The Obsession of the Tyrant Sub-Male Lead is Unnecessary

Episode 13

At that moment, Luigi stood up, mentioning she would go get some tea, and left with Olivia.

“But, Princess, who is that woman?”

“Huh?”

Verona calmed her startled heart and turned to Mary.

“The white-haired woman standing in the corner.”

“Not white hair, silver hair…”

“Same difference. Anyway, she’s dressed as a maid, but why is she acting so high and mighty? She should be clearing dishes or something.”

Mary grumbled loudly, clearly annoyed.

“Well, she’s temporarily become my personal maid. That’s Olivia Merelton, and she’s backed by the Grand Duke.”

“What? Your personal maid?”

Mary’s face immediately fell.

“But I’m your personal maid!”

“It just happened this way. She won’t be around for long.”

“Still!”

Verona struggled to console Mary, who insisted she disliked Olivia’s hair color from the start.

“When I arrived at the annex earlier, the other maids were gossiping. They said there’s a maid who’s acting all high and mighty, walking around with her head held high as if she were a princess… That must be her. It’s absurd that she’s your personal maid!”

Then Mary suddenly turned her frustration toward Verona.

“Besides, it’s upsetting that you didn’t tell me about your relationship with His Majesty. From now on, I’m sticking to you like glue, so I won’t miss anything.”

“Alright. I do feel more at ease with you around. You’re much better than Olivia.”

“Really?”

“Actually, Mary…”

Verona glanced at the closed door and lowered her voice.

“Keep an eye on Olivia for me.”

“Huh? Why?”

Verona hesitated to mention the unsettling look in Olivia’s eyes earlier. She could have been mistaken, after all. So she gave a vague explanation.

“Well, it’s just that she might have trouble adjusting, being the daughter of a viscount and all.”

“Humph. If she can’t adjust, so what? I’ll keep a close watch to make sure she doesn’t cause any trouble, Princess.”

Mary promised confidently, volunteering to be Verona’s roommate. True to her rank as the top maid in Waterfall Castle, she was taking charge of the situation.

Verona felt somewhat reassured by Mary’s confidence, yet there was an unsettling feeling in her heart.

‘Olivia wasn’t like this in the novel. She was a bit frustrating but came across as a strong and smart heroine. But that look in her eyes earlier…’

It was unfamiliar. Perhaps Olivia’s true feelings were different from what she knew.

‘I need to be cautious.’

Verona knew the novel’s world and settings inside out. As long as she stayed alert, nothing major would go wrong.

* * *

Carlos leaned back in his office chair, smiling contentedly as he toyed with something in his hand.

‘My instincts are never wrong.’

Of course, he hadn’t developed this particular skill just for this purpose. What use was the emperor’s ability to gauge finger circumference?

But Carlos had applied his skill at judging the thickness and sharpness of a blade to accurately deduce the circumference of her fourth finger after just a few touches.

He had already sent the ring to be resized, but after going to the annex to examine her finger closely, he was pleased that his instincts were spot on. The ring would fit perfectly.

Carlos retrieved a jewelry box from the Empress’s palace, sealed for decades. He chose the second-best ring, adjusted its size, and had it updated to the latest fashion.

Of course, handling such a precious item within four days was no simple task.

However, by sternly urging the chamberlain, head maid, jeweler, and craftsman, Carlos made the impossible possible.

The imperial jeweler, who had been expecting a comfortable few years, worked tirelessly day and night to create a masterpiece.

‘Even this is insufficient compared to her, but there’s plenty of time until the wedding. For now, this will do.’

The diamond surface sparkled with various colors as he turned it, the green flashes reminding him of Verona’s eye color, filling him with satisfaction.

Carlos carefully placed the ring in a velvet box and set it on his desk, wary of any damage.

Just then, Chamberlain Jess knocked and peeked his head in.

“Your Majesty, someone from the annex is here to see you.”

“The annex? Let them in.”

Carlos, thinking Verona had sent for him, eagerly agreed.

But the person who entered was not who he had hoped.

It was Olivia Merelton.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

She walked in, smiling and holding something, seemingly having forgotten the rebuke she received days earlier.

“Stay there. Who said you could come closer?”

Carlos rose from his seat, his tone icy.

“I have something to ask regarding Princess Verona’s escort.”

Olivia stopped obediently, opening the box she was holding to reveal some sparkling jewelry. She spoke calmly.

“I came to inquire about the jewelry to be prepared for the engagement, according to tradition.”

“Why are you here and not Luigi?”

