Queen Gilsis clenched her fists and trembled as if she could not control her anger. However, she could not let out her humiliation and resentment as she had done before. It was not because she had now realized that she had only chosen the worst choices. She could have made the worst choices at any time, and she was confident that she would not regret it.
Nevertheless, the Queen just kept breathing heavily and eventually passed by Judith without even touching her.
At the end of the movement that seemed to cut through the air that had been floating around, a thick musky scent wafted out to mask the smell of the disease and medicine.
There was no sign of Judith looking back at her. That only served to further sink the Queen's pride into the mud, but she didn't care anymore. No, she tried to think no.
“Your Majesty the Queen.”
The chief chamberlain, who had been guarding the front of the chamber as if replacing Judith, was startled by the sudden appearance of Queen Gilsis and his expression changed.
“Open the door.”
As Queen Gilsis gave the order, the chief chamberlain’s face became noticeably worse. The maids standing behind her were unable to stop the Queen or urge the poor chief chamberlain to hurry, so they just looked around among themselves. Without giving him a chance to take a deep breath, the Queen glared at him.
“Doesn’t what I say sound like words? Open it!”
“Your Majesty, His Majesty has just taken a bath. Please come back later..."
It was the moment when the chamberlain was ready to stick his neck out and plead. The Queen's eyes lit up, and she raised her fist as if she was going to strike his head at any moment.
“Open the door and bring the Queen in.”
The King's voice was heard beyond the closed door. It seemed as if he was in pain to make such a sound, and as soon as he finished speaking, a coughing sound followed. The chamberlain was even more embarrassed, opened the door, and ran into the bedroom. After Judith left, the King, who had just managed to lie down on the bed, was curled up and sniffling.
"Your Majesty!"
The chamberlain ran in panic, but the King waved his hand to show that it was okay. The Queen, seeing all this, stood still without changing her gaze. The chamberlain looked at the Queen with a resentful look in his eyes.
“Your Majesty, His Majesty is in critical condition right now. Please...”
“Okay. Okay, just sit me down and go out.”
Since the King had given the order, there was no choice but to follow it. The chamberlain carefully sat the King up, frowning as if he had a toothache. Then, just like Judith had done, he placed a pillow behind his back and, after glancing around the bedroom, finally went outside.
Only King Jedercayer and Queen Gilsis remained in the chamber. The sound of the door closing solidified the cold silence. Except for the occasional nervous sway of the wind against the window frame, no other sound could be heard. No one even breathed loudly.
The first to break the silence was Queen Gilsis. She walked up to the King's bedside and sat down in an attitude truly befitting her title of Queen, completely free of her previous arrogant attitude.
She looked thinner than when thr King last saw her, her hands clasped on her knees and her head held high. Her cheeks and jawline were sharply chiseled as if to represent her stubborn temper, and her former, splendid and refreshing beauty was now hard to find. There was a furrow between her eyebrows that would not straighten, and her eyes and mouth were covered with sullen wrinkles.
King Jedecayer did not take his eyes off the Queen's face, which was staring at him without saying a word. He did not open his mouth first, nor did he show any sign of urging her on.
No matter how much the stove was lit and the fire was lit, the cold air did not go away, and so a cough continued. The Queen watched the King coughing and shaking, then picked up the bowl of water and spoon on the table. Then she helped the King drink the water.
The coughing stopped a little as he moistened his lips and throat. The Queen’s unexpected actions did not end there. She took a handkerchief out of her sleeve and wiped the cold sweat on the King’s forehead. It was a calm touch that did not seem to be malicious. However, that short peace was shattered when the King burst into laughter. As soon as she saw him laugh, the Queen pursed her lips as if she had been insulted and put the handkerchief away.
“Why are you laughing?”
“I laughed because it was so obvious that I didn’t have much time left.”
“What does that mean?”
“Otherwise, why would the Queen be so merciful to me?”
This time, laughter burst out of Queen Gilsis' mouth. The Queen, who had folded her handkerchief neatly and tossed it down on the table, turned her head and let out a ragged breath. Her eyes, which were showing her side profile, looked red and swollen for some reason.
