Merton couldn't find words to express his anger at Roelica and kept his lips covered by his beard tightly shut.
It wasn't because he didn't understand her hatred or pain.
Rather, he could understand it, so he couldn't dare to comfort her with any words.
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It wasn't because he didn't understand her hatred or pain.
Rather, he could understand it, so he couldn't dare to comfort her with any words.
Roelica had bloodshot eyes and looked as if she was about to burst into tears.
However, in the end, she slowly took a deep breath without showing a single tear, and Merton stared blankly at Roelica's skinny fingers clutching the sheet.
There was a ring he had never seen before on those fingers that seemed to struggle to even break a single tree branch.
It was a diamond ring bigger than her finger.
It was so big and fancy that he worried that her bones would snap because of the weight of the gem.
Roelica, who noticed where Merton's gaze was, raised her hand with a nervous laugh.
The diamond, touched by sunlight, spit out its brilliant light in all directions like a vulgar scream.
“Do you know what this ring is, Sir Merton?”
“...I don’t know, Your Majesty.”
“It’s a ring made by taking the largest diamond from the necklace that His Majesty cherished. If you knew how quickly this ring was made, you’d be amazed.”
“Your Majesty...”
Roelica bit her lip and laughed fiercely.
“Yes. It’s the bribe His Majesty bestowed upon me.”
“Your Majesty!”
Merton’s face turned pale. He knelt on one knee and bowed his head at the words that made him doubt his ears.
Roelica smiled bitterly at Merton and looked down at the ring on her finger.
It fit Roelica’s finger perfectly. Tenek would not allow her to take it off.
“In all of Hirschsten, no, in all of this continent, there is no other prostitute who receives such a large sum of money. Should I be proud?”
“Your Majesty, this is too much to bear. Your Majesty, the noble... of Hirschsten.”
“That is a facade, Sir Merton. Being an Empress is nothing more than a facade that I am wearing. If you look at that shallowness, I am no different from a prostitute. I give myself to a man who endlessly desires me, desires my body, desires my laughter and coquetry, and then I get a ring that is too heavy to lift, and a splendid villa.”
Merton’s eyes almost fell to the ground.
On the other hand, he was relieved that Roelica would never rely on Tenek.
It was too cruel to think that way in front of this poor woman, but he couldn’t help it.
Roelica, who seemed unable to control her boiling anger, bit her lips and calmed herself down with a long sigh. And then she said,
“...Glucker brought Princess Erdene’s letter. It’s on the table, so read it. I can reply, or you can.”
Merton swallowed dryly and slowly stood up. Then, unable to look at Roelica directly, he turned around and read the letter on the table.
The news Erdene had delivered was concise.
However, Merton could feel the war clouds faintly hovering between each word.
Erdene was on edge toward the empire, or more precisely, Tenek’s actions.
The news that some of the inland countries were trying to make direct contact with the empire and fight against Vetor was also presented in carefully chosen sentences.
Merton immediately realized why she had delivered this news.
Whenever war broke out with the Empire, Merton himself, Thelma, Ayman, or the knights who were still loyal to Erdene would have to stand against her.
Erdene must have been racking her brains to avoid such a situation as much as possible, or if not, to reduce the scale.
While Merton was reading the letter, Roelica spoke again.
“Emissaries will arrive from Vetor soon. Since it is his first visit, the King of Vetor may come, and if he does, Princess Erdene will come with him. You should meet her then. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Empress. I understand.”
Merton frowned as he was about to fold the letter.
He saw something like a small note at the bottom, hidden by the envelope.
Carefully unfolding it, Merton was surprised to see the hair inside and looked at Roelica.
“Empress, what is this?”
For a moment, intense sadness covered Roelica’s expression.
Merton thought that this time she might finally break down and burst into tears, but Roelica quickly collected her expression and said calmly.
“Princess Erdene sent it for me. It was a kind thing, but it meant nothing to me anymore. Savina will burn it along with the letter.”
Merton’s brow furrowed faintly. However, Roelica seemed unwilling to say anything more about it.
“Do you have anything to say in return, Captain Merton?”
Merton first relayed the news Captain Aiman had given him. Roelica nodded cautiously when she heard that they were planning to question the court doctor who was close to the late Emperor, although they had not found the one directly involved in his death.
“No matter what he says, we must keep him alive. Make sure to tell Thelma and Captain Aiman clearly.”
