Judith and Bartholomew passed through the back garden and moved toward the quiet corridor of Astel Palace. Bartholomew, who had been looking around nervously the whole time he was following her, was impatient, and as soon as he reached a place where no one was there, he hurriedly started asking questions as if he could not wait any longer.
“Your Highness, what’s going on? If there is a big problem for His Majesty...”
“No, there is no problem with Your Majesty. Don’t worry.”
“Then why...”
Bartholomew, speechless, glanced back at the road they had just passed. He was worried about Franz, who would be left alone and puzzled. Even though Judith was aware of such signs, she deliberately did not mention them or point them out.
“Bartholomew, I must meet your father, the Duke of Vergy.”
“My father? Are you speaking alone?”
"Is it so. Could you please give me a seat? It doesn’t have to be the royal palace.”
Bartholomew was truly embarrassed. He was puzzled that she had only called him instead of Franz, and he had not even expected that the purpose of it was to meet his father, the Duke, and not himself. Judith's expression looked so desperate and serious that his nervous suspicions grew stronger.
“I’d like to ask what’s causing it if you don’t mind. If I can be of any help, I will. So....”
“I know Bartholomew’s sincerity, but I can’t.”
“It’s not that you don’t want to ask for my help, but are you saying that I can’t help in the first place?”
"Is it so. Bartholomew can't help. This is something your father, the Duke, must do.”
It was a resolute attitude. Still, it was an answer that suggested several possibilities. Something Bartholomew cannot help but his father has to do. It occurred to him that if it was something that the Duke himself would personally come forward to, it would not be a personal matter and that it would at least have something to do with Franz or perhaps King Jedercayer.
Bartholomew was reminded of the fact that Judith had been taking care of the King all along.
Could it be that something has changed in the King's condition?
If so, she will definitely need the Duke's advice or help. Whether the change was for the worse or the better, he was convinced that Judith knew something that could never be told to Queen Gilsis or the doctors.
“If you just say that, it means that I shouldn’t know the exact details.”
At first glance, conflict appeared on Judith's face. But she nodded her head again, slowly this time.
“...Yes. I can't tell you. If I could have said it, I would have asked you for it without having to bother Bartholomew.”
“Even Franz shouldn’t know about this. I’d like to ask you just one thing, Your Highness.”
“What is it?”
“It won’t be a risk to your safety, right?”
As Judith looked up at him, a smile similar to her usual smile finally appeared. However, Bartholomew's expression was more serious than ever, so she could not help but laugh.
“It’s not like that. But I can't guarantee it. I hope you understand what I’m saying up to this point.”
“If it’s something that could be dangerous to you, my father will try to stop it.”
“I know. Directly to me... It won't be an immediate danger. If things go well, there won't be any danger. Are you going to do me a favor?”
He couldn't refuse. Judith felt relieved when Bartholomew said that he would bring the answer by tomorrow. And he immediately rushed to the Prince's palace to prepare the necessary things.
“Take a look this way. Yes, that's right. Lift your arms a little more.”
At the Queen's urging, Krald half-heartedly raised his arms with a sullen expression on his face. Just before reaching the back of his hand, the Queen continued to admire him as she touched the cuffs that fell to just the right length.
“Perhaps the tailor-made such a fuss that you really have grown up a lot!”
“His Highness Krald is getting taller by the day.”
Marchioness Gothel, who was a guest, gave a flattering compliment as if she had been waiting. The Queen looked so moved that she almost shed tears as she watched Krald decorate her sourly.
For Queen Gilsis, Krald was the only child whom it would not hurt to look at. Despite his violence and overbearing nature, the only person to whom she showed endless patience and kindness was her son, Krald. It was another side of her that she had never shown, even to her husband and lord, King Jedecayer.
After the death of Queen Emerea, King Jedercayer, who took Gilsis as his second Queen, let out a sound like a thunderbolt from the bedroom decorated for the first night.
