Judith's home country, the Kingdom of Tien, was originally wealthier than any of the surrounding countries.
Because it was surrounded by rugged mountains, agriculture, and fishing were not very developed, but silver and rubies poured from the mountains surrounding the kingdom.
Did I put too much faith in the things that poured out as if they would never decrease no matter how much I used them, or was it destruction that was planned anyway? One day, silver shipments began to decline sharply. Not only that, Ruby shipments also decreased as if waiting.
However, Tien's royal family and nobles, accustomed to luxury for a long time, could not come to their senses even when mining in the mines became almost impossible.
The trend of debauchery steeped in luxury did not disappear no matter what. To make matters worse, Judith's father, the previous king, had a reckless and vain desire to overcome the crisis through war.
They raised their depleted national treasury to fight a meaningless war and paid compensation for defeat. Several times, the son who ascended the throne after him also followed in his father's foolish footsteps.
For about three years, even the war in the southern region, which they thought would be the last for the Kingdom of Tien, was defeated.
The king, who was in charge of the tribes in the southern region, demanded a huge amount of compensation from the Tien Kingdom and threatened to make the Tien Kingdom a vassal state if it failed to pay.
Judith's older brother, Iland, was a man who had nothing left except his pride. He was a pathetic little man who would rather throw away the crown on his head than rule over a country that had become a vassal.
It was at that time that an unexpected savior appeared to Eland, who had been raising taxes to pay compensation without any regard for the people dying.
Northern Kingdom of Rotair. Located along the sea to the west, it had long been a troublesome place due to its salty, barren soil and the presence of pirates, but it was now a place that was gaining influence around the waterway of trade with countless other countries across the sea.
Queen Gilsis, who holds the power of the Kingdom of Rotair with one hand, proposed that Elland pay war reparations instead.
And in return, the queen demanded that Iland's younger sister, Princess Judith, be given away.
The plan was to make her the princess of Franz, the first prince of the Rotair Kingdom.
Ireland had no reason to refuse. She was ugly and shabby, like her younger sister, and to him, she was worth less than a fingernail. Even though she was a sibling from the same litter, Iland always treated Judith as useless.
It was a lucrative business for Iland if she could repay the enormous amount of compensation as a younger sister who, despite being seventeen years old, had not grown much, looked like a skinny girl of four or five years old, did not know how to say a simple word, and was not confident at all even though she was a princess.
Eland accepted the offer with a happy attitude, not knowing how miserable that choice would push Judith's life into the future.
I probably would have done that even if I had known.
“Your Highness, are you really okay? If you are unwell, tell the chef to order something more convenient to eat...”
“No, Mary Anne. I'm fine. Really."
Judith answered, but Mary Anne was stamping her feet as if she could not trust her. Judith looked down at the warm breakfast on the table and suddenly burst into laughter.
“Why are you doing this?”
“No, just…”
“I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve seen warm white bread.”
“What do you mean? White bread is always served for breakfast.”
"Yes... It did."
It was definitely like that before she died, or rather, before she was imprisoned in the tower. But ever since she was imprisoned in the tower, Judith has forgotten what white bread tasted like.
It wasn't just white bread. Everything she took for granted, such as clean air, warmth, and even clean water to quench her thirst, became things she could not even dare to dream of.
“Mary Ann, do you want to eat too?”
When she tore open the still-warm, steaming white bread and held it out, Mary Anne, who had been standing with her hands folded, opened her eyes wide.
"Yes?"
“Let’s sit down and eat together. It’s too much for me to eat alone.”
“Oh, anyway, how can I eat with the Princess? Even noble-born maids wouldn’t dare do that...”
“Sit down and eat together. It’s an order.”
Judith, who had turned her head with a slightly sullen expression, turned her head with a puzzled expression towards Mary Anne.
"What's the matter?"
"Yes? No, I... no. This is the first time I’ve heard Judith say something like that...”
Mary Anne, who hesitated to sit across from her, had a look of bewilderment evident on her face. Only then did Judith remember what she had been like in those days. When she was the Princess of the Kingdom of Tien, she was the one who could never say things like 'It's an order.' She said it, even if it was just a joke.
“...I'm kidding. You know, right?”
“Well, of course I know, but....”
“Hurry up and eat. The bread will get cold.”
As Judith pushed the plate forward, Mary Anne hesitantly began to munch on the small piece of bread she had torn off. Even as she ate, it was evident that she was constantly observing Judith's thoughts.
“What do you mean? White bread is always served for breakfast.”
"Yes... It did."
It was definitely like that before she died, or rather, before she was imprisoned in the tower. But ever since she was imprisoned in the tower, Judith has forgotten what white bread tasted like.
It wasn't just white bread. Everything she took for granted, such as clean air, warmth, and even clean water to quench her thirst, became things she could not even dare to dream of.
