Judith, who had been quietly staring at the face that was grinning so badly that it was unpleasant, nodded her head obliquely in a formal greeting. Then she looked around with her keen eyes. It was not far from Magnus Palace, but it was a place with few people. Also, it was a blind spot slightly off the wide promenade, so she decided that it was not a place where she could face someone like Krald for a long time.
The moment Judith took a step, she heard a thumping sound of footsteps. An eerie chill ran down the back of her neck, but for a moment, a violent grip on her arm caused a scream to escape Judith's lips.
“Your Highness Krald!"
“Sister-in-law, it seems like ignoring me is your hobby?”
As he drew near, a strong smell of alcohol came from his mouth. Only then did she notice his face, which had become unpleasantly red, and his disheveled appearance.
She tried not to show her bewilderment, but she couldn't help but gasp. The mixture of physiological rejection, fear, and hatred seemed to kick and run around like a mad horse. Judith pursed her lips and tried to firmly shake off his hand, but the grip on her forearm did not budge.
“...Let go, Your Highness. What are you doing?”
“What did I do? What did I do? When I called you to talk, you passed me by like some trash, didn’t you, Sister-in-law? Why, if you exchange a word with someone like me, will your noble dignity crumble like a sand castle?”
“Your Highness, I have neither the time nor the reason to engage in this quarrel with you now. Put this down. Before I call in the knights!”
"Knights?"
Suddenly, a burst of laughter came from Krald’s mouth, who had been rolling his eyes. The moment his strong grip loosened as he laughed, shaking her shoulder, Judith tried to leave without looking back. However, before she could take a single step, a thick snake-like arm wrapped around her waist.
"Aahh!"
Before her scream could even end, Judith crashed into a large tree beyond the tall bushes. The pain felt like she had been hit in the back of her head and spine, and for a moment she lost her breath. But what was even more terrifying was Krald’s thigh trying to dig between her legs.
“Let go!”
“Why? You said you were going to call the knights? Call them. Call them.”
Krald snickered viciously. Judith's eyes widened as she was completely bound by him. She wanted to scream, but her voice was stuck in her chest and she couldn't do anything. She couldn't even breathe properly.
“You, a lowly country girl, have suddenly become the Crown Princess and think the world is yours? Flavia Bloset, after you got rid of that one stupid thing, you feel like nothing is bothering you anymore?"
“What the heck, gasp...!”
Krald's arm clamped down on Judith's neck. A pained groan escaped her parted, trembling lips, but he showed no intention of stopping his brutality.
“Do you think that the reason you were able to act so noble in that place was because you were so good? All the glory you held was given to you by the Crown Prince. Women really live comfortably. If you just warm up his pillow, you’ll get clothes, alcohol, and jewelry. Isn’t that right? Is that all? Even someone like you, who used to roll around like a stray in the countryside, can attain the status of a Crown Prince’s consort.”
“Ugh, hmph...!”
“But what can I do? Now that the Prince who gave you those things has become a corpse. Oh, he’s not a corpse yet? Will he become a corpse tomorrow? How many days will I have to wait to see maggots crawling on that handsome face? Seriously, I can’t even sleep because I’m looking forward to it.”
Judith, who was struggling while holding onto his arm that was pressing against her neck, kicked his thigh that was pressing between her legs hard with her shoe. At the moment when Krald's body flinched at the unexpected force, Judith dug her nails into his forearm with the determination to kill him.
“Ouch! This damn thing...!”
Krald's body fell down. Judith, who did not miss that moment, quickly put her hand inside her dress and took out something small. Krald, who was about to rush at her like an animal, stopped when he realized that the small but sharp knife was thrust under his chin. His rough lips twisted vulgarly.
“Why, are you trying to stab me? Where are you trying to do it?”
“...If you come one step closer, I will really kill you.”
The flushed cheeks trembled. However, the hand holding the sword remained firmly in place and did not tremble. If he had come a little closer, his jaw would have been pierced, so Krald rolled his bloodshot eyes around and backed away, giggling like a drunk.
Judith slowly backed away towards the widest possible path, but with a maddening effort, she resisted the urge to stab him.
The sword that Cheraan had given her, saying that she needed to prepare for the one and only situation, was sharp, but it was not capable of causing a fatal wound in one blow.
Besides, Judith had never stabbed anyone before. If she had been careless, she could have been blamed for pointing a knife at the second Prince without even killing him.
“Once that wretched man lying in the Nation Palace dies, it’s your turn.”
“Stop talking nonsense. His Highness the Crown Prince will return.”
