TPOP 61

Chapter 61

***

She was exactly as he wanted her to be. She waited for him all day long, offering her body when he wanted it and becoming a model for his paintings. It was the perfect treatment for Hilde's woman.

The first week was as refreshing as a thorn being removed from a nagging fingernail. However, the satisfaction did not last long.

She was a woman who had always had a distant look in her eyes, and now she stood there like a marionette on a string, which was not particularly beautiful. There was no sign of the vitality he needed to capture in his portrait.

Nevertheless, he still wanted to paint Diana. Even when he saw her obedient face, he no longer felt discouraged or irritated as he had before. However, he had a gut feeling that things were not going as planned.

Was it unreasonable to feel dissatisfied with a maid who faithfully obeyed his orders?

The prolonged silence seemed puzzling, and Diana blinked several more times. Then, as if she had made up her mind, she began to unbutton her slip.

Felix frowned, but since she couldn't see him, he didn't stop her. However, she fumbled a few times.

"It's not working..."

Lying on her side, Diana sighed softly as she fiddled with the buttons.

She had always thought it was a shame that the lace was torn by the man's hands. No, lace was probably the last thing on her mind, but she was afraid that the torn pieces of fabric might hurt him.

Hadn't Emile said so? She shouldn't leave handprints on the crown prince's body.

Anyway, she would take it off soon, so whether she took it off first or he tore it off, there was no big difference.

When Diana raised her upper body to take off the slip, a puzzled question came flying at her.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm worried you might hurt your hands."

After answering, she felt a pang of doubt.

Could this also be considered an action taken without his command? Diana quickly lowered her hands.

“Your Highness, no… I shouldn’t cause any harm to your body… I’m sorry if that’s not what you wanted.”

Felix closely observed her distressed face.

This was clearly her own decision.

The tightness in his chest that had been pressing down on him until just now eased. Felix's mouth relaxed.

"It doesn't matter. How much harm could you possibly do to me?"

"..."

Unable to see the man's satisfied expression, Diana forced a smile. She had to pretend to smile to hide the anger boiling inside her.

Felix observed her closely. When she brushed her hair aside to reveal her cheek, her delicate profile was exposed. Her complexion was unusually pale. Felix realized that Diana had not been allowed to leave the secret room, his bedroom, or the bathroom for several days. All three were places where no sunlight reached.

There was undoubtedly something that stimulated Diana more than his twisted creative desire. Felix recalled a scene from long ago when she had stood at the window, basking in the sunlight with her whole body.

Once he had made up his mind, there was no reason to hesitate. He threw off the blankets and picked Diana up in his arms. Then he strode out into the living room.

"Your Highness! Oh no."

Someone called out to him at the door and then fell silent. It was Duke Christine, who had come to the palace at an ambitious hour to avoid the attention of the prince's entourage. The nobles who had entered with the duke all paused.

Diana was also startled by the presence of strangers. She hurriedly buried her face in Felix's arms.

If the nobles saw her face, it could lead to trouble. Even if Duke Christine couldn't be helped, she had to avoid showing her face to the other nobles to prevent any unfavorable situations later on.

"Get out."

As always, Felix treated the eyes of others as mere decorations. Hugo tapped the nobles on the shoulder and gestured toward the exit. The nobles filed out like an outgoing tide, and Hugo, who was about to follow quickly, glanced back. Felix was placing the woman in front of the window. The soft moonlight cast a pale glow on her auburn hair.

The maid was almost naked, but strangely, it did not seem obscene. Even though she was revealed to be from Hilde, there was something elegant and mysterious about her. Perhaps it was her aura.

Felix, who was observing the woman closely, must have been swimming in a broader appreciation than Hugo. That must be why he had such a mesmerized look in his eyes.

Mesmerized, mesmerized...

Hugo bit his lip tightly.

Felix stroked the maid's hair and brushed her eyes and cheeks. As if drawn by some force, he bowed his head and kissed her. Although the paintings the crown prince had been drawing lately were all obscene, his attitude toward his subjects was cautious.

It was unprecedented for his nephew to be so infatuated with someone.

This was a place where the crown prince's loyal subjects came to pay their respects to their lord without formality. It was not Felix's personal space. He had brought that woman into such a place.

He was someone who had always been indifferent to the attention of those around him, but he had always kept his public and private life separate. Felix himself knew better than anyone that the secondary palace, where he acted on his whims, and this main palace were fundamentally different places.

If the woman had been a respectable noblewoman, it might have been different, but she was Hilde's girl, whom he despised so much. She was a slave of Dortes...

Was this a good sign?

No, it couldn't be.

Felix would become emperor by the end of this year at the earliest, or by next spring at the latest. Even the slightest obstacle to his ascension to the throne could not be ignored.

Hugo stepped back and quietly called Emile over.

"Are you giving that child the infertility medicine properly?"

“I mix two pills in water with each meal. I’ve confirmed she drinks it, so there’s no mistake.”  

“If she shows any signs of pregnancy, inform me immediately. And try to talk to her more. If she shows any political ambition, eliminate her at once. If she’s planning to escape, arrange a way for her to leave without the Crown Prince knowing. I’ll meet with her personally.”  

“Understood, Your Excellency.”

Emile bowed deeply. She was the wet nurse who had raised two of Hugo’s children and a trusted confidant who had spent years at his residence.

Hugo patted her on the shoulder and left the palace.

***

Felix was busy observing his maid.  

This was the first time he had seen Diana standing under the soft moonlight. She looked different from how she appeared in the sunlight, shining transparently. She seemed to fit well with the cool nature of dawn.  

In fact, her name itself suggested that.  

“Who named you?”  

“…I don’t know.”

"There must be a reason you know your name, right?"

"The spirits..."

"You always give the same answer."

Felix couldn't bear to listen anymore and interrupted her.

Diana's open lips slowly closed.

And once again, there was a quiet silence.

Felix stared at Diana's silent face with dissatisfaction.

He had asked her about the Balestega Spring several times before. Diana’s answer always began with “the spirits” or simply “I don’t know.” Either that was the truth, or she had no intention of telling him anything about the spring.

Felix wasn’t particularly interested in the Balestega Spring. No, it would be a lie to say he had no interest in it at all, since it was the only place in this world where spirits lived. However, the reason he asked Diana questions about the spring was not out of such interest.

It was because when he brought up the topic, Diana's eyes would sparkle slightly.

Ever since she had moved into the palace, Diana's expression had become noticeably monotonous.

Felix spent most of his time observing the maid, except when he was busy with official duties. That's why he could immediately notice even the slightest changes in her.

Her food intake was not below average, and she didn't have any bruises from wandering around unfamiliar places like she used to. Yet, the vibrant life force that had surrounded Diana had disappeared as if it were a lie.

Diana no longer spoke to him first. That was the only noticeable change.

The woman who could not see ahead feared silence. Even when she sat next to him in the secluded palace and mixed paint, she talked to him incessantly, despite her obvious nervousness. Now that Diana was clamming up like a shellfish, the absence of the sounds that should have been there was jarring.