NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 18
Chapter 18 I was nervous because my last memory of him was not a good one. It was true that Caesar had helped me get in, but it was also true that I had ignored him many times.‘But will he understand if I explain it well?’I took a deep breath and knocked on Caesar’s room. I listened, but there was no sound from inside.Knock-“Your Majesty the Crown Prince, I’m the new maid who has come to the Crown Prince’s palace.”He should have known it was my voice, but still no answer came.‘Isn’t he inside? I’m sure he’s supposed to be there at this hour to greet me.’“Crown Prince?”As I was about to knock once more, I suddenly had an ominous feeling.‘Is it possible that he got into a rampage in his room alone? Or is he got hurt?’Suddenly, a bad thought flashed through my mind. I remembered the way he’d grabbed his chest when he’d gone rampage.Come to think of it, now, once a month, it fits perfectly with the rampage cycle.“… Crown Prince, I’ll go in!”Without realizing it, I opened the door.“His Majesty the Crown Prince!”Despite my urgent shout, Caesar simply sat up in bed.“Your Highness, are you all right?”“… I’m okay?”He looked at me. His face was uncharacteristically blunt.“Your Highness?”“Did you hope I wasn’t okay?”“… Yes?”After making an unfamiliar sound, Caesar looked away again.“His Highness?”I cautiously approached the bed.“Is something wrong? Didn’t you get word that I was coming to greet you?”“…….”“Or are you not feeling well, you should be eating breakfast soon…?”Stiffly, Caesar got out of bed and glared at me.‘He doesn’t look like he’s hurt….’I tilted my head with puzzled eyes, I asked, wondering what the hell was going on.“Is it because… you’re angry?”At those words, Caesar’s body hardened. The eyes staring at me grew more fierce.But he didn’t deny it. He was indeed angry at me for ignoring him.‘You wrote the questions for me on the exam, and now you’re acting like this…’It was obvious. It’s probably a sign to comfort him because he’s upset. I opened my mouth in a soft tone.“Your Highness, as you know, when I come to the Crown Prince’s palace as a maid, I fear that if our close relationship is found out, it will adversely affect each other-”“I know that arrangement.”His eyes were as fierce as his sharpened jaw, a face that could have intimidated anyone. But to me, he just looked like a pouting child.“What about the flowerbeds?”“What?”“Why didn’t you come to the flowerbeds? I’m sure you’re not going to use the friendship excuse, because we’ve met in the flowerbeds several times now, and no one has ever noticed our relationship.”Even though I thought that ‘our relationship’ could easily be misunderstood, I hurriedly explained it.“I also went to the flowerbeds… I must have gotten the time wrong.”It was the same day I heard that Caesar was coming as an examiner, but I was brazen.“Time wrong? I’ve been waiting for days every evening…”“Oh, that’s because I was busy with other things in the evening.”“What else?”“That….”What should I say?Ever since becoming an apprentice maid in the Crown Prince’s palace, I visited Katana every evening. As soon as I told her, ‘I’ll be back tomorrow’, I was sent to the Crown Prince’s palace.But can I tell the story of Katana to Caesar? What should I explain…“What a lame excuse.”As if he knew it, Caesar’s face crumpled.“That’s not it! Remember that guide I told you about?”“… What about that?”Perhaps it was an unexpected change of topic, Caesar focused again.“Actually, I was trying to figure out how to find that guide.”“In what way?”“That’s… kind of a backwater thing.”“What?”Rolling my eyes, I grabbed Caesar’s hand and sat him back down on the bed.“What, what do you think you’re doing?”“Your Highness, I’m so sorry I didn’t pretend to know you when I saw you, and I’m so sorry I didn’t go out to the flowerbeds every evening, and thank you for helping me in the test.”I came and spit out the words. She figured it would be better to be honest.“Don’t change the subject.”“You mean it?”Caesar’s frown had loosened, though his tone remained fierce. So did his glare. Deciding this was the time, I drove a wedge.“And as for the guide thing, I’ll be sure to tell you about it when I get some information.”“… Did you really go around to get information about the Guide?”