“He says she can be trusted?”
Valquiterre couldn't believe Kaian's words.
“That can’t be possible.”
The basis of politics and governance was to be suspicious and not to believe the words of subjects or subordinates.
If you start to think like that based on the words of those who report around you, the eyes of the King and Lord who rules over a large land will be blocked and your ears will be blocked.
It was easy to be fooled by those who planned to deceive or do nonsense in the middle.
So basically, he don't believe anyone unless he has seen and heard it himself.
Valquiterre not only sent a single reporting ship to Rowen to report on Kaian's movements.
Three separate communication lines were maintained by people who did not know that they were acting as spies among themselves.
By combining the reports they posted, he was able to identify the one who was lying, but those who could not even imagine that he was this meticulous had so far posted similar content.
“Kaian, that guy is probably the same as me.”
Their learning was based on their mothers who had studied Caesarism with them.
The twin Princesses, who looked exactly alike, were both royals.
They honed their natural skills together, and in the end, according to nature, the eldest, Princess Silvia, ascended to the position of Queen.
However, under Queen Silvia, the heirs were not plentiful, and since Kaian was third in line to the throne, she did not carelessly raise the successor to Lady Elise, who had the right to succeed her and would rule the largest territory in the kingdom.
So there was no way Kaian wouldn’t do what Valquiterre did.
If he had sent three people to Rowen, Kaian would have also sent three obedient guys to the capital or Valmonde.
"Just in case. If he were a bastard, he would have sent five.”
Basically, Kaian was much more suspicious than Valquiterre.
He wondered if there was a difference between him, who looked down and made moves from the head of the capital, and this guy who rolled on the battlefield with his body.
If he makes a mistake there, you die.
Shaking hands was something that was not allowed for Kaian.
The word 'I believe' came out of Kaian's mouth, and Valquiter doubted even his words.
“I don’t believe it, but he likely said that.”
It's not that he believes, it's that he wants to believe.
“That can’t be possible.”
The basis of politics and governance was to be suspicious and not to believe the words of subjects or subordinates.
If you start to think like that based on the words of those who report around you, the eyes of the King and Lord who rules over a large land will be blocked and your ears will be blocked.
It was easy to be fooled by those who planned to deceive or do nonsense in the middle.
So basically, he don't believe anyone unless he has seen and heard it himself.
Valquiterre not only sent a single reporting ship to Rowen to report on Kaian's movements.
Three separate communication lines were maintained by people who did not know that they were acting as spies among themselves.
By combining the reports they posted, he was able to identify the one who was lying, but those who could not even imagine that he was this meticulous had so far posted similar content.
“Kaian, that guy is probably the same as me.”
Their learning was based on their mothers who had studied Caesarism with them.
The twin Princesses, who looked exactly alike, were both royals.
They honed their natural skills together, and in the end, according to nature, the eldest, Princess Silvia, ascended to the position of Queen.
However, under Queen Silvia, the heirs were not plentiful, and since Kaian was third in line to the throne, she did not carelessly raise the successor to Lady Elise, who had the right to succeed her and would rule the largest territory in the kingdom.
So there was no way Kaian wouldn’t do what Valquiterre did.
If he had sent three people to Rowen, Kaian would have also sent three obedient guys to the capital or Valmonde.
"Just in case. If he were a bastard, he would have sent five.”
Basically, Kaian was much more suspicious than Valquiterre.
He wondered if there was a difference between him, who looked down and made moves from the head of the capital, and this guy who rolled on the battlefield with his body.
If he makes a mistake there, you die.
Shaking hands was something that was not allowed for Kaian.
The word 'I believe' came out of Kaian's mouth, and Valquiter doubted even his words.
“I don’t believe it, but he likely said that.”
It's not that he believes, it's that he wants to believe.
As his thoughts flowed to that point, he thought of the woman who was shaking Kaian over whether to believe it or not.
She is a small and precious fairy-like woman.
