Erdene's hand, which was about to soak the bread in the soup, suddenly stopped.
Then, she looked down at her hand as if she was saying, 'What I am trying to eat now is not bread, but a rock,' before looking at Sophia with an even more bewildered expression.
"Scented bath?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Are you talking about a bath where you dissolve scented oil in water? If that's the case, you do that every day."
Sophia explained calmly.
"No, Your Majesty. It's a little different from that. A scented bath...is where you put various dried herbs in hot water and take a bath with that water."
Erdene suddenly became deeply thoughtful. She was still holding the piece of bread in her hand.
Finally, Erdene nodded.
“Yes, come to think of it, there is something like that in the empire.”
“Have you ever tried it, Your Majesty?”
Erdene glanced at Sophia, shook her head, and stuffed the bread into her mouth.
“No. It’s something that only pregnant women do. I only know that it exists, but I’ve never actually seen it or tried it. I’ve heard that it warms the body and is good for the mother and fetus. It has nothing to do with me.”
“It’s similar. In Vetor, mothers often take a scented bath. But it’s not just for health. Many people take a scented bath for various reasons. Since there are many types of herbs, the uses are also diverse.”
“I guess so. But why a scented bath all of a sudden?”
Sophia’s lips moved at that moment.
It was the first time that she hesitated and couldn’t answer Erdene’s question.
She was not completely ignorant of the relationship between men and women, nor was she the type of person who would get worked up over sexual topics like her mother, the Marchioness Fiddlers, had been.
“Sophia.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Why are you doing that? If you’re sick, you should rest early today.”
Erdene didn’t seem too upset, considering the commotion in the hallway.
In fact, she was somewhat open with Sophia.
“Your Majesty, thank you for your concern. I’m not sick, I was just thinking.”
“What are you thinking about? Who’s bothering you?”
“No. Well, I mentioned the bath because I heard about it from Viscountess Wickes. Among the herbs used for bathing, there is one that is especially often used by newlyweds, and it helps with the blood circulation in the body, warms the body temperature, and helps with the relationship between couples.”
Erdene, who had been blinking and listening to her, let out an “Ah.”
“Yes, yes. I understand what you mean. I don’t know if that will solve it, but I’ll do it.”
“I’ll get ready right away.”
Sophia quickly disappeared with a few maids.
Erdene stopped chewing her soft bread and looked out the window. The sun was setting and the sunset was setting.
The twilight that spread along the mountain ridge slowly, slowly covered the roofs of the city in the distance.
“In my country.”
Erdene muttered to herself, and the maid who had been left behind to serve her looked up with a surprised expression. The maid looked as if she was contemplating whether to answer or not, but Erdene ignored her and muttered as if she were dreaming.
“The stars are already rising at this hour. It’s a vast place, but the houses are quiet and most of them have roofs made of wood or dry grass. That’s where the common people live. Just a little further away, the endless plains of nothingness stretch out. Have you ever seen the sun slowly disappear into the long horizon and darkness rise? When I saw that, there were times when life felt futile. Even the sun that burns the earth blazingly falls and cools down at night, so isn’t it the same for humans and countries?”
“Well, Your Majesty...”
“But I didn’t know I would cool down this quickly.”
Erdene put down her spoon with a completely lost expression.
She drank the last of the alcohol in her glass and told them to clear the table, looking as if she had lost all her strength.
The maid who had been hesitating clenched her sleeve tightly as if squeezing it.
“Your Majesty, this may be presumptuous, but... doesn’t the sun always rise anew?”
Erdene turned her head as she stood up to leave.
The maid’s face turned even redder. As the maid lowered her head in embarrassment and fear, the hair that had fallen out of her ear fell slightly.
“Please continue talking.”
Erdene's voice was unexpectedly calm.
However, the maid, who could not calm down at all, took a deep breath and was finally able to continue speaking.