“Yes!”The first time I met Katana was to hide the ledger, but it wasn’t a lie to say that it was to get information about the Guide.‘Because Katana has great talent to become the youngest Archmage in the future!’With her help, she might even be able to get some information about the Guide that was being talked about.“Isn’t this all for the Crown Prince?”Caesar’s expression softened as soon as I made excuses as if to appease him.“So, what did you find?”“Uhm… I did find someone who might know something about the guide.”“And?”As I recalled Katana, I smiled awkwardly.I’ve been visiting her cabin for over a week, but I’d only spoken to Katana directly on the first day.That day seemed to have passed, and Katana seemed to have grown more wary of me as she had time to think on her own. Her cabin was littered with trap magic I hadn’t seen in the novel.“I think we need a little more time.”“… Okay.”“Really?”After a moment’s hesitation, Caesar raised his chin and said.“Then, will we meet again at the flowerbeds?”I barely swallowed a laugh. I thought he had grown to the point where I couldn’t recognize him without seeing him, but it didn’t seem like it.“Now I’m going to be in the Crown Prince’s palace all the time, what’s the point?”“The whole time?”“Yes, I’ve become His Highness’s personal maid, and while Erinne will be with you when you’re out of the palace, I’ll be doing the work inside.”Caesar’s expression visibly brightened. After being ignored by Marriott all these years, he must be relieved to have me.‘I don’t have to deal with Marriott anymore.’Mumbling to myself, I pulled out the cookie bag I had hidden in my pocket.“Tada! Take this.”“… What is this?”“Cookies. I brought them for you.”It’s been on my mind ever since I found out that Marriott had stolen his snacks. When I become a maid in the crown prince’s palace, I’m going to start feeding him delicious treats.“Ha, do you think I’m a child?”‘You’re a child…’“Well, cookies aren’t just for kids, I love them too. If you’re not going to eat them, I’ll eat them.”Caesar’s body shuddered as he opened the bag of cookies like he was about to pop them in his mouth.‘It’s cute.’It was like a kid trying not to be a kid.“Ah, no. I got it to give to you, but I’d get in trouble if I ate them. I’ll leave them here, so if you’re bored, you can have some.”I pretended not to notice and left the cookies on the table. Caesar’s head kept turning toward it.“You can rest now, then. I’ll be back when the meal is ready.”I would have reconciled, and I’d given him a snack. But as I turned to leave, Caesar grabbed me.“Wait a minute. I have one more question.”“Yes, what is it?”“About that maid, Erinne…”“What about Erinne?”Caesar’s eyebrows twitched up as if he didn’t like something.“Did you give her the answer?”“Yes? Of course not. First of all, Erinne took the test before me.”“That’s true, but how could….”Caesar swallowed the words back, but it was not difficult to understand. But how did Erinne get all her answers right?‘Actually, that’s the part that bothers me.’Exceptionally beautiful features, exceptionally bright hair, and an unverifiable claim to high nobility in a neighboring empire. There were more than a few oddities about her.“… Then, you can rest.”I smiled casually, bowed and left the room.It was still too early to tell Caesar about my suspicions yet.‘She could be a very unexpected character.’ ***** I sat on the sofa, shrugged my chin, and stared blankly at the corner of the room. Behind a thin veil, Caesar was dressing himself.It has already been a week since I worked at the Crown Prince’s Palace. It felt like I wasn’t able to do my job properly because I was too busy adjusting.Caesar was a child who didn’t need to be taken care of.He pretended to do everything on his own, enough to understand why Marriott was okay with it.‘Maybe he grew up to be a kid who did everything himself because of what Marriott did.’So I… had nothing to do.“I can get you dressed.”“I said I don’t need it. Why are you watching me change clothes in the first place?”A bewildered voice rang out from behind the veil.“But isn’t it my job to look after His Highness?”It was like this every time. Caesar refused all my help. The title of a dedicated maid was unworthy.“I have to dress you, comb your hair, and give you a bath.”“I don’t need it.”I scrambled to my feet, half lying on the table, staring at the veil.“I don’t think I can do that.”