4 years later.
After an unusually heavy spring and early summer, Rotair was filled with new energy. In estates with a lot of barley farming, people were excited to prepare for a bountiful harvest, and in estates with many orchards, they were so excited to see the fruit ripening solidly that they lost track of time.
Soon June will come and the summer rains will begin to fall. When the rain stopped, a founding ceremony was held in Rotair to commemorate the founding of the nation and celebrate the peace and glory of the kingdom. Since it was a large-scale festival held for three days for not only the royal family but also commoners to enjoy, there were many things to prepare.
Regardless of status rich or poor, young ladies worked day and night to prepare new clothes to wear during the National Foundation Festival. The capital's most prestigious clothing stores kept their lights on all night and screamed with joy as they filled out backlogged orders. The situation was similar for each jewelry store, shoe store, and hat store.
“Princess, I heard this suits you better with the clothes you wore today, yes?"
Mary Anne stamped her feet as she said the same thing several times already. In her hand was a flat jewelry box, and inside was a diamond necklace that sparkled brightly in the light. It was a gift from King Jedercayer in celebration of Judith's birthday last winter.
“Put it back carefully, Mary Anne. This is all I need.”
“I really can’t stop you.”
In the end, Mary Anne lost. Judith, who was smiling while listening to the sound of footsteps, looked at the necklace around her neck in the mirror. At the center of her thin white silver cord was a drop-shaped aquamarine. It was a pale blue color as if a leisurely falling raindrop had been gently taken and turned into a jewel.
Mary Anne, who returned with the necklace, took out a mother-of-pearl comb and carefully combed Judith's long hair. Her dark blue hair was long enough to reach her waist, flowing beautifully and naturally like the water of a flowing river.
Mary Anne, who was looking with admiration at the hair falling gently through the teeth of the comb, said fussily.
“Your hair has really improved, Princess. Princess's hair was really beautiful before, but these days, I think it's really captivating. Do you think Nymphanas have hair like this?”
“That’s a fairy from a fairy tale, Mary Anne.”
“That’s right! Princess is like a fairy. I’m just saying this now, but when I look at you these days, I can’t even think of what you looked like when you were in Tien.”
Judith laughed quietly as if she could not stop Mary Anne. Her long, loose hair was neatly trimmed to the ends, and her make-up was completed by putting on a headdress made of tightly woven sapphires and diamonds. Mary Anne lightly dabbed ha lily-of-the-valley and jasmine perfume behind her ears and placed her hand on Judith's shoulder with a proud expression.
“Okay, now you’re done.”
“Thank you.”
Judith patted the back of Mary Anne's hand and stood up. Mary Anne looked up at her gaze, which had risen to about half a span, with a somewhat new feeling.
“What’s wrong, Mary Anne?”
“No, Princess... I thought you were really tall. You were shorter than me a few years ago.”
"I know... It did. I was surprised that I still had time to grow even though I was almost 20 years old.”
Judith smiled slightly, stretched out her arms, and looked down. She was different from before when she looked scrawny and ridiculously sickly.
Although she still had a slender physique, her appearance gradually changed as she grew taller and gained weight little by little. Her face, which had once looked young and clumsy, had completely matured and become brighter, and she no longer had any trace of her days as the humble Princess of Tien, as Mary Anne had said.
“By the way, Princess. Summer Dress Gabon is tomorrow. You remember, right?”
“Oh my, I forgot. That was tomorrow.”
“If things were the way they were, I would have to do Princess’s work first.”
Mary Anne, who was adjusting the ribbon on her back, pursed her lips. Judith quietly smiled bitterly.
There were dozens of dressing rooms in the capital, but the owners of the dressing rooms who could enter the royal palace were limited to a few people. Needless to say, it was Queen Gilsis who was the first to choose the dress she would wear to the festival, but Judith, who should have been next, did not meet her seamstresses until the end of May. It was the result of the Queen's all manner of cruelty, telling her to make a dress for thr second Princess, Flavia, first.
Of course, it wasn't because she liked her daughter-in-law, Flavia. She just didn't want to give anything to Judith. In fact, Queen Gilsis was busy visiting and belittling Flavia while she was choosing and making her dress. People say she's too tall and has a lot of colors that don't suit her, people say she's stiff like a wooden stick and doesn't look good, people ask if this is the only way he can stand next to Krald...
Flavia, who had to endure the humiliation for almost a month, became nauseous as soon as she saw the finished dress and fell ill for several days. Then, the Queen forced the sick woman to stand up and beat her to death again.
“Order doesn’t matter, Mary Anne.”
“That’s right, but... Still, I’m upset.”
