Chapter 4

We arrived at Lady Lington’s estate. The garden was spacious and full of flowers, filled with nobles and ladies wearing bright and expensive dresses.

Ezekiel walked in first, and I followed right beside him, not a step behind. I was wearing the green dress he made me put on. I stood straight, hands folded in front of me, eyes watching everything and everyone just like I was trained to.

I need to protect him!

"Ah! Your Highness! You finally arrived!"

A girl around Ezekiel’s age walked towards us quickly. She was wearing a bright pink dress with ribbons everywhere, her hair was blonde and shining.

She must be Lady Lington, the daughter of the Viscountess.

She smiled widely, eyes shining only for him—the Young Master.

"I waited so long for you," she said, her voice sweet and soft.

"I prepared everything you like Prince Ezekiel. Sweets and tea so come, let us go to the center table—"

She stopped when she noticed me standing right next to him. Her smile faded a little, and her eyes looked me up and down from head to toe like she was judging every single part of me.

"And… who is this?" she asked, tone changing instantly into something sharp and unfriendly. She looked at me like I was some kind of dirt that accidentally got inside her house.

"Ah, this is Agatha. She’s my personal maid. I brought her along," Young Master replied.

Lady Lington raised an eyebrow, her voice turning mocking. "A maid? But why is she dressed like that? It is improper for a servant to wear something this elegant. It looks like she is trying to act like a noble lady. How bold."

I just stared back at her blankly. Well to me, she was just a spoiled girl throwing a tantrum. If I have the permission, I could kill her right away in a single blow.

Ezekiel chuckled and stepped slightly closer to me, blocking her view a little.

"Does it matter what she wears? She looks nice, doesn’t she? I picked this dress for her myself. She looks presentable, and that is all that matters. Besides, she stays right beside me, so it is only right she dresses properly."

Lady Lington’s face turned sour, but she couldn’t say anything against the Prince. She gritted her teeth and forced a smile again.

"O-of course, Your Highness. If you say so…"

She led us deeper into the garden, but I could feel her eyes burning with anger, maybe?

Jealousy was a very obvious emotion, and I had dealt with worse people than her in my line of work. She was nothing but a child compared to the enemies I had eliminated before.

We sat at a table near the fountain. Lady Lington sat right next to Ezekiel, while I stood behind his chair as I was supposed to.

She tried her best to get his attention, talking non-stop about flowers, about fashion, about how she learned to play the piano.

Ezekiel answered her, but his eyes kept drifting back to me, checking if I was okay or if I needed anything.

Then, the first cunning move came.

Lady Lington picked up a cup of tea and pretended to offer it to Ezekiel, but she "accidentally" tilted it too much. The hot liquid spilled out was aimed perfectly at my dress.

"Ah! Oh no!" she exclaimed loudly, covering her mouth, but her eyes were gleaming with satisfaction, waiting to see me wet, messy, and humiliated in front of everyone.

Before the tea could even touch the fabric, I shifted slightly to the side in a smooth, unnoticeable movement. The hot liquid splashed down onto the stone floor instead of my dress.

Ezekiel stood up immediately, turning to her with a playful but sharp tone, "Be careful, Lady Lington. You might hurt someone."

He looked at the spilled tea, then back at her. "Next time, maybe let Agatha pour the drinks. She never spills anything. She is very good at her job."

Lady Lington’s face turned red from embarrassment and anger. Everyone nearby was looking at her now. She nodded quickly and sat back down.

But she didn’t stop.

A few minutes later, a servant walked by carrying a tray of desserts. Lady Lington suddenly spoke loudly, pointing at me.

"You there! Maid! I want a slice of that cake! Go get it for me right now! And make sure you do not drop it, or I will tell my head maid how careless you are!"

It was a random order, unnecessary and rude. She wanted to give me orders like I was her servant.

I didn’t move. I just looked at her coldly and said in a flat voice.

"I only follow orders from His Highness."

She gasped, looking shocked. "How dare you answer me like that! I am the daughter of a Viscountess! You are just a maid—"

"Actually," Ezekiel cut in, leaning back on his chair and smiling widely, though his eyes were no longer playful. They were firm and serious. "Agatha only listens to me Lady Lington. I would appreciate it if you could've just order your 'OWN' maids"

He turned to look at me, his expression softening instantly. "Right, Agatha? You only do what I say, right?"

"Yes, Young Master," I answered calmly.

Lady Lington was shaking with frustration. Every time she tried to pull me down or humiliate me, Ezekiel was there, casually shutting her down without even making it a big fight

He didn’t yell or cause a scene. He just stated facts, and protected me like it was the most natural thing to do.

Though I can do that myself.

She tried one last time. When we were walking through the garden path, she purposely stepped on the hem of my dress, trying to make me trip and fall.

I felt the weight on the fabric. Without even looking down or breaking my stride, I lifted my dress slightly, stepped over her foot, and kept walking like nothing happened.

She was the one who stumbled and almost fell because she wasn’t ready for me to move so smoothly.

Ezekiel caught her arm before she fell, but he just laughed lightly.

"Wow, you really are clumsy today, Lady Lington. You should watch your step. Agatha walks very steadily, you know. She never trips over anything."

He walked back to my side and whispered low enough only I could hear, grinning like he was enjoying the whole thing.

"See? I told you you’d look great here. And don't worry about her. She’s just… very excited to see me. You handle her way better than I thought. You didn’t even get mad once."

I looked at him, my face still cold.

"There is nothing to get mad about. She is not a threat. Just a spoiled girl with too much free time."

He chuckled. "I know. But it’s fun watching you ignore her completely. You really don’t care, do you?"

"Not at all, Young Master."

He sighed dramatically, putting a hand on his chest.

"Still 'Young Master'… fine, fine. I’ll wait. But just so you know, if she tries anything else, I’m going to tell her you are actually a secret noble relative of mine just to make her stop."

"You don't have to do that," I replied flatly. "I can handle her."

"I know you can," he said, looking at me with that bright, determined look he always had.

The tea party went on, and Lady Lington tried a few more times, but every attempt failed. I stayed calm, cold, and perfectly composed. Ezekiel stayed right next to me, making sure everyone knew exactly who I belonged to.

By the time we left, Lady Lington was quiet, defeated, and furious. I didn't even spare her a second glance as we walked out the gates.

"See?" Ezekiel said as we rode back to the palace, grinning widely. "I told you wearing that dress was a good idea. You looked amazing, and nobody dared say anything bad to you. Well… except her. But she didn't win, did she?"

"You didn't have to interfere every time," I said flatly. "I could have handled it."

"I know, I know!" He leaned closer, eyes shining. "But I wanted to. And besides… you still owe me. You wore the dress, but you still haven't called me Kiel."

I looked at him blankly.

"Never going to happen, Young Master."

He laughed, loud and cheerful, and leaned back against the seat, looking happy anyway.

"We'll see about that, Agatha. We'll see about that."

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