TCORIYH - Chapter 3

Just as Judith had finished dressing herself, the King's chamberlain came to see her.

He was an old man with deep and shallow wrinkles on his face, who had assisted the King right next to him since his generation. His pride in having been the King's chamberlain for a long time turned into baseless arrogance, and arrogance soon turned into a vicious stubbornness that turned him into a grumpy old man.

While he did not hesitate to pretend to crawl in front of Eland, he treated Princess Judith, who was of the same blood as Eland, as if she were his subordinate. He did it knowing that it was okay for someone to do such a thing.

“How long do you plan to keep His Majesty waiting?”

Mary Anne, who had opened the door, told him to wait a moment and before she could even turn around, an unpleasant sound suddenly came out of the chamberlain's mouth. Judith, who was adjusting her headdress, stopped her hand when she heard the curly voice that was not at all different from the one she remembered.

“The Princess is in the process of grooming herself, Chamberlain. Are you still like that when you see it? She’ll be out soon, so just wait a moment.”

Before Judith could say anything, Mary Anne pouted. Then the chamberlain's wrinkled face turned red and trembled.

“For a maid of low status, who are you so arrogant to open your eyes to?”

It was the moment when the chamberlain's voice became impatient. Judith, who had been sitting quietly in front of the mirror, got up and walked towards him.

The chamberlain looked at Judith and opened his wrinkled lips with a blank expression for a moment.

If such a reaction was natural, it was natural. Although the makeup was light, Judith seemed to have changed as a person, removing her pale complexion. Not only that but her hair, which was always half-down, was carefully styled up, giving her a somewhat dignified appearance despite her still short stature.

But what perplexed the chamberlain most was not her face or her decorated hair. He was embarrassed by Judith's eyes looking directly at him. Her eyes did not look like that of an insignificant Princess who always looked at the ground and trembled.

“If we compare Mary Anne’s rank with yours, Mary Anne’s attitude toward you is clearly wrong. But she, Mary Ann, is my maid, she is not your maid.”

The chamberlain's lips, which were open like an idiot, trembled in embarrassment. This kind of speaking was something he had never heard from Judith before.

This timid and weak Princess was more afraid of her brother, Eland, than anything else. Such was fear that she even became frightened of the chamberlain, who had been keeping Eland close to him. Even when the chamberlain treated her rudely and scolded her in front of people, Judith could not say a word in response and her eyes turned red.

But how can this happen? 

The chamberlain looked puzzled at Judith's clear attitude, looking directly at his face. Then he immediately felt a sense of discomfort creeping in.

“Educating the maids is also the Princess’s job. If His Majesty finds out about this, he will definitely scold the Princess harshly...”

“If it’s my fault that my maid was rude to you, then it’s my brother’s fault that you, who helps him, are rude to me, right?”

“...What?”

“The fact that you dare to forget your status and be rude to me, a member of the royal family, proves that my brother has been negligent in your education, right? Would you mind if I see him now and tell him exactly what you said?”

Three or four deeper wrinkles were added to the chamberlain's already wrinkled forehead. What on earth happened all night, or did she eat something wrong for breakfast?

It was difficult to understand that she, who was like a newborn chick who cried whenever she was kicked without even being able to resist, suddenly changed absurdly.

“Why is there no answer?”

Judith's eyes, glaring at the chamberlain, were now terrifying. When a commotion broke out in this small Princess's palace, where voices were never raised all year round, other people who were passing by began to gather, whispering and wondering what was going on.

The chamberlain, whose forehead had turned red as if he had been humiliated out of nowhere, was unable to fight back at Judith like he always did. If that were the case, Judith's expression looked as if she would really be punished for death, but it was also because he was anxious about the changes in the Princess that he could not understand at all.

"... I'm sorry, Princess. If being old offended the Princess, I apologize...”

“It’s not something you can do by apologizing to me. Apologize to Mary Anne.”

"Yes?"

“Mary Anne was just defending me, the owner, but you can’t say it was a mistake to call such a child a ‘lowly maid.’ Apologize to Mary Anne. Mary Anne, you should apologize first.”

“I’m sorry, Chamberlain.”

When Mary Anne pouted her lips and apologized half-heartedly, the chamberlain's face grew redder. He glared at Judith with an expression of exasperation and eventually realized that there was nothing he could do, so he half-heartedly bowed his head.

"... I  apologize for my rudeness in words and actions, Miss Mary Anne.”

