“Are you feeling unwell?”
Judith's hand reached out and touched Franz's forehead. It was warm as if he had a slight fever, but it was not enough to worry, so she was relieved. However, she was worried because his eyes still had the look of wanting to say something.
“Your Highness, is there anything that concerns you? Please tell me.”
Franz instinctively shook his head, but instead, he kept his lips shut. The words of the Duke of Vergy lingered in his mind, but on the other hand, he was worried that he might be touching something that should not be touched. It was not because he did not trust Judith. Rather, it was a worry that arose because he trusted her. He did not want to make her think that he was being unnecessarily suspicious.
But, Franz muttered quietly in his heart. If he doesn't say anything, he won't know anything. That was true.
“I have something to ask you.”
Judith, who had been staring at his face with concern, tilted her head slightly as if asking something.
“Speak, Your Highness.”
“It’s a story about Krald.”
Judith's hand, which had been covering his forehead, slightly withdrew. Her eyes were shining blue like a lake covered with ice. Franz stared at those eyes and his own reflection for a long time. When her slightly rapid breathing subsided, Franz grabbed Judith's hand as if wrapping it.
“I knew it was you who persuaded Father to make him the Grand Duke.”
It was a low, quiet voice. Judith recalled the day she had knelt before King Jedercayer and begged him. At that time, Franz was dying, and a slight goosebumps still appeared all over her body as if Krald's violent hands had touched her. She had to persuade the King if only to erase that feeling and to never touch that cruel hand again.
Surprise, bewilderment, and then despair. All these emotions passed through the King's face moment by moment. While listening to Judith, he looked as if he had aged ten years. Judith was very worried that an indelible shadow had fallen on the King's usually gentle and solemn face. But she could not back down.
However, she could not tell Franz about it. No, she did not. At the time, he was in critical condition, but even after he recovered and became completely better, Judith consciously avoided talking about Krald.
When Krald became the Grand Duke and left for the South, Franz must have known that Judith was behind the incident, but he did not ask her about the whole story. Was he just going to leave it buried, or was it because he trusted her?
She couldn't understand why he was bringing up that story now after so much time had passed. But it was a story that had to be told someday. Judith noticed the suspicion that had been covering Franz's gaze like a curtain, and she knew that his fingertips, which were conveying a familiar warmth, were trembling slightly. She couldn't explain it away. She couldn't lie.
“You said this to me before.”
“...What did I say?”
“You and I are different. Even if we are together, even if we are a couple, even if we spend day and night, spring and winter together, we can never be the same. We will always remain different. Do you remember?”
Franz's fingers, which were wrapped around Judith's hand, tightened a little. Perhaps because it had gotten colder, even his body odor felt cooler than before. It was a fresh, sharp body odor that woke up the consciousness that was starting to fade.
“I remember.”
“Do you remember what I said about that?”
As he pulled Judith's hand, their bodies came closer together. Judith cautiously put strength into her toes, feeling that if she moved a little closer, she would be completely leaning against Franz's embrace.
“Your Highness told me that you and I cannot be different. We are different people.”
“And have you forgotten what else I said?”
Judith's eyes, which had been as still as solid ice, trembled slightly. Franz, who had his arm around her waist, had a sullen expression.
“I love you because you are different from me.”
"...Your Highness."
“I am still afraid of losing you. Wherever I go, I will be with you. Even if I get lost in this labyrinth now, and I cannot return, I don’t care. Judith, you will be with me.”
Judith's lips trembled more breathlessly as she put a little more strength into her hand. She couldn't tell what he was going to say. But she felt like she knew what he was thinking. It was a strange feeling.
Franz's shoulders slowly rose upward. His sighs were scattered in pieces.
“So I want to ask.”
"What?"
“Are you hiding something from me? Are you thinking of something... that I shouldn’t know about?”
Judith's shoulders stiffened. Her thoughts were tangled and then re-established. Her vision began to darken, but soon Franz's face filled her vision.
What does he know?
