As the nobles murmured amongst themselves in the grand hall, a deep and respectful voice cut through the noise.
It was the elderly butler, Seban, clad in a deep blue robe, walking forward with calm, steady steps. His gaze swept across the gathered nobles one by one, before finally settling on Princess Sista.
Seban gave a slight nod to show respect.
He cleared his throat, his voice steady and composed:
“Your Majesty, esteemed lords and ladies, I am the Princess’s humble butler, Seban. Though I am of low status and little influence, I beg you to allow me a few words in Her Highness’s defense.”
At those words, the entire hall fell silent. All eyes turned toward the old butler.
Seban took a deep breath and continued:
“I believe that Her Highness’s improper conduct today was not intentional. Her Highness has always been well-read, courteous, and disciplined—a paragon among nobles. How could she possibly make such a crude mistake?”
He paused briefly, once again scanning the room. The nobles all bore expressions of curiosity and doubt.
Seban gave a slight smile and said, “Moreover, Her Highness possesses the purest bloodline. Her reverence for blood—both its taste and symbolism—is beyond question. How could she possibly be so picky about its flavor?”
As soon as he finished, whispers erupted among the guests, many clearly skeptical of Seban’s argument.
A countess gently swirled her wineglass and murmured to a noblewoman beside her,
“This Seban is truly loyal. He’s shielding the Princess like a lion.”
The noblewoman nodded.
“Indeed. But the Princess was definitely acting out of character today. She never behaved like this before.”
“Hah. I’m not surprised. Sista is nowhere near as poised as the Crown Princess Moria. If Moria were here, Sista wouldn’t be sitting on that throne.”
“Shh, keep your voice down! The King is right there!”
Seban remained composed. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Princess Sista, who still wore an expressionless face.
The King raised his eyes slightly.
“Then tell me—what exactly happened today?”
Seban quickly bowed and respectfully replied:
“Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, today’s matter was caused entirely by Her Highness’s new personal maid, Su Ling. The Princess recently replaced her former maid, and the new one, Su Ling, has not yet undergone proper training. She lacks court manners and is unfamiliar with noble protocol.”
“Even so, Her Highness has been extraordinarily kind to her. But I believe this maid has proven ungrateful and intentionally sabotaged Her Highness to disgrace her publicly.”
Thud.
Su Ling’s eyes widened. It felt as if her skull had been struck by a heavy blow.
The hall plunged into silence again. All eyes were now fixed on Su Ling. Her heart pounded violently. She stared at Seban’s calculating face in disbelief.
“I… I didn’t do anything like that!” Su Ling tried to defend herself, but her voice was weak in the quiet hall. The nobles were already sneering.
“No wonder,” said the Countess, tracing her lips with her slender fingernail, a mocking smile on her face. “I couldn’t believe a noble princess would behave so crudely. So it was this foolish human maid’s doing all along.”
She had walked right into a trap.
Su Ling listened to the murmurs around her and suddenly felt clear-headed.
She glanced quickly at Seban again—and saw the faintest hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.
In a flash, it all made sense. From the strange etiquette lesson with Phil, to the nobles ridiculing Sista, and now this deliberate framing by Seban…
It had all been premeditated. From the very beginning, someone wanted to pin this disaster on her. Make her the scapegoat, the villain in everyone’s eyes.
Phil, Karsanna, Seban…
She remembered the little details, the seemingly harmless moments—now transformed into fatal evidence. What she thought were coincidences were in fact carefully laid traps. Those fake smiles, those seemingly concerned greetings…
All part of the setup.
Now, under the piercing gaze of the bloodkin elite, she—an outsider, a human—had no voice.
The Countess raised her glass with a mocking smile, tilting her head with feigned pity toward Princess Sista.
“Just look at these humans. So uncultured. Truly a disgraceful race. Poor Her Highness,” she said, sighing exaggeratedly.
“Your Highness, while many nobles use humans as servants, you are the jewel of our bloodline. How could someone so base be entrusted with your care? I strongly suggest you find someone more appropriate to serve as your maid.”
She smiled sweetly at the princess, her eyes gleaming with hidden calculation.
“Allow me to recommend someone more suitable,” the Countess raised her voice deliberately, “my sister-in-law, Elia Mongol. She is of noble birth and has received elite training. She would be your most reliable and capable attendant.”
With that, she beckoned to the other side of the hall. A beautiful young girl in an elegant gown walked forward gracefully.
She was indeed the Countess’s sister-in-law—Elia Mongo, a distant cousin of Count Sinuur.
Elia gave the Princess a refined bow, her eyes gleaming with ambition and desire for power.
“Your Highness, as a princess of the blood clan, your personal maid should naturally be one of our own. To have a human fill such a role diminishes your dignity and gives the impression that we lack decorum and pride.”
The nobles nodded in agreement.
But Princess Sista remained unmoved. She stared coldly at the Countess and Elia—and then let out a soft chuckle.
“Countess, thank you for your concern,” Sista said coolly, her crimson lips curving faintly. “But this isn’t my maid’s fault. I told her to add the spices to the blood.”
“Your Highness… what did you say?”
The Countess’s face went pale. She was so stunned she couldn’t speak. Su Ling stood frozen, unable to react.
The tension in the hall grew thick once more. No one had expected Sista to say that.
“What? You think I’m uncultured? Think what you like.” She spoke lightly, utterly unconcerned with the judgmental stares. Narrowing her eyes, she glanced lazily at the Countess.
“Take your precious sister-in-law and leave. I don’t need a new maid.”
“But…”
Suddenly, Sista reached for Su Ling, gently hooking a finger under the silver strands beside her ear, and smiled faintly.
“Can’t you hear me? I said—I want only her.”