The veins on the Queen's temples swelled. She tried to fling her arms away from Franz's hand, but his hand held her wrist tightly and did not budge.
“Let go!”
The Queen, unable to bear it any longer, cursed. With each violent shake of her head, her neck, which had lost its flesh and exposed its bones, looked as if it would snap at any moment. Franz thought it looked like a snake struggling with its snout caught. Goosebumps ran down his spine, but he also smiled bitterly.
“Please stop, Your Majesty. This is the last time I will see my Father. Why are you causing such a fuss?”
“What? A big fuss?”
A sharp sneer burst from the Queen's mouth. As she shook her body like a madman, Franz had no choice but to release her wrist for a moment. On the Queen's wrist, which seemed to be nothing but skin and bone, there was a red mark. As she stroked her swollen wrist as if it had been scratched by nettles, her eyes seemed to be filled with knives.
“Please give it back here.”
Franz held out his hand. The Queen's hand that held the locket trembled. She shouted.
“You want it back? No way! I can’t do that! Do you think I’ll be allowed to be abused until this moment, even after I die? Do you think I’ll be allowed to be treated like a scarecrow?”
“What are you talking about! It was Father's last request to have it hung around his neck. Please give it back, Your Majesty!”
“You can’t do that! Richard! Are you listening! You can’t do that!”
Others who had been watching the Queen and Franz quarrel opened their mouths in shock. It was only today that they had finally come face to face with the truth of the rumors that had been secretly circulating around the Queen’s Palace, so their surprise was perhaps natural.
Rumors had spread that the Queen was going mad and losing her senses day by day, but no one had seen her in such a state with their own eyes. However, the Queen's current appearance, pointing her finger at the dead King and screaming, seemed to clearly support all the rumors.
“Richard! Answer me!”
“Your Majesty! Come to your senses. What kind of tyranny and shame is this! If His Majesty sees the Queen in this state, he will be devastated!”
Duke Vergy, who could not stand to watch, grabbed the Queen's arm. However, he could not handle the strength of the person who had already lost her senses. The moment the Duke's body staggered, Queen Gilsis struck his cheek hard with her other hand.
"Father!"
The moment Duke Vergy’s face turned around with a crashing sound, Bartholomew, whose face had turned pale, stepped forward with a roar like a wall. Marquis Ebelta, who threw his body at him as if to block him from rushing forward, quickly pulled the Duke’s shoulder away from the Queen. The sound of the blow to the cheek was loud, but Duke Vergy’s wound was not serious. However, Bartholomew’s eyes were terrifying.
“Bartholomew, calm down. If you act rashly now, the problem will only get worse.”
Marquis Ebelta said, firmly squeezing Bartholomew's shoulder. The silent and sorrowful Corne Hall was now in complete chaos. Franz looked between Empress Gilsis and the body of his father, who lay there seemingly unaware of anything, with a face that was both astonished and sad. The Empress was still clutching the locket containing Emerea's hair as if she were going to crush it.
Franz suddenly felt extremely tired.
He could never understand Queen Gilsis’ obsession. From the moment she became the Queen, she hated and loathed the former Queen, whom she had never met face to face, to the point of death. She burned her portrait, and even took out all the relics that her servants and maids had kept, smashed them, and buried them.
Although she had been so obsessed with expensive jewels and trinkets in her youth, Queen Gilsis never touched anything belonging to Emerea. She threw it away without any regrets, even though it was the only precious thing left in the kingdom that would never be found again.
If one of the maids was caught stealing Emerea's belongings instead of getting rid of them, they would be beaten immediately. When this happened, Queen Gilsis would become even more furious and would not be able to endure it without smashing the offending items to pieces.
“Why do you hate my mother so much?”
Everyone's eyes turned to Franz. Duke of Vergy, Marquis Ebelta, Bartholomew, and even Queen Gilsis suddenly fell silent and looked at Franz.
Franz, with his shoulders hunched and his eyebrows furrowed, surprisingly resembled King Jedercayer in his younger days. Was that why? The face of Queen Gilsis, who had been silent, distorted involuntarily. In an instant, the hand holding the locket flew up next to his ear.
Crack!
“Let go!”
The Queen, unable to bear it any longer, cursed. With each violent shake of her head, her neck, which had lost its flesh and exposed its bones, looked as if it would snap at any moment. Franz thought it looked like a snake struggling with its snout caught. Goosebumps ran down his spine, but he also smiled bitterly.