“Mary Ann, do you want to eat too?”
When she tore open the still-warm, steaming white bread and held it out, Mary Anne, who had been standing with her hands folded, opened her eyes wide.
"Yes?"
“Let’s sit down and eat together. It’s too much for me to eat alone.”
“Oh, anyway, how can I eat with the Princess? Even noble-born maids wouldn’t dare do that...”
“Sit down and eat together. It’s an order.”
Judith, who had turned her head with a slightly sullen expression, turned her head with a puzzled expression towards Mary Anne.
"What's the matter?"
"Yes? No, I... no. This is the first time I’ve heard Judith say something like that...”
Mary Anne, who hesitated to sit across from her, had a look of bewilderment evident on her face. Only then did Judith remember what she had been like in those days. When she was the Princess of the Kingdom of Tien, she was the one who could never say things like 'It's an order.' She said it, even if it was just a joke.
“...I'm kidding. You know, right?”
“Well, of course I know, but....”
“Hurry up and eat. The bread will get cold.”
As Judith pushed the plate forward, Mary Anne hesitantly began to munch on the small piece of bread she had torn off. Even as she ate, it was evident that she was constantly observing Judith's thoughts.
However, rather than being truly afraid of Judith, she was concerned about her condition, as if she had changed as a person overnight.
“By the way, Judith. You didn’t forget that you have to go see His Majesty before lunch today, right?”
Judith's hand that was scooping up the soup suddenly stopped. Mary Ann fidgeted with her hands as if it were her fault and she was not to blame.
“What happened? Can you say that again?”
“Your Majesty’s chamberlain came last night and delivered his message. Don't you remember? He said he had something important to say....”
“...”
“Are you sure you don’t remember?”
Judith remained silent despite Mary Anne's explanation, but it was not because she could not remember.
In the seventeen years she lived, there was only one time that the King called her and had something to say.
‘It’s today. Today is... the day.'
The small spoon in Judith's hand trembled. She pursed her lips and glared at the plate of food.
It was this very day. On this day, the short command given by Eland to Judith plunged her life completely into the mud.
“... No, I remember. I guess we need to get ready.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but people have been coming and going at Rotair a few times lately. Your Highness, please brace yourselves because those people might be there where you went to see Your Majesty.”
After speaking, Mary Anne gulped down the juice Judith gave her in one go and smiled brightly as if she was only trusting her.
After finishing the meal, Judith was led by Mary Anne's hand and sat in front of the dressing table. She had never worn makeup until she was seventeen, and although her skin was soft, it was not particularly attractive.
“By the way, Judith. You didn’t forget that you have to go see His Majesty before lunch today, right?”
Judith's hand that was scooping up the soup suddenly stopped. Mary Ann fidgeted with her hands as if it were her fault and she was not to blame.
“What happened? Can you say that again?”
“Your Majesty’s chamberlain came last night and delivered his message. Don't you remember? He said he had something important to say....”
“...”
“Are you sure you don’t remember?”
Judith remained silent despite Mary Anne's explanation, but it was not because she could not remember.
In the seventeen years she lived, there was only one time that the King called her and had something to say.
‘It’s today. Today is... the day.'
The small spoon in Judith's hand trembled. She pursed her lips and glared at the plate of food.
It was this very day. On this day, the short command given by Eland to Judith plunged her life completely into the mud.
“... No, I remember. I guess we need to get ready.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but people have been coming and going at Rotair a few times lately. Your Highness, please brace yourselves because those people might be there where you went to see Your Majesty.”
After speaking, Mary Anne gulped down the juice Judith gave her in one go and smiled brightly as if she was only trusting her.
***
After finishing the meal, Judith was led by Mary Anne's hand and sat in front of the dressing table. She had never worn makeup until she was seventeen, and although her skin was soft, it was not particularly attractive.
Even though she was not sick, she looked sickly due to the lack of blood in her body, and her short mouth made it difficult for her to eat, so it was impossible to think of her as being that age.
Judith, who was staring at herself in the mirror as if she were a stranger, suddenly twitched the corner of her mouth and laughed.
The day she first went to the Kingdom of Rotair and had an audience with Queen Gilsis, how satisfied the wicked woman was when she saw this clumsy appearance.
How she laughed so horribly when she saw Judith trembling and crying as if she had committed a great crime, unable to even utter a word of excuse after hearing such harsh insults.
Yes, it must have been satisfying. She would have been more than satisfied as Queen Gilsis. It must have been worth every single penny that they paid to the Kingdom of Tien to bring her back.
Judith at that time was exactly the ideal Princess that Queen Gilsis wanted. She wanted a Princess who was weak, shabby, and like a pitiful animal trembling in fear with no one to trust or rely on. Her intention was to completely break the wings of Prince Franz, who had nothing else to break.
