The last thing Evely needed to do was to tidy the bedroom before Alec finished his duties. But today, her hands were busy opening the bedding. Because he came back earlier than usual and was watching her.

When he saw her face hardened, Alec asked her.

“Why do you look like that? You don’t smile at all.”

‘How can I work and smile when you’re staring at me like that?’

Alec ordered Evely, who was wondering what to say.

“Smile.”

Puzzled by the sudden request, Evely did as he asked and lifted the edge of her mouth slightly. She tried to force a smile, but it was awkward and her eyes kept rolling back and forth.

“Like this?”

“No, you have to look me in the eye and smile.”

Evely raised the tip of her lips again as she stared into Alec’s eyes. Having become more awkward because of him staring at her without saying a word, Evely hurriedly finished organizing and bowed her head politely.

“…I have made preparations so that there will be no shortage at the time of your order.”

“Are you sure there is no shortage?”

Evely looked at her master and blinked. The way he spoke, looking at Evely at an angle and spitting out his words, was strangely flirty.

“Aren’t you sure?”

‘I thought you told me to smile earlier….’

Evely thought Alec might not like something, but he didn’t seem to want to scold her. In the past, when being pushed like this, Evely used to doze off looking around, but now she could tell to what extent she’s used to it. ‘Is he really trying to reprimand me, or is he trying to nitpick me and make fun of me?’ Now at least not the former.

“Yes ……I think so.”

No matter how much she looked around the room, she couldn’t find anything impeccable about it.

When he heard Evely’s answer, Alec chuckled. Even the mocking smirk on his face made her heart throb strangely. When he smiled at me, it seemed to light a fire in her ears for no reason.

It seemed that she still had a fever from time to time since she got sick last time. Especially when he touched her or looked at her like this.

“Is that so? Then ……”

Alec was about to continue when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Uniform and a neat knocking sound. Evely’s gaze went to the door, a sign that should not have been heard this night.

“Count, may I come in?”

The faintly audible voice was Rose, her master’s wife.

For a moment Evely gulped deeply. It was as if everything that was inside of her dropped down in that moment.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and each step the princess took, Evely’s inside felt as long and sprawling as a stretch of flour dough.

Unlike in the daytime, Rose was wearing only thin pajamas. I could see that gorgeous look she usually wore. The simple, unadorned clothes emphasized her soft lines. Her tall height, thin waist and breasts were casually and covertly revealed.

It was not a dress, but a plain and simple figure. Ironically, this night was the first time Rose had visited him dressed like this, at least to Evely’s knowledge. Evely’s eyes wandered in all directions like a child who had lost herway.

“Count.”

And when Rose called Alec, Evely lowered her gaze to the floor to hide her shaky eyes. She bit her lip, very hard, but she couldn’t feel the pain. Looking at Evely standing so stupidly, Alec said casually.

“Leave.”

Evely raised her head in a heap at the unexpected words. Lately, Alec always ditched her when Rose was around. Like today and tonight. No, it might be even stranger to have a maid at this time of night.

Evely finally shifted her restless steps.

“Wait.”

Evely huffed, wondering what was going on, but then she heard his voice again.

“Don’t let anyone in.”

She felt suffocated as if water had risen to the tip of her nose. Evely gripped her dirty dress tightly and answered.

“…Yes.”

She finally answered and slumped deeply. From the moment she left the room, no, actually from the moment Rose entered the room, Alec’s expression was not hidden.

“Don’t let anyone in.”

That was the only voice buzzing in her ears.

Evely walked out of the room, and as soon as the door closed, she sat down as if she had collapsed like a person out of her mind.

‘Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry over things like this.’

She felt as if something under her neck was going to come pouring out of her mouth. ‘What are they talking and doing in the room where they’re alone?’

Evely couldn’t help but put her ear firmly against the door. It was a thick door, but as she got closer, she could hear them talking.

It seemed to be an illusion or something like laughter. The princess’s graceful and beautiful laughter.

“The noble ones become the sun, while the trivial ones like me become a handful of stars that are scattered across the night sky.”

