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Chapter 24
After sending Manuel out, I went straight back to my room and plopped down on the sofa as if passing out.
I wasn’t even competing for George’s affection, so I thought everything would be just fine.
Even in the past, Sabrina and I were at each other’s throats.
A noble lady and her maid. It seemed like our relationship could never be reversed, but the reality said otherwise.
Sabrina is a maid that my father cherishes, and I’m only a daughter he raised to conceal his flaws.
A patriarch’s authority was absolute in the noble family of the Las Vecchia Empire.
‘She was backed by my father and George and despised me.’
Moreover, Sabrina knew that I was an illegitimate daughter, and she used that secret against me like a weapon.
‘If you threaten me like this again, I might spread your dirty secrets, too!’
‘What did you say?’
‘The fact that you’re an illegitimate child! I know everything!’
Sabrina used to sneer at me when I was so wary of her getting intimate to George. I valued my image as the Count’s only daughter so much that her threat was scarier than any blade aimed to my neck.
I frowned as I recalled Sabrina’s delicate gait and coquettish behavior.
‘I can’t believe she’d turn this way. Should I just send her back to Cardinale?’
I kept her by my side to keep track of George’s plan closely, but actually I already knew the big picture of his future plan.
‘It’d be nice if I could find out where George found the Goddess’ crown….’
So far, the holy grail that conveyed Goddess Lorencia’s oracle was the only holy grail managed by the Great Temple. The Goddess’ crown was another holy grail that could deliver Lorencia’s voice and a major contributor to George’s enthronement.
George used the Goddess’ crown to claim that he was the Emperor chosen by the Goddess.
‘He would have told Sabrina where he got it.’
He held back from speaking recklessly in my presence, but George seemed to reveal his plans in front of Sabrina easily.
‘George was sure that a mere maid like her wouldn’t understand anything he said.’
With a deep sigh, I rose from my seat and called Rona.
“Rona, bring Sabrina here.”
“Ack, if it’s Sabrina, she went to meet Prince George just now. I guess she didn’t act upon Madam’s order again this time?”
I frowned at Rona’s bewildered answer.
“George?”
“Yes. He just arrived at the Grand Duke Castle.”
Speak of the devil.
But why didn’t he contact me first?
‘If I do well this time, I have a chance to send Sabrina away.’
Sabrina will no longer be needed if I could locate the Holy Grail.
So I was pleased by George’s sudden visit.
“Long time no see, Rita.”
Entering the parlor, I ignored George’s greeting and gestured at Dante.
“Where is His Highness?”
“He set out to help the soldiers who were overwhelmed by the monster.”
At Dante’s answer, George chimed in and shrugged his shoulders.
“That’s too bad. I just happened to have something to do nearby, so I wanted to see you before I go.”
I passed Dante and sat across from George.
“What brings you to Katan?”
“Didn’t I tell you already? I came by because I had something to do nearby.”
As soon as Dante left the room to bring the tea, George quietly leaned closer to me.
“Why are you so cranky? Are you upset that I came without any notice?”
“That’s not true. I appreciate His Highness who came all the way here despite your busy schedule.”
I scooted away from George trying to make a move on a married woman.
“What brings you to Katan, really?”
“I ran out of the camouflage potion you gave me last time.”
George swept his slim chin and smiled seductively. I tried so hard to hide my twitching mouth by lowering my head.
‘Disgusting prick.’
Even though he was a flawlessly handsome man on the surface, he was so unpleasant to the point it was embarrassing to face him.
“I wonder if you’ve been living well with that bastard Joseph.”
Patting my cheek, George clicked his tongue.
Now that I see him, George did not resemble Joseph at all even when they were half-brothers.
The overly fancy attire he wore was typical of George’s clothes, but he still used the camouflage potion I made in the past to fix his facial structures.
There was no way to take away the potion that had already been given.
If I give him a fake and useless potion, he’d be suspicious of me.
So instead of eliminating the effect of the potion, I created a side effect that made George reluctant to use it again.
“By the way, are there any side effects of the potion?”
“Hmm, nope. Is there anything I need to be careful about?”
Looking at George’s anxious gaze, I narrowed my forehead as if I was worried.
“Yes. There could be a side effect due to improper use of the potion, so please be careful. I can’t exactly tell you about the side effects either.”
The new potion that I made will cause side effects just by using it.
‘Let’s get rid of that hair at least.’
I folded my eyelids slowly after looking at George’s bright blonde hair.
He was a vain man with great pride in his outer appearance, so he wouldn’t have any choice but stop consuming the potion.
It would have been icing on the cake if there was a side-effect to remove his holy power, but unfortunately, alchemy couldn’t remove innate power.
“I’m glad I can be of help to you.”
As if relieved by my cordial attitude, George slicked back his soon-to-disappear bangs.
“I think you’ve changed a little. Is it just my feeling?”
“…Do you think so?”
I shouldn’t reveal my hostility yet.
“No. You’ve definitely changed.”
Surprised by his murmur, I clenched my fists resting in my lap.
What did he notice?
“Yeah, maybe you’ve become more attractive now that you’re a married woman. You’re like a forbidden fruit.”
I deliberately suppressed my urge to laugh at George’s nonsense.
“I know you were a quiet Lady who upholds your dignity,”
What kind of nonsense are you going to spout this time? I wanted to tear his dirty mouth apart, but he kept chattering without knowing my mind at all.
“How about it? Just in time, Joseph isn’t in the castle.”
Ignoring George’s blatant proposition, I just hoped Dante would hurry back.
“By the way, I don’t see Sabrina. I heard that she went to meet you first?”
“I sent her out because I was afraid you’d be offended.”
George winked at me as if he’d done something praiseworthy, and God knows how much I wanted to punch his left eye. But I only shrugged as if it didn’t bother me at all.
“Why? Sabrina is my maid, so it’s normal for her to meet my guests. It’s something dutiful and expected.”
“…Really? I thought you’d be offended.”
George didn’t seem to like my answer somehow. Narrowing his forehead, he lightly parted his lips.
“It seems like Sabrina is barely serving you. I thought she was jobless at some point.”
“I like her because she’s intelligent and adept. Why else would I bring Sabrina to Katan?”
George wanted me to loathe Sabrina for some reason, so I praised her in front of him.
“…It makes me want to keep your maid. There are only a few maids in the Imperial Palace whom I can trust.”
He began to test me with a curl on his lips.
“What if I keep Sabrina with me?”
“I happen to participate in the black market event that took place in Katan territory. I need a woman to accompany me.”
George’s whisper sounded like he wanted to take Sabrina to the place where I supposedly go with him.
I would have been angry in the past, but now I was contemplating whether it was necessary to do it or not.
“Is that so? You may take her, then.”
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