Krald was very angry. He huffed and stormed out, infuriated further by the fact that his mother did not even try to catch him.
The moment his mother took the woman who was her maid's daughter and made her sit in front of him, Krald was overcome with rage that made the hair on his head stand on end.
Her thin face, which introduced herself as Flavia while shaking her fingertips, was pale, and the shoulders and nape of her neck that were exposed beyond her collar were dry and unattractive. But what offended Krald more than anything was the fact that she was taller than he was.
Queen Gilsis, who must have noticed that sign, glanced at Flavia, who seemed at a loss as to what to do and spoke coldly.
“Go and change into low-heeled shoes. Should you make the Prince look up at you?”
Flavia was embarrassed and hurriedly retreated. Krald, who had been glaring at her back as if she were his enemy, glanced back at his mother, seeing her for the first time today.
“Mother, you’re not telling me to take that woman as my Princess, are you? There’s nothing more to see, so send her back.”
“Why are you doing that?”
At the Queen's calm answer, which seemed as if she had made it up, Krald let out a "huh" sound as if he was shocked.
“Why? What is that? It's as big as a pole and doesn't have a single pretty corner! Why are she trembling like an idiot?”
“But she will obey you without any vain thoughts, Krald. You have to learn to think about things that are more important than her face.”
“The women who came before will obey me too! Send her back. I don’t even want to see her.”
“Krald, choosing a Princess is different from choosing the woman you would like to have fun with. As your mother said before, a Princess needs different conditions than those women. This is especially true for a woman who will become Queen in the future.”
“But I don’t like it!”
At that time, Flavia returned after changing her shoes. Her complexion was pitiful, and Krald didn't like the sight of it. Even with her barely-there heels, her shoes worn only by the maids, still standing face to face forced Krald to look up at her.
“I absolutely hate it! I would rather live alone than have a woman like that as my Princess!”
Krald shouted and ran out of the Queen's palace. When no one came to catch him until he had passed through the corridors, it was only then that Krald learned of the Queen's intentions. His mother did not just bring the woman to present herself to him. There was no doubt that she was doing her own internal affairs because she was going to be the Princess.
“Damn it!”
Krald came out and randomly kicked and trampled the flowers and bushes that the gardeners had carefully cultivated. Even though he did this until all the dirt had been dug up, his anger did not go away.
"Damn!"
Why is my mother doing this to me?
Unable to control his anger, Krald began to think that his mother was doing her part and tormenting him. He came to the point where he had the absurd delusion that perhaps she had decided that it would be more beneficial to embrace Franz instead of himself.
From a young age, he felt an indescribable sense of inferiority and jealousy when it came to things related to Franz. The son of the late Queen, whom the King cherished and loved so much. Although she was just a dead woman, people always remembered and mentioned the late Queen whenever they saw Franz. The King boasted that once his health recovered, he would soon make Franz Crown Prince.
Even though Queen Gilsis treated Franz so harshly and placed all kinds of good things at the feet of her son, his inferiority complex did not easily go away.
There were many people who pretended to bow down in front of his mother and him, but Krald did not believe them. If he turned around, they would point fingers at him as nothing more than the son of a concubine and whisper that Franz was the only one who would rise to the throne of the real Crown Prince.
With no one to correct him, the boy continued to become crooked and sinister.
When his mother announced that he would bring a shabby and weak woman to be Franz's wife, Krald could not control his joy. He tried to laugh at his frustration and heartache, not only because Franz had nothing, but because he had to marry an ugly woman as his wife.
But not everything went as he expected.
Judith was different from the rumors. Although she looked small and weak like people said, she was not stupid. She didn't have the looks to suit Krald's tastes, who only liked flashy and extravagant beauties, but she was as neat as a freshly bloomed water lily. She hadn't fully grown yet, so her chiseled features and bright blue eyes still caught everyone's attention.
But what did that woman mean just now?
From a young age, he felt an indescribable sense of inferiority and jealousy when it came to things related to Franz. The son of the late Queen, whom the King cherished and loved so much. Although she was just a dead woman, people always remembered and mentioned the late Queen whenever they saw Franz. The King boasted that once his health recovered, he would soon make Franz Crown Prince.
Even though Queen Gilsis treated Franz so harshly and placed all kinds of good things at the feet of her son, his inferiority complex did not easily go away.
There were many people who pretended to bow down in front of his mother and him, but Krald did not believe them. If he turned around, they would point fingers at him as nothing more than the son of a concubine and whisper that Franz was the only one who would rise to the throne of the real Crown Prince.
With no one to correct him, the boy continued to become crooked and sinister.
When his mother announced that he would bring a shabby and weak woman to be Franz's wife, Krald could not control his joy. He tried to laugh at his frustration and heartache, not only because Franz had nothing, but because he had to marry an ugly woman as his wife.
