TPNSIA-03

CHAPTER-03

Chapter 3: A Fierce Initiation (1)

Anyone could tell that boy was Edwin, the Third Prince.

Edwin was dressed in a way that made his imperial status obvious at a glance. After all, only members of the imperial family were crazy enough to wear clothes covered in such extravagant embroidery and jewels.

But why are they treating a prince like that?

I was wondering about the disrespectful behavior of the boys surrounding and mocking Edwin when—

“Damn it!”

The orange-haired boy suddenly shoved the prince to the ground.

My eyes narrowed.

I didn’t know much about children, but I knew very well what noble children around that age were usually like.

He’ll probably start crying and call for a servant.

I watched carefully, waiting for the prince to burst into tears so I could step in naturally.

But his reaction was nothing like I expected.

“That’s mine! Give it back, you cheaters!”

Instead of becoming discouraged, the prince charged even more fiercely at boys who looked nearly twice his size.

Even though he had fallen hard enough that it must have hurt.

He’s got some spirit, at least.

Unfortunately, the orange-haired boy seemed equally stubborn.

He waved something above the prince’s head, teasing him.

“Then why don’t Your Highness come and take it yourself?”

Only then did I notice what he was holding.

A bracelet?

It was a woman’s bracelet made of pearls and rubies. It looked rather crude for something belonging to royalty.

Perhaps that was why it seemed strangely familiar.

“Your Highness, you should keep your promises. Especially as a member of the imperial family.”

“I never made any promise with you!”

The prince snapped at the boy, but he merely shrugged.

“We won this fairly from Your Highness in a bet. And now you’re trying to sneak into our quarters and steal it back like a little rat.”

At the word rat, the prince’s eyes trembled.

“Y-you tricked me!”

“Tricked you? What a terrible accusation.”

The orange-haired boy widened his eyes theatrically.

“How could insignificant people like us possibly dare cheat an imperial prince? Right, Gale?”

At his words, another boy stepped forward.

The boy called Gale appeared to be their leader. He was particularly large for his age and had a rough-looking face.

“If you want it back that badly, why don’t we make another bet?”

Gale crouched in front of the fallen prince and gripped his shoulder tightly.

“What will you wager this time? Perhaps… your hand?”

He smiled, his eyes full of malicious intent.

Seriously.

Watching children who were barely old enough to know better imitate thugs was ridiculous.

I sighed softly and stepped forward.

Since I had decided to remain here for the time being, I might as well perform my assigned role properly.

“Your Highness, what are you doing here?”

The moment I spoke, every boy turned toward me.

“…Rachel?”

Edwin stared at me in surprise.

Gale frowned at the sudden appearance of an unwanted guest.

He had heard that the Third Prince was such a nuisance that even the palace maids wouldn’t bother searching for him if he disappeared.

Apparently, those rumors had been exaggerated.

Mistaking Rachel, the prince’s nanny, for an ordinary maid, Gale clicked his tongue.

“Tch. A nuisance showed up. Let’s go.”

Just as Gale and his companions were about to leave, Edwin grabbed his sleeve.

“Give it back! Give me my bracelet!”

Gale frowned and immediately slapped the prince’s hand away.

He disliked Edwin.

There was nothing impressive about the pathetic boy, yet simply because he had been born into the imperial family, he could live comfortably without doing anything.

“Wait.”

Rachel called out to him.

“It seems His Highness has something he needs to get back from you.”

“What?”

Gale’s eyes widened, apparently not expecting her to stop him.

“Leave it here while I’m still asking nicely.”

Rachel gave him the friendliest smile she could manage.

Although she was smiling, her words were closer to a threat than a request.

Unfortunately, her naturally gentle face made her look anything but intimidating.

The boys exchanged nervous glances.

“Hey, aren’t we screwed? If people find out we really messed with an imperial prince, we’re dead.”

“Don’t be scared. I heard all the maids in the Third Prince’s palace come from insignificant families. If necessary, we can just shut her up….”

Gale gritted his teeth as he listened.

Idiots. Getting scared because of one sentence.

Putting on a relaxed expression, he approached Rachel.

