"Could it be the Queen’s doing?”
Bartholomew's expression also frowned when he saw that his father's expression was not good. When the Duke didn't answer, he hit his knee roughly with an indignant look on his face.
“It’s getting more and more embarrassing. The kingdom's eldest son officially welcomed a wife, but there was no ceremony! Who would believe such absurd things? This is something that everyone in the world will be amazed by.”
“Who said it wasn’t? But since no one was willing to say the right thing to the Queen, I couldn’t do anything on my own.”
“Which family is she from? Did they just ignore their daughter being treated like that?”
“Her Highness the Princess is not a person of Rotair. She was the Princess of the Tien Kingdom.”
Although he was in the position of a trainee, he was a soldier, so Bartholomew also knew something about the Kingdom of Tien. Since it is a country that is prone to war every day, it was bound to be famous among the soldiers.
“If it’s Tien, isn’t it a place where only absurd wars have been going on since our ancestors? Why is the Princess of such a country...”
Bartholomew, who had been expressing doubt, soon gritted his teeth as if it was obvious without even looking at how things were going. He also knew full well that there was no way Franz could have chosen a Princess on his own.
At first glance, it must have been a trick planned by Queen Gilsis. His thick-lined face hardened into a stubborn expression.
“If possible, I would like to grab that woman by the collar and beat her.”
Bartholomew also had as much affection for Franz as the Duke of Vergy. This happened when the late Queen Emerea was alive, that is when Bartholomew and Franz were young. It was natural since they grew up always hanging out together like brothers.
“Don’t be hasty, Bartholomew. Your status is a Combler trainee. Those who belong to the King’s army must always be careful in their words and actions.”
“...Yes, father. I know."
Bartholomew obediently agreed to the Duke's strict tone. Nevertheless, because of his hot-blooded temper, the corners of his mouth were trembling with anger that he could not suppress.
A servant brought tea. After taking a moment to catch his breath while drinking some fragrant tea, Bartholomew smiled slyly and changed the topic.
“What kind of person is Her Highness the Princess? Franz pretends not to be like that, but I think his eyes are high.”
“Uh huh, can’t you call Franz ‘Your Highness?’”
Even though he spoke in a scolding tone, the Duke laughed. A part of him was always worried about his son, who had a reckless personality when he got angry, so he tried to calm the mood by taking the initiative to say that he was a bit thick-headed. Since he was Franz's only friend, they already knew that they should treat each other without fault.
“Her Highness the Princess, it’s okay. She is a bit different from what she seems.”
“In what way?”
“She is now seventeen years old, but she looks very young and frail. She's the kind of person who would be shocked if others even raised their voices.”
“I don’t think she’ll get along well with Franz.”
“I thought so too, but surprisingly, the relationship between the two seemed to be smooth. And as I said, Her Highness is not what it seems. If you think about what kind of person his brother, the King of Tien, is, she is surprisingly wise and calm.”
“I can’t guess what kind of person she is just by hearing what you say.”
“Aren’t you going to visit Franz soon? Then, make sure to say hello to Her Highness as well. I want to say this in advance but don't be too rude when it comes to the Princess. If those words reach my ears even this much, I will remove your name from the annals.”
Bartholomew made an exaggerated expression of resentment as the Duke emphasized his words by pointing his finger.
“No, you are my father? You treat your perfectly fine son like an alley gangster.”
“Compared to His Highness Franz, in the eyes of Her Highness, you will probably look like a bear that just came down from the mountain.”
“I really want it. I admit that Franz is handsome, just like my Aunt Emerea. But It was my father and mother who gave birth to me."
"It’s not my fault that you look like a bear.”
That's what they said, but Bartholomew and the Duke were clearly father and son who had little in common. While the members of the Duke of Vergy were large and strong and had many military officers for generations, the current Duke was more similar to Franz. Although he was not small, he did not have a large bone structure like Basholomew.
This was the same for the Duchess, so Bartholomew, who was the only one in the family with a large physique, stood out from an early age. The Duke looked at his pampered son with affectionate eyes and suddenly sighed.
“Father, why are you doing this?”
"It is nothing."
“It’s nothing. You were also thinking of my aunt.”
It was the perfect answer. Every time the story of Emerea, the deceased Queen, came up, the Duke still felt sadness as if a knife was cutting into his heart.
King Jedercayer also suffered a deep illness after losing his wife, whom he loved dearly, but the Duke of Vergy also suffered from severe depression for a while after losing his older sister, with whom he had been very close since childhood. There was nothing to say about Franz, who was so young.
After Gilsis became the Queen, the Duke also found it difficult to maintain his senses out of pity whenever he saw Franz trembling with pain and fear every day.
“I felt sorry for Franz. I’m getting sick of saying things like this now, so I need the King to regain consciousness as soon as possible and have Franz sit in the Prince’s position.”
“It would be great if that were possible...”