But not everything went as he expected.
Judith was different from the rumors. Although she looked small and weak like people said, she was not stupid. She didn't have the looks to suit Krald's tastes, who only liked flashy and extravagant beauties, but she was as neat as a freshly bloomed water lily. She hadn't fully grown yet, so her chiseled features and bright blue eyes still caught everyone's attention.
But what did that woman mean just now?
He was told that she was the same age as him, but there was no place where he wanted to draw attention to her obnoxiously tall height. He was wondering whose eyes she wanted to attract. The ruby hairpin that forcibly pulled together her thin hair and the scent of sassafras that wafted from the hem of her clothes were almost laughable.
Is my mother really trying to take that woman as a Princess? How could she do this to me?
Is my mother really trying to take that woman as a Princess? How could she do this to me?
Krald looked at the messed up flowers and started trampling them again. Not long ago, he got beaten up by Franz, and these days, nothing has happened.
“Oh my, you! Why are you ruining all the flowers?”
A loud and fussy voice was heard. It was familiar, but now it was annoying to his ears. Krald looked back at the woman, her hair wildly brushing his face as he couldn't contain his anger.
"What? Why are you here?”
It was Libencia Montfort. As if she didn't like his cold answer, she came to Krald's side with a sallow expression on her face and the hem of her dress fluttering.
“I came because I was jealous because the Queen Mother had brought the person who would become the second Princess.”
“Someone will be the Princess!”
Krald screamed. However, Libencia did not even blink her eyes and pouted her lips.
“Why are you angry at me? Isn’t it me who should be angry now?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. What are you so angry about?”
“Are you going to do this to me?”
Libencia was clinging to Krald's arm as if in a rage. She was older than Krald, but she never showed it to him. She clearly knew what a narrow-minded person Krald was, and she knew how to deal with him.
“You promised me. You said you would make me a Princess. I believed that and rejected all the suitors and offered my affection to you, but now it is obvious that I will become a laughing stock. So I don’t get angry?”
It seemed like she was going through every detail, but her voice was mixed with a nasal sound. Krald's eyes, looking down at the woman hanging on his arm, did not look old at all. His eyes were like those of a scoundrel who had become worn out and mean.
“Tell me why I can’t be Princess?”
“I don’t like it. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to hear it?”
“Hmm, I’ll think about it somewhere quieter than here.”
Libencia smiled brightly and crossed her arms as if asking when she had complained. Krald smiled approvingly at her, as if he were watching his obedient cat or dog, and disappeared beyond thr garden, carrying her with him.
Flavia, who was coming out of the Queen's palace, was watching the whole thing from afar. She saw everything from the way Libencia Montfort was clinging to Krald's arm to the way he was touching her waist and turning her around. Her bloodless, pale mouth trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes.
The Queen said in a clear tone, 'I will make you a Princess.' But she had no expectations or affection whatsoever. She had the same overbearing attitude towards the servants and attendants and seemed to refuse to listen to any rebuttal. Flavia's own mind and motivation were not even on her mind.
“Oh my, you! Why are you ruining all the flowers?”
A loud and fussy voice was heard. It was familiar, but now it was annoying to his ears. Krald looked back at the woman, her hair wildly brushing his face as he couldn't contain his anger.
"What? Why are you here?”
It was Libencia Montfort. As if she didn't like his cold answer, she came to Krald's side with a sallow expression on her face and the hem of her dress fluttering.
“I came because I was jealous because the Queen Mother had brought the person who would become the second Princess.”
“Someone will be the Princess!”
Krald screamed. However, Libencia did not even blink her eyes and pouted her lips.
“Why are you angry at me? Isn’t it me who should be angry now?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. What are you so angry about?”
“Are you going to do this to me?”
Libencia was clinging to Krald's arm as if in a rage. She was older than Krald, but she never showed it to him. She clearly knew what a narrow-minded person Krald was, and she knew how to deal with him.
“You promised me. You said you would make me a Princess. I believed that and rejected all the suitors and offered my affection to you, but now it is obvious that I will become a laughing stock. So I don’t get angry?”
It seemed like she was going through every detail, but her voice was mixed with a nasal sound. Krald's eyes, looking down at the woman hanging on his arm, did not look old at all. His eyes were like those of a scoundrel who had become worn out and mean.
“Tell me why I can’t be Princess?”
“I don’t like it. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to hear it?”
“Hmm, I’ll think about it somewhere quieter than here.”
Libencia smiled brightly and crossed her arms as if asking when she had complained. Krald smiled approvingly at her, as if he were watching his obedient cat or dog, and disappeared beyond thr garden, carrying her with him.
Flavia, who was coming out of the Queen's palace, was watching the whole thing from afar. She saw everything from the way Libencia Montfort was clinging to Krald's arm to the way he was touching her waist and turning her around. Her bloodless, pale mouth trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes.
