A-ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?! HOW DARE YOU--
EEK!!
IF YOU SO MUCH AS LAY A HAND ON HER HIGHNESS,
I'LL BREAK EVERY ONE OF YOUR FINGERS.
NERIL, YOU SHOULD GET SOME MORE REST.
I'M FINE, YOUR HIGHNESS.
HER BODY IS LIKE STEEL...
SHE WAS USING ONLY HER LEFT ARM BECAUSE OF HER INJURIES, YET HER FORM WAS FLAWLESS.
SHE'S STRONG. WITH SKILLS LIKE THAT, SHE COULD HOLD HER OWN AGAINST KAZHEN'S SEVEN-STAR KNIGHTS.
NERIL, STARTING TODAY, YOU'LL BE MY PERSONAL ATTENDANT.
YES, YOUR HIGHNESS.
NOW GATHER ALL THE MAIDS IN MY PALACE.
Episode 5
THE REASON I'VE CALLED YOU ALL HERE TODAY IS TO REASSIGN YOUR DUTIES.
YOU WILL HANDLE MY DRESSES FROM NOW ON. AND YOU, MY JEWELRY.
!
U-US...?
THIS MUST BE OUR LUCKY DAY!
SO THE RUMORS THAT HER HIGHNESS DISMISSED MARIEU WERE TRUE...!
SPEAKING OF DUTIES, YOUR HIGHNESS,
SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENED WHEN WE WENT TO PICK UP SUPPLIES TODAY.
GO ON.
THE ROYAL QUARTERMASTER MADE US TAKE SOAKED, MOLDY FIREWOOD,
EVEN THOUGH PERFECTLY DRY WOOD WAS STACKED RIGHT BESIDE IT.
AND APPARENTLY, THE OTHER MAIDS WERE TOLD TO STAY AWAY FROM OUR PALACE!
OH DEAR, IT SEEMS THE HEAD MAID DIDN'T TAKE YESTERDAY'S PUNISHMENT VERY WELL.
SO THE RUMOR...
...THAT YOU CANED THE HEAD MAID... WAS TRUE?
AND YOU TRULY CONFRONTED MADAM QUEZIN BECAUSE OF NERIL...?
THIS IS MY PALACE, AND YOU ARE MY MAIDS.
I WOULD'VE DONE THE SAME FOR ANY ONE OF YOU.
I'M AFRAID THE HEAD MAID MAY GIVE YOU SOME TROUBLE FOR A WHILE BECAUSE OF HER RESENTMENT TOWARD ME.
BUT I REFUSE TO YIELD TO HER.
IF I BACK DOWN NOW, SHE'LL BELIEVE SHE CAN TREAT YOU HOWEVER SHE PLEASES.
I MAY NOT HAVE MUCH POWER, BUT I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO BE ABUSED THAT WAY.
WHEN THE MOMENT IS RIGHT, I WILL SPEAK WITH MY UNCLE.
UNTIL THEN, I ASK THAT YOU BEAR WITH ME A LITTLE LONGER.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT US, YOUR HIGHNESS! WE WOULD NEVER HOLD THIS AGAINST YOU!
THAT'S RIGHT! NO MATTER HOW THE HEAD MAID TREATS US, WE'LL CONTINUE TO SERVE YOU FAITHFULLY!
THANK YOU.
I TRULY APPRECIATE IT.
YOUR HIGHNESS, THOSE MAIDS ARE ALWAYS QUICK TO SPREAD GOSSIP ABOUT YOU BEYOND THE PALACE WALLS.
YOU'VE GIVEN THOSE VULTURES FAR MORE THAN THEY DESERVE.
WHICH IS PRECISELY WHY I PLAN TO GET RID OF THEM.
HOW WILL YOU DO THAT...?
THEY'LL LIKELY SELL THOSE JEWELS THE MOMENT THEY STEP OUTSIDE THE PALACE GATES.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I INTENDED.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE JEWELS WAS A GIFT FROM MY UNCLE.
LAVISH PIECES ADORNED WITH LARGE STONES, YET ENTIRELY DEVOID OF ELEGANCE.
HE WOULD OCCASIONALLY GIVE ME SUCH GIFTS TO LOOK LIKE A CARING UNCLE,
ALL WHILE PORTRAYING ME AS SOME DECADENT PRINCESS.
THE RUMORS WILL SPREAD SOON.
AREN'T YOU CURIOUS TO SEE HOW MUCH OF IT MY UNCLE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTAIN?
A FEW GAUDY TRINKETS LIKE THOSE ARE A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR A LITTLE HELP.
WITHIN DAYS, RUMORS SPREAD THAT THE PRINCESS'S JEWELS HAD APPEARED ON THE MARKET,
SOLD BY HER VERY OWN MAIDS.
PEOPLE GREW CURIOUS AND WONDERED WHY A PRINCESS WOULD FEEL THE NEED TO BUY HER SERVANTS' LOYALTY WITH HER OWN VALUABLES.
FORTUNATELY, WHILE THE RUMORS SPREAD, QUEZIN CONTINUED ON WITH HER HARASSMENT WITHOUT RELENTING.
THOUGH SHE WAS ALWAYS DISCREET ABOUT IT, THE GROWING ATTENTION ON THE PRINCESS'S PALACE...
...ONLY FUELED THE MAIDS WHO HAD PROFITED FROM MY JEWELS TO SPREAD EVEN MORE VICIOUS RUMORS.
SOON, THE ROYAL PALACE, A PLACE INTENDED TO EMBODY HONOR AND DIGNITY, BECAME TAINTED BY WHISPERS OF INSUBORDINATION.
"DID YOU HEAR? THE HEAD MAID IS TORMENTING THE PRINCESS!"
IT LOOKS LIKE THE PRINCESS OF BALDINA IS GETTING IT PRETTY BAD, BOSS.
THE HEAD MAID SEEMS EVERY BIT AS NASTY AS OUR MADAM OF THE WEST.
THEY SAY SHE'S BEEN PUTTING SAND IN THE PRINCESS'S FOOD AND EVEN SMEARING SCENTS THAT DRAW PESTS TO HER BEDDING.
THESE RUMORS ARE STARTING TO SOUND MORE LIKE HORROR STORIES IF YOU ASK ME.
YOU MUST'VE HAD PLENTY OF TIME ON YOUR HANDS, SEEING AS YOU WENT AHEAD AND PLANTED A SPY IN THE PRINCESS'S PALACE.
WELL... I THOUGHT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET SOME USEFUL INFORMATION.
I PITY THAT POOR PRINCESS, THOUGH.
SHE MUST BE DESPERATE IF SHE'S GIVING AWAY THE JEWELS HER UNCLE GIFTED HER TO HER MAIDS.
SHE GAVE AWAY JEWELS?
YEAH, THEY'RE ALREADY ON THE MARKET. BLACK SAPPHIRES, LAMB'S TEARS...
THE KIND THE NOUVEAU RICHE GO CRAZY FOR.
I CAN'T TELL IF SHE'S NAIVE OR JUST PLAIN DUMB.
SHE CAN'T SERIOUSLY THINK THAT'LL WIN THE MAIDS OVER, CAN SHE?
WHAT IF SHE HAD ANOTHER PURPOSE?
ANOTHER PURPOSE?
PROMOTION. QUEEN.
AGH, DAMN IT!
MY BISHOP...!
RARE AS IT MAY BE, THERE ARE TIMES THAT THE SMALLEST, MOST INSIGNIFICANT PIECE ON THE BOARD DEVOURS EVERYTHING.
IT'S ONLY A QUESTION OF HOW IT WILL CHANGE, WHAT IT WILL CONSUME...
OR WHETHER IT WILL END UP BEING DEVOURED.
INTERESTING.
LET GO OF ME!!
WHERE ARE YOU TAKING US?!
AAGH!!
W-WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?!
THE NERVE OF YOU, AFTER WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! AS OF TODAY, YOU'RE NO LONGER AFFILIATED WITH THE PRINCESS'S PALACE!
COUNTLESS MAIDS IN THE ROYAL PALACE WITNESSED EVERYTHING!
THEY SAW HOW YOU TORMENTED HER HIGHNESS AND THEN TRIED TO SHIFT THE BLAME ONTO THE HEAD MAID!
W-WHAT?! THAT'S A COMPLETE LIE!
WE'RE INNOCENT! YOU'RE THE ONES WHO'VE BEEN MISTREATING US!
YOUR HIGHNESS, HELP US!!
THEY'RE TAKING US AWAY!
LET GO OF US! THE PRINCESS WON'T STAND FOR THIS!
YOUR HIGHNESS! YOUR HIGHNESS...!!
WHAT'S ALL THIS NOISE?
YOUR HIGHNESS, I AM DEEPLY SORRY YOU WERE SUBJECTED TO SUCH TREATMENT.
MADAM QUEZIN SENT US TO SEE THAT THIS MATTER IS SETTLED AT ONCE.
IT APPEARS THOSE INSOLENT WRETCHES HAVE BEEN TURNING YOU AND THE HEAD MAID AGAINST EACH OTHER ALL THIS TIME.
FOR THEIR DISRESPECT TOWARD THE ROYAL FAMILY, THEY WILL BE PUT TO DEATH.
I SEE. WELL DONE.
YOU HONOR ME, YOUR HIGHNESS.
WE'VE ALSO BROUGHT YOU NEW MAIDS.
THEY ARE NEW TO THE PALACE, SO THEY SHOULD SERVE YOU FAITHFULLY AND SINCERELY.
I SEE.
QUEZIN'S ALWAYS HAD EXCELLENT JUDGMENT. IF SHE CHOSE THEM, I TRUST THEY'LL DO JUST FINE.
REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAW HERE TODAY.
THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO BETRAY THEIR MASTER. UNDERSTOOD?
YES, YOUR HIGHNESS.
OH, AND BE SURE TO GIVE QUEZIN MY THANKS.
PARDON...?
SHE SPARED ME THE TROUBLE.
WHY IS SHE SMILING? UNLESS... NO...
DID SHE USE THE HEAD MAID ON PURPOSE...?
To be continued
The Princess makes the wounded Neril her personal handmaiden and redistributes the duties of the servants in the palace. She gives dresses and the jewels gifted by her uncle to the gossiping servants. While rumors quickly spread that the jewels have been sold, Head Handmaiden Quezin's pressure intensifies. In the end, those servants are accused of tormenting the princess and taken away.
