Chapter 201: How to Lose a Personal Maid in One Royal Reception
Chapter 201: How to Lose a Personal Maid in One Royal Reception
Elyn’s POV
Rin turned to Zorathys and nodded immediately. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Zorathys gave her a lazy smile—the kind that showed just enough teeth to make people nervous—and took another slow sip of his wine. Yes, it was the purple one. His shadows lingered at his feet like loyal pets waiting to bite someone on command.
"I’m not very certain you want to continue working for the Queen," he said casually, as if he were commenting on the weather.
Rin blinked.
I blinked.
He tilted the glass slightly, watching the liquid swirl. "If you truly wish to keep working for the Queen, you should do well and make yourself scarce."
"Your Majesty," Rin said in shock.
I slowly turned my head toward him.
Zorathys continued, not minding the fact that Rin was very close to detaching her soul from her physical body.
"I am perfectly capable of telling her everything she needs to know," Zorathys said. "Especially about the demons I rule over."
His tone was mild. Almost bored.
Rin turned to me, and I looked at Zorathys with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh?" I asked sweetly. "Since when do you volunteer to work?"
"I would hardly call this thing I’m about to do work," he told me.
"You will be talking. That will take energy from you."
"Talking right now is already taking energy from me," he told me. "And I’m still doing it."
Zorathys turned his attention back to his wine. "I would only be telling you about the nobles present. It is not a heavy burden."
I scoffed at that. "Which translates to you doing more work than necessary."
He looked at me over the rim of his glass. "You forget that I was the one who explained the territory where the stone demons reside to you."
"But that is different. This time, you’d be talking about almost every demon present," I told him. "Given how you abhor working, it would be better if Ri—"
"...if Rin makes herself scarce like I told her to," Zorathys finished for me.
My lips twitched at that, and I sighed.
I turned to Rin. "The King is willing to assist me. You shouldn’t bother."
Her mouth dropped open.
"My lady," she said dramatically, "I am your maid. It is my duty to—"
"I’m her husband, and you are only here because you are a noble. And because I tolerate you," Zorathys told her calmly. "If you linger, I would replace you."
I gave Zorathys a sharp look.
"No one is replacing Rin," I told him, then turned to Rin. "But like Zorathys said, you can leave. Enjoy the ball. Zorathys will be the one doing the talking."
Rin pouted, but before she could say anything or even turn to move, a demon approached from behind her.
He moved slowly, leaning on a tall staff.
His back was slightly bent. He was dressed in all black.
But unlike Rin’s gown, his clothing was layered with subtle embellishments. Faint jewels were embedded along the arch of his black eyebrows, catching the chandelier light with sharp glints. Rings adorned his long fingers—dark metals set with stones that shimmered in deep blues and silvers. Even the staff he leaned on was crowned with a cluster of gems that gleamed like a captured night sky.
And his eyes—
Depthless black orbs.
Just like Rin’s.
He bowed first to Zorathys.
"Your Majesty." Then to me.
Rin grinned, instantly abandoning her pout.
She stepped aside with a flourish. "My lady," she said to me, bowing with exaggerated grace, "may I present Baron Corvath Nightmere, my father, Baron of the Obsidian Roost Nest of the Beast Territory."
Oh?
The baron lifted his head.
Up close, I could see the sharpness of his features—angular and refined. His hair was black threaded faintly with silver, though I suspected the silver was not age but ornamentation.
"It is an honor," he said smoothly, "to meet you, Your Majesty."
I smiled warmly. "It is very nice to meet you," I told him.
Rin beamed.
"I had no idea Rin was a noble," I added. "I found out today."
Rin puffed her chest proudly.
For half a second, feathers sprouted along her neck—sleek black feathers. They fluffed outward in pride before smoothing back into skin as if nothing had happened.
Baron Corvath adjusted his grip on his staff.
"Your Majesty," he said to me, "is my daughter causing you trouble?"
Rin gasped. "Father!"
"I know precisely how much of a troublemaker she can be."
"I am not a troublemaker," Rin protested, glaring at him.
I laughed before I could stop myself.
"She is perfectly fine," I assured him. "I like working with her."
Rin straightened even more.
Her feathers threatened another appearance.
Corvath’s black eyes studied me carefully.
"Do not lie to me, Your Majesty," he said calmly.
The music around us continued, but I suddenly felt like we were in a smaller circle of quiet.
"I am not lying."
He tilted his head slightly. "Rin has always been drawn to shiny things... every raven demon is attracted to shiny things, and I know the only reason she’s even working with you is because you are shiny yourself."
Rin stared at her father. "She knows I like shiny things. She even gifts me some jewelry too."
Her father’s eyes widened. "Really?" he asked me.
I nodded. "Rin is good to me. There’s no reason not to gift those who are good and loyal to me," I told him.
He made a sound of pride, then bowed. "I will forever be your follower, Your Majesty."
I was shocked at that. It couldn’t be that he was bowing because I gave his daughter gifts, right?
I blushed at the gesture. "It’s okay. There’s no need to bow to me. I was just rewarding her."
"Just Rin being in your presence is a reward enough. No one is as shiny as you, Your Majesty. Your hair is flawless, your skin is exquisite, and you and the King fit together. Your presence alone is shiny enough for us raven demons," he told me.
Rin nodded with a smile, but before I could even reply, Zorathys spoke out in a bored voice.
"Since we’ve established you are below the Queen to even be in her presence, can you leave?" he asked them.