Don’t Remember Me

“You seem uncomfortable with me no matter how much I look at you.”

“…!”

“Of course, the excuse of being nervous around me is one thing.
But it’s unlikely of you, who willingly took the duties of an exclusive maid of the princess? I was impressed a tad back then.”

The queen’s voice was elegant and kind.
However, her gaze at Rosé was cold which made her lower her eyes with that gaze.

An accusation.

Yes, the truth was that it was nitpicking.
Otherwise, there is no other way to explain the current situation.

What happened the early morning of the queen asking for her through the nanny was out of the blue.

It was not a lie when the Queen pointed her out.
Maybe even the maid of the Queen didn’t expect that to happen, giving her tasks here and there.

It would have been better if it was just a whim played by a nobleman.
However, she felt that she was not called here just because a simple reason.
Just the said words by the Queen could be proof of that.

‘But it’s unlikely of you, who willingly took the duties of an exclusive maid of the princess? I was impressed a tad back then.’

 

The Queen remembered that.
The Royal Memorial Service.

She wouldn’t have good feelings for me, a mere maid, who had responded to her in a rude way before.
But it was not like she couldn’t understand her.

But…

‘But do I really need to do this now?’

She couldn’t restrain but to ask such a question.
She really couldn’t understand that she was just a ‘mere’ maid yet the Queen remembered her and finds faults in me.

“All right.
I wondered if your ability as a maid was good because you were so bold… What a disappointment.
I don’t know why Haven put such a dumb woman to be his daughter’s exclusive maid.”

After finishing her piece, she let out a disappointed with a shook of her head.
The maids standing behind her laughed, agreeing with the Queen.
Only Rosé was the one who couldn’t smile at that time, because she got nothing to do to the people who laughed at her.

The thin laughter of the women continued for a while, and the late queen beckoned her again.
Her maid, who quickly recognized the meaning of the gesture, stood three or four paces behind her, then she abruptly approached, and she pushed Rosé away.

“…!”

Rosé, staggered by the action of her maid who pushed her aggressively, barely managing to keep her balance and took a couple of steps back.
The maid who pushed her caught her eyes as the maid smoothed the Queen’s hair.

The braid she did might look distorted because that was what they said, but no matter how she looked at it, the smoothed hair of the Queen was of no difference than what she did.

… It would have been the same no matter what the maid does.

Rosé smiled bitterly and bit er lip.
It didn’t matter whether she was despised by Queen Seon or not.
She’s not here to get the approval from the Queen at all.

Rather, it could be said that she had no other choice but to obey according to her coercive order.

‘Nevertheless, did Flitta woke up yet? The maid serving her today should bring her hot soup firt thing in the morning.
Oh, how about the promise I made with her of going out to the garden and make her a doll out of grass…’

 

It reminded her how Flitta was very excited about the idea of making doll out of grass leaved.
It seemed that it would be difficult for her to fulfill that promise.
Since it looks like the Queen will make her take care of her the whole day.

In this way, one by one, even the smallest mistakes she does will be caught.

“It’s done, Your Highness the Queen.
Do you like it?”

While Rosé was not able to relieve her stuffy stomach, the maid who was fixing Isabella’s hair opened her mouth with a triumphant expression.
However, Isabella’s expression on her face was indifferent from what she said.

“Hmm… Well, yes It’s okay.”

It’s okay, my foot.
The braid is very made of countrylike braid.

Normally, Isabella would have grabbed the maid for making her hair like this, but she forced herself to calm her temper and replied.
Then she glanced back and looked at Rosé.
When she saw her standing with her mouth shut with a dark expression on her face, her anger at least subsided.

 

‘She was about to seduce Haven, but I guess she was quite dissatisfied of being caught by me?’

 

Isabella’s gaze at Rosé was not kind.
She was a cheeky b*tch.
Not knowing her property, this woman in front of the queen covets someone else’s man.
Somehow, she thought it was strange from the moment she sided with the princess, as if she were her own child.

It was absurd.
Does she have to match a lowly maid to have Haven? It was something that could never happen.

‘I have to let you know what mine is.
I will make you see how daring you were to be greedy for someone that is for me.’

Isabella muttered to herself, then she took her gaze away from Rosé and looked at herself in the mirror.
And again, she tried to keep her face from crumpling.

The candid touch of her hair was better than the cocky maid who was now standing behind her with a triumphant expression on her face.
She never wanted to admit it, but it was.

