No matter who the other person was and what her thoughts were about them, Flavia found it difficult to gossip about others in public. This was because she had a tendency to flinch every now and then, and people who knew her normally would definitely think she was strange if they saw her.
Look, I didn't do anything wrong.
Look, I didn't do anything wrong.
Flavia thought, listening to Anne Mille's naughty grumbles with one ear and letting them go with the other.
Self-pity and rationalization were drugs she could never quit. When she felt sorry for herself, she was miserable, but when she thought of herself as nothing more than an innocent victim, she no longer felt sorry for herself.
It was Anne Mille's fault for being arrogant, not his own. The reason everyone compares herself to Judith is because Judith doesn't know how to be humble, not because she can't be herself.
Flavia's eyebrows drooped and her lips trembled as she tried to suppress laughter. Having such a beautiful palace would soon become useless to Judith. How devastated would Franz be if he was betrayed by his trusted wife?
Self-pity and rationalization were drugs she could never quit. When she felt sorry for herself, she was miserable, but when she thought of herself as nothing more than an innocent victim, she no longer felt sorry for herself.
It was Anne Mille's fault for being arrogant, not his own. The reason everyone compares herself to Judith is because Judith doesn't know how to be humble, not because she can't be herself.
Flavia's eyebrows drooped and her lips trembled as she tried to suppress laughter. Having such a beautiful palace would soon become useless to Judith. How devastated would Franz be if he was betrayed by his trusted wife?
The thought of her finally comforting him as he fell into the abyss was terribly sweet.
“What is here?”
Flavia, walking down the hallway, found a door beautifully decorated with multi-colored jewels and turned the handle without thinking. It didn't take long for her expression to become distorted as she poked her head into her empty room.
That was the bedroom. However, it was not the main bedroom, but a separate room that was more cozy and cutely decorated. Unlike the large master bedroom, where the study and living room extend in all directions, it felt like a secret space attached to a villa.
There was no salon or large living room for other people to enter. A cozy-looking bed, a translucent cream-colored drapery draped over it, walls in a wonderful combination of light lavender and dove, and a sofa with elegantly curved armrests so that only two people can sit on it...
“Your Highness, what are you doing? You can’t open a closed door and peek!”
Anne Mille, who had gone far away, came back startled when she saw Flavia frozen through the crack in the door. If the place was open, guests could enter, but it was extremely rude to open a closed door before the owner. It was a courtesy she had to follow not only in the royal palace but also when visiting commoners' homes.
“Oh, no... I'm just curious...”
“No matter how curious you are, it’s clear that if the guards or servants see you, they will immediately tell you. What are you going to do if you find fault with the item disappearing for no reason?”
Flavia, as well as Anne Mille, knew that Judith and Franz were not worthy people, but there was nothing they couldn't make up to gossip. She held Flavia's arm as if to support her, who had pushed the door closed. Flavia was in a somewhat awkward posture, with her shoulders hunched and her lips quivering.
“Your Highness, why are you doing this? You didn’t see anything strange inside, right?”
“Oh, no. That's strange... Where do you find something like that?”
“Stop going back now. I think it would be much more fun to dance at a banquet than to see a place like this.”
Anne Mille spoke calmly, despite not knowing how much Flavia disliked crowded places. But Flavia could no longer listen to Anne Mille's words. Only the image of the pretty and secret bedroom she had seen a moment ago was floating before her eyes like a ghost. It was clear that it was a space just for Franz and Judith.
“What is here?”
Flavia, walking down the hallway, found a door beautifully decorated with multi-colored jewels and turned the handle without thinking. It didn't take long for her expression to become distorted as she poked her head into her empty room.
That was the bedroom. However, it was not the main bedroom, but a separate room that was more cozy and cutely decorated. Unlike the large master bedroom, where the study and living room extend in all directions, it felt like a secret space attached to a villa.
There was no salon or large living room for other people to enter. A cozy-looking bed, a translucent cream-colored drapery draped over it, walls in a wonderful combination of light lavender and dove, and a sofa with elegantly curved armrests so that only two people can sit on it...
“Your Highness, what are you doing? You can’t open a closed door and peek!”