As the chamberlain bowed his head in front of Mary Anne, who was really the maid, the whispering grew louder. He turned his head with an exasperated look on his face, then made a groaning sound and relaxed his grip on the hand.

“Let’s go, Mary Anne.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Judith passed by the chamberlain, who was still shaking. People around him could see that his eyes were wide as he looked at her, but unlike before, she didn't feel intimidated at all.

“What is this?”

“Are you sure she is Princess Judith? Doesn’t she look like someone else?”

“A person who couldn’t even raise her head properly when there were only three or four people around...”

The servants and maids who were gathered in groups of twos and threes and chatting away were then scattered here and there by the spirit of the chamberlain wheezing and waving his arms. 

That day, a rumor spread throughout the royal palace of Tien that Princess Judith had changed into a completely different person overnight.

***

Wland was sitting on a glittering throne, waiting for Judith. There were documents piled up on the table that he needed to read, but most likely he would never even touch them.

He was not qualified to become King in the first place. He was lazy and self-indulgent, and he only knew about himself. His greed was filled to the brim with such topics, and he always complained about Tien's narrow territory and empty mines.

Judith, who was watching him from afar, sighed at the sight of her brother's pathetic appearance, both in memory and in front of her eyes.

Eland and Judith's mother was a wise person, but unfortunately, Eland did not inherit a single ounce of her wisdom. He inherited only his father's stupidity, recklessness, and self-indulgent character.

After her mother died, Judith, who lost her only source of support, quickly became depressed. Eland disapproved of Judith and did not hesitate to act violently and harass her at all times. Because of that fear, Judith couldn't even breathe properly when she stood in front of Eland. She even started stuttering.

It was a long time ago. Judith closed her eyes once and then opened them, and before the chamberlain could say anything, she walked right in front of Eland.

“Brother, I heard you called me.”

Eland, who was busy fiddling with the gold coins in his hand, raised his head regardless of whether someone approached or not. Then he suddenly started looking around as if he had lost his mind.

“Did you just say that?”

“Who else but me can dare call you brother?”

"You?"

Eland's eyes sparkled with dirty interest. The change in Judith's appearance overnight was surprising to him as well.

“Did you eat something wrong?”

“...No, brother. I just came because I had something important to say.”

“That girl, you suddenly rolled your eyes so arrogantly. Is your brother as bad as the neighborhood dog? Are you doing this because you don’t know where this seat is?”

It's not worth dealing with anymore. Judith thought as she looked at Eland, who suddenly started to get nervous.

"Your Majesty."

When the unexpected words came out of Judith's mouth, Eland's eyes, who had been huffing, widened. It was the first time she had called Eland that way.

“I know that Rotair’s messenger came and went.”

"What? Who told you that?”

“I have ears too. I learned that you can’t hide the words that are exchanged.”

Eland was at a loss. It was clear that Judith's attitude was unpleasant, but like the chamberlain, he was also embarrassed because he did not know the exact reason.

It was also surprising that Judith spoke about Rotair first. According to the original plan, she was going to present a note from Rotaire in front of her and inform her that she would marry a Prince called Franz or something. She may cry, but what is there to know? 

However, if he can make up for the loss by selling at least one of his younger sisters with one mana, he would welcome her with dual arms.

Eland, who was thinking that way, could not understand Judith's calm attitude at all.

“You heard the rumor, so I don’t think I need to talk much. You know very well that Tien’s situation has become rapidly difficult in the aftermath of this war.”

“....”

“To whom is it thanks that you have been able to live comfortably for seventeen years as a Princess? Wasn’t it all thanks to the people’s taxes? So, the royal family must repay that debt.”

Judith quietly bit her molars, thinking that if she had had a knife in her hand, she would have stabbed Eland at this very moment. She felt like her stomach was turning as she listened to sounds that didn't even sound like words coming out of the mouth of her brother, who was no other person.

“Queen Gilsis of Rotair said she would thankfully save Tien from the compensation issue. In return, she wants you to be Prince Franz's wife, but... It’s true, I have no shame whatsoever.”

“My brother has no reputation?”

Eland snorted.

“Isn’t it natural to be dishonorable to send someone as insignificant as you as a Princess? If you had eyes, wouldn't you know by looking at yourself? Well, I hope you have the soft taste of a girl and are quick-witted... I hope there is at least some sensuality in you.”

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