“What...”
Montiel’s face, which had been gradually losing its color as she listened to Erdene, turned bright red.
Cuckoos are birds that brood.
When they lay eggs in another bird’s nest, the first chick to hatch will kill the other eggs and chicks in the nest and eat the food as if it were that chick.
Erdene had no intention of forgiving Montiel for talking about royal bloodlines.
Of course, her revenge wasn’t over just by saying one word back.
“Your Majesty, you’re going too far! How could you...!”
“My words are going too far? Is that so, Duke?”
Pelarhar sneered as he glanced at Montiel’s face, who looked like she was about to burst into tears.
“Lady Zelma, Her Majesty has given you a chance to think again about your careless remarks earlier. You can’t thank Her Majesty, but instead, you raise your voice. Where did you learn manners?”
Montiel’s face was now so red that it almost looked dark.
She was used to ridiculing and scolding others, but this was the first time in her life that she had been insulted by someone, and right in front of her face.
It was only natural that Montiel’s pride, which had grown beautifully like a flower in a greenhouse, was torn to pieces.
“Let’s go now. It seems that His Majesty is not in the mood to enjoy going out.”
Erdene left Montiel sobbing and did not look back.
Montiel’s eyes, which trudged behind the two people walking ahead, were gleaming with vicious malice like an oil film.
‘Just wait and see. Are you insulting me? What kind of Princess is this, and what kind of Queen is this, when you were sold to a country that eats sand! I'll not leave you alone. I’ll have you kicked out today.’
Her fists, clenched with all her might, turned bright red. Feeling the gaze that seemed to pierce the back of his head, Pelarhar glanced away and whispered to Erdene.
“If you drag it on too long, it will be too much trouble, Your Majesty.”
Erdene chuckled without even looking back.
“I have no intention of dragging it on.”
As soon as Arkan saw Erdene and Pelarhar return, he ordered his servants to pack their bags.
His boiling insides still hadn’t calmed down, and it was difficult to suppress the urge to throw anything he could grab. It was true that Arkan, as a human being and not as a King, was not particularly calm or tolerant, but she swore to God, that this was the first time she had ever been this angry.
If someone had put even the smallest thing in his hands, he would have been able to swing his sword.
‘Damn it.’
The servants were nervous because of the unusually cold King.
At that time, Erdene and Pelarhar returned.
Montiel Zelma, with her swollen eyes, tried to dazzle Arkan, but Erdene was not the one to give her that opportunity.
“Zelma, go and bring my horse.”
Montiel turned her head sharply and her eyes glared.
For a moment, she forgot her position because she was so angry.
“Is there a problem?”
Erdene looked at Montiel and asked calmly.
Montiel had no choice but to grit her teeth and walk, seeing Erdene’s attitude, which did not even give her an inch to cry and beg in front of Arkan.
“Just wait and see, just wait and see. I won't leave you alone. Are you insulting me? How dare you insult my father?”
She chewed her lips and rolled her head, full of malice. She didn’t even realize that her hair decoration, which she had decorated beautifully by harassing two maids in the morning, was in disarray.
Montiel roughly snatched the reins from the hand of the horse-sitter.
She felt like kicking the horse when it groaned and showed its displeasure.
“Follow me! You stupid horse.”
Montiel muttered irritably, pulling the reins even harder and turning her head.
At that moment, a small ornament that had been stuck in her hair fell to the floor.
The ornament, usually used to hold up wigs, had a sharp pin under the delicately engraved fish-shaped decoration.
Montiel’s eyes flashed with poisonous delight as she saw the pin glittering in the light.
This is it, she thought. This would be enough to show Arkan just how vicious and wicked Erdene was.
“Your Majesty, I have brought the horse.”
Montiel’s attitude as she bowed her head was completely deferential, as she seemed ready to grab Erdene by the hair just a moment ago.
As Arkan looked elsewhere as if he was not interested, Montiel held the pin hidden in her palm tightly and supported Erdene in a deliberately stimulating manner.
“Be careful, Your Majesty.”
In fact, Erdene's mount was no different from the speed at which children ran up the stairs.
As soon as she stepped on the stirrup, Erdene, who had half-flung herself onto the horse, grabbed the reins.
"Ahh!"
The horse Erdene was riding suddenly started to buck violently and jump wildly.
The moment the startled horse raised its front legs, Montiel pretended to fall away from the horse and screamed on purpose.
It was to get Arkan's attention, but Arkan was completely focused on Erdene, who was sliding backward on the saddle.
"Erdene!"
Arkan quickly ran over, grabbed Erdene's body, and pulled her.
In that brief moment, Erdene realized that she had to let go of the reins and push Arkan so that he wouldn't get hurt.
"Ugh..!"
Erdene pushed hard as if she was burying herself in Arkan's arms.
While the horseman came running and Anne and Pelarhar supported the King and Queen, no one paid attention to Montiel, who had fallen.
“What is this!”
Pelarhar shouted, and only then did everyone’s eyes focus on Montiel.
At that moment, Montiel Zelma, whose hair and dress were in disarray, pointed at Erdene.
“Your Majesty, how could you do this!”
Erdene, who had gotten up, did not directly refute Montiel’s words, but simply glared at her.
There was no longer any mockery on her face. It was just a blank expression.
Arkan said,
“Montiel Zelma, what are you talking about? The Queen was almost seriously injured, and what did you do when you came along to serve her! Who are you raising your voice in front of?”
“Your Majesty! No, it wasn’t my fault! I, I saw it clearly when I was next to her. Her Majesty deliberately pulled the reins! She was trying to kick me to death with her horse’s hooves!”
Montiel’s violent outburst continued without a moment to catch her breath as she screamed and cried.
“Her Majesty is good at handling horses! The horseman said earlier that horses tend to go wild if they are even slightly startled, so you have to be careful. Her Majesty must have known that better than anyone else! That’s why she deliberately made her horse go wild while knowing that I was right next to her! If I’m wrong, tell me!”
Everyone there looked at Erdene.
Erdene, who had not taken her eyes off Montiel, who was going wild like a crazy person, slightly lowered her head.
Her tightly tied hair flowed down and then swayed like waves.
Then she started giggling.
“I was just wondering, but you have prepared a variety of ways to urge orders.”
There was no trace of laughter in Erdene’s voice, despite the giggles she had been making just a moment ago.
When she took a stride, Montiel instinctively squirmed on the ground and backed away.
She didn’t even realize that she had dropped the trinket she was holding.
The moment Erdene picked up the trinket from the low grass, Montiel’s face turned pale.
“That’s my hairpin...”
Montiel immediately covered her mouth with her hand, but she couldn’t take back the words she had already said.
Erdene thrust the trinket in front of her bloodless eyes.
As she bent down, a bluish shadow appeared over her pale face, and a pair of ghostly blue eyes floated between them.
The moment she looked into those eyes, Montiel almost bit her tongue because of the fear that overwhelmed her whole body.
“You don’t have to confess your crimes voluntarily. I already knew it was yours. Even if it wasn’t yours, if I say this pin is yours, then it’s yours.”
A sob-like groan escaped Montiel’s trembling lips.
At that moment, the attendant who had barely calmed down his wild horse spoke.
Montiel’s face, which had been gradually losing its color as she listened to Erdene, turned bright red.
Cuckoos are birds that brood.
When they lay eggs in another bird’s nest, the first chick to hatch will kill the other eggs and chicks in the nest and eat the food as if it were that chick.
Erdene had no intention of forgiving Montiel for talking about royal bloodlines.
Of course, her revenge wasn’t over just by saying one word back.
“Your Majesty, you’re going too far! How could you...!”
“My words are going too far? Is that so, Duke?”
Pelarhar sneered as he glanced at Montiel’s face, who looked like she was about to burst into tears.