“Please stop, Your Majesty. This is the last time I will see my Father. Why are you causing such a fuss?”
“What? A big fuss?”
A sharp sneer burst from the Queen's mouth. As she shook her body like a madman, Franz had no choice but to release her wrist for a moment. On the Queen's wrist, which seemed to be nothing but skin and bone, there was a red mark. As she stroked her swollen wrist as if it had been scratched by nettles, her eyes seemed to be filled with knives.
“Please give it back here.”
Franz held out his hand. The Queen's hand that held the locket trembled. She shouted.
“You want it back? No way! I can’t do that! Do you think I’ll be allowed to be abused until this moment, even after I die? Do you think I’ll be allowed to be treated like a scarecrow?”
“What are you talking about! It was Father's last request to have it hung around his neck. Please give it back, Your Majesty!”
“You can’t do that! Richard! Are you listening! You can’t do that!”
Others who had been watching the Queen and Franz quarrel opened their mouths in shock. It was only today that they had finally come face to face with the truth of the rumors that had been secretly circulating around the Queen’s Palace, so their surprise was perhaps natural.
Rumors had spread that the Queen was going mad and losing her senses day by day, but no one had seen her in such a state with their own eyes. However, the Queen's current appearance, pointing her finger at the dead King and screaming, seemed to clearly support all the rumors.
“Richard! Answer me!”
“Your Majesty! Come to your senses. What kind of tyranny and shame is this! If His Majesty sees the Queen in this state, he will be devastated!”
Duke Vergy, who could not stand to watch, grabbed the Queen's arm. However, he could not handle the strength of the person who had already lost her senses. The moment the Duke's body staggered, Queen Gilsis struck his cheek hard with her other hand.
"Father!"
The moment Duke Vergy’s face turned around with a crashing sound, Bartholomew, whose face had turned pale, stepped forward with a roar like a wall. Marquis Ebelta, who threw his body at him as if to block him from rushing forward, quickly pulled the Duke’s shoulder away from the Queen. The sound of the blow to the cheek was loud, but Duke Vergy’s wound was not serious. However, Bartholomew’s eyes were terrifying.
“Bartholomew, calm down. If you act rashly now, the problem will only get worse.”
Marquis Ebelta said, firmly squeezing Bartholomew's shoulder. The silent and sorrowful Corne Hall was now in complete chaos. Franz looked between Empress Gilsis and the body of his father, who lay there seemingly unaware of anything, with a face that was both astonished and sad. The Empress was still clutching the locket containing Emerea's hair as if she were going to crush it.
Franz suddenly felt extremely tired.
He could never understand Queen Gilsis’ obsession. From the moment she became the Queen, she hated and loathed the former Queen, whom she had never met face to face, to the point of death. She burned her portrait, and even took out all the relics that her servants and maids had kept, smashed them, and buried them.
Although she had been so obsessed with expensive jewels and trinkets in her youth, Queen Gilsis never touched anything belonging to Emerea. She threw it away without any regrets, even though it was the only precious thing left in the kingdom that would never be found again.
If one of the maids was caught stealing Emerea's belongings instead of getting rid of them, they would be beaten immediately. When this happened, Queen Gilsis would become even more furious and would not be able to endure it without smashing the offending items to pieces.
“Why do you hate my mother so much?”
Everyone's eyes turned to Franz. Duke of Vergy, Marquis Ebelta, Bartholomew, and even Queen Gilsis suddenly fell silent and looked at Franz.
Franz, with his shoulders hunched and his eyebrows furrowed, surprisingly resembled King Jedercayer in his younger days. Was that why? The face of Queen Gilsis, who had been silent, distorted involuntarily. In an instant, the hand holding the locket flew up next to his ear.
Crack!
Franz was staring down at the locket, which was broken on both sides and badly disintegrated. He knew that she was going to throw the locket, but he didn't think to stop it. He didn't think to pick it up at that moment.
It was just, just so hard and sad because he couldn't understand. What on earth was Queen Gilsis thinking? What had driven this woman so mad? But now one thing was certain. This was her answer.
The Queen's gaze was also fixed on the broken locket, just like Franz. She was also speechless. She heard Franz's ridiculous question, and though she thought she should laugh at it, her lips did not move. The lock that had fallen off would never close again. The gap that had grown wide and separated could not be closed, no matter what she did.
