After leaving the palace where the Queen was staying, Judith's steps naturally became faster. She was so busy thinking about what she had to do from now on that she didn't even notice that someone was approaching her around the corner.
"Oh!"
She came to her senses only after crashing into each other and screaming a single word. The moment she stumbled, covering her numb forehead, she felt something solid grab her waist. It was a man's hand.
Judith looked up in surprise and her eyes opened even wider. As soon as she realized who had captured her, Judith took a couple of steps back, trembling all over like a person who had been burned. She could tell who he was just by looking at the dull blonde hair that closely resembled Queen Gilsis's and the wide, leisurely smile on his mouth.
Krald Jederkaire.
He was the one who drove her to a miserable death in her last life.
“I was wondering who was wandering around so carelessly in my mother’s palace, and it turned out to be my new sister-in-law.”
Krald ld said with a sarcastic smile.
He was three years younger than Franz. So he was a year younger than Judith, he was now sixteen, but he was much taller than her.
However, Judith was not frightened by Krald's large physique. He was short-thinking and thought that the sight of little Judith clenching her fist and shaking as if she had seen a ghost was due to fear, but he was mistaken.
Judith was patient. It felt like if she didn't hold back, she would lunge at him at any moment and strangle him.
“Why are you shaking like a rabbit caught in a trap? If others see me, they will think I have done something.”
The sly voice that had nothing at all boyish about it made her feel sick. It was a natural reaction for Judith, who knew that he had already been messing around with the palace maids and pretty noble ladies from this time on.
Judith still remembered the time when Krald sneaked into her room as clearly as if it were yesterday.
This is a person who tried to commit an unscrupulous act against his sister-in-law, who had no one to rely on. However, when the attempt was in vain, this time he joined forces with his mother and blamed Judith for the dirty crime.
Until the day she died, she could not rid herself of the terrible stigma of having an insane husband and trying to drag his stepbrother into bed.
'If I could kill him right away, I would gladly do so.'
However, the current Judith did not have the power to defeat Krald. Bringing him to his knees had to come later. When she gained enough strength to grab both hats by their necks at once and shake them.
Judith slowly calmed her boiling heart. Then, she stood in the same position she had left and pretended to slightly lower her head.
“You are the second Prince of Rotair. It was my first time meeting so I didn’t know.”
“Is there anything you can treat me so politely about? Anyway, we have become one family now.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
There was a wicked interest in Krald's eyes as he looked down at Judith, who was as short as a child. In the first place, he had no intention of respecting her because she was his brother's wife. As soon as he heard that she had gone to see her mother, he came to the royal concubine palace to see how miserable the lowly Princess who had been sold for money was in.
But for some reason, Judith, whom he met in the hallway, seemed unconcerned. He thought she must have cried so much that she fainted, but it was unexpected. Not only that but contrary to what he had heard, her demeanor was calm and composed.
'It would have been perfect if she had just a prettier face.'
After looking Judith up and down and feeling his appetite, Krald slowly approached her. Then Judith tried to move away as much as he came. Just as she was about to back away, Krald's arm stretched out like a harpoon to catch a fish and grabbed Judith around the waist.
“...Your Highness the 2nd Prince.”
“Call me Krald.”
“Your Highness Krald, I am afraid that others will misunderstand you. Please let go.”
“What is there to misunderstand? If you are my brother's wife, you are my sister-in-law, so is there any problem with my brother-in-law and my sister-in-law getting along well?”
Even if this kid goes crazy, he is definitely crazy. When Judith, dumbfounded, lifted her head in laughter, the smile on Krald's lips became even more unpleasant.
“Or are you thinking about something that might cause misunderstanding?”
“Please, let go.”
“Brother Franz doesn’t seem to like women very much anyway. Too bad you ended up marrying someone like that. If it were me...”
As Krald lowered his head, his unpleasant breath touched Judith's cheeks and lips, so unpleasant that she did not want to be near him even for a moment. At that eerie sensation, Judith suddenly shrugged her shoulders as if she had been bitten by a snake. And he pushed Krald away with all his might.
“Ugh!”
There was a thud. She was caught off guard when Krald was pushed, causing her to trip and hit her back against the stone window frame.
Krald's eyes widened as he had never thought that someone would dare push him, or that a girl like this who would faint immediately after a single hit would do such a thing. It was the moment when Krald, who had forgotten that the other person was a Princess in a moment of anger, raised his hand intending to hit Judith on the cheek.
“Krald.”
