[Bad Maids] 7 - Graduation ceremony

"Vasily Marjoram?"

On an evening where spring rain was falling, Carus, who had just returned from going out, approached Yulia and asked.

"Pardon?"

Yulia was having dinner with Bavaslov. They were each holding a big chicken leg in their hands.

"Is it that man? The one who abandoned you and left you to freeze to death in the blizzard?"

"Why are you asking about that?"

"There are rumors that Vasily Marjoram will soon get married to the King’s daughter."

"Hm."

Yulia let out a nasal sound whose meaning was unknown while biting into a chicken leg. There was a small bite mark left in the greasy meat. She didn’t look sad nor offended. But it didn’t mean that she was ignoring Carus’s words either.

"Are you okay?"

"What kind of reaction do you expect from me?"

Carus’s cold gaze scanned Yulia’s face meticulously. She didn’t avoid it. Between the two people, cold and hot energy collided and created tension.

"I feel like I am going to get indigestion."

Bavaslov muttered.

Carus, who had given up on observing Yulia, sat down and announced.

"I am thinking of splitting up and moving to another inn. The number of hyenas looking for you has increased. People who are not hyenas are also looking for you."

‘It’s probably because Vasily Marjoram has hired mercenaries to look for me on his own.’ As soon as Yulia said that, Carus nodded with a slight frown on his face.

"Do you still have lingering feelings for him?"

"That man is just an idiot who can’t even throw me away, save me or ignore me."

"What?"

"The fact that the butler hired hyenas means that the Marquis or his wife has given him money to do so, and the fact that the only heir of the Marquis couldn’t stop it even though he was aware of it proves that he is an idiot."

"Shh."

Carus warned in a low voice.

They were eating in the restaurant on the first floor of the inn. But outside of the open door, three or four mercenaries could be seen asking something to the innkeeper while handing gold coins.

"Yulia."

Carus pointed at the table with his eyes.

Without asking anything, Yulia quickly lowered herself and went under the tablecloth. Bavaslov took Yulia’s food and utensils and put them in front of Carus.

At the same time, the tight-lipped inkeeper answered that she didn’t know anything with a relaxed expression. The mercenaries then entered the inn’s restaurant and went around the hall searching the guests with their eyes.

"Hey. Where do you come from?"

One of the mercenaries approached Carus and Bavaslov and asked.

Carus, who had picked up the chicken leg Yulia had been eating and removed her teeth marks, chewed on the meat and said.

"Why are you curious about that?"

"We are mercenaries hired by a noble lord…"

"Is there a mercenary here who has never been hired by a noble lord?"

The men filling the inn laughed at Carus's words. Some of them were Carus’s men disguised as civilians while some of them were pirates and mercenaries.

"Reveal your identity. Otherwise, you won’t be able to get away nicely."

"That’s bloody annoying."

Carus flapped his cape, took his ID from his inner pocket and threw it on the table.

It was a card that proved his participation as a mercenary during the war of Baikan’s Empire.

"Did you go to the battlefield?"

There was a small sense of awe in the eyes of the mercenaries who were checking Carus’s ID.

Even amongst the mercenaries, there was a lot of respect for those who came back alive from the battlefield of Baikan.

"Sorry about that. Rest well."

As Bavaslov was about to complain that they did not ask for his ID, the mercenaries waved their hands and left.

"Why don’t you ask for mine? Hey! Are you discriminating against people?"

The guests’ laughs poured out again. Julia crawled out from under the tablecloth and sat next to Carus.

Carus, who was wiping his mouth with a napkin, stood up and made eye contact with the knights scattered throughout the restaurant.

"We’ll give compensation to the innkeeper and disperse. Someone might report us so let’s hurry up."

"Got it."

Carus moved in order to keep his promise. He intended to do his best to protect Yulia from the hyenas so that she could enter the royal palace safely.

The knights, who had quickly packed their belongings, came outside and scattered in different directions as if they didn’t know each other.

*****

As her ninth life started, Yulia made several plans.

One of them was to save Carus’s subordinates and join hands with him. Another one was to receive Brewe Academy’s medal of honor and earn the right to become a royal maid.

"You’re going to be the maid of which member of the royal family?"

Carus asked. As if the answer was obvious, Yulia answered immediately.

"The person who hates Marjoram the most in the Kingdom of Ortega."

"What? That person’s on our side then?"

Bavaslov grinned and Yulia smiled back at him.

"After the graduation ceremony, you won’t be bothered because of me anymore. After I become a maid and enter the palace, Marjoram won’t be able to try to kill me recklessly."

"Bother? Man, why do you have to say something so upsetting. There is no one who thinks like that among us. By the way, is the royal palace really safe? If Marjoram is such an amazing family, won’t the palace be dangerous as well?"