“That’s just nonsense. Are you crazy because you’re so miserable? Well, that’s okay, but just be a little crazy. If you’re completely crazy, it’ll be less fun to slowly drain your blood.”
Krald's words were mixed with laughter. After the Flavia incident, he hated Franz and Judith more than anyone else. It was like a thorn in his bone that would not go away. It was an unreasonable and unjust feeling, but no one could point it out to Krald. With his mind clouded by alcohol, drugs, and debauchery, he would often lose his reason by chewing on only one feeling.
“Then, Sister-in-law, please go back safely and watch over my brother’s final journey. If you can, give him a kiss. Wouldn’t it be a new experience to know what it feels like to kiss a corpse?”
Krald, who had been giggling, turned his body toward the dark and narrow path and disappeared. As soon as his shadow disappeared from sight, the sword that Judith had been holding tightly in her hand fell to the ground with a thud. Her trembling knees felt as if they would buckle at any moment. However, Judith bit her lips and held on without collapsing.
I'm going to kill that thing.
I will kill you with my own hands.
A blue fire lit up in Judith's eyes.
"Ah!"
Samona, who had been rattling around for a long time while wearing a monocle, shouted out. At that vague shout that was neither positive nor negative, the people who had been leaning against the window came running around Samona.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“What the hell? What happened? Is His Highness the Crown Prince okay?”
“Speak up!”
Rogero, Cheraan, and Bartholomew shouted in order. Then Samona, who was holding a glass tube containing a translucent lavender liquid, took a deep breath, furrowed her brows, and opened her eyes wide.
“Didn’t I tell you not to disturb me, ladies?”
“No, I wasn’t interrupting you. It was just you who suddenly started yelling...!”
Rogero and Bartholomew quickly caught Cheraan, who was about to rush at Samona in a fit of rage. But their gaze was directed more toward Judith, who was standing far away and turning her head, than toward Samona. Samona waved her arms as if she were chasing away children who had gathered at a magic stall on a festival day, and lifted the cloth that had been covering Franz's ankles.
The wounded area was still horribly swollen, but the poison had not spread any further, and the flesh had at least been prevented from necrosis. Samona, who had soaked a clean new cloth with the liquid she had just finished, began to slowly wipe the area around the wound. The three of them, including Rogero, watched without even blinking and holding their breath.
The area around the wound, which was swollen as if it were a black bruise, was still there, but the area where the sticky, dark blood had dried was washed cleanly, and a small amount of bright red blood flowed out before stopping. Samona thoroughly washed the wound until not a single drop of liquid remained in the glass tube, and covered the ankle again with a cloth soaked in antidote, then wrapped it around with another clean cloth.
“As Your Highness the Crown Princess said, I created an antidote centered on the venom of snakes found in the south.”
“So, does it work?”
Bartholomew asked urgently. Samona, wiping her hands and taking off her monocle, gestured towards Franz.
“Can’t you tell by looking at his complexion?”
At those words, the three people's gazes turned to Franz's face at the same time. A little color was seen returning to his face, which had looked completely dead just a moment ago. The pale, leaden color gradually disappeared, and his breathing, which had been barely audible, gradually became more relaxed.
“Thank goodness...! Your Highness! Your Highness!”
Cheraan, who rarely shed tears, hurriedly took Judith by the hand. Judith, who had been blankly staring as if possessed, seemed to have belatedly noticed the change in Franz. Light gradually returned to her cold eyes, and tears welled up like a blue lake.
"Your Highness...."
Judith carefully took Franz's hand. The tips of his fingers, which had been as cold as ice, seemed to have warmed up a little. Suddenly, she burst into tears, but Judith bit her lips tightly and held back her sobs as she raised her head.
“Thank you so much, Samona.”
“It’s all thanks to the Crown Princess telling me the story of the South. The person who saved the Crown Prince is the Crown Princess. What should I...?”
“No, really... thank you so much. I will never... never forget what Samona did for me today.”
A shy smile appeared on Samona's lips, who was always blunt. Judith wiped her face, which was soaked with tears, with the back of her hand, let out a salty sigh, and spoke in a small voice.
“I will go and see His Majesty.”
“Your Highness, I will go with you.”
“No, Bartholomew. It’s okay. I’m okay... Please stay by his side. Make sure no one comes in. Can you do that?”
Although he looked worried, Bartholomew faithfully followed her words. Judith turned away Cheraan, who offered to follow her and went out alone.
As if her head was covered in soot, the thoughts between her tangled, chaotic thoughts turned black and she couldn't organize them at all.
