This Maniac Is Fond Of Me

Chp 19 : Stupid Me

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"You're going to kill me, right?"

His smile dances upon his lips, a charming beacon in the dim light, as his blood-red gaze locks onto mine, accompanied by a gentle tilt of his head.

"Even worse than that, little Baker."
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I doubt there's anything worse than being killed by him.

A few nights and mornings have passed since my last encounter with Gilbert during our Rhodolite tour guide trip, or whatever it was supposed to be called.

The golden sun blooms on the horizon. I squint at it for a split second before closing my eyes completely with a low groan.

So bright...

My eyes burn as if they've come into contact with oxygen, triggering a chemical reaction that feels like flames igniting within them. I could practically barbecue marshmallows over them instead of a campfire. And now, I'm back at work at the Palace, walking into the royal ballroom. The head maid has ordered us to clean the entire ballroom in just one day before the Gala Ball or something, if I'm not mistaken.

"I heard that the princes of our neighboring countries will be attending the Gala Ball as well," one of my fellow maids whispers as we gather into a small gossip group. Intrigued, I listen to their chatter while glancing around to ensure the head maid doesn't catch us gossiping instead of cleaning.

"Oh my, really?" the maid beside me asks, drawing everyone's attention.

"Obviously! That's what the Gala Ball is for! It's like an alliance party where the allies of our country come to celebrate with us."

"But why is the Prince of Obsidian even on the list?" another maid asks. Everyone instantly falls silent, realizing the difficulty of the question as they try to think of an answer.

She's right.

That's strange...

My brow furrows in thought as I, too, fall silent. My thoughts swirl like leaves in a tempest, each one a puzzle piece in the grand tapestry of understanding.

Maybe it's about royal politics or something, but-whatever.

It's none of my business anyway.

I turn away and let out a soft, tired sigh, shaking my head as I continue sweeping the floor. However, I suddenly bump into a hard figure and yelp a little. Looking up, I'm surprised to see who it is.

"Dear me, care if I tag along with you ladies' gossiping?"

Oh great, Clavis is here.

All the maids, including me, turn to him in pure shock, their faces turning as pale as snow, as if they've just seen a ghost. Clavis lets out a blissful laugh, tilting his head back before suddenly wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me close to him.

"Hahaha! What's with the looks you ladies are giving me? Do I look that scary?" Clavis playfully raises his eyebrows at us, grinning widely.

As soon as he says that, the maids immediately scatter, running away from him, some even screaming, "Run! Before His Highness pulls a prank on us again!"

What the...

I watch in disbelief as they flee, then shift my gaze to Clavis, who stands beside me. Clavis meets my gaze with his cheeky smile before reaching for my hand, wrapping his arm around it, and pulling me to follow him.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going shopping."

Huh? Shopping? That's a surprise.