I Will Protect You This Time

Episode 79

(Once A Timid Princess)

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Knock* Knock*

"My Lady. May I come in?"

I guess she is back with the food. 

"Come in."

After a while, Anne came back and I finally had my lunch… in the afternoon.

"Hmm. Anne."

"Yes, My Lady?"

"What is Rubena doing?"

"The Princess is in her room preparing for tomorrow's banquets."

'More like torturing her maids.'

Anne thought inwardly.

"Is there anyone in the garden now?"

"No. The Crown Prince is working on his study. And about the second prince, I don't know where he is. But he is definitely not in the garden."

"Alright then."

I said while getting up from the couch.

"Huh?"

"I want to go on a walk in the garden."

I need to see if any Knights are guarding there.

"All right. Let's go, My Lady."

"I am going alone."

Saying that I got out of my room. Then I started walking towards the Royal Garden.

After walking for a while, I finally reached there.

Whoosh~

The sweet scent of Roses that is flowing with the gentle breeze caused a tingling sensation in my nose.

I looked at the sky. Beautiful fluffy white clouds are floating leisurely… Although because of the red glow of the sun, the cloud looks more orange rather than white. I guess it will be evening soon.

I looked around the garden. One side of the garden was filled with Chrysanthemums of different colours. Another Red rose.

I slowly started walking behind the palace. I need to see if there are any Knights there.

Whoa~

The back of the palace has bushes of Blue Roses.

Blue Rose… My imprint also had blue roses.

Imprint… 

Aghh… All the shameful memories of that night came to my mind.

How could he do it? Kissing like that…Wasn't he even a little bit embarrassed?

My cheeks and ears are burning again. 

Aghh. I should hurry to check out then return to my room.

Thinking that I hurriedly walked towards the annex.

Hmm~

The path… It's empty as usual. Anyways I shouldn't walk any further. It will be troublesome if someone sees me walking towards the Annex.

Caw~ Caw~

The crows are cawing their life out. 

Haa~

It's already evening. Now that I see, the sky looks reddish-purple.

Beautiful~

The sky with vibrant shades of purple and red… The cold breeze along with the smell of burning meadow grass… The rustling sound of huge tree leaves dancing along with the breeze…

Aghh. I don't want to go back. But I have to…

Thinking that I slowly started walking back to my room.

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"What?! How can this be?! When did this happen?"

A girl asked with an anxious voice.

"We don't know."

Some other girls replied with a dull voice.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"..."

"Aghh! What am I going to do now? My Lady will return any minute now. What will My Lady wear for tomorrow? Ughh!"

Isabella was standing just outside the door. And those voices are coming out of her room. One of them definitely belongs to Anne.

'Sigh~ What happened now?'

Isabella sighed then slowly entered her room.

"Ah. My Lady! Y-You are back already."

Anne panicked, seeing Isabella. The other maids were also standing while bowing their heads but their faces had an annoyed expression.

"What happened?"

Saying that Isabella walked toward the couch and sat cross-legged while putting her hands on the armrests of the couch.

"T-That…"

"You know that I don't like to repeat myself."

Isabella said with a cold voice.

Anne flinched hearing that and said nervously,

"Th-The dresses which arrived from the Desantis Boutique… Were... all ripped apart."

Anne said while tightly closing her eyes.

"What?"

Everyone present in the room flinched hearing her cold voice. 

"T-That…"

"And how did that happen?"

Isabella asked while leaning her chin on one hand.

"I-I went outside of your room for a little bit. When I returned I asked some maid to bring out your dresses. I thought it would be better to choose what dress you will wear tomorrow in advance. But when they went to bring the dresses… They were already ripped apart."

"Hah! And not even one of you knows who did that?"

Isabella scoffed. 

The other maids started sweating hearing Isabella's cold voice. To them, she was just a timid girl who was born a Royal. They didn't really care about her dresses.

'Aghh. What can that stupid Princess even do? If we just apologize, she will smile like a fool and forgive us. Stupid.'

That's what their thoughts were.

But now the situation is totally different from what they assumed.

'Wh-What is happening? Why does she sound so terrifying?'

The maids thought while gulping their saliva.

"Go and bring Kelvin here."

"Y-Yes, My Lady."

Anne said while bowing.

"W-We will also go."

One of the maids said with an awkward smile. The other maids also looked at Isabella with a proud expression. As if Isabella should be happy that they were helping her.

"Hu~h?"

Isabella said while tilting her head.

"I don't remember giving you permission to raise your head, forget about speaking."

The maids flinched hearing Isabella's apathetic tone. 

"W-We apologize, Princess."

The maids bowed and begged with a trembling voice.

