‘Teria and Ivenna?’

They were the maids who resided with me in the Cold Palace.

“It’s true, I tell you.”

“Aren’t you hungry, Your Highnesses?”

In Ivenna’s hand was a round-shaped bread.

“Give it to me!”

As Ivenna gently shook it, Louis jumped up and down trying to grab the bread.

The bread moved just out of reach of the child’s hand, gently teasing him.

“You need to jump higher!”

With each jump Louis made for the bread, the maids’ laughter grew louder.

“Remember what we told you earlier?”

“Hurry up and do it. We think it’ll suit you well.”

The two maids taunted the child with incomprehensible words.

‘Why don’t they just give it if they’re going to give it?’

Just as I was about to step in, unable to wait any longer.

“Woof woof. We told you to do it, didn’t we?”

… What did they just say?

For a moment, I doubted my ears, thinking I must have misheard.

“Will you really give it to me if I do?”

Louis asked, tilting his head.

The child couldn’t take his eyes off the bread, clutching his hungry stomach.

“Of course.”

The maids nodded at Louis’s response.

They didn’t forget to urge Louis to imitate them, as if showing pity to an abandoned dog.

“Louis. Don’t do it.”

“But why? I’m hungry.”

Evan pushed Louis behind him.

Evan glared fiercely at the maids, ignoring Louis whining behind him.

“Evan is the problem, being so stiff.”

“Oh come on, don’t be like that.”

Teria chided Ivenna beside her.

But she wasn’t taking the children’s side.

“You should learn from Louis.”

Teria showed an even sweeter smile.

Her eyes gleamed with a sense of superiority.

Her face was filled with delight, as if she found amusement in ordering around royalty as a commoner.

“Come on, bark now…”

“Don’t touch Louis!”

As Teria reached out to touch Louis, Evan immediately swatted her hand away.

Teria gently rubbed the back of her hand where Evan had hit her.

Soon her face changed to that of a demon.

“You little brat…!”

Teria raised her hand in the air.

Just as her pot lid-like hand was about to strike Evan’s cheek.

Thwack−!

“Aagh!”

Something flew and hit Teria’s head with a thwack before falling.

The canister that rolled with a clatter came to a stop. It had ‘12%’ printed on it.

“Who was that!”

An irritated voice pierced the ears.

I stepped forward, no longer able to hold back.

“It was me.”

“Oh, Lady Eileen?”

Ivenna called out to me with a relieved expression, worried that an inspector might have come.

“What are you doing?”

“We were just playing with the young princes.”

The maids were still nonchalant.

“You call that playing?”

“Yes.”

I asked again, but the answer remained the same.

I decided to change the subject of my question.

“Is it true that you were playing with the maids, Your Highnesses?”

I knelt down on one knee to lower myself to the children’s eye level.

“Hmm? Wasn’t it playing?”

“Be quiet, it wasn’t like that.”

Evan rebuked Louis.

Even in this situation, Evan was still shielding his younger brother behind his back.

Finally, the child who had been glaring at me spoke, unable to contain his anger.

“…As if you’d believe us anyway.”

Evan’s eyes were filled with distrust, wariness, and unexpressed anger.

The child’s small body trembled.

Beneath all those swirling emotions, there was clearly fear.

‘If I had known it would be like this, I should have grabbed a trash bag instead of chocolate.’

So I could tie them all up and throw them away.

My chest ached with a sharp pain.

There was no need to hear any more.

I stood up and approached the maids.

Slap−!

Smack−!

“Aagh−!”

Screams echoed along with the consecutive sounds of blows.

“You’re fired as of today.”

“W-What do you mean…!”

The maids’ faces, clutching their cheeks, were filled with shock.

I shook my stinging palm vigorously.

‘Even so, that’s going too far. Something even Eileen wouldn’t do?’

Eileen had refrained from inflicting any punishment that would leave scars on the children’s bodies, considering potential situations.

It was all for her own safety, but how dare a maid act so boldly when even Eileen wouldn’t do such things?

The most important thing here was that Eileen had the right to fire them and the authority to punish them.

“B-But…!”

“You know that even if they’re neglected, they’re still royalty, right?”

The maids flinched greatly at my words.

Insulting royalty was high treason. But even here, there was a difference in rank.

“If word gets out, I’ll only lose my head, but you won’t die easily. So leave right now.”

If they dawdle any longer, I won’t let them off with just a slap on the cheek.

In contrast to my bright smile, the maids’ faces turned pale.

They eventually packed their belongings and left the palace.

I faced the twins as I watched them disappear.

“Your Highnesses.”

Louis and Evan only blinked their round eyes at my call.

“The maids have committed a discourtesy. As the lady-in-waiting responsible for managing them, I apologize.”

I knew there was a contradiction in my words.

But it was something I had to do.

‘The children need a guardian.’

Even if I left the palace, it was obvious the same situation would repeat itself.

‘Then I might as well make Eileen change.’

To become a proper adult, that is.

I decided to protect the children.

‘There’s only 1 year left.’

To survive, I needed to make these budding villains my allies.

‘If I raise them properly from the start, they won’t become villains in the first place.’

