“I thought it would be a matter of just moving my body, but once I started, it wasn’t like that.”
Judith said, looking at the busy maids. Cheraan, who had caught the maid moving a box containing the ornaments and nagging her to be more careful, made a nod in agreement.
“It takes a lot of time to move even one room in a mansion. It’s natural to move the entire palace.”
Then, she looked around the palace as if it was a waste no matter how much she thought about it.
“I haven’t yet seen how the interior of the Nation Palace has changed, but I hope it will be a place that suits Judith like the Argent Palace.”
“It’s not a palace I can use alone. It should be easier for Franz to use it than for me.”
“What are you saying? Of course, it is important for the Crown Prince, but it is also important for the Crown Princess.”
Cheraan gave Judith priority in everything. She did that no matter who her opponent was. She sometimes made her father, the Marquis Ebelta, her flagship by saying that she was the maid who served Judith and that her safety came before the King's.
Judith smiled moderately and nodded because she did not know what she was feeling.
At that time, Mary Anne appeared carrying a box. He seemed somewhat fussy and excited. Judith asked.
“What’s wrong, Marianne? Did you break something?”
Then Mary Anne shook her head and held out the box she was holding in front of Judith. As soon as Judith looked at the outside of the box, she could immediately see why Mary Anne was so excited. The box was slightly smaller than the size of two palms combined, and it was packaged. Judith, who had touched the shiny coral-colored velvet cloth with her fingertips, raised her head.
“What is this, Mary Anne?”
“I just went out in front of you and brought it back. Well, it’s on the corridor railing, isn’t it?”
“On the corridor parapet? Then maybe it’s someone else’s?”
But as soon as she could say those words, Mary Anne turned over the paper label attached to the end of the ribbon. Judith's name was written in clear handwriting on the stiff, tough paper often used in stores.
“It is true that it came from Judith. Look at this.”
"I see. But it doesn’t say who sent it.”
It was customary for popular noblewomen to receive unsolicited gifts from their followers, regardless of whether they were married or not. But Judith had never experienced anything like this before, so rather than being happy about this situation, she was just confused. As she hesitated to hold the box, Cheraan came forward and pulled the ribbon that held the lid of her box closed.
“Cheraan!”
“Your Highness, why are you hesitating so much? I’m sure there’s nothing poison in it.”
“It’s not that I’m worried about that, I...”
As the ribbon was undone, the silk cloth covering the box came off. It was so soft that it almost flowed out without a sound even without his hand touching it. The box that was finally revealed was a similar color to the cloth covering its surface. The box was coral-colored with a hint of pink and had a nice pattern covered in gold leaf.
“This is the pattern of ‘Sedelier.’”
Sedlier is the name of a jeweler who is quite famous even among nobles. It was also a place that succeeded in its high-end strategy by focusing only on selling products that were ordered separately, and not selling many pre-made products.
Judith could not resist the look in Cheraan's eyes urging her to open the box quickly. She let out a small sigh and opened the lid, revealing a gorgeous necklace that made her gasp in admiration just by looking at it.
"And!"
When Mary Anne couldn't stand it anymore and screamed, the maids who were organizing the luggage also tilted their heads to see what was going on. Then, excited whispering began to occur. Judith lightly touched the necklace with her fingertips. The elaborately woven diamonds and pale aquamarine were as cold as ice.
“Who on earth sent this?”
“It looks like someone has fallen in love with Your Highness. Who would it be?”
Cheraan said slyly. Then Judith, whose cheeks were red, looked at Cheraan with a slightly disgusted expression.
“You’re teasing me again, Cheraan.”
“You’re making fun of me. I was just telling the truth. You know very well that not everyone can buy Sedelier's jewels, right? It would have been even more so if it was something like this. Okay, now let me pose a problem. Who would order something like this just for Judith?”
Judith's lips, which had been whispering in silence, smiled. There was only one person she could think of.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince is also quite cute.”
Cheraan's eyes became soft. Judith also stopped pretending to be upset and closed the lid of the box, giggling softly.
“Mary Ann, please take good care of it along with the other accessories.”
“Aren’t you going to walk now?”
“Yes, that’s enough for now. I guess I’ll do it later after I say thank you to him.”
It was a necklace that was too flashy to wear on a daily basis. She was happy, but she also felt a little strange because it wasn't something Franz would have chosen. But who else, if not Franz, would send this to her?
