ㅤChapter 9
ㅤ”Eh? His Majesty Theodore caught a cold? That’s terrible. Is he alright?”
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ㅤOne day, nearly a month after arriving in the Langley Empire, Ruby, who had been living a leisurely life, remembered her 『husband』 for the first time in a while.
ㅤAccording to Emma, this was the first time Theodore had become ill apart from injuries, and unrest was spreading within the castle.
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ㅤ”His Majesty served as Knight Commander until his coronation and was known for his unparalleled strength. It seems the lights in his office have been on until dawn recently, so he may have pushed himself too hard.”
ㅤ”He’s been busy with work, huh? Information doesn’t reach the Detached Palace, so I feel a bit guilty for being so carefree.”
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ㅤThe very person responsible for his busy schedule was unaware of Theodore’s troubles.
ㅤShe had been living a fulfilling life, playing with her Creature Under One’s Care, Michael and Blackie, cultivating the fields, eating three square meals, and getting plenty of sleep.
ㅤBecause she hadn’t heard anything, she had completely forgotten, but this wonderful life was being provided by Theodore. She thought of visiting him to express her gratitude.
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ㅤ”The vegetables in the field are just about ready to be harvested. There were also things that looked like wild berries in the forest behind the palace. Let’s take some food as a get-well gift.”
ㅤ”Ruby-sama, you want to visit His Majesty?”
ㅤ”Yes. We only spoke briefly when I arrived in this country, and I haven’t had a chance to properly greet him yet. Ah, of course, I don’t mean I want to see him while he’s unwell. I’ll prepare a letter and something light to eat, so it would be helpful if you could deliver them.”
ㅤ”Is that so……”
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ㅤRuby’s position within the castle was still delicate, but the fact that she was the real princess had spread among the servants. Formally, she was also Theodore’s wife, and no one could stop her from wanting to visit her husband.
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ㅤ”Before I moved to the tower, I loved cooking. I often made sweets with Okaa-sama. Believe it or not, I’m quite confident in my skills.”
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ㅤRuby rolled up the sleeves of her dress and headed for the fields. She harvested the ripe vegetables and fruits and headed to the dusty kitchen of the Detached Palace. The wild berries from the forest were poisonous, so she had already detoxified them.
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ㅤ”……It seems I need to clean this place first.”
ㅤ”I apologize. Meals have been brought from the castle each time, and it hasn’t been properly maintained yet……”
ㅤ”No, it’s fine. Emma is taking care of everything by herself, so it’s only natural that you haven’t had time to get to it!”
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ㅤRuby showed a carefree smile. She brought out a broom and rags and immediately started cleaning.
ㅤSeeing her dedicated figure, Emma felt a pang in her chest.
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ㅤ（Even though she’s the real princess, Ruby-sama is so straightforward and honest. And she’s even considerate of someone like me. It was a huge mistake to ignore her and treat her poorly because she was a fake.）
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ㅤEmma had been treated kindly, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that “she’s a fake anyway” and “I’m being given the worst job.” But now, all those feelings had vanished, replaced by a desire to serve this person with all her heart.
ㅤWithout a word, she also took a rag and began wiping the floor.
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ㅤ”Oh? Emma, it’s alright. This is my task, so you should go and do your own work.”
ㅤ”……I don’t have any work.”
ㅤ”Eh? What do you mean?”
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ㅤRuby stopped cleaning and tilted her head in confusion.
ㅤEmma put strength into her arm as she wiped the floor.
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ㅤ”It was a lie that I was busy with work because I’m the only maid. I thought there was no merit in serving Ruby-sama, so I’ve been taking breaks where you couldn’t see. I’m truly sorry.”
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ㅤThere was no reply from Ruby.
ㅤEmma felt a heavy weight sink to the bottom of her heart, and she kept her head down, continuing to scrub the floor.
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ㅤ”I was foolish. It’s no excuse to say this now, but from now on, I will serve you wholeheartedly—”
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ㅤSuddenly, Emma was enveloped in warmth.
ㅤIt was Ruby, hugging her.
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ㅤ”Thank you for telling me. Don’t worry about it. I only had Michael and the others to talk to until I came here, so I was happy just to be able to chat with you every day. The stories about this country, the unusual things in the city, everything was fresh and full of surprises.”
ㅤ”Ruby-sama……”
ㅤ”You don’t have to do any maid work. You can take breaks whenever you want. But, will you stay by my side? Because I enjoy being with you.”
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ㅤTears welled up in Emma’s eyes.
ㅤAs the eldest daughter of a poor, large family, Emma had never been treated kindly by anyone. She had been living each day anxiously, thinking she had to be strong, and taking care of her younger siblings in place of her parents who didn’t work much and only had children.
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ㅤ（Ruby-sama wants me to stay by her side, even though I’m like this…… Even though I betrayed her, she doesn’t blame me……）
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ㅤShe decided she would follow this person for the rest of her life.
ㅤEven if she had to leave the Langley Empire in the future, she wanted to accompany her and be her strength.
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ㅤ”I’m sorry. Ruby-sama. I’m sorry……”
ㅤ”Oh my, Emma! Don’t cry! You’ll ruin your pretty face!”
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ㅤRuby held Emma tightly as she broke down in tears.
ㅤBy the time the two finished cleaning, it was completely dark outside.