“Come in.”

Mrs Enard walked into the room. Amelie felt she had to finish her conversation with her due to Serwin’s previous interruption.

‘Wouldn’t it be natural to send Milena out?’

“Milena, can you get me a glass of warm water?”

“Yes, I understand.”

As Milena left the room, Amelie sat in a chair to appear nonchalance. Mrs Enard stood a short distance from Amelie.

‘What should I say?’

She came as soon as Serwin left, so should that be considered a positive meaning? Amelie swallowed despite her dry mouth.

“It’s about what you said earlier.”

“Yes, Mrs Enard”

“What about an embroidered handkerchief as a gift for His Majesty? I think he’ll prefer the feel of Miss Amelie’s hand.”

“Is that so—?”

Do you mean ‘no’? Amelie worked tirelessly to gain access to Mrs Enard’s innermost thoughts.

“It would be better because using the gift His Majesty has given adds to the meaning of repaying. I’ll do my best to keep the cost of purchasing gold or silver coins within the total of the items.”

“…..!”

Amelie clenched her fist firmly.

‘Good! Mrs Enard has said yes!’

The pointless comments had almost overwhelmed her, but what matters is that Mrs Enard accepted her offer.

“Is there anything else you need?” Mrs Enard asked.

‘Didn’t Milena tell me to check it out?’

Things would go wrong if she took Amelie’s words literally that she was only exchanging money for the sake of a gift.

As Milena suggested, Amelie decided to take another look at Mrs Enard.

“It’s okay. I just want to rest quietly. Would you please leave?”

Amelie gave the opposite order to what Serwin gave her. If she obeyed her orders, she would have accepted her offer.

Moreover, she was only good at financial gain, so if she had grasped her intentions, she would have followed her orders.

Milena had predicted everything. Milena, despite her squirrel-cute appearance, was a clever and quick-witted girl. She claimed that because she was recognized for her talent, she was able to penetrate Serwin’s attention even at such a young age.

‘I’m not sure why it’s so complicated, but I have to believe it because it’s Milena’s words.’

Amelie just did as she was told and waited for Mrs Enard’s reply. Mrs Enard just looked at Amelie without answering. The brief silence of a few seconds felt breathtaking. And at one point Mrs Enard opened her mouth.

“Yes, Miss Amelie. Then I’ll go out.”

Mrs Enard bowed her head gently. Is it really working? Amelie checked one more time in a dazed mood.

“What about the other maids?”

“I’ll be at the door, so if you need anything, you can call me.”

“Okay.”

“Then, please rest comfortably.”

Mrs Enard exited the room with a bow. The bedroom door shut quietly, and the room was silent. The quiet room, devoid of any quiet shuffling or breathing sounds, felt strange.

Amelie cast a glance around her.

There were no eyes on Amelie, finally. In the bedroom, there was nothing but herself.

Finally, for the first time since arriving at the palace, she was left alone. It was a time to herself that she had hoped for a lot.

“It’s a success.”

Others may not have noticed, but it was Amelie’s first taste of freedom since entering the palace. Milena’s assistance was a welcome change.

She can’t believe she got Mrs Enard’s help, who was just picking on Amelie in the original. She won’t die like the original if she does it like this, will she?

Amelie’s fist was clenched. She shuddered from head to toe.

******

‘It’s perfect.’

Amelie had some alone time in her room before dinner. It was short but satisfying in comparison to the wait. She never imagined she’d be so free, with no one watching her no matter what she did! She didn’t mind that her skirt was rolled up and back on the sofa. She followed the steps while reading a magic book, and when it became boring, she opened her brown bag to see if the herbs were safe.

Amelie took a bath after dinner. Milena moved in closer to help her take a bath. Milena turned on the water while Amelie soaked in the tub. The sound of water overflowing in the bathtub echoed a little.

“I’m going to serve you today. It’s fine for you to speak freely.”

“Is that so?”

Amelie looked back to see who was there. The maids were standing near the wall, so if they were whispering, they could easily gossip.

“What about Charlotte?”

Mrs Enard was so busy that she didn’t follow her bath except for the first few days. But Charlotte’s absence came as a surprise because she was always with Milena.

“I said I’d take care of this, and I told Charlotte to clean up the powder room.”

“Didn’t she find it strange?”

“Charlotte doesn’t like to help in the bath, her hands hurt when she massages. She went to the powder room because it’s a simple thing to do with her hands.”

“I see.”

Milena put a soft bubbly soap on Amelie’s shoulder. And she massaged her shoulders and back and neck evenly using soap bubbles. The reason why they don’t use fragrances was because they were worried that other scents would mix to reduce the effect of Amelie’s stabilizing on Serwin.

