n

n

nJane saw that Sylvia looked confused and offered her help.

"Do you need something dear?

"

nSylvia smiled bitterly and nodded.

nShe then slowly mumbled.

"Ummm… Yes, Jane. His highness… His highness has ordered me to report to the head maid.

"

nFor a commoner like Sylvia, that too a commoner without the gift of magic, stepping into the royal palace was a huge deal. Not to mention as a slave.

nSo naturally, she was extremely nervous.

nBut Sylvia tried her best and put on a brave face, without letting her insecurities slip outside.

n

"Head maid? What for dear?

" Jane asked, slightly surprised by that request.

n

"I… I…

" Sylvia stammered. She wanted to say that she was a newly acquired slave but it was too hurtful to get the words out.

nJane saw that she was hesitating and explained to her.

"You can tell me, dear. I am the head maid.

"

n

"Ah…

" Sylvia nodded in understanding. She then took a deep breath and slowly said what had to be said.

n

"I… I am a slave. I have been ordered to stay within the castle at all times and work here.

"

nJane's eyes immediately widened. She hadn't expected such a flawlessly beautiful young girl to be a mere slave.

nBut she quickly regained her composure and patted Sylvia. Poor child. She inwardly sighed.

nWith Sylvia's beauty and her young figure, there was no doubt that she must have suffered a lot.

nJane knew firsthand how piggish men can be. Especially men of power.

nSo she sympathized with her and tried to comfort her, at least as much as she could.

n

"Child, don't worry. His highness is a very kind and considerate master. You don't have anything to worry about under his care.

"

nSylvia nodded. This was the second time she was hearing these words.

nDo I really have nothing to worry about? The bitter smile on her lips still remained.

nShe silently followed Jane, the head maid, as the middle-aged woman wandered through the long corridors of the palace.

nJane was very kind and sweet even though she was a slave and explained to her how everything worked in the castle.

nThe castle was mainly divided into three areas, the central guest entertaining courtyard, the servants' and other workers' quarters, and the prince's private quarters.

nApart from this, there were also other areas of the castle like the garden, the library, the training grounds, and the underground cellar.

nOverall, the castle could be categorized as a medium-sized castle.

nWhy was the King's firstborn, Prince Mikel only gifted a medium-sized castle by the King?

nThis was because Prince Mikel was not very talented in the art of magic, at least in the eyes of the royal family and the public.

nNot only that, but there were several bad rumors about his mother.

nThis being the case, it was already a huge deal for the King to not directly disown Mikel and still treat him as a member of the royal family.

nSo of course, no one questioned his actions, when the Second Prince Denault was crowned as the heir.

nDespite all these politics and his standing in the royal court, Prince Mikel was nevertheless extremely popular and very acclaimed.

nThe man was second to none when it came to his wits, devilishly handsome beauty, and warfare strategies.

nPrince Denault might be the Crown Prince in name, but he dared not to offend Mikel under any circumstance.

nJane took her time and slowly showed Sylvia around the castle.

nThe duo then arrived at the maid quarters, where Jane showed Sylvia her room.

n

"Why don't you freshen up and rest today, dear? You can start working tomorrow.

" She patted her and handed over a couple of keys.

n

"Umm… Thanks.

" Sylvia nodded. She clutched the set of keys in her hand and opened the door.

nThe room itself was not too big, but it was spacious enough for a small cot and a table. It even had a window that faced towards the garden.

nShe turned around to thank Jane, but the woman was already gone.

nJane was after all the head maid and she still had a lot of chores left to finish.

nSylvia dazedly glanced at the empty corridor for a while, before closing the door behind her.

nShe then let out a long sigh.

nThis was it. This was her new life.

nThis small cramped room and a lifetime full of menial labor. This was what awaited her.

nUnknowingly, tears streamed down Sylvia's mesmerizing eyes.

nNo matter how relieved she felt to not be in a worse situation, she still couldn't bring herself to digest the fact that she was a mere slave now.

nSylvia slowly sat down on the cot and gazed outside her window absentmindedly.

nIt was a gorgeous view with numerous colorful flowers, plants, and trees cheerfully dancing to the tune of the wind.

nThe gentle wind caressed her wet cheeks and alleviated her grim mood.

nSylvia took a few deep breaths and a sense of calm and serene bubbled in her heart.

nFor a moment, everything didn't look as bad and bleak.

nHowever, the next instant, a familiar figure strolled across her garden, instantly shattering her newfound tranquility.

n