"What...!”
A sharp scream burst from Queen Gilsis' mouth.
But the Queen was not the only one surprised. Everyone who was watching, even Franz himself, couldn't believe what he had heard. While all the people filling the square were shaking in shock, the only person who remained calm was the King.
No, there was one more person. It was Judith. But she wasn't surprised. She was more like she was too shocked to react normally. Her blue eyes were wide open, like the spring sky, and she was trembling in her seated position with her fists clenched.
"Your Majesty! You can’t do this!”
The Queen, unable to overcome her anger, got up from her seat and screamed. There was no blood on her face.
“How can you decide the Crown Prince of a country in this way? After the meeting...!”
“Do you believe that something will change after the talks?”
King Jedercayer's eyes looked straight at Queen Gilsis. His serious and serene gaze left the Queen speechless. Even before, he always looked at her with those eyes. Quiet eyes filled with a mixture of reprimand and sorrow. But there was never any affection in those eyes. It drove Queen Gilsis crazy.
Now that the Queen had met those eyes again, she was almost out of her mind. She knew King Jedercayer's personality well.
She was afraid of him because Ishr knew that although he was gentle and calm, he would never compromise or soften once he had made up his mind.
Just as he never loved her like Emerea even though she was violent and cried tirelessly, he would never back down in this matter as well. It was hopeless.
"Your Majesty!"
“The opening ceremony is not over yet. Queen, please be considerate and discreet.”
The King's voice became more stern. Queen Gilsis' body collapsed. Margit, who was standing to wait on her, hurriedly tried to support the Queen, but she hurriedly threw away her hand.
“The coronation ceremony will be prepared immediately after the founding ceremony and held as soon as possible. However, you must remember my words and treat my eldest son as a Crown Prince from this moment on.”
The mouths of everyone watching opened wide. It was unprecedented for a Prince to be granted a status even before the coronation ceremony. At a time when everyone was confused, not knowing how to react to a command they had never heard before, a loud shout came from the front under the stage.
“Meet Your Highness, the new Crown Prince of Rotair! Go towards glory!”
It was Bartholomew who shouted. Starting with him, shouts and applause suddenly erupted that seemed to shake the ground.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince! Congratulations!"
“Go toward glory!”
“The new Crown Prince!”
The people gathered in the square jumped up and down in their places and cheered. Some people rushed to the stage, pushing through the crowd, to get a closer look at the face of Franz, who had newly ascended to the position of Crown Prince.
Franz just blinked as if he couldn't believe all of this. He turned his head involuntarily and made eye contact with Judith, who was looking at him with her lips pressed tightly together. It seemed like tears were about to fall from her eyes at any moment. However, there was an uncontrollable smile on her lips.
When Franz saw that smile, he felt his dazed mind come back. He recalled the day he first met his Judith. The moment she held out her hand to him in the carriage, which was not very spacious or comfortable, was vivid before his eyes. The frustration he felt while holding her hand remained clearly in his heart. The moment when he became helpless due to despair that he would never be the person who could protect her.
- If you hold my hand, you and I will become friends before we are a couple. Treating each other with good faith.
Was it as she said? Did he keep her faith? No, he hasn't gotten the chance to do that yet. Judith did her best for Franz, but Franz himself had yet to give her anything in return.
But from this moment on, things may change. Franz straightened his shoulders and smiled at the cheering crowd. The applause grew louder at his dedicated and shining appearance.
***
After the formal events and ceremonies were over, the central hall of the royal palace began to become crowded in the afternoon.
Compared to other banquets, the event held on the first evening of the National Foundation Festival was particularly large in scale. Additionally, since this year's debutante season began with this banquet, nobles from not only the capital but also from the provinces lined up to attend.
After the ceremony was over, Queen Gilsis rode back in her carriage and did not even show a shadow of herself at the banquet. Krald attended, but even defeated Libencia and drank alcohol while showing signs of displeasure.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, congratulations on your accession to the throne. Now the discipline of the royal family has become more established.”