"I, Your Majesty... Your Majesty thinks that the sun has already set, but it has cooled down... After the night passes, the morning comes again... It is natural. Of course, some people say that the sun of yesterday is not the same as the sun of today... But even so, isn't it true that the sunlight always shines on the entire land? So, Your Majesty, it is not that it has completely...completely cooled down, but that means that you may see a new good day..."
The maid, who trailed off, bit her lips and closed her eyes tightly with a 'ruined' expression.
Erdene had never been angry with Sophia or the maids of the Queen's quarters, but the maid belatedly regretted saying something so reckless, knowing her fiery temper well.
As the maid was shivering, waiting for the thunder to strike, she suddenly heard a light snort and raised her head in surprise.
“Your Majesty. I’m sorry. I may have said something unnecessary...”
“No. You’re one of the children Sophia brought with her. What was your name? Was it Anne?”
“Oh, no. Anne went with Miss Sophia to prepare the bath earlier. My name is Sabnake. Miss Sophia is my distant cousin.”
“A distant relative.”
“Ah...You are very distant. Even though you are relatives...”
Sabnake’s forehead grew even hotter.
Erdene stared at her, not knowing what to do, then smiled and waved her hand.
“Yes, I understand. Thank you for your kind words.”
“I, I'm sorry to say that.”
“Clear the table now.”
Sabnake quickly moved and cleared the plates one by one.
Erdene pretended not to notice her as she quickly put one of the remaining biscuits in her mouth.
It was natural for the kitchen maids and servants to eat the leftovers of their masters, so it was not a bad thing.
It would have been a scolding to do something so conspicuous, but Erdene was generally lenient with her subordinates and servants unless it directly challenged her authority.
“Your Majesty, everything is ready,”
Sophia said as she returned.
She glanced at Sabnake, who was clearing the table and eating the remaining biscuits one by one, then looked away, pretending not to notice like Erdene did.
“Let’s go.”
Erdene stretched out her arms and shook her head from side to side.
Then, she looked down at her hand as if she was saying, 'What I am trying to eat now is not bread, but a rock,' before looking at Sophia with an even more bewildered expression.
"Scented bath?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Are you talking about a bath where you dissolve scented oil in water? If that's the case, you do that every day."
Sophia explained calmly.
"No, Your Majesty. It's a little different from that. A scented bath...is where you put various dried herbs in hot water and take a bath with that water."
Erdene suddenly became deeply thoughtful. She was still holding the piece of bread in her hand.
Finally, Erdene nodded.
“Yes, come to think of it, there is something like that in the empire.”
“Have you ever tried it, Your Majesty?”
Erdene glanced at Sophia, shook her head, and stuffed the bread into her mouth.
“No. It’s something that only pregnant women do. I only know that it exists, but I’ve never actually seen it or tried it. I’ve heard that it warms the body and is good for the mother and fetus. It has nothing to do with me.”
“It’s similar. In Vetor, mothers often take a scented bath. But it’s not just for health. Many people take a scented bath for various reasons. Since there are many types of herbs, the uses are also diverse.”
“I guess so. But why a scented bath all of a sudden?”
Sophia’s lips moved at that moment.
It was the first time that she hesitated and couldn’t answer Erdene’s question.
She was not completely ignorant of the relationship between men and women, nor was she the type of person who would get worked up over sexual topics like her mother, the Marchioness Fiddlers, had been.
“Sophia.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Why are you doing that? If you’re sick, you should rest early today.”
Erdene didn’t seem too upset, considering the commotion in the hallway.
In fact, she was somewhat open with Sophia.
“Your Majesty, thank you for your concern. I’m not sick, I was just thinking.”
“What are you thinking about? Who’s bothering you?”
“No. Well, I mentioned the bath because I heard about it from Viscountess Wickes. Among the herbs used for bathing, there is one that is especially often used by newlyweds, and it helps with the blood circulation in the body, warms the body temperature, and helps with the relationship between couples.”