The Queen suddenly thought that it was similar to the relationship between herself and King Jedercayer. The side that held Emerea's hair was Jedercayer, and the side with the corners missing was herself. The side that held the hair was the upper part, so the engraving was more solid.
Even though it fell on the floor, it didn't get scratched. But on the other side, it didn't. It got broken and shattered and got scratched.
Unsightly. Whose fault was it? It was no longer worth arguing. King Jedercayer, with his eyes closed, it was all over. Everything she had wanted to destroy, to tear apart, and so desperately wanted to let go.
“Franz, you will die here today.”
The Queen pointed at Franz and scolded him in a cold voice. The audience felt as if they had been splashed with cold water by the overly blatant and vicious curse. However, Franz calmly looked at the Queen and bent down to pick up the broken locket.
“Is that all you want to say to me, Your Majesty?”
“Do you think I’m lying? If you want to dismiss it as a joke from a crazy old woman, then go ahead and do so. But the moment you turn around in peace, a knife will be stuck in your back. Then you’ll regret it. Writhe in pain and bleed. You’ll hold onto your father’s coffin and cry! I’ll watch over you. I’ll watch over you until the moment you take your last breath.”
There was a tense and strange silence. It was Franz who broke it first. He lowered his head and tried to reattach the broken locket, but his eyebrows furrowed as if he were having trouble.
He turned to the King's coffin and placed the locket under his hands, which were clasped together in front of his chest. Franz stroked the back of his father's hand, which was cold and stiff, and then looked back at the Queen.
“I am no longer a child, Your Majesty.”
“...What did you say?”
“There is no longer a child who could not breathe freely for fear that your hateful curse would become reality. I am no longer afraid of you. You will not be able to rule over me, nor will you have my blood on your hands. Neither the blood of my wife nor the blood of my children. You have never been able to kill me, and you will never be able to kill me.”
A nervous laugh burst from the Queen's mouth. Franz looked at her without wavering.
“No, Franz. You should fear me. You should fear not only me but also my son.”
It was then. The people gathered in the Corne Hall suddenly heard a sharp, screaming bell ringing. Three short, rapid, continuous rings meant that someone had forced open the inner gate of the palace. Queen Gilsis's voice rose amidst the panicked murmurs of the people.
“Look now, Franz! See with your own eyes who is coming to kill you! It’s a pity I didn’t come prepared with the rope to cut off your neck!”
The Queen who had shouted laughed loudly. Then she suddenly realized something strange. Despite hearing the nervous and continuous ringing of the bell, Franz did not react at all. He still stood there with an indifferent expression. Then, the moment his eyes met with those of Queen Gilsis, he smiled brightly.
“Listen, you fellow Comblers.”
Franz's voice resonated heavily throughout the bustling Corne Hall.
“Close all the gates and send out the soldiers. Arrest every single one of the traitors who are disrupting the foundations of the kingdom.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the two members of the Comblers lined up on either side of the hall and simultaneously stepped out with their swords in hand. Franz looked straight into the face of the Queen, who was clearly in a state of bewilderment. He stared at her as if he was trying to remember for a long time her trembling hands and feet, her pale lips, and her raspy breathing, and then he spoke.
“All arms!”
The next moment, there was a sound of something breaking from all around. The Queen, who had been standing there blankly after hearing the crackling sound, widened her eyes. Not only the Duke of Vergy and the Marquis of Ebelta, but also all the nobles of the Privy Council and their sons were tearing off the outer paneling of the wall that had just been completed. Dozens of swords were hidden in the places where the thin wooden planks had been torn off.
“What is this...!”
A startled cry burst from the Queen's mouth. Then, all of the people, including Franz, threw off the cloaks that covered their entire bodies. No one was wearing funeral attire. Everything beneath the cloaks was armor. The Queen's eyes widened as she carefully scanned the breastplates with the emblems of each family.
The loud clap of horse hooves echoed nearby. As Franz marched ahead, the sound of swords being drawn here and there shook the hall. The moment the tightly shut door opened, a cheer erupted.
It was just, just so hard and sad because he couldn't understand. What on earth was Queen Gilsis thinking? What had driven this woman so mad? But now one thing was certain. This was her answer.