- I will respect you as a Queen and treat you without any deficiency until the day I die. But I don't want another wife. I don't want any more children. I will not care at all whether you have a lover or a mistress. So please do not expect from me the duties of a husband rather than a King. I don't want to humiliate you without even thinking about it.
Queen Gilsis wanted to mercilessly punch the man who said those words with the saddest face in the world. Not to expect any duties as her husband? He doesn't want her to be embarrassed?
What on earth could be more insulting than that?
Gilsis, who believed that now that Emerea was dead, she could have that great love all to herself, cried and clung to the King from the first night, but all she got in return was a friendly cold shoulder.
If he had acted coldly and viciously, Gilsys's pride would not have collapsed so much. As he said, she may have created a government just to show off.
However, the King was never angry with Gilsis. Rather, he seemed to sympathize with her and feel sorry for her. Gilsis couldn't forgive that more than anything. She was in a situation where someone pitied her. It was the first time in her life that she had experienced such humiliation.
It was easy to storm into the bed of the King, who was losing strength day by day due to grief and put him into a stupor. He was drugged by alcohol and incense, and sometimes ran wild as if she were a truly crazy woman. One day, she made a chemise with the same design as the one Emerea liked to wear and went up to the King's bed wearing it.
No matter how cruel Gilsis committed, the King did not reprimand her but forgave her. Because he didn't love her, because he was indifferent, she was like that. He was terrible.
The King, who had lost his senses and was holding her in his arms or being restrained by himself, occasionally bit his molars and called out Emerea's name.
Every time Gilsis heard that pain-filled voice, it felt like her whole body was breaking into pieces. If she could, she wanted to open her chest with her own hands, pull out the heart inside, and present it in front of the King. She wanted to scream to see with his own eyes how his great love and petty hypocrisy had corrupted her.
When the child was born, Gilsis decided that if the child was not a son, she would kill the child and kill herself. She vowed that if a son was born, she would do whatever it took to make that child sit on the throne.
Thus, Krald was born. Queen Gilsis gathered all the good things in the world for her son. She accepted all his complaints and arrogant nature and raised him in her arms. As he grew older, Krald often displayed a vicious temper not only in front of his subordinates but also in front of his mother, the Queen, but she considered such a trait necessary for a King and truly found it admirable.
She believed that the only and just revenge she could take was to push out Emerea's child and have Krald succeed to the throne. It didn't take long for her twisted obsession to paralyze her reason.
“Because Princ Krald has grown up to be so manly and dignified, the ladies, including myself, are so infatuated with him that they suffer from unrequited love.”
The Baroness, who likes to chat, suddenly joined in. Krald glanced at her, then snorted and buttoned his new jacket. And he spoke in a haughty voice.
“There are many women who say they have a crush on me, but there isn’t a single one that I like. If you think you’re a little quiet, it’s all pretense. If you think you’re smart, you tend to be rude. Why are there so many women who talk a lot about irrelevant topics?”
The Baroness immediately looked embarrassed. Although he was the Queen's son, he did not speak or act in a manner that would be seen in front of noble ladies older than him. However, instead of scolding her son, Queen Gilsis issued a ban on the Baroness who had offended him.
“I have a headache again. Let’s go back for today.”
“No, Queen, I...”
“Didn’t you hear me tell you to go back?”
The Baroness, whose face was pitifully blue, stood up awkwardly. Then the other guests, who were watching her, followed her out. Krald twitched the bridge of his nose with an unpleasant look on his face and stroked his hair, which had been neatly combed by the servant.
“It’s so disgusting that I can’t stand it, Mother when women like that are candidates for the Princess and bring a daughter who looks just like her.”
“This mother understands too. No matter what kind of discerning eye my son has, it's only natural that you don't have a girl that catches your eye. But Krald, you must have a Princess.”
“Why are you saying no to Libencia?”