Bavaslov asked as his eyes drooped a little. His eyes were painted with worry.

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Yulia tapped him on the shoulder as if to reassure him.

"Don’t worry. The prince will protect me."

"The prince?"

Carus asked back. The royal family was composed of several members and among them, there were three princes.

"Which prince?"

"The second prince Lewicia Ortega."

According to Julia, Lewicia was the person who despised Marjoram the most in the entire Kingdom.

Whenever he encountered the Marquis’s successor, Vasily, he often spout out sarcastic remarks and fought with him, and when Kristin greeted him out of courtesy, he always ignored her. Finally, every time he saw the Marquis couple, he would pour out curses and say that society would soon meet its downfall because of those germs.

That’s why Yulia chose him.

"As long as I can strike Marjoram, even if the prince wants to make me his lover, I will do it."

There were other important reasons, but it was better to leave it at that for now.

Carus asked.

"Why does Prince Lewicia hate Marjoram this much?"

"Well, there are several reasons… But the most important reason must be that."

"That?"

"Because the prince’s birth mother is the King’s favorite concubine. For the Marquis of Marjoram, the next candidate for the throne is important. To him, a concubine’s son is nothing more than a troublesome insect."

Since the Marquis of Marjoram despises Lewicia, he paid him back with contempt.

"How influential is Prince Lewicia?"

"His influence is stronger than people think."

"Enough to protect you from Marjoram?"

When Carus asked, Yulia answered while nodding.

"I have to make it that way."

It might not have been a satisfying answer so Carus’s hardened expression didn’t relax.

They were headed to Brewe Academy. Yulia, who was looking out of the shaky carriage’s window, could feel a stinging gaze from the front and turned her head.

Carus’s eyes were fixed on her.

"Is there something else that you are curious about?"

"Is that also one of the things you’ve learned from your past?"

Carus didn’t believe that Yulia was under a curse that made it impossible for her to die and that she had been revived eight times because of it. However, he admitted that all of the events that Yulia had predicted could not be explained with ordinary reasons.

After the coachman informed them that they had arrived at the academy, Yulia raised her body and said.

"Vasily will come to today’s graduation ceremony. He will say this to me."

She opened the door and noticed that the place was already filled with people outside.

"’I am relieved that you are alive. My Lady, do you know how much I’ve been looking for you? Why didn’t you come find me?’"

"Ha!"

The corners of Carus’s lips were raised into a mocking smile. He took Vasily for a very foolish man.

"Are you going to slap him?"

"Worse than that."

Yulia said in a firm voice. Then, she got out of the carriage and advanced through the crowd.

*****

It was a grand graduation ceremony. It was because today was the day that Brewe Academy, Ortega’s top academic institution, would produce graduates.

The Brewe medal awarded to the best graduate student was very valuable. Therefore, when a noble who was passionate about education realized that their child had a smidge of intelligence, they told them that they would become the owner of the Brewe medal someday.

"This year’s top graduate student is…"

Everyone’s eyes were focused on the high platform where the headmaster was standing. He held the medal high in one hand and searched for someone with big and sharp eyes.

Yulia was standing confidently among the students.

The headmaster found Yulia. As soon as their eyes met, he smiled. It wasn’t an illusion. There seemed to be a childlike mischievious smile on the old headmaster’s face, and a loud voice rang out throughout the graduation hall.

"Yulia Arte!"

Shock, astonishment and admiration erupted. They all thought that this year’s top graduate student would be Kristin Marjoram.

"Yulia?"

"Really? Not Kristin?"

Yulia started moving. The surprised students hesitatingly made way for her.

Yulia pushed her way through the students who were standing closely together and came to the front of the platform.

Commoner. Orphan. The woman who seduced the Marquis’ heir and tried to run away with him.

And finally, the owner of the Brewe medal.

"This year, His Highness the Prince Lewicia has decided to make a special appearance at the graduation ceremony. Let’s listen to his words of congratulations."

The grumblings of the people grew louder. It’s already surprising that a commoner took the top spot, but to think that a member of the royal family came to visit as well. What is more, it’s the second Prince Lewicia who his very popular amongst young people for his beautiful looks.

Lewicia appeared on the platform. The prince smiled and held out his hand, after which Yulia took his hand and bowed.

"Yulia Arte."

Lewicia’s voice filled the large graduation hall.

"I salute your efforts. I want to give you a present as a member of Ortega’s royal family."

Yulia and Lewicia’s eyes met.

Yulia said to the prince, who looked down at her with a mandatory smile, pressing her to say what she wanted.

"I want to become Your Highness’s maid."

 

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