Chapter 36: Pure White Lies Part 1

Since then, truly, time passed in the blink of an eye, as the saying goes.

To be exact, it was because my mind was so overwhelmed with nervousness and expectation that it took a long time to regain my composure.

Anyway, before I knew it, it had become a late night when I should be going to sleep.

“Huuh… huuu…”

I could feel the trembling inside my chest, where my Iron Heart was located.

It felt like my heart might explode.

Of course, I’ve never actually felt my heart beating before, but I thought to myself that this might be what it feels like.

After checking the clock on the wall in my room, I slowly began to take off my clothes.

Since I had already finished my bath earlier, my body was as clean as a newly produced model, more so than ever.

Wearing only my underwear, I stood for a while staring into the mirror, making final adjustments to my appearance, and even carefully checking the fragrant scent of the bath oil I had been saving.

Then I immediately grabbed my pajamas.

It was a simple blue pajama set, the kind an ordinary commoner might wear.

Although it had some tears here and there, reflecting my poor financial situation, there was no part that seemed particularly problematic in terms of appearance.

In particular, I had deliberately chosen the one that was in the best condition and that I liked the most, so I felt even more satisfaction.

I took a deep breath once more.

Just in case I lost my composure in the middle of it and did something rude.

At the same time, to prevent myself from being overwhelmed by emotions and desires.

Between the excitement and anticipation that surged like waves, I reminded myself of the warnings several times and, with everything prepared, I immediately picked up the pillow and left the room.

***

My destination was none other than Yuria’s bedroom, which was located at the highest point in the palace, offering the best view.

Of course, the path wasn’t exactly easy.

Although Qing Palace wasn’t particularly large compared to other palaces, the distance wasn’t really far, but because of the circumstances, I had trouble with my walking pace.

The tension from the reality that was now just right in front of me, still hard to believe, caused my body to stiffen, and my legs slowed down.

In the end, despite starting early, I arrived exactly at bedtime.

I gazed at the door with a determined look in my eyes and carefully knocked.

Then, as if waiting for me, a pleasant and clear voice was heard from behind the door.

“Come in.”

It was a short, simple response, neither too small nor too big.

After swallowing dryly, I slowly opened the door.

With that, the bright light that first illuminated the dark hallway filled my vision.

As I stepped inside, the warm air wrapped around my body, and I could feel the unmistakable scent of Yuria, a fragrance I would never forget.

Already feeling my reason wavering from that subtle scent, I hurriedly covered my face with the pillow and began to look around the room.

The clean and tidy bedroom of Yuria, which I had seen countless times for cleaning purposes.

I was so familiar with this place that I knew the position of every item in the room.

However, for some reason, the room felt oddly unfamiliar, and at that moment, I spotted the cause.

Sitting quietly on the bed, looking at me with a warm smile, was a beautiful woman.

She was the master of the palace and my one and only master… Yuria.

However, what truly caught my attention was something else.

It was what she was wearing.

A purple silk nightdress, so thin it was almost see-through.

Especially, the nightdress that revealed her skin in such a way filled my eyes.

Since I was the one in charge of all the laundry in this palace, I naturally knew about that dress.

But I never imagined she would wear it in this situation, so my face immediately turned bright red.

If I hadn’t been covering my face with the pillow since entering, I would have definitely been caught in this reaction by now.

Whether she knew what I was thinking or not, Yuria greeted me with a sweet smile, saying something playful.

“Hooh, Kaya in pajamas. How cute~? I just want to hug you tight.”

“Ugh… Please don’t say that. It’s embarrassing.”

“Well, I can’t lie, can I? It’s all Kaya’s fault for being so cute with that appearance.”

It was an ordinary, cheerful conversation we would always have in daily life.

On the other hand, the word “lie” made me feel a strange sense of guilt for a moment, but after that, I quickly adapted to the situation, making my earlier nervousness seem like nothing.

Carefully climbing onto the bed, I started talking with Yuria one last time before sleep.

I told her in as much detail as I could about everything I had seen outside, while Yuria gently told me about her day.

Although it wasn’t much different from the usual conversations we had, it was an incredibly precious time for me.

However, there was one thing that was a bit awkward: whenever our eyes met, I didn’t know where to look, which created some uncomfortable moments.

But aside from that, there was no real issue.

In fact, Yuria’s scent, deeply embedded in the soft bed, was enough to relax my body and make my mind drowsy.

As the long, or perhaps short, warm conversation continued and the night deepened, our talk naturally came to an end, and the long-awaited bedtime arrived.

At the same time, the Iron Heart, which had been fine until just a moment ago, started to shake violently again.

I turned off the bedroom lights and followed Yuria into the blankets, lying down.

But that was it; my body stiffened and turned as rigid as a statue.

It wasn’t because the bed was small.

Although the bed in my room was a bit too narrow for two people, Yuria’s bed in the palace, the best in Qing Palace, was wide enough for not just two, but even more people to lie on.

I barely calmed the storm in my mind that felt like it would explode, and cautiously turned my head slightly to the side.

Then, in the darkness, the figure of Yuria slowly came into view.

Lying not far from where I was, gazing at the ceiling with her eyes closed, I couldn’t help but admire her in my heart.

‘How can she be so beautiful, even when sleeping…’

‘Like the princess in a fairy tale, she was like a painting in itself.’

In that moment, I wanted to hold on to this second forever.

However, along with those thoughts, the presence of the lost memories that crossed my mind troubled my heart enough to make me uneasy.

‘If I had known this, I would have rather never remembered.’

Sighing quietly with that thought, I closed my eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Just as I opened my eyes again, I couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

Yuria, who had been in a deep sleep just moments ago, had turned toward me and was staring at me.

Her red eyes, unusually bright in the darkness, watched me closely, with a playful smile, as though she had expected my reaction.

As she shifted her body, her deep cleavage, which was emphasized by the movement, added to her already captivating presence.

Naturally, I had assumed she had fallen asleep a while ago, so I was caught completely off guard by the unexpected situation.

But just as quickly, her expression began to darken, and with the words she spoke next, my rational thoughts slowly calmed.

“That dress you got for me, the one you saved me with. I didn’t ask about it at the time, but… I’m sure the process wasn’t easy. There must have been many dangerous moments.”

“You moved without telling me or Mark, and if you think about it even a little deeper, it’s obvious. Besides, as a mere doll, there were limited ways for you to earn that kind of money in such a short time.”

Yuria’s voice was serious, as though she had seen right through everything, and I involuntarily widened my eyes.

I had thought I had quietly brushed that part off without saying anything, so I never imagined she would bring it up again.

It felt like I had been caught off guard, my tongue-tied.

Of course, after regaining my composure, I tried to deny it quickly, but in the end, no words came out of my mouth.

No, to be precise, it was more accurate to say I couldn’t speak.

Yuria’s red eyes, glowing brightly in the darkness, emitted a strange aura that seemed to draw the truth out of me simply by making eye contact.

In the end, all I could do in that moment was desperately keep silent.

I instinctively knew.

‘If she decided to push me on what I had done to obtain that dress, I would not be able to hold out and would spill everything.’

‘Naturally, I didn’t want her to discover my true identity, the one that wasn’t the maid Kaya.’

So, I was overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness and despair, like a prisoner being dragged to the gallows.

After what felt like an eternal silence, Yuria slowly opened her mouth.

But the words she spoke were quite different from what I had expected.