The Rebel Servant

Rumor

Two days had passed since Roxanne's encounter with the young princess, and she was still in bed, asleep, when Rosalya woke her up, more cheerful than usual.

Rosalya : "Roxy! Roxy! Quick, get up!"

Roxanne groaned softly, burying her face in her pillow, annoyed by the sudden interruption to her sleep. Rosalya seemed even more energetic than usual, which did nothing to improve Roxanne's mood.

Roxanne : "Mmmh... Rosalya... what could possibly be so important at this hour?" she mumbled, her voice slow and still heavy with sleep.

Ignoring her friend's grumpy tone, Rosalya gently shook her shoulder, excitement practically radiating off her.

Rosalya : "The four princes and princesses of the Lyserae family—they're arriving in an hour! After two years, we're finally going to meet them!"

Roxanne opened one eye, but her response was slow as her brain was still muddled with sleep.

Roxanne : "Huh... what?" she murmured, half-sitting up, her hair a tangled mess. "The princes and princesses... are coming? So what?"

Rosalya rolled her eyes theatrically, hands on her hips, clearly impatient.

Rosalya : "So what? Roxy, this is huge! They've been gone for two years, and now we're actually going to see them in person!"

At that moment, the twin servants, Iris and Eris, entered the room, their long, thick red braids making them hard to miss.

Eris : "Why's Rox being all grumpy this time?" she said with an amused smile.

Iris : "Yeah, what's up with her?"

Rosalya glanced at the twins and sighed.

Rosalya : "Roxy doesn't get how important it is to meet the prince and princesses."

Roxanne stared at Rosalya, still trying to understand why this justified being woken up so early.

Roxanne : "Great... and you think they'll be thrilled to see us scrubbing floors and serving their meals?"

Rosalya sighed, clearly exasperated by her friend's indifferent attitude.

Rosalya : "It's not about us, it's about them! It's a huge opportunity, Roxy. Come on, get up, we need to look perfect today! Who knows, maybe someone will notice you..."

Roxanne furrowed her brows, hating where the conversation was going, but she sat up anyway.

Roxanne : "Rose, you know as well as I do, next to you, I look like trash. You're literally the sexiest servant in this palace! Every week someone confesses to you!"

Eris burst into laughter at Roxanne's comment, quickly followed by Iris, who covered her mouth to stifle her own giggles.

Eris : "Oh wow, Rox, you're not wrong, not at all! Rosalya could charm even a marble statue, it's clear!"

Iris : "Yeah, Rose, you can't deny it. Even the guards can't concentrate when you walk through the halls..."

Rosalya rolled her eyes, a playful smile stretching across her lips, though a slight pink tint appeared on her cheeks.

Rosalya : "Stop with your nonsense. It's not a competition, and Roxy, seriously... stop putting yourself down like that. You're beautiful too, you just don't see it. You have gorgeous caramel skin..."

Roxanne : "Rose, we both have mixed skin."

Rosalya : "I'm not finished! You have amazing violet eyes and your beauty marks make you look stunning."

Roxanne crossed her arms, a mix of annoyance and embarrassment in her expression as she tried to hide the growing redness on her cheeks. She looked away, clearly uncomfortable with all the compliments.

Roxanne : "Pff... You're just saying that to cheer me up. You're too nice, Rose."

Rosalya placed her hands on her hips, a teasing smile on her face.

Rosalya : "And you're too hard on yourself. Seriously, Roxy, if you stopped comparing yourself to me or anyone else, you'd see just how unique you are."

Eris, still amused, exchanged a knowing glance with Iris.

Eris : "Yeah, seems like Rox is the only one here who doesn't realize how hot she is. Even the guys in the kitchen talk about her sometimes, you know..."

Iris : "It's true! Just yesterday, I overheard André saying your eyes were mesmerizing, like a starry sky. Are you sure you go unnoticed that much?"

Roxanne rolled her eyes, clearly skeptical.

Roxanne : "André? The one obsessed with lemon pies? Wow, thanks for the compliment..."

The twins burst into laughter again, while Rosalya shook her head, smiling with genuine amusement.

Iris : "Maybe one of you will catch the second princess's eye with this rumor."

Roxanne raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite herself, while Rosalya looked up to the ceiling, pretending to be exasperated.

Roxanne : "The second princess? What rumor are you talking about?"

Eris leaned closer with a mischievous grin on her face.

Eris : "You don't know? Apparently, the second princess used to bring multiple nobles and servants to her room. And at night, you could hear muffled moans."

Roxanne's eyes widened in shock, a mix of surprise and slight embarrassment crossing her face as she shot Eris an accusing look.

Roxanne : "Seriously, Eris? Do you even realize what you're saying?"

Eris shrugged with a playful smile.

Eris : "What? I didn't make these stories up. It's what I heard in the kitchen, and you know how much the guards love to gossip."

Iris : "I think it's going to be Rosalya who'll be chosen."

Roxanne : "Huh? Why?"

Iris and Eris both smiled in a mock-apologetic way.

Iris : "They say the second princess prefers women with some... strong qualities, and well, Rose, you've definitely got those."

Eris struggled to keep from laughing, and Rosalya shot them a fierce look before giving them both a light smack on the head.

Rosalya : "You bunch of perverts. Alright, enough! Time to work, you two!"

Rosalya grabbed the twins by their ears and dragged them out of the room. Roxanne watched them leave with a mix of amusement and embarrassment, their teasing still fresh in her mind. But her thoughts were mainly focused on Cynthia. She hadn't told Rosalya anything about their encounter.