“We must keep him alive?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Princess Erdene is the one who needs to hear the truth from him. We must keep him alive at all costs.”
“But Your Majesty, if we don’t deal with him after questioning him, he will probably....”
Roelica cut off Merton.
“I’ll send Savina with a letter of resignation today to bring him to the Empress’s Palace. He will be my personal doctor, and he will stay in the Empress’s Palace’s separate room for the time being to examine me. He will also follow me to the separate palace when I move. Don’t worry about the record of the letter of resignation. Let him live, but hide him in a place where no one can see him.”
In other words, even if the doctor in question was summoned to the Empress’ Palace after the birthday party and suddenly disappeared, no one would suspect anything.
His family and fellow doctors would all think that he had been given the honorable task of looking after Empress Roelica and the grandson’s health...
“You are wise, Empress.”
A faint smile appeared on Roelica’s lips at Merton’s words.
It was the first time Merton had seen her smile as close to a real smile as possible.
However, in the end, she slowly took a deep breath without showing a single tear, and Merton stared blankly at Roelica's skinny fingers clutching the sheet.
There was a ring he had never seen before on those fingers that seemed to struggle to even break a single tree branch.
It was a diamond ring bigger than her finger.
It was so big and fancy that he worried that her bones would snap because of the weight of the gem.
Roelica, who noticed where Merton's gaze was, raised her hand with a nervous laugh.
The diamond, touched by sunlight, spit out its brilliant light in all directions like a vulgar scream.
“Do you know what this ring is, Sir Merton?”
“...I don’t know, Your Majesty.”
“It’s a ring made by taking the largest diamond from the necklace that His Majesty cherished. If you knew how quickly this ring was made, you’d be amazed.”
“Your Majesty...”
Roelica bit her lip and laughed fiercely.
“Yes. It’s the bribe His Majesty bestowed upon me.”
“Your Majesty!”
Merton’s face turned pale. He knelt on one knee and bowed his head at the words that made him doubt his ears.
Roelica smiled bitterly at Merton and looked down at the ring on her finger.
It fit Roelica’s finger perfectly. Tenek would not allow her to take it off.
“In all of Hirschsten, no, in all of this continent, there is no other prostitute who receives such a large sum of money. Should I be proud?”
“Your Majesty, this is too much to bear. Your Majesty, the noble... of Hirschsten.”
“That is a facade, Sir Merton. Being an Empress is nothing more than a facade that I am wearing. If you look at that shallowness, I am no different from a prostitute. I give myself to a man who endlessly desires me, desires my body, desires my laughter and coquetry, and then I get a ring that is too heavy to lift, and a splendid villa.”
Merton’s eyes almost fell to the ground.
On the other hand, he was relieved that Roelica would never rely on Tenek.
It was too cruel to think that way in front of this poor woman, but he couldn’t help it.
Roelica, who seemed unable to control her boiling anger, bit her lips and calmed herself down with a long sigh. And then she said,
“...Glucker brought Princess Erdene’s letter. It’s on the table, so read it. I can reply, or you can.”
Merton swallowed dryly and slowly stood up. Then, unable to look at Roelica directly, he turned around and read the letter on the table.
The news Erdene had delivered was concise.
However, Merton could feel the war clouds faintly hovering between each word.
Erdene was on edge toward the empire, or more precisely, Tenek’s actions.
The news that some of the inland countries were trying to make direct contact with the empire and fight against Vetor was also presented in carefully chosen sentences.
Merton immediately realized why she had delivered this news.
Whenever war broke out with the Empire, Merton himself, Thelma, Ayman, or the knights who were still loyal to Erdene would have to stand against her.
Erdene must have been racking her brains to avoid such a situation as much as possible, or if not, to reduce the scale.
While Merton was reading the letter, Roelica spoke again.
“Emissaries will arrive from Vetor soon. Since it is his first visit, the King of Vetor may come, and if he does, Princess Erdene will come with him. You should meet her then. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Empress. I understand.”
Merton frowned as he was about to fold the letter.
He saw something like a small note at the bottom, hidden by the envelope.
Carefully unfolding it, Merton was surprised to see the hair inside and looked at Roelica.
“Empress, what is this?”
For a moment, intense sadness covered Roelica’s expression.
Merton thought that this time she might finally break down and burst into tears, but Roelica quickly collected her expression and said calmly.