“Thank you, Marquis.”
“Your Highness, I greet you. You are truly beautiful, and seeing you grow up so elegantly from up close makes my heart tremble as if I had returned to my days as a girl.”
Franz's cheeks turned slightly red at the ostentatious compliment from the Countess whose name was unknown. The noble ladies gathered seemed even more delighted to see his reaction. Franz looked back at the nobles waiting to say congratulations and stamp their eyes and said with a faint smile.
“I am so touched that you have prepared such happy congratulatory words for me. I will engrave your loyalty and kind heart deeply in my heart.”
“It’s an honor, my lord.”
“Just saying that makes me happy.”
Without missing the opportunity, Franz gave them a quick greeting and slipped out to a corner of the banquet hall. Although there were fewer people, the number of gazes following them never decreased. He tried to look for Rogero or Bartholomew, but he couldn't see where they had gone either. Judith was also unable to move, surrounded by noble ladies who were trying to introduce their daughter, who had just debuted in the social world.
Should he just leave it alone for now?
It would be good for him to meet more people than Judith did. Especially now, when the Queen's power within the social world is still powerful.
Franz looked at Judith, who was talking with the girls while holding a long glass of wine, with a smile on her face, and then quietly walked out of the banquet hall. Franz was so focused on walking to avoid being caught by others that he didn't notice that someone was following him.
With decorations and lights everywhere, the garden was as bright as day. When he went inside, there were few people and he was able to take a breather. He might have been used to this kind of situation from a young age, but Franz, who had not been able to appear in front of people since the death of the previous Queen, still felt a great burden, no matter how pleasant the occasion was.
Franz, who was sitting on a bench trying to catch his breath, saw the branches of the landscaping tree shaking and making a rustling sound. The moment he raised his head in response to the call, the hem of a thistle-colored dress appeared from behind a not-so-thick tree.
“Your Highness, why are you here... Are you alone?”
Franz, seeing Flavia's face, stood up again. She had her eyes fixed on Franz the entire time in the banquet hall. And when she saw Franz go out, biting the people, she followed him without a second thought.
“I came out to get some air.”
Franz said. Flavia's face turned red.
“Me too... I wanted to get some air... So I'm here."
“Isn’t it more fun to dance and play with other people inside?”
It was a polite remark, but Flavia suddenly felt moved. Compared to his ridiculously kind voice, his attitude, as if he had no idea what her situation was, suddenly felt mean.
"I am not like Judith... To other people... I am not someone who is loved.”
Flavia may have tried to control her emotions, but she was clumsy. Franz was at a loss for words for a moment due to the resentful response. Meanwhile, Flavia came to the bench and sat down at one end. Then he looked up at Franz and said.
“Well, you too... Please sit."
After hesitating for a moment, Franz had no choice but to sit on the opposite end, away from Flavia. It was never comfortable for him to be with her, but there was still no reason to shake off his coldness.
Flavia, who was looking at Franz, who was sitting at a distance from each other, out of the corner of her eye, was chewing the end of her sleeve, not knowing what to do. She wished the distance had been closer, but she would have liked it much better than standing awkwardly face to face. Every time the wind blew, her heart trembled at the peppermint scent that wafted from him.
Krald was a man who used a lot of perfume, and sometimes carried around a sachet like the one Libencia had given him. But she had never once thought that Krald smelled this good. Every time she smelled the heavy, cloudy scent that was already showing off its presence from a few steps away, her head only ached.
But the scent coming from Franz was different. Not only was it refreshing and clean, but it was also somehow sensual. Even though she didn't feel any scents like the deep musk or cinnamon that men often use, she felt like she wanted to jump into its arms and do something she'd never done before in her life.
“Uh, over there...”
Flavia hesitantly opened her mouth. Her voice was thin and high like Judith's, but it was not clear and cool, so it sounded somewhat unstable. When Franz turned his head, Flavia quickly lowered her gaze to the ground and grabbed hold of her trembling fingertips.
