I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 25
CHAPTER 25
“Thank you so much for treating my child’s illness.”
Wait a moment.
“I was pleased when you mentioned making me a maid.”
No, why?
“But I cannot be a maid to the princess. I’m sorry.”
Why!!
I didn’t expect to be rejected. I froze in place.
“It’s embarrassing, but I’ll honestly tell the princess.”
Okay, tell me! If there’s a problem, I can solve it!
“Viscount Bayron, Raven’s grandfather, keeps trying to steal my child, Raven.”
“Your child?”
“Yes, he claims he wants to become the guardian… But if the child dies, the title naturally passes to Viscount Bayron.”
Ah. I blinked.
Usually, the eldest son inherits the main title and the younger sons or others receive other titles held by the father.
But this title was a single inheritance. A half-title that cannot be passed down to a child. Moreover, it became a branch title in the family, so its influence was greatly weakened.
In the midst of this, the Count died, and the only successor was wandering around.
‘So he planned to take over the title after becoming the guardian.’
“Although I keep refusing, he’s pressuring me by insisting on Raven’s education and health.”
The lady wrinkled her face. A bitter smile formed at the corners of her mouth.
“He even asked how a woman without a husband could raise a child alone and suggested marrying him.”
“He must be quite old.”
“Yes, I believe he’s over 60 years old this year.”
“Are you perhaps…”
“I’m a little over half that age.”
Yuck! I stuck out my tongue.
Even if he ascends to the Count position, he won’t live long.
He’s just too greedy.
As I grimaced, the Countess lightly smiled as if understanding.
“When he finds out Raven’s condition has improved, he’ll try to take him away by force.”
Of course. He wouldn’t miss this opportunity.
Once he takes her away, he won’t just let Raven go.
Isn’t an illness a good excuse?
“I understand the situation isn’t good. But I don’t understand why. If you become my maid, at least you’ll have a position.”
In response to me, the lady nodded her head and continued in a low voice.
“That’s right, but the maid’s salary isn’t much.”
Indeed, it was almost like an honorary position, so the salary wasn’t much.
It was insufficient to afford expensive inheritance education.
Before mentioning increasing the salary tenfold, the lady spoke first.
“And even if it’s not Viscount Bayron, the child still needs a guardian. So, I asked a distant relative to be the guardian.”
“…It won’t be easy.”
“Yes, there were some demands, but since they’re my relatives, they don’t covet the title.”
Judging by the lady’s expression, it didn’t seem like they were easy demands. They were probably all unreasonable requests.
Still, there was no other way, so Countess Saila would have accepted it.
“If I were to become the princess’s maid, I would be separated from Raven.”
Countess Saila smiled faintly. It was a bitter smile.
“I cannot be separated from Raven. My husband is dead, and Raven is all I have left.”
The countess turned her head and looked at the child sleeping soundly on the bed. Eyes filled with so much love as they gazed upon the child.
I stared blankly at those eyes for a moment.
“So I had to decline your kind offer. I apologize, Your Highness.”
“Hmm.”
I understand.
Countess Saila had enough reason to refuse the maid’s job.
But I couldn’t let her go like this.
“Countess Liena Saila.”
I spoke up.
“Let me ask you one thing. If everything regarding the guardian, salary, and inheritance education were resolved, would you want to be a maid again?”
“Yes.”
The countess immediately responded.
As if this were the only truth.
“I enjoyed being a maid.”
I nodded.
“I have no intention of parting with the child or leaving the capital.”
“That’s understandable. It’s better to stay in the capital to obtain herbs.”
Raven was not fully recovered.
He needed to take the medicine several more times.
Even if the next medicine wasn’t a flower of starlight, it still required a combination of various herbs and remedies.
And the easiest place to obtain such ingredients was in the capital.
“Alright.”
I nodded and got up.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes? Where to, Your Highness?”
“To the Emperor.”
I will resolve all these worries for you.
* * *
“So.”
The Emperor’s face looked thoroughly perplexed.
Of course.