No, that can't be. Judith tried to escape from his embrace without thinking, but Franz didn't let her go. The fingers that had been caressing the empty air in vain felt as if they had touched cold ice. Franz's eyes, looking down at Judith, whose body had visibly stiffened, held indescribably complicated emotions.
“I still don’t know what you’re thinking. I don’t blame you for my lack of insight and consideration. However, if you remember that I asked you not to sacrifice yourself to protect me if you remember that I asked you to trust me...”
“...”
“Tell me what you are planning and what you are waiting for. Why did you make Krald the Grand Duke and send him there? Why did you persuade Father when you knew the situation in the South was so sensitive?”
The secret Judith had kept to herself was something she could not tell anyone, not just Franz. It wasn't just because it was hard to believe. She never wanted to share that horrible experience with anyone again.
She knows that the Franz standing here now is different from the Franz back then. But even so, she didn’t want Franz to know about that past. She didn’t want him to suffer needlessly because of it.
That was why she was reluctant to tell Franz about Krald. Even if it was nothing compared to the sorrow and agony of King Jedercayer, Franz was a man of justice by nature. No matter how threatening Krald was, even if the day came when he would hold a blade to Franz's neck, he would not agree to entrap him unjustly.
But now there was nothing she could do. Judith resolutely lowered her eyes and pushed his body away a little. This time, Franz let go of her as Judith pushed away.
Afraid, Judith thought. Afraid? What? Two voices clashed in her mind.
She's afraid that he will despise her, that he will become disillusioned with her. No, that doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if he doesn't love her. It doesn't matter if he doesn't look at her with affection anymore. It doesn't matter if he spits at her and says that she's just as evil as them.
Franz. My Franz. The highest seat on earth, my poor and honorable humiliation.
“I want Krald to rebel.”
Look at the poisoned cup she's putting in his hand.
“I hope he will conspire with Queen Gilsis and seek my life. I hope he will march forward with presumptuous pretexts and banners to trample upon Rotair’s palace.”
See their eyes and hearts finally fall away like shed husks because of that poison.
“May Your Highness rightly take the necks of those who have become a rebellious group. May all the people of Rotair praise and love you for eternity, as you ascend the throne of purity without a single blemish or speck of dust.”
“...”
“That’s all I hoped for and kept hidden.”
Franz's eyes shook dangerously.
It was surprising that Judith had hoped for such a thing, but it was also hard to believe that King Jedecayer had agreed to it. Judith’s answer was something he had never thought of.
Although many nobles and officials had reported Krald's tyranny, the King was unable to banish him. Now, he has pushed Krald into a corner with his own hands. How can that be possible?
Krald would certainly rebel. He was not the kind of person who would let the opportunity slip away when given power. Franz had been on guard ever since Krald became the Grand Duke. But he did not know how to accept that all this had actually been planned in advance.
“You made him a Grand Duke so that Krald ould plot a rebellion... so that I could one day justly kill him?”
“Yes, Your Highness. If the second Prince shows any signs of rebellion, his biological mother, Queen Gilsis, will never be able to stay still. If I find even the slightest evidence of collusion between the Queen’s palace and the southern region, I will not miss it. I have sent someone to the Queen’s palace for the sole purpose of finding it.”
Franz's eyes widened even more. He had no idea that something more surprising could come out of this.
“What do you mean, sending someone? Who?”
Judith answered calmly.
“It’s Samona, Your Highness."
Franz just stared blankly at Judith's face, pale as a marble statue. Samona, the one who had saved his life from the assassin's snake venom?
“...An herbalist?”
“Yes. Queen Gilsis suffers from chronic headaches, and although they are improving, she continues to show signs of madness. Samona is well-versed in poisons, but she is also an excellent herbalist. So I have sent her to the palace to take care of the Queen’s illness. For the past year or two, the Queen has not been on good terms with the palace doctors.”
Franz, who had been secretly twisting his lips, lowered his head silently. In a place he did not know, Judith was slowly preparing to stain his hands with blood. Now all that was left was to wait for them to fall into the trap she had set.
Should he accept this?
