“You haven’t heard anything from Aunt Kelly yet, have you?”
Hain, who was instructing the maids to change the curtains in the guest room, answered Sienna’s question.
“Yes, I haven’t heard from her yet.”
Sienna took a sip of warm tea with a look of discontent. Sienna asked Kelly to find out about Arya’s past activities, but it seemed to take some time.
“Be careful there. If you fall off the ladder, you get seriously injured.”
The inside of the guest room was bustling. Normally, curtain or seat replacement was supposed to take place quietly at dawn when the owner is asleep or at the time of the owner’s absence, but Sienna was sitting in a hectic guest room while the curtains and seats in the bedroom and study were also being replaced.
Sienna was afraid that Arya would plant spies in her maid circle, so she had no choice but to be short-staffed because she could only pick the reliable maids that she trusted personally.
Cough*Cough*
Shaylin, who was running around like an assistant, coughed dry coughs. When Sienna saw it, she asked Hain.
“Why the hell are you making a fuss about changing curtains all of a sudden?”
“His Majesty the Emperor comes here every day these days.”
Sienna tilted her head and asked back, “What does that have to do with the curtains?”
Hain spoke triumphantly, with a proud look on her face.
“There’s a reason! In the past, some empresses changed the inside of the castle every day. Changing curtains, decorating with flowers, or hanging pictures. She not only took care of herself but her palace so that the emperor would not get bored with her.”
Sienna nodded as she looked at Hain with a proud face looking like she wanted a compliment. Though bustling, she didn’t mean to blame her.
Hain looked anxious. She was worried that Carl would be fickle and stop coming here and go to Bluebell. Sienna had confidence about Carl’s heart, but Hain, who was not Sienna, would not have such faith.
Sienna said to Hain as she stood up from her seat, carrying a blanket and the documents she was looking at:
“I can’t stay because there’s a lot of dust inside. I’ll be in the garden, so call me when it’s finished. Shaylin, will you please get me a cup of warm tea?”
“It’s full of bugs in the garden. Would that be okay with you? It’s also windy today…”
“You don’t have to worry. I’ve got a blanket here.”
After hearing that she would clean up as soon as possible, Sienna went to the garden. The Knights of Phoenix naturally followed her.
The wind usually blows away flower petals and leaves, causing the garden table to be messy. But today, it was clean for some reason. By the looks of it, Milton seemed to have commanded a knight to clean it up quickly.
“Thank you.”
Upon hearing Sienna’s words of thanks, Milton answered with a light bow.
“Your Majesty, I have your tea.”
Shaylin carefully laid down the teapots and cups on the table. Shaylin looked uneasy, even though she had been an apprentice maid for quite some time. It was also due to her youthful appearance, but it was also true that she looked noticeably thin recently.
“I’ll pour it for you.”
Shaylin carefully picked up the teapot and poured it out into the teacup. Unlike the gesture that looked anxious, the teacup contained fragrant tea. She must have learned how to make proper tea from Hain.
“Shaylin, are you okay? Are you feeling any pain?”
“Sorry!”
At Sienna’s words, Shaylin apologized in surprise, as if she had made a huge mistake. Sienna smiled awkwardly at her radical response.
“What’s there to be sorry for? I just said it out of concern. You don’t have to be so surprised.”
At Sienna’s words, Shaylin looked at her and nodded her head.
Looking at Shaylin’s dejected face, Sienna remembered that she was uncomfortable with Leia when she ordered her room to be cleaned not too long ago. Leia was such a budding and caring maid that she didn’t think she would bother Shaylin, but Sienna asked just in case.
“Is there something wrong? Who’s bothering you?”
“No. Everyone is nice to me, everyone. They take good care of me.”
Even to Sienna, it looked like everyone was taking good care of her, and one seemed to hate her. Nevertheless, the shadow on Shaylin’s face was still lingering.
“By any chance… never mind.”
Sienna stopped herself before asking if there was anything going on with her family.
Shaylin was from Tromil, her clan was destroyed long ago and scattered, and she was told that the grandmother who raised her had passed away. She had no blood ties left.
Sienna criticized herself for almost hurting Shaylin with a slip of the tongue.
‘Dang it, I need to be more careful.’
The wind whistled and the papers on the table scattered in the air as she was blaming herself.
“I’ll pick it up!”
Shaylin stepped out.
“Oh, sorry.”
Shaylin reached for the flying paper and tried to grab it. Her attempt was quite cute, but unfortunately, the papers fell to the floor to avoid her small hands. She was forced to bend over and pick up the scattered paper.
‘Bruise?’
Sienna found a bruise on the back of her neck, which was revealed as Shaylin bent down. It was so instant and only a glimpse, but the scar that turned purple caught Sienna’s eye.
“Here you go.”
Shaylin put together the documents that she picked up and the documents handed over by the knight on the table.
“Yes, thank you. But…”
“Your Majesty, the study has been arranged, so get inside now. It’s windy.”
Hain came around and told Sienna just before she was about to talk to Shaylin.
“Ah… Hain, that was fast.”
“Of course, this stuff is quick. Shaylin, can you help me get the kitchen ready?”
“Okay. Then I’ll get going.”
Shaylin bounced back into the palace. She left so quickly that Sienna couldn’t ask about the bruise on her neck.
‘How do you get bruises on the back of your neck?’
Sienna often got bruises around her knee when she was not careful, but bruises on the back of my neck seemed rare. Sienna was lost in thought with a serious look on her face.
These days, Shaylin’s expression was not good and she looks like a victim of abuse. However, she felt uncomfortable jumping to conclusions.
Shaylin was living in the castle with Sienna’s maids. No matter how hard Sienna thought about it, she couldn’t think of anyone who could do such a thing to her.
As soon as Sienna became the empress, she cut off all those suspected of being Arya’s puppets and filled most of them with trustworthy people. She didn’t want to doubt any of her own people. But she couldn’t just ignore Shaylin’s scars.
“Your Majesty! What are you thinking? It’s cold, so please go inside.”
“Okay Hain, but will you take good care of Shaylin?”
At Sienna’s words, Hain asked in a voice full of worry.
“Shaylin? Did she do something wrong?”
“No, it’s not that. I think Shaylin’s been worried a lot lately. She didn’t say anything but…”
“That’s right. I’m also worried these days. She was never the one to laugh a lot, but it has gotten worse these days. I don’t see her eating a whole meal. I’ll pay more attention.”
“Yes, thank you. And do you think there are any bullies…no? Take good care of her anyway and if possible, try to find out what’s going on with Shaylin.”
“Yes, I will.”
‘I hope it’s not a big deal…’
Sienna sat blankly with a worried face.