TCORIYH - Chapter 18

After promising to go horseback riding with Cheraan, Judith began to prepare step by step.

First, she had the maid brought by Helen fix the robe she would wear when going out. It was among the few pieces of luggage that Judith brought with her when she left Tien, and was built when Judith was about thirteen years old.

“It’s something I wore when I was young, so the stitching is probably worn out, so put new sleeves on it.”

The maid who took the old robe gave a blatant look of displeasure and walked away without answering. Despite the maid's disrespectful attitude, Judith did not go out of her way to call her out and criticize her. She did it fearlessly because the maid knew it, but she had no idea what Judith was thinking.

After the maid left, Mary Anne, who had been dusting the window frames from a distance, approached her with her lips pursed.

“Princess, why on earth are you just watching something like that? Did you see the expression just now?”

“Mary Ann, be quiet. I can hear you.”

“Listen! Are you afraid that I won't be able to say anything because I'm afraid of the territoriality of those things? No matter how good she may be, she is a maid in the royal palace, but how could she treat you, the Prince's wife...?"

“Mary Ann.”

As Judith's voice became stricter, Mary Anne immediately lowered her gaze with a sullen expression on her face. Judith sighed quietly and gently stroked Mary Ann's head, who was taller than her.

“It’s not because I’m scared that I leave them alone, Mary Anne.”

“I don’t think so either. But...”

“It’s okay, don’t worry too much. I know that the maids that Helen brought are troubling you, but if you scold them now, nothing will change. So just wait a little longer, okay?”

“Princess, what on earth are you thinking? I really have no idea. In the past, I knew what you were thinking...”

"Then..."

Judith, who was about to respond, quietly swallowed her words and smiled secretly. The Judith that Mary Anne knew was a girl that was easy for anyone to know. She was a small and pitiful Princess who wanted to run away from everything.

“You will know when the time comes.”

Mary Anne nodded like a child at Judith’s words.

"Your Highness."

After comforting Mary Annej, Judith, who had sat down to embroider a handkerchief, slowly raised her head.

“What’s going on, Helen?”

“The Queen Mother ordered me to bring you.”

Judith heard that she couldn't see the Queen for some reason, and it seemed she had met Queen Gilsis. Judith looked at Helen's face, which was more triumphant than ever before, and sensed that something unpleasant had happened.

“Why is the Queen looking for me all of a sudden?”

“When she heard that you had already memorized the royal family tree, she asked me to call you right away. Maybe she thought it was special and wanted to give you a reward?”

It's a prize. Judith couldn't hold back her laughter. When the sky falls, it falls. There would be no way that Queen Gilsis would treat her favorably and give her a reward. Did Helen really think that she would be happy to believe that, this woman?

Helen's expression immediately frowned at Judith's laughter.

“It’s raining, why are you doing that?”

“...Nope. If the Queen is looking for me, I should go. Before that, I have something to tell Mary Ann. Do you mind if I call her?”

“You may do so.”

Helen seemed reluctant, but there was no other reason to stop her, so she took a couple of steps back. Judith deliberately called out to Mary Ann, who was dusting the window frame of the drawing room across from her.

“Princess, did you call me?”

Mary Anne came rushing over, holding a feather duster. Judith glanced at Helen, who was standing a few steps behind her, and then looked at Mary Anne with a deliberately calm expression.

“Mary Anne, the Queen Mother called me, so I have to go now. You probably remember what I told you to do in the morning, right?”

"Yes? What did you tell me to do?”

Mary Anne, who had never heard such a thing, asked back with a puzzled expression. Judith drooped her eyebrows, smiled lightly and mockingly, and naturally walked towards Mary Anne.

“You too, even if you have a lot of work to do. Why do you keep forgetting things like this? Didn’t you tell the chef that I wanted to eat grouse for dinner tonight?”

Helen, who was listening closely to what Judith was saying, snorted.

'Your lies will soon be discovered and you will be severely punished by the Queen, but you are so concerned about dinner. Are you stupid or shameless?'

Judith did not miss the moment when Helen's tense mood, which had been tense as if she were being watched over a prisoner, relaxed. She had just reached right in front of Mary Anne and whispered quickly, holding onto Mary Anne's wrist tightly so as not to be noticed by Helen.

“When I leave, go straight to Astel Palace. Tell Prince Franz that I have been summoned to the Queen’s palace.”

Mary Anne, who was startled when Judith grabbed her wrist, became tense and stiff. She was quick-witted and immediately understood why Judith was suddenly acting strangely. There was no way the Queen would have called Judith for something good, so she realized that Judith was asking Franz to help her somehow.

