, she hoped she learned with a lowly attitude. That is why many aristocrats covet Madame de Flanrose’s maids.

“You don’t understand… Then shall I guess who the sword in your heart is pointing at?”

“What do you mean….”

May pretended not to understand the words until the end. But even that pretense was blocked by Elena’s words.

“The Grand Duke.”

“…!”

May’s heart beat wildly. The nerves of her whole body stood on edge like a knife. Those blunt words all felt like thorns aimed at May. As she never expected such a situation to come, May could not decide how to deal with it.

Elena drank a cup of tea while smiling at her. On the other hand, May shed cold sweat on her back.

‘What should I do?’

It did not matter how Elena knew about herself. The fact that she was suspected was important.

As long as she knew the impure intention of coming to the Grand House, there was no chance that she would escape the place alive.

‘It’s funny that I wanted to come here and live, right?’

May laughed bitterly. She just came to the great house, but she couldn’t stand the situation of giving up here because she was so ungrateful.

‘In that case, even the great princess…!’

There was life in May’s eyes, trying to let go of everything. Even though revenge failed, just as Grand Duke Friedrich killed her parents, she also thought of taking her blood to her companions on the other side.

“Is that your choice?”

May’s action did not follow Elena’s words, which she paused and threw as if she had read her mind.

“You didn’t struggle to catch a chicken instead of a pheasant, did you?”

“…”

“Why don’t you use me?”

What was she talking about? She wanted her to use her to kill her parents? The answer to the sophistry was in Elena’s following words.

“There are some children who hate their parents.”

“…!”

Elena put the teacup down on the pedestal and smiled significantly. May didn’t leave for a long time, as if she had been fascinated by the smile.

Sect 5. Fate, Evil, and Coincidence

“You’re leaving for the academy the day after tomorrow?”

Grand Duke Friedrich laid down his fork and knife gently. Instead, he grabbed a glass of wine, spun it around a few times, and took it near his mouth.

“Yes, father.”

Elena answered modestly. She was sitting on the left side of the table in reference to Grand Duke Friedrich at the top of the long table. As it was an official dinner, the maids and the chef attended, there was a reason to be seen as a father-daughter relationship.

“It’s been two years since you returned to school. Wouldn’t it be hard to keep up?”

“I learned a lot from Liv during the break.”

Grand Duke Friedrich’s eyes were on Leabrick, who sat on the right.

“I just did what I was supposed to do.”

Elena listened to the conversation and cut the steak into bite-size pieces.

‘I won’t see these disgusting faces for a while.’

In principle, academic institutes shall live in dormitories without distinction of status, such as royal families and aristocrats. Unless there is a particular reason, she would not run into Grand Duke Friedrich or Leabrick. But she didn’t mean to relax and make herself comfortable there. She planned to lay the foundation for the collapse of the Grand House in the wake of the neglect of Leabrick’s surveillance.

‘Considering my early graduation, I was given a year at most.’

In principle, she had to attend school for another year, including two years off from school, but Elena was an exception. She was given the privilege of receiving a diploma even if she lacked credits because she was the only heir to the Grand House. In the end, the success or failure of revenge depended on how she used that time spent in the year or so.

After the formal dinner, Elena and Leabrick had tea time separately. The move was aimed at checking issues that should not be missed before leaving tomorrow.

“As you know, you’re not as good as others as you took this year off. I’ll tell the dean, so take one more major and one more course.”

“Okay.”

“I tell you every time, but don’t be nervous. You have to get your head on straight. If there’s anything you can’t handle, don’t try to handle it alone and tell me first. Do you understand me?”

“Of course, Liv, don’t worry too much. I can do it.”

Elena nodded and showed her will. She was pretty reliable, but Leabrick, who sees Elena, didn’t get rid of her troubles.

‘Ha, I wouldn’t have bothered you so much if you had Lord Lorentz on you.’

If she had been with the experienced man, she would have been able to control her to some extent in the worst situation. But she couldn’t. In the end, the best measure was to be reported periodically by Anne, who was posted as a watchdog.

“Take Anne and Lunarin as your maids.”

Leabrick’s tone was more of a command. It was because she believed that it was good in many ways to have Anne, who will serve as a watchdog, and Lunarin, who is experienced as the eldest of the maids.

“Liv, you know what… Anne’s fine, but can’t I take May instead of Lunarin?”

“May?”

“She learned how to work under Madame, so she has very good skills. I like her very much, she’s very attentive.”

Leabrick wasn’t very happy, but considering her friendship with Madame, she thought it wasn’t bad either.

‘If you just bring Anne, it doesn’t matter who you take.’

It didn’t matter much whether Lunarin or May went. With Anne, the watchman, she can be regularly briefed on Elena’s activities, so that’s enough. Leabrick said with good intentions.

“The princess wants it, so take May.”

“I thought Liv would understand. Thank you.”

Elena gave her a child-like show of joy for doing her a favor.

‘I’d like to get her off as well, but if I force her off, it’ll only stir up Leabrick’s suspicions.’

As long as Anne was accompanied, there was no choice but to restrict some of her behavior. This part she had to have patience and endure. Instead, she was looking for the reflective benefits from it.

‘Relaxation will soon bring about carelessness.’

Leabrick would think that Elena had her under control just by keeping Anne around. Elena was thinking of digging into the crack of the guard that the belief brought. Elena, who had heard enough precautions to be careful at the academy, returned to her room.

“Come on in, everybody.”

Lunarin, Jesse, Anne, and May were in line. Elena said, scattering through their faces.

“Anne and May will go to the academy with me, so get ready.”

Anne’s lips twitched as if she had called for pleasure. May had a complex face, but it was hard to guess how she felt with just her expression. On the contrary, the expressions of Lunarin and Jesse, who were not chosen, showed regret. However, it was not a topic to complain about, so they had swallowed up the disappointment.

“Everyone get out. May’s staying for a while.”

When the three maids were released, only Elena and May were left in the room. Elena was the one who dug up the awkward but heavy silence.

“Have you made up your mind yet?”

“…”

Elena smiled at May in front of her. That day, May made no choice. It was impossible to determine what was right or wrong with Elena’s proposal that broke common sense and prejudice.

Elena told her to leave, saying she would give her time to think, and after May left the room, she realized that the daughter had let go of the man who tried to kill her father. It was an unacceptable shock. What child would let go of those who killed their parents? Unless that child hated their parents.

‘Hate.’

May chew and chew over the conversation she had with Elena. And today, Elena wanted to hear the answer to her worries.

“I guess you still haven’t made up your mind. Okay, we’re going to the academy together, so take your time answering. I’ll wait.”

“…”

“Be sure to engrave this. My hatred is no better than yours. Get out.”

May didn’t budge when asked to go outside. She stood there like a stone statue, with her two feet tightly attached. May’s lips, which were standing discontented, opened.

“…… I have no idea. I don’t know what kind of person you are. Why do you say this? Why do you keep me around.”

The words that came out of May’s mouth with difficulty contained her confused feelings. Elena smiled so that May, who managed to speak out, would not feel burdened.

“You don’t have to be in a hurry. You can also judge me by your own eyes.”

Elena waited for May to come on her own rather than urging her. There was a lot of work to do when she went to the academy. Then, she needed someone to move Elena’s hands and feet in earnest.