Soldiers were standing everywhere in the hallway, but they did not stop Judith from entering the kitchen and pretended not to see her. Since the last time they saw how Bartholomew treated the court physician, they didn't mess with Judith, no matter what she did.
The kitchen was in the basement, not far from the King's bedroom. It is decorated with ivory, silver, and marble with beautiful patterns, but it was a long time ago when this place was noisy. Now, dust was accumulating everywhere and there was no fire, so it felt gloomy.
Judith looked under the countertop, near the back door where food came in and out, and looked at each and every shelf covered with cobwebs. The palace doctors clearly brew their medicine here. No matter how thoroughly the management was done, this space would have been used for a long time, so it was clear that at least one clue would remain.
However, contrary to Judith's expectations, no evidence was found in the kitchen. She thought they must have stored up medicinal herbs somewhere, but there was nothing like that.
However, even though there were no medicinal ingredients, it seemed clear that the medicine was brewed here. There was still moisture left in a small ring pot with a polished bottom and lid, and under the counter was a makeshift brazier the size of a human head. When she raised the ring pot, the width was exactly right.
'If the medicine was boiled here, it must have been used, so how can there be no trace of it?'
Was the medicine made somewhere else?
Judith, who was looking around with suspicious eyes, soon slowly shook her head.
Even though the kitchen had not been used for a long time, clean water was filled everywhere. And another one of the kitchens in this palace was located too far away from the bedroom. And even pots and stoves, if something was done, it would have been done here...
Judith thought so when she leaned down under the countertop.
“What are you doing here, Your Highness!”
Judith's heart sank at the palace doctor’s shouting. His face was red and his breathing was shaky, as if he was excited to finally catch her pod or if he was truly embarrassed. Judith straightened her back, looked momentarily in tears, and folded her hands in front of her chest.
“I asked what you were doing!”
“The brooch.”
The palace doctor's eyebrows twitched. Judith looked as if she was about to shed tears at any moment and looked around the floor busily.
“The brooch is gone. I was thirsty so I came here to drink water for a while and then stopped... I think I definitely heard it falling, but I can’t see it.”
The palace doctor made a noise of astonishment and raised his voice. Perhaps because of Judith's weak expression, he seemed even more energetic.
"Brooch? A brooch? What can you do with a brooch like that? Get out now!”
“That brooch?”
The once glaring eyes turned bright blue as if it wouldn't be strange if she burst into tears right away. When Judith, who was always obedient and calm, made a ferocious expression like a wounded animal, the doctor was momentarily shocked and kept his mouth shut. Judith pressed him, not wanting to miss the opportunity.
“Don’t you know that the reason I turn a blind eye to your recklessness is because I know how important it is for the country to serve His Majesty the King?”
“What, what!”
“Although the Queen has temporarily entrusted me with this task, I have put up with most of it because I think it is loyalty to Rotair to serve His Majesty who is inconvenient. How can I pass it off as my own problem when a single palace official is so disrespectful to a member of the royal family?”
"...What are you talking about now, Your Highness!”
“You treat me so carelessly even when I am fully conscious. How much more would you be loyal with all your heart to Your Majesty, who is not even conscious?”
The palace doctor's mouth opened wide. He wanted to retort, asking how the Princess, who was sold, could be like a King, but the moment he uttered those words, he froze and it was clear that he would be caught in prison for insulting the royal family.
He heard people whispering at the top of the stairs. As the kitchen became noisy, it seemed like the soldiers had arrived. He knew that the court physician who had been here before him had been beaten thirty times and was almost crippled.
Even though the kitchen had not been used for a long time, clean water was filled everywhere. And another one of the kitchens in this palace was located too far away from the bedroom. And even pots and stoves, if something was done, it would have been done here...
Judith thought so when she leaned down under the countertop.
“What are you doing here, Your Highness!”
Judith's heart sank at the palace doctor’s shouting. His face was red and his breathing was shaky, as if he was excited to finally catch her pod or if he was truly embarrassed. Judith straightened her back, looked momentarily in tears, and folded her hands in front of her chest.
“I asked what you were doing!”
“The brooch.”
The palace doctor's eyebrows twitched. Judith looked as if she was about to shed tears at any moment and looked around the floor busily.
“The brooch is gone. I was thirsty so I came here to drink water for a while and then stopped... I think I definitely heard it falling, but I can’t see it.”
The palace doctor made a noise of astonishment and raised his voice. Perhaps because of Judith's weak expression, he seemed even more energetic.
"Brooch? A brooch? What can you do with a brooch like that? Get out now!”
“That brooch?”
The once glaring eyes turned bright blue as if it wouldn't be strange if she burst into tears right away. When Judith, who was always obedient and calm, made a ferocious expression like a wounded animal, the doctor was momentarily shocked and kept his mouth shut. Judith pressed him, not wanting to miss the opportunity.
“Don’t you know that the reason I turn a blind eye to your recklessness is because I know how important it is for the country to serve His Majesty the King?”
