Judith knew how badly Queen Gilsis had tormented Franz.
What an unsightly woman she chose as his Princess, and what a shabby Princess he paired with, she must have worn him out so much that her seal was engraved on him.
At first, Judith thought it was just an insult to her. She thought that she was being humiliated by the Queen because she was ugly, insignificant, and did not know how to do anything.
But at some point, even Judith was able to understand. Queen Gilsis' humiliation of her means that she is trying to humiliate Franz.
Judith could tell that she was trying to drive Franz crazy by constantly pointing out and pestering him about how worthless the Princess he had brought in, even paying a huge amount of money for, was. He knew, but there was nothing he could do about Judith at that time.
Judith could not comfort Franz, nor could stand up to Queen Gilsis.
'This person must have resented me.'
There was sadness in Judith's gaze as she looked at Franz.
If there was anyone who would have hated Judith more than anyone else at that time, it would have been Franz. By having Judith become his Princess, Franz ended up giving Queen Gilsis one more weakness.
Even if it was something that could not be helped, there is no way that resentment would not have arisen as a human being. As if to prove that fact, he never once called her name. He never made eye contact with her and he never held her hand affectionately.
The Royal Palace of Rotair was a very harsh and unbearable place to build such a relationship. Two people standing on thin ice could never reach out to each other.
But things will be different from now on.
Judith quietly folded her small hands in her lap and looked at Franz in silence. Franz is now nineteen years old. Although he is two years older than himself, Judith died when he was twenty-two. She could look at Franz as if she were looking at her younger brother.
“What have you heard about me?”
“Are you really curious about that?”
Although there was nothing to wonder about, Judith nodded, deliberately even giving a faint smile.
“Yes, very much.”
“I would feel bad.”
“Are you considering my feelings?”
“More than that, I don’t have the talent to comfort a crying woman. It’s not like I'm a fool to be moved by a woman like that.”
Franz's tone was colder than Judith vaguely remembered.
He was like this around this time.
Judith felt a strange sense of awkwardness as she felt like she was meeting someone she had never married before.
“Hearing you say that, I understand that your evaluation of me was not very good.”
“First of all, the way you speak is different. From what I heard. They say you're stuttering.”
Judith's eyes blinked silently. Franz avoided her gaze for a moment, wondering what he was thinking.
Is it because he thinks she said something too harsh?
'This person must have resented me.'
There was sadness in Judith's gaze as she looked at Franz.
If there was anyone who would have hated Judith more than anyone else at that time, it would have been Franz. By having Judith become his Princess, Franz ended up giving Queen Gilsis one more weakness.
Even if it was something that could not be helped, there is no way that resentment would not have arisen as a human being. As if to prove that fact, he never once called her name. He never made eye contact with her and he never held her hand affectionately.
The Royal Palace of Rotair was a very harsh and unbearable place to build such a relationship. Two people standing on thin ice could never reach out to each other.
But things will be different from now on.
Judith quietly folded her small hands in her lap and looked at Franz in silence. Franz is now nineteen years old. Although he is two years older than himself, Judith died when he was twenty-two. She could look at Franz as if she were looking at her younger brother.
“What have you heard about me?”
“Are you really curious about that?”
Although there was nothing to wonder about, Judith nodded, deliberately even giving a faint smile.
“Yes, very much.”
“I would feel bad.”
“Are you considering my feelings?”
“More than that, I don’t have the talent to comfort a crying woman. It’s not like I'm a fool to be moved by a woman like that.”
Franz's tone was colder than Judith vaguely remembered.
He was like this around this time.
Judith felt a strange sense of awkwardness as she felt like she was meeting someone she had never married before.
“Hearing you say that, I understand that your evaluation of me was not very good.”
“First of all, the way you speak is different. From what I heard. They say you're stuttering.”
Judith's eyes blinked silently. Franz avoided her gaze for a moment, wondering what he was thinking.
