Chapter 35: Can I really trust you?
924 Words
“We may be divided serving different masters…” The man standing at the very front of the formation let his cloak down. “But camaraderie united us as one. So, whoever misses our regular meeting just once will meet death.”
After he said those words, whispers of conversation once again erupted in every corner of the stadium. They created subtle noise that broke the silent atmosphere.
“Is he sleep-deprived or something?” Ivanna whispered to her companion.
“Amitabha!” Hikaru exclaimed, his eyes slightly widened in surprise. “That’s what was in my mind as well the first time I saw him.”
The man who just spoke had the palest face that Ivanna had seen in her life. He looked like a cold corpse and the most noticeable of his features was his round eyes surrounded by black eyebags.
“Or perhaps he’s a ghost.” Ivanna creased her brows, observing the man intently. The glowing blue mana on his chest made him look more like a ghost.
“You can’t say that in the founder’s face unless you want to meet death early. Amitabha,” Hikaru warned, but amusement was evident on his face.
“I’ve met death before, brother.” She winked and gave him a knowing smile.
The founder had a long sermon for more than an hour. Ivanna hadn’t seriously listened even for a minute and she had failed to keep herself fully awake. Thankfully, Hikaru would nudge her whenever she was about to hit her head on the railings placed in front of them.
She left the fortress more convenient than before she had entered. She kissed the ring around her fingers as she used it to prick herself, deactivating the traps which had given her an unfriendly welcome at the fortress' entrance.
"You're my savior!" She shouted once her feet finally landed outside.
The worst part was she earned herself a throbbing head because of having merely a few hours of sleep.
“Meredith, are you okay?” Lovis worriedly asked.
It was early in the morning and she had to serve the emperor. First things first are giving him a bath and helping him get dressed for a morning assembly.
“I’m fine, Your Majesty,” she replied and flashed a quick smile. Then proceed to button the first layer of the emperor’s robe.
‘Am I really promoted as a head maid? This chore is not my job anymore.’ Ivanna could only complain in her head.
It’s true that as a head maid her main job was to keep the imperial palace organized by giving commands to the maids under her supervision. Now that the empress dowager sent a massive workforce to the emperor’s palace, there had to be separate personal maids attending to each need of the emperor.
However, for some reason, the emperor appeared not to trust the maids except for Meredith. So she was still in charge of grooming the emperor and choosing the food he would eat. Well-- now, he didn't know how long he would keep this trust.
“Your Majesty, We’re done!” She beamed, clapping her hands. She admired the already dressed emperor who was literally glowing.
‘Where are those sparkles coming from?’ Her mouth parted in awe.
“It’s all thanks to you, Meredith.” He ran his hands on his hair, not daring to lock eyes at her. His cheeks turned slightly red and Ivanna wondered why the young man was always getting shy around her.
“Thank you for the appreciation, Your Majesty.” She brushed off all her wondering as she pronounced a curtsy.
“Shall we, Your Majesty?” She extended her hands, formally leading him to the door.
“Yes. Let’s meet them.” He adjusted his robe before he strode forward to the door. Ivanna then followed behind him, closely. His boyish face turned stoic once he passed over the door.
“Your Majesty.” As soon as he went down his chamber, Derethus met them. He and the Lovis exchanged a meaningful look.
Derethus nodded once he received the emperor’s silent command – keep an eye on Meredith.
He walked over to his right side, joining the emperor’s entourage in the assembly hall. Derethus was his right-hand man and his personal knight. Lovis never let anyone take charge of preparing everything for him every time he went somewhere outside his palace.
Lovis’ suspicion towards his personal maid was not his only concern today.
‘Today might be my last day, but I will face the unknown head-on. It’s my fate after all.’ He thought and let out a helpless sigh.
“Is there something bothering you, Your Majesty?” Ivanna asked. Her face flooded with concern. Lovis hung his head low as he witnessed the look on her face.
‘Can I still trust her?’
“I’m just tired, Meredith. Nothing to worry about.” He managed to pull out a bright smile despite his internal conflict.
“You know what? If there’s anything bothering you, trust me that I’ll do something to make this burden lighter.” A warm smile graced her face, a genuine one. “I’m always here to help you, Your Majesty.”
Those words made him stop on his tracks.
“Your Majesty?” Derethus and even Meredith tilted their heads in confusion.
“Meredith…” He said. His usual soft and light voice, as feathers, vanished. It sounded deep and cold. “Can I really trust you?”
- Writer
