Mary felt the warmth penetrating her body as if experiencing the soothing sensation of a warm bath after being in the cold. It was such a comforting feeling.
As the warmth traversed her body, it concentrated on her left fingers. Mary, who had almost stiff fingers, began to sense a liveliness returning to them. She felt that if she exerted some effort, she could move her fingers.
Focusing all her mind on making her fingers move, Mary noticed a brief movement in her left index finger. Upon seeing this, Mary wanted to shout for joy. However, just as she was about to express her excitement, the door opened, and Alyysia entered with a joyful expression on her face.
Alyysia walked toward the cabinet with a cheerful expression, thanking Mary. "Thank you, Divine Angel!"
Mary, adopting a tone as if saying, "I told you so," asked, "What happened, Alyysia?"
With an excited expression as if expecting this question, Alyysia began to speak, radiating happiness. "Just as you said, while taking care of the Crown Princess's errands, I had the opportunity to build a closer relationship with the Crown Prince! And guess what happened?"
"No, but it sounds like a good thing."
"Yes! And as the Crown Prince, known as the icy-hearted prince, smiled at me.And even when I accidentally spilled tea on my hand, the Crown Prince was very concerned. He immediately called for a doctor, and after sending a doctor who gave me a few ointments, the Crown Prince secretly came to my room and applied the ointment to my hands! The reason for his secret visit was the fear that there would be silly rumors about me. He also told me not to exert myself so much anymore, expressing concern about the possibility of such accidents happening again in the future."
Mary smiled in her mind and said, "That's wonderful."
"Experiencing all this is so beautiful Alyysia! You are slowly melting the heart of the cold-hearted prince and making him open his heart to you. But you must not forget that even though the Crown Prince is treating you well and you are receiving preferential treatment, don't think too highly of yourself. You are still in the position of a servant.
Even if you gain power and wealth, don't let your personality change in his eyes. If he gives you expensive gifts, say that they are too valuable for you to accept, and explain that as a servant, you cannot own or buy such things. Express your fear that if these gifts are discovered, various rumors will arise, and you are afraid they will affect the Crown Prince. Even though it may seem absurd, convey your concerns. Also, while constantly talking about your position, subtly express pride in your work, but never explicitly mention your discomfort with how people view you. He will understand from your expressions."
"Understood, but what if the Crown Princess becomes suspicious of my relationship with the Crown Prince?"
"You don't need to do much; just diligently follow her orders and fulfill her wishes. Clearly state your position and use a phrase like this: 'How could a servant like me dare to be love the Crown Prince, my lady?'"
Alyysia, displeased with Mary's words, pursed her lips, turned her face to the side, and in her mind, she thought, "I hate being in the servant position. If I were in a slightly better position, I wouldn't have to experience any of these..."
Alyssia, determined, clenched her fists. "But not for long. The Gods heard my voice, and to grant my wish, they sent me an angel! Will I have a man with boundless love like the main characters in the books I've read? And children who are very fond of me? And those luxurious dresses and jewels..."
As Alyssia envisioned her future, she became cheerful, wearing a broad smile on her face. She expressed her gratitude to Mary once again, consistently thanking her. The reason for her continuous expressions of gratitude was her uncertainty about how to respond to such kindness. If she didn't express her thanks, she would feel deeply indebted.
Mary, watching Alyssia leave, was contemplating the future events with indifference. Alyssia establishing such a close relationship with the Crown Prince in just a week surprised Mary, leading her to think, "Could they be the chosen couple of fate?"
Before leaving, Alyssia had added that she was the personal servant of the Crown Prince. Mary sighed again and continued to try moving her fingers.
It was Tuesday today, and tomorrow was the planned day for the meeting between the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince in Amorilith. This situation didn't concern Mary too much, so she wasn't particularly interested. Mary had to wait for Alyssia's future self to visit to learn more about this world because the question had slipped her mind momentarily. Because the ability to move her fingers excited her, and Alyssia's rapid progress surprised her.
Mary's day passed quietly after Alyssia left. During this time, Mary continued her finger movement exercises. She could perform the exercises every hour because it required her to expend a considerable amount of energy from her body. Thus, she would exhaust all her energy, take a break, and then continue.
As evening fell, Mary, looking out the window on her right, watched the rise of the second small moon. This world fascinated Mary; the instinct to explore and learn was strong within her. However, she could only endure the agony of this feeling since she couldn't move.