“What, what!”
“Although the Queen has temporarily entrusted me with this task, I have put up with most of it because I think it is loyalty to Rotair to serve His Majesty who is inconvenient. How can I pass it off as my own problem when a single palace official is so disrespectful to a member of the royal family?”
"...What are you talking about now, Your Highness!”
“You treat me so carelessly even when I am fully conscious. How much more would you be loyal with all your heart to Your Majesty, who is not even conscious?”
The palace doctor's mouth opened wide. He wanted to retort, asking how the Princess, who was sold, could be like a King, but the moment he uttered those words, he froze and it was clear that he would be caught in prison for insulting the royal family.
He heard people whispering at the top of the stairs. As the kitchen became noisy, it seemed like the soldiers had arrived. He knew that the court physician who had been here before him had been beaten thirty times and was almost crippled.
Didn't the damned Queen Gilsis, upon learning of what had happened to him, warn him in a somewhat indifferent manner?
"I have no idea what kind of bizarre trick that girl is doing. Watch carefully, but don't do something stupid like the last guy and spill your food."
“Your Highness!”
This was the moment when Judith, with her fists tightly clenched, took a deep breath to call the soldiers. After shouting in a hurry, the doctor fell flat on the floor and crawled on his knees with his hands clasped together.
“Well, I was wrong. I dared to offend Your Highness with my presumptuous remarks and actions. That... But if you forgive me once, it will never happen again.”
The doctor's decision was quick. Even if Judith herself was nothing to be afraid of, Franz, the King's eldest son, and the son of the Duke of Vergy, who had kicked out the court physician last time, were worthy opponents. The crime of insulting and deceiving the royal family is never taken lightly. If Judith cries and complains to them...
"...I will help you find the brooch. If you just tell me what kind of brooch it is, I'll search all over the place from now on...”
“This is the brooch His Highness gave me when I came to Rotair. Get out, because I don’t even want to be touched by a traitor like you.”
At that moment, Judith could see the doctor's eyes rolling anxiously. However, he soon stood up hesitantly and walked backward out of the kitchen. As soon as he left, the soldiers' disappeared. Only then did Judith relax her wide-open eyes and bite his lip.
There is something. There's clearly something here, but where is it?
After confirming that the commotion had completely disappeared, Judith quickly bent down and searched every corner once again. As Judith swept and scanned the dusty and cobweb-covered area, she felt something crunchy on her fingertips.
Judith carefully removed her hand, trying not to lose it or break it. The narrow opening made it difficult for her, but it soon caught on to her fingertips and revealed itself.
It looked like a string that tied medicinal herbs together. There was less than half a handful of dry grass about two fingers long, caught in the coarse fluff. Although it was black and obviously dry, it had a strange shine to it. She didn't know much about medicinal herbs, but the shape and color were different from the grass stems scattered all over the ground.
Judith carefully wrapped it in a thin handkerchief to prevent it from breaking and placed it in her bosom.
'I hope this is a clue.'
She searched to see if there was something similar somewhere further away, but there was no harvest. Judith, who was climbing the stairs half disappointed and half hopeful, suddenly narrowed her eyes and turned her head. Then she took a deep breath as much as she could and let it out slowly.
The medicine must have been boiling here for a long time, so how could it not smell like this?
Judith's scolding at the doctor with the brooch gun did not reach the Queen's ears. The doctor was arrogant but short-tempered. Even if he was a bold man, he would not have been brave enough to ignore the weight of the words that he was guilty of insulting the royal family since he was working in the royal palace.
Therefore, Dakar, the old doctor who regularly met with Queen Gilsis and reported to her, did not know what had happened between the doctor and Judith.
The Queen listened, but she was listening to similar reports every time as if she were bored and annoyed. Her nervousness was evident from her fingertips as she moved her fan.
“Are you using the medicine properly?”
“I’m sure I’m using the medicine as you asked, Queen Mother.”
“What about that girl?”
Dakar's wrinkled forehead furrowed deeper in a tone of voice that didn't know whether he was asking a question or making an accusation.
“Are you talking about the Princess”
“Then is there another girl there?”
“Oh, yes. I'm sorry... As for Her Highness, that..."
Dakar hesitated and couldn't answer. Just by looking at it, Queen Gilsis could tell that her plan was going awry. She became even more angry and threw down the fan she was holding.
“Did you sew up your mouth? Why can’t you speak with your mouth open?”
“Her Highness the Princess, without the slightest mistake..”
The queen stamped her shoe on the floor. However, there was no sound due to the soft carpet. She was so angry that she couldn't bear it, so she frantically trampled on the fan that had fallen on the floor. The lace and feathers at the ends of the fan were cruelly torn off, and the delicately woven flesh was broken by her carelessness.
"I have no idea what kind of bizarre trick that girl is doing. Watch carefully, but don't do something stupid like the last guy and spill your food."
“Your Highness!”
