The atmosphere that had grown cold due to Montiel’s words completely froze over with Erdene’s words.
The moment Pelarhar was about to speak to her, Arkan put down his glass with a displeased expression and said,
“It’s a problem if the Queen is letting down the order like that.”
Erdene retorted.
“That’s the truth. Appropriate and inappropriate. What’s the point of arguing about that?”
Arkan glanced at Erdene as if to tell her to stop. At that moment, Montiel Zelma interrupted again without noticing.
“I heard about the empire. It’s a really free-spirited place, isn’t it?”
Pelarhar now felt like shoving a dry cookie into Montiel’s mouth.
Although he didn’t say anything, Arkan must have been suppressing a similar impulse.
Erdene said with a faint sneer.
“It’s not so tight that it’s a problem to have a man and a woman swimming together.”
“Oh, I heard that dating is like that too. I heard that there are many cases of people having lovers even after they get married.”
Erdene, who had been staring blankly at Montiel Zelma’s face who was laughing without any sense, replied with a grin.
“That happens too. Not everyone does that, though.”
Arkan turned his head away as if he wanted to get out of the conversation.
It was obvious what his expression would be like, but Erdene pretended not to know and let Montiel babble on.
Montiel laughed frivolously and said,
“But that’s why. Even if a child is born, you won’t know who the real father is. The mother who gives birth is certain, right? The heir to a noble family could be the son of a shepherd! Even the blood of the royal family.”
"Enough."
Arkan turned around and strode away.
Montiel Zelma was standing a few steps away from where he had disappeared. She was fidgeting, trying her best to keep her mouth twitching as if he was dying of amusement.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I thought it would be nice to take a walk with you because Your Majesty didn't seem to be in a good mood... I really didn't expect things to turn out like this..."
“You need to relearn what it means to serve, Zelma. When I said ‘wait,’ I didn’t mean you could go around and do whatever you want.”
Montiel shrugged and made a gesture of bowing her head.
Erdene’s sarcastic rebuke fell on her head, which was trying to squelch her with all its might.
“If you’re not good at talking, it’s not easy to be a maid, let alone a master. Fortunately, you have a pretty face. If you want to find a spouse, it would be better to find a man who is only interested in women’s faces and follows them around, but that shouldn’t be too hard, so be thankful to your parents for giving you a pretty face. But from what I remember, your father wasn’t a man of honor, but your mother must have been a very beautiful woman. Or maybe your father raised a cuckoo chick.”
The moment Pelarhar was about to speak to her, Arkan put down his glass with a displeased expression and said,
“It’s a problem if the Queen is letting down the order like that.”
Erdene retorted.
“That’s the truth. Appropriate and inappropriate. What’s the point of arguing about that?”
Arkan glanced at Erdene as if to tell her to stop. At that moment, Montiel Zelma interrupted again without noticing.
“I heard about the empire. It’s a really free-spirited place, isn’t it?”
Pelarhar now felt like shoving a dry cookie into Montiel’s mouth.
Although he didn’t say anything, Arkan must have been suppressing a similar impulse.
Erdene said with a faint sneer.
“It’s not so tight that it’s a problem to have a man and a woman swimming together.”
“Oh, I heard that dating is like that too. I heard that there are many cases of people having lovers even after they get married.”
Erdene, who had been staring blankly at Montiel Zelma’s face who was laughing without any sense, replied with a grin.
“That happens too. Not everyone does that, though.”
Arkan turned his head away as if he wanted to get out of the conversation.
It was obvious what his expression would be like, but Erdene pretended not to know and let Montiel babble on.
Montiel laughed frivolously and said,
“But that’s why. Even if a child is born, you won’t know who the real father is. The mother who gives birth is certain, right? The heir to a noble family could be the son of a shepherd! Even the blood of the royal family.”
A mocking smile passed over Erdene’s lips.
When Anne and the other maids and servants had a look of fear on their faces,
“Miss Zelma seems to be very interested in the marriage system of the Empire. Do you also want to have multiple husbands?”
Pelarhar asked with a cold sneer.
Montiel blinked, trying to make an almost naive expression.
