When Renata came down from the stairs, all the maids were entering back into the palace. They were giggling and smiling as they discussed how much they enjoyed the tea under the gazebo.
Though the palace did look worn down, it was still a royal palace and garden with a lot of luxuries. If only it had been cared for a bit, it could have been compared to the central palace of the emperor.
"Look, our princess is finally awake." one of them pointed at Renata as she walked towards the sofa and sat on it with a book in her hands.
"Oh, she had even changed clothes. I did not know she could do that!" The maid that was assigned to give her bath spoke in a surprised voice as she assessed the new clothes.
The fact that she could have taken a bath never crossed her mind. Others noticed but did not comment much though they were a bit surprised too.
She had only cried and laid in her bed all day when she noticed their angry faces. They have never let Renata realized that she was a princess and how a princess should be treated.
They have always treated her harshly and made her believe that was what she deserved.
The girl always trembled when she found all of them near her and ran to her room and hid under her blanket.
But now, look at her, she was sitting on the sofa with such a calm face that looked so mature. It could not belong to a three year old kid.
"Renata, what are you doing here? And what is in your hands, did you steal it from the library?" steal! Renata raised her brow as a mocking smile formed on her lips.
If someone would listen to them, they would think that they were the owners while she was the maid here.
"How could taking someone from my own palace could be considered as stealing?" she asked in a cold voice as she arched her brow as if she was looking down on them.
Her eyes filled with contempt that the maid felt taken aback. She had always been scolding her and treating her badly, but the girl never had the courage to look back. She only cried and was also muffled, afraid that she would enrage them further. But now….
She was staring back straight into the eyes and it would be a lie if she would say she was not intimidated. But she would never accept that she was afraid of a girl who was not even three years old.
Yet she could not refute the fact that the book belonged to her in the first place. But the question was.. How did she know? They have made sure that she never knew that she was the owner of this palace and what does an owner means!
"Do you even know how to read? You will only ruin the book. We are only keeping it safe for you until you grow. And here you are talking back to us like a rude child. Do you not know any gratitude?" with a tone full of anger and blame, the maid walked forward and snatched the book from Renata's hands who stared at the maid more coldly.
Renata knew that even if she had the authority, she was too young to force the maids to follow her words. And she had no one to complain that the maids did not listen to her. If only she could show the public how she was treated, maybe that could have helped.
After all, she is the only child of the emperor.
"What is it? Why are you behaving like that? If you continue being rude, I have to punish you. But if you apologize, I would ask the chef to make cookies for you." enticed the maid to bow in front of her. There was nothing boosting your pride more than the future empress of the empire bowing your head and apologizing to you.
The head maid, who belonged to the family of viscount, enjoyed that too much. Sne was not here for money but power, power to control the child so that when she would grow up, she could not leave her grasp.
Giving the princess rare treats and making Renata feel that it was all because of her grace, that she was in control gave her immense joy.
With a smirk as if she had already won, she stared back at the foolish kid who would drool like a filthy commoner. After all, that was what her father was too! Just a commoner who killed everyone and took the throne for himself.
"You do not need to worry about the book, I can read it and I do not need to follow your order to ask my chef to cook for me. My father had appointed all of them for me including you. You also get your salary from my father right??" with an amused look in her eyes, Renata asked back as she took the book back from the hands of the stunned head maid whose mouth was agape.
"And all of you. I can see that you all are enjoying it a lot. I did not mind that since my father had appointed half a dozen maids for me. But I want you to do your duties too. Just look how dirty the palace is.
If not, i have to ask my father to replace you since i can not stand the dirt so much.
But wouldn't it be better working a bit than losing your precious jobs and ending up getting the wrath of my father?" She lured and challenged just how the head maid had always scared her and then enticed her with a reward and she had wagged her tail like a pet.
Now it was her turn to do the same.
"Really, and how are you supposed to complain about us when you are not even allowed in the central palace?"