Erdene, who had been blinking and listening to her, let out an “Ah.”
“Yes, yes. I understand what you mean. I don’t know if that will solve it, but I’ll do it.”
“I’ll get ready right away.”
Sophia quickly disappeared with a few maids.
Erdene stopped chewing her soft bread and looked out the window. The sun was setting and the sunset was setting.
The twilight that spread along the mountain ridge slowly, slowly covered the roofs of the city in the distance.
“In my country.”
Erdene muttered to herself, and the maid who had been left behind to serve her looked up with a surprised expression. The maid looked as if she was contemplating whether to answer or not, but Erdene ignored her and muttered as if she were dreaming.
“The stars are already rising at this hour. It’s a vast place, but the houses are quiet and most of them have roofs made of wood or dry grass. That’s where the common people live. Just a little further away, the endless plains of nothingness stretch out. Have you ever seen the sun slowly disappear into the long horizon and darkness rise? When I saw that, there were times when life felt futile. Even the sun that burns the earth blazingly falls and cools down at night, so isn’t it the same for humans and countries?”
“Well, Your Majesty...”
“But I didn’t know I would cool down this quickly.”
Erdene put down her spoon with a completely lost expression.
She drank the last of the alcohol in her glass and told them to clear the table, looking as if she had lost all her strength.
The maid who had been hesitating clenched her sleeve tightly as if squeezing it.
“Your Majesty, this may be presumptuous, but... doesn’t the sun always rise anew?”
Erdene turned her head as she stood up to leave.
The maid’s face turned even redder. As the maid lowered her head in embarrassment and fear, the hair that had fallen out of her ear fell slightly.
“Please continue talking.”
Erdene's voice was unexpectedly calm.
However, the maid, who could not calm down at all, took a deep breath and was finally able to continue speaking.
"I, Your Majesty... Your Majesty thinks that the sun has already set, but it has cooled down... After the night passes, the morning comes again... It is natural. Of course, some people say that the sun of yesterday is not the same as the sun of today... But even so, isn't it true that the sunlight always shines on the entire land? So, Your Majesty, it is not that it has completely...completely cooled down, but that means that you may see a new good day..."
The maid, who trailed off, bit her lips and closed her eyes tightly with a 'ruined' expression.
Erdene had never been angry with Sophia or the maids of the Queen's quarters, but the maid belatedly regretted saying something so reckless, knowing her fiery temper well.
As the maid was shivering, waiting for the thunder to strike, she suddenly heard a light snort and raised her head in surprise.
“Your Majesty. I’m sorry. I may have said something unnecessary...”
“No. You’re one of the children Sophia brought with her. What was your name? Was it Anne?”
“Oh, no. Anne went with Miss Sophia to prepare the bath earlier. My name is Sabnake. Miss Sophia is my distant cousin.”
“A distant relative.”
“Ah...You are very distant. Even though you are relatives...”
Sabnake’s forehead grew even hotter.
Erdene stared at her, not knowing what to do, then smiled and waved her hand.
“Yes, I understand. Thank you for your kind words.”
“I, I'm sorry to say that.”
“Clear the table now.”
Sabnake quickly moved and cleared the plates one by one.
Erdene pretended not to notice her as she quickly put one of the remaining biscuits in her mouth.
It was natural for the kitchen maids and servants to eat the leftovers of their masters, so it was not a bad thing.
It would have been a scolding to do something so conspicuous, but Erdene was generally lenient with her subordinates and servants unless it directly challenged her authority.
“Your Majesty, everything is ready,”
Sophia said as she returned.
She glanced at Sabnake, who was clearing the table and eating the remaining biscuits one by one, then looked away, pretending not to notice like Erdene did.
“Let’s go.”
Erdene stretched out her arms and shook her head from side to side.
“Yes, it’s even better now that I'm warmed up after a long time. Tell me, Sophia. Has your husband's candidate gotten any dents?”
