TCORIYH - Chapter 9

Franz's face was full of suspicion, but Judith had nothing to say to him now.

Judith can't say that because it happened once in the past, so all she can do is gloss it over with an awkward smile. She took out her handkerchief and tried to wipe the blood stains from Franz's cheek. But before that, Franz grabbed Judith's wrist.

"Your Highness."

“I asked how you knew the carriage was going to be attacked.”

“...Sir, you are misunderstanding. How was I supposed to know that? As I said, I just thought for a moment that something was wrong with the carriage. It’s not that I’m strong, I just decided at that moment that your safety was more important than mine.”

Countless thoughts were intertwined in Franz’s head.

It didn't seem like she was lying. But she didn't seem to be telling the whole truth honestly. She was hiding something, but Franz had no idea what it was.

If the thieves had known in advance that they would attack the carriage, it would mean that Judith and the band of thieves were part of the same group. But only then did Judith's actions, which tried to protect Franz without regard for her own body, become incoherent.

"Your Highness."

A small sound came out of Judith's mouth like a whisper. When Franz frowned at her, he glanced at her tightly held wrists and spoke again.

“...Please let go of my wrist.”

Franz's hand, which had been holding on to her slender wrist, slowly lost strength. Franz suddenly felt uncomfortable when he saw the red handprints left on her pitifully thin skin. However, he only touched her stiff wrist a few times and did not make her cry or whine in pain.

“I’ll clean the blood off.”

Judith carefully touched the handkerchief she was holding to Franz's cheek. Judith said after carefully wiping away the blood stains on his face.

“I’m glad the wound wasn’t too big. However, if you rub against a piece of wood, you may end up with a scar. When you arrive at the palace, I think you should call someone to apply medicine.”

“...”

Every time the handkerchief brushed around the wound, Franz frowned slightly but remained expressionless and silent. After wiping his cheek clean, Judith held the stained handkerchief in her hand.

She could clearly feel her pulse pounding at her fingertips, which were wrapped in a small piece of cloth.

A little while ago, when she saw the back of Franz, who was blocking the carriage door and cutting down the approaching thieves, her heart started pounding loudly and showed no signs of calming down.

'You protected me.'

Judith's cheeks turned bright red as she glanced up at the corner of the ceiling he had torn off.

***

“Your Highness, from now on you have to go to see the Queen Mother, so you must behave yourself neatly. More than anything, Queen Mother wants the Princess Consort to be chaste and elegant.”

The Lady, who had a straight back for her age, meddled with Judith about various things without even trying to hide her demanding expression.

It was last night that Judith arrived at Rotair. She must have known this, but it was probably because of the Queen's orders that she woke her up before the sun rose.

While Mary Anne combed her hair, Judith remained silent, staring at her face in the mirror.

“I am sending you a message that Your Majesty the King will not be able to receive your greetings due to your illness. Therefore, His Highness the Crown Prince will only have an audience with the Queen Mother.”

Yes, she guesses so. Judith slowly rolled her tongue in his mouth.

The King of Rotair had been lying down for a long time now. From what Judith remembers, Franz's Father's health had been very poor since before he was ten years old, and he had been bedridden and unconscious for about seventy-eight years.

It was Queen Gilsis, whom she would now meet, who filled his vacant position and took control of Rotair's regime.

“Did you say, Helen?”

The old woman's wrinkled eyebrows twitched at Judith's words.

“Yes, Ma'am.”

“You was called the Marchioness. Your title is high, and judging by your behavior, it seems that you know the Queen Mother well. Can you tell me what I should be careful about?”

Helen's expression became more irreverent as she spoke in a quiet tone. Helen heard that Judith was seventeen years old, but she had an overly calm demeanor for a pale Young Princess who didn't look that old.

'The Queen said she was a child who cried a lot...'

Helen, a close associate of Queen Gilsis, was very disdainful of this Princess from a foreign country who had almost been sold for money.

Even the process of becoming a Princess was not honorable, and in reality, she looked too ugly to be a Princess, so it seemed strange that Judith was not intimidated.

“The Queen is a benevolent person, so as long as you are polite, there will be no problem.”

Judith quietly raised the corners of her mouth and smiled at Helen's answer. Her answer and attitude were no different from what she remembered, so she burst out laughing without realizing it.

If Helen had been considerate of Judith, or if not even considerate, if she had at least considered Judith's position, she could not have said that.

