After Queen Gilsis stepped forward and executed Helen, public opinion that she was behind the attempt to harm Judith decreased noticeably. However, it was not because most of the nobles trusted her, but because they were frightened by her queenly attitude of cutting off anyone who had given her loyalty without any regrets.
Cheraan took a letter of recommendation that had almost been forcibly taken from her father and volunteered to become Judith's maid. She also sent three maids whom the Duke of Very could trust and keep in place of those who had been dismissed or disappeared when Helen was executed.
The most excited was Mary Anne. The maids that Helen brought with her treated Mary Anne as if she were their servant, but all of the new maids were good, saying they were all happy.
As the number of obedient maids increased, Judith's life became easier. She wondered if the work of embroidering handkerchiefs would ever be finished, but as everyone took turns helping Judith one by one, it was already just about finishing.
“The Queen is quite worthy. I guess she has a knack for harassing people, right?”
Cheraan, who was helping Judith embroider a handkerchief, spoke sharply. She was always outspoken in her speech and criticized the Queen without caring whether there were maids by her side or not.
She knew that the Duke of Vergy sent these people with special care, but Judith did not forget to occasionally call the maids and have them join in. She borrowed the power of material, sometimes resolutely, sometimes impeccably.
“What if this is the case?”
Cheraan, embroidered with thin leaves, unfolded her handkerchief and asked. Even though she was evaluated by the petty ladies as being an incorrigible tomboy and a colt, her workmanship was surprisingly clean, as it was and is now.
“No one can find fault if that’s the case.”
“Even if you speak lower.”
“Thankfully, Cheraan offered to serve me, but I want to be friends with Cheraan. You will gradually get used to it, so please understand for now.”
Cheraan chuckled as if there was nothing she could do.
Through Helen's affair, she learned that Judith was capable of performing unexpected tricks. However, Judith's attitude towards herself and the people of the Princess's palace was not at all different from her first impression when she saw her. Judith was gentle, vulnerable, and sometimes shy. Because it seemed closer to the original Judith, Cheraan's curiosity about Judith was further amplified.
“Oh, my dear. Have you heard about the new academy that opened in Delaka?”
Delaka was the name of an empire on the eastern continent that had to be crossed by sea. It was also a place that had a close relationship with Rotair through trade.
It was a fact she had already heard through rumors, but Judith shook her head with a calm expression.
“No, this is my first time hearing it. I guess the academy is a place to study, right?”
"Yes. It's a shame that Rotair doesn't have a large-scale academy yet. I heard that it was built directly by the Delaka Imperial Family, and there seems to be a lot of talk about it because they announced that they would accept foreign royals and nobles as students.”
“They are accepting foreigners as students?”
“They said yes. There is a Count who is close to my father, and I heard that the Count’s son is also making various preparations to enter the academy.”
Judith's eyes, as she was calmly listening to the story, glowed quietly.
Academies located outside the continent. If it is the Delaka Empire, it is a place where Queen Gilsis's power cannot reach at all. She could have easily reached out to a weak kingdom like Judith's homeland, Tien, but not the Delaka Empire.
Judith doesn't know how many years the academic system lasts, but if it was an academy established by the imperial family, he would have to attend at least three to four years to graduate. During that time, Judith's goal was to free Franz from the Queen's clutches.
But the problem is how to send Franz there. Judith subtly showed her curiosity.
“What are the conditions for admission?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I heard that there will be a test. Even if those who enter the school are nobles, they will only imitate them. Rather, they say the admission fee is enormous.”
Judith tried to guess how much the enormous entrance fee would be, but she could not guess. Even though she was a Princess, she had never lived a luxurious life, so she had no idea how much money people moved around to afford the luxury.
Is there any way to raise money?
Judith immediately thought of the Duke of Vergy. As she remembers, the dukedom has successfully run various businesses, including trade, for a long time.
There would be enough money to send Franz to study abroad for several years. Even if it was not possible, as long as Judith found a way to send Franz away, the Duke of Vergy would do whatever it took to cooperate with the plan.
However, the key was to meet the Duke personally and tell him his plans. How can she let the story progress naturally without raising suspicion?
There would be enough money to send Franz to study abroad for several years. Even if it was not possible, as long as Judith found a way to send Franz away, the Duke of Vergy would do whatever it took to cooperate with the plan.
