Franz's voice was as gentle and calm as ever, but Duke Vergy sensed the anger quietly hanging like a fog beneath it.
Among the various officials who formed the foundation of the kingdom, the status of the Counts was particularly sensitive. Not only was the task of defending the borders in the border regions itself such, but within their own territories, they could command the same level of authority as the King, including administrative and legal systems and military command. Furthermore, depending on which region they were in charge of, the status of the Counts would inevitably rise along with their importance.
The border regions were far from the capital, so it was difficult to detect changes from time to time. Also, since they were always exposed to danger, the loyalty of the people to the lord was generally very high.
Therefore, while the royal family treated those who held the title of Count as their most loyal subjects, they had no choice but to constantly monitor and guard their movements.
Because each border region was supposed to submit a much more detailed report than other territories, Krald had not submitted a single report since he took office as the Grand Duke of the South. If he had not been a member of the royal family, he would have been summoned to the capital immediately and punished for dereliction of duty.
“It is most likely that he is acting so wantonly because he is relying on the protection of the Queen. Don’t you think so, uncle?”
“Your Highness, what you say is correct. I also think so.”
Franz's fingertips tapped the desk a few times. He had an interested expression on his face as if he had heard a funny joke, but he was deep in thought.
When he first heard the news that Krald had become the Grand Duke and was to assume the post of Southern Margrave, he couldn't believe his ears. Even after seeing the royal order, he had a hard time believing it.
When King Jedecayer postponed the appointment of Krald as Grand Duke, Franz could vaguely guess his father's intention. He thought that he had no intention of giving Krald an independent territory and a position as a lord. The shock was even greater because not only Franz, but most of the nobles had the same expectation.
But the shock when he found out who had advised Krald to be granted the title of Grand Duke was incomparable.
“Uncle.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Please speak.”
“Was it really the Crown Princess who personally persuaded Father to make the Second Prince a Grand Duke and put him in charge of the Southern Border?”
Franz's eyes, looking up at the Duke, became a little sharper. The Duke opened his lips for a moment as if he had heard something unexpected, then nodded heavily.
“Yes, Your Highness knew it too.”
“Yes, I knew. But... I never asked her directly.”
The Duke of Vergy seemed a little surprised at those words. He knew very well that Franz and Judith had a very close relationship. So he had naturally assumed that they would discuss everything and decide on it. When he heard that Judith had appointed Krald, he was shocked, but since Franz had also agreed, he thought there must be some intention behind it. But that wasn't the case?
“Her Highness the Crown Princess… Are you saying that she did not inform Your Highness in advance and discuss it?”
“Not at all. I didn’t know. I heard that she saw Father when I was addicted and unconscious.”
“Of course Ilshe did, but I thought she had already discussed it with you before. I didn’t think you knew...”
“Do you know, uncle, why the Crown Princess did that?”
The Duke looked at Franz for a moment, speechless at his question.
“I don’t know either. The Crown Princess only spoke to His Majesty, and His Majesty did not give me a clear explanation.”
“...I see. That’s what I thought.”
It was hard to believe that Judith would do something like this without any reason. Especially since Franz knew how she treated Krald. But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't easily guess what Judith wanted. What kind of picture was she drawing? What kind of scenery was she expecting as she moved forward?
There were many times before when he tried to guess Judith's movements and intentions. He tried to follow her. Nevertheless, Judith sometimes got ahead of Franz's thoughts or overturned them without any hesitation.
Franz always wondered how that could be possible. At such times, Judith seemed as if she were out of reach. Her body was here, but her consciousness, her thoughts, and her wisdom seemed to be far above and far away, looking down on everyone.
“What do you think of me, Judith?”
Duke Vergy remained silent, bewildered by the ambiguous tone that was neither a question nor a soliloquy. He had asked, but it did not seem as if he expected an answer.
“Uncle, I... have had similar thoughts many times before. When I first met her, when I learned that Father had awakened... Judith was always by my side, but sometimes I couldn’t tell where she was looking or what she was seeing.”