Meanwhile, Valquiterre imagined Claudel countless times.
As if he was possessed by something in the early morning, he ruminated on the memories he had encountered.
He even thought that it might have been a glorification that came from an unfamiliar experience.
However, the woman slowly walking down the hallway with the wings of a large butterfly the size of her palm flapping in front of him, recreated the mystery of the first encounter at the lake in the royal palace, which she must have passed hundreds or thousands of times.
It was a frequent occurrence for a bird or butterfly that had escaped from the public garden to linger in the corridors of the palace and then return to its seat in search of the scent of the grass.
What was different?
The butterfly that the servants in the castle were chasing, waving their hands and telling her to go to the Hanging Gardens, seemed like a messenger illuminating Claudel's path ahead.
The woman, who was soaked and with her sensual body barely visible beyond the water, was extremely beautiful even when she was dry.
This was especially true of her dry, disheveled hair.
'Was her red hair such a pretty color?'
When the Duke of Vermont came to complain, the red color that had irritated him to the point that he was wasting tea time left a deep impression on his eyes.
The woman's eyes changed from deep gold to dazzling gold as dawn broke, holding the golden bars with her small hands.
Valquiterre, who had been looking at it without realizing it, was standing too close and bumped into the woman who was hurriedly trying to bow her head.
“Why wasn’t there any report from Valmonde about Claudel?”
It was all about Princess Irena. There was little about Claudel in the reports made by the men he had at Valmonde.
After this incident, Valquiterre searched through the information that had previously come from Valmonde.
There was no sense that this person had any enemies in Vermont.
“Does everyone have sprained eyes? The kingdom’s best bride is Princess Irena?”
When he met Irena in person, she was so aristocratic that he felt like she was common. She wasn't so crazy as Claudel that he couldn't take his eyes off her.
The first time Valquiterre became aware of Claudel's existence was when the Duke of Vermont, who was enraged when Kaian leaked the word that he was preparing for a territorial war, announced that his adopted daughter would die from herzole.
“She doesn’t look like a woman who is mortally ill.”
Valquiterre did not know that her recovery depended on the three meals a day that Kaian fed her on time.
“They said it looked like she was bitten by a crocodile and would go limp. She seems like walking is fine.”
Claudel's gait was very normal. That made Valquiterre even more annoyed.
“I was trying to make a marriage fail.”
He felt like he was going crazy just knowing that Kaian had taken the woman who touched his heart.
He was just curious until he put his horse to Claudel.
As a King, there was nothing he had to endure.
Valquiterre endured a long time until he saw Claudel at the lake, confirmed that he had mistaken her for Irena, and called her back to the capital.
It really could have been just that.
'Your Majesty, what were you doing at Rowen Castle at that time?'
'Do you mean me?'
'The Duke went hunting at Promhunt under the royal order and returned without seeing His Majesty.'
Valquiterre couldn't help but laugh when he saw the woman questioning him with her eyes straight open.
How long has it been since he laughed out loud like that?
He couldn't even remember.
A smile that touches the heart, not the straight, refined smile of someone in power that seems pretentious.
“Did you ask what was going on at Rowen Castle?”
Maybe it was to meet her.
As Valquiterre left the Hanging Gardens, he called out to courtier Makie.
“When will Bianque come back?”
“She said she’d be back before the birthday ball, so that’s three days later.”
“Go back to the palace as soon as possible.”
"Yes. Your Majesty the King.”
Valquiterre needed to explore the meaning of that woman more deeply.
When Kaian returned to the room, I, who had finished a light meal, was grooming myself.
“Why bother dressing up? I hope you can stay comfortably.”
“Ugh. I can't believe I got to see His Majesty like that in the morning. I was so embarrassed.”
After hearing my story, Kaian became upset.
I, who was busy looking in the mirror, didn't seem to notice the change in his expression.
"It's all done, Lady."
“We are leaving, Duke.”
