The Princeliest Prince of All - Chapter 18
“Sera!”
The next morning, Sera, who was about to go to work, was stopped by the head maid. Since her position changed, the head maid had never sought her out separately. What could this be about?
“Yes?”
“Come with me for a moment.”
Without knowing why, Sera followed her into the office in the annex. The head steward, who was rarely seen by mere maids, was also there.
“His Highness has issued an order regarding your position.”
With a reluctant expression, the head steward handed her a document instead of explaining.
The grandly gilded paper was a sort of appointment letter.
…It announced Sera Brandt’s promotion to the special maid of the prince.
Special maid? Did that mean she was in charge of something specific?
The position aside, the lower section detailed the treatment Sera would receive from now on. The salary alone was staggering, and the retirement benefits extended to even after her death.
“Holy… Is this real?”
The head steward nodded with a stern face. The benefits Sera Brandt would receive far surpassed those of the head steward and head maid, which explained his demeanor.
“This is amazing…”
Blinded by the gold, Sera didn’t notice the small print below.
It stated that she had to work until the prince allowed her to retire to receive all those benefits.
***
Rushed out of the office to get to work, Sera was still in a daze. She had just helped a foolish man who couldn’t even handle things alone, and the reward seemed excessive. Though she had demanded a raise with enthusiasm yesterday, she hadn’t expected this level of compensation.
In this half-dreamlike state, Sera opened the door to Leonard’s bedroom.
“Welcome.”
Whether he had decided to be a morning person, Leonard was already fully prepared. He had guests too—a middle-aged woman in a splendid dress and young women.
Sera tilted her head in confusion.
“Begin.”
At Leonard’s command, the young women surrounded Sera. Were they planning to show her a thing or two after catching her off guard with a promotion?
Sera stepped back in surprise.
“What’s going on?”
“Miss Brandt, please stand still.”
“Miss Brandt, raise your arms, please.”
No one can resist when they’re being overpowered. Despite the kind voices, the women’s swift hands overwhelmed Sera.
Some took out measuring tapes, and others turned her around. She quickly realized they were taking her measurements.
“There’s no need to measure there!”
Sera was spun around, toyed with, and measured thoroughly from neck to ankle by the assistants of the tailor.
Leonard, who had initially planned to have the clothes made for Sera, felt increasingly displeased.
Although he had arranged it, the fact that someone else was touching Sera’s body was unsettling. It felt like his mysophobia, which had been personal, was now extending to Sera as well.
“Miss Brandt, could you look at the catalog and choose a design you like?”
Freed from the assistants, the middle-aged tailor pointed to a catalog. Sera, still in a daze, finally grasped the situation. This was part of the benefits for her new role as a special maid. So she might as well choose something expensive and fancy.
“What’s the point of looking? Just make them all.”
Leonard, looking displeased, waved his hand dismissively. The sweet dream Sera had for a moment shattered.
“Make everything. She has nothing suitable to wear.”
Leonard said this as if even the clothes Sera was wearing were unsatisfactory. The tailor’s face bloomed with joy.
“Then I’ll send them in order of completion.”
The tailor, constantly glancing at Sera, bowed deeply and left.
Alone with Leonard, Sera quickly spoke up.
“What are you doing?”
“Rewarding competence.”
Sera understood what he meant, but it seemed excessive. The salary, the gifts—they were too much.
She felt uneasy, despite wanting to brush it off as him being overly pleased.
As if reading her thoughts, Leonard added,
“To encourage you to work even harder.”
“It sounds like you want to back out this morning.”
Despite Sera’s bolder-than-usual tone, Leonard smiled calmly. She wasn’t wrong. Being alone with her already made his pants feel tight.
“You might wear yourself out.”
Seeing Leonard not taking her seriously, Sera added. He wanted to do it again despite twice yesterday morning? Was he like a monkey who just learned to mxstxrbate?
“Never mind that. Let’s get to our morning training.”
Doubtful but unable to refuse the sudden onslaught of money, Sera decided to accept the excessive reward.
“Isn’t holding hands a bit too basic by now? So, I thought we’d try something new.”
As Sera sat down, Leonard gave a meaningful smile.
Did he eat something bad? She felt uneasy.
Sera resolved to firmly refuse if the prince, now awakened to s-xual pleasure, made excessive demands.
This body is mine now.
