厨房从后面挺进李婷

The girl became involuntarily nervous.

If anything goes wrong… That maid will surely pay!

— Your Highness, the insolent maid still won\'t admit her mistake! — Douglas reported.

Camilla hummed.

— Then keep hitting her.

Melinda received another lash on her back. There was no more life left on her body-but the crown princess wouldn\'t let up. She was obliged to punish the reprobate servant properly.

Two days ago Melinda had committed an unpardonable sin. As the queen was about to embark on a business trip — the reason for which she had not spoken — the maid suddenly ran out in front of her. She begged for her lady\'s salvation, and that the crown princess was not who she claimed to be.

She hoped she could tell Rachel the truth. But… What she didn\'t consider was that Camilla herself was just around the corner.

When the crown princess caught the scene-her expression twisted with anger.

— How dare you…! — What nerve!» the girl burst out, «What blatant impudence toward Her Majesty?!

But the maid was tired of tolerating injustice and decided to speak out.

— Your Majesty! — Melinda dropped to her knees in front of Rachel and began to cling to her clothes, — You can\'t do this! You cannot marry Lady Fernandez!

Rachel looked at her incomprehensibly.

— What do you mean? — She spoke coldly.

— My lady… Only you can save her! In fact, your bride was not Her Highness at all, but…

— THE GUARDS!

Camilla screamed before the maid could say her last words.

— Take that impudent girl away at once! — The viscount\'s daughter pointed at her with a trembling finger.

Melinda was grabbed under the elbows and led away from the palace hall in spite of her resistance. She screamed something about her mistress to the last. Rachel followed her with a strange look.

— What was she saying…?

— \'Your Majesty, don\'t listen,\' Camilla strained a smile and approached, \'Just the ramblings of a servant girl unworthy of attention.

— «Delirium?»

— The servants have been completely out of hand lately. This maid even dared to slander the princess… I will surely punish her properly.

There wasn\'t much time left before she left, so Rachel didn\'t argue with her.

— As you wish.

Some time had passed since then and Camilla had indeed punished her severely. The girl was barely conscious when she was taken to the princess\' chambers-where she refused to admit wrong to the last.

Agitated, Camilla paced back and forth across the room all morning. But now she calmed down a little and sat down in her chair.

Melinda collapsed on her knees in front of her. While Douglas — who had become the head maid — stood over her with a whip.

— You won\'t get away with this! — Choking on her own blood, the maid assured her.

The princess watched her with interest, her head propped on her fist.

She\'d had enough of torturing the wretched maid in recent days, and now she just wanted to know her motives.

— I\'m touched by your loyalty,» she said graciously. «Rarely have you met a servant who would do anything for his master. Tell me, did that bitch do something to bribe you?

The maid was deeply offended.

— Mistress is not like you…! — Melinda spat with hatred…» Unlike you she would never have fallen for such tricks!

Camilla laughed involuntarily.

— Ha… You call that «tricks»? Just a survival tactic.

— Don\'t talk as if you were the victim here! — The maid resented, «You can\'t even pay for your transgressions in the next life!

— «The next life…?» — Camilla repeated with a chuckle, «I don\'t need one. If I can live this one well, that will be enough.

— You could live it without taking someone else\'s! — The maid objected.

These words struck the girl as naive.

— Alien? Who said so? Or does Her Majesty have to belong to Lerian Ashford?

Melinda stammered.

The princess rose from her chair and grabbed her by the chin. She looked contemptuously straight into her eyes.

— Of course you only see the good in her,» she threw in sarcastically, «But you don\'t even know the effort I put into this place.

Melinda tried to pull away.

— That doesn\'t justify your inferior actions!

Camilla grinned sarcastically.

— What, then, justifies your mistress? Or, is she the only one allowed to do as she pleases?

— …

— Ha… either mistress or servant. You both annoy me equally.

The girl finally let her go and stood up.

Melinda remained silent. She had been beaten so badly in the last few days — that she no longer had the strength to speak.

— I know you hate me. I hate the bitch, too,» the princess continued, «But you made a mistake when you went against me.

Camilla poured herself a glass of champagne.

— You\'ll only be lucky if… if everything goes smoothly. Otherwise I might not be able to hold out.

In fact, she already had enough reasons to get rid of this maid.

Camilla was no idiot, and naturally she could not leave Leriana\'s faithful maid unattended. The crown princess\'s men had been keeping an eye on her for the past months.

Thus, she knew everything.

Camilla knew that all this time Melinda had been looking for evidence against her. But she didn\'t want to get her hands dirty on the servant again — so the girl held back. At least until that day.

No longer could she tolerate the presence of a «rat» in the palace.

And the key to this decision was the sudden visit of the servant in the next couple of minutes.

— Your Highness, a letter for you!

The young knight broke the silence in the crown princess\' chambers. Handing over the urgent message he left at once.

Douglas took it and gave it to Camilla. She immediately opened the envelope and read the contents. The anger in her eyes grew with each line.

Douglas looked at her apprehensively-when Camilla was silent for several seconds.

— Your Highness…?

The princess laughed unexpectedly. And a moment later she tore the letter to shreds.

— To think… That trash is lucky again!

Douglas became indignant.

— Do you mean to say she has escaped?!

The girl shook her head negatively.

— It\'s worse than I imagined. Her Majesty is investigating toward the slave market.

The maid was frightened when she heard about it. If that old slave-trader gives them up, then…!

But Camilla had already anticipated her thoughts on the matter.

— My man works in the imperial dungeon. He\'ll make sure that worm dies before he says a word.

Douglas exhaled more relieved.

— Still, I\'m very disappointed… My plan failed.

Hearing that, Melinda was over the moon. The thought that Lady Ashford was safe made her happier than anything else.

Camilla watched the reaction on her face and grinned. She was actually very angry, though she hid it behind a fake smile.

She felt the need for revenge.

— Fine,» the princess said in a frightened voice, «Since it\'s come to this, I\'ll just let you go to the other side first. You\'ll be sure to meet in the next life.

Melinda\'s pupils dilated as the girl picked up her sword herself.

— Ha… Great! — repeated again,» Since you\'re so devoted to her, you\'ll prove it with your life!

Right now Camilla was so angry that she decided to pour out all her anger on the maid. She wanted Leriana to experience anger and despair after this news as well.

«How I hate her…!»

Melinda squeezed her eyes shut with fear, while the princess swung her sword over her following these words.

«Mistress, whatever happens…I regret nothing!» — Those were the last words that flashed through the maid\'s mind.

In the next instant, the crown princess\'s quarters were awash in blood.