She explained to the maids that “Serwin didn’t like it,” and their expressions and reactions were still clear at that time. Women of similar or older age looked at each other with crab red cheeks, but she was embarrassed too and missed the right time to explain. It was too late to regret that she should have made another excuse up later. After that, they never used fragrant oil in her bath.

“You did an excellent job today!”

Milena said with a cheerful smile. Amelie’s fingers wriggled in embarrassment.

“I just said what Milena had planned. It’s all thanks to Milena. I honestly didn’t think Mrs Enard would help.”

“I told you to trust me. Are you going to believe me now?”

“Yes!”

Milena grinned triumphantly, sticking out her chest. As Amelie laughed with her, she suddenly had a question.

“By the way, why does Mrs Enard want money like that? I don’t think she was destitute enough to violate Serwin’s orders.”

“Oh, that’s a story that everyone knows—”

Milena began to tell the story of Mrs Enard.

“Mrs. Enard has a daughter, who has a disease, so it seems that the price of the medicine is incredibly expensive.”

“Ah.”

Amelie let out a sigh. There was no medical insurance in this world. So if there is a sick person in the family, the house crumbles.

“But Mrs Enard’s salary would be high.”

“We don’t know exactly what kind of disease it is. So they must be struggling no matter how much they earn because they bring doctors from afar to buy and feed her precious medicines. It’s a tough life.”

“What about Mrs Enard’s family?”

“Her husband died of an epidemic a long time ago. But since his wife works in the Imperial Palace, both families take care of her, but it’s not even close.”

“I see. She must be having a hard time, too.”

Amelie’s heart sank. Mrs Enard was a competent maid who kept the palace in check. Standing in a straight position with her hands together all the time, she didn’t know she was suffering from such hardships. That’s how skillful Mrs Enard is at hiding herself.

Milena added coolly, rather than agreeing with Amelie’s expression.

“Because of that poor story, Mrs Enard will sell Amelie someday. So, don’t pity her.”

“That’s true, but—”

Still, a mother who does anything for her child. She knew Mrs Enard wasn’t a good person, but her heart was shaken.

“I wish there was a way to help—”

“That’s true. If Mrs Enard is on Amelie’s side, you’ll be free to walk through this palace.”

Countless people are employed in the imperial palace every day, and quit and go out. A person who worked for a long time, like Mrs Enard, was influential.

“If Mrs Enard is risking her life for money because of her sick child, why don’t I cure her child’s illness?”

“I’ve thought about that, but you can’t. It’s too dangerous.”

A witch’s magic pill had an amazing effect, so Milena initially thought of using it to treat Mrs Enard’s child. But since Amelie could not go out of the palace, she needed Mrs Enard’s help to meet the child, and she was in danger of being identified. There was no guarantee that Mrs Enard would continue to keep her secret if she revealed herself as a witch, even if she helped her daughter.

“She’s a woman who does anything for her own sake.”

“But the purpose is the child’s health, so—”

“What about after the child gets better? Doesn’t she want to give her jewelry and gold tableware?”

Amelie was at a loss for words. Milena’s opinion was reasonable.

“If you could make a magic potion other than that wouldn’t it be better to make a medicine for Miss Amelie?”

Milena smiled brightly and changed the subject.

“I still had a magic potion I wanted to make.”

“What kind of magic is it?”

“Flying! The broom I was riding on is broken and I need something new!”

“Oh, does a witch really ride on a broom?!”

Milena was astounded. When she saw her exaggerated look, Amelie burst into laughter.

‘Let’s listen to Milena. I have to pay attention to the situation.’

But a corner of her mind continued to feel uncomfortable.

******

Serwin entered the conference room, and familiar faces bowed. Serwin was so sick and tired of this sight he was beyond words. The step toward the Emperor’s seat was heavier than ever.

‘You’re probably out by now, aren’t you?’

Serwin fell into a terrifyingly different train of thought as he sat for the meeting to begin. Her crouched back didn’t leave his head.

‘No matter how much you clean, it must be an unclean environment under there…’

‘What if she catch a cold?’

Serwin thought and clicked his tongue. Did she hate to see him so much that she would choose to crawl into such a place?

While Serwin was lost in thought, there was silence in the meeting.

“Y-Your Majesty?”

“Oh, go on. I’m listening.”

The meeting resumed, but everyone was busy keeping an eye on Serwin.

‘A rabbit’s hind paws are stronger than I thought.’

When her soft feet struck his hand, his head instantly turned white and he couldn’t do anything.

‘What the hell is going on?’

He began to wonder why Amelie rejected him. In fact, the answer was obvious.