Moreover, if I raise the children well, I could live comfortably as Eileen too.

‘After that, I’ll meet a handsome man and live happily ever after.’

There are many handsome men in this world, so I should be able to choose one of them.

Soon, a happy future was painted in my mind.

The children safely growing into adults. A caring lover who only looks at me and a warm home were bonuses.

A happy life for everyone. That was my goal.

Having made up my mind, I reached out to the children.

“Will you give me a chance to be forgiven?”

The children only glanced at me nervously, not coming closer.

I picked up the chocolate canister and came up with an idea.

“I’d like to give you a gift as an apology.”

“…A gift?”

“Yes. Please wait a moment!”

I searched the kitchen and found some bread.

Fortunately, the fireplace was already lit. I placed six slices of bread on a pan.

The smell of toasted bread filled the kitchen.

‘I can’t stop here.’

Though toasted bread would be delicious, I intended to add a special ingredient.

That ingredient was chocolate.

I poured the chocolates onto a plate.

Evan’s face hardened at the sight of the shining black beads.

“It’s poison.”

…Admittedly, the black color wasn’t particularly appealing.

Moreover, chocolate didn’t exist in this world.

“It’s not poison, it’s chocolate. Though it looks like this, when you put it in your mouth, it’s sweet and melts, with a slightly bitter taste…”

“…”

Evan’s expression didn’t soften.

‘I guess experiencing it firsthand is the fastest way.’

To alleviate their suspicions, I put a chocolate in my mouth.

“Mmm, it’s sweet.”

Perhaps because my blood sugar was low, the chocolate clung to my mouth.

The melting sweetness and the bitterness that didn’t become cloying was truly a heavenly taste.

‘Nothing beats chocolate for a sugar boost.’

As I twisted my body as if overwhelmed, the twins’ eyes flickered in unison.

They seemed to be imagining something incredibly delicious, even if they didn’t know exactly what it was.

“It’ll be ready soon, so please have a seat.”

All I had to do was heap chocolate onto three slices of bread, cover them with the other slices, and wait for it to melt.

Soon, the aroma of toasted bread mixed with the sweet scent of chocolate filled the air.

I placed the finished toasts on plates and set one each in front of Louis and Evan.

“Today’s lunch, chocolate toast.”

On such an exhausting day, nothing beats carbohydrates and sugar.

Everyone was hungry.

We all took a bite of the chocolate toast at the same time.

“…Aww, it’s so, so sweet.”

Chocolate melted into crispy and soft bread.

Isn’t it sufficient nourishment to soothe a hungry and tired heart?

Louis, who was already pretty, melted with his hands on his cheeks.

The same was true for me and Evan.

We all made eye contact with our cheeks flushed red.

“…”

“…”

Evan was the first to avert his gaze.

I greeted the children with a bright smile.

“I look forward to our time together, Your Highnesses.”

***

Ruben Duchy.

He was in the office illuminated by the lights.

Kashar Bladis la Rihart.

The ill-fated former crown prince with beautiful blonde hair and red eyes.

Abandoned by the imperial family but returned as a duke, the man was expressionlessly cutting meat.

Swish.

Finally, a softly sliced piece of meat entered his mouth.

The man who was chewing and swallowing it furrowed his brow.

“Does it not suit your taste?”

The master’s aide spoke up.

But the man only shook his head.

“I can’t taste anything anymore.”

The man continued eating after leaving only those words.

It was his first meal in two months.

Adult royalty could go without food for long periods without endangering their lives.

However, as food was another source of joy, no one deliberately skipped meals.

‘That’s only when you can still taste things.’

The plate was empty now, but the man’s expression was far from satisfied.

He pressed his forehead after putting down the utensils.

The terrible headache that had long tormented him was starting again.

“Bring that.”

“But… Understood.”

The hesitant aide brought a red berry.

The man popped the berry into his mouth.

In fact, the berry induced even more headaches.

The severe headaches had also robbed him of his sense of taste.

Nevertheless, the reason the man swallowed the berry was due to his incurable disease.

‘Madness.’

The disease that had dethroned the man who was once the crown prince.

The man was maintaining his sanity by eating the poisonous berries.

“One month left.”

The man looked out the window.

It was one month until the death anniversary of Viviana, Kashar’s mother and the former empress of the empire.

Former Empress Viviana had died confined in a tower.

Her crime was being possessed by a demon.

And giving birth to a crown prince with a mental illness.

Viviana didn’t even receive a state funeral, and commemorating her was a duty given only to Kashar.

“Shall we prepare?”

“No, I’ll go alone.”

The tower where she died was in the most remote part of the imperial palace.

There was no need for many people at a place where leaving flowers that Viviana liked was all that could be done.

“I understand your will.”

The aide withdrew.

The man glanced at the remaining food.

‘I can’t smell anything.’

While he could still smell blood or the stench of iron, it had been a long time since he could smell fragrant and delicious scents.

‘It will get worse.’

The poison he ate robbed him of his five senses.

In the end, it would make him vomit blood and die, but it was a better end than dying as a madman.

The man ran his tongue inside his mouth.

The remaining sauce tasted hollow.