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212. Beggar Siblings – A Slap

Early morning, with the night air still lingering. A young boy was rising from his bed.

He wished to sleep in like others, but he shook off his laziness with a big stretch. After placing the water bucket he had set aside last night, he splashed water on his face and wiped it with a wet towel.

Next came grooming. He combed his tousled curly hair upon waking, checked if there were any eye boogers, and ensured his ears were clean.

Finally, he changed into a tidy blue cassock and pinned a somewhat unfamiliar purple shoulder sash on his left shoulder.

Both the cassock and sash were gifts from the Monarch Baron’s household. To ensure they wouldn’t get damaged, he had meticulously ironed them and folded them neatly next to his pillow, so they still looked brand new.

What on earth is going on here?

Santian Rauno thought. He had impulsively hidden in a carriage based on a friend’s suggestion, leading to all sorts of events.

Surprisingly, that friend turned out to be a princess (although it wasn’t that surprising; her face made one nod instinctively). Even more astonishingly, he had become a chamberlain serving the princess under the orders of the noble Ksenia.

Overnight, they had gone from friends to a subordinate relationship, which might seem unfair, but it really wasn’t. It was an incredible stroke of luck for a commoner to become a chamberlain.

A chamberlain was much different from handmaids or servants who performed physical labor. It was more of an administrative role, akin to a junior assistant or secretary, just one step below becoming a butler.

Their main job was to manage their lord’s schedule. Typically, a butler would recommend a promising boy for the role, making it a significant social climb for a commoner who had little access to quality education.

Moreover, he was now serving a princess directly. It was possible only due to the peculiar situation of the exiled princess, Lena de Yeriel; normally, only the children of nobles served royalty. At the very least, they had to be illegitimate children who had received exceptional education.

Often, younger sons or third sons, who wouldn’t inherit family titles, were sent to serve, as it was coveted to be a chamberlain in the royal palace. In a world where the king and the royal family were the state itself, the head chamberlain overseeing royal schedules wielded power equivalent to that of a minister.

Anyway, the fortunate boy, no, the youth Santian Rauno stepped outside in his crisp shoulder sash. As dawn broke, what he had to do now…

Was nothing at all.

The untrained Tian had no clue what he was supposed to do as a chamberlain. Yet during his time at the Monarch Baron’s household, he had gleaned some things from being scolded by the butler, so he headed toward the kitchen where the handmaidens gathered. Hovering near one of the handmaidens, he pretended to be doing something, cough cough, checking if the washing water was warm enough, he dipped a hand in to feel. The handmaiden stifled a laugh.

She laughed? How dare she?

If he were a true chamberlain, he wouldn’t have tolerated such rudeness from a handmaiden.

The precious purple sash wasn’t just for show.

A chamberlain always moved a step ahead to ensure their master’s tasks proceeded smoothly, with extensive discretion granted to them. They had the authority to stop handmaidens and servants from their work and command them to do something else immediately. Being disliked by a chamberlain could make one’s life miserable in an instant.

But what could he do?

The sharp-eyed handmaidens surely knew he was a halfwit chamberlain. Having once been beaten by a drunken man months ago, Tian had learned anew about the ferocity of adults, so he couldn’t flaunt his sash with bravado.

Nor did he have the temperament for it.

Tian followed a handmaiden carrying washing water. He knocked and entered a room where Lena was stirring as if she had just woken.

Whoosh—

Blushing furiously, Tian turned his head. Though she was only a year older, the bare leg of Lena, who should be adorably childlike, was tantalizing.

In her pajamas. One leg alarmingly spread apart, she mumbled, “Tian. Good morning~” while appraising him up and down.

Somehow, this didn’t feel like Lena.

With a lazy stretch, Lena let out a small yawn. Without a word, she beckoned the handmaiden to bring the washing water and meticulously washed her face. Fortunately, as she finally lifted her head with a sparkle, she had returned to her usual self.

“Tian… you’re here.”

But Santian felt a pang at her softly pronounced morning greeting. She had never felt more like a woman at that moment.

Lena’s next action was also different from usual. She instructed the handmaiden to help her with makeup, then sat up straight at the vanity. While the handmaiden tended to her, she pondered deeply before finally speaking.

“Tian. Please tell Lady Trista Wilend that I would like to have a meal together.”

“Uh, okay. Understood.”

Santian Rauno couldn’t immediately respond to Lena’s command. After hesitating, Lena turned her head and said,

“Now.”

Only then did he scramble to act.

Lady Trista Wilend was the youngest daughter of the Count Wilend family.

Count Geoff Wilend was doting on her; recently, she had come of age and was looking for a groom, and the common saying was that “it will take at least another year for her to marry since the Count has high standards.”

Since Lady Trista Wilend had no chamberlain, Santian went to find her directly.

Excuse me for intruding at this early hour. But the princess wishes to have a meal with you. ─ Even though he delivered the message without an appointment or elaboration, the weight of the name ‘princess’ solved everything. Before long, a neat breakfast setting was prepared in Lena’s room.

In the middle of it all, the prince, Leo de Yeriel, asked through a servant, “Why isn’t my sister coming to eat?” But Lena told him to say she would eat separately as she faced Lady Trista Wilend.

“It’s the first time we’re meeting separately after greeting each other yesterday.”

“Yes. I’m happy to be invited, princess. Did you sleep well last night?”