She wanted to cool her head a bit. Just thinking about what to say to King Jedercayer made her feel like she was doing a hundred things at once.
The moment Judith took a step, she heard a thumping sound of footsteps. An eerie chill ran down the back of her neck, but for a moment, a violent grip on her arm caused a scream to escape Judith's lips.
“Your Highness Krald!"
“Sister-in-law, it seems like ignoring me is your hobby?”
As he drew near, a strong smell of alcohol came from his mouth. Only then did she notice his face, which had become unpleasantly red, and his disheveled appearance.
She tried not to show her bewilderment, but she couldn't help but gasp. The mixture of physiological rejection, fear, and hatred seemed to kick and run around like a mad horse. Judith pursed her lips and tried to firmly shake off his hand, but the grip on her forearm did not budge.
“...Let go, Your Highness. What are you doing?”
“What did I do? What did I do? When I called you to talk, you passed me by like some trash, didn’t you, Sister-in-law? Why, if you exchange a word with someone like me, will your noble dignity crumble like a sand castle?”
“Your Highness, I have neither the time nor the reason to engage in this quarrel with you now. Put this down. Before I call in the knights!”
"Knights?"
Suddenly, a burst of laughter came from Krald’s mouth, who had been rolling his eyes. The moment his strong grip loosened as he laughed, shaking her shoulder, Judith tried to leave without looking back. However, before she could take a single step, a thick snake-like arm wrapped around her waist.
"Aahh!"
Before her scream could even end, Judith crashed into a large tree beyond the tall bushes. The pain felt like she had been hit in the back of her head and spine, and for a moment she lost her breath. But what was even more terrifying was Krald’s thigh trying to dig between her legs.
“Let go!”
“Why? You said you were going to call the knights? Call them. Call them.”
Krald snickered viciously. Judith's eyes widened as she was completely bound by him. She wanted to scream, but her voice was stuck in her chest and she couldn't do anything. She couldn't even breathe properly.
“You, a lowly country girl, have suddenly become the Crown Princess and think the world is yours? Flavia Bloset, after you got rid of that one stupid thing, you feel like nothing is bothering you anymore?"
“What the heck, gasp...!”
Krald's arm clamped down on Judith's neck. A pained groan escaped her parted, trembling lips, but he showed no intention of stopping his brutality.
“Do you think that the reason you were able to act so noble in that place was because you were so good? All the glory you held was given to you by the Crown Prince. Women really live comfortably. If you just warm up his pillow, you’ll get clothes, alcohol, and jewelry. Isn’t that right? Is that all? Even someone like you, who used to roll around like a stray in the countryside, can attain the status of a Crown Prince’s consort.”
“Ugh, hmph...!”
“But what can I do? Now that the Prince who gave you those things has become a corpse. Oh, he’s not a corpse yet? Will he become a corpse tomorrow? How many days will I have to wait to see maggots crawling on that handsome face? Seriously, I can’t even sleep because I’m looking forward to it.”
Judith, who was struggling while holding onto his arm that was pressing against her neck, kicked his thigh that was pressing between her legs hard with her shoe. At the moment when Krald's body flinched at the unexpected force, Judith dug her nails into his forearm with the determination to kill him.
“Ouch! This damn thing...!”
Krald's body fell down. Judith, who did not miss that moment, quickly put her hand inside her dress and took out something small. Krald, who was about to rush at her like an animal, stopped when he realized that the small but sharp knife was thrust under his chin. His rough lips twisted vulgarly.
“Why, are you trying to stab me? Where are you trying to do it?”
“...If you come one step closer, I will really kill you.”
The flushed cheeks trembled. However, the hand holding the sword remained firmly in place and did not tremble. If he had come a little closer, his jaw would have been pierced, so Krald rolled his bloodshot eyes around and backed away, giggling like a drunk.
Judith slowly backed away towards the widest possible path, but with a maddening effort, she resisted the urge to stab him.
The sword that Cheraan had given her, saying that she needed to prepare for the one and only situation, was sharp, but it was not capable of causing a fatal wound in one blow.
Besides, Judith had never stabbed anyone before. If she had been careless, she could have been blamed for pointing a knife at the second Prince without even killing him.
“Once that wretched man lying in the Nation Palace dies, it’s your turn.”
“Stop talking nonsense. His Highness the Crown Prince will return.”
“That’s just nonsense. Are you crazy because you’re so miserable? Well, that’s okay, but just be a little crazy. If you’re completely crazy, it’ll be less fun to slowly drain your blood.”