"And what are you standing there for? Did I not tell you to go and bring Kelvin?"

"Ah. Ye-Yes. I will be going right away."

Saying that Anne bowed and hurriedly left the room.

After Anne left, Isabella turned her head towards the maids.

"P-Princess, please forgive us."

"Should I?"

Isabella said with a calm voice. 

'S-She definitely sounds calm. B-But why am I trembling?'

The maids thought the same thing.

"Sure. I should forgive you. You guys also need some rest. You must have been tired of working all day long in this huge palace."

"P-Princess!"

The maids said in a tearful voice.

'Haa~h! Thank goodness. I knew she was the same. How can a fool change so suddenly? I was worried for nothing.'

The maids thought at the same time.

"T-Thank you, Princess."

Knock* Knock*

"My Lady, I have brought the butler."

"Come in."

Creak~

Anne and Kelvin entered the room at the same time. Anne stood beside the maids and Kelvin in front of Isabella.

"G-Greetings, Princess."

Kelvin bowed then greeted with cold sweat. It seems like Anne told him what happened on the way.

'W-What?! The butler is speaking politely to her?!'

The maids were shocked at the sight of Kelvin bowing to Isabella.

"..."

Isabella didn't say anything and just continued looking at Kelvin.

'Aghh! She is definitely angry. She is not asking me to get up.'

Kelvin panicked inwardly.

"I assume Anne informed you about what happened."

"Y-Yes."

Kelvin said while bowing his head.

"The maids standing here asked for my forgiveness. And I promised I will do so."

"Princess, you are kind."

Kelvin said with a voice of relief.

"So, fire them away."

"Wh-What?! Princess!"

The maids shouted at the same time.

"What? I already told you that I will make sure you can rest. So if you are fired from the job, you won't have any work to do. I don't think any place will hire you if they learn that you were fired from the palace. So you can rest all day."

Isabella said with a smile.

The maids' eyes widened hearing her. 

"Princess. W-We don't need-"

"Shut up."

Isabella said with a cold voice. Her smiling face turned into a piercing cold gaze. Her purple eyes seemed like they were glowing.

The maids flinched by her cold voice and shut their mouths.

"And you!"

Isabella said, turning her head towards Kelvin.

"Y-Yes, Princess."

"Did you not hear what I said? I told you to kick them out of the palace."

"Y-Yes, Princess."

Saying that Kelvin got out of the room then brought some knights.

"Take them out."

Kelvin ordered the Knights.

"Yes, butler."

Saying that the Knights went towards the maids.

"Princess!"

"Princess, please forgive us!"

"This will never happen again."

"Please show mercy."

The maids started begging in a cold tone.

"You didn't do your job to take care of my dresses. Spoke when I didn't even give you permission to raise your head. Then even after my warning, you spoke without permission again."

Isabella got up from the couch and walked toward the maid. Then said with a cold tone while looking down at the maids.

"Th-That…"

The maids trembled with pale faces.

"Sigh~ If you still want forgiveness, I guess I have no choice but to forgive you."

"Princess!"

The maids said cheerfully.

"Although I have one condition."

"We will listen to any of your words, Princess."

The maids said at the same time.

"Sure~"

Isabella said with a smile.

"But listen before you agree to anything. You all will have to pay for all the dresses that were ripped apart."

"What?"

The maid asked with a dumbfounded expression.

"What? The dresses were ruined because of your carelessness. And you don't even know who did that. So isn't it obvious for you to pay for all of them?"

Isabella asked while tilting her head.

"Hmm. Let's see, all the dresses probably cost at least twenty thousand gold."

Isabella said with a smile.

'Aghh! She is ruthless. Even if the maids work all day and night without a break for the rest of their lives, they will earn only 100 gold.'

Anne, Kelvin and the Knights thought at the same time.

"Oh! I forgot about the jewels you stole."

Everyone present in the room flinched hearing that.

'What? They stole the Princess's jewels? Then firing them from the palace can't be considered even as punishment.'

Kelvin and the Knights thought at the same time.

'Aghh! Thank goodness, she forgave me about those. Aghh~ I will never do anything wrong with the Princess from now on.'

Anne sighed in relief inwardly.

'H-How did she know?!'

The maids trembled in fear. Their faces turned pale.

"So including those, it will be at least fifty thousand gold."

"..."

Silence fell in the room.

"So do you still want to continue your work here? I will forgive you if you want to."

Isabella said with an innocent voice.

"..."

No one said anything. One could hear their own raised heartbeat.

"Take them away."

Isabella ordered the Knights with a cold tone.

"Y-Yes, Princess."

The Knights said simultaneously then took the maids away.. The maids also didn't utter a word and followed the Knights silently.