Since Emma and I spent the entire night in the dungeon, I can honestly say that I wasn't at all afraid. Maybe because Emma was sitting next to me.
Additionally, as you can see, I'm still alive.
Emma and I remained silent the entire time; she was in her corner and I was in mine. We spent the entire night cuddled up like a ball; I couldn't even get to sleep.
I'm overthinking it, but maybe the Emperor will kill me today if he didn't last night. Even worse would be to murder me in front of the entire town and declare that I am nothing more than a dirty traitor!
I am not a traitor, and that label saddens me.
When I heard the heavy metal door open and saw the light finally knocking inside the dark room, I sprang to my feet.
As two soldiers came in and unlocked the bars, I experienced a surge of conflicted feelings. But I got to my feet, prepared to be pulled once more like yesterday. However, I was confused because Emma didn't budge.
I went to see how she was doing before the troops could even release the bars. I gently call her name while a little bit shaking her.
But she wasn't responding, I got worried as I lowered my head to take a peek of her face. She had her eyes closed, and she was breathing really heavily.
"Emma! Emma!" I screamed as I began shaking her more forcefully this time; as a result, her body gave up and she collapsed to the ground.
A masculine voice asking "What's happening" could be heard when the troops entered the cell to investigate the ruckus.
I reached out and touched her forehead with the back of my palm before feeling her pulse. I discovered she had a high fever at that point.
I didn't care if I was directing the soldiers or even shouting at them—"She's burning hot, take her to the family doctor, now!" Emma requires aid.
"Bring this crook with us!"
As the second soldier bound my hands behind my back, one soldier began carrying Emma. The four of us headed to the last room on the right side of the castle to meet the family doctor before pulling me from the dungeon.
Emma was carefully placed on a plush futon by the soldier as the family physician began to examine her and take temperatures beneath her jaw and on her forehead.
Emma is still a member of the royal family, therefore the doctor went right away to do what she had to do to at least treat her. given that a fever won't go away overnight.
It will be in her best interest to remain in this room until she feels better, the doctor said. The soldiers fought with me for a while after I insisted on staying here with her. but fortunately the doctor was kind and on my side.
"No funny business." the troops sternly commanded.
I knelt next to Emma while the doctor worked at her desk; the soldiers are both outside the door of this room.
Without glancing over at me, the doctor asked, "I heard what happened last night, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you,"
"The Emperor is a bit absurd to even gather 100 ladies to see who's going to be his bride," she sighed angrily. "I understand your father, I would do the same thing if you were my child."
She seems sweet and a little bit sassy all at once. No one has the guts to call the Emperor silly, hence I never heard anyone do so.
I chuckled coldly, "I wasn't doing anything to be seen as a traitor, I was taken here against my choice, I wouldn't even be here if the Emperor didn't drag me."
She shook her head and smiled, "That man does have a history of bringing people into his castle against their will. He took me in when he was 14 because I was treating his grandmother at the time and he was jealous that he didn't have a doctor in his castle. He's lucky that my mother is polite with his grandmother because I might have said no."
"Um, by the way, how old are you?"
She smiled and looked at me with her narrowed brown eyes, "You know, it's a bit disrespectful to ask a woman's age."
I apologized after looking down, believing I had insulted her.
She then burst out laughing and said, "I was kidding, I'm actually 45 this year."
She doesn't look like she's in her mid-forties, which startled me. I estimated her age to be between 26 and 28. She appears youthful.
"Oh? look who's here."
I was perplexed by what she had just stated, but I was astonished later when the door slammed shut suddenly to expose the Emperor himself.
He quickly turned his terrifying gaze to Emma as he knelt down beside her. As he stares at her, he exudes worry.
The doctor said, writing something on a piece of paper, "She's alright, don't worry."
He handed me a pair of blazing eyes and said, "I believe you caused this!" blaming me for what had happened to Emma.
"How on earth could I possibly have given her a fever?"
He snarled as he measured Emma's body temperature. I understand his concern, but I don't see why he would put the blame on me.
He questioned the doctor, "Why is she still not awake?"
The doctor looks annoyed by his inquiries, saying, "Let her rest first, Shuji."
He yells, "Leave," but he wasn't speaking to me. Talk about impolite, he was talking to the doctor.
She simply stood up and left the room while shrugging her shoulders. She grinned at me and then closed the door behind her. Being alone with Emma and the Emperor made me anxious as soon as she left.
Who will protect me from this frightening man when Emma isn't even aware she is there?
His tone was stern and terrifying. He said, "You will still be working here, but don't think you can get away with fooling me. This will be your punishment; you will work 10 times harder than the rest of the servants here. Don't you dare utter a word." Despite the fact that he wasn't looking right into my eyes. I was terrified.
He said, "Don't you ever imagine, I will be such a gentleman to you. You're not a woman to me. You will do what I like, and if you have the nerve to complain or say no. I, myself will kill you."
When I heard his final words, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my chest, and the man got to his feet. Before leaving the room, he gave me these stares.
The way he looked at me makes me feel like the lowest person in the entire community. He feels repulsed.
I didn't even harm anyone, yet I got punished for acting to keep myself safe. Yet.. Why do they regard me as though I committed murder?
Also... I'm not a woman to him?
A/n: sorry for the late update huhu, I literally had hang over the entire dayy.
YOU ARE READING
The Male Servant
Romance- It is when Y/n has been pretending to be a male for her entire life in exchange of her safety, she thought she can get away by the cruel emperor of their village. But she never knew that even though she changed her identity she still can't escape...
