Serene Palace.
The door to the hallway where Princess Flavia was staying was tightly closed. Unless something serious happened, they only closed the door to the room and did not close the door to the hallway, so people wondered why. But the door hardly opened.
Flavia has not sat down even once since returning to Serene Palace. Her maid, Anne Mille, sat down on the sofa and then walked around the room anxiously, unable to bear Flavia and getting up again and again.
Flavia's chin was constantly shaking like she was in a cold place. The thin primula-patterned lace on her sleeves had been so badly bitten that it was tattered and torn. Even without that, her bloodless face looked completely ashen. It's been several hours already.
Anne Mille said with a nervous sigh.
“Your Highness, please calm down. It’s okay if you don’t feel so anxious.”
Then Flavia, who was biting her sleeve, turned her head like an angry person. Her face was so distorted that it looked like she was about to collapse and cry at any moment.
“How can I not be anxious! Yes, people... I don't even know if someone died.. !”
“Then why did you put so much in it? I definitely did that. I told you that you only need to add a little bit!”
It was as if she was reprimanding her for not doing it right and bringing things to this point. Flavia's eyes widened as if she had seen something scary, and then she suddenly lunged wildly at Anne Mille. Anne Mille held her shoulders and arms in her hands before she had time to escape, her face frightened.
“Why, why are you like this!”
"That... Then you definitely should have told me to do it! You should never put too much in... Isn't that what you should have told me exactly? It's not my fault! I am... I didn’t know it was that dangerous!”
“You have to talk about Your Highness yourself, which makes sense! You didn’t know it was some kind of special spice or something! If it's not the fault of Your Highness, whose fault is it? You should consider yourself lucky that either the Crown Princess or the Prince didn’t die!”
Anne Mille twisted her shoulder and escaped from Flavia's grasp. But Flavia didn't want to take her back. Rather than doing so, she just stood there blankly, almost as if she had lost her mind. Her abandoned hands hung down and she swayed helplessly, tears streaming from her eyes.
“Like this... This is not the time to be like this.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll go and take a look. Uh, what happened... What if something comes to light?”
“Your Highness, stay still! In times like this, you just have to pretend not to know. How would they know?”
Although she was pretending to be calm, Anne Mille's voice was sharp due to nervousness. Even after listening to Anne Mille reprimanding her as if she were pathetic, Flavia seemed to have trouble coming to her senses. To tell the truth, she was not listening to a single word that Anne Mille said. She couldn't do that.
She didn't want this result. She wanted Judith gone, but she did not intend to kill her with her own hands. Flavia wanted her to disappear for some reason she wasn't responsible for. Isn't it a lot of way? Be it illness, accident, or death at the hands of others!
'Why do I have to go through this? Why should I get into this trouble? I just, I...just.'
“Your Highness, where are you going!”
Anne Mille mil shouted at Flavia. But Flavia didn't even hear her voice and she staggered out of the room. When she opened the closed hallway door, the maids who were gathered in front of it and whispering were startled.
“Get out of my way.”
Flavia said. Her appearance was a mess, and her voice sounded as if she was lost in some way. The maids sensed something was strange and hurriedly left the place. As if she was being controlled by something, Flavia scurried away and headed towards the Nation Palace. People passing by her looked at her and whispered about her.
I need to check.
A voice rang in Flavia's head. It didn't matter whose voice it was. She didn't have the power to decide whether that was right or wrong. She just felt like she needed to check. Whether they know what they did or not.
You probably don't know. No, you would have known. No, that can't be true. But what if you knew? No...
Conflicting thoughts fluttered around her tongue, burning alternately like flames of different colors. Each time the flame burned, black soot formed inside Flavia. With each step she took, the stones crumbled, leaving traces under her feet.
The area around Nation Palace was quiet. No one seemed to know about the commotion that occurred at Astel Palace. Flavia felt reassured by the atmosphere, but then she became anxious again. She was wandering around outside, unable to muster up the courage to go inside, and her eyes widened as she looked out toward the corridor leading to the back office. Franz was visible.
Flavia still felt afraid, but when she saw his face, she felt like she couldn't let him go without getting closer. Flavia hesitantly approached where he was standing, her hands clasped in front of her chest. Franz, who was leaning on the railing of the corridor, seemed to have no idea what Flavia was thinking.
Flavia stopped a few steps away and just looked at him in ecstasy, forgetting what she had done.