Krald's movements came to a halt at the heavy, subdued voice. Judith, who had closed her eyes tightly in anticipation of being hit, also turned her head towards the direction of the sound. Franz was standing there with a dark expression.
“What’s going on?”
“Brother, what are you doing here?”
Although his tone was full of ridicule, Krald slowly lowered his raised hand. No matter how much he looked down on her, he still couldn't slap the Princess right in front of Franz.
“It’s a passing road.”
“Then just pass by. Oh, you want to take my sister-in-law? You've only known each other for a few days, but you already seem to be getting along well.”
“Unless the Princess has other business, I will go with her.”
"Please."
Krald continued to pretend to slowly retreat with a bright smile on his face. Franz did not approach Judith. He just gave her a wink from afar as if telling her to come this way.
Judith had no time to feel sad about it. If she didn't leave this place right away, she might not be able to get over her anger and kill Krald. When she saw him hit his back against the stone window frame, she couldn't help but feel bad for a moment that he hadn't hit his head.
Let's leave before something happens. Judith made an embarrassed expression and approached Franz. Before she could get close to him, Franz turned around.
Krald's snort was heard from behind, but neither Judith nor Franz turned around.
It wasn't until he crossed the long courtyard and reached the back gate of the Prince's Palace that Franz stopped first. Judith, who had been walking behind him in silence, also stopped after him.
They were only a couple of steps apart, but the silence between them was heavy and gloomy. Most of it came from Franz. After standing for a while with his back turned, he finally seemed to have made up his mind and slowly turned around to look at Judith.
“You know who that man just was.”
“His name is Krald. He is the second prince of Rotair and Queen Mother’s biological son.”
“Yes, that’s right. So, don’t get involved with him.”
A slight smile appeared on Judith's lips. At this moment, the laughter came from the thought that she was the one who knew that fact better than anyone else, but Franz seemed to have misunderstood the expression.
“Do you think I’m joking?”
“No way, my dear.”
“If you take it lightly just because Krald is younger than you, sooner or later you will get caught up in trouble that you can’t handle. If you want to follow him, I won't stop you, but if not...”
“...You’re going to come forward and follow me?”
Franz's lips pursed in response to an unexpectedly sharp reaction. He realized he had made a mistake, but he had no way of picking up what he had already said.
“What do you mean by that? Do you really think that I would ever want to rely on Lord Krald? Did you evaluate me to that extent?”
Judith's face, which had always been as calm as a lie, was even faintly convulsing with unbearable anger. Franz was even more embarrassed and pursed his lips.
"I mean..”
“Although you became my companion because of my money-obsessed brother, she is not a woman you should worry about. I thought you would have that level of trust, but was I mistaken?”
Judith pushed Franz as if he were a bully. It was because of her terrible memories that only she knew, that only she should have, but it was somewhat embarrassing for Franz, who had no way of knowing that fact.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I can tolerate you not loving me, but I cannot tolerate you insulting me like that.”
Judith's eyes were red as she said that as if she were about to burst into tears. Franz, who had never expected such a reaction, frowned with an awkward expression.
“. Any woman in her right mind would want Krald rather than a scarecrow-like me.”
“Not me.”
“How can you guarantee that? You have only just entered this place. The name Franz Zedekaire is like the most chewable snack in Rotair. But is it any different because you are my wife?”
“How on earth can I come up with the idea of giving my heart to another man, especially my husband's younger brother, because I can't stand being talked about by other people? Can you still call me your wife while thinking like that?”
Judith was so angry that she faced him with her fists clenched, like a little bird flapping in anger. If she hadn't looked so weak, Franz wouldn't have paid any attention to what Judith did in the palace.
However, Judith seemed so weak that it was impossible to do that. That was the reason why he intervened and stopped Krald, who was not good at talking to him.
The sight of such a weak girl so brightly angry, telling him not to doubt her, made Franz suddenly have a strange idea. Franz was startled not by anyone else but by herself when his sudden urge to hug her and pat her back rose up.
Franz, who was quietly looking at the tears forming in her sparkling light blue eyes, slowly lowered his head.
“...I made a mistake and I apologize.”
“I will heed your advice not to get involved with Prince Krald. Don't ever doubt me like that again. Never again.”
Franz nodded thoughtfully with a somewhat bewildered expression. Judith still looked sulky, but she didn't get any angrier at Franz. However, she carefully assembled the anger that had surged and promised herself that she would put this unpleasant experience of today toward the debt she would receive later.
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