Even if King Jedekayer regains consciousness, the Queen will never go down easily. To make matters worse, rumors spread throughout social circles that her son, Prince Krald, was already committing all kinds of naughty acts even though he was only sixteen years old.
If the Queen succeeds in making Krald the Crown Prince, not only the fate of Franz and the duchy will be shaken, but the entire nation of Rotair itself. This was the reason why the Duke's anxiety grew deeper day by day.
Judith went to the King's bed every day and cared for him and attended to him with utmost care.
Even the doctors, who at first couldn't resist the Queen's bullying and tried to find fault with her on every matter, have now given up on trying to find fault with her. They tried to catch her pod, but they couldn't.
Of course, as the surveillance became looser, the doctors became lazy. They snooped around the bed twelve times a day, paying close attention to see if Judith would make any mistake, and gradually they stopped moving. Then, they didn't even keep to the time they had to come to the palace.
It was convenient for Judith. She stayed in the King's bedroom when no one was there and looked after the King with sincerity even when no one was watching. Meanwhile, she did not forget to carefully check whether there was anything different about the King's condition, which had not changed at all, or whether there were any clues that could help him improve.
“Your Highness.”
Judith, who was carefully wiping the King's face with a damp cloth, turned her head. As if something had distorted his judgment, the palace physician, whose expression was not very pleasant, put down the metal incense burner that was obviously heavy at a glance.
“What’s going on?”
“The air in the sediment is thick, so we will ventilate it and light incense.”
"However?"
“The incense burner is full of ash. If you use it like this, not only is it not good for you, but the medicinal effect of the incense itself is also reduced. Please empty the ashes.”
It is an order that seems to be given to a subordinate. Even within Judith, who had been patiently holding it in for so long, something agitated.
But she can't mess things up here. As Judith remained silent, a sly and blatant smile appeared on his face.
There was no need to waste time dealing with a petty and shameless person. Judith put down the cloth with a nonchalant expression and lifted the censer with both hands.
The metal censer filled with ashes was as heavy as it was large. When the palace physician, saw Judith's thin wrists trembling as if they might break at any moment and she was having trouble even taking a single step, the palace physician, smiled heartily and said,
“Is this too difficult for your noble Highness? When you come, shall we ask the Queen Mother to send you servants?”
“...That's it. His Majesty is still unconscious, so how can I avoid work just to make myself feel better?”
the palace physician,'s brow furrowed at the firm answer.
'You seem like a poisonous bitch.'
Judith deliberately tried to walk confidently without lowering her head, but the censer was too heavy. Pursing her lips, she gave strength to her fingers, which were beginning to feel numb, and slowly brought them out of the palace.
Although she was out of the hallway, she had to go through a long corridor and return to the back garden to find a place to dump the ashes. As she slammed down the incense burner, her slender fingers trembled horribly as if they were about to break. Her weak body did not easily gain stamina, so her wrists were already starting to feel sore.
'No, I have to.'
Holding back the feeling that tears would suddenly well up, Judith grabbed the handles on both sides of the incense burner again. She had barely taken a step or two when she felt like she might fall over if she wasn't careful.
“Give it over here.”
Judith looked up in surprise at the unfamiliar voice. The first thing she noticed was his strong-looking forearms. He was a man so tall that she could only see his shoulders and face when she looked up a little more.
He lifted the incense burner that Judith had put down in surprise and clicked his tongue with a disapproving expression.
“You should have servants order something this heavy, so what were you thinking, whining and bringing it out by yourself...”
The voice that was muttering and scolding, whether it was grumbling or something, suddenly stopped.
The man was Bartholomew. He mistook Judith, who was bringing an incense burner from the King's bed, to be a maid working in the palace. It was not unreasonable to think so, as she was wearing clothes that allowed her to move easily as she nursed and served the King, and she did not wear any accessories.
However, upon closer inspection, her outfit was a little different from that of the palace maids. Moreover, the way she stared at his face made it difficult to call her a maid. Bartholomew's head turned quickly. She is a young lady who has never been seen before, she may be in and out of the King's quarters, but she is not a maid...
“I-I can’t believe it..."
Judith's eyes blinked quietly. Bartholomew put down the incense burner and rubbed the corner of his mouth with an embarrassed expression.
“Well, maybe... Are you a descendant of the royal family?”
That's what they said, but Bartholomew and the Duke were clearly father and son who had little in common. While the members of the Duke of Vergy were large and strong and had many military officers for generations, the current Duke was more similar to Franz. Although he was not small, he did not have a large bone structure like Basholomew.
This was the same for the Duchess, so Bartholomew, who was the only one in the family with a large physique, stood out from an early age. The Duke looked at his pampered son with affectionate eyes and suddenly sighed.
“Father, why are you doing this?”
"It is nothing."
“It’s nothing. You were also thinking of my aunt.”
It was the perfect answer. Every time the story of Emerea, the deceased Queen, came up, the Duke still felt sadness as if a knife was cutting into his heart.
