As Helen was snorting as she thought about what Judith would face in the future, Judith was also thinking the same thing.
He subtly criticized the Marchioness, one of the Queen's close associates. It was clear that the fact that Princess Judith that Queen Gilsis had thought of were completely different people would probably reach the Queen's ears before noon today.
If that happens, the Queen will go on a rampage and concentrate on devising ways to kill Judith. Judith wanted just that.
To direct more of the Queen's vicious malice toward herself.
The most urgent task was to give Franz some breathing room and enable him to have the boldness and strength to confront the Queen.
If she were her previous self, the mere thought of standing in front of Queen Gilsis would have taken her breath away, but the current Judith was not the young and weak seventeen-year-old Judith back then. She didn't mind chewing Queen Gilsis from her head to her toes.
“This is the Queen Mother’s bed chamber.”
Helen said in a hard voice. At that moment, Judith quickly calmed down the hatred that was boiling like a surging fire and put on an innocent expression. It was an expression that a young daughter-in-law would make right before meeting her husband's mother for the first time, and by extension, the Queen who stood at the pinnacle of a nation.
Moderately nervous, moderately excited.
Helen looked at Judith's face as she pretended to step forward, and the corners of her lips slightly twisted up as if she knew she would. It was a mockery in the sense that she had to pretend to be quite smart and calm until she realized that in the end it was nothing more than bravado.
“Tell the Queen Mother that Her Highness the Princess has come to say hello.”
The palace maid who had been standing guard outside the bed went inside. However, even though a long time had passed since Helen spoke, the door to the bedroom did not seem to open easily. Helen looked back and forth between the closed door and Judith's face and looked with her laughable eyes at her, who had to stand there as if she were an uninvited guest.
Judith was fully aware of Helen's irreverent gaze, but she did not show anything and just stood there looking at the door that would not open with a calm expression.
If she had been Judith before, that is, if she had been Judith before she died, she would have already shed tears at this point, unable to bear the humiliation and shame.
'It actually was like that.'
Judith remembered that as soon as she started crying, the bedroom door opened as if the Queen had been waiting. She had dared to listen to a tearful rant that would have made her lose her soul as she had come to give her first greeting to the Queen, shedding tears ominously.
Even when Helen saw the door not opening, she did not ask Judith, 'Shall I ask one more time?' She just stands proudly as if she deserves it.
“The Queen pays special attention to her morning grooming.”
They told her to be aware that something like this would happen in the future. Judith smiled calmly, not paying attention to Helen's obvious attitude.
“I understand. She is the most noble woman in the kingdom, after all.”
At those words, the wrinkled forehead of Helen, an old noblewoman, frowned slightly. But in the end, she couldn't find her fault with Judith. It seemed to her that the Queen was laughing at her procrastination, but it was hard to imagine that Judith would have dared to say such a thing.
“Please go inside, Your Highness the Princess.”
The door to the bedroom, which she thought might not open today, has finally opened. Judith lightly bit the inside of her lip and applied as much force as she could to her politely placed fingertips.
To get from the entrance to the bedroom to where Queen Gilsis was waiting, you had to go through four more doors. The size of the room, which was much larger and more complex than the bedroom where the King usually stayed, was enough to give an idea of the extent of Queen Gilsis's power.
“Queen Mother, the Princess would like to send her greetings.”
At Helen's words, Queen Gilsis, who was almost lying down on the long sofa, slightly waved the end of her fan. The moment she took a step toward her, Judith swept her eyes across the face of Queen Gilsis so quickly that no one noticed. And she almost burst out laughing without even realizing it.
It's just like in her memory. Compared to the last time she saw her, she seemed a bit younger, but her eyes sparkling with poisonous malice and her lips twitching with boundless arrogance had not changed at all.
Judith felt indescribable joy at the fact that she could once again see the Queen Gilsis she remembered. As she had been dead and had come back to life, she was worried about what she would do if Queen Gilsis changed. This was unacceptable to her.
“Judith Lorebinev behold your Majesty the Queen.”
As Judith spread the hem of her dress, got down on both knees and bowed her head, the triumphant smile on Helen's face disappeared. She believed that Judith did not know Rotair's manners. It's natural because no one would have told her.
Nevertheless, Judith followed the etiquette and bowed without any deviation. Her hands were not visible, hidden under the hem of her dress, and she even bowed her head deeply and did not move.
‘This girl....'
A hint of anxiety flashed across Helen's face again. This was because she realized once again that she was not as easy an opponent as she thought. She momentarily glanced at Queen Gilsis. The Queen's expression still looked somber, but her eyes shone fiercely for a moment as she looked down at Judith, who did not raise her head.
Queen Gilsis looked down at Judith, who was bowing so deeply that her head touched the ground, as if mocking her, then gently moved her fingertips and slightly turned her head.
“Marquis.”
