“...That’s how it happened.”
It was quite late for a gathering for tea, but no one sitting around the table seemed to care about the time.
Judith slowly looked at the faces of the people sitting around the table in the middle: Cheeran, Bartholomew, and even Franz.
The place where they were gathered was a salon in the most remote corner of the Nation Palace. It was so remote that it made one wonder why they had created such a space in such a place. However, even broken porcelain can be useful. It seemed difficult to find a more appropriate place to share today’s shocking experience.
“What? Then, Your Highness, what you’re saying is... that, the one who put poison... in the snack was Your Highness the Second Princess?”
“Strictly speaking, it’s not poisonous. You won’t die if you eat a little. But if it were a pitcher plant, it would be different.”
Rogero joked, but no one laughed. Judith thought Cheraan would overturn the table, but she was surprisingly quiet, perhaps because she was too shocked.
“How can something like that not be poison?”
After a long time, Bartholomew asked. He couldn't understand why the powder of that flower, which had the strange name of 'One Night with the Devil', was not classified as a poison, even though it caused absurd hallucinations and even resulted in death. He was even shocked by the fact that soldiers in war used such a thing.
“Excluding the one that caused the problem this time, there are surprisingly many herbs that soldiers seek out for similar purposes. But no one would think that someone would use such things as poison. In fact, there is no problem if you eat one or two roots.”
“What I mean is...”
“I understand what you mean. But you know, a battlefield is not a place where you have to fight the enemy fiercely every single day without fail. Such wars are rare and end quickly, so there is no need for them. The problem is a war that drags on for a long time. If you stay in such a place for two or three years, you will need something like that.”
Bartholomew's brow furrowed. He wondered how Rogero knew so much about the realities of the battlefield, but now was not the time to ask.
The three people's eyes turned to Franz and Judith. Rogero also told him everything about why Flavia did such a thing. Judith was surprised, and Franz had a serious expression.
Before hearing Rogero's story, they thought that the person who had planned this was Queen Gilsis. However, there were still many incomprehensible questions here and there about what the Queen had done, so it was difficult to come to a conclusion.
Franz later met with the Duke of Vergy and King Jedercayer and told them the same thing, but both the Duke and the King shared the same opinion that some parts did not make sense as the Queen's actions.
But if it was Flavia and not the Queen who did it, then it made sense. Franz, who had been deep in thought with a serious expression on his face, said.
“It was a wrong idea to think that the Queen was behind everything. She probably doesn’t even know that the second Princess did this.”
“Are you saying that this has nothing to do with the Queen? How can you be sure of that?”
Rogero asked. Franz tapped the table with his fingertips and answered.
“Because Queen Gilsis is a very proud person.”
Not everyone could understand Franz’s words at once. Rogero, as well as Cheraan and Bartholomew, looked puzzled as they did not understand how this was connected to the fact that the Queen was not behind the incident. However, only one person, Judith, understood Franz's intention in coming to that conclusion.
“I understand what you mean. Queen Gilsis would never have accepted the fact that the woman she had married to her own son had another man in her heart. If the Queen had known this, she would have wanted to get rid of Flavia before me.”
Only after hearing a long explanation did everyone else understand that Queen Gilsis was probably not behind this incident. Cheraan, who had been silently listening to Judith’s explanation, spoke.
“I can’t just sit still like this. I can’t just sit there and take this. I have to go to the second Princess right now...”
Just as the excited Cheraan was about to stand up, Bartholomew gently but firmly grabbed her wrist.
“What’s wrong, Bartholomew!”
“Calm down, Cheraan. There’s nothing we can do about the second Princess right now.”
“No, why? She even admitted it in front of His Highness the Prince...”
“He didn’t exactly say ‘I admitted it,’ Miss Ebelta.”
Rogero said, twirling the hair that was hanging slightly by his ear with his fingers.
“If I had to say something, she didn’t admit it, and she kept insisting that it wasn’t her doing. But even a three-year-old could tell that it wasn’t true. I’ve never seen anyone act so poorly in my life.”
“Rogero, this is not the time to joke.”
“If I don’t joke now that I've almost died and come back to life, then when will I? You’re so stiff.”