At that time, everything went according to the Queen's wishes. Judith was afraid of Franz, she was afraid of Queen Gilsis, and in the end, she was falsely accused and had to choose to die a miserable death.
'I'll give it back.'
Judith looked at herself in the mirror and pursed her lips.
'I will return all the pain I have suffered, every single one of them. To that woman, and to Krald, that son of a bitch.'
This was a God-given opportunity.
This is an opportunity to return all the fear that blinded her day after day while trapped in a dark tower, and the crushing despair she felt when she found out that everything had ended horribly.
“I’ll comb your hair first.”
Mary Anne took out an ivory comb and hummed. The moment she placed her hand on the strands of her hair hanging down, Judith stopped Mary Anne and picked up a small bottle of perfume that had been lying on one side of her dressing table.
“Apply this and comb it.”
Mary Anne's eyes widened again as if she was surprised by Judith's words. She deserved it. At this time, Judith had never used perfume or lotion.
This was because of Eland, who criticized Judith for being extravagant when she tried to buy the bare minimum necessary items for decoration, even though he was pouring a huge amount of money into a war that he could not win. On that subject, how much did they criticize Judith every time she was seen, saying that she did not know how to dress elegantly like a Princess.
Crazy bastard.
Judith chewed her anger toward Eland in her mouth. She felt the brush's teeth glide smoothly through her perfumed hair.
“Your Highness, you are really strange today. I don’t think you're our Princess.”
“So you don’t like it, Mary Anne?”
“No, I don’t hate it. It's actually better... What can I say, it feels like you’ve suddenly become an adult.”
“I’m a year older than you.”
“Oh, you know that. But our Princess is always soft and fragile like a little bird.”
Mary Anne laughed softly. She smiled as if Judith could also be seen, but Judith, who was like the little bird that Mary Ann had talked about, was no longer there.
She had to become a birdhawk from now on. It had to be someone who could snatch her prey with her sharp claws and suffocate it in one fell swoop.
Judith, who was staring at herself in the mirror as if she were a stranger, suddenly twitched the corner of her mouth and laughed.
The day she first went to the Kingdom of Rotair and had an audience with Queen Gilsis, how satisfied the wicked woman was when she saw this clumsy appearance.
How she laughed so horribly when she saw Judith trembling and crying as if she had committed a great crime, unable to even utter a word of excuse after hearing such harsh insults.
Yes, it must have been satisfying. She would have been more than satisfied as Queen Gilsis. It must have been worth every single penny that they paid to the Kingdom of Tien to bring her back.
Judith at that time was exactly the ideal Princess that Queen Gilsis wanted. She wanted a Princess who was weak, shabby, and like a pitiful animal trembling in fear with no one to trust or rely on. Her intention was to completely break the wings of Prince Franz, who had nothing else to break.
At that time, everything went according to the Queen's wishes. Judith was afraid of Franz, she was afraid of Queen Gilsis, and in the end, she was falsely accused and had to choose to die a miserable death.
'I'll give it back.'
Judith looked at herself in the mirror and pursed her lips.
'I will return all the pain I have suffered, every single one of them. To that woman, and to Krald, that son of a bitch.'
This was a God-given opportunity.
This is an opportunity to return all the fear that blinded her day after day while trapped in a dark tower, and the crushing despair she felt when she found out that everything had ended horribly.
“I’ll comb your hair first.”
Mary Anne took out an ivory comb and hummed. The moment she placed her hand on the strands of her hair hanging down, Judith stopped Mary Anne and picked up a small bottle of perfume that had been lying on one side of her dressing table.
“Apply this and comb it.”
Mary Anne's eyes widened again as if she was surprised by Judith's words. She deserved it. At this time, Judith had never used perfume or lotion.
This was because of Eland, who criticized Judith for being extravagant when she tried to buy the bare minimum necessary items for decoration, even though he was pouring a huge amount of money into a war that he could not win. On that subject, how much did they criticize Judith every time she was seen, saying that she did not know how to dress elegantly like a Princess.
Crazy bastard.
Judith chewed her anger toward Eland in her mouth. She felt the brush's teeth glide smoothly through her perfumed hair.
“Your Highness, you are really strange today. I don’t think you're our Princess.”
“So you don’t like it, Mary Anne?”
“No, I don’t hate it. It's actually better... What can I say, it feels like you’ve suddenly become an adult.”
“I’m a year older than you.”
“Oh, you know that. But our Princess is always soft and fragile like a little bird.”
Mary Anne laughed softly. She smiled as if Judith could also be seen, but Judith, who was like the little bird that Mary Ann had talked about, was no longer there.
She had to become a birdhawk from now on. It had to be someone who could snatch her prey with her sharp claws and suffocate it in one fell swoop.
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