'Maybe I should have asked someone else for advice.'
That was more believable than the fact that Franz called Sedelier's designer alone and ordered the necklace. It could be Bartholomew, Rogero, or the Duke of Vergy.
The atmosphere became even more excited thanks to the unexpected gift that arrived from Mr. Unknown. Mary Anne chatted with thr maids of her age about the latest romantic romance novels, and Cheraan praised Franz, saying that he had managed to order just in time for Sedelier's designers, who must have been very busy with international events.
At that time, the maid who had gone outside to carry the luggage returned at a brisk pace. For some reason, it seemed strangely nervous that she kept looking back at her. Judith, who was gathering the embroidered cloth one by one, raised her head.
"Why?"
“Your Highness, I just went outside...”
"I know. What’s going on?”
“Well, the Queen Mother is looking for Your Highness. Someone came. She's waiting outside.”
The maid didn't know what to do, as if she felt sorry for not being able to send the Queen's maid back. Her reaction was not difficult to understand, considering the relationship between Queen Gilsis and Judith. The maid, who was Mary Anne's age, became even more tearful as the atmosphere suddenly became cold. Judith said.
“Thank you for telling me. Don’t worry, just go do your job.”
After the maid left, Judith put down the cloth she was holding and got up from the sofa. Cheraan, who stood up after her, took Judith in front of the dressing table, made her sit down, combed her hair again with a soft comb, and said,
“The Queen seemed to be quiet for a long time, so I don’t know why she's calling you to say something unpleasant.”
Judith guess the Queen couldn't stand it anymore. Judith thought, keeping her mouth shut. The Queen must have been patient and patient for several years, but as the King placed Franz on the throne without a moment of hesitation, all her patience must have run out.
Judith looked at her face in the mirror in silence. She did not expect Queen Gilsis to step down obediently like this. She knew that sooner or later, the black, poisonous blade would strike both Franz and herself.
Judith laughed in a somewhat cynical tone.
“If the Queen has something to say to me, I should go and listen to it.”
***
Flavia's father, Count Bloset, was a man with a very strange appearance.
Although he was tall, he always walked with his back and shoulders hunched, so from a distance, it looked like he was moving around the floor looking for a lost item. His arms and legs were long, but his sallow face was large compared to his small shoulders. So, when she watched him walk with his head tilted, there were times when it looked dangerous as if he would fall at any moment due to the weight of his head.
His thin eyebrows and small, drooping eyes did not give a very trustworthy impression, and his lips, which were always slightly swollen even if he luxuriated in fatty food, looked distressed and did not match the silk clothes he wore.
The sight of him with swollen eyes and glittering jewels wrapped around his face, as if he had spent the night rolling around in a back alley gambling den, was truly astonishing. Lifting her chin, Queen Gilsis looked down at him with her eyes dripping with contempt, then spread her fan to cover her nose and mouth.
“It smells like cheap wine, Count Bloset. When you come to see me, I’ll tell you to take off that mean attire.”
“A noble scent always flows from the Queen’s palace where Your Majesty resides. A house also resembles its owner. Don’t worry, no one like me would dare harm a scent that has this much elegance.”
“But the smell is enough to make me uncomfortable.”
Even when he was openly shamed, Count Bloset only smiled as if he had no shame, and was not afraid of the Queen like his wife Margit or daughter Flavia. It wasn't that he was particularly brave, and he knew that the Queen needed words for a while, so he had the guts to do it without realizing it.
Count Bloset had many scoundrels who lived in an open world, which was unbecoming of a nobleman. Queen Gilsis used his connections to indirectly handle matters that she did not want to touch on herself. Most of the work was to quietly cover up the crazy things her son, Krald, had done.
Count Bloset, who had been summoned by the Queen, guessed that if Krald got into anyone's ears this time, he would have done something serious. He messed with a commoner's daughter and his parents were furious, threatening to report him to the King, or he got involved in a trivial gambling game and killed a conman in a fit of rage... Things like that. This has happened many times so far, so Count Bloset is not particularly surprised anymore.
“What happened this time? Prince Krald can't control his temper again...”
“I should have warned you before not to use your mouth frivolously.”
Queen Gilsis' voice became cold. However, it was not Count Bloset himself who was shocked, but Margit, who stood silently like a shadow behind the Queen. She sent a look to her husband telling him to be careful, but there was no way Count Bloset could understand. Even if he had understood, there was no way he would have followed through.
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