The Queen said in a clear tone, 'I will make you a Princess.' But she had no expectations or affection whatsoever. She had the same overbearing attitude towards the servants and attendants and seemed to refuse to listen to any rebuttal. Flavia's own mind and motivation were not even on her mind.
Would a man like that become her husband?
She couldn't believe it. Because of her vain father, who scolded her mother whenever he got the chance, she never had any illusions about marriage. But still, how could something like this happen to her?
“Well...”
Flavia's body went down. Crouching in the shadow, where no one could see, she covered her mouth and cried endlessly. She got goosebumps from fear and disgust.
Even while Queen Gilsis was preparing to receive Margit's daughter as Princess, Judith was busy.
After receiving confirmation from Franz that he would go to the empire, Judith called Cheraan and Bartholomew and briefly informed them of the situation so far. The two were unable to keep their mouths shut for a long time due to the unexpectedly big event. Especially Bartholomew.
“Then, was this the reason you asked me to meet my father?”
“Yes, Bartholomew. I’m sorry for not being honest.”
"No! You are welcome. I was just surprised.”
With his eyes wide open, he covered his mouth with his hand and said over and over again, 'My uncle, my uncle...' he muttered. Cheraan was equally surprised, but instead, she reprimanded Judith.
“How could you possibly think of doing such a dangerous thing on your own! What would you have done if something had happened to Your Highness?”
“I’m sorry, Cheraan. I wanted to say it too, but... I couldn’t help it.”
“Keep it a secret from Mary Anne for the rest of your life. If she finds out that I did such a dangerous thing, I might spend the rest of my life locked up in the Princess's palace.”
Judith laughed at the joke, a mixture of resentment and relief. While she was relieved that she finally had time to laugh, she was also filled with worry because she thought there should be no problems until Franz left.
“They're coming to welcome Franz from the empire, right? When is that?”
“The Duke said it would be in four days.”
“Oh my God, there really isn’t much left. Have you finished your preparations?”
Judith nodded. The Duke of Vergy received a letter directly from the imperial family of the Delacca Empire through the Ducal family's contact network. It was said that the Prince of Rotair was pleased with his intention to study at the Imperial Academy and that he would send a small delegation to show proper respect, so send it with the Prince.
“The Queen will faint if she finds out.”
Cheraan giggled just thinking about it. Then Bartholomew intervened as if he had suddenly thought of something.
“Now that I think about it, I heard a rumor that Queen Gilsis is preparing for Prince Krald’s marriage. They said she had already chosen the woman who would become the Prince's concubine. Did Your Highness know about her?”
“Well...”
Flavia's body went down. Crouching in the shadow, where no one could see, she covered her mouth and cried endlessly. She got goosebumps from fear and disgust.
***
Even while Queen Gilsis was preparing to receive Margit's daughter as Princess, Judith was busy.
After receiving confirmation from Franz that he would go to the empire, Judith called Cheraan and Bartholomew and briefly informed them of the situation so far. The two were unable to keep their mouths shut for a long time due to the unexpectedly big event. Especially Bartholomew.
“Then, was this the reason you asked me to meet my father?”
“Yes, Bartholomew. I’m sorry for not being honest.”
"No! You are welcome. I was just surprised.”
With his eyes wide open, he covered his mouth with his hand and said over and over again, 'My uncle, my uncle...' he muttered. Cheraan was equally surprised, but instead, she reprimanded Judith.
“How could you possibly think of doing such a dangerous thing on your own! What would you have done if something had happened to Your Highness?”
“I’m sorry, Cheraan. I wanted to say it too, but... I couldn’t help it.”
“Keep it a secret from Mary Anne for the rest of your life. If she finds out that I did such a dangerous thing, I might spend the rest of my life locked up in the Princess's palace.”
Judith laughed at the joke, a mixture of resentment and relief. While she was relieved that she finally had time to laugh, she was also filled with worry because she thought there should be no problems until Franz left.
“They're coming to welcome Franz from the empire, right? When is that?”
“The Duke said it would be in four days.”
“Oh my God, there really isn’t much left. Have you finished your preparations?”
Judith nodded. The Duke of Vergy received a letter directly from the imperial family of the Delacca Empire through the Ducal family's contact network. It was said that the Prince of Rotair was pleased with his intention to study at the Imperial Academy and that he would send a small delegation to show proper respect, so send it with the Prince.
“The Queen will faint if she finds out.”
Cheraan giggled just thinking about it. Then Bartholomew intervened as if he had suddenly thought of something.
“Now that I think about it, I heard a rumor that Queen Gilsis is preparing for Prince Krald’s marriage. They said she had already chosen the woman who would become the Prince's concubine. Did Your Highness know about her?”
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