TCORIYH - Chapter 64

Franz turned his head with an expression as if he still had anything left to say. Rogero, who had closed his eyes for a moment as he felt the cool breeze blowing, jerked his eyes open.

“I thought something had changed, but it hasn’t changed at all. You still just hide it.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Still, is it a joke? Even though I'm like this, I'm the one who ate and slept next to you like a stiff piece of wood for four years? You look at women like that, no. This is my first time seeing not only a woman, but any person look at me like that. Are you still pretending to be annoyed?”

Franz laughed in vain at Rogero's words, as he was almost formulating an answer. Perhaps he didn't like that smile, or perhaps there was a lot that had accumulated, Rogero decided that this was the time and shot out words like arrows.

“I could clearly see the light shining in your eyes, but you pretended not to and turned away without even saying you were happy, so that means you’re a heartless bastard.”

Franz had no reply. Instead, he was lost in thought with a pensive expression. He didn't know if Rogero was worth making a fuss about, but it was true that his expression as he looked at Judith was completely indifferent.

He really didn't recognize her at first. Even when he turned around and looked at her face, he did not know at a glance that it was Judith, so he had no choice but to look at her back and not know. He had never dreamed that she would have changed so drastically.

Even when he occasionally thought of her in distant lands, the Judith that appeared in Franz's mind was still the same, looking small and ridiculously weak for her age. All he remembered of Judith was her pale, delicate cheeks, a smile that seemed as if it would soon disappear, and the impression of a tiny flower that one had to worry about dying before it could even bloom.

"A little... I did it because I was surprised.”

Rogero looked at Franz's face. Franz continued.

“She's very different from what I remembered.”

“How on earth is she different?”

It was clear that he was curious as he asked hastily as if he was pulling at the tail of his words. Franz once again recalled the image of Judith he had seen a moment ago in his mind.

If it weren't for her eyes which were like a pond of water and those eyes that made the person looking at her feel ashamed for no reason, he wouldn't have believed her when he heard she was Judith. With her bright peach-colored cheeks and fair, fairy-like white shoulders, it was impossible to recall her old, gaunt appearance.

"Huh? How is she different?”

Finally, Rogero, who was riding with a child, began to beg him wildly, but Franz did not answer in the end.

***

“How can I wear something like this!”

A harsh shout came from beyond the closed door. The maids who were standing in front of the door just looking at each other silently disappeared somewhere else as soon as they heard the sound of something breaking inside.

Flavia carefully picked up the jacket that Krald had thrown away. Her fingertips holding the collar were trembling so pathetically. A new day appeared in Krald's eyes when he saw this.

“What on earth are you good at? What are you good at? You’re such a Princess, you whine about this and that, and you can’t do even one thing straight, so you make people irritated!”

Today's complaint was that the width of the newly made jacket was a little small. Of course, the person who made the clothes wasn't Flavia, but that wasn't something Krald could even think about. 

Flavia, lost in thought, could only think of a way to apologize profusely while holding on to the new jacket as if she were going to tear it off.

“S-sorry. I'm sorry, Your Highness...”

“You can’t shut up!”

Krald's fist roughly pushed Flavia's shoulder. Flavia, who was curled up behind him, let out her screams and cries, and Krald stamped his shoes on the floor as if to kick her, screaming at her.

"Go away! I don’t want to see you squealing, so get out of my sight!”

Flavia hurriedly tried to get up without even being able to wipe away her tears. She was so helpless that she stood up quickly and the heel of her shoe slipped and hit her knee.

"Oh... !”

She felt dizzy as she hit the frame with all her might on the hard, non-carpeted floor. However, she wouldn't hesitate because she was more afraid of Krald's violence that would come right away than the pain. The tears that fell fell and formed a circle on the floor. When she put her strength on her throbbing leg and touched the floor, the tightly closed door opened wide without a sound.

“What is this fuss about, Krald? Because something happened...”

It was Queen Gilsis who came inside. She furrowed her brow as soon as she saw Flavia struggling to raise her body. Even though it was clear that she had fallen, the Queen's eyes as she looked at Flavia were filled with disdain instead of worry.

“What on earth are you doing lying down there? Why on earth does a Princess behave so that displeased sounds come out of the Prince’s mouth every day?”

"Sorry. I'm sorry, Queen Mother...”