Although he was muttering, Rogero did not open his mouth anymore, perhaps because he wanted to respect Franz’s opinion. Judith, who kept her mouth shut amidst the opinions and noises rolling around the table, slowly gathered her thoughts. However, Rogero’s words kept circling around in her head, and she could not concentrate at all.
'The second Princess loves Franz. And she loves him passionately. So much so that, if she could, she would tie herself to his ankle and jump into the river with him.'
Although his expressions were intense, each and every word he said was so surprising that it made Judith's mouth drop. What was even more surprising was that Franz, who heard those words from Rogero, only frowned as if he knew that would happen. In addition, she was momentarily angry at Franz's reaction.
“The Crown Prince’s wife has been degraded.”
Judith, who had been lost in thought, turned her gaze to Cheraan's voice. When she came to her senses, everyone was looking only at her face.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“I asked your opinion on how to handle this.”
Franz explained. Judith slumped her shoulders as if she had lost her balance, looked up at the ceiling, and let out an unusual sigh.
What is the wisest way to handle it?
In fact, at this point, Judith had few options. If they look at the results, there are only two options: reveal or cover-up. But if she reveals it, how will she reveal it? What is the evidence? Should she reveal the fact that Flavia had inappropriate feelings for Franz?
“I think...”
Judith spoke cautiously.
“...I think it’s better not to reveal what happened this time.”
"Your Highness!"
It was Cheraan who couldn't hold back and shouted. This time, she ignored Bartholomew's attempts to stop her and quickly got up.
“Calm down, Cheraan.”
“How can you cover up something like this? I don't know what else I'll do! Okay, this time it was poison or something. Then can you guarantee that you won’t start a fire next time?”
“Cheraan, I’m not here to tell you to forgive Flavia and move on from what she did. So, just sit down and calm down.”
Only after hearing the somewhat stern voice did Cheraan sit down again. But she seemed to have difficulty appeasing her anger.
“I will not oppose what the Crown Princess says, but...”
Judith's gaze turned to Rogero. He continued.
“As I am also a party, I would like to hear an explanation as to why you want to make such a decision.”
“Of course, Your Highness. As I just said, I am not trying to forgive Flavia for her mistake today. However, as His Highness the Crown Prince said, we do not have any clear evidence at the moment. We have not even been able to find out who the maid who brought the sweets is. Nadine... Even if he regain consciousness, she cannot guarantee whether he will be in a state where he can testify. In this situation, if this case was made public and Flavia was pointed out as the culprit, would anyone accept it? Will Flavia, who denied that it was her fault in front of the Prince, actually want to admit it in front of others? If we take her to the Marquis de Mora, the chief justice, will she admit it in front of him?”
After speaking to that point, Judith paused for a moment as if she was out of breath. And she looked into each person's eyes again.
“Besides, to explain why Flavia did this, she...”
Judith, whose words were trailing off, looked at Franz for a moment without realizing it. He kept his eyes fixed on Judith and didn't say anything. He seemed to be listening, but it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
“It’s inappropriate for His Highness the Crown Prince... We have to reveal with our mouths that she even had feelings for him. And when things get to that point, people might..."
“You probably don’t care about what the second Princess did. Rather, Franz... They will pay more attention to whether the Crown Prince and the Second Princess really had that kind of relationship.”
Bartholomew added. Judith nodded her head in agreement with what he said. Rogero bent his fingers and knocked on the table until they made a loud sound, then twitched the corner of his lips and made a hmm sound. It seemed like he had also completed his calculations.
“Considering the relationship between the Second Prince and Franz, I guess that is indeed the case. I wonder if Her Highness the Crown Princess’s decision was wise.”
As he leaned back, a squeaking sound came from the chair legs. Perhaps because of the atmosphere of some sort of conspiracy, the sound was very eerie, like a shriek.
“Your Highness, why are you suddenly talking about the second Prince?”
When Bartholomew asked, Rogero leaned back, twirling the slightly grown hair below his ears with his fingers, just as he had done a moment ago. There were several squeaks and squeaks from the chair.
