“Ah-ahem. I asked you here for a favour. However, before I ask, I need you to tell me honestly, who do you heed orders from?”

She seems surprised and slightly flustered, “Young master, of course I serve you. I’ve been serving you since 4 years ago!”

I knew this from enquiring from the other maids but I have to do this regardless.This is the biggest risk I’ve decided to take since coming over to this world, and hopefully ever will.

“I don’t doubt that you serve me, but it’ll be weird if a servant as bright as you were to remain untouched by the other members of my family, that someone didn’t approach you, offering incentives in return for observing and proving intel on me. I can’t fathom that none of them have tried. ”

She bites her lips, seemingly thinking to herself. I don’t mind waiting for her answer, it’s fine. She starts to compose herself, beginning: “Young master, I was picked up as an orphan by your mother when I was just 7, and have been here ever since. Before I came here, I lived in poverty, having to watch my mother die of sickness and my father waste himself in drinking before ultimately ruining himself. I picked up scraps on the road just to survive, I had to beg, steal, cheat just to see tomorrow, I’ve done many bad things, and have had many bad things done to me.”

‘When I was given a chance to live a normal life by your mother, instead of living without knowing if tomorrow I’ll still be alive, I decided to take it without hesitation. She said to me that the past can’t be changed, but the future is yours to choose. This is the path I’ve chosen, and for that huge grace your mother has bestowed me, I’ll continue to live my life for her sake.”

I can’t say I’m not moved. She seems quite genuine in her words. No averting of her eyes when telling her story, no weird shifts in her facial expressions, I am almost certain she’s telling the truth. She even declared that her allegiance was to my mother, not me.

If she had said that she had pledged her allegiance to to me, I would have ended the conversation right there. I simply see no reason for a young lady to decide to pledge her life to an immature child. There’s no reason for her to be grateful to me, even by extension of my mother.

I guess I’ve decided.

I slowly stand up from the chair I’m seated in. I walk over to her and look at her directly for a moment.

“Young master?”

“I was recently injured, and since waking up, I haven’t been able to remember much about my life before the incident. There were some gossip around the maidservants I’ve heard, however, that Father had recently decided to decide on his successor not through seniority, but through power. I’ve also heard that, 3 days after that announcement was when I had my mysterious incident.”

I continued, despite her shocked expression, “It’s such a coincidence, isn’t it?”

She hesitated, saying,“Y-Yes, youn-”

I cut her off, “Now, think carefully before answering, if we’re truly backed into a corner and if I have the way to turn it around, what would you do?”

“I would follow your every order.” She straightforwardly stated.

“Well then, let’s protect our safe haven.”

The night sets, as the first of many huge waves in the Kingdom rises.