His hair, swaying in the summer breeze, seemed to burn more beautifully than the sunset that had just begun to touch the edge of the sky.
She wanted to steal the beautiful bridge of the nose extending from the eyebrows and the lips that looked like they were biting a maple leaf. If a beautiful man like that held her in his arms and told her that he loved him more than anything else, she wouldn't feel wrong even if she died at that moment. She wanted to be loved. To others and to her.
"Excuse me...”
Flavia, who had strained her withered courage to the limit, called out to him. At first, it seemed like he didn't hear her, but when she called him again, Franz's eyes slowly moved. Then he soon opened his eyes wide. Flavia hesitated on her toes, not knowing what the expression on his face meant.
“What’s going on here?”
However, the voice that was soon heard was like the usual Franz. It was a bit low and had a faint warmth that made her feel sad. Flavia unconsciously showed an anxious expression. From the look on her face, she didn't even know that Franz sensed her inner bewilderment.
"That is... Well, I'm worried. excuse me... Hey, listen to what I said. I.. What, something happened...”
“You heard it from whom?”
"Yes? Uh, uh, uh, the maids..."
Flavia's fingertips trembled. She raised her head, feeling uneasy that she would be content with just watching, and that even talking to him was an act of performance. Could it be that he was doubting herself? Had she just said some nonsense that turned his doubts into convictions?
She glanced at Franz with fearful eyes. At that time, Franz spoke in a bitter voice.
“Rumors... It spreads quickly. Thank you for your concern. Nothing happened to the Crown Princess or the Prince, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Is that so? Thank God...”
Sighing, Flavia hesitated again and glanced at Franz's face. Franz, seeing her like that, thought she had something to say to him, so he turned to her.
“Why are you doing this? Do you have any business left for me? Or to the Crown Princess...”
“Oh, no! Hey... It's not Her Highness, that's... therefore..."
Flavia hesitated and trailed off, suddenly feeling like she was about to burst into tears.
If it had been anyone else, if it had been Krald, the moment Flavia stuttered like that, he would have gotten irritated and pushed her away or swore at her.
But Franz patiently waited for Flavia to calm down. Flavia greatly mistaken Franz's patience, as it was a consideration that she could not receive even from her own husband. It never occurred to her that he could do that to anyone but herself.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince is really... Be kind to me... Thank you for your attention.”
“...What does it mean?”
“Well, I... Even though I'm frustrated, you always wait... Because you don't get angry...”
You probably don't know. No, you would have known. No, that can't be true. But what if you knew? No...
Conflicting thoughts fluttered around her tongue, burning alternately like flames of different colors. Each time the flame burned, black soot formed inside Flavia. With each step she took, the stones crumbled, leaving traces under her feet.
The area around Nation Palace was quiet. No one seemed to know about the commotion that occurred at Astel Palace. Flavia felt reassured by the atmosphere, but then she became anxious again. She was wandering around outside, unable to muster up the courage to go inside, and her eyes widened as she looked out toward the corridor leading to the back office. Franz was visible.
Flavia still felt afraid, but when she saw his face, she felt like she couldn't let him go without getting closer. Flavia hesitantly approached where he was standing, her hands clasped in front of her chest. Franz, who was leaning on the railing of the corridor, seemed to have no idea what Flavia was thinking.
Flavia stopped a few steps away and just looked at him in ecstasy, forgetting what she had done.
His hair, swaying in the summer breeze, seemed to burn more beautifully than the sunset that had just begun to touch the edge of the sky.
She wanted to steal the beautiful bridge of the nose extending from the eyebrows and the lips that looked like they were biting a maple leaf. If a beautiful man like that held her in his arms and told her that he loved him more than anything else, she wouldn't feel wrong even if she died at that moment. She wanted to be loved. To others and to her.
"Excuse me...”
Flavia, who had strained her withered courage to the limit, called out to him. At first, it seemed like he didn't hear her, but when she called him again, Franz's eyes slowly moved. Then he soon opened his eyes wide. Flavia hesitated on her toes, not knowing what the expression on his face meant.
“What’s going on here?”
However, the voice that was soon heard was like the usual Franz. It was a bit low and had a faint warmth that made her feel sad. Flavia unconsciously showed an anxious expression. From the look on her face, she didn't even know that Franz sensed her inner bewilderment.
"That is... Well, I'm worried. excuse me... Hey, listen to what I said. I.. What, something happened...”
“You heard it from whom?”
"Yes? Uh, uh, uh, the maids..."