We had such a serious conversation in the morning, and he even said he could wait for a long time.
And yet, here I was, just a few hours later.
And I brought a lady with me for no apparent reason.
“To ask a favor of me?”
“Yes!”
I shouted with all my might.
“I want to appoint Countess Liena Saila as my maid.”
The faces of the Emperor and the Imperial Knight Commander Gerol, who was with him, subtly changed.
Gerol looked startled, his eyes widened.
If I wanted to appoint the countess as a maid, there was no need to come to the Emperor.
I could simply appoint her as a maid and handle the paperwork later.
Like I did with the servants working in the palace.
“There must be a reason you brought the lady here.”
“That’s correct.”
I stepped forward and introduced the lady.
“This is Countess Liena Saila.”
“It’s been a while, Your Majesty. I greet you with my new surname, Saila. I am Liena Saila.”
The countess, who had been momentarily frozen by the sudden announcement, quickly regained her composure and bowed.
Despite the passage of time, there was not a single flaw or criticism in the countess’ demeanor.
“Been a while?”
The Emperor narrowed his eyes as if something caught his attention.
“The lady used to work in the palace before. I brought her here.”
As the chamberlain answered beside me, the Emperor’s expression became even more subtle.
There was a slight sense of confusion in the Emperor’s voice.
“Why did you bring her to me? She seems to have no disqualifications.”
Chamberlains and maids were not just anyone from the aristocracy. They would have a clean criminal record, at least those who inherited their ancestral and current titles, minimum education and knowledge, and would have been born and raised in the Pandelion Empire, and so on.
It seemed trivial, but it was subtly picky.
So if someone had been a maid before, especially if the chamberlain was escorting her, she could be made a maid right away.
Neither the Emperor nor Gerol seemed to understand why I brought her.
Only the chamberlain was visibly uncomfortable.
“Yes, the lady has no disqualifications. However, I would like to become the guardian of her son, Raven Saila.”
“…!”
“And I would like Countess Saila and Raven Saila to stay in my palace.”
At my words, not only the Emperor but also the countess and Gerol widened their eyes.
‘If I become Raven’s guardian, that’s it, right?’
The salary would be increased tenfold, and I could arrange for the inheritance education in my palace.
Then all the problems would be solved!
“Hmm.”
The Emperor groaned. He seemed to be considering how to proceed.
“Unfortunately, Princess, you lack the qualifications to become the guardian of Countess Saila’s son.”
“Is it because of my age?”
The Emperor nodded at my words.
“To become a guardian, you must be at least an adult.”
Of course. I frowned. I was only 15 years old.
A 15-year-old declaring to be the guardian of a 9-year-old naturally faced obstacles.
That’s why I came to the Emperor.
“If my parent, you, Your Majesty, approve of this, will I still be unworthy of guardianship?”
Usually, it wouldn’t work.
Even if the parents agree, it doesn’t make sense for a young child to become a guardian.
But.
‘I am of royal blood, and it’s with the Emperor’s permission?’
No matter how unreasonable it may seem, if the Emperor of this country allows it, it’s allowed.
It’s often said, that the power given to you should be used.
Holding onto it without using it will only make it decay.
‘Besides, it’s also good for Countess Saila and Raven.’
The guardian being the princess of this country means the Emperor will effectively watch over Countess Saila and Raven.
“Is it difficult?”
As I spoke confidently, the wrinkles caught in the Emperor’s forehead deepened.
After a moment of deliberation, the Emperor spoke, this time not to me but to Countess Saila.
“You said you’re Countess Saila?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I’ll ask the lady. Is it acceptable for Princess Lottie, the Pandelion Empire’s Second Princess, to become the guardian of Countess Saila’s son, even if she has no demands?”
I turned slightly to look at the lady and pursed my lips.
‘I have no demands!’
I just want her to become my maid. I’m begging you like this, lady.
‘And the salary is increased tenfold!’
The lady, reading my lips, chuckled softly.
Soon, she composed herself.
“Yes, it would be an even greater honor.”