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Before the bathwater could even cool down, the bowl was empty. Meanwhile, the red-haired maidservant had skillfully trimmed my burnt hair.

The hair that had fallen to my waist now bounced up to my shoulders.

I touched the cut ends of my hair. They were slightly damp and had a deep pink hue.

What a waste… It was the first time I had such long hair. Well, that messy hairstyle doesn’t really suit me anyway. Besides, with a face like this, it would match anything, right?

With a confident demeanor, I casually hummed a tune.

After she finished cutting my burnt hair, the maidservant tidied up the room.

I waited for the right moment and called out to her.

“Excuse me.”

“Is there something you need?”

“I want more porridge. Give me a lot. In a bigger bowl than this. And please, put plenty of meat on it, okay?”

A moment of confusion flickered in the maid’s eyes. She silently bowed her head and left the room.

“Yes, I’ll bring more.”

With excitement at the thought of having more to eat, I leaned my head against the back of the bathtub.

Finally, my surroundings came into view. So, this is the room I will be living in from now on?

The room was magnificent.

The intricately carved wall murals were adorned with small jewels.

In the center, a giant chandelier sparkled. The wooden furniture, though not extravagant, exuded an antique charm.

I rose from the bathtub.

The sound of water dripping filled the room with a pleasant sensation. Despite my wet body, the room felt cozy enough not to be cold.

Instead of a musty smell, the scent of rose bath essence tickled my nose.

After roughly drying myself off, I approached the bed. I ran my fingertips over the perfectly smooth sheets.

Swish.

A delightful sensation ran through my hand.

Oh, this is amazing! It would have been such a hassle to do laundry for these sheets. They would have smelled if not dried properly. But now I don’t have to worry about that! Well, assuming I’m not getting divorced anytime soon.

I plopped down on the soft bed.

“This is it. The pinnacle of power. Where should I start enjoying it in earnest?”

Just then, the red-haired maid returned. This time, I observed her with a more relaxed gaze.

Upon closer inspection, the freckles on her face were quite cute. She resembled the character Annie from the red-haired Orphan, in a way. 

She prepared the meal on the bed, seeming a bit nervous.

“Hey, by the way, what’s your name?”

“P-P-Penny, ma’am.”

“P-P-Penny? That’s a unique name. P-P-Penny.”

“No, it’s… Penny?”

“I actually thought you were really P-P-Penny. So, it’s Penny.”

I chuckled at the amusing misunderstanding and started eating again.

Finally, Penny let out a suppressed breath.

“Are you scared of me?”

“Yes, I’m s-scared… Yes? Oh, no, I mean, absolutely not!”

Penny sent a flurry of mixed reactions of affirmation, surprise, and denial before finally dropping to her knees.

“I’m sorry! It was a mistake! Please forgive me!”

Penny trembled uncontrollably.

What could it be, this situation? Do I seem like a really bad person right now?

Could it be that Dahlia has a notorious reputation even among the maids?

Come to think of it, it was strange that only this child served her the whole time.

I am a noblewoman and a prince’s wife. It wasn’t common for only a young maid to be exclusively assigned to me.

“Penny, please get up and answer a few questions honestly. If you don’t speak properly, there will be consequences.”

I spoke sternly, and she cautiously rose to her feet, sensing the seriousness of the situation.

“Firstly, why don’t the other maids attend to me?”

Penny’s face flushed a deep red, she couldn’t believe a person could turn so red.

If this continues, will her hair eventually match mine? I hope it doesn’t explode, though.

After hesitating for a while, Penny began to speak, stumbling over her words.

“Well… it’s because Lord Etienne… he said that no one should attend to Lady Dahlia.”

“What? Etienne said that? Since when?”

It took a while to get a proper answer due to her hesitation. But the gist of it was this,

After Dahlia’s marriage, she had been tormenting the maids.

Verbal abuse was a daily occurrence, and violence was considered part of the service. It was a protest against Etienne.

As a result, innocent maids took sick leave one after another. Eventually, Etienne ordered the maids not to attend to Dahlia anymore.

Thanks to that, Penny was the only one who voluntarily attended to Dahlia.

If you ask whether Penny did it because she liked her, that wasn’t the case either.

With a shy face, Penny mumbled, “Because I can earn a lot of money…”

Dahlia, Dahlia. The more I learn about you, the more you seem like trash… Stealing, cheating, and even resorting to violence.

I shook my head in disbelief.

“It’s not because of you that I’m shaking my head, Penny. Listen carefully. It was really good that you answered the question honestly. If you continue to be this honest in everything, I promise I won’t hit or torment you. Can you promise me that?”

“…” Penny’s response was filled with skepticism, showing that she didn’t fully believe my words.

It would have been easy to say that I had lost my memory, but Etienne had expressly forbidden me from telling anyone.

“Don’t create unnecessary weaknesses,” he had said. He truly had a sensitive personality. Is that how princes are supposed to be?

Well, considering he was planning a rebellion, it made sense that he wouldn’t want any vulnerabilities.

As I recalled Etienne’s chilly gaze, a shiver ran down my spine.

Penny flinched again. No, I won’t do it for you.

I let out a kind laugh, causing her to startle.

If this doesn’t work, I’ll have to give you what you want.

“I’ll raise your salary.”

“Ask me anything you want.”

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