58 Quiet Story Part 12 - In the Storm -





--It's been a hell of a ride.

Shayla may be naive, but she knows that the events of the past few days are out of the ordinary.

One day, out of the blue, the news came in that the High Priestess Sarra Maris had been captured by the Imperial Court's Kingsguard and handed over to the Outer Court. While the entire court was in a state of panic over this information, rumors spread that the chief consort and her close maids were being summoned one by one for questioning. Shayla found out that the rumor was true when the maidservant in Shayla's room was also summoned.

"Master Shayla! Please have mercy on us. We have worked very hard for you. When Master Shayla was taken away by the Peony, we informed His Majesty and pleaded with him to help us!

The girls were summoned and clung to Shayla's dress, tearfully pleading. The girls who had been summoned clung to Shayla's dress and pleaded with her tearfully. It was a pitying scene, but what Shayla remembered was not pity, but outrage.
No maidservant in her right mind would tell the king, who was busy with political affairs, about a dispute in the palace, and about a lowly concubine like herself. It's a good idea to take a look at the website and see if you can find anything that might help you. ...... It is a shallow act that should make us thankful that the outer court did not directly protest.

In the event that you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. The courtesan, who was known for her seriousness, smiled lightly and said, "Thank you for the information," and took the two maids.

The two maids did not return to Shayla's room. The other maids took over filling in the holes they left (I tried to clean the room out of habit, but was stopped by a very strong force), and another few days passed.

A few more days passed, and one day... "It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Sheila Callerd. My name is Sharon Magnom, and I have been appointed to the new position of Head Mistress.

A mature woman with good posture and a somewhat stern appearance came to bow to Shayla. Shayla was taken aback by the sudden turn of events.

"Ah, the new High Priestess, is it ......?
'Master Shayla, no need to address me by my honorific title. You may address me as Master-in-Chief or Master Magnum.
"But you are of higher rank than I am, are you not?
"Regardless of your birth, you are now a lady-in-waiting, duly chosen by the royal family. And I am a servant of the royal family. There is no need for honorifics.

Even so, it was difficult to call a woman who was as old as her mother by her official name. Shayla made a last-minute compromise and decided to call the woman 'Madame Magnom'.

"So, ...... Master Magnom. I am indeed a lady-in-waiting, but I am at the end of the line. I don't think it's necessary for the High Priestess herself to come and greet you.
I don't think so. ...... Didn't your predecessor, the High Priestess, greet Master Shayla?
"Well, I glanced at ...... her when she brought me into this room.
I'm very sorry about that.

Mrs. Magnum bowed deeply. Shayla panicked.

'No! No, I don't mind.
'Even if you don't mind, Master Shayla, that's very rude behavior for a young lady who has come to the royal family.
"Even so, it is not Master Magnum's fault.
But it's not Madame Magnom's fault, and I can't just ignore my predecessor's rudeness now that I'm in the same position as her.

...... Apparently, Madame Magnom is a very serious person with a very "super" personality. In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can contact us at the web site.

...... Are you, by any chance, visiting all the side chambers?
"Of course I do.

He laughed a little at the immediate answer. --And then I thought.

'But why was the head mistress replaced?
'Yes. Normally, I should be the one to talk about this with the ladies, but time is limited. I'm sure you'll forgive me if I tell you the details of the situation from the newly appointed chambermaid.

There is nothing to forgive or not to forgive. If I were to force an explanation from the head mistress herself, this (very) serious woman would have to repeat the same story fifty times. I can't let her go through such a painful process.

Of course, that's fine.
'Thank you very much. And I also apologize for not being able to provide Master Shayla with a maid.
'Oh, don't worry about it. It's only natural that I would not be able to provide a ...... lady's maid to my humble entourage.

I almost said, "My lady," but I hurriedly changed it. In the event that you have any questions regarding where by and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.
When Shayla spoke in a reverent manner, Master Magnum suddenly smiled softly.

I have heard of the deeds of the maids in this room before. I do not ask for your forgiveness, but I promise you that I will enforce discipline so that this will never happen again.
"...... I'm fine, but there are many people who have had a difficult time in the palace. I ask for your consideration for those people.

I'm not sure why these words came out. I don't know why I said this, but I think it was because somewhere in my mind, I suddenly thought of that person who was fighting a lonely battle in the highest place, not to mention my fellow servants who had been oppressed by the Peony Faction.

The chief lady smiled warmly and nodded, and after she left, two women dressed in maidservants' clothes came in to replace her. One was still a young girl, the other a mature woman with a sense of calm. They both bowed their heads.

"My name is Rei.
I'm Marika. Nice to meet you!
'Oh, I'm Shayla Callerd. It's nice to meet you.

The girl who introduced herself as Marika laughed at Shayla, who bowed her head in response.



"Oh no, Master Shayla. You don't have to bow to us.
What? Oh, that's right.
You don't even need to use honorifics!

The woman who called herself Rei poked Marika's head when she finally laughed out loud.

Marika. You're being rude.
'Oh, I'm sorry!
And it's not 'I', it's 'me'. How many times do I have to tell you? Your rudeness is a disgrace to the Master Shayla.
I'm so sorry!

