The attendants who followed spread out a wide silk rug on a flat area with little grass and prepared tea and refreshments. While Cheraan was leading everything, Judith was standing alone at the edge of the hill, looking at the peak of the mountain in the distance. Perhaps because the slope was steeper than other places, the wind blowing under her feet felt chilling.
It was a sunny day, but it was beautiful with pale clouds hanging over the peak. But if you climb a mountain, the clouds will no longer be the same as they were from a distance. It will become a hazy, thick fog that will only hinder you from moving forward.
Judith thought that she was in a similar situation as if she were standing in a fog. People watching from afar would see Judith as if she was heading towards the peak where the clouds hung, but it was easy for her to get lost.
“Princess, what are you doing here? The tea is almost ready.”
Mary Anne said as she ran across the grass. Perhaps because it was a long-awaited outing, her expression, which had been downcast all these days, seemed much brighter. Judith, who had carefully sorted out the few strands of hair that had escaped from under her headband, held Mary Ann's hand and said,
“Mary Anne, could you please go and fetch Helen?”
"Yes? No, why her?”
Mary Anne immediately pouted her lips with an expression of disgust. She was afraid that Helen would step forward and be by Judith's side, but Judith told her to call Helen first. She couldn't guess the intention.
“I have something to tell her, so please call Helen.”
"All right."
Although she looked reluctant, Mary Anne turned around without being able to resist Judith pushing her shoulder. Judith turned toward the hillside and blinked quietly as she adjusted the front of her wind-blown robe.
“Did you call me?”
Helen's voice came from right behind her. Since she had eyes to see, Helen had no choice but to come right away, but her face frowned mercilessly as if she had suffered something very humiliating. That was exactly the reaction she wanted, so Judith lowered her head slightly and laughed quietly.
"Your Highness?"
“Is the outing enjoyable?”
Helen frowned at the unexpected question.
What does this girl want to do with me now?
“Why do you ask that?”
“I’m just asking because I’m curious. The weather is nice and the wind is cool, but for some reason, your expression doesn’t seem happy at all.”
Judith's constant belittling was also one of the factors that made Helen very uncomfortable.
In the case of a Prince and a Marquis's daughter, it would of course be right for her to treat them well, but in cases where she was younger, like Judith, it was common for her to be polite to the elders out of respect.
However, from the moment she first saw Helen until now, Judith has never been careful about her. Just like Queen Gilsis, she treated her poorly as if it was natural, and for Helen, who was secretly looking down on Judith, this was an unexpected hurt to her pride.
Therefore, Helen's face was filled with hostility to the point of being blatant. It was also because she realized that Judith was not as easy on her as she thought.
What if the accusatory rumors that have recently spread among the nobles reach the ears of Queen Gilsis?
“Why do you ask that?”
“I’m just asking because I’m curious. The weather is nice and the wind is cool, but for some reason, your expression doesn’t seem happy at all.”
Judith's constant belittling was also one of the factors that made Helen very uncomfortable.
In the case of a Prince and a Marquis's daughter, it would of course be right for her to treat them well, but in cases where she was younger, like Judith, it was common for her to be polite to the elders out of respect.
However, from the moment she first saw Helen until now, Judith has never been careful about her. Just like Queen Gilsis, she treated her poorly as if it was natural, and for Helen, who was secretly looking down on Judith, this was an unexpected hurt to her pride.
Therefore, Helen's face was filled with hostility to the point of being blatant. It was also because she realized that Judith was not as easy on her as she thought.
What if the accusatory rumors that have recently spread among the nobles reach the ears of Queen Gilsis?
Every time she thought about that, Helen got goosebumps all over her body. Every time she remembered that Judith was the one who created such a situation, she felt even more uncomfortable.
“As I get older, even walking becomes difficult. Even if you are offended, please understand.”
"Is it? I also misunderstood that you were displeased because I did not cling to the Queen and beg her as you thought.”