Hannah and Madame Marcel, who were busy decorating me, made eye contact with me, smiled, and quickly disappeared out of the room.
“Do you have no desire to look good to me?”
"Yes?"
“You dressed up like this to look pretty for His Majesty the King.”
The dress I wore was the first time Kaian had seen it.
“I don’t want to seem rude. I think about my husband's face.”
“If you think about it that way, it’s already been discounted.”
“What do you want to say?”
Kaian lifted my chin.
“You just have to be pretty in my eyes.”
No matter how pretty the married woman was, she was always going to get caught.
It was so strange that there had never been a rumor about Claudel.
According to her, she is now regaining her former self. She said she was much healthier before she got herzol.
She was gaining some weight on her thin body, almost as if she was going to keel over, but she was naturally small and thin-boned.
Doesn't the fact that she's small arouse feelings of affection that make him feel like she needs to be protected?
The words were such that Kaian, who treated her coldly by saying that she was a woman from a family that was his enemy, blamed herself for doing something she couldn't do.
"What, Kaian? If I'm pretty, you can just say I'm pretty. That’s what they say.”
Claudel seemed to have taken Kaian's heartache as a compliment, so she lifted her chin, grabbed the man's hand, and kissed his fingertips.
Kaian vented his displeasure as he looked at her tantalizing wife.
“Makeup is not good.”
"Is it so?"
“I can’t kiss as much as you want.”
“I just have to do it first and then fix my makeup.”
The woman's lips, covered in red rouge, opened like flowers in full bloom.
Kaian looked through her delicate rose-scented petals.
They fell into their own world for a while until the artificially applied scent disappeared and the usual soft and refreshing smell of Claudel returned.
He had barely parted his lips when Claudel caught her breath and she looked up into his face and she smiled softly.
"Why?"
“You look so sexy.”
When Kaian saw her giggling, he turned his head and looked at the mirror, he saw that the rouge that had been on her lips had all moved around Kaian's lips.
“Wipe me.”
Claudel rubbed his lips with her thumb, shook her head as if there was no answer, and patted him gently with her handkerchief.
“In what time? I’d rather just kiss you one more time.”
"No."
“Is there anything that can’t be done?”
“Today is my first day in the capital.”
Claudel pulled away from him as if to keep him in check.
“I want to go out.”
“Who said I would let you out?”
“You tried to untie the ribbon.”
“It was just caught within reach.”
“You said you would show me around the capital.”
As Claudel drooped the corners of her eyes and spoke as if she was hanging on, Kaian's facial muscles twitched.
'I shouldn't laugh.'
This girl is so cute.
That stimulated his desire to be mean again and again.
Then she would pout, but if he soothed her just a little, she would quickly relax.
When she first came to Rowen Castle, no matter what he said, she kept her mouth shut and had an expressionless face. Where did she go?
Kaian couldn't believe that she was really the same person.
"Hang on. I’ll be ready soon.”
When he spoke affirmatively, Claudel did not hide her joy.
Kaian felt bitter inside.
'Are the Duchess's two faces?'
Without hiding his honest feelings, she later informed the Duke of Vermont about the state of his territory.
However, even if Kaian, who grew up as a successor to Temnes, became a hostage to the enemy, it would be no different.
It bothered him that he was angry, but that it was not something he couldn't understand.
Kaian looked at his wife who was excitedly busy putting on her hat and sighed briefly.
The place where Kaian took me was a quiet residential area away from the busy street.
But I saw a row of carriages lined up along the road and wondered what all the fuss was about.
“Where am I?”
“The most famous and largest salon in the capital.”
“A salon?”
Although not present in Valmonde, the 'salon' was essential for social activities in the capital.
Although I was not active in the capital's social circles, the Duchess of Vermont controlled social activities in the North alone.
No grand balls or parties were held anywhere except at Valmonde Castle.
Because it was so cold, it was difficult to move around, and because the mansions were built to withstand the harsh cold, northern nobles were reluctant to build large halls in their houses that were disadvantageous to heating.