While gazing at the moon, Mary murmured, "The reason for calling the Emperor the Sun was to symbolize his order and diligence in governing the country. The Emperor would wake up before all his people and nobles, guiding them with his dedication, even amid the luxuries of his life. Therefore, they bestowed upon him the name 'Sun,' as he directed them in their hard work every morning. The Empress was referred to as the Moon because, after working in the morning, the tired people would surrender themselves to the peace of the night, allowing the Emperor to rule in the mornings, while the Empress was responsible for providing tranquility. It shouldn't be surprising that the absence of one would lead to chaos in the Empire."
Mary had heard these insights from Valnric's teachings to the Crown Prince. In this world, people attributed meaning and purpose to everything, and Mary had come to the conclusion that there were many similarities to superstitions in her own world.
Mary didn't know the names of these two moons. The larger red moon was positioned beneath the smaller yellow moon. Mary, listening to the silence brought by the night, had escaped the noise created by the workers.
Mary continued her exercises slowly, but she stopped moving her fingers when the Crown Prince entered the room with a somewhat intoxicated expression. Mary looked at the Crown Prince, who walked towards the bed holding his forehead and then lay down.
Mary's eyes were drawn to the bulge in the Crown Prince's pants. Later, she felt another warm current entering her body. Startled, Mary shivered and quickly thought. It seemed like something had happened between Alyysia and the Crown Prince, but she didn't know what. She could only make guesses.
There couldn't be another explanation for the warmth flowing into her body. It was more intense and powerful than in the morning. Now, Mary could move her left wrist and fingers freely, and she could feel her left arm to some extent.
Mary was deeply affected by the pace of their relationship, and she even wished for it to progress faster. While the Crown Prince tried to calm himself with deep breaths, the redness on his face increased and spread to his ears. After realizing that he couldn't calm down, he headed for a shower, and deep growls started to be heard.
Looking down at the Crown Prince with disdain, Mary thought that if a noble witnessed this, they would be deeply concerned about the future of the country entrusted to him. Mary stamped the Crown Prince as quite impotent and lustful as a noble, taking note of this characteristic, and concentrated all her thoughts to move her left wrist.
Mary continued her exercises slowly, but she stopped moving her fingers when the Crown Prince entered the room with a somewhat intoxicated expression. Mary looked at the Crown Prince, who held his head in his hand, gritting his teeth, and stumbled into bed.
Mary's eyes were drawn to the bulge in the Crown Prince's pants. Later, she felt another warm current entering her body. Startled, Mary shivered and quickly thought. It seemed like something had happened between Alyysia and the Crown Prince, but she didn't know what. She could only make guesses.
There couldn't be another explanation for the warmth flowing into her body. It was more intense and powerful than in the morning. Now, Mary could move her left wrist and fingers freely, and she could feel her left arm to some extent.
Mary was deeply affected by the pace of their relationship, and she even wished for it to progress faster. While the Crown Prince tried to calm himself with deep breaths, the redness on his face increased and spread to his ears. After realizing that he couldn't calm down, he headed for a shower, and deep growls started to be heard.
Looking down at the Crown Prince with disdain, Mary thought that if a noble witnessed this, they would be deeply concerned about the future of the country entrusted to him. Mary stamped the Crown Prince as quite impotent and lustful as a noble, taking note of this characteristic, and concentrated all her thoughts to move her left wrist.
Meanwhile, in the shower, the Crown Prince was grap his face, attempting to lower the temperature of his body in the cold shower. He tried to relax himself, but instead, it increased the heat in his body.
In his mind, he still replayed the scene where Alyssia accidentally dropped the bucket on herself while wiping the windows, getting soaked in the process. The wet clothes accentuated the curves of her body. The Crown Prince murmured to himself, "And the water droplets trickling down her lips and onto her chest..."
The Crown Prince's face became even redder as he scolded himself, "What am I thinking? The future emperor should not be affected by such incidents, and she... She shouldn't know the thoughts I have about him. She might be disgusted with me."
The Crown Prince felt quite uncomfortable imagining Alyysia disgusted and repulsed by him, his face contorted with displeasure. He remembered the first time he spoke to Alyysia, how she slowly got used to him, and her smile that almost made all the wilting flowers bloom.
Since when had he become so attached? The Crown Prince couldn't understand. Every time he conversed with Alyysia, he felt a growing attachment and intensifying emotions. Initially, he was uneasy about these feelings, but it seemed like taking the first step towards addiction; he couldn't let go.
"Alyysia, Alyysia..."
Muttering to himself, the Crown Prince. Outside the bathroom, Mary's eyes sparkled with a sinister gleam, and she said, "Great loves always do not good end well..."