Chapter 119 – Marie and Suzie

Marie and Suzie

“Hey, Suzie. Didn’t the First Prince say he’d buy us anything?”

“Yes. He certainly did.”

Turning around, I saw Suzie, who had been waiting behind me, nodding with a bright smile.

“Then I think you, who cooperated with me, should have the right to write down what you want here too.”

“Eh? Is that really okay?!”

Suzie flashed me a smile as radiant as a bursting firework.

“Because if you hadn’t taught me all sorts of things back then, I probably would’ve been completely fooled.”

Waving one hand in a no, no gesture, Suzie took the paper I offered her.

“Who would’ve thought the First Prince would kidnap the Saintess? I was desperate at the time. If you don’t train your eye for men, you’ll end up in serious trouble.”

“Indeed. I’ll have to be more careful myself.”

“Ufufu. Relationships built on calculation never lead to anything good, do they?”

Suzie shook her head with a bitter expression.

“Ahaha. Mine are just fantasies anyway.”

2D ones, though. Teehee.

“Oh dear. Keep those fantasy romances in moderation, you know. The gap between ideals and reality is huge.”

Suzie and I nodded at each other in agreement.

Real romance… I want to experience it someday.

“But don’t you have any lingering feelings?”

“Saintess, he crossed a line. Even if he was goaded into it, a man who can’t hold himself back is worse than trash. Royalty or not, there’s no excuse.”

Suzie, who was a little older than me, lifted her chin proudly and declared it firmly.

So cool.

I want to learn from Suzie’s straightforward way of life—no waffling around.

“Besides, I know the secret, so I’d be discarded at best… and silenced at worst.”

“Fufufu. No way.”

On the day I was kidnapped, after I’d finished eating, Suzie had suddenly opened up to me with, “Saintess…”

“Saintess, I’m sorry to disturb your rest. There’s an important matter I can only discuss now.”

The maid suddenly dropped to her knees before me with a stiff expression.

An important matter only now? Sounds suspicious.

But so far, she’s my only point of contact…

“What is it?”

I deliberately let my wariness show.

“I’m the maid Suzie. One of this kingdom’s First Prince’s playmates.”

“One of his playmates?”

She nodded firmly.

I was shocked that this maid, introducing herself as Suzie out of the blue, was spilling everything on our first meeting.

But it didn’t feel like casual girl talk about her boyfriend.

“This might take a while. Suzie, why don’t you sit here and have some tea with me?”

I gestured to the sofa, and she stood with a quick “Excuse me.”

“I was never involved in the Saintess’s kidnapping. Please believe me on that.”

Her face pale, she remade my freshly poured tea with trembling hands.

Poor thing—she must’ve been dragged into this. She’s way too shaken up.

“I’ll believe you.”

At my smile, she sighed in relief and took a sip of the tea she’d been holding—mine, apparently.

“After this, I’ll report to the First Prince that you’ve awakened. So I’ll keep it brief.”

With that, she revealed that the First Prince was the mastermind, that he planned to frame the Second Prince, and handed me a paper listing the names of two others likely involved.

“But aren’t you currently seeing him? Is this really okay?”

I tucked the paper into the pocket of my white robe.

“The Prince is handsome and buys me anything I want. I figured I’d become his favorite concubine and live comfortably. But no matter how you slice it, I can’t stay with an idiot who’d kidnap the Saintess.”

It was almost funny hearing her trash the First Prince like that.

Well, if your boyfriend turns out to be a criminal…

“Fair enough.”

“And I have a favor to ask. Most of the other servants don’t know the full story… so, um…”

Ah, I get it.

“Don’t worry. I’ll put in a good word so no one gets punished.”

“Thank you so much!”

Suzie bowed deeply in gratitude.

It’s not just the servants—there have to be others caught up in the First Prince’s mess.

I need to ask for lenient treatment.

“More importantly, what will you do after breaking things off with the First Prince?”

Suzie lifted her head and smiled softly.

“I’ll go back home. As the youngest daughter of a low-ranking noble, I’ve climbed this far. Time to return with my head held high.”

That smile of hers, the one that had the First Prince wrapped around her finger—it charmed even me.

“You could thrive anywhere, Suzie.”

“Of course!”