Chapter 22. The Principality Of Bertino, Part III
Translator: Khan
Editor: Aelryin
Julietta realized that she was living on a different level than when she had been Jenna. The Magic Square!
Riding next to the horseback seat of the most expensive of the colorful carriages standing in a row in front of Asta Castle, Julietta drove an hour out of the castle and arrived in a small castle surrounded by moats. Entering the castle's annex, she stepped onto the complex pattern as the last member of the Prince's party.
The scenery around her changed with a little dizziness as she waited on the Magic Square with the other servants and maids. She was standing there with her mouth wide open and dumb, and heard a sneer from the side.
"You, the fat ugly girl, have come up in the world. You know, you've been riding this expensive Magic Square."
From the first day on, it was Jeff, the Prince's servant who rebuked and frowned at her for being ugly. However, since it was a trivial matter that didn't hurt at all, Julietta looked down at Jeff and climbed onto the stool of the carriage the Prince was riding.
She turned her eyes around as she watched Jeff, who was following her from behind, in a sullen manner and was caught in a scolding by Sir Albert.
As she felt when she stood in line for the Magic Square, the size of the party for the trip of a member of the royal family enormous. About a dozen carriages, purposes unknown, were standing in line, and the numbers of knights on guard and servants and maids to wait on them numbered dozens.
By the time she was done being flustered on her first trip and amazed at the great size, the carriages started.
Julietta was excited because she had not yet met the Prince in the carriage. She'd been thinking that she'd been living in comfort these days. She neatly forgot what she had earlier called Manny's conspiracy, and began to enjoy the scenery around her.
For Julietta, who had only lived in the most bustling city on the continent, the capital of the Austern Empire, the sight now was new and beautiful. Even though she couldn't afford to travel abroad, she was so excited that she was humming a happy tune without knowing it.
It was early summer, and the weather was so bright that she couldn't open her eyes properly. The driver, in his fifties, was very kind. As he drove for another two hours, talking to her as she was the nearly same age as his youngest daughter, a small window opened behind the horseback seat that led to the inside of the carriage.
"His Highness is looking for the tea, so get ready."
The little window slammed shut as soon as the conversation was finished, as if he didn't want to bump into her face.
Julietta unknowingly stuck her tongue out at the closed window. She refused to deal with him, but it was an inadvertent act at Jeff's impudent behavior.
Julietta, feeling much better at the small rebellion, opened a box of tea she had left next to the driver's seat to prepare the tea. She poured the tea leaves carefully into the net of the kettle inside. Then she unbuttoned two buttons on the front of her maid's uniform.
Julietta, wary of breaking the unimaginably expensive glass bottle, emptied the small pouch she had put among her belongings and hung the tight cord around her neck to keep it in her loose maid's suit. The glass bottle, which was not light, caused her neck pain and the front of her chest to pop out badly, but it didn't matter.
Taking out the precious glass bottle that had been kept in her arms like a ritual offering, Julietta carefully opened the lid on the shaky wagon and poured water into the kettle. The driver, who heard the order to prepare the tea, slowly reduced the speed of the carriage, so she could accomplish her task of brewing the tea safely even on the moving carriage.
Julietta, silently cursing the Prince to her heart's content, who just HAD to drink tea in a luxurious porcelain cup during a trip, poured the tea in a gold porcelain cup and placed the cup on a saucer, as it seemed to have brewed properly. Then she knocked on the carriage window.
'What is this?'
Julietta could swear to heaven that she had not the slightest desire to avenge Jeff. It was bad luck and inevitably doom the bad-tempered Jeff that the slow, well-traveled carriage rocked.
It wouldn't have happened if Jeff had appeared right away and received the teacup when she had called. The moment of delay before Jeff finally opened the window, took the glass and turned around, taking his time as if he were trying to do something mean, the carriage jolted loudly if it was caught by a pothole. With that, the hot tea was spilled on him.
Because of Jeff, who was throwing away the teacup and was screaming with his chin and face covered by his hands, the carriage carrying the Prince stopped.
The procession quickly became chaotic as the escort knights surrounded the carriage to protect the Prince at the sudden uproar. Sir Albert, who was in another carriage, ran up in fright, and while the captain of the knights looked into the Prince's safety, Julietta jumped off the stool and tried to turn aside to look inside.
It wasn't her fault, but as it was her first assignment, Julietta, who was afraid of mishaps, approached the opened door to see the situation inside the carriage. She dropped her head over those who looked after the Prince's safety, and met the gaze of the Prince who was sitting there elegantly, as if he had nothing to do with Jeff, who was covering his face and wailing.
It'd already been months since she had worked as his maid at Bertino mansion, but Julietta, still burdened with facing the Prince, frowned at the series of misfortunes.
The Prince's casual look changed when he saw that her face was twisted like chewing an astringent persimmon as soon as she met his eyes. Julietta hurried to turn around, but at the same time she was given the Prince's stern order, seeing his eyes bend slightly, as if he had seen something funny.
"Take Jeff away and heal him, and you, come in the carriage."
Julietta realized that her pleasant carriage trip was over. Again, the conspiracy of the dimension manager, the mongrel dog, was clear.
As soon as the Prince's order was issued, Jeff, who was still crying, was carried away and the crowd dispersed quickly, leaving the area around the carriage empty in a flash.
Julietta couldn't delay any longer, seeing the Prince leaning over and looking at her with his legs crossed, as if he wanted her to come in quickly. As she reluctantly climbed into the carriage with the look of someone being pulled in from behind, the door closed immediately, even as the box of tea formerly sitting on the stool was quickly placed inside the carriage. It was assumed to be a skill of Sir Albert, given that he had even taken care of the box of tea.
As soon as Julietta sat back carefully on the edge of the velvet chair, which looked as if it would be impossible to escape from if she leaned back, instructions fell from the Prince's mouth.
"Tea."
'Yes, I'll give it to you. If you'd like a cup of tea, it's Julietta's duty to stand by right away! I'll prepare it right away.'
Julietta turned around and began unbuttoning the front of her dress.
"What are you doing?" The shrill voice of the Prince, watching Julietta's actions, sounded inside the carriage. Julietta, who was stunned enough to cause convulsions at that unexpected rage, managed to recover her heart and then shot back without realizing it, "You asked for tea!"
"But why did you untie the buttons on your clothes?"
Julieta, who had been anxious to think that the Prince might have misunderstood, even shook her hands and insisted on her innocence. "No, this is, uh, don't misunderstand! I didn't mean to take off my clothes and rush into you, but I keep that expensive glass bottle in here. If you keep your eyes closed, I'll get it out."