However, the key was to meet the Duke personally and tell him his plans. How can she let the story progress naturally without raising suspicion?
Judith was worried about that the whole time.
'And...'
Even if one can raise the entrance fee and attract the Duke, conveying this fact to Franz naturally is also difficult. Compared to Franz, she thought it would be ten times easier to persuade the Duke of Vergis.
Moreover, the test that Cheraan spoke of...
Even so, since Franz was a foreign royal, they would probably let him pass, but in fact, Judith did not know the extent of Franz's knowledge. A Prince would naturally be educated by talented scholars as teachers, but it was questionable whether Queen Gilsis would have provided such a service to Franz.
“Cheraan, would you please send a message to Astel Palace?”
“Astel Palace?”
"Yes. Please tell Prince Franz that I will be going to see him in the evening.”
“I will. Can you tell me what’s going on?”
Cheraan immediately stood up and tilted her head. Judith, who was lost in thought for a moment, answered by snapping the thread from the needle where she had placed the last stitch.
“Tell him that there is something I want to learn from him.”
After hearing Judith's words from Cheraan, Franz felt uneasy all evening. If the Duke of Vergy had been next to him, he would have made a fuss about something inconvenient, and his expression was clearly anxious.
Except for Judith's recent injury, the young Princess and her husband had never once sat face to face. Franz was worried that by staying close to him, Judith would fall into the Queen's eyes.
If he hadn't been so worried, he might have smiled kindly at least once when their eyes met while passing by the palace. Even after treating her coldly for Judith's sake, when he turned around, his vague regret caused him to beat himself up.
Even if they couldn't bond as a couple, they could have said a warm word, but he was angry at himself for not being able to do that as he wanted, hesitating and eventually turning away.
Because he was caught in such a vicious cycle, he never even thought about Judith saying she would come to him first.
"Your Highness."
The young servant bowed his head in the doorway. Franz, who was sitting alone in a room where the setting sun was starting to fall, raised his head as if his unfinished homework was being inspected.
“What’s going on?”
“Her Highness the Princess has arrived. I’ll take her inside.”
Not long after the servant left, Judith came inside. She was alone, without any help from Mary Anne or Cheraan. Franz looked at her awkwardly for a moment and then invited her to take a seat.
“What do you want to learn from me?”
Judith drooped her eyebrows and smiled slightly at his faceless attitude of getting straight to the point.
“Did you enjoy your meal, Your Highness?”
Only then did Franz realize his mistake and roll his eyes with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
“I didn’t mean to keep an eye on you.”
“I was just asking if you liked the meal.”
“Well, I don’t think I can say that there is very little criticism towards me.”
This time the laughter was a little louder. A truly clumsy person. Judith silently examined his face, half colored by the sunset, with admiring eyes.
Before her death, and even now, Franz's attitude toward Judith remained the same. He was anything but colorful and was extremely careful as if he were handling a fragile doll rather than his wife. It was the kind of thing where he was so cautious that she felt wariness rather than affection.
In her previous life, even such things were piled up as sadness, one by one, but that was not the case for Judith now. She could now boast of herself as someone who knew Franz better than anyone else. Only Judith knew how vulnerable a soul covered in silence and shadow was, how much blood had been shed and would continue to be shed.
As long as there are people around him who constantly dig at wounds that haven't even fully healed, Franz has no future.
So this time, she had to separate Franz from the Queen and Krald. She could never fail.
“As you know....”
When Judith, who had been silent, spoke up, Franz stared at her in silence.
“In the Rotair royal family and aristocratic society, the perception of me is that I am still nothing more than a young Princess from a foreign country. I think I need to know about the relationship and history of Rotair and other countries to reassure others as soon as possible.”
“In that case, it would be better to call scholars.”
Because she expected that answer, Judith immediately blinked with an embarrassed expression.
“Because we are strangers, it’s a little...”
Judith lowered her head as if she was embarrassed, and she looked so fragile that if she were to be touched, she would burst into tears. Franz, who had no idea what he had done wrong and was caught up in the feeling that he had somehow made a mistake, was uncharacteristically flustered and tried to correct what he had said.
"I understand."
It was just that much. Judith then smiled cautiously.