“Wow, the Crown Prince... Congratulations on your success.”
"... Thank you.”
It was not a pleasant answer. Considering that her husband was Krald, Franz found it difficult to be openly happy in front of Flavia. Flavia, who was moving her eyes anxiously and searching for what to say next, touched her lips.
“Uh, Judith, now... She will become the crown princess.”
“That’s right.”
Flavia felt another sharp thorn rise in her chest. Even when she was a Princess, she realized that she could never be like Judith. Now that Judith was the Crown Princess, it was clear that the difference would become even more stark.
Franz looked at Judith, who was talking with the girls while holding a long glass of wine, with a smile on her face, and then quietly walked out of the banquet hall. Franz was so focused on walking to avoid being caught by others that he didn't notice that someone was following him.
With decorations and lights everywhere, the garden was as bright as day. When he went inside, there were few people and he was able to take a breather. He might have been used to this kind of situation from a young age, but Franz, who had not been able to appear in front of people since the death of the previous Queen, still felt a great burden, no matter how pleasant the occasion was.
Franz, who was sitting on a bench trying to catch his breath, saw the branches of the landscaping tree shaking and making a rustling sound. The moment he raised his head in response to the call, the hem of a thistle-colored dress appeared from behind a not-so-thick tree.
“Your Highness, why are you here... Are you alone?”
Franz, seeing Flavia's face, stood up again. She had her eyes fixed on Franz the entire time in the banquet hall. And when she saw Franz go out, biting the people, she followed him without a second thought.
“I came out to get some air.”
Franz said. Flavia's face turned red.
“Me too... I wanted to get some air... So I'm here."
“Isn’t it more fun to dance and play with other people inside?”
It was a polite remark, but Flavia suddenly felt moved. Compared to his ridiculously kind voice, his attitude, as if he had no idea what her situation was, suddenly felt mean.
"I am not like Judith... To other people... I am not someone who is loved.”
Flavia may have tried to control her emotions, but she was clumsy. Franz was at a loss for words for a moment due to the resentful response. Meanwhile, Flavia came to the bench and sat down at one end. Then he looked up at Franz and said.
“Well, you too... Please sit."
After hesitating for a moment, Franz had no choice but to sit on the opposite end, away from Flavia. It was never comfortable for him to be with her, but there was still no reason to shake off his coldness.
Flavia, who was looking at Franz, who was sitting at a distance from each other, out of the corner of her eye, was chewing the end of her sleeve, not knowing what to do. She wished the distance had been closer, but she would have liked it much better than standing awkwardly face to face. Every time the wind blew, her heart trembled at the peppermint scent that wafted from him.
Krald was a man who used a lot of perfume, and sometimes carried around a sachet like the one Libencia had given him. But she had never once thought that Krald smelled this good. Every time she smelled the heavy, cloudy scent that was already showing off its presence from a few steps away, her head only ached.
But the scent coming from Franz was different. Not only was it refreshing and clean, but it was also somehow sensual. Even though she didn't feel any scents like the deep musk or cinnamon that men often use, she felt like she wanted to jump into its arms and do something she'd never done before in her life.
“Uh, over there...”
Flavia hesitantly opened her mouth. Her voice was thin and high like Judith's, but it was not clear and cool, so it sounded somewhat unstable. When Franz turned his head, Flavia quickly lowered her gaze to the ground and grabbed hold of her trembling fingertips.
“Wow, the Crown Prince... Congratulations on your success.”
"... Thank you.”
It was not a pleasant answer. Considering that her husband was Krald, Franz found it difficult to be openly happy in front of Flavia. Flavia, who was moving her eyes anxiously and searching for what to say next, touched her lips.
“Uh, Judith, now... She will become the crown princess.”
“That’s right.”
Flavia felt another sharp thorn rise in her chest. Even when she was a Princess, she realized that she could never be like Judith. Now that Judith was the Crown Princess, it was clear that the difference would become even more stark.
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