Judith tapped the bridge of Mary Anne's nose, who was frowning, with her fingertip, and went out, straightening the elegant flowing hem of her robe.
Cheraan, who had been waiting while she was getting dressed, quickly followed Judith. She also grew taller over the years. She wore a captivating rose-colored dress but still had a long sword at her waist.
“You’re beautiful today too, Your Highness.”
“Cheraan, do you know that the way you talk these days is becoming similar to Bartholomew?”
“No, that bear guy and me? Where on earth are you going?”
Cheraan pretended to jump up. Even as she said that Judith did not know that a strange current had been flowing between the two for some time. Judith narrowed her eyes without even trying to hide the laughter that was leaking out.
“It’s like a bear... If Bartholomew is a bear, then what is Cheraan? Bear trainer?”
“Why am I a bear trainer?”
“That’s obvious. When Cheraan waves his hand this way, Bartholomew looks that way. And if you shake it that way, he looks that way again. So what else can you do if you're not a trainer?”
“...Your Highness, aren’t you teasing me too much these days?”
Cheraan crossed her arms and pretended to roll her eyes. Judith couldn't help but giggle.
“It’s cute when I see you together, so stop.”
“That’s what you say. Do you not think that you will soon become an object of ridicule?”
"Why me?"
Judith's eyes widened as if she didn't really know. As the years passed, Judith became more mature and beautiful. The deep shadow that had occasionally appeared on her face had faded as time passed and was now difficult to spot. However, only her eyes, which were light blue like a lake, were as clear and intelligent as ever.
“Why? Franz will be back soon after finishing his studies. Then he won’t want to be away from you even for a moment, but you don’t think that Bartholomew and I will just sit there and watch, do you?”
Judith's face instantly turned bright red. That reaction was exactly what Cheraan had been waiting for, so she immediately burst into laughter. She left for another place, just as other nobles passing by turned their heads to her in surprise and then ran away when they realized that the person smiling was Cheraan Ebelta.
“Even when he comes back, you will be busy. As for the time you have to stick with me...”
“Do you really think so? Really? Really?”
“Of course, you are busy. You may not be able to open your eyes, but does that mean you don't have time to be with Your Highness? If you're like me, you'll want to make time to be together, even if it means carving out the time you don't have. Not only during the day but also at night...”
“Cheraan!”
Judith could not bear it any longer and raised her voice. At best, Cheraan just smiled as if she wasn't scared at all, so Judith turned her head with a slightly troubled expression. Cheraan, smiling like she was being naughty, shrugged her shoulders and said.
“I’m sure Your Highness is very much waiting for him to come, right?”
“Then, don’t wait. Every time I heard that he achieved excellent results, I was very happy.”
“So is that so? My father said that Your Majesty’s complexion has improved a lot these days.”
King Jedekaire, who regained consciousness, quickly restored the power controlled by Queen Gilsis. The Duke of Vergy, as well as the Marquis of Ebelta, Cheraan's father, did not want to miss the opportunity and quickly assisted the King to straighten out the power map that had been disrupted.
There were times when the King's body, which had been slowly weakening for a long time, could not bear it, but after he woke up, Queen Gilsis was never able to directly intervene in politics again. Centrist and royalist nobles, who were only watching her, busily attended the meeting, and many of the nobles who were active under the Queen's power were eliminated or kept in check, making it impossible for them to move carelessly.
“Have you heard the story that the Queen’s palace maids change every day?”
Judith neither confirmed nor denied what Cheraan said. She heard the news from the Queen maids even if she didn't want to hear it. For the past four years, she has wanted to tear Judith to pieces whenever she gets the chance. However, Judith received the King's protection, and it was impossible for her to treat the Prince consort carelessly, as other nobles also began to pay attention to her.
The Queen's cruelty continued to increase day by day as the person she wanted to vent her anger on was screaming in front of her and she couldn't even put her finger on it. She regularly beat her maid and hurled her verbal abuse at her close maid, Margit. Of course, she tormented Flavia, the Princess of Krald, to death.
It is no longer a rumor that maids who could not bear it would run away crying or quit. The order to work in the Queen's palace was like telling the maids to go into the fire.
“She needs to hang me upside down, but she can’t do that, so it makes her upset.”
Judith said calmly. Cheraan snorted at her with a disapproving expression.
“It’s a no-brainer. Your Majesty has completely taken control of the kingdom and its nobles. He cares for and values Your Highness more than anyone else, so who would dare harm you?”
Judith laughed quietly. It was not the facial expression that a winner would make, but the smile contained a stronger determination and calm sternness than before.
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