Episode 41 – hatred

When Sera approached Luvia’s room, she found it heavily guarded, with what appeared to be Guard-like personnel guarding the thick door leading into the room.

“Sera”
“Ah, are you the one who was at the inn the other night?”
“My name is Elze. The princess is not here. She is in the Queen’s room. Please follow me so I can show you around.”
“Y-yes!”

After saying this, the two of them headed for Queen Esther’s room together.

In the midst of the crowd of guards, maids, and dignitaries, the two secretly arrived in front of Queen Esther’s room. After a few minutes passed, a beautiful woman wearing a classy wine-colored dress emerged from the room.

She wore expensive ornaments: pink brocade-like hair, earrings, necklace, wrist ornaments, etc., and a face as beautiful as a sculpture made by God.

The beauty that could only be described as perfect stunned Sera.

One strange thing was that her eyes were red. The beautiful woman spoke to Sera.

“Sera.”
“Y-yes!”
“Are you nervous?”
“Nervous, I would say. …… Princess Luvia is so beautiful that I am at a loss for a word. ……”
“You are overreacting. You and Elze will ride in my carriage and talk to me.”
“I-i-i-….With me..”

As Sera looked puzzled and confused, Elze gently rubbed her shoulder. Sera turned her head and opened her mouth.

“Let’s go.”
“Y-yes!”

Today, a meeting with influential members of the duke’s family is scheduled, followed by a banquet in the evening.

Sera was at first suspicious of the surrounding guards, but gradually her naturalness came out and she was able to open up to them.

Inside the gleaming carriage, filled with the aroma of the finest perfumes, Sera and Elze are sitting side by side, with Luvia perched on the other side.

“Sera.”

Luvia suddenly spoke again to Sera, who was bracing herself.

“Yes!”
“You seem to have the trust of Sophia, of Mandane, and…… that man.”
“No,…… Princess Sophia, Princess Mandane, and Prince Eric are all very kind people, and they always take care of this servant girl.”
“Sophia and Mandane are nice …… but that man is kind?”

Luvia puts her hand on her face and squints her eyes. Sera, seeing her reaction, tries to fix the situation.

“As you know, Prince Eric has been wild and tyrannical.”
“Yes. Yes, he is a man with a mean temperament. The kingdoms of Iras and Halkeginia are so close that I am sure you are aware of many rumors about him that I am not.”
“Yeah…….”
“Right. Tell me.”
“Eh?”
“Tell me everything you know about him.”

Luvia folds her hands and glares at Sera. Sera is overwhelmed by the combination of her breasts, which are emphasized by the swelling of her breasts. Eventually, she regains her composure and opens her mouth.

“I hear that all the maids who serve Prince Eric quit within a month, without exception. ……”
“Oh, yes.”
“Week after week, he holds banquets and goes to extremes of extravagance, purging all those who oppose him, and so on. ……”
“Hmmm. As I expected, he’s a devil of a guy.”
“But ……”
“But?”
“One day, it is said, he became very kind.”
“……, that’s impossible!”
“Ahahaha ……”
“…… but Sophia and Mandane became Eric’s. How does Sera feel about Eric?”
“I’m …….”

Luvia and Elze keep staring at Sera until they have a hole in their eyes.

“I think Prince Eric is a very gentle man right now.”

Sera gazed into Luvia’s red eyes with a serious expression that was overshadowed by the mood Luvia was giving off. Then Luvia shook her eyes and made a thoughtful gesture.

“….. perhaps the man has put his hands on the two of them?”
“No, he did not.”
“If that’s the case, it means those two are virgins. ……”

Luvia looks at Sera with a meaningful expression on her face, but Sera speaks up to prove Eric’s innocence.

“If that were the case, those two would never forgive Prince Eric, would they?”
“…… I know they would.”

With that, the luxurious carriage fell silent and headed for the duke’s influential people.

Sera realized the gravity of the situation. The duke and his associates had taken advantage of Luvia’s hatred to fire her up for a war as soon as possible, raising funds and spreading fake news about the kingdom of Iras.

The evening banquet was no exception, with everyone praising Luvia’s good looks while spouting falsehoods about Erik and his father, Cyrus. If there was one thing in common, it was that the lustful aristocrats looked at Luvia in a very disgusting way.

After the feast is over, the three return to the royal palace and gather in Luvia’s room to discuss the situation in a sort of remorseful manner.

