I Tamed the Monstrous Prince - Chapter 24
Chapter 24
It was the very moment I was about to order the maids standing behind Elda to drag her away. My eyes met one of the young maids. The moment our gazes locked, she flinched and quickly averted her eyes to the floor. The movement felt strangely unnatural.
‘Had a sudden fear of me blossomed amidst this chaos? Or could it be something else…?’
“Wait, you there.” Unable to ignore the unsettling feeling, I called out to the maid without thinking.
“Y-yes?” She responded with a noticeably hesitant voice. A chill already ran down my spine. It was a premonition I couldn’t quite articulate, a sudden jolt, like being struck by lightning.
Unable to shake off the nagging feeling, I grabbed my robe from the bed and called for one of the attendants waiting outside the door. “Investigate this girl.” The attendant, not immediately grasping my instruction, tilted his head in confusion.
“Did you not hear me?” I snapped, and only then did he saunter over and grab the maid’s arm.
“Y-your Highness!”
I might have been making a fuss over nothing. But the prickling sensation down my spine told me otherwise.
‘If my hunch is wrong, I’ll simply become the hysterical mistress they believe me to be, lost in delusion.’
The attendant, hesitantly glancing at me, began to search the maid. “Check inside her apron for a hidden pocket.”
Even I thought this bordered on madness, but I couldn’t shake the feeling.
‘Maybe there’s something there.’
“Th-this!” The attendant’s hand fumbled over something, and he pulled out a small bracelet. A glint of gold flashed as it fell to the floor, revealing the maid’s transgression to everyone present. It was a simple piece, set with a misshapen, teardrop pearl, nothing of great value, but certainly not something a maid should be carrying hidden in her apron.
‘Perhaps it’s one of the jewels they claimed Delphina stole. No, it must be.’ The attendant quickly retrieved it and presented it to me.
“You said Delphina touched your jewels. Then why is this in your pocket?” I held up the bracelet, accusing the maid. She hung her head, her body trembling violently.
“Th-that is…” Speechless, she clamped her mouth shut like a clam, tears streaming down her face. The other maids followed suit. With such clear evidence, they couldn’t escape reprimand.
“Take them all and question them.” In the end, all the maids except Delphina were dragged away by the knights. Only Delphina, still kneeling on the floor, looked around, taking in the scene. Her eyes met mine, and she bowed deeply.
“Your Highness, thank you so much.”
Theft was a serious crime, and the future for the maids who had just been taken away was bleak.
‘They tried to frame Delphina. If I hadn’t realized their scheme, it would have been her dragged away.’
I sighed. ‘There’s no need to thank me.’ I was about to say so, but instead, I simply waved my hand dismissively. Delphina continued to bow her head in gratitude before retreating.
The commotion subsided, leaving me with a throbbing headache. I realized, with a pang of desperation, that I needed someone, someone truly trustworthy, by my side.
“Ren.” It was Cesar who broke through my thoughts. He tugged at my sleeve.
“Why?” Our eyes met. His bashful smile was undeniably endearing, but a sense of unease settled in my chest as I caressed the bruise on his cheek. His crimson eyes followed the movement of my hand. It was nothing, just a look, yet a tightness gripped my chest.
‘You might have endured this kind of situation all along. Perhaps these events felt incredibly frustrating and difficult for you, knowing nothing.’
‘And perhaps all you could do was cry out, lash out, and snarl.’
At the same time, I couldn’t help but think about my own predicament, having no one but him to rely on.
