5 Chapter 5: The Hunter Mother

"The spoon fell on the floor, your excellency." he glanced at the spoon I tossed a while ago to confirm my excuse.

He smiled and whispered to my ear, "I thought you were gonna poison me."

"Of course not, I wouldn't dare."

"Hm?? You're quite calm for a maid, aren't you? I wonder...if you're an assassin??"

"No...no...no...I couldn't even kill an insect!!" I shook my head denying his words.

Luckily, I changed my face for a little bit, no matter what I said, he won't remember me.

"That mark...you're a slave, aren't you??" he glanced at the mark they carved on my hand with a smirk. I could only turn my head down at the grand duke.

"...yes, I'm a slave, your excellency, feel free to use me."

"How about...your body?? Will you let me have it?"

"Yes..." my eyes darkened when the scumbag (emperor)'s twin brother took my hands from the party and got me inside the room.

"Shall we start??" he took off the bow tying my hair together, the black hair dropped to my waist falling on his callous hands.

"..." I nodded while taking out the hairpin from my hidden pocket inside my maid uniform.

I'll kill him first!!! He will be my first target of the party.

After untying my hair, with his thump finger, he used it to wipe the pink lipstick on my lip and stained it on my cheek.

The grip on my hairpin hidden behind my back became tighter as I wanted to swing and kill that bastard in one strike.

"You said you can't kill an insect, right?? What a lie..." he took a step back, I also put my hairpin inside my pocket when the atmosphere changed.

He took the puppy out from the box as if he prepared this.

He threw the pitiful puppy in front of me and handed me the knife.

"Now...will you sleep with me or kill this being??"

He's testing me!!! No option is better than another, the puppy was running to the door trying to escape. It was such a miserable scene and yet, that guy was sitting there undressing his shirt.

"I wonder...if you will sleep with a handsome guy like me??"

Handsome...seeing your face made me barf, I gritted my teeth, your face was the same as that man who killed Louis and destroyed my empire.

"I'm still a virgin, but I'm a fast learner."

Sleeping with you...as if.

Ack...hnnggg...hnnggg

The agony sound of the puppy filled the room, blood splatter on my face wiping the makeup I put. The beautiful white fur puppy died, the white fur of it turn red just like the snow that year.

"I want to make love with the person I love, your excellency. Apology for my rudeness, but I have to abandon my moral now." I gave him the dead puppy kneeling down in front of him.

Instead of sadness, or offend, his face looked thrilled as he grabbed me and pushed me down the bed.

What did I expect from the person of this empire?? Even if we save them, they will bite you back.

They will never keep their words. I wonder how your dead face look likes...your excellency.

"I changed my mind..." when I was about to strike his neck with the sword.

"How about you be my spy??"

"Pardon??"

"I like your eyes...I like everything about you, the way you kill without budging your eyes, the way you lied about poison, everything...be my spy. I'll pay double from what they paid you to kill me."

Interesting...

"So you did know about the poison??"

His hand caressed my cheek wiping off all my makeup, my real face was shown to him, but without a fake smile, I grinned at him with a thrilling feeling.

Turning brother against brother, HAHAHA...I'm excited.

"It was in my cup, wasn't it?? Now then, will you be my spy? You should know the answer." the knife disappeared from my hand and it was on my neck instantly like he was telling me there was only one answer.

"But I didn't want just money, your excellency..."

"Ahh...you poor soul, you want me to delete that mark, huh??"

"Yes..."

"Well, that depends on your performance the next hour."

"Performance??"

"Of course, do you think I just hired complete garbage to be my spy?? You have talent but I'm not quite sure if you're up to my expectation."

"How can I prove to you??"

"Be the winner of the hunting event, I'll register you as my representative."

Three...

Two...

"So will you do it??"

"Yes, your excellency."

One!

"Call the medical team!!!! Someone is poisoned!!!"

He turned to the door listening to the chaos outside while I tried to hold back my amusement. He turned back to me grinning at me, "It looked like I'm not the only one you tried to kill."