Her mother’s words passed through her mind.

If what her mother said was true, the princess would be the sun shining still. And herself would be just a few hundred common little stars, like grains of sand on the seashore. A tiny, tiny light that doesn’t even have a name. A faint glow that won’t even be remembered by anyone.

As soon as Evely got back to her room, she lay down on her bed, but she couldn’t sleep. Every time she turned over, various thoughts floated endlessly in her head. The thoughts only grew and grew, and while they were not worth talking about, they produced plausible results. Why did the princess come to visit him today?

Evely didn’t know if Rose was going for a night walk or not these days.

“Ha.” If she asked Olivia, who now served the princess, she would get the answer.

But Evely didn’t want to go that far.

What if the princess doesn’t go for walks from now on?

Then ……

‘Would I be able to bear that answer?’

Evely wondered if the two of them were really getting closer.

Perhaps they will make progress through tonight.

Tonight.

Evely gulped suddenly as her thoughts came flooding in.

Would he kiss her, touch her body, and tangle their bodies and get drunk as Alec had done to her?

‘You’re going to get drunk on her tonight, aren’t you?’

Just the thought of the two of them together made her heart swell and her blood run cold. She didn’t know what he and the princess were doing in that room, she didn’t even know for sure, she didn’t even see it with her own eyes, but Evely felt frustrated and dizzy, as if she was witnessing the act.

“No, you can’t like Master. It’s very lonely.”

Maybe Brianna was right. A maidservant who loves her master was bound to be lonely.

A maid’s night is sad and lonely when she loves her master.

* * *

“Evely! Master has given me permission to marry!”

Brianna’s face, which was as gorgeous as a blooming flower, came into view.

“Is it true?”

“Yes. I was going to ask you to do it if I couldn’t, but I have his blessing.”

“Good. I’m really glad.”

Even though Evely felt good along with Brianna as she watched her floating and restless. But on the other hand, Evely also felt self-mocking. There was a bittersweet taste on the tip of her tongue, like the aftertaste of soft tea. She was really happy for Brianna, but she was also very envious.

“Good for you. I’m jealous!”

“Jealous? Evely, you will get to meet Daniel later!”

Not an easy thing to talk about, apparently……

Evely nodded, but somehow she didn’t want to think that there was a last time between Alec and herself. Even though it’s natural that their relationship would wither and become dull with time.

“Aaron secretly broached the subject of you a few days ago, and Daniel was positive.”

Evely thought she would like to meet him once.

Maybe she had never met a man properly and she was only looking at her master. When she met Daniel, she might have changed her mind.

“We can talk about it later. Let’s start with the celebration! The two of you will live happily ever after. Because you love each other.”

Marriage with someone you love….

Evely, recalled Brianna’s happy face, couldn’t help but mutter to herself in dismay.

‘…I want to get married, too.’

“What?”

The low voice startled her, and she shut her lips tightly. It was as if the sound inside her had scrambled up and out on its own.

Alec, who was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room reading a book, asked Evely. Evely, at loss for words, held her hands tightly.

“Marry?”

“Oh, that’s not it… “

Evely hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to say. Then, she suddenly opened her eyes wide and said in a clear voice as if she made up her mind.

“Please allow me to get married.”

Alec’s face contorted as if he had just heard something ridiculous. He stared at Evely as he put aside the book he was reading. His relaxed body leaned forward slightly.

“What do you want me to do?”

Evely looked at her master.

“You let Brianna marry. So please let me do it, too.”

Alec closed his eyes slowly and opened them. His voice was flat as if he pressed it, but it seemed to make him even colder.

“Who the hell do you plan to marry?”

“You wouldn’t know if I told you.”

In spite of the situation that would normally make her shrink, Evely was not to be outdone. The words came out unexpectedly, so it was only natural that there was no object.

Evely couldn’t understand why on earth she asked her master permission to get married.

Was she trying to provoke him, was she trying to end this mysterious relationship, or was she just trying to bully him once…?

Perhaps she wanted to do all of that.