“Sera.”
“Yes!”
“Now I understand why Sophia and Mandane have so much faith in you.”
“Eh? I-I’ve only been around to talk to Princess Luvia. ……”
“Because there are so many stinking women in the world who can’t even do that. They talk like they’re testing me, and they look at me with envy.”
“……”

Sera is not very aware of it, but Sophia and Mandane are also beautiful enough to be considered immensely beautiful. Sera has been devoted to all three of them, eliminating any evil thoughts. And she has yet to realize that she is the one who has the capacity to build a relationship with the three of them, to help each other once in a while and to laugh with each other once in a while. Luvia, dressed in her nightgown, seems to see right through Sera’s natural, conceited, and straightforward nature.

“Okay. Sera will return to the two of them. Elze, thank you for your hard work today.”
“Y-yes!”
“Yes, maam”

And they were about to leave Luvia’s room.

Luvia, however, said…

“Sera!”
“yes! What is it?!”

Sera, who was called her name, turns on her heel and looks at Luvia’s face. Elze, who looked at her face as if she wanted to say something, but looked away with a frustrated expression as if she was swallowing the words that were in her throat, said,

“Excuse me.”

and left Luvia’s room. The door was closed, and they were the only two people in this room.

Luvia sighs briefly and then speaks as if she has made up her mind.

“This doesn’t have any deep meaning, but since Sera is a gentile, I’m asking you just in case. ……”
“?”

When Sera twists her head and urges him to continue with a glance, Luvia looks away again with a somber expression before opening her mouth.

“If there was a girl who is protecting something important by continuing to make efforts that may not be rewarded, that girl is about to be swallowed by darkness. Do you think that girl can be saved?”
“……”
“I knew it. No, not now. Forget it, go back to the two of them. ……”

“Of course she’ll be rewarded!”
“!H- How can you be so sure?”

Luvia is surprised. Sera, who guessed that the story might have important implications for Luvia, took a deep breath and then gently spun the words.

“My parents were seriously ill, and no matter how much I worked in the village and town, I could never get enough money to buy medicinal herbs. But after becoming a royal palace maid and working hard, my family was saved by a kind-hearted person who felt sorry for my family.”
“family…… mother.”
“Surely, if you are put in a situation where you can’t find a way out, you will be rewarded!”

Sera, with a gut-punch, emphatically tells Luvia.

“….”

But Luvia suddenly lowers her head and does not respond. So Sera begins to get nervous.

“I’m sorry to be so intrusive. but I’m not sure if I’m being polite! Please forgive me. ……”

Sera begs for forgiveness. But Luvia is not,

“Fufu! It’s okay. Just go back to your room. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Y-yes! Sweet dreams!”

X　X　X

Since then, Luvia and Sera have become dependent on each other. When Sera heard what Luvia had to say, she responded, and Luvia found comfort in hearing it.

Then Sera, Sophia, and Mandane exchanged information night after night, making plans for Eric to make up with Luvia.

One night after a few days like that.

They heard a moan from Luvia’s room.

“……n, father,…… father,…… please don’t hate me,…… please don’t hate me. …… give me love…….”

Luvia is in a cold sweat, as if she is having a nightmare. Her beautiful face is distorted and her body trembles like a single terrified mouse.

“No…………. no……… don’t go……… father……… no…Noooo!!”

Luvia wakes up in the middle of the night and gasps for air. Her pupils have long since dilated, and she looks restless.

“Hah …… hah …… Cyrus …… kill …… Eric too! …… Eric…… that man in jail right now…….”

Luvia gets out of bed while muttering this, and in her nightgown, she opens the thick door vigorously and leaves the room.

“‘Your Highness, Princess Luvia! How can I help you?”

But without answering, she runs toward a certain place.

“Your Highness, Princess! Hey, hey! What are you doing? Call Elze-sama quickly!”
“Yes!”

X　X　X

“Quickly, give me the key!”
“Your Highness! It’s not safe for you to be in here alone!”
“I will not be silenced! This is an order from the next queen! Give me the key to that man’s cell!”
“……”

Noise. The thick door blocks the sound, but I can still hear the high-pitched voice. It’s been a few days, but the situation is the same. Is she going to torture me at the right time?

I sighed deeply and got up, and the thick door was opened vigorously. And standing there is

“Luvia!?”
“Eric!”

Luvia, who is furious like that time again, unlocks the cell I’m in and comes in..,

“I hate you!!!”
“!!”

She knocked me down and started beating me.

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