At the end of Judith's seemingly insignificant words, there was a slight laugh. Helen's countenance, on the other hand, paled with displeasure.
“Your Highness, what do you mean?”
“I am still alive after being whipped by the Queen, and moreover, nobles that I had never thought of are taking my side. All of this will be different from what you expected, right? Isn't it? You can't be in a good mood. I understand.”
"Your Highness!"
Helen, unable to hold back her anger, screamed with a swarthy face. Meanwhile, Judith didn't even notice that she intentionally didn't mention Franz's name.
When Helen turned to leave, Judith rushed forward and grabbed her by her wrinkled wrist.
“What are you doing?”
“Why can’t you admit it? You have looked down on me from the beginning. If I had been as weak, foolish, and stupid as you thought and couldn't even speak properly in front of people, you would have been satisfied. But Marchioness, do you know what?”
“Ugh...!”
“You’ve already seen me like that before.”
Helen's eyes, which had been narrowly frowning, widened. She couldn't understand what Judith was saying. Helen tried to shake her off by moving her arms, but where did this strength come from in her small body, Judith could not be pushed away.
“You have already seen me wail, get sick, and wither once.”
“What are you talking about!”
“I was so scared of you back then that I couldn’t even talk to you, but I was always curious. Did it make you feel good to see a child of only seventeen suffer such cruel humiliation? How could you be so vicious as a human being? I came to a strange place by myself one morning, and there was no one I could trust except you.”
Judith's hand roughly pulled Helen's body closer. The old woman's bony body swayed and shook. Judith felt the emptiness of the air beneath her heels. She had her feet halfway on the edge of the slope as if she was about to tumble down the hill.
“So don’t blame me. You had some part in making me like this.”
“What on earth is this girl talking about...?!”
It was then. A popping sound was heard in Helen's ears as she grabbed Judith's shoulders to pull her away. No, it's not a sound. At first, it was a feeling. However, the texture was so clear that it felt as if she had heard it with her ears.
Soon, the sound of ‘tap-duk’ continued. There was nothing Helen could do about what happened after that.
"Ah!"
The scream wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for people to hear. Judith's body, falling down the slope, was like a leaf blowing in the wind.
"Your Highness!"
Cheraan, who heard the screams first, rushed to the slope. In Helen's hand, frozen with her mouth open, one sleeve of Judith's robe was fluttering.
The nobles who attended the meeting saw Judith returning from an outing, being carried on the servant's back. They were horrified to hear that Cheraan had ordered Helen's detention, and were speechless when they heard that she had pushed Judith off the hill.
The royal palace was turned upside down. Although it was fortunate that it was not a cliff, the hill where Judith fell was steep and had rocks rising here and there, making it a dangerous place. There were cuts and bruises everywhere, including her head and shoulders, her back where she had been injured last time, and even her ankles.
It was an instant for the news to reach the Queen's palace. She threw down the teacup she was holding and broke it when she heard that someone like Marquis's daughter had ordered Helen to be locked up, but then she suddenly calmed down when she heard that it was Helen who had hurt Judith.
“That girl may be rude, but she is still a Princess, so Helen dares to harm a member of the royal family. It looks like the old man has a ghost.”
It was something the Queen couldn't bear to say considering the hard work of Helen, who had been helping her like a faithful dog from the moment she sat on the Queen's throne, that Queen Gilsis' attitude was calm. Even the maids from other noble families, who did not know what to do with the unexpected news, trembled and stuck out their tongues at the Queen's cruelty.
It is unknown whether Helen really did such a thing, but no one knows that she faithfully served Queen Gilsis. Even so, there was no way the Queen would have known that the arrows would come back to her if she had been hasty in covering for Helen at a time when there were so many people slapping her with a few strokes.
The death of at least one of her maids was not something she cared about. She might be of great use to Helen's husband, the Marquis, but she was not, and as Queen Gilsis, she did not feel the need to protect Helen.