Judith's hand reached out and touched Franz's forehead. It was warm as if he had a slight fever, but it was not enough to worry, so she was relieved. However, she was worried because his eyes still had the look of wanting to say something.
“Your Highness, is there anything that concerns you? Please tell me.”
Franz instinctively shook his head, but instead, he kept his lips shut. The words of the Duke of Vergy lingered in his mind, but on the other hand, he was worried that he might be touching something that should not be touched. It was not because he did not trust Judith. Rather, it was a worry that arose because he trusted her. He did not want to make her think that he was being unnecessarily suspicious.
But, Franz muttered quietly in his heart. If he doesn't say anything, he won't know anything. That was true.
“I have something to ask you.”
Judith, who had been staring at his face with concern, tilted her head slightly as if asking something.
“Speak, Your Highness.”
“It’s a story about Krald.”
Judith's hand, which had been covering his forehead, slightly withdrew. Her eyes were shining blue like a lake covered with ice. Franz stared at those eyes and his own reflection for a long time. When her slightly rapid breathing subsided, Franz grabbed Judith's hand as if wrapping it.
“I knew it was you who persuaded Father to make him the Grand Duke.”
It was a low, quiet voice. Judith recalled the day she had knelt before King Jedercayer and begged him. At that time, Franz was dying, and a slight goosebumps still appeared all over her body as if Krald's violent hands had touched her. She had to persuade the King if only to erase that feeling and to never touch that cruel hand again.
Surprise, bewilderment, and then despair. All these emotions passed through the King's face moment by moment. While listening to Judith, he looked as if he had aged ten years. Judith was very worried that an indelible shadow had fallen on the King's usually gentle and solemn face. But she could not back down.
However, she could not tell Franz about it. No, she did not. At the time, he was in critical condition, but even after he recovered and became completely better, Judith consciously avoided talking about Krald.
When Krald became the Grand Duke and left for the South, Franz must have known that Judith was behind the incident, but he did not ask her about the whole story. Was he just going to leave it buried, or was it because he trusted her?
She wondered, but she kept it a secret.
She couldn't understand why he was bringing up that story now after so much time had passed. But it was a story that had to be told someday. Judith noticed the suspicion that had been covering Franz's gaze like a curtain, and she knew that his fingertips, which were conveying a familiar warmth, were trembling slightly. She couldn't explain it away. She couldn't lie.
“You said this to me before.”
“...What did I say?”
“You and I are different. Even if we are together, even if we are a couple, even if we spend day and night, spring and winter together, we can never be the same. We will always remain different. Do you remember?”
Franz's fingers, which were wrapped around Judith's hand, tightened a little. Perhaps because it had gotten colder, even his body odor felt cooler than before. It was a fresh, sharp body odor that woke up the consciousness that was starting to fade.
“I remember.”
“Do you remember what I said about that?”
As he pulled Judith's hand, their bodies came closer together. Judith cautiously put strength into her toes, feeling that if she moved a little closer, she would be completely leaning against Franz's embrace.
“Your Highness told me that you and I cannot be different. We are different people.”
“And have you forgotten what else I said?”
Judith's eyes, which had been as still as solid ice, trembled slightly. Franz, who had his arm around her waist, had a sullen expression.
“I love you because you are different from me.”
"...Your Highness."
“I am still afraid of losing you. Wherever I go, I will be with you. Even if I get lost in this labyrinth now, and I cannot return, I don’t care. Judith, you will be with me.”
Judith's lips trembled more breathlessly as she put a little more strength into her hand. She couldn't tell what he was going to say. But she felt like she knew what he was thinking. It was a strange feeling.
Franz's shoulders slowly rose upward. His sighs were scattered in pieces.
“So I want to ask.”
"What?"
“Are you hiding something from me? Are you thinking of something... that I shouldn’t know about?”
Judith's shoulders stiffened. Her thoughts were tangled and then re-established. Her vision began to darken, but soon Franz's face filled her vision.
What does he know?
No, that can't be. Judith tried to escape from his embrace without thinking, but Franz didn't let her go. The fingers that had been caressing the empty air in vain felt as if they had touched cold ice. Franz's eyes, looking down at Judith, whose body had visibly stiffened, held indescribably complicated emotions.