“Thanks to you, I did sleep well. I’m more grateful hearing you say you’re glad. Honestly, I have no friends… so I was delighted to meet someone my age.”

“Oh my, if you think so, I’m very honored.”

The two noble girls exchanged bright laughter. Meanwhile, Santian, who stood nearby, felt innocent yet hurt.

Lena and Trista complimented each other, starting a lively conversation.

Then,

“It smells wonderful. What fragrance are you wearing?” “Oh no, I enjoy a bubble bath in the morning.” “Ah, that explains your beautiful skin; I envy you. I’ve never taken a bubble bath before.” “You, princess? Ah… that’s right.”

As the princess disclosed her shortcomings, Lady Trista’s words became cautious. Lena casually responded, encouraging her curiosity.

“I haven’t had the luxury of bathing. I’ve just wandered around washing in streams whenever I could…”

“Oh my, that’s truly remarkable. But… um… you know when you were on the run? Wasn’t it tough?”

Lena smiled sweetly. Gently, she poked her sharp words into the naive lady.

“It’s difficult. But it’s more important who you’re with. I received plenty of care because I was with my older brother… do you think he’s a good person?”

“Huh? Uh, uh…”

“I think I’m done eating now. Please clear this away. You know, your guard knight…”

“Wait a second!”

Lady Trista rose, her eyes wide open, hands trembling. The pure lady in her light green dress was grateful that the handmaidens had left to clear the dishes, but she nervously cast glances at Santian Rauno left in the room.

“Tian. Please go outside for a moment.”

Tian stepped outside. “There’s a good way to check…” The last thing he heard was Lena’s sweet whisper before the door closed.

*

“Um… Lena. You’re acting a bit strange today.”

Santian Rauno cautiously approached Lena around midday. Her strange behavior, insisting she wanted to see the training grounds with the guidance of a knight, felt too peculiar.

“Is it that way?” Lena casually took the knight’s arm, and Tian, standing right behind her, saw.

Lena lightly scratched with her finger at the knight’s burly arm.

“What are you doing?”

“Why do you ask?”

In the empty corridor, Lena turned around, looked Tian up and down as she had in the morning, and harshly confronted him.

“That guy earlier is just like you.”

“What, what do you mean we’re the same?”

Lena didn’t answer. She reached out and lightly touched his chin, then directed her gaze down at him, delivering her reply.

“If you understand, then get lost. I don’t even want to see your face anymore. And don’t call my name again. Don’t speak informally either.”

Leaving her frozen friend behind, Lena turned around, feeling regret. Why am I acting like this? Yet nothing about those idiots from this morning appealed to her. They seemed so simple-minded, and she felt like they were inconsequential.

That didn’t mean her self-esteem had risen. Feeling like she was scraping the bottom, Lena wished to crash into something and break. What held her back was her noble blood, her awareness of being a princess.

I miss my brother. I would do anything for him. No, I don’t want to see him. I hate him too. I’m not a dirty girl…

It was dizzying.

Feeling dizzy, Lena craved fresh air and headed outside. As she staggered into the snowy garden, the person she saw was none other than her brother Reb.

[ Achievement: First Meeting with Lena – Lena holds a high favor for Leo. ]

“Brother…”

“Uh? Lena, what’s wrong?”

He was such a silly brother.

They had just met, yet he was acting unnaturally close, and even now, rushing over with a shocked, “Are you hurt?” was all too familiar.

“Yeah. I’m sick.”

“Uh, where? Why? Did you eat something bad? We need to go to the church right now… no, where’s the Cardinal?”

Brother Reb scooped me up without further ado. As he started to rush off, Lena raised her hand, wrapping it around his neck.

“Wait. I have something to say.”

“Let’s talk about that later. Just for now…”

“A kiss would make me feel better.”

Lena pulled Reb down by the neck. Just as she was about to clumsily lean in for a kiss,

“Wham!”

She got slapped.

It was such a hard slap that any thought of kissing or dreaming was wiped from Lena’s mind as she clutched her forehead, groaning for a while.

As the pain subsided, Lena, boiling with anger, shouted.

“Brother! I’m a princess! How dare you do this to a princess… Eek!”

A finger was firmly raised before her face. As she thrashed about and fell to the ground, she dashed off, and immediately Reb came rushing out at the sound of his sister’s scream.

“Brother! Reb brother hit me!”

“What?”

“L-look here.”

Lena showed him her red forehead, snitching, but Reb looked not at all impressed.

“You must have done something to deserve it. Reb, what happened?”

“Don’t ask. I’m just mad.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t you care that your younger sister got hit?”

“… She pretended to be hurt for me.”

“A girl can pretend to be hurt too. Where in the world is there a man who reacts like that… Ugh!”

“You were in the wrong!”

Once again, Lena received a slap in the same spot, losing her temper and yelled,

“I hate everyone!”

She ran back to her room and locked herself in.

Those wicked brothers. I’ll never see them again. I’m going to die from fasting here, miserable and sick!

─ Although she resolved herself, she soon forgot her determination, waking up from a warm bed back to her innocent self that evening.

However, due to one of Lena’s actions that morning, the Count Wilend family had turned upside down like a disturbed beehive.

Lady Trista Wilend declared her guard knight a dirty scoundrel. She informed her father that he had lured her to run away, leading the knight to be thrown in jail.

Leo and Reb stared at the entire situation in confusion. Soon it was discovered that Lena had assisted Lady Trista, but only the darkened Tian knew the true story.