Arkan stared at Erdene to gauge her intentions.
It wasn’t to brag, but he could see through people’s minds and thoughts to some extent just by looking at their faces.
His former teacher once described it as “excellent insight,” but Arkan himself thought it was “an ability that came from growing up being so observant.”
Whatever it was, Arkan needed that ability right now. He already knew that Erdene had engaged in a fierce war of nerves with the Marchioness Fiddlers before they even crossed the border of the capital.
In his judgment, Erdene was not one to forgive someone who had once fallen out of favor—she was right—so he wondered why she would keep the Marchioness Fiddlers’ daughter by her side.
Arkan said.
“I already know that you have regrets about the Marchioness Fiddlers. Even if it wasn’t about today.”
Erdene's eyes furrowed.
"So?"
"And I also know that what the Marchioness did to you today was something that should not have been done."
Thank goodness, Arkan thought. The adage that actions move the heart was indeed true. As he tried to talk calmly, his confused mind calmed down somewhat. And Erdene seemed to be the same way...
"Of course. Since she dared to mention the King and lie, she should be beheaded in the square for deceiving the monarch."
Arkan immediately retracted his thoughts at Erdene's indifferent words.
'I didn't know I had such a talent for delusion. If it came down to it, I should just throw the King away and write a novel.'
Arkan let out a long sigh as he casually thought about the outrageous idea that Plat would have made him pretend to hang himself.
"...Princess, first of all, let me tell you one thing. In Vetor, the guillotine is not used as a punishment."
"Why? It’s efficient and very good.”
“Efficient... No, wait a minute. What’s efficient about that?”
Erdene blinked at him as if it were obvious.
“You just pull the string once and it’s done. One, two, three. The heavy blade falls and falls. The criminal disappears and the people are relieved.”
Arkan retorted with a flushed face.
“You can’t judge it as efficient or inefficient just by looking at the immediate results, right? For example, don’t you think about how a public execution scene would negatively affect people’s emotions?”
“Everyone liked it.”
“Of course, the public likes provocative things! But just because it’s provocative and gives them a little excitement doesn’t mean it’s necessarily positive, right? It’s not right to let children cheer at a scene where a blade cuts off a person’s head. I don’t know exactly how the Empire punishes criminals, but...”
Erdene said.
“If you want, I can explain it to you one by one.”
“No, it’s fine. It’s really fine. I just want to enjoy my meal for the time being. Anyway, I don’t know the ways of the Empire, but Vetor is a country that loves music and poetry. The punishment of criminals isn’t that cruel. We... don’t do public executions. We don’t have guillotines.”
Arkan hoped, almost desperately, that Erdene would accept their conversation so far. He didn’t want her to be emotionally moved—no, he did hope, but objectively he knew that was close to delusion—but he hoped that she would at least agree.
However, Erdene had no intention of easily meeting Arkan’s expectations.
“You’re out of your mind.”
The blood in Arkan’s temples flared.
“That’s human.”
Erdene laughed faintly.
Arkan held back the thought of saying, “I can hear you,” and took another deep breath.
How did the conversation end up like this? Wasn’t it a flow without context or logic? It was something he could not tolerate.
“Let’s stop talking about executions. Let’s get back to the story of Marchioness Fiddler and Sophia. The Marchioness’s actions were wrong. So I will decide what to do with her. I won’t use the guillotine, but I will make her reflect on lying to you. However, Princess, I have one thing I want to ask you. This time, please answer without talking nonsense.”
Erdene wanted to increase Arkan’s potion but stopped herself.
It was because his face had become quite haggard in an instant.
She reminded herself once more that the only thing she could see was his face, and that if she were to distort it, she would only be hurting herself.
“What do you want to ask me?”
“You want Sophia Fiddler to serve you? Why?”
“Because I liked her.”
Arkan made a face of incomprehension.
“You liked her? Sophia?”
