READING GUIDANCE!!
" This is a direct sentence in the present time."
" This is a direct sentence in the past time."
' This is inside character's mind sentence in the present time.'
'This is inside character's mind sentence in the past time.'
HAPPY READING!
***
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Since the day when she decided to choose to be the princess's personal maid, she knew immediately that her life will change dramatically. She found herself, that the daily routine she once did somehow change. It may not look different as she still somehow, do the same things as before. Waking up in the morning prepares herself for the day, works in the palace, and comes back home when the time has come. Yet, since that day... she found herself praying.
praying something she never thought she will do.
' Please, don't be a reality.'
every single day, every time she wakes up, she will immediately hope for something that she starts to realize will never become true.
and she will find herself drowning inside her own thought every morning. Thinking about the storyline that will happen. Even though she tries to deny that nothing horrible may happen to the princess, reality shows her the truth eventually. Of course, her memories don't show a detailed situation of what will happen. In the beginning, it only shows her the major events in her story. As result, at first she never really thought about everything, and the existence of the princess is not related to the story inside her memories. Yet, recently, major events started to happen.
Just days ago, Lady Landberg was attacked by some assassins while walking around the garden of the east palace with the princess. She still vividly remembers, the incident stuck in her brain as if it does not want to vanish even though she desperately wants it to. She was not expecting anything that morning, there was also not a single feeling that led her to that horrifying event. She was just doing things like usual, doing the job that was assigned to her.
That day, the princess and Lady Landberg choose to visit the garden. Something unharmful that was common to do. Strangely, even after the suns set, both of them still had not yet come back. Just at that moment, she then remembered.
" How could they do that? They were just playing in the garden!" memory of the girl inside her memories showed her fury and sadness. The girl who was always cheerful and sometimes silly showed anger she could not understand. " Why do they do that?" with an ounce of regret engraved in Grace's heart.
All of it was because of the story about the first attack to the princess. In the memories, the princess was still a child and was just hanging around in the east palace garden with Lady Landberg. There was no character named Grace in the story, she was an abnormality in this reality. So, no one was aware of their missing. The lady was heavily wounded and hid somewhere in the garden, She hugged the princess tightly ignoring the fact that she was in critical condition,
then,
knights found it the next morning. The scenery was still vivid inside her brain, the innocent princess calling the name of the lady repeatedly hoping she woke up. Yet, from that moment the lady never woke up again.
She felt a dreadful feeling at that moment she remembered the memories. She rushed out immediately, yelled at the knights to immediately follow her. She was running like crazy, and while praying inside repeatedly.
' Please be okay! Please be okay!'
and she stopped when she saw the blood dripping from the unconscious lady. Grace, who was standing in front of them paled immediately as her knees felt like it was losing their power. The knights yelled at her but she could not understand. She could not compose herself as the dripping blood from the Lady's body was dreadful. Her beautiful face paled as if no breath running into her lung.
" Ress!" and the only thing that could wake her up from her thought was the princess's crying who became panic because of how people surrounded her showing unpleasant atmosphere caused by the event.
She immediately turned her head to her voice. The second she saw her face, there was indescribable relief inside her heart. She rushed to embrace the princess on hers.
" It's okay! Everything will be okay."
and repeatedly said the words that she hoped could calm herself down.
"... But, even now I could not forget." she sighed, forcing her heavy body to wake up in the familiar place that is not her own bedroom. She puts her shawl on and walks away to the princess's bedroom and looks at the sleeping princess. Then she looked at the corner of the room where there is a knight guarding them all night along.
She could not say anything despite how uncomfortable she is now. She decided to follow the instruction and trying not to make a big mistake. Just like yesterday, when she found Lady Landberg wounded in the garden, just a moment after that... the heir of Arkas dukedom came to her with his dreadful gaze. The sword was pointed out toward her neck ready to slice her throat.
She froze as if that was her ending.
Yet, the princess cried loudly while hugging her tightly. It was somehow saved her from his sharp sword.
She was collapsed, while palely looking at the man who still stared at her like a madman.
She immediately turned down and hugged the princess tightly. She could feel the man walking closer, and kneeling.
"... I will kill you, as soon I found your secret." with his deep and agonizing voice he whispered near her ear. Left a strong trace of his flower-like fragrance.
Leaving her with the feeling of terror of him.
Even a little fragrance of flowers could give her sudden nausea. But, in the end, she could not stay out of all of this and try to somehow accept it.
' I need to make sure to not make the same mistake.'
because yesterday, she was rushed by sudden adrenaline of panic attack because their safety. she could not thinking straight. She just thought she need someone who could help her, so that was why she called for the knights as soon as she realized it. Yet, it led to suspicion, of why she, who was just doing nothing could immediately show them an incident. In people's opinion, of course, it felt strange. She should have been removed as the princess's personal maid, yet, the princess threw a big tantrum that made them could not have any choice instead letting Grace by her side but with the fact that, there has to be a knight around them. So, the commander then left her with a blatant spy to look after her.
'... at least, the lady is safe.' and she could bare with anything as long as she knows that truth. The lady is somehow in a critical condition but, the doctor said after the surgery she will be okay, and Grace feels so grateful for that fact.
" ... just please be okay," she said while gently rubbing the princess's cheeks.
and the princess just sleeping soundly with her adorable face as if she is comfortable by her touch. She looks so peaceful and Grace really feels grateful for that.
' It is better than you become traumatized,' for a mere child to see that kind of tragedy is an unpleasant thing. Then, she frowned deeply. '... But, it is not the 'the end',; because in that story, the princess was born to be an unfortunate child... she will face many similar events such as this one later on in her life.
...and it terrified Grace so much.
' How could I stop it?'