The Duke's expression was strange. His eyes were cast down, a mixture of worry and pity. Franz continued.
“Whenever that happens, I always get caught up in the same thought. What would I look like in her eyes? A dot on a line? Part of the picture Judith is trying to paint? Or the whole picture?”
“Your Highness, such thoughts...”
“What on earth is she trying to protect me from that she's always so desperately alone?”
Duke Vergy did not fully understand the weight of the confusion Franz was going through. He had long suspected that Judith was hiding something secret despite her outward appearance, but he was only in the position of a third party. The depth of his emotions could not but be different from Franz, who lived right next to her as her husband and companion.
“If we stay together a little longer, will I be able to know more about what Judith is thinking? Will I be able to see what she sees? What do you think, uncle?”
Franz was still a young man, just beginning to step out of the dark and stuffy caves and onto the open ground. The Duke understood that he was bound to be occasionally seized by intense anxiety and doubt.
A faint, bitter smile passed across the Duke's lips.
“Your Highness, a couple is closer than anyone else. But that is precisely why they sometimes feel the furthest apart in the world.”
“What does that mean?”
“Your Highness may feel frustrated that you do not know the thoughts and intentions of Her Highness the Crown Princess. However, no matter how close you are to her, aren’t you still a stranger? What she is thinking, what she hopes for, and what she is worried about can only be known through conversation.”
"That..."
“Would anyone feel suffocated because they don’t know the thoughts of someone they just passed by? No one would feel depressed because they don’t know what someone they only see once or twice is thinking. But if someone thinks that their wife or husband is hiding something, they would be worried and anxious, even if it is a very small secret. Just like the present situation.”
Suddenly, Franz's lips trembled slightly. He seemed to know what Duke Vergy was trying to say, but his expression was uncertain and hesitant.
“Your Highness, you should not think that you will know all of Her Highness’s thoughts just because you have been together for a long time. It would be foolish to just wait until that day comes. There was no other reason for the two of you to first meet and become close. The fact that you are married is all there is to it. To fill that gap, you have no choice but to continue to work hard.”
Franz looked up at the Duke's face for a while in silence. Perhaps because of his own red hair, he sometimes saw the face of his dead mother in the Duke of Vergy.
Even though the portrait had completely disappeared and now his memory had become hazy, Franz could still clearly recall his mother whenever he saw the Duke's face. Maybe that was why everything he said touched his heart so deeply.
“In the end, my uncle wanted to tell me to speak to Judith directly.”
“It is very necessary to have many conversations with your wife. I have given this advice to Bartholomew a hundred times. Now I must give it to you too.”
The Duke smiled somewhat mischievously as he organized the scattered documents. He could feel the atmosphere that had been cold and frozen gradually softening. Franz, who had been looking down at the spread of papers on the desk, let out a shallow sigh and spoke.
“I will listen carefully.”
“I believe that whatever Her Highness the Crown Princess does, it is ultimately for His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince. If Your Highness always keeps that in mind, perhaps your anxious mind will be somewhat eased.”
“I’m not that anxious. I’m just worried that there might be nothing I can do.”
It was a simple statement, but it was filled with a complex mix of affection and concern. The Duke placed the neatly organized documents on a corner of the desk and made a light tapping motion with his fingertips.
“Come to think of it, it seems the King of Tien will soon ask to see His Majesty. What should you do?”
Franz shook his head.
“His Majesty has not fully recovered yet. I cannot burden him with such burdens. If he requests an audience, please let me know. I will meet him in person.”
“He is a persistent man. He is blinded by his desire for war and is capable of doing anything. Please be careful.”
Franz nodded immediately at the Duke's advice. He stood up, picking up a few unread reports.
“I need someone to send to the south. I will give them a brief explanation, so I will have them report back to me, even if it is only briefly. Please choose someone, uncle. Someone trustworthy.”
“I will do that.”
Outside the window, he heard people talking. Franz turned his head absentmindedly and looked down, and saw Judith. Beside her were several maids from Cheraan and Nation Palace.
