Taking advantage of the lax surveillance by the doctors, Judith smoothly reduced the amount of medicine the King took little by little every day.
The fact that he regained consciousness was a top secret. It was kept a secret from Cheraan, Bartholomew, and even Franz, and only Judith knew about it.
“Why did you do that?”
Taking advantage of the doctor's absence, Judith was helping him eat by adding the oatmeal she had secretly hidden into the soup. He had been in a coma for so long that it would be a long time before he could eat a proper meal.
“Your Majesty woke up because someday everyone will and should know, but I thought it was still too early.”
“Right now, I just open my eyes and speak, but I’m in the same state as when I was lying unconscious. It was a wise decision to take that into account.”
Judith's ears turned slightly red as she moved the spoon. Because he hit the nail on the head.
The current King was very weak. There was no need for anyone to know that he had awakened until his body, which had been worn out little by little over a very short period, was restored. Because they don't know what the Queen will do.
She indeed had that fact in mind, but when the King came forward and pointed it out, she felt sick. It was even more embarrassing that the King knew that even if he woke up, it would be of no use right now.
“It’s about being cautious.”
“Franz is lucky to have you.”
Said the King. Judith closed her mouth with a smile on her face, fed him the rest of the soup, and then put the bowl away.
“Your Majesty... Don’t you want to meet him?”
Judith asked carefully as she closed the window that had been slightly open to let in the breeze. The King's eyes blinked slowly as if he were tired.
Contrary to her fear that he would dislike her or, worse, drive her out, the King seemed to like Judith. Also, the longer he was awake, the calmer he became and the more agile his thinking became.
Although he knew that Judith was trying to take advantage of him in a very cautious and attentive manner, he turned a blind eye to it. Whatever the intention, it was the result of judging that Judith would not cause harm to Franz or the Royal Family of Rothair.
As small conversations continued little by little, a loose and strange bond emerged between Judith and King Jedercayer, sharing secrets. Nevertheless, he never spoke of Franz. Judith always found it strange.
Franz is the only child born to the wife he loved so much. There's no way he wouldn't be curious, right? Is he saying he doesn't want to know if he's healthy or how he grew up?
“Is there any way you wouldn’t want to meet him?”
The Silent King finally opened his mouth. Judith's expression noticeably brightened, but after hearing the words that followed, it darkened again.
“But at the same time, I don’t want to meet him.”
“Why are you like that?”
“I took that child...”
Along with the blurred ends of his words, even his gaze became blurred. Black light flickered in the King's eyes like a deep puddle. From the moment he heard Franz's name, his emotions fluctuated so uncontrollably that even he could not control them.
After waking up from a long sleep of his own choosing, King Jedecayer was sometimes overcome by extreme anxiety and aimless sadness and was tormented by the urge to sob uncontrollably like a child. Most of them started with the new realization of Emerea's absence and culminated in complex regrets toward Franz, a child whom he had not seen for several years.
The King knew very well why Franz's name appeared several times in trivial conversations with Judith. Even though she was still young and immature, she had a strangely old-fashioned side to her. He had already noticed that Judith repeatedly brought up the topic of Franz on purpose.
At first, the King tried not to think much about Franz. He thought that as long as he was alive and not dead, that was enough and that it would not matter even if Franz resented and hated him.
But it was a mistake.
- Queen Mother still hates him and makes him suffer.
Gilsis did not like Franz from the beginning. She hated Emerea so much that she considered even her only child, Franz, to be a thorn in her eyes. King Jedercayer himself knew this, but he was out of his mind at the time to protect his son, Franz, due to the loss of Emerea.
- It was me, not Gilsis, who caused Franz pain. This is what I did.
In front of Judith, who asked him to please think about the time Franz had endured, the King said this as if he were penitent.
Queen Gilsis longed for his affection all her life but received nothing in return. While her pride, which was originally fierce, was cruelly broken and she was hurt, she became more and more marked day by day.
The few months that passed when she barged into the King's bedroom because he did not want to have children with another woman drove the arrogant woman crazy. The Queen's knife, which began chopping Franz's entire body, was a by-product of such madness.
From some point on, the time he spent falling asleep became longer, and even when he woke up, he realized that his self-consciousness was not clear, as if he was wandering in a hazy fog, so the King thought he was rather fortunate.