“Your Highness, Her Highness the Princess need to rest.”
“I’ll just look at her face for a moment and come out. Rest assured, there won’t be any fuss.”
Although the therapist tried hard to stop him, Franz finally entered the bedroom where Judith was lying. As the Queen's wounds healed, the smell of the medicine that had barely disappeared was filling the room, doubling or tripling in intensity.
“Your Highness Franz.”
Mary Anne, who had been crying incessantly while sitting at the bedside of the unconscious Judith, stood up, rubbing her face.
“Stay out for a while.”
Mary Anne, who made a sobbing sound, immediately left the room, and the room was filled with silence. Judith, with her eyes closed and not even breathing deeply, looked much paler than when he had last seen her. Her head, shoulders, arms, and legs were all covered with cloths and bandages from her wounds, so much so that one could easily mistake her for a corpse.
Franz couldn't even say anything. Even though she was unconscious, there was nothing he could do other than lightly touch her feverish and sweaty forehead. Judith's round forehead was burning hot, as if boiling water had been poured under the thin skin.
At that time, the palace doctor came inside carrying medicine to reduce the fever. Franz, who was watching silently as he put the medicine in a cold wet cloth and placed it on her forehead, spoke.
“Will the Princess be okay?”
“She suffered injuries in several places, but fortunately, her life is not in danger. The reason she lost consciousness was because her weak body was surprised. She will wake up in time, so don’t worry too much.”
But can I not worry?
“As I get older, even walking becomes difficult. Even if you are offended, please understand.”
"Is it? I also misunderstood that you were displeased because I did not cling to the Queen and beg her as you thought.”
At the end of Judith's seemingly insignificant words, there was a slight laugh. Helen's countenance, on the other hand, paled with displeasure.
“Your Highness, what do you mean?”
“I am still alive after being whipped by the Queen, and moreover, nobles that I had never thought of are taking my side. All of this will be different from what you expected, right? Isn't it? You can't be in a good mood. I understand.”
"Your Highness!"
Helen, unable to hold back her anger, screamed with a swarthy face. Meanwhile, Judith didn't even notice that she intentionally didn't mention Franz's name.
When Helen turned to leave, Judith rushed forward and grabbed her by her wrinkled wrist.
“What are you doing?”
“Why can’t you admit it? You have looked down on me from the beginning. If I had been as weak, foolish, and stupid as you thought and couldn't even speak properly in front of people, you would have been satisfied. But Marchioness, do you know what?”
“Ugh...!”
“You’ve already seen me like that before.”
Helen's eyes, which had been narrowly frowning, widened. She couldn't understand what Judith was saying. Helen tried to shake her off by moving her arms, but where did this strength come from in her small body, Judith could not be pushed away.
“You have already seen me wail, get sick, and wither once.”
“What are you talking about!”
“I was so scared of you back then that I couldn’t even talk to you, but I was always curious. Did it make you feel good to see a child of only seventeen suffer such cruel humiliation? How could you be so vicious as a human being? I came to a strange place by myself one morning, and there was no one I could trust except you.”
Judith's hand roughly pulled Helen's body closer. The old woman's bony body swayed and shook. Judith felt the emptiness of the air beneath her heels. She had her feet halfway on the edge of the slope as if she was about to tumble down the hill.
“So don’t blame me. You had some part in making me like this.”
“What on earth is this girl talking about...?!”
It was then. A popping sound was heard in Helen's ears as she grabbed Judith's shoulders to pull her away. No, it's not a sound. At first, it was a feeling. However, the texture was so clear that it felt as if she had heard it with her ears.
Soon, the sound of ‘tap-duk’ continued. There was nothing Helen could do about what happened after that.
"Ah!"
The scream wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for people to hear. Judith's body, falling down the slope, was like a leaf blowing in the wind.
"Your Highness!"