“I said so. Why? Are you offended, Your Majesty?”
“What are you talking about... Offended, why me?”
Erdene glanced up at him as if asking because she didn’t know.
“You said Sophia was originally supposed to be your companion. If Your Majesty had been waiting for that day with bated breath, then that would be another matter. If Sophia becomes my confidant, you’ll inevitably meet often, and your heart breaks...”
“I can’t believe it. I thought I was the only one with delusions, but the Princess is no different.”
Arkan’s face turned bright red as he snapped. Even hot coals couldn’t be redder than that.
Arkan turned away from Erdene as if he didn’t want to talk anymore.
The hem of his peony-embroidered mantle brushed over her robe.
“If you really like Sophia Fiddler, then let her be your confidant. But let me tell you clearly, I have no feelings for Sophia. If I had feelings for her, I would have accepted her as my Queen already!”
He shouted and strode across the living room.
Erdene just stared at Arkan’s back, feeling a little bewildered. She couldn’t figure out what had made him so angry.
Was it really worth getting so angry that she had said that he might have feelings for Sophia Fiddler?
“Anyway.”
Arkan, who had been walking away, turned his upper body toward Erdene.
Then as if asking what was going on, he glared at her, who had her fists on both sides of her waist in a combative stance.
“That robe really suits you!”
After saying that, Arkan completely left Erdene’s sight this time.
Erdene, who had been listening intently to the sound of footsteps clearly hitting the floor, let out a laugh.
“If she’s pretty, I’ll just say she’s pretty, but I’ve seen so many strange people.”
***
“Your Majesty! What did you just say...?”
Marchioness Fiddler’s wife almost screamed without realizing it.
It was loud enough to make the servants passing by the King’s study flinch and stop walking.
Arkan said.
“For the time being, I said that you are not allowed to enter the palace, or even the capital, Madam. Considering that you were my mother’s close maid, I won’t send you to a place you have no connection to, so know that.”
Marchioness Fiddler’s body, stiff as a block of wood, trembled.
She had just been told that she could go down to the western region where her eldest daughter, who was married, lived, but that she could not return to the capital until she received separate permission. Her vision became dizzy and her hands and feet trembled.
“Your Majesty, what on earth is that...! How could you give such an order? Your Majesty, why on earth are you banishing me?”
“Do you not know that? You said that you had my permission to place your youngest daughter, Sophia, in the Crown Princess’s inner circle. Marchioness Fiddler, you and your family have done much for the House of Vetor, but did you think I would turn a blind eye to your daring to mention the King and make false statements?”
“Your Majesty!”
The Marchioness Fiddler knelt flat on her knees. However, the displeasure did not disappear from Arkan’s face.
Marchioness Fiddler said.
“Your Majesty, of course... Of course, it was wrong for me to say that I had Your Majesty’s permission. How could I not know that I should not do that? But Your Majesty, the reason I did that is...”
“I don’t want to hear the reason. No matter what reason you give, I will not reverse the punishment I have given you, so please leave.”
The Marchioness was deeply shocked by Arkan’s cold tone.
Even if her beloved youngest daughter, Sophia, had said, ‘I would rather be a monk than a Queen,’ she wouldn’t have been so shocked.
“Your Majesty, the Princess of Hirschsten is not fit for the Vetor royal family. She has no knowledge of our culture or... noble etiquette, and has no desire to learn! So, so, I... to cover up the trouble she caused the royal family, I took my daughter, who received a great education and was raised...”
“Can you stop it?”
Arkan’s hand slammed on the table. The long-necked vase fell over, and blue ink splattered across the papers.
Marchioness Fiddler was so shocked that she forgot to speak and hiccupped.
“Your Majesty.”
She was the former Queen's closest maid, and she had been watching over Arkan since his birth and even taught him basic royal etiquette when he was young.
Still, it was the first time she had seen Arkan this angry.
It was also the first time he had raised his voice at her.
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