Krald fired a pack. Then the Queen, who had seemed to be holding a small child just a moment ago, narrowed her eyebrows with all her might.
“You mean that light-assed girl, the daughter of the Count Montfort? Krald, baby. Such women may be nice to play with, but they should never be kept as Princesses. The Princess is your official wife. She must participate in all kinds of events with you, and when you ascend to the throne, will she not be the noblest woman in the land? It’s ridiculous of you to put a woman who has been bewitching men even before she’s married, in such a precious position.”
“If you look for a decent woman, it’s obvious that I will end up with a boring and ugly woman like Brother Franz’s Princess.”
The Queen's expression softened. She spoke again, gently touching Krald's back and his shoulders as if to soothe him.
“A Princess doesn’t have to be beautiful. She's docile, she quietly obeys you, and if she gives birth to legitimate children, that's all she has. If you really like the daughter of Count Montfort, you will love her and make her your mistress. But what she receives as a Prince’s wife, this mother is absolutely the opposite.”
“If you just say that, it means that I shouldn’t know the exact details.”
At first glance, conflict appeared on Judith's face. But she nodded her head again, slowly this time.
“...Yes. I can't tell you. If I could have said it, I would have asked you for it without having to bother Bartholomew.”
“Even Franz shouldn’t know about this. I’d like to ask you just one thing, Your Highness.”
“What is it?”
“It won’t be a risk to your safety, right?”
As Judith looked up at him, a smile similar to her usual smile finally appeared. However, Bartholomew's expression was more serious than ever, so she could not help but laugh.
“It’s not like that. But I can't guarantee it. I hope you understand what I’m saying up to this point.”
“If it’s something that could be dangerous to you, my father will try to stop it.”
“I know. Directly to me... It won't be an immediate danger. If things go well, there won't be any danger. Are you going to do me a favor?”
He couldn't refuse. Judith felt relieved when Bartholomew said that he would bring the answer by tomorrow. And he immediately rushed to the Prince's palace to prepare the necessary things.
***
“Take a look this way. Yes, that's right. Lift your arms a little more.”
At the Queen's urging, Krald half-heartedly raised his arms with a sullen expression on his face. Just before reaching the back of his hand, the Queen continued to admire him as she touched the cuffs that fell to just the right length.
“Perhaps the tailor-made such a fuss that you really have grown up a lot!”
“His Highness Krald is getting taller by the day.”
Marchioness Gothel, who was a guest, gave a flattering compliment as if she had been waiting. The Queen looked so moved that she almost shed tears as she watched Krald decorate her sourly.
For Queen Gilsis, Krald was the only child whom it would not hurt to look at. Despite his violence and overbearing nature, the only person to whom she showed endless patience and kindness was her son, Krald. It was another side of her that she had never shown, even to her husband and lord, King Jedecayer.
After the death of Queen Emerea, King Jedercayer, who took Gilsis as his second Queen, let out a sound like a thunderbolt from the bedroom decorated for the first night.
- I will respect you as a Queen and treat you without any deficiency until the day I die. But I don't want another wife. I don't want any more children. I will not care at all whether you have a lover or a mistress. So please do not expect from me the duties of a husband rather than a King. I don't want to humiliate you without even thinking about it.
Queen Gilsis wanted to mercilessly punch the man who said those words with the saddest face in the world. Not to expect any duties as her husband? He doesn't want her to be embarrassed?
What on earth could be more insulting than that?
Gilsis, who believed that now that Emerea was dead, she could have that great love all to herself, cried and clung to the King from the first night, but all she got in return was a friendly cold shoulder.
If he had acted coldly and viciously, Gilsys's pride would not have collapsed so much. As he said, she may have created a government just to show off.
However, the King was never angry with Gilsis. Rather, he seemed to sympathize with her and feel sorry for her. Gilsis couldn't forgive that more than anything. She was in a situation where someone pitied her. It was the first time in her life that she had experienced such humiliation.
