Chapter 13 (2/2)

“Don’t they hurt now?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“So you’re telling me these were all done by you? All by yourself?”

“Yes.”

“But how?”

She awkwardly scratched her cheek.

“I couldn’t get direct access to my back or shoulder, so I asked an old lady, who was famous for drawing tattoos in the back alley of Goldina. Frankly speaking, her hands were more reliable than mine.”

‘Tsk’

“……I’m amazed that you’re still alive after committing all this stupidity.”

“I know, I was stupid. I don’t know why I was like that. I don’t have the guts to do it now, even if someone asks me.”

“Was it that necessary?”

As she turned her head to a question that was out of context, her eyes widened. His face was much closer to hers.

“For him?”

“…..Serengueban?”

“Yeah.”

She was trying not to think about him. But maybe because he was one of the people with whom her past life was deeply involved and he was perhaps her first love, his name would just pop up whenever she talked about her past.

“Well…..it was….then.”

“Do you still miss him?”

‘Why are you asking me such stuff?’

“Of course not. That bastard was going to sell me in the market! If it wasn’t for you, Your Majesty, who gave me a chance, I don’t know where I’d be now…..”

“Do you want to go back to Goldina?”

‘Even if I wanted to, you wouldn’t give me permission. So why do you ask?’

She gave him a forced smile, like a service ambassador.

“No, thank you. I will bury my bones in this beautiful and safe empire ruled by His Majesty.”

He smiled at her remark.

His unexpected deep smile surprised her. It felt like her heart suddenly stopped beating.

***

The Emperor was talkative tonight. She thought it might be because he drank liquor while meeting the guests.

After she came back to her room, she thought over their conversation again as she took off her dress.

Now that he was not her master, but her future boss, she was bound to have a rumination about him.

Today was the strangest day of her life. He was the first man to stand up for her in a royal banquet hall. He even criticized the Empress Dowager.

And at the end, he called her to talk, not about his treatment, but about herself, and he even suggested her to study at her dream place with the goal of becoming his secretary.

‘A secretary.’

It was kind of heart-rending to hear it but it was worth it.

‘And the Academy!’

She couldn’t be happier. She was really going to a place where it was impossible for her to even step on the threshold.

A person should have expertise in everything. She was free from slavery, and she could do something that other people couldn’t. She would go to the academy.

She excitedly rushed to the small bathroom.

There were so many things she wanted to learn at the academy. She still remembered spending her time crouching down inside the bookstore of the back alley and reading many strange old books. Pharmacology, Magic, Politics, Economy, History, and many others that seemed interesting to her.

Reading alone was interesting in its own way. But the lessons would take place every day at the ivory tower. Fortunately, status was not an important issue for them, who only explored learning the truth.

She was so excited that she hummed while taking a shower. Now that she had adapted to this luxurious bathing facility, she’d feel sad to leave this place.

As she was rubbing foam on her arms, she stopped and stared at the engravings.

‘It doesn’t look good.’

It wasn’t creepy or anything, but compared to those smooth, flawless skin of so many women she had seen all this time, her skin was nothing like them, even if she had achieved such an ability.

But she didn’t care anyway. She didn’t want to date anyone again. She didn’t want to act like a woman but……be a better person to her colleagues, friends, and superiors.

She opened the tap of the shower, washing her head under it.

‘Let’s not think about such useless things. I should focus on my studies at the academy now so that my brother and I can eat delicious meals! I’ll buy a cheap house in the capital. The Emperor’s arrangement is good, but it’s better for me to buy one myself.’

She clenched her fist in the air, determined.

There were two changes from the very next day. She was immediately liberated from the various duties of a maid, and she earned free citizenship.

The royal servants, as well as even the free citizens, were shocked. The maids with whom she used to talk carelessly, seemed to hesitate to speak informally to her as they passed by her.

Among them, it was Luana who was closer to her and with whom she worked every day. Luana approached her to ask her about the banquet, but she was surprised when she heard the news belatedly.

“So you’re free from those duties starting from today?”

“I think so.”

“Wow….I knew this would happen.”

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