I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

‘I’m really surprised.’

I should be. 

Because the list in my hand now had over 50 people on it.

“Isn’t that too many? How can there be so many people and yet not enough funds?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

I furrowed my brows as I read down the list. My palace only needed about twenty people, but this list said twice that many.

“Betty, your salary comes under my name, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. It’s issued in the name of Her Highness, the Princess.”

The royal family members received a fixed amount of money monthly. They used it to pay salaries to the palace staff and for personal expenses.

‘But as soon as my money comes, it disappears into wages and whatnot. The biggest expense seems to be for medicine.’

I flipped through a piece of paper, scanning through the expenses.

There was a list of expensive medicines.

‘I have weak health, so they’ve swindled me with medicine costs.’

If anyone objected, they’d say, ‘It didn’t work, even though it was expensive. I’m sad.’ And that would be the end of it.

But none of these expensive medicines matched my symptoms.

They were even buying cheap herbs at exorbitant prices.

And then, the next big expense.

“Trees and flowers?”

I furrowed my brows. As some might know, flowers and trees were quite expensive.

Some fools bankrupted themselves over the cost of flowers for a party.

But was I one of those fools?

“Oh.”

My garden! Come to think of it, there were plenty of expensive trees and flowers in my garden.

There were indeed plenty.

Things that are diseased, writhing, and broken as if they were planted strangely and have never seen sunlight.

‘From the beginning, I brought in things that were in bad condition cheaply and just planted them.’

And when they all died, I’d probably buy them again at the right time and replant them.

That’s how I covered up the wages and other costs.

It was convenient that something was planted in the garden, so it was okay for others to ignore it.

“Oh, dear, my head.”

I felt dizzy.

“Shall I bring you some medicine?”

I shook my head and went back to reading the list. There must be someone in charge. Someone in charge, someone in charge… Ah.

“Betty, who is this person?”

Betty, who had brought the water, leaned over to read the list.

But she couldn’t find the name and struggled for a while.

“This person, Leold Dean??”

“Oh! Baron Dean. He’s a kind person! He often comes to check the mansion and helps out. He used to give us a sack of flour when he heard we were running low on ingredients.”

Betty grinned.

I grinned too.

So this guy was the one who had been squandering my money?

“Where can I find this guy?”

“I heard he works at the palace.”

As Betty struggled to remember, a knocking sound was heard.

“Sorry, it’s urgent. Excuse me for a moment, Princess Lottie.”

The person who entered through the door was the servant who had left earlier, accompanied by an elderly man.

“Greetings, Princess Lottie.”

The new guest was also dressed in court attire, but unlike the others, his attire was subtly splendid.

Yes, as if he could command an Emperor or an Empress… Wait a moment.

“Her Majesty the Good Empress wishes to see Her Highness the Princess.”

Can I take a break for a moment?

* * *

“We’ve arrived.”

Finally, I came to meet the Empress.

The servant, seeing my condition, kindly suggested I could come another time if I wasn’t feeling well.

‘But do I have the authority to refuse?’

Even if the accusations against me were lifted, I was still the weakest in this palace. So if I was called, I had to come. Was there any other choice?

‘I also wanted to check her condition.’

Since someone I had treated had regained consciousness, I was curious about her condition.

There were also things to gain from this, you see.

As the carriage door opened, the servant familiarly offered his hand.

“Her Majesty the Good Empress is currently in the study.”

“Do I go to the study as well?”

As we passed through corridors that were incomparable to those of my palace, the servant nodded slightly.

“Princess Lottie, there is somewhere you should go first.”

Following the servant, we arrived at the bathroom.

Steam was rising from the white bathtub as if hot water had just been poured.

As the bathroom door closed, two maids appeared from somewhere.

“This way, Princess Lottie.”

Plop!

I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I was in the bathtub. What? Is this a dream?

I blinked.

But soon, I relaxed completely.

‘Ah, this feels good.’

I had been imprisoned for over a month, and before coming here, my body had been unconscious for over two days.

When warm water was poured onto my stiff body, I felt like I was alive again.

My body was melting.

‘When I get my money back, I’ll have to buy a bathtub first.’

Among the many decrepit doors, there must be a bathroom.

I’ll buy a bathtub like this, white porcelain. It would be even better if it had golden legs.

‘Betty would like it too.’

I gently touched the bathtub with my small hand.

I liked bathing, but I couldn’t do it often. Chopping wood, boiling water, and then painstakingly filling the bathtub.

It was too complicated a process.

Even the bathtub in Cranis wasn’t as good as this.

It was made of wooden planks woven together, so water leaked, and sharp wood pieces stuck into the skin.

‘So I distanced myself.’

I liked it, but it was too much trouble. It was better to take one more step towards my goal at that time.

Focus on the goal now, and later, later, later.

When later comes, you can enjoy it to your heart’s content.

“… “

I remembered muttering in the past and closed my eyes tightly.

“I’ve brought something to drink.”

When I opened my eyes, a maid was holding a cup of herbal tea with ice.

“Thank you.”

This is so nice. I took a sip of the cold tea and let out a satisfying breath.

After the bath, the maids took me to the dressing room, where my body was quickly undressed, and a new dress was put on in no time.

Their swift movements were almost hard to follow. What’s going on here?

“Now, I just need to do your hair. Do you have any preferred jewelry?”

A maid handed me a jewelry box as I sat on a round stool.

It was filled with elaborate hair accessories.

Wow, just selling one of those could provide me with leisure for several months.

“But why are you giving these to me?”

But you can’t refuse them outright.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. There are pretenders to freebies, though.

“The dress, the jewelry, the hospitality… it’s too much.”

“It’s Her Majesty the Good Empress‘ orders. Her Majesty said to apologize to Your Highness Princess Lottie by offering the dress and jewelry.”

In other words, the dress I’m wearing now and the jewelry I’m picking are given as an apology.

‘Why is the Empress apologizing to me?’

Who knew that the meeting of Tiani’s water and two tea leaves would have such a detrimental effect?

In the end, both of us were victims.

‘Could it be because of the maids?’

I narrowed my eyes at the sudden thought.

“The maids also testified that there was something wrong with you…”

Arkin, who came to see me in prison, clearly said that.

The maids Arkin mentioned must have been the Empress’ maids.

Finishing my thoughts, I nodded slightly.

“For now, I’ll meet the Empress and then decide.”

Just a dress and jewelry won’t cut it. If I’m going to accept something, I’ll ask for something bigger.

“Yes, then I’ll guide you to Her Majesty the Good Empress.”

The maid seemed a bit surprised by my response but quickly led me to the Empress.

I thought we were going to the study, but the place the maid took me to was a small garden.

It wasn’t a showy garden but a small one arranged according to the owner’s taste, with small flowers and low shrubs.

‘For an imperial Empress, her taste is rather simple.’

The white flowers over there are grandels, commonly seen in fields, and the flowers on the other side are dandelions, also commonly seen in fields or on roadsides.

“These days, smugglers are causing trouble. We need to increase the bounty…”

“Your Majesty the Good Empress, Princess Lottie has arrived.”

The conversation abruptly ended with the maid’s words. A noble-looking person bowed their head.

“It seems the guest has arrived. I will go see His Majesty then.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

After the noble left, the person who had been sitting at the table turned around slowly.

A woman who looked like she had weathered many years, evident from her appearance. Her once deep blue hair now had streaks of white flowing through it. Overall, she emitted a fragile aura. However, her golden eyes that looked at me shone as brightly as a blade.

“Wow.”

Goosebumps rose on my back, and cold sweat trickled down.

People like her usually fall into two categories.

They either cherish those on their side.

Or they ask questions that could kill.