Page 22 of Maid for the Alien Prince

“But it means more job opportunities for someone like me,” Emma said. “I could never get to work here before. No one ever left.”

Because they were happy here. Unlike now.

Emma hugged my arm. “Or you. Who would have thought, huh? You, being the manager’s daughter, coming to work at the palace as a maid! Talk about keeping it in the family!”

She gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth. “Don’t be upset at me! I was sad to hear your dad was fired. Lots of rumors have been swirling around about things he might have done to deserve it… Not that there needs to be anything he did. Ges sometimes fires people for looking at him in a way he doesn’t like…”

She peered at me out of the corner of her eye. “No one believes the rumors though. Your dad was always the most honorable man in the palace. But some people say, well, that… some things went missing…”

Silence followed her statement. It was rare for Emma to be quiet, so she’d let the moment lull on purpose.

No doubt she expected me to fill it. If she did, she was in for a long wait. She was the absolute last person I would share anything personal with.

Giving up, she shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe later, then.”

If the truth about how Dad had lost his position at the palace wasn’t believed, then there really was still a chance his reputation could remain untarnished. It meant it was even more crucial I carried out the next seven days without a hitch.

This entire tragedy could be reversed. And rather than look at it as if I had lost something, I could choose to look at it in a positive light:

I had gotten the use of my legs back and all it would cost me is seven measly days of my life. When looked at through that lens, it wasn’t so bad after all, was it?

“Normally, I’d show new staff the entire palace, all the gorgeous rooms, the library, kitchens, everything,” Emma mused, “but as you already know where everything is already, I suppose I can just show you what we’ll be doing.”

She took me to the storage room where the cleaning supplies were kept and led me from one room to another, cleaning as we went.

I frowned at some of the antique displays, noticing some appeared to be missing. I didn’t mention it and carried on cleaning.

It was only when we came to the main drawing room where a smile had been painted on the portrait of the original Alwon ancestor that I pulled up short.

“Have things been very different since my father left?” I asked, curious.

At first, Emma didn’t look up, and continued dusting. “A little. Why?”

“Some of the items appear to be missing, others damaged or vandalized. What does the new Prince think of this?”

Emma shrugged. “Not much. Very often, it’s the Prince who damages them.”

I blinked in surprise. To come into possession of such a beautiful home and then to treat it without respect seemed a little… strange.

If I had discovered I had royal ancestors and then came into possession of a palace like this, I don’t think I would have been drawing all over them with red wine.

Emma sidled up close to me and whispered under her breath. “But it’s not just him.”

She checked over her shoulders. “I’ve seen some of the new workers pocket items too.”

“Stealing?” I said, dumbfounded, before recalling my dad had told me such things had become commonplace in the palace. “Why doesn’t someone tell Ges?”

Emma snorted. “He takes more things off the shelves that never get returned than anyone else! I could pocket things myself too… if I had a mind to.”

She idly fingered a porcelain figurine before noticing my expression. Her hands darted back like it was red-hot. “Not that I would! I don’t want anyone to think I’m like the others!”

She sidled up even closer to me. “You won’t tell anyone, will you?”

Why would I, I wondered, when my own father had done the same thing? Everyone was stealing from the new Prince and yet he didn’t care at all?

Things were just growing stranger and stranger…

“Don’t tell anyone what?” a deep voice boomed, so close that it made me jump.

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