Marika's impatience was very cute. Shayla chuckled.

'Perhaps you're not used to the royal court, Marika?
'Well, yes! I was only hired the day before yesterday.
I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm a very inexperienced girl to be attached to your side. ...... We are in an unprecedented labor shortage in the palace. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one with a good heart and a lot of ambition.

Sheila nodded with a smile at the apologetic Rei.

Sheila smiled and nodded. I will support Marika to become a good maidservant.
"Oh, thank you so much!

Marika's eyes lit up and she bowed her head. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's worth it. What's going on?

After sitting down and settling down, Shayla asked again. She didn't feel comfortable with the previous maids, but she felt comfortable talking to the two new ones. Perhaps it was because they didn't have the highbrow air of a 'royal courtesan'.

...... It's really a long story to explain, but...

In the event you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site. Looking at it year by year, it was well balanced, but looking at it continuously, there were many suspicious points, such as the amount of money fluctuated drastically, or on the contrary, there was no movement when there should have been.
Wang felt it was strange, so he proceeded to conduct a detailed investigation and found out that the former matriarch was fudging the books and embezzling public funds.

"Embezzlement of public funds? ......?
Yes, it's outrageous. His Majesty looked into the former matriarch and found out that she had been secretly replacing the palace's equipment with imitations, selling off the real ones, and pocketing the rewards.

At this point, it was as if the former queen consort's dismissal from office and revocation of her nobility had been decided. The king appointed Madame Magnum, who had been known as a capable lady in the past, as the successor to the position of Master-in-Chief, and moved to capture the former lady-in-chief.

Although the appointment letter followed her, Madame Magnom, who sat in the chief consort's chair, immediately investigated the former chief consort's tyrannical behavior in the rear court. She revealed with astonishing speed that in the past she had insidiously bullied lower-ranking maidservants and courtesans, and that she had intimidated courtesans who were in a position of weakness into taking part in her evil deeds.

After investigating the maidservants and courtesans currently working in the palace, she made a furious decision the day before the appointment letter arrived.
More than a dozen female officials who were involved in the embezzlement of public funds and the misappropriation of equipment by the former head of the Imperial Household were disciplined (fired). Women who had followed the former headmistress but had not benefited from her actions were demoted or reduced in pay according to the severity of their crimes.
Although maidservants were not originally under the jurisdiction of the queen consort (because maidservants were hired privately by the royal family), the new queen consort, who had been temporarily given full authority by the king, showed no mercy. Those who had access to public funds were dismissed, as were the women. Furthermore, those who did not perform their assigned duties, such as the maids in Shayla's room, were dismissed or demoted to menial jobs, depending on the extent of their failure.

The discipline of the imperial court was thus corrected, but there was a problem. Because so many people were fired at once, there was a serious shortage of manpower. In particular, Master Peony and her friends sent a series of letters of protest to the new headmistress. .......

The Red Rose, first in line to the throne, has never complained about having less than ten maids and maidservants. You are lower than the Red Rose, and yet you plan to live a life of greater opulence than the Red Rose?

The icy gaze and words forced even the proudest of the ladies to close their mouths.

The peonies were fine with it, but the fact was that the number of maidservants was no longer sufficient for the lower-ranking ladies. It seems that Madame Magnom was preparing to hire new maids at the same time as she got rid of them, and several girls came to be the new royal maids. Marika is one of them.

I'm a nobleman, but I'm poor, and to be honest, my life is no different than anyone else's. We have no manners, and I thought it would be impossible for me to work for the royal court, but when I applied for a job, I got it.

When Marika said that, she smiled. Her smile was unclouded, and it was clear that she was not lamenting her own situation.

I'm going to work at the royal palace, so I'm going to work hard and save money, and at the same time, I'm going to become a lady-like grandfather and experience the nobility!
Regardless of your goals, I hope you learn to behave in a graceful and elegant manner as soon as possible. First of all, the words 'crunchy', 'little', and '-ish' are prohibited.
"Really? What should I say then?
"Don't extend the end of the word. There are many ways to say it. "Work hard," "be like a lady," "be aristocratic.
"Oh, I see!

Shayla couldn't stand the exchange between the two maidens in front of her and let out a not-so-classy laugh. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I'm sorry. ....... But it's fun. I'm so glad you guys are in charge of this room.
"Dear Shayla ......
"Can I ask you again? I'm looking forward to working with you.

I'm not sure what to say, but I'm sure you'll understand. I'm not sure what to say, but I'm sure you'll understand.



"Speaking of which, .......
"Yes?

I laughed a lot and remembered the former headmistress, Mrs. Maris. If she embezzled public funds and diverted equipment, she would not only be dismissed from office and lose her nobility.
You can find a lot more than that in this article.

I'm not sure what to make of that. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's had to deal with this. ....... I've heard that she's been imprisoned in a local convent.
Yes. ......

--It occurred to me. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.
Shayla has already learned that he is not as perfect as they say he is. He is a clumsy but straightforward man, with a heart as honest as a child's, and I wonder how much this incident has hurt him.