While she aware too well who she is,
' I am just an ordinary human.'
and nothing she could do about it,
"... Ms.Harvey." and the knight called her who is playing with the princess in her room. She turned away to him who seems alert toward the closed door without looking at her in her eyes. Instinctively, she holds the princess in her hand who looks at her in confusion. "... there are many men outside the room, but... their mana feels so strange." he said.
"... They are coming."
her heart stopped in that second, followed by a fast thumping that makes Grace having a hard time to breathe, and she feels the world starts to crumble.
" Go inside the secret passage," he said.
"....Sir, you have to come too," she whispered while trembling.
and the man looks at her, " I have to distract them so they will not follow you." he said. " GO! NOW!"
and she does not know what thing keeps her moving on. Even though she is not in good relationship with darkness and she is not a brave woman, yet, she keeps herself going while praying deeply inside her heart,
'.... Please... be alright.'
' Please... '
' Please don't be reality.'
***
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" HIS GRACE! I NEED TO MEET HIS GRACE!"
and the yelling bothers him so much and motivates him to kick that man out. Yet, the knight who yelled hurriedly comes inside his office in the palace.
" THE PRINCESS IS MISSING!"
" What?" he was surprised.
" The east palace filled with a strange gas, people are dying inside including the one you assigned for the princess," he said. " We use protective gear, and found that the princess and the maid are gon-"
BRAKK!
" IS she really?!" and the anger shut the people inside his office. The fact that his uneasiness toward the maid becomes bigger.
" How about the secret passage?" asked Titan.
and the shocked man opens his mouth. "... It was closed, but, the investigator believed it was recently opened," he said.
" Prepare search groups!" said the commander while picking up his sword. " Spread them, we are going to find the princess."
" Yes, Sir!"
***
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She was running, she was running like crazy in the middle of darkness. It was terrifying, dreadfully terrified her that she felt an urgent desire to just stop. She thought it might be better to just come back, it must be alright because Arkas Knights are powerful.
She felt nausea, her heart was felt like being pressed so she could not breathe better. She wanted to stop desperately and cried. Yet, even she was confused with herself who still smiling with trembling lips.
" Res?" as the sweet voice called her unknowingly about the danger.
She embraces her tightly inside the unknown cave she found after she runs. " Do...don't worry princess. Everything will be alright."
Is it?
" I...I will make cookies for you when we are back."
but, her body flinches every time she heard sudden noises. Her body trembling like crazy due to the unknown terror. Yet, she brushes the princess's cheeks and smiles gently. " So, please don't cry."
while slowly embracing her.
" YOU DAMNED FOOLED, FIND THEM!" a big scream startled her.
She paled while slowly, very carefully moving her body to the edge of the cave. Closed her mouth to hold her fright.
" ... I found a cave." and a man's voice is so clear. Echoing inside the cave she is in.
' Don't come. Please don't come.'
Yet, the eyes that spark because of the suns set, are so terrifying. The grin choked her. "... Ah, we found them."
She froze, in the second that man goes inside the cave.
" Res-"
and the princess's voice wakes her up again, " DON'T COME!" and she screams in a frightening fear. Stands herself up while picking up a big stone behind her back with one hand. "ARGHH!!" and she hits the man at the right moment and made him fall immediately. She runs for the opportunity and is lost in the darkness of the forest.
" CATCH THE PRINCESS!"
" SHE IS THERE!"
" CATCH THEM!"
and the screaming that is echoing sounds like horror. She feels like they are just behind her back and will kill her in the second she turns a little bit. Ignoring the branches that slash her face and body, or the pain in her feet that step on strange harmful things- she keeps running in the darkness.
'... I am only an ordinary person!'
' I could not do anything!'
even though she knows everything, what could she do if she were only an ordinary person? Even though she loves the princess dearly, what can she do by herself?
She could not change anything.
Even she is now aware too much of the limit of her own energy.
... It will be soon ended,
' I am sorry.'
for being someone that can't change this unfortunate fate.
' I am sorry-"
" YOU!" suddenly, someone grabs her hand. Took her guard off as she was distracted by what is happening. " GIVE THE PRINCESS!"
but that one word triggered her defense and she tried to brush off the hand that grips hers painfully. " NO!" she yelled. " I WILL NOT GIVE YOU MY PRINCESS!" as she holds her tightly without being aware that the man who grabs her hand is the commander himself.
" I FOUND THE PRINCESS!" yet, in that situation too. The commander who suspects this maid, could not find the best reason for why they are chasing her.
" LET ME GO!" and the fact that she was tearing while desperately trying to let go from his hand, and hold the princess tightly inside her embrace. She was purely terrified by the situation and seem not aware of who he is.
" STOP!" and he shouted. " This is me!" and the woman finally realizes as the expression brightens and she stops rebelling.
....and even though he still not yet found the ease to trust this woman, for now on, he needs to take all of them out of the situation where an unfamiliar bunch of people, with strange clothes that covered their body- look at them in intimidation.
" They will throw Daria's gas," she said while standing behind his back.
and he frowned, " Why do you know?"
and She looks at him in confusion, but immediately realized. She gulped. " I JUST KNOW!" she yelled.
' I don't care! I don't care if he doubts me, because we have to get out!' and she looks at the man who frowned at her suspiciously, ' You may doubt me, but- I need you to get us out!'
' I can not do anything!'
and it is so frustrating.
" I will tell you if you get us out of here!" she shouted frantically as she looked in fear vividly at the exploded gasses in the air.
" WAA!" and she screams, because the man suddenly picks her up.
" Hold onto me," he said calmly. While somehow running faster before jumping from a high cliff.
she paled by a sudden tension, then,
" ARRGGHHHH!!!" and her scream echoed in that canyon.
***