When Judith remembered the humiliation she had endured early in the morning for believing what she said, she felt her heart sink. Judith hasn't changed anything. Rotair was still Judith's battlefield.

It is a place where people are everywhere with their mouths wide open to bite and harass her.

“..I understand. Thank you for the advice.”

"It was nothing."

“Princess, it is done. How do you feel? If you don’t like it, can I put on some other jewelry?”

Judith suddenly came to her senses when Mary Anne's lively voice broke into the awkwardly heavy atmosphere.

Yes, she has Mary Anne now. Rotair's ruthlessness did not change, but some things changed. And it was all something Judith did with her own strength.

“This is okay. You worked hard.”

“Oh, what? I'd like to apply pearl powder to make your complexion look a little brighter, but Princess hates wearing heavy makeup...”

“Hmm.”

Helen's disapproving cough cut off Mary Anne's words. Judith patted the back of Mary Anne's hand and stood up.

“Then I’ll come back, so you can get some rest, Mary Anne.”

“Yes, Princess. Have a safe trip."

As Judith stood up, the hem of her dress, which was slightly larger than her figure, fell loosely and dragged on the floor. Even though she knew that Helen was looking at her mockingly, Judith calmly took the lead as if she knew nothing.

“Please guide me to where Queen Mother is.”

Helen, with her nose twitching, followed Judith without saying a word. Although Judith had prepared her heart, she had no choice but to try to calm her upset stomach.

The decorations of Rotair, a wealthy country, were elegant and not as extravagant as Tien's.

The scent of flowers wafted from every corner, and the hallways were elegantly decorated with beautiful tapestries and draperies, which did not match Tien's flashy decorations.

But Judith didn't even pay attention to all the decorations and sculptures. When she first came here, she remembered walking down this hallway feeling dazed and intimidated, and she felt a little angry.

Helen thought Judith's calm attitude was strange. If she was a Princess who had been sold in exchange for a debt, she knew that as soon as she saw Rotair's palace, she would at least say a few flattering compliments.

'You're a cocky girl.'

Helen thought. A noblewoman of Rotair by birth, she had no desire to respect the unsightly Princess from a foreign country. In the end, Judith's attitude of not giving a word of praise from her mouth offended the old woman. Helen lifted her chin up with her innocent face, wanting to find something to criticize her about.

“I don’t think the class differences are that clear in Tien.”

At Helen's words, Judith slightly raised her eyebrows as if asking what she meant. Helen continued.

“Your Highness the Princess is the second most noble person in the Kingdom of Rotair after Queen Gilsis. It would be a disgrace to the Queen Mother if others saw you living so flawlessly with your maid.”

“Mary Ann is the one who waited on me all the time in Tien. Since she was a little girl, she almost grew up with me. Shouldn’t she be treated differently from other maids?”

“It might have been okay in Tien, but the Queen Mother really hates it when her subordinates act presumptuously. So, it would be better for her Your Highness to learn how to conduct yourself in Rotair.”

“I will appreciate your advice, but even if Mary Anne gets along well with me, she is not a child who is ignorant of manners. Didn't you tell me that Queen Mother is a benevolent person? Queen Mother will understand that Mary Anne is not rude to me. Isn’t that right?”

Helen's expression became stiff, at a loss for words. The next moment, her face turned red as she realized that Judith had not once looked directly at her own face. The thought of being ignored by a little girl made her forget for a moment that Judith was a Princess.

“Of course, I said that, but I mean...”

“I appreciate your concern for me, but I will take care of that level of behavior.”

Helen's eyes, full of fine wrinkles, narrowed. No matter how much she thought about it, it was completely different from the story she had heard. How did the Queen not know about this?

When the rumor spread that Queen Gilsis had chosen the Princess of Tien to be Prince Franz's wife, all the nobles in the know argued that the Princess must have been lacking something or had a terrible appearance.

There was no way the Queen would have chosen a healthy girl to be Franz's Princess, so such speculation was natural.

But how did this happen? 

Helen looked down at the little head of Judith walking ahead of her and was filled with suspicion. Unlike the Queen's sneer, this Princess was so bold. Plus, she didn't seem stupid.

'The Queen Mother will be very displeased.'

There was no doubt that Queen Gilsis would go into an uproar if she found out that a different Princess had arrived than she expected. It was good in her eyes that she would not stop there and would torment Judith terribly.

'Earlier or later, you'll kneel down in front of the Queen and cry, hehe.'

Helen snorted and tried to calm down the strange anxiety that was secretly boiling up.

Previous            Next