King Jedercayer also suffered a deep illness after losing his wife, whom he loved dearly, but the Duke of Vergy also suffered from severe depression for a while after losing his older sister, with whom he had been very close since childhood. There was nothing to say about Franz, who was so young.
After Gilsis became the Queen, the Duke also found it difficult to maintain his senses out of pity whenever he saw Franz trembling with pain and fear every day.
“I felt sorry for Franz. I’m getting sick of saying things like this now, so I need the King to regain consciousness as soon as possible and have Franz sit in the Prince’s position.”
“It would be great if that were possible...”
Even if King Jedekayer regains consciousness, the Queen will never go down easily. To make matters worse, rumors spread throughout social circles that her son, Prince Krald, was already committing all kinds of naughty acts even though he was only sixteen years old.
If the Queen succeeds in making Krald the Crown Prince, not only the fate of Franz and the duchy will be shaken, but the entire nation of Rotair itself. This was the reason why the Duke's anxiety grew deeper day by day.
***
Judith went to the King's bed every day and cared for him and attended to him with utmost care.
Even the doctors, who at first couldn't resist the Queen's bullying and tried to find fault with her on every matter, have now given up on trying to find fault with her. They tried to catch her pod, but they couldn't.
Of course, as the surveillance became looser, the doctors became lazy. They snooped around the bed twelve times a day, paying close attention to see if Judith would make any mistake, and gradually they stopped moving. Then, they didn't even keep to the time they had to come to the palace.
It was convenient for Judith. She stayed in the King's bedroom when no one was there and looked after the King with sincerity even when no one was watching. Meanwhile, she did not forget to carefully check whether there was anything different about the King's condition, which had not changed at all, or whether there were any clues that could help him improve.
“Your Highness.”
Judith, who was carefully wiping the King's face with a damp cloth, turned her head. As if something had distorted his judgment, the palace physician, whose expression was not very pleasant, put down the metal incense burner that was obviously heavy at a glance.
“What’s going on?”
“The air in the sediment is thick, so we will ventilate it and light incense.”
"However?"
“The incense burner is full of ash. If you use it like this, not only is it not good for you, but the medicinal effect of the incense itself is also reduced. Please empty the ashes.”
It is an order that seems to be given to a subordinate. Even within Judith, who had been patiently holding it in for so long, something agitated.
But she can't mess things up here. As Judith remained silent, a sly and blatant smile appeared on his face.
There was no need to waste time dealing with a petty and shameless person. Judith put down the cloth with a nonchalant expression and lifted the censer with both hands.
The metal censer filled with ashes was as heavy as it was large. When the palace physician, saw Judith's thin wrists trembling as if they might break at any moment and she was having trouble even taking a single step, the palace physician, smiled heartily and said,
“Is this too difficult for your noble Highness? When you come, shall we ask the Queen Mother to send you servants?”
“...That's it. His Majesty is still unconscious, so how can I avoid work just to make myself feel better?”
the palace physician,'s brow furrowed at the firm answer.
'You seem like a poisonous bitch.'
Judith deliberately tried to walk confidently without lowering her head, but the censer was too heavy. Pursing her lips, she gave strength to her fingers, which were beginning to feel numb, and slowly brought them out of the palace.
Although she was out of the hallway, she had to go through a long corridor and return to the back garden to find a place to dump the ashes. As she slammed down the incense burner, her slender fingers trembled horribly as if they were about to break. Her weak body did not easily gain stamina, so her wrists were already starting to feel sore.
'No, I have to.'
Holding back the feeling that tears would suddenly well up, Judith grabbed the handles on both sides of the incense burner again. She had barely taken a step or two when she felt like she might fall over if she wasn't careful.
“Give it over here.”
Judith looked up in surprise at the unfamiliar voice. The first thing she noticed was his strong-looking forearms. He was a man so tall that she could only see his shoulders and face when she looked up a little more.
He lifted the incense burner that Judith had put down in surprise and clicked his tongue with a disapproving expression.
“You should have servants order something this heavy, so what were you thinking, whining and bringing it out by yourself...”
The voice that was muttering and scolding, whether it was grumbling or something, suddenly stopped.
The man was Bartholomew. He mistook Judith, who was bringing an incense burner from the King's bed, to be a maid working in the palace. It was not unreasonable to think so, as she was wearing clothes that allowed her to move easily as she nursed and served the King, and she did not wear any accessories.
However, upon closer inspection, her outfit was a little different from that of the palace maids. Moreover, the way she stared at his face made it difficult to call her a maid. Bartholomew's head turned quickly. She is a young lady who has never been seen before, she may be in and out of the King's quarters, but she is not a maid...
“I-I can’t believe it..."
Judith's eyes blinked quietly. Bartholomew put down the incense burner and rubbed the corner of his mouth with an embarrassed expression.
“Well, maybe... Are you a descendant of the royal family?”
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