The Queen's gaze was also fixed on the broken locket, just like Franz. She was also speechless. She heard Franz's ridiculous question, and though she thought she should laugh at it, her lips did not move. The lock that had fallen off would never close again. The gap that had grown wide and separated could not be closed, no matter what she did.
The Queen suddenly thought that it was similar to the relationship between herself and King Jedercayer. The side that held Emerea's hair was Jedercayer, and the side with the corners missing was herself. The side that held the hair was the upper part, so the engraving was more solid.
Even though it fell on the floor, it didn't get scratched. But on the other side, it didn't. It got broken and shattered and got scratched.
Unsightly. Whose fault was it? It was no longer worth arguing. King Jedercayer, with his eyes closed, it was all over. Everything she had wanted to destroy, to tear apart, and so desperately wanted to let go.
“Franz, you will die here today.”
The Queen pointed at Franz and scolded him in a cold voice. The audience felt as if they had been splashed with cold water by the overly blatant and vicious curse. However, Franz calmly looked at the Queen and bent down to pick up the broken locket.
“Is that all you want to say to me, Your Majesty?”
“Do you think I’m lying? If you want to dismiss it as a joke from a crazy old woman, then go ahead and do so. But the moment you turn around in peace, a knife will be stuck in your back. Then you’ll regret it. Writhe in pain and bleed. You’ll hold onto your father’s coffin and cry! I’ll watch over you. I’ll watch over you until the moment you take your last breath.”
There was a tense and strange silence. It was Franz who broke it first. He lowered his head and tried to reattach the broken locket, but his eyebrows furrowed as if he were having trouble.
He turned to the King's coffin and placed the locket under his hands, which were clasped together in front of his chest. Franz stroked the back of his father's hand, which was cold and stiff, and then looked back at the Queen.
“I am no longer a child, Your Majesty.”
“...What did you say?”
“There is no longer a child who could not breathe freely for fear that your hateful curse would become reality. I am no longer afraid of you. You will not be able to rule over me, nor will you have my blood on your hands. Neither the blood of my wife nor the blood of my children. You have never been able to kill me, and you will never be able to kill me.”
A nervous laugh burst from the Queen's mouth. Franz looked at her without wavering.
“No, Franz. You should fear me. You should fear not only me but also my son.”
It was then. The people gathered in the Corne Hall suddenly heard a sharp, screaming bell ringing. Three short, rapid, continuous rings meant that someone had forced open the inner gate of the palace. Queen Gilsis's voice rose amidst the panicked murmurs of the people.
“Look now, Franz! See with your own eyes who is coming to kill you! It’s a pity I didn’t come prepared with the rope to cut off your neck!”
The Queen who had shouted laughed loudly. Then she suddenly realized something strange. Despite hearing the nervous and continuous ringing of the bell, Franz did not react at all. He still stood there with an indifferent expression. Then, the moment his eyes met with those of Queen Gilsis, he smiled brightly.
“Listen, you fellow Comblers.”
Franz's voice resonated heavily throughout the bustling Corne Hall.
“Close all the gates and send out the soldiers. Arrest every single one of the traitors who are disrupting the foundations of the kingdom.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the two members of the Comblers lined up on either side of the hall and simultaneously stepped out with their swords in hand. Franz looked straight into the face of the Queen, who was clearly in a state of bewilderment. He stared at her as if he was trying to remember for a long time her trembling hands and feet, her pale lips, and her raspy breathing, and then he spoke.
“All arms!”
The next moment, there was a sound of something breaking from all around. The Queen, who had been standing there blankly after hearing the crackling sound, widened her eyes. Not only the Duke of Vergy and the Marquis of Ebelta, but also all the nobles of the Privy Council and their sons were tearing off the outer paneling of the wall that had just been completed. Dozens of swords were hidden in the places where the thin wooden planks had been torn off.
“What is this...!”
A startled cry burst from the Queen's mouth. Then, all of the people, including Franz, threw off the cloaks that covered their entire bodies. No one was wearing funeral attire. Everything beneath the cloaks was armor. The Queen's eyes widened as she carefully scanned the breastplates with the emblems of each family.
The loud clap of horse hooves echoed nearby. As Franz marched ahead, the sound of swords being drawn here and there shook the hall. The moment the tightly shut door opened, a cheer erupted.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment