I NEED TO HURRY...!
UGH! IT FEELS LIKE I GOT SOME OF THAT OLD TOAD'S SLIME ON ME...!
I THINK IT'S STARTING TO SMELL, TOO!
TRYING TO STIR UP A SCANDAL BETWEEN COUNT ETIENNE AND THE PRINCESS...
THE HEAD MAID REALLY IS RUTHLESS.
COUNT LARQUE ETIENNE...
...COMES FROM A NOBLE FAMILY WITH THREE GENERATIONS OF PRESTIGE AND CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
THOUGH A POWERFUL MAN AND THE LORD PROTECTOR'S RIGHT-HAND MAN,
HE'S AS GREEDY AS HE IS PERVERTED. JUST THE SIGHT OF HIM MAKES MY STOMACH TURN.
AND IF A HANDKERCHIEF BELONGING TO A MAN LIKE THAT WERE TO BE FOUND IN HER WARDROBE,
PRINCESS MEDEA WOULD BE RUINED.
SHE'LL BE THE TALK OF THE PALACE FOR WEEKS.
SERVES HER RIGHT! A SCANDAL WITH A 50-YEAR-OLD TOAD WILL RUIN ALL HER CHANCES OF MARRIAGE!
ESPECIALLY IF IT'S COUNT ETIENNE, OF ALL PEOPLE!
BUT STILL...
THINGS WEREN'T ALWAYS LIKE THIS BETWEEN US.
I HEAR THE PRINCESS HAS CAST YOU ASIDE, AND NOW YOU'RE STUCK SCRUBBING FLOORS ALONGSIDE THE OTHER MAIDS.
HOW FOOLISH CAN YOU BE TO LET NERIL TAKE YOUR PLACE?
SURELY YOU DON'T THINK I'LL BE THE ONLY ONE THE LORD PROTECTOR ABANDONS WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, DO YOU?
IF I WERE YOU, I'D BE FIGURING OUT HOW TO SURVIVE.
BUT SHE'S STILL ROYALTY... DON'T YOU FEAR THE HEAVENS?
IF THIS GOES WELL,
I'LL SEE TO IT THAT YOU'RE ADOPTED INTO A NOBLE HOUSE.
MY HUSBAND'S NEPHEW IS STILL WITHOUT AN HEIR, YOU SEE.
SPEND A FEW YEARS AS THEIR ADOPTED DAUGHTER,
AND YOU COULD BE A NOBLE LADY YOURSELF.
IF I BECOME A NOBLE, SAMON AND I CAN FINALLY BE TOGETHER WITHOUT HAVING TO HIDE.
DON'T RESENT ME FOR THIS, YOUR HIGHNESS.
YOU ABANDONED ME FIRST.
Episode 8
YOUR HIGHNESS, JUST AS YOU SUSPECTED,
MARIEU MET WITH THE HEAD MAID LAST NIGHT.
AFTERWARD, I SAW HER ENTER YOUR DRESSING ROOM AND HIDE SOMETHING IN YOUR WARDROBE.
THIS IS WHAT SHE HID.
COUNT ETIENNE...
IT SEEMS QUEZIN IS GETTING DESPERATE.
THOSE VILE LITTLE RATS...
YOUR HIGHNESS, I CAN MAKE TWO OR THREE BODIES DISAPPEAR WITHOUT A TRACE.
JUST GIVE THE ORDER, AND I WILL---
WOULD THAT INCLUDE THE MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS AS WELL? YOU'D ONLY BE PUTTING YOURSELF IN DANGER TOO, NERIL.
BUT YOU ARE BOTH MY MASTER AND MY SAVIOR.
I WOULD GLADLY GIVE MY LIFE FOR YOU!
SHE'S TOO LOYAL FOR HER OWN GOOD.
SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE'LL CHARGE OUT THE DOOR ANY MOMENT NOW.
CALM YOURSELF. IT'S TOO SOON FOR THAT.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, NERIL, YOU SAID YOU ARE GOOD AT HIDING THINGS, CORRECT?
YES, YOUR HIGHNESS.
THEN LET'S TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE HEAD MAID'S LITTLE GIFT.
ISN'T THAT...?
YES, IT'S MARIEU'S BRACELET. ONE OF THE NEW MAIDS BROUGHT IT TO ME.
SHE SUSPECTED MARIEU HAD STOLEN IT FROM MY COLLECTION.
I SAW HER DROP IT, AND I WAS GOING TO RETURN IT TO HER, BUT SOMETHING DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT.
THIS PIECE IS WELL BEYOND HER STATION, YET IT SEEMS SHE'S BEEN FLAUNTING IT QUITE SHAMELESSLY, CLAIMING IT'S A TOKEN OF LOVE.
WE SHOULD RETURN IT TO ITS OWNER, BUT NOT WITHOUT ADDING A LITTLE TOUCH FIRST.
WRAP IT IN COUNT ETIENNE'S HANDKERCHIEF AND SLIP IT INTO MARIEU'S BELONGINGS.
AS YOU WISH, YOUR HIGHNESS.
NOW THEN, LET'S GET GOING.
YOU SAID AN ESCORT IS WAITING TO TAKE US TO THE MARQUESS, RIGHT?
YES, ONE OF MY MASTER'S OTHER APPRENTICES SHOULD BE OUTSIDE WITH THE CARRIAGE RIGHT NOW.
ANOTHER OF MARQUESS GYLIPPUS' APPRENTICES?
YES, HE CAN BE A BIT ARROGANT, BUT HE'S EXCEPTIONALLY SKILLED.
I THINK YOU'LL LIKE HIM, YOUR HIGHNESS.
WELL, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT? I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE ROYALTY USING THE BACK GATE.
WE KNIGHTS ONLY USE IT WHEN WE'RE SNEAKING OUT.
SHE WAS RIGHT ABOUT HIM BEING ARROGANT.
PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, PRINCESS.
I WAS STARTING TO THINK NERIL HAD GONE AND STARTED DIGGING HERSELF A TUNNEL OR SOMETHING.
THEN AGAIN, I SUPPOSE KEEPING A COMMONER WAITING IS HARDLY A CONCERN FOR SOMEONE OF YOUR STATUS.
MIND YOUR TONE, TOM.
REMEMBER WHO YOU'RE SPEAKING TO.
WHY, YOU LITTLE...!
COMPARED TO THE SCORN I'VE ENDURED IN MY PAST LIFE,
THIS IS JUST CHARMING.
IT'S ALL RIGHT, NERIL.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU. I'LL BE COUNTING ON YOU TO SEE US SAFELY TO THE ESTATE.
OH... SURE.
LET'S BE ON OUR WAY, THEN.
TO MARQUESS GYLIPPUS.
The Head Maid plans to cause a scandal by having Count Etienne's handkerchief hidden in Princess Medea's wardrobe. The disgraced maid Marieu is used as a pawn in this scheme with the promise of being adopted into a noble family. However, Neril reports the situation to Medea. Medea counters by sending the handkerchief back to Marieu along with Marieu's bracelet, and then sets off to go to Marquis Gylippus.