He thought that if he, the one who had driven Gilsis crazy, disappeared, or at least fell into a sleep from which he could not wake up, her evil anger would subside to some extent. He thought that if he could do that, Franz would also be free from the shackles of hatred.
What a selfish expectation that was.
He threw Franz into an uncertain future that no one could predict, and thought that if he just closed his eyes, everything would go back to normal. Foolishly.
"Your Majesty."
Judith came near the bed, knelt under it, and held the King's hand. Her fingertips, which should have been very soft as a girl of noble status, were dry and rough from doing chores that only servants would do. The King patted the back of her hand slowly and tried to give her a weak smile. The corners of her lips trembled slightly.
“Please meet him.”
“Why are you asking me again to see Franz? I want to know why.”
At those words, Judith twitched her fingertips for a moment, then furrowed her still-young forehead slightly. Her eyes, which rarely wavered, contained concerns and hesitation that had never been seen before.
“The reason I am asking Your Majesty to meet His Highness is...”
“...”
Judith took another breath.
“I dare say, I hope that Your Majesty will look at the current Prince Franz and think of the late Queen Mother.”
The King was speechless after hearing her words. The dignity and prudence of a ruler took root in his gaze, which had been clouded and stained with regret.
“Do you expect me to find the shadow of Emerea in that child and feel sorry for him and feel bad about him?”
"That's right."
Judith bit her lip slightly. However, it was only for a moment that she regretted answering too honestly. Unless she said this, King Jedercayer would be overcome by regret and fear of his own making and would hesitate to meet Franz in the future.
It shouldn't be like that. There was no time. He had to make a decision as soon as possible, only then could she achieve her goal.
“What do you want to do with that child?”
The moment he asked the question, the King saw Judith's face change into that of another person. She was strangely smart and calm, but in front of him, her expression, which had always been docile and calm, became as sharp as a blade.
“I dare to answer Your Majesty. I ask Your Majesty to place epauletts of iron and elm on both of his shoulders, raise a cup of jade, and bless him.”
It was an unexpected answer, but the moment he heard it, the King was struck by the strange thought that he already knew that Judith would say that.
What Judith said was part of the ceremony held when the King was crowned in Rotair. The process of placing an epaulette symbolizing powerful royal authority and noble lineage on a new King, or a person with equivalent authority, to the new King, and blessing the new King and the future of the country with alcohol filled in a jade cup handed down from the first founding King. It was a very important part of the long ceremony.
Rather than simply replying that she wanted to see Franz ascend to the throne, the King read Judith's determination and sincerity in that she accurately mentioned the part that could be considered the climax of the ceremony. He also vaguely sensed that she was still keeping her most important purpose hidden.
“Is that all?”
The King's voice was as heavy as a weight. There was no answer from Judith. The King spoke again.
“I can tell just by looking into your eyes. You don’t just want Franz to sit on the throne.”
“...What are you looking at, Your Majesty?”
“Why is the hatred in you so deep? Is it my old arrogance to think that I am not old enough for that yet?”
By not answering this time, Judith denied the King's words while also affirming them. He could probably guess that Judith hated Queen Gilsis, but he would never be able to find out the crucial secret she kept hidden.
That her life had already been cruelly trampled upon once. Also, Franz's life, which he had ignored, was ruined, withered, and eventually fell to pieces.
“You’re not giving me an answer. I don’t hate stubborn children.”
The King laughed briefly. At the same time, the burning anger and hostility in Judith's eyes quietly faded away.
“If I needed your help right now, would you please help me?”
“What kind of help do you need?”
“It is said that the imperial family of the Delaka Empire has established a new academy. I would like to send Franz there.”
This was unexpected, but the King was not greatly embarrassed. While he was lost in thought, smoothing the corners of his chapped mouth, he looked at Judith.
“Are you planning to send him to the Empire to study?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Does Franz want it?”
“He knows absolutely nothing about this. It's just one thought, and it's also just one plan. Your Majesty, it may be presumptuous to say this, but the Queen Mother's cruelty aimed at His Highness Franz has gone too far a long time ago. If you let him stay with the Queen Mother like this, he will soon break down both physically and mentally.”
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