* * *

“… Now that I remember, I didn’t see Rosé, no, Flitta’s exclusive maid in the morning.”

Haven signed the documents he was reviewing and handed them to the butler, asking random question.
The butler carefully accepted the papers, then stopped involuntarily by the sudden question.
It was because the name of a maid came from the mouth of his master.

However, the butler was not foolish enough to express the surprise he felt.
He politely answered the Haven’s question with a calm expression as if nothing had happened.

“It was said that Her Majesty, the Queen chose that maid to be her attendant today.”

“… The former queen?”

Haven’s brow furrowed.
It was because an unexpected person was mentioned in the subject.

“Then, the maid is now with the former Queen?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“So Flitta is…”

Haven clicked his tongue.
It was the time he realized the reason why Flitta had been sullen throughout their breakfast.
He didn’t see the child’s maid, which he thought was odd, but it didn’t matter to him, so he just brushed it off.

Haven narrowed his eyes and asked the butler again with a slightly annoyed tone.

“How long will the former Queen stay here?”

“Pardon? The answer is still unclear, Your Highness…”

The butler blurted out his words with a puzzled expression.
Haven shook his head with a laugh this time.

Even if he tried to pretend he didn’t know the former queen’s intentions, he couldn’t do so.
How could he pretend he didn’t know, with her heart so clearly visible in front of his eyes?

“It seems like she will be inside the Grand Duke’s residence facing the Duchess.
That good-for-nothing woman.”

“Your, Your Highness, Grand Duke! How can you say that…”

As Haven muttered in a sarcastic tone, the butler opened his mouth in fright.
Good-for-nothing.
The old butler’s complexion turned pale at the fact that the former queen was called a ‘good-for-nothing’ queen.
He looked around the office with a frightened expression.
Even though he knew there was no other person other than them.

As the butler of the Grand Duke, he sometimes had to show a strong appearance, but his weakness was that he always showed a timid and weak appearance.

Nevertheless, it was his loyalty that kept him as butler for a long time.
His loyalty that will prove that he will protect his master at all costs.

Even though he was indecisive, he was someone who would stay by his master’s side until the end under any circumstances.
Although he was afraid, and that he may faint, let alone protect him, does not stop him.

Imagining the old butler fainting without realizing it, Haven laughed lightly and asked the butler again.

“All right, what is the former queen doing?”

“Her Majesty, the Queen is…”

The moment the butler opened his mouth to answer Haven’s question, there was a knock.
At the same time, Haven nodded his head at the butler.
Instead of finishing his answer, the butler turned and headed for the door.

“I brought tea, Your Highness.”

It was the head maid who knocked.
Haven leaned deeply against his backrest and looked out his window.

“Has it already been that time?”

“Yes.”

The head maid came to his desk with a small trolley.
Then she skillfully put the teacup on the desk and lifted the teapot.
The only sound she could hear was the sound of pouring tea.

“Her Majesty is having tea time with the Duchess.”

As if answering his unsolicited question, the head maid spoke to him first.
It was as if she had heard the question he asked the butler from outside the door.
Haven turned to his butler, as if confirming which the butler answered with a nod, indicating that it was correct.

“And before that, she told me to tell Your Highness to attend the tea-time.”

“How odd.
I didn’t hear.”

Haven smiled as he took a sip of the tea the head maid had poured for him.
The head maid bowed her head respectfully, and she opened her mouth again.

“I apologize, Your Highness.”

“You made up my answer on your own accord and delivered it.”

The only thing that came out of the head maid’s mouth was a simple apology, but Haven understood the situation enough with that and burst into laughter.
Although the head maid has an inflexible and obstinate personality, there are times when she does things that defy expectations.

“I can’t believe you’re impersonating the Grand Duke.
You have a lot of guts even though it wouldn’t be just you if you got caught.
Look at the butler.
Didn’t he just hear this now and think about it?”

Haven smiled at the butler and said jokingly.
However, the head maid took glimpsed at the butler, and then she replied nonchalantly.

“I didn’t have to say anything, I just judged.
We cannot waste your precious time.”

“Well, well done anyway.
The tea is more fragrant and better today.”

Haven held up the teacup and congratulated the head maid.
Then, as he drank tea again, he narrowed his eyes at a thought that came to him.

“… Then, the attendant who serves the tea time is Flitta’s exclusive maid?”