“The head maid is busy attending to the princess.”

“Then it should have been Mary.”

“…”

Though both held the status of personal maids, Olivia’s pride as a viscount’s daughter seemed to be pricked. Carlos noticed her faintly stiffening expression.

“Make sure you have no reason to come to the imperial palace again.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Also, tradition is not for a mere maid to concern herself with. It seems you can’t forget your status as a viscount’s daughter, hence your overstepping.”

“I am merely working hard to atone for my mistake towards the princess.”

“I didn’t ask for excuses.”

Carlos cut her off sharply.

“You are still tolerated and accepted as a personal maid to the future empress because of Verona’s request. The only reason your neck is still attached is the same.”

“…”

“Remember, lacking discretion is also a fault.”

With that, Carlos dismissed her. Olivia seemed about to say something more but then smiled broadly and knelt.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will take my leave.”

Her manner was flawless, like a glass doll without a trace of pride. Watching her leave, Carlos thought,

‘I need to assign a guard.’

He couldn’t allow any harm to come to Verona.

He wanted to give her everything she desired, so he had granted her request for Olivia. But that woman could not be trusted.

Carlos resolved to devise a protective plan soon.

* * *

“Princess, you look absolutely stunning!”

The loud exclamation echoed through the room, and Verona turned around with a puzzled expression.

‘What’s with the overreaction?’

Had Mary been the one to say that, Verona would have been genuinely pleased.

“Why do you look so surprised, Princess?”

Olivia tilted her head with wide eyes.

“It’s nothing. I just appreciate the compliment.”

Verona gave a half-hearted reply and turned back to the mirror. Mary, who had been brushing her hair, snorted.

“Princess, your fair skin makes anything look good on you. I’ve got a bit of a tan from being outside so much. I get restless if I stay indoors too long. I wish I could be as calm as you.”

Olivia pushed aside another maid to straighten Verona’s skirt, chattering all the while.

“I thought so since the first time I saw you.”

Summarized, it sounded like, ‘Unlike you, who were kept inside and groomed like a doll, I lived actively and healthily.’

Verona looked down at Olivia, who was smiling brightly without a hint of malice.

Though she wore a maid’s uniform, she had added new lace, and her shoes were high-heeled and adorned, unlike typical maid footwear.

‘The heroine is different in every way.’

Pretending to be the kindest person while throwing subtle insults!

Verona could see through Olivia’s intentions because she had never trusted her from the start.

After being blindsided once, she had closely observed Olivia’s words and actions, noticing the disparity between her outward behavior and true intentions.

Others like Mary and Luigi seemed unaware of this yet, but Verona could tell.

“I wish I could learn from you, Princess. Then I wouldn’t upset His Majesty…”

Suddenly, Olivia trailed off, looking dejected. Curious, Verona asked,

“Did something happen? His Majesty didn’t seem upset yesterday.”

“Well…”

Olivia started to speak with a tearful expression when the bedroom door opened, and Carlos strode in.

“Why are you here again?”

Acting as if he had forgotten Olivia’s role as a personal maid, Carlos frowned. Olivia immediately shut her mouth and moved to the corner.

“Why are you here so early, Carlos?”

“I’m here to escort you.”

“I was just about to come down. Why didn’t you wait downstairs?”

“I have something to tell you.”

“Something to tell me?”

Without answering, Carlos lifted Verona’s hair off her shoulder and touched the sapphire earrings she was wearing.

“You didn’t wear the emerald earrings.”

“It goes against the empire’s customs.”

“You knew?”

Verona nodded. She remembered that the customs were opposite to those of Waterfall.

“I thought a princess might wear green jewelry to match our eye colors. Did Luigi tell you?”

“No, I already knew.”

Luigi, standing nearby, chimed in proudly, marveling at Verona’s knowledge of the customs.

Verona noticed Olivia’s eyes narrowing behind Luigi’s back and pretended not to see it.

Carlos didn’t need to know that Olivia had taken out several pairs of emerald earrings from the jewelry box only for Mary to bring the sapphire ones.

“It’s nothing significant. Shall we go now?”

“Wait a moment. Something is missing.”

“What? What’s missing?”

Having already noticed Olivia’s petty actions, Verona had called Luigi to double-check her attire. What could be missing now?

As Verona looked puzzled, Carlos reached into his pocket and pulled out something. It was a small box made of red velvet.

‘Is this…?’

It was a familiar scene. Verona tensed slightly without realizing it.

As expected, inside the box that Carlos opened was a ring.