Anne Mille, who had gone far away, came back startled when she saw Flavia frozen through the crack in the door. If the place was open, guests could enter, but it was extremely rude to open a closed door before the owner. It was a courtesy she had to follow not only in the royal palace but also when visiting commoners' homes.
“Oh, no... I'm just curious...”
“No matter how curious you are, it’s clear that if the guards or servants see you, they will immediately tell you. What are you going to do if you find fault with the item disappearing for no reason?”
Flavia, as well as Anne Mille, knew that Judith and Franz were not worthy people, but there was nothing they couldn't make up to gossip. She held Flavia's arm as if to support her, who had pushed the door closed. Flavia was in a somewhat awkward posture, with her shoulders hunched and her lips quivering.
“Your Highness, why are you doing this? You didn’t see anything strange inside, right?”
“Oh, no. That's strange... Where do you find something like that?”
“Stop going back now. I think it would be much more fun to dance at a banquet than to see a place like this.”
Anne Mille spoke calmly, despite not knowing how much Flavia disliked crowded places. But Flavia could no longer listen to Anne Mille's words. Only the image of the pretty and secret bedroom she had seen a moment ago was floating before her eyes like a ghost. It was clear that it was a space just for Franz and Judith.
Flavia bit her lip hard enough to make a loud sound.
Why?
Why is this happiness only allowed to her?
I have nothing, so why can't she have anything? Why on earth? Why!
“Your Highness?”
It was only later that Anne Mille noticed Flavia's noticeably pale complexion. But Flavia couldn't even answer her call. Her jealousy and anger were flooding her and sinking her like a flooded river. No matter how hard she stretched out her hands, she felt nothing but wet mud.
Flavia, who left the Nation Palace with a pale face, turned her veiny eyes and glared at Judith and the guests who were chatting happily. It was unfair to her that she was the only one who felt this way.
It wasn't her fault, she just wanted to enjoy the happiness that others took for granted, but she couldn't tolerate being left out like this without being able to reach it.
Don't smile so happily. Are you laughing at my misfortune? Are you smiling so brightly for me to listen and for me to see? Why should I be the only one in a place like this? Why only me?
The thought of being attacked suddenly filled Flavia's mind. She violently shook Anne Mille's hand away and started running towards a deserted place with her face contorted. She felt a stinging pain every time her tears flowed from her bloodshot eyes. As if sand had been placed on her.
I don't have to be the only one covered in mud and waiting to die. I want to cover that pretty face with black mud.
Flavia was filled with blind rage, wanting only to destroy Judith. She didn't even know what she was seeing wrong.
It was evening and the sunlight was slanting towards the west.
Rogero, who refused the offered drink and left the banquet hall early, wandered among the excited young people and overheard various stories. In less than a month after coming to Rotair, he had made friends with a whole host of people who made him one of the young stars of society. It wasn't difficult for him to sneak in and pick up trivial rumors.
There was an endless amount of information that could be obtained among the young nobles, from scandals that you would only hear about after a meal at a card game to things that had quite a political purpose. It was much better to wander around for an hour among young people whose mouths and eyes were quickened by a little alcohol than to sit face-to-face with hard-faced, seasoned nobles all day.
In that short time, Rogero gained more than dozens of pieces of information, but he couldn't hear the story he wanted to hear.
“The shaggy man with the serpentine ring? No, I’ve never seen it.”
“How can a man like that wander around the palace in the first place, Your Highness?”
“There are some eccentric people among the nobles, but they probably won’t be able to enter the palace like that. If you are even a little conscious of what other people think.”
He was starting to get tired of walking around, so he could only hear obvious answers from the group of people he spoke to, thinking it was the last time. After exchanging a few jokes, Rogero sneaked out of there when they were no longer paying attention to him.
He was looking for that strange man he had run into on the last day of the National Foundation Festival. At the time, his hangover was still lukewarm, so he just passed on because he wanted to see all the unusual people, but the more he thought about it, the more he thought about how strange it was.
Sometimes, there are people whose intuition is so developed that they cannot provide a logical explanation. Rogero was also one of those types of people. According to Rogero's intuition, the man was definitely someone who was wandering around the palace with impure intentions.
'I'm sure I've seen that serpentine ring somewhere. But I can't really remember...'