Is it because he thinks she said something too harsh?
Judith thought about that for a moment and then laughed softly, wondering if that was possible.
“Why are you smiling?”
“I used to stutter, but that was in the past.”
“I heard that you cry easily, are timid, and are sickly.”
“I am not very healthy. As you can see, if you were expecting a pretty seventeen-year-old girl, you would be disappointed. But I don't cry. I’m not timid either.”
“It seems so.”
“I may not be your ideal Princess, but I will not be a wife who causes you trouble. I promise.”
Judith wondered if it was too early to do it now, but she soon composed herself.
To exact revenge on Queen Gilsis and her son, Franz was absolutely necessary. Showing that he ascends to the throne would be the thing that would bring down the Queen in the most refreshing way.
Her limbs will be tied up so that she cannot move even as she struggles, and her eyes will be made so that she cannot close them if she tries to do so. Queen Gilsis, who had abused Franz so much hoped that she would fall to her death. Judith planned to bury her completely in frustration after showing her the sight of Franz proudly sitting on the Rotair throne from beginning to end.
To do that, Judith needed to hold Franz so that he would not lose his sanity. Her first goal was to make Franz, who had been unable to breathe since he was a child with his neck tied by the Queen's fierce hands, into someone worthy of ascending to the throne.
“You’re saying something strange.”
“Does that sound strange?”
“I heard you haven’t been able to take a single step outside the Tien Kingdom since you were born, but you talk as if you know something.”
“This is what I told my brother too.”
Judith brought her fingertips together on her knees, clenched her fists, and sat a little closer to Franz.
“I also have ears. Who can stop the rumor from spreading? If you carefully organize the words you hear in the wind, you can see scenery in places you can’t see.”
“That means now...”
It didn't take long for Franz's face, which had been blinking in confusion, to suddenly distort. For a moment, Judith thought back to what mistake she had made, but she had no clue and was embarrassed.
"...?"
“Yes, I mean, you can be so calm even if you know everything.”
Judith's eyes wavered slightly. Franz was glaring at her with that scary frown on his face.
“Do you want to say you pity me?”
“No, Sir. That's what I meant...”
“What you’re saying is that you know what my situation is in Rotair. Even after hearing those words, is the reason you become my Princess so calmly because you regret money? Or is it just a shallow expectation that it will be as miserable as it sounds?”
“Sir, it’s not like that...”
Judith's voice trembled weakly. It was the first time since she was revived.
She had never thought that Franz would get so angry so suddenly. In her memories, he had always been quiet and dark, but he had never lost his temper like this in front of her.
Could it be that the onset of the disease has been brought forward?
Judith looked at Franz with anxious eyes. She didn't want to, but her vision began to tremble.
If Franz has already begun to show signs of mania, all her plans will come to naught. She can't leave it like that. Never, never.
"Ha..."
When Judith, unable to handle her agitated anxiety, was looking for something to say, a laugh similar to mockery burst from Franz's mouth.
“Now it looks similar to what I heard.”
“...What did you say?"
“I heard you were shaking like that. You can't speak properly in front of others. But just a little while ago, you were talking as if you were someone else, and now you have become the Princess I heard about.”
“...."
A choked voice came out. Franz was silent as if asking her to speak, but he did not seem interested in what Judith was saying.
“You are misunderstanding me. I didn't say that out of sympathy for you. I am...”
“If you hadn’t sympathized, the situation would have been more serious. If you were expecting something like that, it would be better to give up early. The place you are going from now on is a den of vipers.”
His eyes were still harsh, but his tone was much calmer than before. Although it was too early to stop suspecting that his mania might have already developed, Judith managed to put her mind at ease a little.
If her relationship with Franz were to fall apart, this would be a disaster. At least he shouldn't have hated himself.
'This person is... He's not a bad person.'
In that way, she soothed her frightened mind. Even though he could not share her affection, even Judith at that time could tell that he was not a villain. She felt nothing but fear when facing him, and yet she needed him at the last moment because she knew that.
