Your Majesty? What do you mean?
Julia felt her cheeks flush slightly, but she smiled and pretended not to notice, lifting her golden goblet.
But Chiara hesitated and did not pour any wine into her glass. She was a stubborn Princess.
Julia, who noticed her astutely, explained gently.
"It is true. His Majesty cannot drink such strong alcohol."
Chiara looked back and forth between Endymion and her. However, Endymion seemed uninterested in anything else and stared intently at Julia with his blue eyes.
Chiara tried to refuse her again with a voice that still had some regrets.
"But the king of a country would never..."
"It's true."
Endymion's leisurely voice Interrupted the conversation. At the opportune moment, the eyes of the two women and Duke Soare, who was watching the situation from a step behind, were immediately drawn to each other.
"Because I'm not good with alcohol, sometimes when I'm in a difficult situation, my Queen would drink for me."
"Ah! I'm sorry. Your Majesty! I almost caused a great offense."
Her olive eyes trembled slightly as she hurriedly apologized. Endymion raised the corners of his mouth as if he found it amusing. Then, he rested his chin on the armrest of his throne and spoke arrogantly.
"I wish I had listened to my Queen's words a long time ago."
"Yes?"
"It was a secret between the couple, so I don't feel very good about it being revealed like this."
It would have been better to have offered wine to the Queen instead of the King. It was a reprimand that you were being stubborn for no reason and ended up admitting your own weakness.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty!"
Endymion was speaking with a smile on his face, but his unique coldness sent a chill down his spine. The King's aura, which even the most senior ministers found difficult, was not something a mere Princess could endure.
"I am just so happy to see you again after 12 years..."
Finally, as a faint moisture appeared in Chiara's voice, the Duke of Soare took a step forward with a troubled expression. Julia noticed him and smiled gently.
"I know your warm heart, Princess. Well, would you like a drink?"
The icy atmosphere was relieved by the Queen's elegant voice.
Duke Soare took a step back in relief, and Endymion's cold eyes warmed up as if they had never been there before. Chiara quickly lowered her head in response, then opened the cork and carefully poured the wine.
"Your Majesty, this is a 1989 wine made from gold grapes belonging to the royal family of Tirve."
Meanwhile, Duke Soare added a brief explanation. Julia nodded and tasted the golden wine. It was clean but had a bitter aftertaste that made her tongue burn, but it was still delicious.
"It smells good. Thank you for the congratulatory message."
When Julia, who had emptied her glass, smiled pleasantly and congratulated them, the expressions of Duke Soare and Princess Chiara brightened. Endymion's expression was not bad either.
As she concluded by giving ceremonial congratulations and a congratulatory order, the woman bowed respectfully and withdrew...
After that, the nobles continued to greet each other. After all the young ladies who had been invited as candidates for concubines were greeted, a magnificent banquet was prepared. The atmosphere was extremely exciting ahead of the royal hunting competition that had been held for a long time.
Julia and Endymion raised their glasses to open the banquet.
***
Phew!
The sound of a loud trumpet echoed across the sky. The splendid banquet was over, and after a brief rest, it was the signal for the real hunting competition.
Royal knights took up positions at the edge of the hunting grounds to provide protection, and several large tents were set up at the entrance to the hunting grounds.
Usually, elderly noblemen and noblewomen enjoyed outdoor tea parties in tents.
Young masters or young women could participate in hunting competitions voluntarily, but if they happened to make eye contact, they would sneak out and enjoy a secret walk.
There were quite a few couples who met in the refreshing nature, which was different from the stuffy scenery of the city, and there was even a joke that there were more people interested in this than in the original purpose of the hunting competition.
"Mion, you were a bit harsh earlier. Didn't you see that Princess Soare almost cried?"
"I'm originally a tyrant."
Endymion replied languidly, like a lion on a full stomach. Julia, who was carefully untying his cravat, lightly rebuked him.
"Again, again, that kind of talk."
If the King was too cold and blunt, it would not be easy for the nobles to like him. That was why the King and Milady tried to change his temperament from a young age, but It was difficult to change his temperament.
However, Endymion did not listen to his parents' advice, but only to Julia's, so from some point on, such criticism became her responsibility.
"But you shouldn't pressure people like that, yes?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Don't joke around."
"...It seems my Queen likes others more than me."
Endymion said in a loud voice, undoing the cravat and unbuttoning the collar to make it easier to move around. Julia's eyes widened at this, and she shook her head with a small laugh.
"No. Actually, I'm glad you took my side."
Only then did Endymion lower his eyes with a cat-like face that had been praised.
'Honestly, you look cute when you do this.'
He's big, but he still looks like a child. Julia held back a laugh at Endymion's languid, satisfied expression and moved her hand again.
To be honest, she was secretly relieved that Endymion wasn't as close to the Princess as she thought.
In fact, it wasn't really a big secret that Endymion was weak to alcohol, and since she was the one who said it first, she knew it must be quite unfair for the Princess. But she felt like she won just now...
"Win? What?!"