It was easy to storm into the bed of the King, who was losing strength day by day due to grief and put him into a stupor. He was drugged by alcohol and incense, and sometimes ran wild as if she were a truly crazy woman. One day, she made a chemise with the same design as the one Emerea liked to wear and went up to the King's bed wearing it.
No matter how cruel Gilsis committed, the King did not reprimand her but forgave her. Because he didn't love her, because he was indifferent, she was like that. He was terrible.
The King, who had lost his senses and was holding her in his arms or being restrained by himself, occasionally bit his molars and called out Emerea's name.
Every time Gilsis heard that pain-filled voice, it felt like her whole body was breaking into pieces. If she could, she wanted to open her chest with her own hands, pull out the heart inside, and present it in front of the King. She wanted to scream to see with his own eyes how his great love and petty hypocrisy had corrupted her.
When the child was born, Gilsis decided that if the child was not a son, she would kill the child and kill herself. She vowed that if a son was born, she would do whatever it took to make that child sit on the throne.
Thus, Krald was born. Queen Gilsis gathered all the good things in the world for her son. She accepted all his complaints and arrogant nature and raised him in her arms. As he grew older, Krald often displayed a vicious temper not only in front of his subordinates but also in front of his mother, the Queen, but she considered such a trait necessary for a King and truly found it admirable.
She believed that the only and just revenge she could take was to push out Emerea's child and have Krald succeed to the throne. It didn't take long for her twisted obsession to paralyze her reason.
“Because Princ Krald has grown up to be so manly and dignified, the ladies, including myself, are so infatuated with him that they suffer from unrequited love.”
The Baroness, who likes to chat, suddenly joined in. Krald glanced at her, then snorted and buttoned his new jacket. And he spoke in a haughty voice.
“There are many women who say they have a crush on me, but there isn’t a single one that I like. If you think you’re a little quiet, it’s all pretense. If you think you’re smart, you tend to be rude. Why are there so many women who talk a lot about irrelevant topics?”
The Baroness immediately looked embarrassed. Although he was the Queen's son, he did not speak or act in a manner that would be seen in front of noble ladies older than him. However, instead of scolding her son, Queen Gilsis issued a ban on the Baroness who had offended him.
“I have a headache again. Let’s go back for today.”
“No, Queen, I...”
“Didn’t you hear me tell you to go back?”
The Baroness, whose face was pitifully blue, stood up awkwardly. Then the other guests, who were watching her, followed her out. Krald twitched the bridge of his nose with an unpleasant look on his face and stroked his hair, which had been neatly combed by the servant.
“It’s so disgusting that I can’t stand it, Mother when women like that are candidates for the Princess and bring a daughter who looks just like her.”
“This mother understands too. No matter what kind of discerning eye my son has, it's only natural that you don't have a girl that catches your eye. But Krald, you must have a Princess.”
“Why are you saying no to Libencia?”
Krald fired a pack. Then the Queen, who had seemed to be holding a small child just a moment ago, narrowed her eyebrows with all her might.
“You mean that light-assed girl, the daughter of the Count Montfort? Krald, baby. Such women may be nice to play with, but they should never be kept as Princesses. The Princess is your official wife. She must participate in all kinds of events with you, and when you ascend to the throne, will she not be the noblest woman in the land? It’s ridiculous of you to put a woman who has been bewitching men even before she’s married, in such a precious position.”
“If you look for a decent woman, it’s obvious that I will end up with a boring and ugly woman like Brother Franz’s Princess.”
The Queen's expression softened. She spoke again, gently touching Krald's back and his shoulders as if to soothe him.
“A Princess doesn’t have to be beautiful. She's docile, she quietly obeys you, and if she gives birth to legitimate children, that's all she has. If you really like the daughter of Count Montfort, you will love her and make her your mistress. But what she receives as a Prince’s wife, this mother is absolutely the opposite.”
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