Chapter 9: Tell Them Who I am
The lady’s maids sent by the Lady-in-Waiting of the Empress’s Palace were busy unpacking their belongings without properly greeting Adeline. The lady’s maids who served the royal family were the daughters of noble families, fallen nobility, or wealthy merchants. As a result, they carried themselves with an air of superiority. Even after they finished unpacking, they didn’t come to see Adeline right away. Instead, they seemed to be holding a serious meeting in their dormitory. They were likely discussing what kind of person she was, sharing rumors and observations, and strategizing their approach. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
The royal palace was no different from a vast jungle. Surviving there required the same principles one would need to survive in a wilderness. It was a childish game, but Adeline was no stranger to it.
“Your Highness Vita.”
It wasn’t until late afternoon that the lady’s maids finally entered her room, standing in a line. They didn’t bow, let alone kneel. They wore blue vests over bright cream-colored dresses with stiff collars, and their gold brooches, symbols of their service to the royal family, gleamed. They addressed Adeline as “Your Highness Vita,” not “Princess” or “Royal Princess,” opting instead to mix her title with “Vita,” a symbol of her low birth.
Adeline quite liked it. A sharp smile played on her lips.
“Your Highness Vita… Who came up with that?”
“We’ll change it if you’re offended.”
They showed no sign of embarrassment.
Adeline scanned them with an expressionless face. “Pretty good.”
She slowly found the situation amusing. Among the six lady’s maids, the woman on the far right took a half-step forward. She appeared to be in her early thirties, so she must have been the most experienced.
“Allow me to introduce us. From here on, the family names—”
“Forget the introduction,” Adeline interrupted immediately.
Collin, standing awkwardly beside Adeline, flinched. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“What’s the point of knowing your names and families?”
“Yes?”
“List what you’re good at. If you’re good at sewing, you’ll be called Thimble. If you’re good at telling stories, you’ll be Snout.”
The lady’s’ maids’ faces slowly twisted in displeasure. Adeline watched the scene with satisfaction.
“Your Highness Vita, let us—”
“Starting with you,” Adeline interrupted. “I assume you’re the Head Lady’s Maid, so of course, you must be good at many things.”
“Are you mocking us?”
They all spoke at once, unwilling to relinquish their stance. Adeline and the Head Lady’s Maid were vying for control of the conversation.
Collin stared at the floor, feeling like she was going insane from the tension.
There were two things Adeline hadn’t expected. First, the lady’s maids sent by the queen’s lady-in-waiting were not lacking in skill but rather brimming with arrogance. Second, although Collin was a confidante of Crown Prince Cesare, she didn’t get along with the other maids.
That made things even more entertaining for Adeline. She decided to treat this petty confrontation as a way to pass the time.
“This matter will reach the ears of Her Majesty the Empress,” one of the lady’s maids declared.
Oh, there was a third surprise. It wasn’t the queen anymore; now, they referred to her as the empress. Adeline’s father, the king, had started calling himself an emperor and named Marma a thousand-year empire. Even the ladies’ maids were using the new title. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
If that were the case, did that make her a grand princess now? That was quite an elevation in status.
“We were chosen by the lady-in-waiting who serves Her Majesty the Empress. We take pride in upholding the dignity of the royal family. I understand that Your Highness Vita is a former slave and has grown accustomed to Nova’s vulgar culture over the past eleven years, but this is the Great Marma Empire.”
“You talk too much. I’ll call you Snout from now on.” Adeline cut her off again. She had grown tired of lectures on royal decorum and dignity from a young age.
“What did you just say?”
“Everyone but Snout, leave.”
“Your Highness!”
“Didn’t you hear me? Everyone out, except Snout. Right now.”
Adeline knew they would see her as a fierce princess. Given that, they would likely prefer to run off and inform someone higher up rather than engage in a dispute with her here. She didn’t mind, but she was curious to see whom they would approach. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
The remaining ladies’ maids exchanged silent glances, then quickly turned their backs and left, leaving behind only the maid Adeline had singled out.
The Head Lady’s Maid stood stiff and upright.
Without waiting for the others to fully exit, Adeline picked up the newspaper with one hand and waved it gently.
“Stand there and read. Calmly and clearly.”
“Yes?”
“You’re so good at talking that you’ve already lectured me on royal etiquette. Let’s put that skill to the test. Read properly. Every time you stutter, you’ll be severely punished.”
The lady’s maids who were leaving paused in shock, and the Head Lady’s Maid stood frozen. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Adeline smiled calmly, as if nothing were amiss. “Read. Keep reading until I fall asleep.”
***
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