“You were punished for being a father and driving your son to death.”
The King's expression changed at the harsh words that seemed to chew on humiliation. The King, who had unconsciously gripped the sheet covering his legs, asked in a somewhat stricter voice.
“Queen, what nonsense is that?”
“Krald, what kind of place is the southern border? A place where there is constant commotion, and who was it that sent him away, still so immature, from his mother’s arms? Isn’t it, His Highness? Grand Duke, Margrave? Those are nice words. Do you not know that if something happens, Krald should be the first to die? Even if the foolish people of the world don’t know, I, his mother, know.”
“This is too much of a leap. How old is Krald? Don’t you think it’s strange that you’re still holding a man who has been in the family for a long time, especially a Prince of a country?”
“Is it right to send someone to a place where he might lose his life? Not every Prince carries such a heavy burden.”
The Queen had no idea what the real reason was for sending Krald there. She was only dissatisfied that her son had been sent to a dangerous place where war was frequent, both then and now.
King Jedecayer, realizing that the queen's delusion was still true, did not know whether to feel relieved or guilty. After bestowing the title of Grand Duke upon Krald, he was in a deadlock from which he could never escape.
The Queen Gilsis's eyes were now noticeably wet. Her pale cheeks were twitching with anger, and her mouth was twisted violently. The King was speechless as he looked at her face, trapped in a state of bitter regret.
“Do you think I don’t know what Your Majesty’s intentions are?”
The Queen sneered. The King felt an unbearable headache coming on and he put his hand to his forehead.
“My intentions? What on earth are my intentions?”
“Don’t be so ignorant. Has Your Majesty ever loved Krald as if he were your own son? No, of course not. Your Majesty has only one son, Franz. You think of Franz as the only son you can give everything to because he is precious to you. It doesn’t matter to you what happens to Krald Isn’t he just a burden?”
“That is just the Queen’s conjecture. If I had loved Franz so much...!”
The King could not finish his speech. Instead, a miserable sense of self-loathing came over him. He wanted to shout that if he had loved Franz so much, if he had valued him more than anything in the world, then he would have allowed him to abuse and threaten the young boy so cruelly. But he could not. He was too ashamed of himself.
It was he who failed to protect Franz, and it was he who abandoned the child among strangers who had no one to lean on, and who was absorbed in his own sorrow. Who could he blame, who could he resent, in such a situation? The King's shoulders slumped as if a rock had been placed on them. In his empty eyes, only emptiness lingered like a ghost.
Queen Gilsis knew the King's miserable mood without fail. She also knew what words he had swallowed. It was a tragedy for both the King and the Queen. Queen Gilsis's mouth trembled as if she was having a seizure. She said.
“Why, why can’t you speak? Are you ashamed of yourself for loving your dead wife more than your living son and young heir, and throwing everything away with your own hands? Is your conscience too noble to turn a blind eye to shame and wave a finger at your wicked step-consort?”
“Queen!”
“Why! Speak! If I am wrong, speak! You never considered Krald and Franz different? You loved them both equally? How can you say such a thing? You could never say such a thing, even if you had ten mouths. You can’t even criticize me on such a subject, can you? You will. You will.”
The King wondered for a moment whether Queen Gilsis really knew nothing about the final blueprint he was drawing. The pain in his head and chest made it difficult for him to think rationally. However, he could not show his anxiety. It seemed as if he was stuck between the walls, unable to do anything, and just screaming in agony. It was terrible.
“Your Majesty, you never loved Krald. You didn’t love me, and you didn’t care about him. Is it love if you don’t kill him? Is it love if you don’t beat him, kick him, and spit on him?”
Queen Gilsis was now trembling all over. She looked as if she was about to collapse. The King looked at the Queen with pitiful eyes, even with his face turned blue. He knew that this gaze was driving her madder, but he didn’t know what else to do.
“If you loved Emerea so much, why didn’t you just die with her? If you were going to regret not being able to forget her, why didn’t you just throw away your life along with her! Couldn't it be so? No matter what, you wanted to preserve the splendor of the crown? And so, in that shining place, in that place where no one could look down on you, how would you feel about lamenting to your heart's content? How would you feel about seeing a woman you had brought in as an ornament begging for love without knowing the subject, and remembering your wife who was already dead and buried in the ground?"