“Oh, Your Highness Pelerhar. How dare you say such things! I value the virtuous manners of the Vetor more than anything else.”
So she was a virtuous maiden, and Erdene, who was from the Empire, was not.
Pelerhar said,
“Then you should quickly find a husband to spend the rest of your life with, like a virtuous maiden. Rather than coming to a place like this.”
“Your Highness, you always say such mean things.”
Montiel chuckled again. Her laughter echoed in the silence, unnoticed.
“I think I should take a walk.”
Erdene, who had risen from her seat, looked at Arkan, who was stubbornly turning his back.
“Your Majesty, will you come with me?”
Arkan immediately replied.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Then why don’t you just enjoy the lake here? What about the Duke?”
Pelarhar glared at Arkan’s back with a hint of resentment, then changed his expression to a bright smile.
“Then why don’t you come with me?”
“Anne, you can stay here. Miss Zelma will take care of the servants.”
Anne, who was about to stand up, hesitated with a worried expression.
Montiel, who had been waiting for a chance to be alone with Arkan, twisted her expression as if she was watching, but Erdene pretended not to see and walked ahead.
Even though it was a walk, it was only a walk along the edge of the lake, so Arkan was always in Erdene’s sight. Although she was pretending to look at the lake, she was sure that he was looking this way too.
“Have you talked to His Majesty?”
Pelarhar, who had been walking silently, asked quietly. Erdene glanced at Montiel, who was walking half a step behind and shrugged.
“But he didn’t seem to understand.”
A long sigh came back as if she had expected that.
The moment Pelarhar was about to say something, Erdene suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
Not only Pelarhar, but Montiel, who was following behind, also watched the scene with wide eyes.
“Your Majesty?”
“May I speak to you for a moment, Duke?”
Erdene looked back.
“You will wait here.”
“But...”
“If I say to wait, then you will.”
Montiel’s lips twitched impurely at the stern command.
Leaving her alone, Erdene grabbed Pelarhar’s sleeve and moved behind the zelkova tree as if hiding it.
Pelarhar said.
“Your Majesty, do you really need to do this?”
Erdene laughed.
“Do you think I’m doing this to give that woman an excuse?”
“If not, then the problem is serious.”
Erdene laughed softly. At that moment, Pelarhar felt as if the serious situation up until now had blown away.
Only the sight of Erdene giggling with a cheerful expression, and her hair flowing softly down her shoulders looked much thinner than usual due to her shirt filled his mind.
“Of course, I intentionally left the place to give her an excuse.”
However, when Erdene raised her head, Pelarhar suddenly came to his senses when he saw her eyes flashing like a beast.
At least Erdene was not making fun of this situation at all.
Pelarhar felt anew that it didn’t matter to her whether Arkan cooperated or not, or whether he understood what she said or not.
“But other than that, there’s something I want to ask of you, Duke.”
“What is it?”
“Do you have leather gloves long enough to cover your wrists?”
Pelerhar looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“Long leather gloves? Well... Why?”
Erdene silently rolled up the sleeve of her dress to show the scratches from Glucker’s claws. Pelarhar, startled, tried to grab her wrist, but Erdene withdrew her hand without waiting for him.
“What happened? The wound is deep.”
“The Duke does not need to know what kind of wound it is.”
Pelarhar’s hand slowly lowered, feeling relieved.
However, those cold, harmless words were Erdene’s true nature.
Not giving unnecessary room, not needing the interference or meddling sympathy of others.
‘Unlike Arkan, but too different,’
Pelarhar thought.
Erdene completely lowered her sleeve to cover the wound.
“I could ask the tailor, but it would only be a matter of time before the story reached His Majesty. I would like to keep His Majesty from knowing as much as possible.”
“Do you think I would help you with something His Majesty doesn’t need to know?”
“Yes. Because the Duke is different from His Majesty. Rather than asking ‘how’, I would focus more on ‘why’. Am I wrong?”
Pelarhar’s lips moved slightly.
“Your Majesty is right. However, Your Majesty has not explained the ‘why’ to me yet.”
“If the Duke can procure gloves, I will think about it then.”