He got off the bed and rushed to the party, his intention was as clear as water.

It looked like it's time for me to wash my face. That bastard already saw it anyway.

I walked outside to the party calmy after healing the dog. I only knocked it unconscious and drew some blood out of it to make it believable.

Woof woof

"Go on, don't die easily." I let the dog escape through the window and then cleaned all the blood in the room.

After a while, I walked back to the party with confidence since I had the ultimate card inside my palm.

"Da-Yun, where were you??"

"I was busy in the imperial kitchen."

"Thank goodness, I thought you were the one who poisoned the head priest and the saintess. They almost killed all the maid who wasn't shown here."

"Really???!! Who would dare to poison such people??"

"I know right. The emperor was furious, but thanks to the grand duke, he was able to find the criminal in just a minute. They were sent to jail."

"The palace sure is scary, Rose." I could sense the proud look of the grand duke who stood beside the emperor.

He was calming the emperor down and telling him to continue the hunting event despite all that.

Oh, poor emperor. I heard your fiancee came to the hunting event too.

What if that fiancee died?? Without the priest and the saintess, who will heal her?? I wonder...

I had two options, one was getting the emperor's favor by healing his fiancee, and the second was being the winner and getting the grand duke's favor.

I controlled the table!!! It was like an otome game now!! One wrong route and I'll die.

Emperor Claudius, even though you saw my face and we ran to each other a few times in the palace, you didn't remember me!!! How would you remember when you killed countless people on the battlefield??

I'll remind you when I cut your neck.

Urgh...

What happened to me....?

Did I get the fever again??

Why did I always get a fever on an important day like this??

My forehead felt hot, my lip felt dry.

What should I do??

Did I overuse my magic when making the poison?? But last year, I got a fever too but I didn't use any magic.

Huff huff

"Rose, I need to go outside for a bit."

"Is it your fever again, Da-Yun?? Can I go with you??"

"No, no, I just need some fresh air." I walked silently outside alone sitting on the bench in front of the lake.

The noble ladies were talking and drinking tea without any care in the world.

I sat on the lonely bench, it kinda reminded me of how I sat eating lunch alone watching those people eating and laughing together.

It was long ago, I almost forgot about it.

I drank the potion I made to keep my head cool, to lessen my temperature. I can't, no matter what, lose this opportunity.

The hunting will start in the next one hour, I'll be better by then.

I should go to bring some food for Lavinia first.

Without sparing any second, I grabbed the bread and walked to the usual place.

But that time, it wasn't me alone there.

A kid is climbing the tower!!!!!

Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa

How can a kid climb so high, you're not a prince climbing the hair using the hair of the princess!!! Get down!!!!!

"Max, get down!!! We aren't allowed here." the little girl who stood on the ground shouted to the boy who climbed the tower with his hand like a monkey.

Where did I hear that name before??

"Catelyn, they said a witch living in this tower!!! I want to see a witch!!!"

Catelyn??

Hmm?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm???

Wasn't that the female lead's name???

And Max, wasn't he the male lead????

What're they doing at Lavinia's tower??

I get it, they were childhood friends bla bla bla, but is that boy insane???

That tower was like fifteen meters!!!!!

At that moment, when I glanced at the other side, I suddenly saw...the emperor!!

He was walking toward the tower with many knights.

Of all time, why did it have to be like that???

"Kid!!" I tossed the rock at the male lead making him fall down, I grabbed him with one hand and the other hand grabbed the female lead to hide in the bush.

"Who are you??!!!"

"Hush!!! They will catch you." they shut up and stayed calm when they saw the emperor entering the tower.

"Thank you for saving us."

"Yeah, yeah, shut up now or they'll hear you."

"..."

'Isn't she just a maid??'

'No one talked to me like that, hmm!!!!'

Thankfully, even though they were a brat, they still knew when they need to shut up.

+++

On top of the tower,

"It's time to put you to use. Come with me." the emperor took Lavinia's hand and brought her down the tower with him.

'I...can go outside...???'

To be continued...!