“From now on, I will be entering a den of vipers, but you are the one who survived there until now.”
Franz cast a frowning gaze at Judith.
Queen Gilsis ordered Franz to personally bring the Princess and parroted how ugly she was.
The Queen said that Judith was timid and shabby, making her perfect to be his partner, and she laughed at him, saying, "If you don't take care of that and make her your wife, who would want to be a partner like you?"
However, the Judith he actually met was completely different from what Queen Gilsis said. She looked too small and sickly to be seventeen, as she said, but Judith was not timid or ungainly. Her words were coherent, and her light blue eyes were unexpectedly strong.
“You are a strong man. In the future, countless poisonous snakes will attack you to harm you, but you will overcome them and move forward.”
“...That’s nonsense.”
“No, Sir. You will definitely be like that. You may think that I am inadequate and that I am not the ideal Princess, but please remember that I will help you no matter what.”
After speaking, Judith swallowed dry saliva and slowly extended her hand toward Franz.
Franz, who saw this, could not hide his surprised expression. It was the Rotair custom to greet one another by clasping their hand. How does she, born and raised in Tien, know this?
When Franz was unable to grasp her outstretched hand, Judith deliberately let out a small laugh.
“I heard that in Rotair, this is a greeting given between close friends who share mutual trust.”
“Aren’t we close friends?”
“There is no law that says a couple cannot be close friends. I don't mind if you and I are not a typical couple. Even if it’s just a friend, I won’t be dissatisfied.”
“Do you think that makes sense?”
“If you hold my hand, you and I will become friends before we are husband and wife. Treating each other with good faith.”
Franz's eyes, which had been silently fixed on the outstretched hand, faintly wavered at Judith's words. Finally, when the carriage started shaking, Franz held Judith's hand for a moment.
Judith slowly took a breath at the lukewarm body temperature coming from that hand. There was no warmth in his hand when he held it for the first time. But he was calm and gentle.
“Why are you smiling?”
“I used to stutter, but that was in the past.”
“I heard that you cry easily, are timid, and are sickly.”
“I am not very healthy. As you can see, if you were expecting a pretty seventeen-year-old girl, you would be disappointed. But I don't cry. I’m not timid either.”
“It seems so.”
“I may not be your ideal Princess, but I will not be a wife who causes you trouble. I promise.”
Judith wondered if it was too early to do it now, but she soon composed herself.
To exact revenge on Queen Gilsis and her son, Franz was absolutely necessary. Showing that he ascends to the throne would be the thing that would bring down the Queen in the most refreshing way.
Her limbs will be tied up so that she cannot move even as she struggles, and her eyes will be made so that she cannot close them if she tries to do so. Queen Gilsis, who had abused Franz so much hoped that she would fall to her death. Judith planned to bury her completely in frustration after showing her the sight of Franz proudly sitting on the Rotair throne from beginning to end.
To do that, Judith needed to hold Franz so that he would not lose his sanity. Her first goal was to make Franz, who had been unable to breathe since he was a child with his neck tied by the Queen's fierce hands, into someone worthy of ascending to the throne.
“You’re saying something strange.”
“Does that sound strange?”
“I heard you haven’t been able to take a single step outside the Tien Kingdom since you were born, but you talk as if you know something.”
“This is what I told my brother too.”
Judith brought her fingertips together on her knees, clenched her fists, and sat a little closer to Franz.
“I also have ears. Who can stop the rumor from spreading? If you carefully organize the words you hear in the wind, you can see scenery in places you can’t see.”
“That means now...”
It didn't take long for Franz's face, which had been blinking in confusion, to suddenly distort. For a moment, Judith thought back to what mistake she had made, but she had no clue and was embarrassed.
"...?"
“Yes, I mean, you can be so calm even if you know everything.”