Among the various officials who formed the foundation of the kingdom, the status of the Counts was particularly sensitive. Not only was the task of defending the borders in the border regions itself such, but within their own territories, they could command the same level of authority as the King, including administrative and legal systems and military command. Furthermore, depending on which region they were in charge of, the status of the Counts would inevitably rise along with their importance.
The border regions were far from the capital, so it was difficult to detect changes from time to time. Also, since they were always exposed to danger, the loyalty of the people to the lord was generally very high.
Therefore, while the royal family treated those who held the title of Count as their most loyal subjects, they had no choice but to constantly monitor and guard their movements.
Because each border region was supposed to submit a much more detailed report than other territories, Krald had not submitted a single report since he took office as the Grand Duke of the South. If he had not been a member of the royal family, he would have been summoned to the capital immediately and punished for dereliction of duty.
“It is most likely that he is acting so wantonly because he is relying on the protection of the Queen. Don’t you think so, uncle?”
“Your Highness, what you say is correct. I also think so.”
Franz's fingertips tapped the desk a few times. He had an interested expression on his face as if he had heard a funny joke, but he was deep in thought.
When he first heard the news that Krald had become the Grand Duke and was to assume the post of Southern Margrave, he couldn't believe his ears. Even after seeing the royal order, he had a hard time believing it.
When King Jedecayer postponed the appointment of Krald as Grand Duke, Franz could vaguely guess his father's intention. He thought that he had no intention of giving Krald an independent territory and a position as a lord. The shock was even greater because not only Franz, but most of the nobles had the same expectation.
But the shock when he found out who had advised Krald to be granted the title of Grand Duke was incomparable.
“Uncle.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Please speak.”
“Was it really the Crown Princess who personally persuaded Father to make the Second Prince a Grand Duke and put him in charge of the Southern Border?”
Franz's eyes, looking up at the Duke, became a little sharper. The Duke opened his lips for a moment as if he had heard something unexpected, then nodded heavily.
“Yes, Your Highness knew it too.”
“Yes, I knew. But... I never asked her directly.”
The Duke of Vergy seemed a little surprised at those words. He knew very well that Franz and Judith had a very close relationship. So he had naturally assumed that they would discuss everything and decide on it. When he heard that Judith had appointed Krald, he was shocked, but since Franz had also agreed, he thought there must be some intention behind it. But that wasn't the case?
“Her Highness the Crown Princess… Are you saying that she did not inform Your Highness in advance and discuss it?”
“Not at all. I didn’t know. I heard that she saw Father when I was addicted and unconscious.”
“Of course Ilshe did, but I thought she had already discussed it with you before. I didn’t think you knew...”
“Do you know, uncle, why the Crown Princess did that?”
The Duke looked at Franz for a moment, speechless at his question.
“I don’t know either. The Crown Princess only spoke to His Majesty, and His Majesty did not give me a clear explanation.”
“...I see. That’s what I thought.”
It was hard to believe that Judith would do something like this without any reason. Especially since Franz knew how she treated Krald. But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't easily guess what Judith wanted. What kind of picture was she drawing? What kind of scenery was she expecting as she moved forward?
There were many times before when he tried to guess Judith's movements and intentions. He tried to follow her. Nevertheless, Judith sometimes got ahead of Franz's thoughts or overturned them without any hesitation.
Franz always wondered how that could be possible. At such times, Judith seemed as if she were out of reach. Her body was here, but her consciousness, her thoughts, and her wisdom seemed to be far above and far away, looking down on everyone.
“What do you think of me, Judith?”
Duke Vergy remained silent, bewildered by the ambiguous tone that was neither a question nor a soliloquy. He had asked, but it did not seem as if he expected an answer.
“Uncle, I... have had similar thoughts many times before. When I first met her, when I learned that Father had awakened... Judith was always by my side, but sometimes I couldn’t tell where she was looking or what she was seeing.”