“The majority of the nobles of this country are genuinely happy and welcoming that Franz has become the Crown Prince. Of course, that is thanks to our wooden block’s excellent abilities both internally and externally, but it is also a reward for having a second Prince.”
This time, instead of Cheraan, Bartholomew looked rather displeased. Since he was like a brother to Franz, he thought it was absurd to say that he received support because Franz was better than Krald.
“Are you saying that the two of you weren’t meant to be together in the first place?”
“Whether it is a relative or not, what does it matter? After all, there are only two Princes in this country. Although their order is different, they are both in the direct line of the King. So, their starting point is the same. If His Majesty the King of Rotair had been completely infatuated with the current Queen, Franz, no matter how great he was, would never have reached where he is today.”
“I think...”
Judith spoke cautiously.
“...I think it’s better not to reveal what happened this time.”
"Your Highness!"
It was Cheraan who couldn't hold back and shouted. This time, she ignored Bartholomew's attempts to stop her and quickly got up.
“Calm down, Cheraan.”
“How can you cover up something like this? I don't know what else I'll do! Okay, this time it was poison or something. Then can you guarantee that you won’t start a fire next time?”
“Cheraan, I’m not here to tell you to forgive Flavia and move on from what she did. So, just sit down and calm down.”
Only after hearing the somewhat stern voice did Cheraan sit down again. But she seemed to have difficulty appeasing her anger.
“I will not oppose what the Crown Princess says, but...”
Judith's gaze turned to Rogero. He continued.
“As I am also a party, I would like to hear an explanation as to why you want to make such a decision.”
“Of course, Your Highness. As I just said, I am not trying to forgive Flavia for her mistake today. However, as His Highness the Crown Prince said, we do not have any clear evidence at the moment. We have not even been able to find out who the maid who brought the sweets is. Nadine... Even if he regain consciousness, she cannot guarantee whether he will be in a state where he can testify. In this situation, if this case was made public and Flavia was pointed out as the culprit, would anyone accept it? Will Flavia, who denied that it was her fault in front of the Prince, actually want to admit it in front of others? If we take her to the Marquis de Mora, the chief justice, will she admit it in front of him?”
After speaking to that point, Judith paused for a moment as if she was out of breath. And she looked into each person's eyes again.
“Besides, to explain why Flavia did this, she...”
Judith, whose words were trailing off, looked at Franz for a moment without realizing it. He kept his eyes fixed on Judith and didn't say anything. He seemed to be listening, but it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
“It’s inappropriate for His Highness the Crown Prince... We have to reveal with our mouths that she even had feelings for him. And when things get to that point, people might..."
“You probably don’t care about what the second Princess did. Rather, Franz... They will pay more attention to whether the Crown Prince and the Second Princess really had that kind of relationship.”
Bartholomew added. Judith nodded her head in agreement with what he said. Rogero bent his fingers and knocked on the table until they made a loud sound, then twitched the corner of his lips and made a hmm sound. It seemed like he had also completed his calculations.
“Considering the relationship between the Second Prince and Franz, I guess that is indeed the case. I wonder if Her Highness the Crown Princess’s decision was wise.”
As he leaned back, a squeaking sound came from the chair legs. Perhaps because of the atmosphere of some sort of conspiracy, the sound was very eerie, like a shriek.
“Your Highness, why are you suddenly talking about the second Prince?”
When Bartholomew asked, Rogero leaned back, twirling the slightly grown hair below his ears with his fingers, just as he had done a moment ago. There were several squeaks and squeaks from the chair.
“The majority of the nobles of this country are genuinely happy and welcoming that Franz has become the Crown Prince. Of course, that is thanks to our wooden block’s excellent abilities both internally and externally, but it is also a reward for having a second Prince.”
This time, instead of Cheraan, Bartholomew looked rather displeased. Since he was like a brother to Franz, he thought it was absurd to say that he received support because Franz was better than Krald.
“Are you saying that the two of you weren’t meant to be together in the first place?”
“Whether it is a relative or not, what does it matter? After all, there are only two Princes in this country. Although their order is different, they are both in the direct line of the King. So, their starting point is the same. If His Majesty the King of Rotair had been completely infatuated with the current Queen, Franz, no matter how great he was, would never have reached where he is today.”
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