Chapter 88 - 15: River Snail Maid

Chapter 88: Chapter 15: River Snail Maid

No one knew of the interaction between Lilia and Chris.

But news of her performance on the training grounds spread like wildfire, reaching the King’s ears through the Interior Minister’s report.

When the King first heard that "Princess Lilia’s Magic Talent is likely A-level or even higher," he was taken aback.

It wasn’t because of the news itself, but rather...

’Lilia... Princess?’

’Who’s that?’

He didn’t remember any "Princess" by that name in the Royal Court.

It wasn’t until the Interior Minister awkwardly clarified that the King suddenly recalled he had such an illegitimate daughter.

Far from being angered or embarrassed by this, his expression visibly brightened.

He had never considered having illegitimate children a shameful affair. On the contrary, could a King’s illegitimate children truly be called illegitimate? They were the support system he was preparing for the future Crown Prince.

If he sired enough of them, a few were bound to be useful.

This... what’s-her-name... Lilia, was a perfect example.

With A-level, or perhaps even higher, Magic Talent, she would certainly become a great asset if properly cultivated. What’s more, according to Amos, Mr. Rockwell seemed to hold this Lilia in high regard.

In the King’s eyes, the girl he had never met was no longer his illegitimate daughter. She was a useful piece of raw material, waiting to be polished.

As for whether his past neglect might have fostered resentment in her heart, thereby affecting their relationship?

’That’s impossible.’

The King was utterly confident about this.

The bond of blood was indelible. Besides, it was far too easy to win over a little girl who had grown up without any affection.

All he had to do was show her a little favoritism, give her a few trivial material possessions, and she would convince herself of his affection and her own special place in his heart. The King had put this theory into practice many times with many people.

He looked up at the Interior Minister, Amos, who stood waiting below. "Immediately arrange for the finest residence for my dearest daughter. And send her some attentive servants... No, bring all the available servants to her new residence and tell her she may pick and choose as she pleases."

"Remember, from this day forward, her food, her clothes, her possessions—everything must be the very best. As long as it doesn’t violate any major principles, you are to grant her every request."

"Yes!"

Amos didn’t question this "affection" that went far beyond normal bounds.

However...

He paused. To avoid any embarrassing mix-ups, he asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, when you say your ’dearest daughter’... are you referring to Princess Lilia?"

King: "..."

Interior Minister: "..."

Amos felt a cold sweat begin to form. Just as he was trying to find a way to smooth things over, he heard His Majesty say with a humorless smile, "If you can’t handle this to her satisfaction, you can just wait and see what happens to your bonus next month."

Amos: "!"

"Yes!"

He didn’t dare ask another question. "I will arrange the very best residence for Princess Lilia and ensure she is completely satisfied!"

...

While the King and the Interior Minister were discussing how to "compensate" her, Lilia had already returned to her dilapidated hut.

She paused the moment she pushed open the door.

For a dazed moment, she thought she’d come to the wrong place.

She had lived alone since she was a small child. No one had taught her proper etiquette, much less how to do chores or take care of herself.

So, while Lilia’s hut had been reasonably clean, most of her belongings—useful or not—were simply piled together. It couldn’t be called neat and orderly; it could only be described as a total mess.

But now, everything was different.

The floor had been mopped, every piece of furniture wiped down, and all her belongings organized neatly according to how often they were used. The place was not only clean and pleasant to look at, but you could also find anything you needed at a glance.

The only thing left untouched was Lilia’s bed.

’Presumably, she felt that touching such a private space without permission would be an overstep.’

Hearing the door open, Rebecca hung a freshly washed and dried rag on a rack and hurried over to Lilia. "Princess, welcome home!"

Lilia: "...You did all this?"

"Ye-yes!"

Rebecca straightened up unconsciously, her anticipation tinged with nervousness. "You took me in, and I didn’t know what I could do for you, so I took the liberty of cleaning..."

Lilia: "...Fine."

As she was about to step inside, she noticed Rebecca still looked apprehensive.

’Of course, I know what she’s thinking. She probably thinks my "Fine" was just a half-hearted dismissal.’

Lilia thought for a moment, then added, "You did a good job."

Rebecca’s head snapped up, her pale blue eyes shining. "I-I’ll keep doing my best!"

Having earned Lilia’s approval, she instantly forgot her nervousness and began to circle her. "Where did you go today? Did everything go well?"

"Besides cleaning, I also prepared lunch! Would you like to try some to see if you like it?"

"I used to cook all the time at home, and my parents said my cooking was delicious even when I was little! But I haven’t had a single chance to show what I can do since I came here..."

Lilia raised a hand to cut off the overly excited chatterbox. "Wait. There wasn’t any food in the house. What did you make lunch with?"

"Lady Kate brought it over!" Rebecca answered.

"I see."

Lilia nodded.

She recognized the name "Kate." That was the maid who usually brought her meals.

Since she had brought proper food, it meant news of Leo’s punishment for Mr. Wade had reached the kitchens. The new steward had clearly responded immediately, taking the initiative to send her provisions.

’Perhaps it’s a gesture of goodwill,’ Lilia thought, ’or maybe he’s just making his position clear, trying to avoid making the same mistake as Wade.’

’It seems... not all the stewards in this Royal Court are idiots or here because of their connections.’

Beside her, Rebecca was still explaining excitedly, "Lady Kate brought so, so much food! I counted it all, and there’s enough to last us for several days!"

"You said this morning you’d get us food soon, but I thought it would take until this afternoon or evening at the earliest. I can’t believe it was so fast!"

At that moment, Rebecca was filled with utter admiration.

If a "Church of Lilia" existed, she would have probably converted on the spot.

’Now that the food is here,’ Rebecca thought, ’what about the big house Princess Lilia mentioned...’

’No, no, no, Rebecca, you can’t be so greedy!’

’This little hut is more than good enough!’

’What more could I ask for than being able to live so close to Princess Lilia?’

Rebecca suppressed her unrealistic fantasies. Just as she was about to pull Lilia over to eat lunch, there was a sudden knock on the door of the hut.