Judith's eyes wavered slightly. Franz was glaring at her with that scary frown on his face.
“Do you want to say you pity me?”
“No, Sir. That's what I meant...”
“What you’re saying is that you know what my situation is in Rotair. Even after hearing those words, is the reason you become my Princess so calmly because you regret money? Or is it just a shallow expectation that it will be as miserable as it sounds?”
“Sir, it’s not like that...”
Judith's voice trembled weakly. It was the first time since she was revived.
She had never thought that Franz would get so angry so suddenly. In her memories, he had always been quiet and dark, but he had never lost his temper like this in front of her.
Could it be that the onset of the disease has been brought forward?
Judith looked at Franz with anxious eyes. She didn't want to, but her vision began to tremble.
If Franz has already begun to show signs of mania, all her plans will come to naught. She can't leave it like that. Never, never.
"Ha..."
When Judith, unable to handle her agitated anxiety, was looking for something to say, a laugh similar to mockery burst from Franz's mouth.
“Now it looks similar to what I heard.”
“...What did you say?"
“I heard you were shaking like that. You can't speak properly in front of others. But just a little while ago, you were talking as if you were someone else, and now you have become the Princess I heard about.”
“...."
A choked voice came out. Franz was silent as if asking her to speak, but he did not seem interested in what Judith was saying.
“You are misunderstanding me. I didn't say that out of sympathy for you. I am...”
“If you hadn’t sympathized, the situation would have been more serious. If you were expecting something like that, it would be better to give up early. The place you are going from now on is a den of vipers.”
His eyes were still harsh, but his tone was much calmer than before. Although it was too early to stop suspecting that his mania might have already developed, Judith managed to put her mind at ease a little.
If her relationship with Franz were to fall apart, this would be a disaster. At least he shouldn't have hated himself.
'This person is... He's not a bad person.'
In that way, she soothed her frightened mind. Even though he could not share her affection, even Judith at that time could tell that he was not a villain. She felt nothing but fear when facing him, and yet she needed him at the last moment because she knew that.
“From now on, I will be entering a den of vipers, but you are the one who survived there until now.”
Franz cast a frowning gaze at Judith.
Queen Gilsis ordered Franz to personally bring the Princess and parroted how ugly she was.
The Queen said that Judith was timid and shabby, making her perfect to be his partner, and she laughed at him, saying, "If you don't take care of that and make her your wife, who would want to be a partner like you?"
However, the Judith he actually met was completely different from what Queen Gilsis said. She looked too small and sickly to be seventeen, as she said, but Judith was not timid or ungainly. Her words were coherent, and her light blue eyes were unexpectedly strong.
“You are a strong man. In the future, countless poisonous snakes will attack you to harm you, but you will overcome them and move forward.”
“...That’s nonsense.”
“No, Sir. You will definitely be like that. You may think that I am inadequate and that I am not the ideal Princess, but please remember that I will help you no matter what.”
After speaking, Judith swallowed dry saliva and slowly extended her hand toward Franz.
Franz, who saw this, could not hide his surprised expression. It was the Rotair custom to greet one another by clasping their hand. How does she, born and raised in Tien, know this?
When Franz was unable to grasp her outstretched hand, Judith deliberately let out a small laugh.
“I heard that in Rotair, this is a greeting given between close friends who share mutual trust.”
“Aren’t we close friends?”
“There is no law that says a couple cannot be close friends. I don't mind if you and I are not a typical couple. Even if it’s just a friend, I won’t be dissatisfied.”
“Do you think that makes sense?”
“If you hold my hand, you and I will become friends before we are husband and wife. Treating each other with good faith.”
Franz's eyes, which had been silently fixed on the outstretched hand, faintly wavered at Judith's words. Finally, when the carriage started shaking, Franz held Judith's hand for a moment.
Judith slowly took a breath at the lukewarm body temperature coming from that hand. There was no warmth in his hand when he held it for the first time. But he was calm and gentle.
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