The Evil Empress Adores Me

“Lize, why are you taking so long to finish the job?!”

At the sharp remark, I crawled out from the fireplace and stopped what I was doing.

“Tha-that…”

“Why are you so slow?!”

I shriveled my shoulders in fright, hearing her bitter rebuke.

“You’re useless to the palace if you can’t even clean a fireplace properly.”

“I’ll be quick!”

I squashed the bitter feelings in my mouth and instead scraped the piled up dust in the fireplace away. It was fortunate the season was still spring and not winter. When the weather was the coldest and fireplace was used the most. So the dirt wasn’t that unbearable.

If it had been the winter, I might have to crawl up into the chimney to clean all of the black-chalky dust up.

‘…but, even if I try to think positively…’

‘Isn’t the amount of dust piled up in the fireplace after the spring itself too much for a child like me?!’

After struggling with the dust for a long time, I let out a coughed.

“Cough, cough!”

And as soon as she heard my cough, an angry scream came from outside, followed by a loud rebuke.

“What are you doing?! How can you keep working here this slow?! This is how you pay for your meal.”

…really mean.

‘Becky herself was a maid in training, so why does she loves to order me around?’

I managed to suppress my cough and continued my work.

At the same time, I felt unfair.

‘To be honest, I don’t have to clean the fireplace myself!’ I mused.

In the palace, professional cleaners were hired to clean fireplaces and chimneys, so the normal maid didn’t have to bother with all the ashes and soots. Aside from the dirt, the fireplace was also very steep and was dangerous for normal people.

This means, Becky was just being grumpy and poured out her anger on me. That must’ve been the reason she ordered me to clean all of this myself.

It was only in the old days that small children were asked to clean the chimney, but…

What era is this? To make a little child clean up the fireplace all alone.

“…ugh.”

I was so sad that I felt something coming from deep down in my throat.

‘No, if I cry here, Becky’s gonna cause me more trouble.’

I blinked my eyes quickly, barely letting tears flow down from my eyes. She should have been nicer to the people around her, but she chose not to.

Even now, other maids in training also didn’t like me.

It’s because I was young that people bully me, even though it’s not morally right.

The imperial palace was basically a world of survival of the fittest. Of course, the work etique of a palace depends on the nature of the palace’s owner.

However, the palace where I belonged to was a place where I couldn’t find any leisure.

As an addition, every young maid in training was bound to have less work to do than any older maid in training.

Because an adult’s physical strength was different from a child’s, that’s why the younger ones would be given less responsibility.

The regulation immediately drew the jealousy of the regular maid. Everytime I struggled through the normal job, it would somewhat alleviate the envious maids’ moods.

I was in that ‘hateful’ position.

‘….So, I should try harder.’

I had my heart set, and then I started cleaning the fireplace again. After a long time, I managed to finish cleaning and crawled out with a frown.

Becky was looking down at me with her arms crossed. “You, this is why you will never become a full-time maid.”

“…”

“Why are you silent? Don’t you hear me talking?”

Becky gave me a scolding. I bent my head hurriedly, barely avoiding Becky’s fierce gaze.

“N-No… That’s not it…”

“If not, what?”

“I’ll work hawder…” I’ll work harder...

Becky, who heard my answer, pushed up the corner of her lips in a smirk. Her face was vivid with mockery.

“Oh my God, Lize. You still can’t speak properly?”

“….”

‘No matter how big a child is, I’m only five years old kid and I still have a short tongue….’

‘Don’t you ever think that I also don’t want my tongue to be this short?’

‘I’m stressed out, too!’

I had a strong desire to protest… but I tried hard to suppress it.

Looking up and down my face, all covered with dust and soot, Becky spoke in a disgusted tone.

“I don’t even want to say anything about it.”

“….”

“Keeping such a child as a maid in training itself is a loss to the imperial palace.”

Becky, who lengthened her speech, burst into a laugh dripping with mockery.

“Just go and wash up.”

Becky glanced at me, the look of distaste still apparent in her eyes, and added.

“You’re so dirty, I even feel dirty talking to you.”

Then she turns to head another way.

‘…Excuse me?’

‘I’m so dirty, because you told me to clean the chimney, Becky!’

Instead of shouting like that, I glared hatefully towards Becky’s haughty back. Well, I could stand Becky being a little mean to me today.

Because today…

‘I’m going to see Sister Rose today!’

Sister Rose…

As soon as I thought of her name, my heart was filled with joy. When I saw Becky has disappeared, I ran straight to the bathroom.

Though stained with soot and dust, my face reflected in the mirror had a bright smile that could not be hidden.

‘I can’t show Sister Rose my dirty look.’

After washing my face thoroughly, I shook off the remaining dust.

‘I want to see Sister Rose as soon as possible.’

***

Me and Sister Rose had promised to meet in a corner of a detached palace that was not easily seen in the imperial palace. It’s a secret place that only me and Sister Rose know!

In fact due to the palace’s nature, people would swarm everywhere. To find a quiet place like this, that was left untouched, was very lucky of us.

As I entered the garden of the palace, without unconsciously a big smile made its way on my face.

‘Oh, it’s her.’

In the corner of the garden, Rose’s back was visible. In the gentle spring breeze, Rose’s long red hair, gently scattered. I crept along carefully, trying to make no sound as I sneaked closer to her.

She didn’t seem to have noticed that I had arrived, so I wanted to surprise my sister.

“Lize?”

“Gasp!”

I unintentionally exclaimed.

As soon as I stepped out, Rose looked back at me and made eye contact.

“Sister Rose, how do you find out it’s me?”

“Lize is going to meet me, how could I not recognise your footsteps?”

She said so with a smile.

Her green eyes, shining as fresh as a summer forest, gleamed like a gem.

“It was so cute to see Lize sneaking along.”

At the tender voice, my heart melted.

Running quickly, I dug into my sister’s arms.

“Oh my, Lize. You’ll fall down!”

The frightened Rose warned me.

At the same time, my sister’s hand was gently sweeping down my back. Letting my unstable body lean on her.

The gesture was so sweet that I almost shed tears.

‘Ah, I’m so happy. Rose’s embrace is the best!’

After a while, my sister carefully put me down on the floor.

“Lize, be careful.”

“Huh?”

What if you fall and hurt yourself?”

“Well, but Sister Rose is here. If I fall, won’t you give me a hug?”

Rose went silent at the remark.

‘Oh, that expression! It looks like she’s about to hug me to death!’

“Lize! How can you be so cute!!!” my guess was indeed right.

My sister gave me a crushing hug, then reluctantly let me out after I, who was suffocated, tapped the back of her shoulder anxiously.

My sister looked at me with eyes filled with tenderness.

“That’s right, I can give Lize a hug if Lize fell down… “

“Um then…”

“. . .but if Lize is in pain, my heart will be in pain too.”

My sister told me with moist eyes.

“Be careful from now on.”

I nodded obediently.

Only then did my sister’s face brighten up.

My sister took my hand.

“Come here, Lize.”

We sat down under the shade of a tree.

My sister laid a handkerchief on the grass and let me sit on it, before settling next to me and looked towards me.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, hasn’t it?”

My sister smiled as she questioned.

With a big nod, I wriggled and held my body close to my sister’s.

“Oh my, why is my Lize so childish today?”

Rose gave a playful remark, hugging my shoulder tightly.

‘But, sister, I need time to recharge, too.’

‘It’s been almost three days since I met you again, so when else can I indulge in your presence?’

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“I really wanted to see you.”

“Really? How much did you miss me?”

“Um… as much as the sky?”

When I snorted, my sister bursted into laughter.