Mary Anne, who was blinking blankly, pursed her lips. She then stamped her foot in a fussy manner and said,

"Ah...Ah! That's right, indeed! I guess I forgot because I was mopping all day today. I will definitely tell the chef.”

“Don’t forget to tell him, okay?”

Judith patted the back of Mary Anne's hand and turned to look at Helen.

“Let’s go.”

Judith's attitude as she took the lead, passing Helen as if cutting off the wind with her shoulders, seemed somehow cold and anxious. Mary Anne, who had been clenching her fingernails while the two figures disappeared, rushed out of her seat as soon as Helen's high-up head disappeared into the gallery.

***

The palace, which had been in disarray due to the Queen's viciousness, was now neatly cleaned up. In the place where the vase that had been thrown and broken was placed, there was a much more colorful vase than before, and the cracked mirror had been replaced with a new one as if it had never happened before.

Being able to change the furniture in the palace so quickly to luxurious items was also a way for Queen Gilsis to show off her power. Gorgeous dresses that overwhelm the viewer and dazzling accessories that even wealthy people would find difficult to see were also used for this purpose.

When Judith approached the Queen, Queen Gilsis was sitting on the sofa, wearing a dress decorated with mind-bogglingly intricate embroidery. She had beautiful clothes, but the way she glared at Judith was nothing short of terrifying.

“I heard you called me.”

As Judith lowered her head and spoke politely, the Queen's red-painted lips twitched greatly.

“I heard that you have already memorized the royal family tree that I told you to memorize?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“What you said is scandalous. How dare you tell a lie to my face without even changing your face?”

“How dare I do that? I’m just telling you the truth, so please consider it.”

"Yes? That's right. Hey, bring it.”

Helen, who had been guarding the Queen's back like a hunting dog, held out the genealogy chart in front of her as if she had been waiting. The Queen glanced at Judith with laughable eyes and said,

“His Majesty Selgius, the founding King, had five Princes. Tell me what the name of the Prince who succeeded Selgius was.”

“Once upon a time, there was Crown Prince Bormeo, the first descendant of the majestic founding King, but he lost his life due to an unexplained illness. He was succeeded as Crown Prince, and the person who inherited the throne was Prince Godfrey, who was the fourth descendant. ”

“Who was the sixth person to ascend to the throne?”

“The 6th King of Rotair is Severian Zedercaire. He was called ‘Iron-Blooded Severian’ during his lifetime.”

As Judith continued to answer, not only Helen, who had been delighted but also Queen Gilsis' face gradually became distorted. The Queen did not stop there and later urged her to tell the names of the bastards born to the concubines, but Judith calmly gave the right answer.

How can this be? 

As time passed and the position of the genealogy chart shifted, it was not Judith but Queen Gilsis who became more anxious. Among the things Judith answered casually, there were many that even Queen Gilsis could not memorize.

Even if she were given a month, it would be hard to decide whether to memorize it all or not. How can this happen without at least borrowing the power of a ghost?

“...Thus, Princess Cesarea was the first woman to ascend to the throne. She was a daughter who did not receive much expectation, but after ascending to the throne, her ruling power and intelligence were greatly impressed by her later generations...”

“This cheeky thing!”

A shrill scream came out from the mouth of the Queen, whose whole body was trembling.

The genealogy chart she threw hit Judith on the head and fell down. Her loosely placed jewelry flew off and her dark blue-black hair came loose and disheveled. Judith quickly got down on her knees and pretended to bow her head.

“Queen, what did I do wrong?”

“What are you doing wrong? What did you do wrong? A girl who is only a few years old would dare to do such a foolish thing in front of anyone! Say it right now. How did you deceive me?”

Judith's head suddenly lifted up. Seeing her round eyes filled with fear, Queen Gilsis felt a wicked sense of satisfaction.

“Your Majesty, I'm not lying. I never cheated on Your Majesty. How dare I do such a thing? It was an order given by Your Majesty, so I just followed it faithfully.”

That was true. It's just that the person who followed the order was not Judith in this life.

In her last life, Judith spent months crying her eyes out and memorizing countless genealogical charts. The Queen called her once every two or three days to make sure she had memorized the genealogy, and if she stuttered or hesitated even a little, she would lash out at her with harsh words and even beat her.

The cruel treatment continued for a year. After that, Judith became sick with tremors and nausea just by looking at the tapestry with the names of past Kings hanging in the palace's largest hall.

“Oh, what I’m saying is that you will endure until the end. Helen!”

“Yes, Queen.”

Helen, who had been standing there in fascination, bowed down in haste. The Queen looked down with her cold eyes at Judith, who was hunching her shoulders and lowering her head, and she said,

“Bring a leash. I have to discipline that girl until the right words come out of her mouth.”

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