“That’s why I want to learn from you. At least just enough so that I don’t get embarrassed in front of other people.”
'And...'
Even if one can raise the entrance fee and attract the Duke, conveying this fact to Franz naturally is also difficult. Compared to Franz, she thought it would be ten times easier to persuade the Duke of Vergis.
Moreover, the test that Cheraan spoke of...
Even so, since Franz was a foreign royal, they would probably let him pass, but in fact, Judith did not know the extent of Franz's knowledge. A Prince would naturally be educated by talented scholars as teachers, but it was questionable whether Queen Gilsis would have provided such a service to Franz.
“Cheraan, would you please send a message to Astel Palace?”
“Astel Palace?”
"Yes. Please tell Prince Franz that I will be going to see him in the evening.”
“I will. Can you tell me what’s going on?”
Cheraan immediately stood up and tilted her head. Judith, who was lost in thought for a moment, answered by snapping the thread from the needle where she had placed the last stitch.
“Tell him that there is something I want to learn from him.”
***
After hearing Judith's words from Cheraan, Franz felt uneasy all evening. If the Duke of Vergy had been next to him, he would have made a fuss about something inconvenient, and his expression was clearly anxious.
Except for Judith's recent injury, the young Princess and her husband had never once sat face to face. Franz was worried that by staying close to him, Judith would fall into the Queen's eyes.
If he hadn't been so worried, he might have smiled kindly at least once when their eyes met while passing by the palace. Even after treating her coldly for Judith's sake, when he turned around, his vague regret caused him to beat himself up.
Even if they couldn't bond as a couple, they could have said a warm word, but he was angry at himself for not being able to do that as he wanted, hesitating and eventually turning away.
Because he was caught in such a vicious cycle, he never even thought about Judith saying she would come to him first.
"Your Highness."
The young servant bowed his head in the doorway. Franz, who was sitting alone in a room where the setting sun was starting to fall, raised his head as if his unfinished homework was being inspected.
“What’s going on?”
“Her Highness the Princess has arrived. I’ll take her inside.”
Not long after the servant left, Judith came inside. She was alone, without any help from Mary Anne or Cheraan. Franz looked at her awkwardly for a moment and then invited her to take a seat.
“What do you want to learn from me?”
Judith drooped her eyebrows and smiled slightly at his faceless attitude of getting straight to the point.
“Did you enjoy your meal, Your Highness?”
Only then did Franz realize his mistake and roll his eyes with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
“I didn’t mean to keep an eye on you.”
“I was just asking if you liked the meal.”
“Well, I don’t think I can say that there is very little criticism towards me.”
This time the laughter was a little louder. A truly clumsy person. Judith silently examined his face, half colored by the sunset, with admiring eyes.
Before her death, and even now, Franz's attitude toward Judith remained the same. He was anything but colorful and was extremely careful as if he were handling a fragile doll rather than his wife. It was the kind of thing where he was so cautious that she felt wariness rather than affection.
In her previous life, even such things were piled up as sadness, one by one, but that was not the case for Judith now. She could now boast of herself as someone who knew Franz better than anyone else. Only Judith knew how vulnerable a soul covered in silence and shadow was, how much blood had been shed and would continue to be shed.
As long as there are people around him who constantly dig at wounds that haven't even fully healed, Franz has no future.
So this time, she had to separate Franz from the Queen and Krald. She could never fail.
“As you know....”
When Judith, who had been silent, spoke up, Franz stared at her in silence.
“In the Rotair royal family and aristocratic society, the perception of me is that I am still nothing more than a young Princess from a foreign country. I think I need to know about the relationship and history of Rotair and other countries to reassure others as soon as possible.”
“In that case, it would be better to call scholars.”
Because she expected that answer, Judith immediately blinked with an embarrassed expression.
“Because we are strangers, it’s a little...”
Judith lowered her head as if she was embarrassed, and she looked so fragile that if she were to be touched, she would burst into tears. Franz, who had no idea what he had done wrong and was caught up in the feeling that he had somehow made a mistake, was uncharacteristically flustered and tried to correct what he had said.
"I understand."
It was just that much. Judith then smiled cautiously.
“That’s why I want to learn from you. At least just enough so that I don’t get embarrassed in front of other people.”
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