Erdene’s attitude was not only straightforward but also relaxed.
Pelarhar realized only then that this was not a conversation, but a negotiation, and that it was a negotiation that he had no choice but to lose.
“...Good. However, I hope Your Majesty will keep his promise.”
“Good.”
Pelarhar’s gaze moved back to Erdene’s wrist where the wound had been.
“But it seems like you’re really badly hurt. Did you treat them properly? The palace doctors...”
At that moment, a rustling sound was heard along with a footstep. Erdene, who had hastily buttoned up her sleeve, turned her head.
Arkan was staring blankly at the two of them.
When their eyes met, Pelarhar, who had momentarily lowered his hand, belatedly bit the inside of his cheek in embarrassment.
The fact that he had unconsciously turned his body in surprise at the sudden event made it seem like he had been avoiding his eyes and having a secret meeting.
Arkan, who had been looking back and forth between the two of them, let out a hollow laugh.
“Why, did you sprain your wrist again?”
It was clearly a sarcastic remark directed at Erdene. However, Erdene’s answer was calm.
“That’s right. I was a little hurt.”
Arkan burst into laughter again and stared blankly at Erdene.
How many times has this happened? Didn’t something similar happen last time? What was he thinking at that time? Did he believe Erdene's words?
"What on earth do you think of me?"
"Why are you saying that again? I'm indeed hurt. Don't misinterpret the facts yourself. The truth is..."
When Anne and the other maids and servants had a look of fear on their faces,
“Miss Zelma seems to be very interested in the marriage system of the Empire. Do you also want to have multiple husbands?”
Pelarhar asked with a cold sneer.
Montiel blinked, trying to make an almost naive expression.
“Oh, Your Highness Pelerhar. How dare you say such things! I value the virtuous manners of the Vetor more than anything else.”
So she was a virtuous maiden, and Erdene, who was from the Empire, was not.
Pelerhar said,
“Then you should quickly find a husband to spend the rest of your life with, like a virtuous maiden. Rather than coming to a place like this.”
“Your Highness, you always say such mean things.”
Montiel chuckled again. Her laughter echoed in the silence, unnoticed.
“I think I should take a walk.”
Erdene, who had risen from her seat, looked at Arkan, who was stubbornly turning his back.
“Your Majesty, will you come with me?”
Arkan immediately replied.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Then why don’t you just enjoy the lake here? What about the Duke?”
Pelarhar glared at Arkan’s back with a hint of resentment, then changed his expression to a bright smile.
“Then why don’t you come with me?”
“Anne, you can stay here. Miss Zelma will take care of the servants.”
Anne, who was about to stand up, hesitated with a worried expression.
Montiel, who had been waiting for a chance to be alone with Arkan, twisted her expression as if she was watching, but Erdene pretended not to see and walked ahead.
Even though it was a walk, it was only a walk along the edge of the lake, so Arkan was always in Erdene’s sight. Although she was pretending to look at the lake, she was sure that he was looking this way too.
“Have you talked to His Majesty?”
Pelarhar, who had been walking silently, asked quietly. Erdene glanced at Montiel, who was walking half a step behind and shrugged.
“But he didn’t seem to understand.”
A long sigh came back as if she had expected that.
The moment Pelarhar was about to say something, Erdene suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
Not only Pelarhar, but Montiel, who was following behind, also watched the scene with wide eyes.
“Your Majesty?”
“May I speak to you for a moment, Duke?”
Erdene looked back.
“You will wait here.”
“But...”
“If I say to wait, then you will.”
Montiel’s lips twitched impurely at the stern command.
Leaving her alone, Erdene grabbed Pelarhar’s sleeve and moved behind the zelkova tree as if hiding it.
Pelarhar said.
“Your Majesty, do you really need to do this?”
Erdene laughed.
“Do you think I’m doing this to give that woman an excuse?”
“If not, then the problem is serious.”
Erdene laughed softly. At that moment, Pelarhar felt as if the serious situation up until now had blown away.
Only the sight of Erdene giggling with a cheerful expression, and her hair flowing softly down her shoulders looked much thinner than usual due to her shirt filled his mind.
