"I don't think you came here for tea What brings you here? Prince."
"These days, a strange rumor about Ayla has been circulating in the royal palace. Do you perhaps Also know about it?"
"It is a groundless rumor."
Unlike Louis, who spoke carefully, Rose answered in a firm tone without hesitating.
Louis, who had been silent for a moment with his eyes closed as if feeling overwhelmed with emotion, continued speaking.
"Yes. A groundless rumor. There's no way it can be true. but If you leave it like this, problems may arise."
"I'm not sure what the Prince wants to tell me."
" Please help Ayla."
"It is a personal matter. Prince. I'm sorry, but I have nothing to do with this."
She was right.
Whatever rumors circulated about Ayla, it had nothing to do with Rose.
There was no reason for her to take the lead and create a disturbance unless the royal palace personally ordered her, out of fear of dirty rumors about the Crown Prince.
If the rumor were true, it would have a negative impact on Rose for siding with Ayla; so, it was wise to take a step back.
Above all, Rose had warned Ayla several times to distance herself from the royal family.
No matter how you look at it, all of this seemed to have been brought on by herself.
In the royal palace, where there are many rumors and incidents, one had to be careful of their manners and words.
"Even if it's a rumor You know what will happen if you leave it as it is."
""
Rose remained silent, as if she didn't know what to say at Louis' meaningful words.
Her eyes, which had always been relaxed, began to tremble little by little.
"For my sister's sake Please help her. Head Maid."
"She is Different from Her Highness."
"I don't want to lose more of my loved ones to the people of the royal palace."
" Please leave now."
Small drops of water flowed down from the corners of Louis' eyes, who had a sad expression on his face as if he had given up at Rose's resolute words.
Looking at Louis, who got up from his seat and went outside, without saying a word, Rose's eyes began to redden little by little.
***
She was a pretty child.
Curly red hair, white skin, gentle eyes like a deer, and a small nose and mouth.
The dimples that appeared on both her cheeks when she smiled brightly were especially pretty.
The pretty child who came to the palace holding the Duke's hand was now fifteen years old.
The greedy Duke threw the young Delia at Rose and left her, saying that she had to stay in the royal palace and be seen by the royal grandchildren. He left that lovely child, coldly and irresponsibly.
Despite the difficult life of a maid, the child never once blamed her father.
She worked hard every day, asking what she would do if she disgraced her father's name for not being good enough.
As Rose could not have children, she cherished the angelic child as if she were her own daughter.
The year Delia turned twenty years old.
When she heard that she had a loved one, she was even jealous of who the other person was.
I promised that I would marry Theon.'
Although she was scolding her for getting close to the second royal grandchild and asking her if she had grown attached to him, Rose couldn't help but smile at the girl who was blushing and speaking shyly, as if she was cute.
Seeing that she was the daughter of the Duke and there was no problem with her status, she thought that there would be nothing better for Delia if she stopped working as a maid and became the wife of the royal grandchild.
The reason Duke Holt Daniel sent Delia to the palace in the first place was also that, so no one had a problem with it.
But that was only what they thought; Duke Daniel had other ideas.
The greedy Duke pushed ahead with a royal marriage with Kyle, who was the Crown Prince at that time, without even a single word of consultation with Delia; and she became someone else's woman overnight.
Even though she was originally the daughter of a noble family, because she was Delia, who rose from being a maid to being the Crown Princess Consort, the amount of people dissatisfied with her and ridiculing her was beyond imagination.
Surrounded by ridiculous rumors, Delia always had a hard time.
She was even tormented by the rumors of her affairs with Theon before being appointed as the Crown Princess Consort.
From the light rumors that she was secretly meeting with Theon without Kyle's knowledge, to the absurd rumors that she had Theon's child.
The rumors surrounding her grew bigger and bigger, and the beautiful Delia was getting broken day after day.