When the ground thawed, they participated in outdoor activities such as hunting festivals and festivals, and when it got cold, they enjoyed a ball or tea party at Castle Valmonde hosted by the Duchess.
However, since there were many nobles in the capital, various matters were brokered at the 'salon'.
“The person who recommended Madame Marcel is Madame Cronac, the owner of this salon.”
"Is it so?"
It was said that she was the one who recommended my favorite seamstress, and I immediately took a liking to the woman whom I had not yet met.
The fairly large townhouse was decorated brighter than expected.
“I saw it in a book. The salon was all made of dark wood and had poor lighting and that kind of atmosphere.”
“It will depend on the salon owner’s taste.”
Seeing Kaian laughing, it seemed like I was being rude again without realizing it.
It was time for me to sigh.
"I thought I'd see you in a few days, but what happened, Duke of Temnes?”
“It just happened to be there. Madame Cronac.”
I, who turned around at the sound of Kaian calling out to her, froze when I saw the woman.
“They said it looked like she was bitten by a crocodile and would go limp. She seems like walking is fine.”
Claudel's gait was very normal. That made Valquiterre even more annoyed.
“I was trying to make a marriage fail.”
He felt like he was going crazy just knowing that Kaian had taken the woman who touched his heart.
He was just curious until he put his horse to Claudel.
As a King, there was nothing he had to endure.
Valquiterre endured a long time until he saw Claudel at the lake, confirmed that he had mistaken her for Irena, and called her back to the capital.
It really could have been just that.
'Your Majesty, what were you doing at Rowen Castle at that time?'
'Do you mean me?'
'The Duke went hunting at Promhunt under the royal order and returned without seeing His Majesty.'
Valquiterre couldn't help but laugh when he saw the woman questioning him with her eyes straight open.
How long has it been since he laughed out loud like that?
He couldn't even remember.
A smile that touches the heart, not the straight, refined smile of someone in power that seems pretentious.
“Did you ask what was going on at Rowen Castle?”
Maybe it was to meet her.
As Valquiterre left the Hanging Gardens, he called out to courtier Makie.
“When will Bianque come back?”
“She said she’d be back before the birthday ball, so that’s three days later.”
“Go back to the palace as soon as possible.”
"Yes. Your Majesty the King.”
Valquiterre needed to explore the meaning of that woman more deeply.
***
When Kaian returned to the room, I, who had finished a light meal, was grooming myself.
“Why bother dressing up? I hope you can stay comfortably.”
“Ugh. I can't believe I got to see His Majesty like that in the morning. I was so embarrassed.”
After hearing my story, Kaian became upset.
I, who was busy looking in the mirror, didn't seem to notice the change in his expression.
"It's all done, Lady."
“We are leaving, Duke.”
Hannah and Madame Marcel, who were busy decorating me, made eye contact with me, smiled, and quickly disappeared out of the room.
“Do you have no desire to look good to me?”
"Yes?"
“You dressed up like this to look pretty for His Majesty the King.”
The dress I wore was the first time Kaian had seen it.
“I don’t want to seem rude. I think about my husband's face.”
“If you think about it that way, it’s already been discounted.”
“What do you want to say?”
Kaian lifted my chin.
“You just have to be pretty in my eyes.”
No matter how pretty the married woman was, she was always going to get caught.
It was so strange that there had never been a rumor about Claudel.
According to her, she is now regaining her former self. She said she was much healthier before she got herzol.
She was gaining some weight on her thin body, almost as if she was going to keel over, but she was naturally small and thin-boned.
Doesn't the fact that she's small arouse feelings of affection that make him feel like she needs to be protected?
The words were such that Kaian, who treated her coldly by saying that she was a woman from a family that was his enemy, blamed herself for doing something she couldn't do.
"What, Kaian? If I'm pretty, you can just say I'm pretty. That’s what they say.”