Nevertheless, the Queen just kept breathing heavily and eventually passed by Judith without even touching her.
At the end of the movement that seemed to cut through the air that had been floating around, a thick musky scent wafted out to mask the smell of the disease and medicine.
There was no sign of Judith looking back at her. That only served to further sink the Queen's pride into the mud, but she didn't care anymore. No, she tried to think no.
“Your Majesty the Queen.”
The chief chamberlain, who had been guarding the front of the chamber as if replacing Judith, was startled by the sudden appearance of Queen Gilsis and his expression changed.
“Open the door.”
As Queen Gilsis gave the order, the chief chamberlain’s face became noticeably worse. The maids standing behind her were unable to stop the Queen or urge the poor chief chamberlain to hurry, so they just looked around among themselves. Without giving him a chance to take a deep breath, the Queen glared at him.
“Doesn’t what I say sound like words? Open it!”
“Your Majesty, His Majesty has just taken a bath. Please come back later..."
It was the moment when the chamberlain was ready to stick his neck out and plead. The Queen's eyes lit up, and she raised her fist as if she was going to strike his head at any moment.
“Open the door and bring the Queen in.”
The King's voice was heard beyond the closed door. It seemed as if he was in pain to make such a sound, and as soon as he finished speaking, a coughing sound followed. The chamberlain was even more embarrassed, opened the door, and ran into the bedroom. After Judith left, the King, who had just managed to lie down on the bed, was curled up and sniffling.
"Your Majesty!"
The chamberlain ran in panic, but the King waved his hand to show that it was okay. The Queen, seeing all this, stood still without changing her gaze. The chamberlain looked at the Queen with a resentful look in his eyes.
“Your Majesty, His Majesty is in critical condition right now. Please...”
“Okay. Okay, just sit me down and go out.”
Since the King had given the order, there was no choice but to follow it. The chamberlain carefully sat the King up, frowning as if he had a toothache. Then, just like Judith had done, he placed a pillow behind his back and, after glancing around the bedroom, finally went outside.
Only King Jedercayer and Queen Gilsis remained in the chamber. The sound of the door closing solidified the cold silence. Except for the occasional nervous sway of the wind against the window frame, no other sound could be heard. No one even breathed loudly.
The first to break the silence was Queen Gilsis. She walked up to the King's bedside and sat down in an attitude truly befitting her title of Queen, completely free of her previous arrogant attitude.
She looked thinner than when thr King last saw her, her hands clasped on her knees and her head held high. Her cheeks and jawline were sharply chiseled as if to represent her stubborn temper, and her former, splendid and refreshing beauty was now hard to find. There was a furrow between her eyebrows that would not straighten, and her eyes and mouth were covered with sullen wrinkles.
King Jedecayer did not take his eyes off the Queen's face, which was staring at him without saying a word. He did not open his mouth first, nor did he show any sign of urging her on.
No matter how much the stove was lit and the fire was lit, the cold air did not go away, and so a cough continued. The Queen watched the King coughing and shaking, then picked up the bowl of water and spoon on the table. Then she helped the King drink the water.
The coughing stopped a little as he moistened his lips and throat. The Queen’s unexpected actions did not end there. She took a handkerchief out of her sleeve and wiped the cold sweat on the King’s forehead. It was a calm touch that did not seem to be malicious. However, that short peace was shattered when the King burst into laughter. As soon as she saw him laugh, the Queen pursed her lips as if she had been insulted and put the handkerchief away.
“Why are you laughing?”
“I laughed because it was so obvious that I didn’t have much time left.”
“What does that mean?”
“Otherwise, why would the Queen be so merciful to me?”
This time, laughter burst out of Queen Gilsis' mouth. The Queen, who had folded her handkerchief neatly and tossed it down on the table, turned her head and let out a ragged breath. Her eyes, which were showing her side profile, looked red and swollen for some reason.
“You were punished for being a father and driving your son to death.”
The King's expression changed at the harsh words that seemed to chew on humiliation. The King, who had unconsciously gripped the sheet covering his legs, asked in a somewhat stricter voice.
