As usual, Rachel was sorting out official documts in her office, and for a long ti there was only the sound of a p rustling against paper. The girl was very conctrated, and did not imdiately notice wh soone knocked on the door.
Finally, after a couple of minutes, she took her eyes off the papers and inquired:
— Who is it?
— Your Majesty, I have an urgt ssage! — The visitor called out in an agitated voice.
It was the voice of the commander of the guard.
— Co in.
The man in armor swiftly swept through the room and kneeled.
— What is it? — Rachel took a bottle of red wine from her locker and poured herself a glass. She rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly.
— The Crown Princess of the Oberon Empire…» he began awkwardly, evidtly afraid of Her Majesty's reaction, «She… Demands an audice with you.
At that momt Rachel's hand trembled, holding her glass.
What the devil? Why did that girl co here again? Last ti, Rachel had made it quite clear to her that she had no right to interfere in the affairs of the palace.
anwhile, the girl frowned and said at once:
— Tell her to go away.
The commander squinted uncertainly.
— We tried, but… The Crown Princess said she'd wait until you took her in.
Rachel snorted.
— Fine. Th let her stay here until she dies.
— And…» The man lowered his gaze to the floor, «She said she'd be calling for Her Highness in an hour.
— What?» «Rachel was tak aback.
— She said she was going to stand outside her window and scream…
Wh Rachel heard this, she ruffled her hair irritably.
Maximiliana Windsor… There were too many problems left of her.
Rachel wished she could have killed her so easily, and solved the problem in an instant. If only Leriana hadn't be so careless and made frids with just anyone… Getting rid of so pathetic marquis' daughter wouldn't have be a problem.
Rachel clched her teeth.
— The hell with her… Op the gate.
If that girl was really going to make a sce here, Rachel was determined to get ev with her right now.
— I–I'm listing!
The commander was sowhat surprised by the que's decision, but imdiately rushed to carry out the order. While Rachel herself briefly put her work aside. Without turning her head, she also said:
— You may go.
There was so sound in the corner of the room for the first ti in a long ti.
— Yes, Your Majesty.
That faintly audible response escaped the lips of the weaked girl, who could barely stand on her feet. The crunch of brok glass ca from under her feet, which were almost completely bloodied.
Camilla Fernandez looked up at the que, clinging to the wall to keep from falling.
As punishmt for her transgression, Rachel punished her in ways the viscount's daughter could not ev have expected. That sa day, the que ordered all the shards of crockery left from under the maid's tray to be collected. The servants dumped them in the imperial office and Camilla was forced to stand on them for a whole day. Barefoot and without shutting her eyes.
All this ti Rachel just kept working while her secretary in the sa place was being punished hard.
No. It wasn't so much painful as terribly humiliating.
Camille could barely contain herself from showing her true emotions. thods like that… Wer't they like punishing so animal? It was like sticking a puppy's nose in its own puddle.
But ev so, giv Rachel Cassius's usual thods, this punishmt could still be called «light. At least she'd only hurt her legs, not lost them altogether…
Sobbing, the girl picked up the hem of her dress, which was also bloody. The delicate skin was scarred with splinters, and there was virtually no living space on her feet.
Ev in her family, no one had ever treated Camilla the way Rachel Cassius had done, just because of one transgression toward the crown princess.
The girl felt a terrible restmt and bitterness. She swallowed a lump in her throat and staggered to the door.
As she grabbed the doorknob, she heard Rachel's soft words:
— It was your fault. Don't think I'm going to feel sorry for you and give you the weekd off. You're going back to work tomorrow.
Camille flinched.
— I–I will, Your Majesty…
— Don't you dare mtion anywhere what happed today,» Rachel also ordered, «If you blab… You know what will happ to you.
She was silt for a momt. Of course, she guessed what this was all about. Otherwise, if everyone found out, the crown princess, who was already suspected, would be in ev more trouble.
— I understand, Your Majesty…
Camilla nodded weakly and was finally able to go outside. Almost just before the trance she collided with another girl with scarlet hair wh they almost crashed into each other.
— Watch where you're going!
The viscount's daughter contemptuously threw it right in her face, to which Maxie beca terribly indignant. What on earth does that girl think she's doing?! Suddly she herself appeared out of nowhere!
Maxie was about to follow her, but she was stopped by the scarlet footprints on the parquet. The girl had stepped out of the imperial office, so it wasn't hard to guess where exactly she had received these wounds.