Krald's words were mixed with laughter. After the Flavia incident, he hated Franz and Judith more than anyone else. It was like a thorn in his bone that would not go away. It was an unreasonable and unjust feeling, but no one could point it out to Krald. With his mind clouded by alcohol, drugs, and debauchery, he would often lose his reason by chewing on only one feeling.
“Then, Sister-in-law, please go back safely and watch over my brother’s final journey. If you can, give him a kiss. Wouldn’t it be a new experience to know what it feels like to kiss a corpse?”
Krald, who had been giggling, turned his body toward the dark and narrow path and disappeared. As soon as his shadow disappeared from sight, the sword that Judith had been holding tightly in her hand fell to the ground with a thud. Her trembling knees felt as if they would buckle at any moment. However, Judith bit her lips and held on without collapsing.
I'm going to kill that thing.
I will kill you with my own hands.
A blue fire lit up in Judith's eyes.
***
"Ah!"
Samona, who had been rattling around for a long time while wearing a monocle, shouted out. At that vague shout that was neither positive nor negative, the people who had been leaning against the window came running around Samona.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“What the hell? What happened? Is His Highness the Crown Prince okay?”
“Speak up!”
Rogero, Cheraan, and Bartholomew shouted in order. Then Samona, who was holding a glass tube containing a translucent lavender liquid, took a deep breath, furrowed her brows, and opened her eyes wide.
“Didn’t I tell you not to disturb me, ladies?”
“No, I wasn’t interrupting you. It was just you who suddenly started yelling...!”
Rogero and Bartholomew quickly caught Cheraan, who was about to rush at Samona in a fit of rage. But their gaze was directed more toward Judith, who was standing far away and turning her head, than toward Samona. Samona waved her arms as if she were chasing away children who had gathered at a magic stall on a festival day, and lifted the cloth that had been covering Franz's ankles.
The wounded area was still horribly swollen, but the poison had not spread any further, and the flesh had at least been prevented from necrosis. Samona, who had soaked a clean new cloth with the liquid she had just finished, began to slowly wipe the area around the wound. The three of them, including Rogero, watched without even blinking and holding their breath.
The area around the wound, which was swollen as if it were a black bruise, was still there, but the area where the sticky, dark blood had dried was washed cleanly, and a small amount of bright red blood flowed out before stopping. Samona thoroughly washed the wound until not a single drop of liquid remained in the glass tube, and covered the ankle again with a cloth soaked in antidote, then wrapped it around with another clean cloth.
“As Your Highness the Crown Princess said, I created an antidote centered on the venom of snakes found in the south.”
“So, does it work?”
Bartholomew asked urgently. Samona, wiping her hands and taking off her monocle, gestured towards Franz.
“Can’t you tell by looking at his complexion?”
At those words, the three people's gazes turned to Franz's face at the same time. A little color was seen returning to his face, which had looked completely dead just a moment ago. The pale, leaden color gradually disappeared, and his breathing, which had been barely audible, gradually became more relaxed.
“Thank goodness...! Your Highness! Your Highness!”
Cheraan, who rarely shed tears, hurriedly took Judith by the hand. Judith, who had been blankly staring as if possessed, seemed to have belatedly noticed the change in Franz. Light gradually returned to her cold eyes, and tears welled up like a blue lake.
"Your Highness...."
Judith carefully took Franz's hand. The tips of his fingers, which had been as cold as ice, seemed to have warmed up a little. Suddenly, she burst into tears, but Judith bit her lips tightly and held back her sobs as she raised her head.
“Thank you so much, Samona.”
“It’s all thanks to the Crown Princess telling me the story of the South. The person who saved the Crown Prince is the Crown Princess. What should I...?”
“No, really... thank you so much. I will never... never forget what Samona did for me today.”
A shy smile appeared on Samona's lips, who was always blunt. Judith wiped her face, which was soaked with tears, with the back of her hand, let out a salty sigh, and spoke in a small voice.
“I will go and see His Majesty.”
“Your Highness, I will go with you.”
“No, Bartholomew. It’s okay. I’m okay... Please stay by his side. Make sure no one comes in. Can you do that?”
Although he looked worried, Bartholomew faithfully followed her words. Judith turned away Cheraan, who offered to follow her and went out alone.
As if her head was covered in soot, the thoughts between her tangled, chaotic thoughts turned black and she couldn't organize them at all.
She wanted to cool her head a bit. Just thinking about what to say to King Jedercayer made her feel like she was doing a hundred things at once.
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