“Queen, what nonsense is that?”
“Krald, what kind of place is the southern border? A place where there is constant commotion, and who was it that sent him away, still so immature, from his mother’s arms? Isn’t it, His Highness? Grand Duke, Margrave? Those are nice words. Do you not know that if something happens, Krald should be the first to die? Even if the foolish people of the world don’t know, I, his mother, know.”
“This is too much of a leap. How old is Krald? Don’t you think it’s strange that you’re still holding a man who has been in the family for a long time, especially a Prince of a country?”
“Is it right to send someone to a place where he might lose his life? Not every Prince carries such a heavy burden.”
The Queen had no idea what the real reason was for sending Krald there. She was only dissatisfied that her son had been sent to a dangerous place where war was frequent, both then and now.
King Jedecayer, realizing that the queen's delusion was still true, did not know whether to feel relieved or guilty. After bestowing the title of Grand Duke upon Krald, he was in a deadlock from which he could never escape.
The Queen Gilsis's eyes were now noticeably wet. Her pale cheeks were twitching with anger, and her mouth was twisted violently. The King was speechless as he looked at her face, trapped in a state of bitter regret.
“Do you think I don’t know what Your Majesty’s intentions are?”
The Queen sneered. The King felt an unbearable headache coming on and he put his hand to his forehead.
“My intentions? What on earth are my intentions?”
“Don’t be so ignorant. Has Your Majesty ever loved Krald as if he were your own son? No, of course not. Your Majesty has only one son, Franz. You think of Franz as the only son you can give everything to because he is precious to you. It doesn’t matter to you what happens to Krald Isn’t he just a burden?”
“That is just the Queen’s conjecture. If I had loved Franz so much...!”
The King could not finish his speech. Instead, a miserable sense of self-loathing came over him. He wanted to shout that if he had loved Franz so much, if he had valued him more than anything in the world, then he would have allowed him to abuse and threaten the young boy so cruelly. But he could not. He was too ashamed of himself.
It was he who failed to protect Franz, and it was he who abandoned the child among strangers who had no one to lean on, and who was absorbed in his own sorrow. Who could he blame, who could he resent, in such a situation? The King's shoulders slumped as if a rock had been placed on them. In his empty eyes, only emptiness lingered like a ghost.
Queen Gilsis knew the King's miserable mood without fail. She also knew what words he had swallowed. It was a tragedy for both the King and the Queen. Queen Gilsis's mouth trembled as if she was having a seizure. She said.
“Why, why can’t you speak? Are you ashamed of yourself for loving your dead wife more than your living son and young heir, and throwing everything away with your own hands? Is your conscience too noble to turn a blind eye to shame and wave a finger at your wicked step-consort?”
“Queen!”
“Why! Speak! If I am wrong, speak! You never considered Krald and Franz different? You loved them both equally? How can you say such a thing? You could never say such a thing, even if you had ten mouths. You can’t even criticize me on such a subject, can you? You will. You will.”
The King wondered for a moment whether Queen Gilsis really knew nothing about the final blueprint he was drawing. The pain in his head and chest made it difficult for him to think rationally. However, he could not show his anxiety. It seemed as if he was stuck between the walls, unable to do anything, and just screaming in agony. It was terrible.
“Your Majesty, you never loved Krald. You didn’t love me, and you didn’t care about him. Is it love if you don’t kill him? Is it love if you don’t beat him, kick him, and spit on him?”
Queen Gilsis was now trembling all over. She looked as if she was about to collapse. The King looked at the Queen with pitiful eyes, even with his face turned blue. He knew that this gaze was driving her madder, but he didn’t know what else to do.
“If you loved Emerea so much, why didn’t you just die with her? If you were going to regret not being able to forget her, why didn’t you just throw away your life along with her! Couldn't it be so? No matter what, you wanted to preserve the splendor of the crown? And so, in that shining place, in that place where no one could look down on you, how would you feel about lamenting to your heart's content? How would you feel about seeing a woman you had brought in as an ornament begging for love without knowing the subject, and remembering your wife who was already dead and buried in the ground?"
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