Julia's fingers stopped unbuttoning his shirt, startled by the sudden thought. Endymion looked down at her with a puzzled look.
Julia, who barely came to her senses with a thud, quickly unbuttoned his shirt and put her hands down.
"Take care on your way."
Julla straightened Endymion's collar and saw him off. Endymion glanced down at her and asked.
"Aren't we going together?"
"Oh, I'm fine. I have work to do. I have to check if there's a suitable young lady to be your concubine."
Done! Julia smiled with satisfaction as she finished arranging Endymion's outfit to her liking.
The young ladies were invited without being told about the concubine selection, so they were all probably comfortable by now.
"And I'm going to take this opportunity to become closer to the ladies. As you know, I'm close with the ladies, but I'm a bit awkward with the young ladies."
The middle-aged noblewoman liked the calm Julia. Julia did not act like a Queen and had a good personality. Therefore, the noblewomen regarded Julia as their daughter or daughter-in-law. However, the young ladies of her age seemed to find Julia difficult.
Despite attending countless tea parties, social parties, and balls for twelve years. Julia unfortunately never made a single friend her own age. This was the only flaw in the otherwise perfect Queen.
"What do you think? Is there anyone who looks okay?"
"I don't know."
Julia asked lightly, and Endymion answered vaguely and turned around. The young ladies were scattered here and there within a short distance, but he didn't even glance in that direction. In fact, he hadn't paid any attention to the young ladies since morning until now.
No, why are you doing that when you invited them?
Julia, embarrassed by the blunt answer, looked around. Then, by chance, she found Duke Soare and Chiara preparing nearby.
Julia quickly turned her head. And for some reason, relieved that Endymion wasn't looking in her direction, she spoke lightly.
"Show some sincerity. There might be someone you'll see often in the future."
At that moment, Endymion, who was tying his sword sheath next to the saddle, blurted out.
"I don't think I'll need it anyway."
"Yes?"
Julia was about to ask what that meant when Endymion was on his horse in the blink of an eye...
Then the knights who had been waiting for the King blew their trumpets all at once, and the nobles who had finished preparing formed a line to enter the hunting grounds.
"What the heck, really?"
Julia had been missing the right time to speak to him for some reason. She glanced at Endymion and stroked the horse's neck...
Hmm. I'll let it slide for now. I'll have to ask properly when he gets back later.
Endymion looked down at Julia with a boyish expression, smiled, and whispered in a quiet voice.
"You know the plains west of the hunting grounds?"
"Plan Plains? Yeah, I know."
"Come there in two hours. I have something to tell you."
In two hours, the hunting competition will be in full swing. It would take at least three hours to get to know the nobles and hunt together. And why is this place famous for its walking trails?
Julia, who was becoming really confused, finally grabbed the reins with a look of impatient curiosity on her face.
"Why? What are you talking about? You're acting a little weird today."
A soft yet moist touch. Julia's body froze at the small but stimulating sound.
Endymion took Julia's hand, kissed her fingers noisily, and then gently pushed her away.
And before she could even react, he raised one arm, signaled the start of the hunt, rode his horse, and joined the ranks of the nobles.
"Oh my god!"
Several ladies who happened to be nearby and happened to witness the scene let out a small exclamation. Some of them even said that it was the first time they had seen a husband kiss his wife's hand, even though it wasn't a ball.
Julia stood there blankly, watching Endymion disappear with the nobles behind him.
"I'll wait."
The soft voice she heard just before they kissed. When she remembered it, her fingers felt hot and ticklish, so Julia closed her eyes tightly.
She felt like her body was acting a little strange.
***
3. Honey in the Trap
"Her original surname was Frederica. But when her engagement was broken off, the Princess seemed to have been very heartbroken. She went to the palace and begged the late King for days to take back his order..."
"Flora!"
"Oh my... ahem."
The Countess Daria nudged the Countess Flora with her elbow, asking why she was even talking like that. The talkative Countess Flora belatedly noticed and trailed off.
Julia pretended not to hear and smiled as she drank her flower tea.
Flora then stopped talking and continued chatting.
"Alas, the King did not change his mind, saying that it was already over. After that, the Duke took the Princess to the Kingdom of Tirve. The surname Soare was changed to Tirve. The family origin is there."
Hmm.
Julia blinked, her lips moistened with the fragrant tea. It was something she already knew, but it was interesting not to find out such detailed information.
"But then you suddenly came back two weeks ago. You used to frequently visit Tirve, and you even said that your ten-year stay abroad was just a vacation. I heard that the sudden change of heart was none other than the Princess...."
"Hohoho, perhaps it was homesickness. My cousin who lives in Tirve said that the Princess had been very ill recently!"
Daria quickly interrupted. Flora also noticed it too late and joined in.
Perhaps the two middle-aged Marchionesses thought Julia would not know anything and were deliberately hiding it from her.
'The Duke wanted to marry the Princess and settle down in Tirve, but she refused.'
Julia shook off her scorn and smiled innocently.
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