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The Unofficial Empress - Chapter 10
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Four days have passed after the sudden tea party. For the past few days, Alexandra was treated nicely by everyone from the royal family. It seemed as if everyone is trying to find someone to instate. And her pregnancy was like an answer to their struggle.
Marco didn’t sleep in the room due to several works he had to finish before the week ended. Nina was her temporary maid who is helping her with her daily necessities. She is taking a break from learning basic etiquette of a princess. Her teacher is impressed with her and even told the emperor that she may not need to be supervised. They had no idea that she was once the sole princess of the empire.
The emperor has sent her a book containing a checklist of new maidservants for her to choose a personal aid. They were all unfamiliar to her and she doesn’t want Vicente Do to meddle with her life so she waited for Marco to enter the drawing room where she is resting. Marco knocked and entered the room even without a response so Nina excused herself and went outside.
“Surely the former princess doesn’t need basic etiquette,” Marco spoke and crossed his legs as he sat down on the couch in front of her.
“Please refrain from calling me that,” she said nonchalantly.
“Why? Does it hurt your pride?”
“I’m not that petty. Rather than talking about etiquette, I’d like to talk about this,” she spoke as she handed the book to her husband. Marco browsed the pages and chuckled. “Nothing is funny,.” She was a little offended by his behavior.
“Oh but I thought you wouldn’t want my help with anything. You said so before we went our separate ways on the first night you stayed in my chambers.”
“Well,” she blushed with a little guilt, “I take it back,” she added. A gentle breeze blew outside the window and his chilly gaze made her surroundings feel colder. Casting away her pride, she went to sit beside him. “Help me pick one. The one not related to the Hongs,” she spoke without batting an eyelid.
Marco was stunned by Alexandra’s actions. She could have chosen her personal servant. She could ask Vicente Do for help. That way, they could implant a spy beside a prince. “Is this a game? Are you trying to play tricks on me right now?” he asked.
“No, my dear. What I’m trying to do is make an agreement with you in order for us to live more harmoniously than before.”
“Oh? Why?”
“I don’t want to be manipulated. If I can gain freedom by coercing with my enemy, I am willing to do so. Now please help me choose someone I can trust,” she pleaded in a callm and sincere way and even held his hand. She squeezed it without releasing her gaze.
This woman may look docile but she is rational. Marco simply slipped his hand off. “Aren’t you relying too much on me?”
“Am I not supposed to rely on my husband?” she shot back that made him grin. Right. No one has ever talked back to him without restraint.
“All right then. I also have a request.”
“Tell me.”
“There is a possibility that my family only wants the child. Once he was born, you could be discarded and they could select another woman to be my princess. Now, I want you to help me fool them by acting as if we are deeply in love. I can promise you my fidelity for the rest of my life,” he said having thought about everything regarding his marriage.
Alexandra was surprised. “Why are you willing to take a risk?” she asked Marco.
“You’re not ambitious and you’re honest…at least to me,” he replied.
“Then it’s a deal,” she said. “Deal,” he repeated and took her hand to seal it.
For the following days, Nina would always leave whenever Marco enters the room. Alexandra would always ask him whatever is wrong when he looks gloomy or whatever is making him happy. They would talk like normal couples do and would smile genuinely at each other.
It feels like a newly married couple’s daily life. Spending some time together during breaks. Inquiring each other’s wellbeing. Sparing each other’s privacy. Behind the façade, the two are very courteous with each other.
When the personal maid Marco chose for her was ready, the emperor personally visited the third prince’s chambers ensuring that everything went very well. The emperor didn’t stay for long due to urgent matters in court so Marco and Alexandra were left alone to personally get to know the servant. The study felt suddenly still and chilly when the emperor and his attendants were gone. “Agatha,” Marco spoke as he encircled the poor maid, eyeing her from head to toe. Alexandra noticed Agatha’s shaking hands while fidgeting her fingers.
Marco stopped beside Alexandra and held his chin for a moment before speaking again. “If you have other motives rather than working as a maid in the palace, you should speak up now.”
“Your highness,” the poor maid trembled as she knelt down in fear. “I…I came here to serve in the palace. I’m just a poor country girl who wanted to feed the abandoned children in my village. I…I…my mother worked as a palace maid before the previous emperor was dethroned…” Agatha unexpectedly blurted out. Her throat became suddenly dry as she wetted her lips. Her complexion turned pale before she got down on her knees. “Forgive me, my prince!”
It wasn’t what I expected! Mom, I don’t think I can stay…
Agatha was about to cry when the fair lady held her shoulder and asked her to stand up. She was too afraid to offend the prince once again so she kept kneeling and even bowed low on the floor. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, your highness,” she kept saying without knowing why exactly she was chosen to serve in the third prince’s chambers.
“Get up and greet your princess the right way! I don’t eat a person. I just swallow,” Marco smirked as he sat down on his chair behind the desk. Agatha felt as if lightning and thunders suddenly struck her on the floor. She could not have something to clutch in her hands so she just balled them into fists as cold sweat broke out on her forehead. What should I do? “Do you wish to let us wait for you to recover from shock?”
“No, I’m very sorry, your highness.”
“Get up!” Marco commanded and even Alexandra was startled. Agatha got up with trembling knees.
“I think I should do it,” Alexandra volunteered because the air seems to grow thicker every second that the maid remains quiet. “Agatha, I’d like to hear your reason to be in the palace,” she said as she guided the maid towards the couch.
“My lady?” Agatha looked up with teary eyes. She was like a puppy saved by a random passerby.
“I’m leaving,” Marco spoke and left the study. When Alexandra and Agatha were alone, the latter felt relieved.
“From now on, I’ll be in your care. I’m pregnant with the third prince’s child and they wanted me to have a personal maid. We chose you because we know that you have nothing against the Hongs or the Angenases.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I want your loyalty to me. Can you do that?” Alexandra asked sincerely while looking into Agatha’s eyes. The poor maid was shy but she sniffed and pushed back her tears.
“We’ve been taught to be loyal to the throne. Whoever sits on it does not matter as long as we observe the rules.”
“What I want is your personal response. Can you do that?”
“I will for the sake of my brothers,” Agatha replied with strong resolve.
“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt them. Tell me about your village. Maybe I can help,” Alexandra urged gently and the poor maid slowly opened up.
Agatha was taught not to speak ill about the Hongs nor the Angenases. Life won’t be so easy if anyone is found out guilty of slandering either side. Poverty drove Agatha to take a chance and enter the palace as a maidservant. That way, she could have a stable job and income to sustain five children whose parents were unknown. They were left in the village and no one was willing to accept them except Agatha’s mother.
They became like real siblings and Agatha grew fond of them. They were bullied and sneered at by other villagers who had higher statuses. Even the price of the goods were raised and became unaffordable for peasants like them. Many had evacuated to other places but Agatha could not leave. The village originally belonged to the villagers and most of the food were free as they grow fruits and vegetables themselves.
Until such time that rich men stepped into the land and saw that it was good, they took over it and monopolized the production of crops. The once harmonious and abundant lifestyle in the village became chaotic. People became greedy and inconsiderate for the sake of gaining a higher status. She didn’t expect that she would meet the cold-blooded prince to be her master.