Chapter 95: Wary footsteps
Anastasia’s mind had been so preoccupied with the recent deaths that had taken place that she overlooked the fact that a courtesan was not supposed to leave the palace without Madame Minerva’s permission.
When she shifted her gaze towards Madame Minerva, she found the woman’s narrowed eyes fixed upon her, as if poised to punish her for her failure to obey a simple order, which even the guards had enforced. This was because when Madame Minerva returned to the Paradise Tower, she discovered that the newly added courtesan was nowhere to be seen.
"It was I who ordered the courtesan to accompany Emily, as she didn’t have a maid to assist her in the old palace," the Mother Queen explained.
Maxwell raised his eyebrows and questioned, "So you decided to choose her, a courtesan, when you could have selected any other available maid here?"
"Yes," the Mother Queen replied with a serious expression, while absolving her granddaughter and the courtesan of any blame. "I happened to come across her on my way and dragged her along to send her to accompany Emily. I thought, as she’s already familiar with the work, she would be of good use, and the presence of a courtesan could prove useful if the need arose."
"Use the courtesan? In what manner would they have needed to employ her?" Queen Maya questioned with a look of suspicion, sensing that something was amiss.
"Well... just how courtesans have always been used. You should know that," the Mother Queen replied.
"She’s a new courtesan, so what purpose could she serve?" King Maxwell questioned, and the Mother Queen nodded before saying,
"She is indeed new, but Minerva sent her to pleasure a man the very day she joined the other courtesans. However, I wasn’t going to use her for pleasure but for her other talents, such as singing. I thought it might help lift people’s spirits. Nothing more than that, King Maxwell." The old woman didn’t want Dante to interject, knowing it wouldn’t go well. She believed it was best for her to take the fall right now.
Anastasia, on the other hand, wanted to hide. She had been repeatedly thrust into the spotlight, ensuring her presence remained etched into everyone’s memory, including the king’s. She anxiously wondered if King Maxwell was going to punish them, but then he called out,
"Minerva."