Bad Reputation

Relying on her heightened spiritual perception, Flora quickly spotted two bewildered knights outside the washroom.

“Leave this to me.”

When she stepped inside, she saw a blue-haired girl crying as if her whole world had collapsed.

The moment the girl noticed Flora, her sobs grew louder, more heartbreaking.

“What are you doing here? What’s the point of you coming?”

She could no longer maintain the graceful image of a young lady, her voice breaking into a desperate scream.

At that sight, Flora recalled the past—how whenever Stela cried in front of others, a crowd would rush to comfort her.

Later, Stela learned that whenever she made a mistake, she only needed to cry pitifully to earn forgiveness.

Even when a certain someone was scolded or humiliated, Stela would cry deliberately, and while the adults weren’t looking, sneak a sly wink through the gap in her fingers.

Afterwards, she would stand proudly with her hands on her hips, boasting that as long as she was there, no one would ever bully that certain someone.

That was Stela: clever, kind at heart, but with a mischievous streak and a touch of cunning.

Yes, she had lived a pampered, spoiled life.

Yes, she had grown proud from being overly indulged.

But her nature was never bad.

She was no fool.

The fault lay in the environment she grew up in.

The fault lay in never having a good teacher.

That “certain someone” who knew nothing but how to indulge Stela—dumber than a pig—was never suited to be her teacher.

That “certain someone” also lacked the position to guide her.

And by the time that “certain someone” finally understood many things, the chance to help Stela was already gone.

But Flora was different.

She wasn’t “that person.”

At least, not in the eyes of others.

So—

“His Highness won’t be coming.”

Flora spoke calmly.

She did not make any move to comfort the girl, nor did she reach out to pat her head the way “that person” would have.

She was only the Crown Prince’s maid.

She had nothing to do with the Blue Lion family.

And precisely because of that, she could speak bluntly.

Her words would not backfire.

“I don’t need you either!”

Shame and anger flushed across Stela’s face as she slapped the sink, splashing water everywhere.

“No, you do.” Flora’s expression remained composed.

“If you truly want to protect the Blue Lion family.”

The blue-haired girl froze mid-motion, her hand hovering above the sink.

Flora wasn’t surprised.

Stela never wanted to marry the Crown Prince.

If not for her family, the girl who had been doted on like a princess would never have come here.

She would never have spoken fawning words to anyone.

Because all her life, it was others who fawned over her.

It was always others who yielded to her.

But that pampered life hadn’t made Stela into a spoiled brat who knew nothing of propriety.

“You would still help me? Why… when I never even cared about you?”

Her disbelief trembled in her voice.

Of course, Flora wasn’t stupid enough to reveal her real thoughts.

“As a lowly maid, it’s natural you don’t value me,” Flora said steadily.

“That His Highness sees me differently, I take as an honor.

But I also know it is only his favor, not a common truth.

I would never expect others to treat me the same.”

She continued, unwavering.

“The Blue Lion family’s strength is without question a great support to His Highness.

Though his status allows him to speak bluntly, if we ignore this matter and do nothing, it would be negligence on our part.”

“In conclusion, my judgment is this: to help you, Miss, is to help His Highness.

So I must ask you to consider the bigger picture, and make the decision that benefits both sides.”

Her words sounded respectful, yet left Stela no choice.

If she were truly just a spoiled, unreasonable young lady, she would have raged, thrown a tantrum, or rolled on the floor after hearing such words.

But the blue-haired girl only grew calmer.

“Is it… still not too late?”

No anger.

Instead, doubt, hesitation, and a pitiful lack of confidence.

Flora resisted the urge to comfort her.

“More importantly, Miss Yaros, do you understand what your real mistake was?”

“Eh?”

Stela blinked, then lowered her head.

“I shouldn’t have been so arrogant, looking down on—”

“No. I told you already. That wasn’t wrong.”

Flora frowned and chastised her.

“Your mistake was leaving the dining hall and throwing away the chance to fight back!”

Stela froze.

And Flora’s heart ached all the more.

Because she thought of a certain general.

A general both she and Stela had once respected deeply.

“That hall was your stage, your battlefield! You must never retreat, never give up, never stop thinking!”

Flora’s voice rang sharp.

“Running away wasn’t just a denial of your own efforts—it betrayed the people who believe in you and placed their hopes on you!”

“That… was your greatest mistake!”

Stela lowered her head further, shame pressing her down.

“You don’t need to apologize to me,” Flora cut her off.

“Fulfill the duties of your engagement, uphold the honor of the Blue Lion family—that is what you should do.”

As for the rest… leave it to her.

Through her spiritual sense, Flora noticed one of the two hidden guards who had followed her here quietly slip away.

(…Damn it. Are my words really so worthless?)

Ryan seethed with fury.

So angry that he wanted to sweep everything off the dining table and smash it all.

But just as his hand lifted, he forced it back down.

He wasn’t short of money for these dishes.

But the kitchen had poured heart and effort into preparing this meal.

He could destroy it easily.

But if others interpreted it as criticism of the kitchen staff, that would be troublesome.

And even if venting would feel good in the moment, if it frightened people, all the effort he had put in these days to soften his reputation with the servants would go up in smoke.

Crash.

A maid, startled and panicked, stepped back too quickly, knocking a porcelain decoration to the ground.

(Too late, after all?)

Ryan sighed inwardly.

He knew all too well how terrible his reputation was.

Most of it he had spread himself, deliberately.

The point was to scare away those unprepared for the risks of serving him.

He didn’t want anyone dragged into the assassinations targeting him.

But in this world, too many people only saw profit, never risk.

And too many nobles treated their children as tools, sending them whether they wanted to or not.

So his infamy hadn’t scared many away.

And those who came were often the naïve, the foolish, the clueless.

Worse, his own smear campaign had backfired, giving rise to even uglier rumors he had never imagined.

He wanted to change.

But he hadn’t done it well.

Looking back, only Flora’s reminders and guidance had helped him start correcting himself.

Even then, he never apologized.
Never shed the airs of the Crown Prince.

He had no right to scold anyone.

As for girls like Stela, who said one thing while thinking another—he was already numb to them.

He knew Flora belonged to the Blue Lion family.

But still, he felt jealous.

Still, he felt resentment.

Still, he shouted at her like a child throwing a tantrum.

And he wanted her to stay?

What a joke.

He truly had no dignity.

That it ended like this—he deserved it.

Looking at the terrified faces around him, he only felt more bored.

More frozen inside.

“Your Highness Ryan,” Charlton’s voice broke the silence.

“In this matter, I believe you were wrong.”