Cheraan, who heard the screams first, rushed to the slope. In Helen's hand, frozen with her mouth open, one sleeve of Judith's robe was fluttering.
***
The nobles who attended the meeting saw Judith returning from an outing, being carried on the servant's back. They were horrified to hear that Cheraan had ordered Helen's detention, and were speechless when they heard that she had pushed Judith off the hill.
The royal palace was turned upside down. Although it was fortunate that it was not a cliff, the hill where Judith fell was steep and had rocks rising here and there, making it a dangerous place. There were cuts and bruises everywhere, including her head and shoulders, her back where she had been injured last time, and even her ankles.
It was an instant for the news to reach the Queen's palace. She threw down the teacup she was holding and broke it when she heard that someone like Marquis's daughter had ordered Helen to be locked up, but then she suddenly calmed down when she heard that it was Helen who had hurt Judith.
“That girl may be rude, but she is still a Princess, so Helen dares to harm a member of the royal family. It looks like the old man has a ghost.”
It was something the Queen couldn't bear to say considering the hard work of Helen, who had been helping her like a faithful dog from the moment she sat on the Queen's throne, that Queen Gilsis' attitude was calm. Even the maids from other noble families, who did not know what to do with the unexpected news, trembled and stuck out their tongues at the Queen's cruelty.
It is unknown whether Helen really did such a thing, but no one knows that she faithfully served Queen Gilsis. Even so, there was no way the Queen would have known that the arrows would come back to her if she had been hasty in covering for Helen at a time when there were so many people slapping her with a few strokes.
The death of at least one of her maids was not something she cared about. She might be of great use to Helen's husband, the Marquis, but she was not, and as Queen Gilsis, she did not feel the need to protect Helen.
***
“Your Highness, Her Highness the Princess need to rest.”
“I’ll just look at her face for a moment and come out. Rest assured, there won’t be any fuss.”
Although the therapist tried hard to stop him, Franz finally entered the bedroom where Judith was lying. As the Queen's wounds healed, the smell of the medicine that had barely disappeared was filling the room, doubling or tripling in intensity.
“Your Highness Franz.”
Mary Anne, who had been crying incessantly while sitting at the bedside of the unconscious Judith, stood up, rubbing her face.
“Stay out for a while.”
Mary Anne, who made a sobbing sound, immediately left the room, and the room was filled with silence. Judith, with her eyes closed and not even breathing deeply, looked much paler than when he had last seen her. Her head, shoulders, arms, and legs were all covered with cloths and bandages from her wounds, so much so that one could easily mistake her for a corpse.
Franz couldn't even say anything. Even though she was unconscious, there was nothing he could do other than lightly touch her feverish and sweaty forehead. Judith's round forehead was burning hot, as if boiling water had been poured under the thin skin.
At that time, the palace doctor came inside carrying medicine to reduce the fever. Franz, who was watching silently as he put the medicine in a cold wet cloth and placed it on her forehead, spoke.
“Will the Princess be okay?”
“She suffered injuries in several places, but fortunately, her life is not in danger. The reason she lost consciousness was because her weak body was surprised. She will wake up in time, so don’t worry too much.”
But can I not worry?
Franz looked down at Judith, who was not moving at all, then suddenly turned around and left her room, as if he were angry. Outside, Cheraan, her father, the Marquis of Ebelta, and the Duke of Vergy, who came running as soon as they heard the news, were standing with anxious faces.
"Your Highness!"
“How about Her Highness?”
“...The palace doctor says there is no danger to her life, uncle.”
A long, sigh-like sigh burst from the Duke of Vergy's mouth. It was a relief to hear it, but after he felt relieved, he soon became unbearably angry.
"Your Highness!"
“How about Her Highness?”
“...The palace doctor says there is no danger to her life, uncle.”
A long, sigh-like sigh burst from the Duke of Vergy's mouth. It was a relief to hear it, but after he felt relieved, he soon became unbearably angry.
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