“Lady Zelma, Her Majesty has given you a chance to think again about your careless remarks earlier. You can’t thank Her Majesty, but instead, you raise your voice. Where did you learn manners?”
Montiel’s face was now so red that it almost looked dark.
She was used to ridiculing and scolding others, but this was the first time in her life that she had been insulted by someone, and right in front of her face.
It was only natural that Montiel’s pride, which had grown beautifully like a flower in a greenhouse, was torn to pieces.
“Let’s go now. It seems that His Majesty is not in the mood to enjoy going out.”
Erdene left Montiel sobbing and did not look back.
Montiel’s eyes, which trudged behind the two people walking ahead, were gleaming with vicious malice like an oil film.
‘Just wait and see. Are you insulting me? What kind of Princess is this, and what kind of Queen is this, when you were sold to a country that eats sand! I'll not leave you alone. I’ll have you kicked out today.’
Her fists, clenched with all her might, turned bright red. Feeling the gaze that seemed to pierce the back of his head, Pelarhar glanced away and whispered to Erdene.
“If you drag it on too long, it will be too much trouble, Your Majesty.”
Erdene chuckled without even looking back.
“I have no intention of dragging it on.”
As soon as Arkan saw Erdene and Pelarhar return, he ordered his servants to pack their bags.
His boiling insides still hadn’t calmed down, and it was difficult to suppress the urge to throw anything he could grab. It was true that Arkan, as a human being and not as a King, was not particularly calm or tolerant, but she swore to God, that this was the first time she had ever been this angry.
If someone had put even the smallest thing in his hands, he would have been able to swing his sword.
‘Damn it.’
The servants were nervous because of the unusually cold King.
At that time, Erdene and Pelarhar returned.
Montiel Zelma, with her swollen eyes, tried to dazzle Arkan, but Erdene was not the one to give her that opportunity.
“Zelma, go and bring my horse.”
Montiel turned her head sharply and her eyes glared.
For a moment, she forgot her position because she was so angry.
“Is there a problem?”
Erdene looked at Montiel and asked calmly.
Montiel had no choice but to grit her teeth and walk, seeing Erdene’s attitude, which did not even give her an inch to cry and beg in front of Arkan.
“Just wait and see, just wait and see. I won't leave you alone. Are you insulting me? How dare you insult my father?”
She chewed her lips and rolled her head, full of malice. She didn’t even realize that her hair decoration, which she had decorated beautifully by harassing two maids in the morning, was in disarray.
Montiel roughly snatched the reins from the hand of the horse-sitter.
She felt like kicking the horse when it groaned and showed its displeasure.
“Follow me! You stupid horse.”
Montiel muttered irritably, pulling the reins even harder and turning her head.
At that moment, a small ornament that had been stuck in her hair fell to the floor.
The ornament, usually used to hold up wigs, had a sharp pin under the delicately engraved fish-shaped decoration.
Montiel’s eyes flashed with poisonous delight as she saw the pin glittering in the light.
This is it, she thought. This would be enough to show Arkan just how vicious and wicked Erdene was.
“Your Majesty, I have brought the horse.”
Montiel’s attitude as she bowed her head was completely deferential, as she seemed ready to grab Erdene by the hair just a moment ago.
As Arkan looked elsewhere as if he was not interested, Montiel held the pin hidden in her palm tightly and supported Erdene in a deliberately stimulating manner.
“Be careful, Your Majesty.”
In fact, Erdene's mount was no different from the speed at which children ran up the stairs.
As soon as she stepped on the stirrup, Erdene, who had half-flung herself onto the horse, grabbed the reins.
"Ahh!"
The horse Erdene was riding suddenly started to buck violently and jump wildly.
The moment the startled horse raised its front legs, Montiel pretended to fall away from the horse and screamed on purpose.
It was to get Arkan's attention, but Arkan was completely focused on Erdene, who was sliding backward on the saddle.
"Erdene!"
Arkan quickly ran over, grabbed Erdene's body, and pulled her.
In that brief moment, Erdene realized that she had to let go of the reins and push Arkan so that he wouldn't get hurt.
"Ugh..!"
Erdene pushed hard as if she was burying herself in Arkan's arms.
While the horseman came running and Anne and Pelarhar supported the King and Queen, no one paid attention to Montiel, who had fallen.
“What is this!”
Pelarhar shouted, and only then did everyone’s eyes focus on Montiel.
At that moment, Montiel Zelma, whose hair and dress were in disarray, pointed at Erdene.
“Your Majesty, how could you do this!”
Erdene, who had gotten up, did not directly refute Montiel’s words, but simply glared at her.
There was no longer any mockery on her face. It was just a blank expression.
Arkan said,
“Montiel Zelma, what are you talking about? The Queen was almost seriously injured, and what did you do when you came along to serve her! Who are you raising your voice in front of?”
“Your Majesty! No, it wasn’t my fault! I, I saw it clearly when I was next to her. Her Majesty deliberately pulled the reins! She was trying to kick me to death with her horse’s hooves!”
Montiel’s violent outburst continued without a moment to catch her breath as she screamed and cried.
“Her Majesty is good at handling horses! The horseman said earlier that horses tend to go wild if they are even slightly startled, so you have to be careful. Her Majesty must have known that better than anyone else! That’s why she deliberately made her horse go wild while knowing that I was right next to her! If I’m wrong, tell me!”
Everyone there looked at Erdene.
Erdene, who had not taken her eyes off Montiel, who was going wild like a crazy person, slightly lowered her head.
Her tightly tied hair flowed down and then swayed like waves.
Then she started giggling.
“I was just wondering, but you have prepared a variety of ways to urge orders.”
There was no trace of laughter in Erdene’s voice, despite the giggles she had been making just a moment ago.
When she took a stride, Montiel instinctively squirmed on the ground and backed away.
She didn’t even realize that she had dropped the trinket she was holding.
The moment Erdene picked up the trinket from the low grass, Montiel’s face turned pale.
“That’s my hairpin...”
Montiel immediately covered her mouth with her hand, but she couldn’t take back the words she had already said.
Erdene thrust the trinket in front of her bloodless eyes.
As she bent down, a bluish shadow appeared over her pale face, and a pair of ghostly blue eyes floated between them.
The moment she looked into those eyes, Montiel almost bit her tongue because of the fear that overwhelmed her whole body.
“You don’t have to confess your crimes voluntarily. I already knew it was yours. Even if it wasn’t yours, if I say this pin is yours, then it’s yours.”
A sob-like groan escaped Montiel’s trembling lips.
At that moment, the attendant who had barely calmed down his wild horse spoke.
“Your Majesty, there’s a wound on Your Majesty’s horse!”
“What’s wrong?”
Erdene glanced at Arkan, who was walking briskly toward his horse, then turned her gaze back to Montiel.
Their foreheads were close enough to touch, so she could feel Montiel Zelma’s hot breath.
Erdene smiled and said,
“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you right away. I’m also slowly learning about Vetor’s ‘etiquette’. In the Empire, they would have just cut off your head, but here, they deal with it in a really annoying way. But that’s also fun in its own way.”
“Wh, ah... What, what...”
“If life gets too hard for you to bear, come back to me. I will take your stupid head off in the blink of an eye after seeing the effort you put into taking care of me today.”
“What’s wrong?”
Erdene glanced at Arkan, who was walking briskly toward his horse, then turned her gaze back to Montiel.
Their foreheads were close enough to touch, so she could feel Montiel Zelma’s hot breath.
Erdene smiled and said,
“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you right away. I’m also slowly learning about Vetor’s ‘etiquette’. In the Empire, they would have just cut off your head, but here, they deal with it in a really annoying way. But that’s also fun in its own way.”
“Wh, ah... What, what...”
“If life gets too hard for you to bear, come back to me. I will take your stupid head off in the blink of an eye after seeing the effort you put into taking care of me today.”
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