At first glance, the sight of Rogero walking silently, stroking his slim chin and frowning his eyebrows, was very nice. As his usual mischievous side disappeared, a new charm seemed to emerge. So many girls wanted to approach him, but he didn't notice any of the stares as he was trying to remember the exact shape of the ring he had just seen.
'It was broad daylight, so I couldn't have been the only one who saw such an eye-catching person. However, if you try to pry it from the front, it will sense it and pull out its tail...'
In fact, the man never caught Rogero's eye again after that. Nevertheless, he never doubted his intuition, which made him strongly aware of a strange man whose face and name he did not know. He had no idea what his intentions were for entering the palace or who he wanted to meet, but he could be sure that it was not a good thing.
“Rogero!”
Rogero, who had been silently walking wherever his feet took him without a destination, suddenly raised his head. As soon as he did that, what he saw before his eyes was a large oak tree.
"What are you doing? It's dangerous!”
It was Franz's voice. Rogero tilted his head and began stroking the rough surface of the oak tree with a sad expression.
“Franz... This guy... Did I make fun of you too much for saying you were a piece of wood? In the end, it ends up like this... That’s why I told you to go somewhere and buy something to be aware of.”
“Are you talking to trees now?”
Rogero, who could not help but feel sorrow at the situation of his friend who had turned from a piece of wood into a wonderful tree, turned his head when he heard a voice knocking on the back of his head. He saw Franz's face, and then he saw Judith standing a few steps away with a puzzled expression on her face. She seemed to be wondering whether she should laugh or be worried.
“Oh my, Franz. Thank god. I thought you had somehow turned into a tree. You're newly married, but unfortunately...”
“I told you to drink sparingly.”
Franz said in an absurd tone. Rogero glanced at Judith, who was dying from laughter and started giggling mischievously. The change was so drastic that if anyone had observed and followed him until now, he would have couldn't believe his eyes.
“My friend was worried about me, so why would I treat him like a drunkard instead of thanking him?”
“You’re treating me like an oak tree and people are saying you’re so worried.”
“Why is this like this? In old stories, it's something that happens often. The good and kind Prince is cursed by a witch and turns into something like a piece of wood, a frog, or a scarecrow.”
There were times when it was difficult to tell how much of Rogero's words were jokes and how much was sarcastic sarcasm. When Franz frowned slightly, wondering if it would be like that again this time, Rogero burst out laughing into the air and playfully tapped his shoulder.
“I told you to smile, but why aren’t you smiling? Don't worry. There is one good condition that must follow a Prince who has experienced such a thing.”
Franz laughed.
“Conditions, what conditions?”
“That’s right, she's a good Princess who falls in love with you regardless of your strange appearance. Isn’t it almost a foul? Anyway, it’s something to see after being born as a Prince.”
Why?
Why is this happiness only allowed to her?
I have nothing, so why can't she have anything? Why on earth? Why!
“Your Highness?”
It was only later that Anne Mille noticed Flavia's noticeably pale complexion. But Flavia couldn't even answer her call. Her jealousy and anger were flooding her and sinking her like a flooded river. No matter how hard she stretched out her hands, she felt nothing but wet mud.
Flavia, who left the Nation Palace with a pale face, turned her veiny eyes and glared at Judith and the guests who were chatting happily. It was unfair to her that she was the only one who felt this way.
It wasn't her fault, she just wanted to enjoy the happiness that others took for granted, but she couldn't tolerate being left out like this without being able to reach it.
Don't smile so happily. Are you laughing at my misfortune? Are you smiling so brightly for me to listen and for me to see? Why should I be the only one in a place like this? Why only me?
The thought of being attacked suddenly filled Flavia's mind. She violently shook Anne Mille's hand away and started running towards a deserted place with her face contorted. She felt a stinging pain every time her tears flowed from her bloodshot eyes. As if sand had been placed on her.
I don't have to be the only one covered in mud and waiting to die. I want to cover that pretty face with black mud.
Flavia was filled with blind rage, wanting only to destroy Judith. She didn't even know what she was seeing wrong.
***
It was evening and the sunlight was slanting towards the west.
Rogero, who refused the offered drink and left the banquet hall early, wandered among the excited young people and overheard various stories. In less than a month after coming to Rotair, he had made friends with a whole host of people who made him one of the young stars of society. It wasn't difficult for him to sneak in and pick up trivial rumors.
