Reborn As The Wretch

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The reason why I let Merry eat with me earlier is because one of the guard said he saw three servants beating her when me and the majesty was away. It was a week ago

And, that they often feed her their leftovers, like a goddamn dog

Now that I think about it, Merry's character suffered the most inside the novel. She received beating from the other maids and she also received torture from Evaine, no wonder why she's so skinny, to the point that her spine is already showing in her back

I gazed upon the stars in my balcony. The dark blue sky, the little stars, and the full moon makes me feel calm.

Evaine originally torment her step sister inside the palace. Unlike her, her step sister is the kindest of them all, everyone loves her. Out of jealousy, she makes her suffer and she paid the consequences by having her head departed from her body

I wonder what I did earlier is alright... I'm sure that will make them hate me even more. Something just triggers me earlier, probably the hatred towards Emilia

"What you did earlier is amazing, your highness! You're an eight year old but you stood up for me so well."

"They'll hate me for that,"

"Who cares about what they think, your highness? They've done enough, I really think they deserves it. Being scolded by an eight years old is insane!"

I chuckles, "Did I scared you?"

"A little bit, but I'm relieve. No one ever stood up for me like you did, your highness, I'm very grateful."

"Don't mention it. What's that girl's name, by the way?"

"She's Anna Beltourge. Priest Philip Beltourge's daughter. She works insider the palace since she was 11 years old, before you were born."

"I see. How come the priest called her an outsider?"

"Because it was against the rules that the priest to engage with something sexual with other people. Yet, he committed a sin and Anna was the consequence. He was tempted by lust and got a prostitute pregnant. His image almost got ruined,"

"So, it's not completely ruin?" I asks and she simply shakes her head, "How come?"

"Well, my mother told me that he paid the article publisher to keep the secret. To tell everyone that all of this are just allegations, and he claimed that he's very devoted to God and would never do such thing. But someone spread the rumor that he secretly went to that prostitute's house and beat her, he was forcing her to abort the baby inside her stomach but she never agrees. And the next day, that someone disappears like a thin air. Months later, that someone's corpse was found underneath the oak tree at the Valshi village. They found multiple stabs at that corpse body, it was rumored that he was killed"

"By whom?"

"Some said that the priest killed him, but some said that he's a criminal and he got assassinated. However, the truth is, no one really knows what happened to them. No one could even find an evidence that he was murdered by the priest nor he was assassinated. So, his death was already forgotten by everyone for 20 years, with no justice at all."

"How about Anna's mother?"

"She hates the government. Probably why Anna hates you too,"

"That doesn't make sense, if her mother hates the government, then why did she let her daughter become a maid at the imperial palace?"

"For source of income, the life inside the slums are poor. Yes, you can work at the local town but the pay there is really low. Anna did not want to work here either, however, she doesn't want her and her mother starve to death."

"How much did most of the servants here make?"

"About 100 silver coins and 10 gold coins a month."

"Are you okay with that though?"

"Yes, I provided enough money for my family. They ate three times a day, that's fine with me."

"But what about you?"

"I'm good having bread and jam for breakfast, then bread and jam again for lunch and leftovers for dinner."

"That's pathetic, Merry."

"It is.... But, I'm fine with it, your highness, I promise,"

Well, it's not fine with me. I'll make sure to give you enough food for your body, Merry.