Claudel seemed to have taken Kaian's heartache as a compliment, so she lifted her chin, grabbed the man's hand, and kissed his fingertips.
Kaian vented his displeasure as he looked at her tantalizing wife.
“Makeup is not good.”
"Is it so?"
“I can’t kiss as much as you want.”
“I just have to do it first and then fix my makeup.”
The woman's lips, covered in red rouge, opened like flowers in full bloom.
Kaian looked through her delicate rose-scented petals.
They fell into their own world for a while until the artificially applied scent disappeared and the usual soft and refreshing smell of Claudel returned.
He had barely parted his lips when Claudel caught her breath and she looked up into his face and she smiled softly.
"Why?"
“You look so sexy.”
When Kaian saw her giggling, he turned his head and looked at the mirror, he saw that the rouge that had been on her lips had all moved around Kaian's lips.
“Wipe me.”
Claudel rubbed his lips with her thumb, shook her head as if there was no answer, and patted him gently with her handkerchief.
“In what time? I’d rather just kiss you one more time.”
"No."
“Is there anything that can’t be done?”
“Today is my first day in the capital.”
Claudel pulled away from him as if to keep him in check.
“I want to go out.”
“Who said I would let you out?”
“You tried to untie the ribbon.”
“It was just caught within reach.”
“You said you would show me around the capital.”
As Claudel drooped the corners of her eyes and spoke as if she was hanging on, Kaian's facial muscles twitched.
'I shouldn't laugh.'
This girl is so cute.
That stimulated his desire to be mean again and again.
Then she would pout, but if he soothed her just a little, she would quickly relax.
When she first came to Rowen Castle, no matter what he said, she kept her mouth shut and had an expressionless face. Where did she go?
Kaian couldn't believe that she was really the same person.
"Hang on. I’ll be ready soon.”
When he spoke affirmatively, Claudel did not hide her joy.
Kaian felt bitter inside.
'Are the Duchess's two faces?'
Without hiding his honest feelings, she later informed the Duke of Vermont about the state of his territory.
However, even if Kaian, who grew up as a successor to Temnes, became a hostage to the enemy, it would be no different.
It bothered him that he was angry, but that it was not something he couldn't understand.
Kaian looked at his wife who was excitedly busy putting on her hat and sighed briefly.
***
The place where Kaian took me was a quiet residential area away from the busy street.
But I saw a row of carriages lined up along the road and wondered what all the fuss was about.
“Where am I?”
“The most famous and largest salon in the capital.”
“A salon?”
Although not present in Valmonde, the 'salon' was essential for social activities in the capital.
Although I was not active in the capital's social circles, the Duchess of Vermont controlled social activities in the North alone.
No grand balls or parties were held anywhere except at Valmonde Castle.
Because it was so cold, it was difficult to move around, and because the mansions were built to withstand the harsh cold, northern nobles were reluctant to build large halls in their houses that were disadvantageous to heating.
When the ground thawed, they participated in outdoor activities such as hunting festivals and festivals, and when it got cold, they enjoyed a ball or tea party at Castle Valmonde hosted by the Duchess.
However, since there were many nobles in the capital, various matters were brokered at the 'salon'.
“The person who recommended Madame Marcel is Madame Cronac, the owner of this salon.”
"Is it so?"
It was said that she was the one who recommended my favorite seamstress, and I immediately took a liking to the woman whom I had not yet met.
The fairly large townhouse was decorated brighter than expected.
“I saw it in a book. The salon was all made of dark wood and had poor lighting and that kind of atmosphere.”
“It will depend on the salon owner’s taste.”
Seeing Kaian laughing, it seemed like I was being rude again without realizing it.
It was time for me to sigh.
"I thought I'd see you in a few days, but what happened, Duke of Temnes?”
“It just happened to be there. Madame Cronac.”
I, who turned around at the sound of Kaian calling out to her, froze when I saw the woman.
Comments
Post a Comment