She couldn’t figure it out at all.

Evely sighed briefly, reflecting the marks above his chest. She couldn’t figure out how her life was going. No matter when life went her way, it felt like she was in a raging storm these days.

Being his maid was more exhausting than she thought. It’s something she was used to and she had always done it. Even so, the number of hugs by him had increased significantly in recent days.

Whether it was bathing or cleaning, regardless of whether it was night or day, he had to torment her until he was fully satisfied.

“Hah….”

It was the very same last night. As soon as the bath was over, his fingertips took off her maid’s clothes, and the lips that he had been sucking her lips with were now buried in her breasts, sucking. When he bit her nipples that had been tormented by his tongue for a very long time, she couldn’t help but to let out a low moan.

“Mas… Master!”

“Since you washed me, it’s only fair that I have to wash you too.”

As soon as she was wondering whether the word “fair” could be established, he spread open her legs apart and began to suck in between them. When he put his tongue into her juicy hole and skimmed through the love liquid inside, her body could not withstand it, flinched and tried to push him away. But he only held her hips tighter and siphoned off the love liquid.

“It’s overflowing.”

Even if he was speaking in a nonchalant tone during that situation, her body was heating up continuously. He only stopped it when she finally shook her head and burst into tears in the end.

The man’s hard breath was spewing out and spread all over the nape of her neck. She was out of breath and was distraught as if she had been running a long distance far away. Her lower back bounced mercilessly and her voice cracked, but he didn’t even stop. At times he drove her wildly like a beast, and sometimes he was slow and gentle. Even when she reached her peak, it wasn’t the end. It was not once or twice that she lost her mind like yesterday in the act that lasted until dawn.

It all started after the princess left.

What for?

Every time he hugged her, she wanted to ask him this. What the hell is it for?

Because you miss the princess? Because the princess’s and my hair color are the same?

If that’s the case…

“Sigh.”

Evely shook her head at her endless thoughts and let out a long sigh again.

Now even the maids were beginning to notice as he hugged her more and more and more. Whenever he passed by, he used to whisper to her, and Brianna used to circle around as if she had something else to ask.

The more she thought about it, the more questions seemed to arise in her head. It was when Evely, who eventually gave up and laid herself on the bed, was staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Evely.”

As long as she had been standing there, a short maid at the door was looking at her quietly. No, she was more observing than she was looking. She looked as if she was tearing open her dolls on display in a showcase.

As the rumors about Evely spread, the attitude of the maids began to change little by little. They either acted subtly coldly, or acted too friendly. Both were equally uncomfortable for her.

Evely replied to them by pretending not to notice the staring gazes at her.

“What is it?!”

“Ah… The Master is calling.”

I can’t even take a break.

Listening to the maid’s distant footsteps, Evely stretched out in the languor of the surging energy. She had to get up quickly, but maybe because the sheets were too fluffy, she didn’t have much strength in her body.

“Should I just count to ten and go?”

One, two, three……

But after halfway through, she couldn’t count any more. Because she fell asleep without her knowing.

How much time has passed?

It was around the time that the castle, which was bustling with noise, sank quietly in darkness.

Gasp!

Evely woke up from her slumber and got up. She hurriedly looked around and saw that it was all dark. She must have heard that the Master was looking for her, but she was confused as to whether it was a dream or not.

“Oh my gosh…”

It was already late, and she unintentionally ignored his call. If it was urgent, she would have sent someone back, but she’d be relieved if it wasn’t bad to that extent. It was late at night and too much time had passed, but she couldn’t ask him if he had come and called her.

What increased while living as a maid might have been the words of apology and impudence that came out of her mouth.

How long has it been since she came here?

She folded her fingers and counted the years. It wasn’t that long ago, but she felt like she stayed for a very long time. She came here when it was not that cold, so…

Evely’s eyes widened as she was gauging the days.

“It’s my mother’s anniversary in a little while.”

Suddenly she remembered that her mother’s anniversary was approaching a few days later.

A mother who was kind even to the moment of her death, lying on her small, shabby bed. Her eyes, the last time she looked at her, were still as clear as yesterday.

“Evely, the nobles become the sun, and the insignificant like us become a handful of stars, scattered in the night sky. So I’ll be looking at you when it’s dark. Don’t be too sad, sweetheart.”

Evely slowly walked towards the window. Outside the window, darkness fell deeply.  As she turned her head, she saw countless stars embedded in the night sky. The dazzling stars, like the sparkling placer among the endless sand, and like diamonds embedded in expensive ornaments like grains.

She opened her mouth and spoke in a cool and soft voice, as if someone were listening.

“Mom, I’m doing well. But why do I still keep missing you?”

Living with her mother was hard in many ways. From an early age, she had to do various chores to earn money, and no matter how hard she worked, she could not even pay for her mother’s medicine. So, it was difficult for her to work here as a maid, but it was not unbearable. She was in a situation where she could bear.

The more she did, the more she wanted to see her mother, but she couldn’t help it.

“Mom has become a star and is always watching me, so I don’t want to see her. Or else I’ll miss her a lot too.”

When she moved from the narrow and small 3rd floor room to this place, what she liked the most was the window.  It was nice to see the sky through the large window. It was as close as if she could reach the stars in the night sky when she stretched out her arms. When she looked at the stars, it felt as if the starlight was smiling down on her.

Evely stretched out one hand towards the window and she clenched her fists carefully, as if to trap the starlight in her hands.

But when she opened her hand again, there was nothing. As if holding on to her fine sand, only her starlight escaped through the small gaps of her hand.

A dazzling light that seemed impossible to grasp.