This was the moment when Judith, with her fists tightly clenched, took a deep breath to call the soldiers. After shouting in a hurry, the doctor fell flat on the floor and crawled on his knees with his hands clasped together.
“Well, I was wrong. I dared to offend Your Highness with my presumptuous remarks and actions. That... But if you forgive me once, it will never happen again.”
The doctor's decision was quick. Even if Judith herself was nothing to be afraid of, Franz, the King's eldest son, and the son of the Duke of Vergy, who had kicked out the court physician last time, were worthy opponents. The crime of insulting and deceiving the royal family is never taken lightly. If Judith cries and complains to them...
"...I will help you find the brooch. If you just tell me what kind of brooch it is, I'll search all over the place from now on...”
“This is the brooch His Highness gave me when I came to Rotair. Get out, because I don’t even want to be touched by a traitor like you.”
At that moment, Judith could see the doctor's eyes rolling anxiously. However, he soon stood up hesitantly and walked backward out of the kitchen. As soon as he left, the soldiers' disappeared. Only then did Judith relax her wide-open eyes and bite his lip.
There is something. There's clearly something here, but where is it?
After confirming that the commotion had completely disappeared, Judith quickly bent down and searched every corner once again. As Judith swept and scanned the dusty and cobweb-covered area, she felt something crunchy on her fingertips.
Judith carefully removed her hand, trying not to lose it or break it. The narrow opening made it difficult for her, but it soon caught on to her fingertips and revealed itself.
It looked like a string that tied medicinal herbs together. There was less than half a handful of dry grass about two fingers long, caught in the coarse fluff. Although it was black and obviously dry, it had a strange shine to it. She didn't know much about medicinal herbs, but the shape and color were different from the grass stems scattered all over the ground.
Judith carefully wrapped it in a thin handkerchief to prevent it from breaking and placed it in her bosom.
'I hope this is a clue.'
She searched to see if there was something similar somewhere further away, but there was no harvest. Judith, who was climbing the stairs half disappointed and half hopeful, suddenly narrowed her eyes and turned her head. Then she took a deep breath as much as she could and let it out slowly.
The medicine must have been boiling here for a long time, so how could it not smell like this?
***
Judith's scolding at the doctor with the brooch gun did not reach the Queen's ears. The doctor was arrogant but short-tempered. Even if he was a bold man, he would not have been brave enough to ignore the weight of the words that he was guilty of insulting the royal family since he was working in the royal palace.
Therefore, Dakar, the old doctor who regularly met with Queen Gilsis and reported to her, did not know what had happened between the doctor and Judith.
The Queen listened, but she was listening to similar reports every time as if she were bored and annoyed. Her nervousness was evident from her fingertips as she moved her fan.
“Are you using the medicine properly?”
“I’m sure I’m using the medicine as you asked, Queen Mother.”
“What about that girl?”
Dakar's wrinkled forehead furrowed deeper in a tone of voice that didn't know whether he was asking a question or making an accusation.
“Are you talking about the Princess”
“Then is there another girl there?”
“Oh, yes. I'm sorry... As for Her Highness, that..."
Dakar hesitated and couldn't answer. Just by looking at it, Queen Gilsis could tell that her plan was going awry. She became even more angry and threw down the fan she was holding.
“Did you sew up your mouth? Why can’t you speak with your mouth open?”
“Her Highness the Princess, without the slightest mistake..”
The queen stamped her shoe on the floor. However, there was no sound due to the soft carpet. She was so angry that she couldn't bear it, so she frantically trampled on the fan that had fallen on the floor. The lace and feathers at the ends of the fan were cruelly torn off, and the delicately woven flesh was broken by her carelessness.
“You guys aren’t fooling me by falling with that girl, are you?”
“Well, can I do that, Your Majesty? Who dares....”
"How! How can you not catch even one hint of a girl who is only seventeen years old! How could this happen unless you guys fell for that girl’s tricks!”
It was completely far-fetched. But Dakar really made her curious about the reason. Even as he watched from the sidelines, he could not understand how Judith was able to nurse and serve King Jedercayer so perfectly. Looking at her skillful hand movements, as if she had been next to the sick person for two or three years at a time, he wondered if she was really seventeen.
The Queen, who had been rioting, finally calmed down after drinking the water Margit brought. But her red, swollen eyes still looked creepy.
“If you don’t do it right.”
“...”
“You all know what will happen.”
“Yes, yes.”
"Get out."
Dakar pretended to retreat in a hurry. He knew that what Queen Gilsis meant was not just surveillance of Judith.
A crunching sound came from the Queen's fingertips as she gripped the handle of the sofa. She was doubtful whether she could continue to trust that sinister old man, but the risk was too great to change all the doctors who would now be in charge of the King. Although she has been able to bribe those who are willing to give in to her for money so far, including the Dakar, she cannot guarantee that the next person she finds will also get over so easily.
She thought about sending the Queen's maids or servants to double-surveilled, but she soon gave up. She should also avoid accumulating too much snow. The Queen's eyes twinkled ominously.
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