“Your Majesty, even though His Grace Pelarhar said so, I don’t think Your Majesty needs to do this.”
Plat, who had been quivering his lips the whole time he followed Arkan, finally said a word.
He said it knowing full well that he would be ignored, but it made him feel even more suffocated when Arkan, who was walking ahead, didn’t even pretend to look back.
“Your Majesty.”
“Plat, you must be very busy these days. You want to be my secretary, my chamberlain, and even the Marchioness of Fiddler’s.”
Plat’s brow furrowed slightly.
“That’s not it. I just thought that it wouldn’t be right for Her Highness to always... bow first.”
“Her Majesty.”
Plat blinked, looking bewildered.
“Huh? What did you say?”
Arkan turned his head to look at him.
“Bow to Your Majesty. Say it.”
Plat’s face, which was usually not easily embarrassed, flushed with embarrassment.
Arkan knew perfectly well that the reason he had trailed off in the middle of his speech was because it was not proper to call Erdene “Her Highness.”
***
“Your Majesty, even though His Grace Pelarhar said so, I don’t think Your Majesty needs to do this.”
Plat, who had been quivering his lips the whole time he followed Arkan, finally said a word.
He said it knowing full well that he would be ignored, but it made him feel even more suffocated when Arkan, who was walking ahead, didn’t even pretend to look back.
“Your Majesty.”
“Plat, you must be very busy these days. You want to be my secretary, my chamberlain, and even the Marchioness of Fiddler’s.”
Plat’s brow furrowed slightly.
“That’s not it. I just thought that it wouldn’t be right for Her Highness to always... bow first.”
“Her Majesty.”
Plat blinked, looking bewildered.
“Huh? What did you say?”
Arkan turned his head to look at him.
“Bow to Your Majesty. Say it.”
Plat’s face, which was usually not easily embarrassed, flushed with embarrassment.
Arkan knew perfectly well that the reason he had trailed off in the middle of his speech was because it was not proper to call Erdene “Her Highness.”
“Bow down to Her Majesty.”
“Good. Go home today and write it down a hundred times.”
Arkan left Plat dumbfounded by the sudden order and opened the door to the bedroom that was the bridal chamber for the first night. The way he opened the door himself before the servant’s hand could even reach the doorknob made it seem like he was not going to meet his wife, but to face an enemy general who would soon kill him.
“My goodness, I think I should retire. Come to think of it, the reason you’ve become so picky is because of the Princess...”
Arkan, who had been mumbling in his mouth, bit his tongue in surprise when the door slammed shut.
Arkan clearly hadn't heard—if he had, he wouldn't have let it slide—but Plat's old heart thumped violently at the sound of the door closing.
Passing through the small living room and rooms, three or four arched corners and doorways, Arkan stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he entered the bedroom.
Just like the night before, candles were lit everywhere and the room was filled with fragrance. But that wasn’t why he stopped walking.
It was Erdene who stopped Arkan from moving.
She was crouching in a dark corner where the light didn’t reach well.
“Good. Go home today and write it down a hundred times.”
Arkan left Plat dumbfounded by the sudden order and opened the door to the bedroom that was the bridal chamber for the first night. The way he opened the door himself before the servant’s hand could even reach the doorknob made it seem like he was not going to meet his wife, but to face an enemy general who would soon kill him.
“My goodness, I think I should retire. Come to think of it, the reason you’ve become so picky is because of the Princess...”
Arkan, who had been mumbling in his mouth, bit his tongue in surprise when the door slammed shut.
Arkan clearly hadn't heard—if he had, he wouldn't have let it slide—but Plat's old heart thumped violently at the sound of the door closing.
Passing through the small living room and rooms, three or four arched corners and doorways, Arkan stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he entered the bedroom.
Just like the night before, candles were lit everywhere and the room was filled with fragrance. But that wasn’t why he stopped walking.
It was Erdene who stopped Arkan from moving.
She was crouching in a dark corner where the light didn’t reach well.
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