People who live at the top of ...... are lonely. I'm not sure if he's standing as a king, like the Red Rose, who must smile no matter what, or if he's stifling his own feelings.

Shayla was shaken when Juke suddenly began to visit the rooms of the "named" ladies. And she was shocked at herself for being shaken.
It couldn't be, because it wasn't. It didn't matter what he did or who he loved, it didn't matter to Shayla.

So she covered up and ran away, pretending she didn't know, and ended up paying for it at the garden party. If Shayla hadn't run away, at least she would have been able to firmly repel her uncle's greedy outbursts.
As a result, she even hurt the Red Rose. Even after all that, Shayla still wasn't ready to face herself.

I'm not sure if I'd be able to help anyone if I didn't have the courage to face myself.

And then... The words of my best friend, whom I met by chance, pierced my heart deeply. Dee had brilliantly struck at the cowardice of Shayla, who had been trying to escape from her own heart and settle for 'helping the Red Rose' to cover up her guilt.
So, no matter how you cover your mind or pretend not to see it, you can't pretend that what's there isn't there. Because Shayla's heart does indeed move.

"My heart only belongs to Shayla," he wrote in one sentence.
You can't show your face in front of Shayla because you're too pathetic.
I'm sure you'll be happy to hear all about Shayla when you do." - I was certainly happy that he was looking at me.

I was so happy that he was looking at me. Even a letter like that was filled with so much emotion.
How can I pretend that the source of my feelings is not there, now that I have found it?

Maybe it was time to admit it. The king - Juke - was a special person to me.
At least, now I'm willing to look him in the face.



Knock, knock.
A very subdued knock sounded.
Shayla, who had been pensive and thinking about the past, was brought back to reality and looked up.

"Yes, who is it?

There's no such thing as an antechamber, and if you send the maidservants away, it's your job to deal with the visitors. I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not.

It's me, .......
"Your Majesty?

Surprisingly, Shayla was being honest with herself at this moment. She opened the door that had been stubbornly closed to her before the garden party.
She was even more surprised when she opened the door. The king was alone, standing in a dark, deserted hallway.

"What's going on, Lord Commander?
He's been working overtime lately, so I sent him home.
"You were alone?

I was half-amused by the king's uncharacteristic behavior, but more than that, I was worried. It was about to snow, and his clothes were not sufficiently warm.

Anyway, come on in.
Can you let me in ......?

The clinging look in his eyes made me feel awkward.

"I'm sorry, .......
"I thought you'd never forgive me, .......

Muttering, Juke entered. Sheila made a quick cup of tea with the hot water that the attentive maid had prepared before she left.

What are you doing here so late at night, in such light clothing? If you're coming, you'd better keep warm or you'll catch a cold.
I wasn't planning on coming. I'm still far from being a great king or a great man. I'm not ready to see Shayla.

But I can't.
He muttered, everything was different from the last time I saw him. He didn't have this self-mocking smile on his face before. He didn't have such complicated colored eyes.

"I wanted to see Shayla. I just couldn't stop myself from moving.

--It's a good idea to take a look at your own personal life.

...... I'm going to leave this person alone.

Sheila's eyes filled with tears. She surrendered to a feeling that she had never known before, one that was both painful and comforting at the same time.

"Shayla?
"Your Majesty ......

Juke gently wipes away the tears that well up in her eyes. In her distorted vision, she could not see his expression.

"Why are you crying?


I don't know. ......

I was just choked up. I was just in pain.
--I just missed her.

"Don't cry, Shayla. If you cry, I won't know what to do.

I felt a certain warmth on my back. She hugged me gently and laid her head on Juke's chest. Shayla's shoulders were shaking and Juke stroked her head as if he were handling a broken object.

"Did I ...... make you sad?
No, no, Your Majesty. ...... I'm not crying because I'm sad.

I'm not crying because I'm sad. ...... There was so much that needed to be said.

I'm not angry anymore.
Oh.
"I've read your letter many times.
...... Oh.
I'd rather be able to talk to you like this than not be able to see you, even if I'm still miserable.
"...... But I...
"Your Majesty!

I don't know what I'm saying half the time anymore. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore.

"It's okay to be pathetic. It's okay to be pathetic. It's okay to be unimpressive. ...... It's fine for me if you're just being you.

That's it. That's all I need.
A person who gives a kind look even to such a concubine whose only comfort is feeding the birds.
A person who honestly admits his or her mistakes and has the courage to face them in order to correct them.
A person who, despite his mistakes and clumsiness, is not afraid to move forward.

That's Juke. And that's what Shayla calls him.

"Don't try to be something you're not, not in front of me. Don't try too hard, at least not when you're here.

--The man at the top is lonely. And no one around them can truly heal their loneliness.
But if you can understand the burden, and still stay by their side, Shayla can too.

Juke's arms were filled with strength. In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the site, you can contact us at the following address.

"Shayla ......

He called her name in her ear, put an unsupportable weight on her, and she collapsed onto the bed. Shayla tensed for a moment, but then laughed softly as the sound of regular breathing tickled her ears.

She must have spent many sleepless days.

She shifted her position so as not to wake him, and whispered softly to him.

--Thank you for your hard work.