“I still don’t know what you’re thinking. I don’t blame you for my lack of insight and consideration. However, if you remember that I asked you not to sacrifice yourself to protect me if you remember that I asked you to trust me...”
“...”
“Tell me what you are planning and what you are waiting for. Why did you make Krald the Grand Duke and send him there? Why did you persuade Father when you knew the situation in the South was so sensitive?”
The secret Judith had kept to herself was something she could not tell anyone, not just Franz. It wasn't just because it was hard to believe. She never wanted to share that horrible experience with anyone again.
She knows that the Franz standing here now is different from the Franz back then. But even so, she didn’t want Franz to know about that past. She didn’t want him to suffer needlessly because of it.
That was why she was reluctant to tell Franz about Krald. Even if it was nothing compared to the sorrow and agony of King Jedercayer, Franz was a man of justice by nature. No matter how threatening Krald was, even if the day came when he would hold a blade to Franz's neck, he would not agree to entrap him unjustly.
But now there was nothing she could do. Judith resolutely lowered her eyes and pushed his body away a little. This time, Franz let go of her as Judith pushed away.
Afraid, Judith thought. Afraid? What? Two voices clashed in her mind.
She's afraid that he will despise her, that he will become disillusioned with her. No, that doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if he doesn't love her. It doesn't matter if he doesn't look at her with affection anymore. It doesn't matter if he spits at her and says that she's just as evil as them.
Franz. My Franz. The highest seat on earth, my poor and honorable humiliation.
“I want Krald to rebel.”
Look at the poisoned cup she's putting in his hand.
“I hope he will conspire with Queen Gilsis and seek my life. I hope he will march forward with presumptuous pretexts and banners to trample upon Rotair’s palace.”
See their eyes and hearts finally fall away like shed husks because of that poison.
“May Your Highness rightly take the necks of those who have become a rebellious group. May all the people of Rotair praise and love you for eternity, as you ascend the throne of purity without a single blemish or speck of dust.”
“...”
“That’s all I hoped for and kept hidden.”
Franz's eyes shook dangerously.
It was surprising that Judith had hoped for such a thing, but it was also hard to believe that King Jedecayer had agreed to it. Judith’s answer was something he had never thought of.
Although many nobles and officials had reported Krald's tyranny, the King was unable to banish him. Now, he has pushed Krald into a corner with his own hands. How can that be possible?
Krald would certainly rebel. He was not the kind of person who would let the opportunity slip away when given power. Franz had been on guard ever since Krald became the Grand Duke. But he did not know how to accept that all this had actually been planned in advance.
“You made him a Grand Duke so that Krald ould plot a rebellion... so that I could one day justly kill him?”
“Yes, Your Highness. If the second Prince shows any signs of rebellion, his biological mother, Queen Gilsis, will never be able to stay still. If I find even the slightest evidence of collusion between the Queen’s palace and the southern region, I will not miss it. I have sent someone to the Queen’s palace for the sole purpose of finding it.”
Franz's eyes widened even more. He had no idea that something more surprising could come out of this.
“What do you mean, sending someone? Who?”
Judith answered calmly.
“It’s Samona, Your Highness."
Franz just stared blankly at Judith's face, pale as a marble statue. Samona, the one who had saved his life from the assassin's snake venom?
“...An herbalist?”
“Yes. Queen Gilsis suffers from chronic headaches, and although they are improving, she continues to show signs of madness. Samona is well-versed in poisons, but she is also an excellent herbalist. So I have sent her to the palace to take care of the Queen’s illness. For the past year or two, the Queen has not been on good terms with the palace doctors.”
Franz, who had been secretly twisting his lips, lowered his head silently. In a place he did not know, Judith was slowly preparing to stain his hands with blood. Now all that was left was to wait for them to fall into the trap she had set.
Should he accept this?
The picture Judith was painting with her brush was much colder than Franz had vaguely guessed. It felt like the final plate that had been built up after a long period of hatred. Why?
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