There was an endless amount of information that could be obtained among the young nobles, from scandals that you would only hear about after a meal at a card game to things that had quite a political purpose. It was much better to wander around for an hour among young people whose mouths and eyes were quickened by a little alcohol than to sit face-to-face with hard-faced, seasoned nobles all day.
In that short time, Rogero gained more than dozens of pieces of information, but he couldn't hear the story he wanted to hear.
“The shaggy man with the serpentine ring? No, I’ve never seen it.”
“How can a man like that wander around the palace in the first place, Your Highness?”
“There are some eccentric people among the nobles, but they probably won’t be able to enter the palace like that. If you are even a little conscious of what other people think.”
He was starting to get tired of walking around, so he could only hear obvious answers from the group of people he spoke to, thinking it was the last time. After exchanging a few jokes, Rogero sneaked out of there when they were no longer paying attention to him.
He was looking for that strange man he had run into on the last day of the National Foundation Festival. At the time, his hangover was still lukewarm, so he just passed on because he wanted to see all the unusual people, but the more he thought about it, the more he thought about how strange it was.
Sometimes, there are people whose intuition is so developed that they cannot provide a logical explanation. Rogero was also one of those types of people. According to Rogero's intuition, the man was definitely someone who was wandering around the palace with impure intentions.
'I'm sure I've seen that serpentine ring somewhere. But I can't really remember...'
At first glance, the sight of Rogero walking silently, stroking his slim chin and frowning his eyebrows, was very nice. As his usual mischievous side disappeared, a new charm seemed to emerge. So many girls wanted to approach him, but he didn't notice any of the stares as he was trying to remember the exact shape of the ring he had just seen.
'It was broad daylight, so I couldn't have been the only one who saw such an eye-catching person. However, if you try to pry it from the front, it will sense it and pull out its tail...'
In fact, the man never caught Rogero's eye again after that. Nevertheless, he never doubted his intuition, which made him strongly aware of a strange man whose face and name he did not know. He had no idea what his intentions were for entering the palace or who he wanted to meet, but he could be sure that it was not a good thing.
“Rogero!”
Rogero, who had been silently walking wherever his feet took him without a destination, suddenly raised his head. As soon as he did that, what he saw before his eyes was a large oak tree.
"What are you doing? It's dangerous!”
It was Franz's voice. Rogero tilted his head and began stroking the rough surface of the oak tree with a sad expression.
“Franz... This guy... Did I make fun of you too much for saying you were a piece of wood? In the end, it ends up like this... That’s why I told you to go somewhere and buy something to be aware of.”
“Are you talking to trees now?”
Rogero, who could not help but feel sorrow at the situation of his friend who had turned from a piece of wood into a wonderful tree, turned his head when he heard a voice knocking on the back of his head. He saw Franz's face, and then he saw Judith standing a few steps away with a puzzled expression on her face. She seemed to be wondering whether she should laugh or be worried.
“Oh my, Franz. Thank god. I thought you had somehow turned into a tree. You're newly married, but unfortunately...”
“I told you to drink sparingly.”
Franz said in an absurd tone. Rogero glanced at Judith, who was dying from laughter and started giggling mischievously. The change was so drastic that if anyone had observed and followed him until now, he would have couldn't believe his eyes.
“My friend was worried about me, so why would I treat him like a drunkard instead of thanking him?”
“You’re treating me like an oak tree and people are saying you’re so worried.”
“Why is this like this? In old stories, it's something that happens often. The good and kind Prince is cursed by a witch and turns into something like a piece of wood, a frog, or a scarecrow.”
There were times when it was difficult to tell how much of Rogero's words were jokes and how much was sarcastic sarcasm. When Franz frowned slightly, wondering if it would be like that again this time, Rogero burst out laughing into the air and playfully tapped his shoulder.
“I told you to smile, but why aren’t you smiling? Don't worry. There is one good condition that must follow a Prince who has experienced such a thing.”
Franz laughed.
“Conditions, what conditions?”
“That’s right, she's a good Princess who falls in love with you regardless of your strange appearance. Isn’t it almost a foul? Anyway, it’s something to see after being born as a Prince.”
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