The Duke's expression was strange. His eyes were cast down, a mixture of worry and pity. Franz continued.
“Whenever that happens, I always get caught up in the same thought. What would I look like in her eyes? A dot on a line? Part of the picture Judith is trying to paint? Or the whole picture?”
“Your Highness, such thoughts...”
“What on earth is she trying to protect me from that she's always so desperately alone?”
Duke Vergy did not fully understand the weight of the confusion Franz was going through. He had long suspected that Judith was hiding something secret despite her outward appearance, but he was only in the position of a third party. The depth of his emotions could not but be different from Franz, who lived right next to her as her husband and companion.
“If we stay together a little longer, will I be able to know more about what Judith is thinking? Will I be able to see what she sees? What do you think, uncle?”
Franz was still a young man, just beginning to step out of the dark and stuffy caves and onto the open ground. The Duke understood that he was bound to be occasionally seized by intense anxiety and doubt.
A faint, bitter smile passed across the Duke's lips.
“Your Highness, a couple is closer than anyone else. But that is precisely why they sometimes feel the furthest apart in the world.”
“What does that mean?”
“Your Highness may feel frustrated that you do not know the thoughts and intentions of Her Highness the Crown Princess. However, no matter how close you are to her, aren’t you still a stranger? What she is thinking, what she hopes for, and what she is worried about can only be known through conversation.”
"That..."
“Would anyone feel suffocated because they don’t know the thoughts of someone they just passed by? No one would feel depressed because they don’t know what someone they only see once or twice is thinking. But if someone thinks that their wife or husband is hiding something, they would be worried and anxious, even if it is a very small secret. Just like the present situation.”
Suddenly, Franz's lips trembled slightly. He seemed to know what Duke Vergy was trying to say, but his expression was uncertain and hesitant.
“Your Highness, you should not think that you will know all of Her Highness’s thoughts just because you have been together for a long time. It would be foolish to just wait until that day comes. There was no other reason for the two of you to first meet and become close. The fact that you are married is all there is to it. To fill that gap, you have no choice but to continue to work hard.”
Franz looked up at the Duke's face for a while in silence. Perhaps because of his own red hair, he sometimes saw the face of his dead mother in the Duke of Vergy.
Even though the portrait had completely disappeared and now his memory had become hazy, Franz could still clearly recall his mother whenever he saw the Duke's face. Maybe that was why everything he said touched his heart so deeply.
“In the end, my uncle wanted to tell me to speak to Judith directly.”
“It is very necessary to have many conversations with your wife. I have given this advice to Bartholomew a hundred times. Now I must give it to you too.”
The Duke smiled somewhat mischievously as he organized the scattered documents. He could feel the atmosphere that had been cold and frozen gradually softening. Franz, who had been looking down at the spread of papers on the desk, let out a shallow sigh and spoke.
“I will listen carefully.”
“I believe that whatever Her Highness the Crown Princess does, it is ultimately for His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince. If Your Highness always keeps that in mind, perhaps your anxious mind will be somewhat eased.”
“I’m not that anxious. I’m just worried that there might be nothing I can do.”
It was a simple statement, but it was filled with a complex mix of affection and concern. The Duke placed the neatly organized documents on a corner of the desk and made a light tapping motion with his fingertips.
“Come to think of it, it seems the King of Tien will soon ask to see His Majesty. What should you do?”
Franz shook his head.
“His Majesty has not fully recovered yet. I cannot burden him with such burdens. If he requests an audience, please let me know. I will meet him in person.”
“He is a persistent man. He is blinded by his desire for war and is capable of doing anything. Please be careful.”
Franz nodded immediately at the Duke's advice. He stood up, picking up a few unread reports.
“I need someone to send to the south. I will give them a brief explanation, so I will have them report back to me, even if it is only briefly. Please choose someone, uncle. Someone trustworthy.”
“I will do that.”
Outside the window, he heard people talking. Franz turned his head absentmindedly and looked down, and saw Judith. Beside her were several maids from Cheraan and Nation Palace.
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