“Of course, I intentionally left the place to give her an excuse.”
However, when Erdene raised her head, Pelarhar suddenly came to his senses when he saw her eyes flashing like a beast.
At least Erdene was not making fun of this situation at all.
Pelarhar felt anew that it didn’t matter to her whether Arkan cooperated or not, or whether he understood what she said or not.
“But other than that, there’s something I want to ask of you, Duke.”
“What is it?”
“Do you have leather gloves long enough to cover your wrists?”
Pelerhar looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“Long leather gloves? Well... Why?”
Erdene silently rolled up the sleeve of her dress to show the scratches from Glucker’s claws. Pelarhar, startled, tried to grab her wrist, but Erdene withdrew her hand without waiting for him.
“What happened? The wound is deep.”
“The Duke does not need to know what kind of wound it is.”
Pelarhar’s hand slowly lowered, feeling relieved.
However, those cold, harmless words were Erdene’s true nature.
Not giving unnecessary room, not needing the interference or meddling sympathy of others.
‘Unlike Arkan, but too different,’
Pelarhar thought.
Erdene completely lowered her sleeve to cover the wound.
“I could ask the tailor, but it would only be a matter of time before the story reached His Majesty. I would like to keep His Majesty from knowing as much as possible.”
“Do you think I would help you with something His Majesty doesn’t need to know?”
“Yes. Because the Duke is different from His Majesty. Rather than asking ‘how’, I would focus more on ‘why’. Am I wrong?”
Pelarhar’s lips moved slightly.
“Your Majesty is right. However, Your Majesty has not explained the ‘why’ to me yet.”
“If the Duke can procure gloves, I will think about it then.”
Erdene’s attitude was not only straightforward but also relaxed.
Pelarhar realized only then that this was not a conversation, but a negotiation, and that it was a negotiation that he had no choice but to lose.
“...Good. However, I hope Your Majesty will keep his promise.”
“Good.”
Pelarhar’s gaze moved back to Erdene’s wrist where the wound had been.
“But it seems like you’re really badly hurt. Did you treat them properly? The palace doctors...”
At that moment, a rustling sound was heard along with a footstep. Erdene, who had hastily buttoned up her sleeve, turned her head.
Arkan was staring blankly at the two of them.
When their eyes met, Pelarhar, who had momentarily lowered his hand, belatedly bit the inside of his cheek in embarrassment.
The fact that he had unconsciously turned his body in surprise at the sudden event made it seem like he had been avoiding his eyes and having a secret meeting.
Arkan, who had been looking back and forth between the two of them, let out a hollow laugh.
“Why, did you sprain your wrist again?”
It was clearly a sarcastic remark directed at Erdene. However, Erdene’s answer was calm.
“That’s right. I was a little hurt.”
Arkan burst into laughter again and stared blankly at Erdene.
How many times has this happened? Didn’t something similar happen last time? What was he thinking at that time? Did he believe Erdene's words?
"What on earth do you think of me?"
"Why are you saying that again? I'm indeed hurt. Don't misinterpret the facts yourself. The truth is..."
"Enough."
Arkan turned around and strode away.
Montiel Zelma was standing a few steps away from where he had disappeared. She was fidgeting, trying her best to keep her mouth twitching as if he was dying of amusement.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I thought it would be nice to take a walk with you because Your Majesty didn't seem to be in a good mood... I really didn't expect things to turn out like this..."
“You need to relearn what it means to serve, Zelma. When I said ‘wait,’ I didn’t mean you could go around and do whatever you want.”
Montiel shrugged and made a gesture of bowing her head.
Erdene’s sarcastic rebuke fell on her head, which was trying to squelch her with all its might.
“If you’re not good at talking, it’s not easy to be a maid, let alone a master. Fortunately, you have a pretty face. If you want to find a spouse, it would be better to find a man who is only interested in women’s faces and follows them around, but that shouldn’t be too hard, so be thankful to your parents for giving you a pretty face. But from what I remember, your father wasn’t a man of honor, but your mother must have been a very beautiful woman. Or maybe your father raised a cuckoo chick.”
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