“Yes, Queen.”
“When I woke up this morning, the bed was a bit hot. I think we need to change the bedding. I suggest you call the merchants before the afternoon and see if they have any good items.”
“I will, Queen Mother.”
“It’s still early summer, but I don’t want it to be this hot..."
As the Queen continued speaking slowly, Judith remained in her bent posture and did not stand up. As if she were a sinner, she waited patiently until the command was given to raise her head.
Queen Gilsis slightly raised her eyebrows at Judith's reaction. Tien, the Queen heard that Judith grew up in that remote country without being treated properly by her brother, and it got on her nerves because there was no way to find fault with Judith from the beginning.
“Get up.”
The Queen spoke with a clear expression of reluctance. Judith then slowly straightened her back, but did not look directly at the Queen.
The Queen, who was looking at her with a calm expression with her chin down, with disapproving eyes, opened the fan she was holding in her hand until it made a sound.
“I heard that a group of thieves attacked the carriage on the way. Were you hurt?”
“It was just a minor incident, but I’m so happy that Your Majesty was worried about me. The attendants faithfully performed their respective roles and there were no accidents worth worrying about.”
“Franz hurt his face, right? Could it be that it was done to protect you?”
“His Highness....”
Judith deliberately pretended to be troubled and trailed off slightly. This was done on purpose, knowing that this was a reaction that would further upset Queen Gilsis.
“What do you mean? Why can’t you open your mouth and say a word straight?”
As expected, the Queen suddenly reacted nervously. Then Judith suddenly spoke in a trembling voice, as if she were about to burst into tears as if she had been waiting for the queen to say such a thing.
“He was just sitting quietly.”
"Ha."
“I don’t know why he did that. He may have believed in the abilities of his attendants, but I never thought he would not even raise his sword in such a situation.”
“It’s worth knowing.”
Suddenly, a frivolous laugh came out of Queen Gilsis' mouth. The sound was loud enough to make even Helen, who was standing next to her, flinch, but Judith remained calm.
“He doesn’t even know how to use a sword, so how can he be so foolish? “He must have been too scared to move.”
Judith's gaze, which had been cast down, silently shone. One question that had been on my mind the whole time became clear with the Queen's reaction.
Queen Gilsis does not know the level of skill Franz has. There was no way she wouldn't have planted a spy around Franz, so the fact that he possessed such martial skills must have been completely hidden.
“Still, he is the Crown Prince of a country, but has he really never learned swordsmanship?”
Judith's innocent voice cut off the lively laughter that was echoing in the bedroom.
Helen and the other maids standing next to the Queen turned pale at once. With that, she became a dazzle in the eyes of Queen Gilsis. The Queen's disgusting hatred was boiling to the point that it was difficult for her to even face him with her considerable courage.
“A Crown Prince!”
Queen Gilsis let out a loud noise. Judith pretended to bow down but did not stop speaking.
“I heard that my husband, Franz, is your eldest son. If he comes, isn’t he the Crown Prince?”
“You can’t shut that mouth right now! Who is the Crown Prince? The throne of Rotair is empty! How dare you without my permission!”
Judith was not wrong, as the term Crown Prince generally refers to the eldest son, the first of the Princes.
However, the simple meaning of 'the King's first son' is not included in the word. Rather, the meaning of 'the only heir to the throne in the future' was stronger.
Therefore, although Franz was the King's eldest son, he had not yet received the title of Crown Prince. This was because Queen Gilsis had pressured and oppressed the nobles to prevent Franz from being crowned Crown Prince.
She wanted to get rid of Franz, the former Queen's son, by any means necessary. And she was hell-bent on making her son, Prince Krald, the only Crown Prince.
For that purpose, several attempts were made to kill young Franz, but so far they have been in vain.
Since Judith dared to refer to Franz as Crown Prince in front of such a Queen, it was natural that anger would pour out. A look of sarcasm appeared on Helen's face when she saw Judith's shoulders shaking as she bowed her head.
If you use your mouth carelessly, you end up digging your own grave.
“How dare you make such a foolish move in front of me! Will you come to your senses if I tear your mouth apart!”
“Forgive me, Queen Mother. I just...”
“Shut up and get out! Get out of my sight!”
As the Queen ran wild, the maids came and stopped her. Judith pretended to be in a hurry and hurried out of the Queen's quarters. And the moment the door closed, the trembling eyes, like a frightened baby animal, cooled down.
This is it. Judith thought.
It must have been a reassuring story for Queen Gilsis to hear that Franz just sat still even in the face of thieves. She would have been a little more convinced that he was a useless being, like a bird with a broken wing.
Not only that, Judith threw the words the Queen hated the most in her face. With this, she had nailed her ugly head on herself and for the time being, she would focus on tormenting herself in every way she could.
In the meantime, she must somehow open a way to rescue Franz. There wasn't much time
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