Perhaps because Gale was unusually large for his age—or because Rachel herself was rather small—he looked down at her condescendingly.

“Miss Maid, we received this item fairly after winning a bet against His Highness.”

With his hands in his pockets, Gale continued,

“But His Highness entered our quarters without permission and tried to take it back. That’s practically theft, wouldn’t you agree?”

Rachel listened before looking toward the prince.

Edwin was trembling with frustration.

Gale sneered.

Hmph. And something like that is supposed to be royalty?

The way Edwin immediately avoided his gaze when their eyes briefly met was almost amusing.

Then Rachel spoke in an exceptionally gentle voice.

“Then make a bet with me.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I’m saying we should wager that bracelet.”

Gale stared at her, dumbfounded by the unexpected proposal.

“You won it through a bet, so surely you won’t complain if you lose it through one.”

Rachel smiled, showing her teeth.

Gale let out an incredulous laugh.

He had heard that even the nobles serving in the Third Prince’s palace came from insignificant families.

But Gale was different.

He was the youngest son of a count, a page serving the Second Prince, and an apprentice to the master craftsman responsible for making His Majesty the Emperor’s carriages.

Of course, he was still only an apprentice.

Even so, his position was far superior to that of some insignificant maid serving the worthless Third Prince.

After laughing for a while, Gale exchanged glances with the boys beside him.

“Very well. If that’s what you want, Miss Maid.”

His eyes swept over Rachel from head to toe.

“But what are you going to wager?”

“Well….”

Rachel casually shrugged.

“My hand, perhaps. Just as you wanted.”

“What?”

Her hand?

Gale was caught off guard by how casually she said it.

Ha. Even if she’s an insignificant maid, I suppose she’s still a noble.

Rachel’s confidence irritated him immensely.

So Gale made up his mind.

Just like that obnoxious Third Prince, he would make this woman kneel before him.

Gale and Rachel sat across from each other with a wooden box between them.

Gale roughly placed a cup on top of it.

“We’ll play Monte. Ah, perhaps a noble lady like you doesn’t know how to play?”

Rachel’s eyes narrowed.

Monte.

A simple street gambling game requiring only three cups and one ball.

It was a common game played not only throughout the empire but across the entire continent.

“I know it.”

Gale frowned at her continued confidence.

Behind Rachel, Edwin tugged at her sleeve.

“What are you doing? Get up right now!”

The prince lowered his voice as he urgently tried to stop her.

Instead of looking at Edwin, Rachel kept her eyes fixed on Gale.

“You don’t need that bracelet?”

“N-no, that’s not what I mean….”

“Then stay still.”

“But they use weird tricks! I got cheated even though I was watching!”

“It’s fine.”

“What? What exactly is fine about this?”

Edwin stared at her in disbelief.

Gale couldn’t understand her either.

What could possibly make her so confident?

Meanwhile, the other boys quickly regained their courage and began taunting Rachel.

“You picked the wrong opponent, Miss Maid. Gale is a master at Monte.”

“Too bad, Miss Maid. We won’t show you mercy later even if you cry and beg!”

But Rachel remained as calm as before.

“…What a shame.”

She sounded genuinely disappointed.

Gale placed the ball beneath the cup on the far right.

“You get three chances. If you guess correctly at least twice, we’ll consider it your victory.”

“Fine.”

The moment Rachel answered, he began shuffling the cups.

The three cups moved so quickly that they seemed to leave afterimages behind.

Everyone’s eyes followed them as they flew across the wooden box.

Tap.

Finally, Gale’s hands stopped.

Grinning, he looked at Rachel.

“Which one?”

“The right.”

She answered without even a moment’s hesitation.

Silence followed.

Rachel’s expression remained neutral, but her face was filled with certainty.

Watching from behind, Edwin nervously swallowed.

“Not bad, Miss Maid.”

Gale shrugged as though he had deliberately gone easy on her because it was the first round, then lifted the cup.

Just as Rachel had said, the ball was underneath the cup on the far right.

“One more correct answer, and I win.”

Rachel stared at Gale with a cold expression.

Without realizing it, Gale flinched under her gaze.