By the ti Maxie had recovered from her slight stupor, Camilla had already disappeared a the corner. She exhaled irritably and decided not to waste any more ti.
She wt inside, rembering to lock the door behind her.
— Hey, what was that? — Maxie inquired, «Her Majesty's in a bad mood, and in honor of that you decided to try people?
— Shut up,» Rachel growled, «What do you want?
Maxie had be right to think that Cassius didn't care about the social status, gder, or age of her «pottial victims.» She could brutalize anyone, regardless of whether the person in front of her was a seasoned knight or a very frail lady.
The girl sighed heavily as she sat down in her chair without prior permission.
— It doesn't matter what else you try to threat with. I still won't stand by wh soone close to is in trouble.
Rachel frowned.
— I don't know what you an.
— Ev so commoners know, and you don't? — Maxie grinned,» Leriana's reputation is going to hell. Only a blind man wouldn't notice that.
Rachel maintained a brief, tse silce.
— If that's all you care about, you can go back. I'm perfectly capable of handling everything myself.
— You will…! — she snorted,» If that's true, why hasn't the rat who spreads slander still be punished?
— …
— You know exactly who it is, don't you! — Maxie did not retreat.
— Ev if I know, right now it's useless,» replied Rachel nonchalantly.
— What do you an by that?
She glared at her irritably.
— At a ti like this, one false move can turn ordinary gossip into a mass uprising. If you want Leriana to be cursed by the people of her own state, you can «drop the bomb» right now.
Maxie snorted.
— If anyone hates this country more than anyone else, it's you. But sohow it still doesn't keep you from sleeping well,» she remarked.
— I'm used to it,» said Rachel nonchalantly. «But Leriana… Ev an idiot like you must realize that such a sudd change in attitude won't just go away.
Maxie really knew what she ant. All her life, the Archduke's only daughter had be cherished and nurtured by everyone a her. And th suddly, because of one situation, people suddly turned against her. It was like throwing a piece of fresh carcass to the vultures.
For the inhabitants of the palace, this was commonplace. For cturies, for the sake of power, the people here have plotted and hated each other. The violt struggle for a place in the sun was commonplace anywhere.
But Leriana… Though she pretded to be all right, she was completely unprepared for it.
Rachel was aware that, for her own well-being: she could not take unnecessary risks right now.
Ev without words Maxie knew what she was thinking. And so she made an unexpected suggestion:
— If you really want to protect Leriana, make her personal knight.
— What?! — Rachel was involuntarily tak aback.
— It's better for everyone,» she sumd up reasonably, «It's obvious that these clumsy guards ar't up to the job.
Rachel frowned. The Cassius family's famous rcaries could hardly be called «clumsy.» Still, she was right sowhere.
Maxie was almost voicing her own thoughts out loud:
— These people are only protecting Leriana because you told them to. In other words, they have no real motivation. I, on the other hand… Ahem… I'll take my job with all my heart.
Rachel raised an eyebrow.
— Don't expect to really buy it,» she cut him off flatly.
— Oh, co on,» Maxie snapped back, «I really did co to offer my help. Besides, I'm not stupid ough to try to get Leriana out of the palace from under your nose.
— Oh, really? — She grinned. «Quite the opposite, if you ask .
— The lives of my cousins are in your hands. I have no ti for jokes.
At that momt Maxie really seed serious, and she could hardly fool her in any cunning way. After all, like almost all other people — Rachel saw through the Marquis's daughter.
Since the girl didn't answer for a long ti, Maxie decided to add:
— Besides, ahem… If it so happs that Leriana remains a widow, she will have soone to take care of her.
The last words were obviously unnecessary. Rachel was angry.
— If any of us are going to die first, it's you…! — The statemt from her lips sounded far from an empty threat.
Maxie hasted to put a lid on the situation.
— Well, you know… All sorts of situations happ! — She looked weakly justified, «You have to be prepared for anything.
— …
— I–It's…
— Say straight out that you ca here to die today.
Maxie waved her hands.
— All right, all right! Forget it! I just want to know the answer to my question.
Rachel sighed tsely.
This girl still seed very suspicious to her. Moreover, the longer they were a each other, the more annoyed she beca.
But at the sa ti… In this situation, the Windsor heiress was surprisingly one of the few who could be trusted with Lerian's safety. At least because she was unlikely to have motive to harm her.
After she thought about it, Rachel suddly grinned icily:
— I'd like to see a rough girl like you get away with it.
— What…? — Maxie asked again in surprise.
— If one hair falls from her head… You'll pay for it with your life.
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