Flavia's fingertips trembled. She raised her head, feeling uneasy that she would be content with just watching, and that even talking to him was an act of performance. Could it be that he was doubting herself? Had she just said some nonsense that turned his doubts into convictions?
She glanced at Franz with fearful eyes. At that time, Franz spoke in a bitter voice.
“Rumors... It spreads quickly. Thank you for your concern. Nothing happened to the Crown Princess or the Prince, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Is that so? Thank God...”
Sighing, Flavia hesitated again and glanced at Franz's face. Franz, seeing her like that, thought she had something to say to him, so he turned to her.
“Why are you doing this? Do you have any business left for me? Or to the Crown Princess...”
“Oh, no! Hey... It's not Her Highness, that's... therefore..."
Flavia hesitated and trailed off, suddenly feeling like she was about to burst into tears.
If it had been anyone else, if it had been Krald, the moment Flavia stuttered like that, he would have gotten irritated and pushed her away or swore at her.
But Franz patiently waited for Flavia to calm down. Flavia greatly mistaken Franz's patience, as it was a consideration that she could not receive even from her own husband. It never occurred to her that he could do that to anyone but herself.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince is really... Be kind to me... Thank you for your attention.”
“...What does it mean?”
“Well, I... Even though I'm frustrated, you always wait... Because you don't get angry...”
Franz's brow furrowed slightly. He immediately realized what Flavia's intention was when she said those words. He suddenly remembered meeting her in the garden on the gun international night. Franz's expression hardened with displeasure and severity.
“Flavia, it is difficult to be mistaken. I have the same attitude towards everyone. Except for one person.”
Flavia's fingertips, which were trembling while holding each other, suddenly stopped. She, who was twitching her cheek as if she was frowning, suddenly laughed. The corners of her eyes, which were extremely distorted, and her mouth, which was forcibly pulled together and faintly twitched, seemed to be the height of disharmony. Still, it seemed like Flavia didn't even know she was making that face herself.
“Uh, Your Highness the Crown Prince...”
“I am grateful that you came all the way here out of concern for the Crown Princess, but I think it would be better for you to leave for today. The sun is setting, so I’ll send someone to see you off.”
Flavia's empty eyes looked towards her feet. Why? Why are you like this? Is there a need to be this cold-hearted?
She was still worried, so she came here despite her fear. If it had already been revealed that she had done it herself, she could have gotten down on her knees and prayed in front of the Crown Prince.
Of course, such thoughts never crossed her mind when she left Serene Palace. However, Franz's attitude of clearly drawing a line felt very unreasonable to Flavia. She couldn't stand him being so cold towards her. She was so desperate that she couldn't stand without rationalizing herself.
If you have a heartbreaking heart, I have it too.
Of course, such thoughts never crossed her mind when she left Serene Palace. However, Franz's attitude of clearly drawing a line felt very unreasonable to Flavia. She couldn't stand him being so cold towards her. She was so desperate that she couldn't stand without rationalizing herself.
If you have a heartbreaking heart, I have it too.
Flavia lowered her head, placing her fists in front of her chest, which felt tight.
I would love you more than Judith.
That woman is loved by everyone. So something like my love would not be special or precious.
So why can't I enjoy your affection? Can't I have even the smallest piece? Why? Isn't that unfair?
“Go back to Serene Palace. And don’t you ever say something like that in front of me again.”
Even though he saw tears falling from Flavia's eyes, Franz turned away in silence, leaving only those words. Flavia couldn't understand even that slight movement. Why does he always...
“It seems like Your Highness the Princess cries every time you see me.”
Flavia, who had been shrugging her shoulders with her mouth covered, looked up in horror at the voice she suddenly heard. The man, with his hands in his pockets and his head tilted, was smiling. It was Rogero.
I would love you more than Judith.
That woman is loved by everyone. So something like my love would not be special or precious.
So why can't I enjoy your affection? Can't I have even the smallest piece? Why? Isn't that unfair?
“Go back to Serene Palace. And don’t you ever say something like that in front of me again.”
Even though he saw tears falling from Flavia's eyes, Franz turned away in silence, leaving only those words. Flavia couldn't understand even that slight movement. Why does he always...
“It seems like Your Highness the Princess cries every time you see me.”
Flavia, who had been shrugging her shoulders with her mouth covered, looked up in horror at the voice she suddenly heard. The man, with his hands in his pockets and his head tilted, was smiling. It was Rogero.
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