Flavia's face was so scared that she couldn't raise her head as if she had committed a sin. Queen Gilsis, who clicked her tongue loud enough to be heard outside the door, glanced at Margit who was standing behind her. She, like her daughter, had her head down. Her shoulders trembled as she groveled.

“How on earth can you raise your daughter in such a pathetic way?”

“Your Majesty, I’m sorry. I will advise her well, so please...”

“Take her out right now. Don’t make her shed tears in the presence of the Prince.”

“Yes, Queen.”

Margit immediately took Flavia outside. Beyond the closing door, the sound of Queen Gilsis comforting and comforting Krald flowed loudly.

Her shrunken shoulders were pushed by strong hands. Flavia was grabbed by her mother's hands and dragged away without even uttering a single sound.

“Uh, mother.”

“You can’t be quiet!”

Margit's shouting voice was also overcome by fear and completely intimidated. When Flavia heard that voice, in addition to her pain and injustice, she felt pity and contempt for her mother rising up at the same time.

Margit stopped in the middle of a deserted corridor. Standing a couple of steps away from her mother, who was breathing exaggeratedly for the distance she had walked, Flavia felt reassured. If she had been taken to her room, she would most likely have received a slap, but she calculated that her mother, who was very observant of others, would not go that far outside even in a deserted place.

As she thought, Margit just glared at Flavia with tearful eyes and did not strike her. But she was wheezing as if she had been indignant, and then she clenched her fist and slammed it into Flavia's shoulder.

“You pathetic thing!”

Flavia's body swayed. Her shoulder hurt from being hit on the prominent frame, but more than that, she felt resentment. With a newly filled eye filled with tears, Flavia turned to look at her older mother.

The clothes she was wearing and the accessories on her body had become more flashy than even a few years ago, but her plump cheeks had sunken in and there were wrinkles between her eyebrows that could not be smoothed out.

Before marrying Krald, Flavia's mother, who had unconditionally protected Flavia, who was clumsy and lacking in tact in everything, was no longer there. Instead, she became more and more irritable with each passing day, bragging about everything Flavia did.

“Why on earth are you doing this? Because of you, a thousand pains are growing inside your mother. Is there such a thing as a large joint idea? The Queen Mother is a difficult person, so even so, I never told you again and again that you should please Lord Krald!”

It was useless to protest that Krald was a more difficult person than the Queen. Margit was not unaware of how Krald treated her daughter. Still, she blamed it all on Flavia's shortcomings.

“How many times has your mother told you that even if Prince Krald doesn’t like you, it’s up to you? Didn’t I tell you that only if you take your place as the Princess and are not shaken will it be of help to you in your future?”

Flavia kept her mouth shut like a clamshell and said nothing. This was because she had already realized through dozens or hundreds of experiences that even if she answered back, her mother would not listen.

“His Highness Franz will return home soon. Have you ever thought about how big a deal this is? The whole palace knows that His Majesty loves Prince Judith as if she were his own daughter!”

Flavia almost said, “So what should I do?” There was no need to hear again that the King was particularly fond of Judith.

Flavia, on the other hand, never even looked at the King's face. Everyone said the King was benevolent, but Flavia somehow felt uncomfortable standing in front of him. Her mind went blank as she didn't know what topic to bring up to pique the King's interest.

“When His Highness Franz returns, His Majesty will have no choice but to spare him just by looking at the Princess’s face. If His Majesty falls for that girl’s trick and makes His Highness Franz the Crown Prince, we will all be finished!”

"Mother!"

Flavia blushed and looked around. The area around the corridor was quiet. It was so quiet that it took her breath away.

“Besides, what about that extravagant thing about the Montfort family? Krald spent every day wrapped under that girl's skirt, and you became his wife and didn't mind seeing that? If that girl ever has a child of her own, what are you going to do then?”

"Mother...”

“I don’t want to hear it! Do you think I'm saying this just for my own sake? Do you know that I live my life worrying every day just to be nice and luxurious? I’m doing this to help you pave the way for yourself, and I’m doing this for your father and family.”

Flavia's father, Count Bloset, was spending his time hanging out with people similar to him. Even though he knew that the Queen was not pleased with her, he brazenly visited the palace to flatter her, showered her with money and jewels, attracted her blind followers, and played on her bravado.

There was no way Count Bloset had earned that money legitimately, and most of it had come from Flavia. The treasures and money that could have been obtained as a Princess went straight into Count Bloset's pocket for the past four years.

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