“Princess Erdene sent it for me. It was a kind thing, but it meant nothing to me anymore. Savina will burn it along with the letter.”
Merton’s brow furrowed faintly. However, Roelica seemed unwilling to say anything more about it.
“Do you have anything to say in return, Captain Merton?”
Merton first relayed the news Captain Aiman had given him. Roelica nodded cautiously when she heard that they were planning to question the court doctor who was close to the late Emperor, although they had not found the one directly involved in his death.
“No matter what he says, we must keep him alive. Make sure to tell Thelma and Captain Aiman clearly.”
“We must keep him alive?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Princess Erdene is the one who needs to hear the truth from him. We must keep him alive at all costs.”
“But Your Majesty, if we don’t deal with him after questioning him, he will probably....”
Roelica cut off Merton.
“I’ll send Savina with a letter of resignation today to bring him to the Empress’s Palace. He will be my personal doctor, and he will stay in the Empress’s Palace’s separate room for the time being to examine me. He will also follow me to the separate palace when I move. Don’t worry about the record of the letter of resignation. Let him live, but hide him in a place where no one can see him.”
In other words, even if the doctor in question was summoned to the Empress’ Palace after the birthday party and suddenly disappeared, no one would suspect anything.
His family and fellow doctors would all think that he had been given the honorable task of looking after Empress Roelica and the grandson’s health...
“You are wise, Empress.”
A faint smile appeared on Roelica’s lips at Merton’s words.
It was the first time Merton had seen her smile as close to a real smile as possible.
“I shouldn’t miss this opportunity to make His Majesty lose her mind over me. Don’t you think so? Leave the disappearance of the palace doctor to me, and let me extract as much truth from him as I can. For Erdene’s sake.”
“Leave it to me.”
“Leave it to me.”
At Roelica’s gesture, Merton turned and left her bedroom. Savina, who had been waiting outside, nodded and saw him off.
Left alone in the bedroom, Roelica looked at the letter and the small folded piece of paper on the table.
She could tell without even opening the letter whose hair it was.
A terrible, enormous sense of relief, sadness, and anger surged through her.
Eorshin.
When she closed her eyes, she could see his face, and when she listened, she could hear his voice. When she clenched her hands, she could feel his body heat. Still, still...
But she didn’t want him anymore.
She couldn’t. She had other plans.
“You should straighten your shoulders a little more, Your Majesty.”
Arkan, who had furrowed his brow at Erdene’s nagging, straightened his posture. To be exact...He tried to correct it.
Erdene, who had been looking at Arkan’s posture, which was no different from before as if she was dumbfounded, tapped his waist with the back of her hand and said.
“I told you to straighten your shoulders more. That way, you can pull the bowstring properly.”
I can’t do this anymore. Arkan thought. He released the bowstring that he had been pulling tightly and turned around to face her.
“How can I straighten my shoulders more, anyway? My shoulders aren’t some kind of frill! How can you straighten and fold human bones?”
“Oh, I can straighten and fold them as much as I want. Shall I show you?”
Erdene tilted her head and clenched and unclenched her fist repeatedly.
“I’ll straighten them myself.”
“No, that’s fine. I’ll straighten them... Aah!”
It seemed like there was a crunching sound.
Arkan thought Erdene had broken either his spine or his sternum... That—obviously—wasn’t the case.
However, the place where she was pulling and pressing hurt unbelievably.
“It hurts, it hurts!”
“Your Majesty, how bad is your posture? My goodness, straighten your back! I didn’t know it was like this when you were standing?”
Erdene no longer cared about the bow. She had always thought Arkan had a straight posture, but when she touched him, it wasn’t like that.
“Oh, it hurts! It really hurts!”
“Hold on for a bit. When you are old and don’t have the energy to scream in pain before you become so bent from your neck to your waist that you scream at the slightest wind.”
“What kind of swearing are you talking about?”
“Don’t bend your back!”
Erdene lifted her knees and supported the back of his waist as if she were pressing it. She then used her fingertips to push his back as if he was going to die, then she pushed down his tense shoulders, then stretched them to the side, and then turned them so that they were looking straight ahead.
Arkan grumbled.
“You’re treating me like some kind of puppet.”
Left alone in the bedroom, Roelica looked at the letter and the small folded piece of paper on the table.
She could tell without even opening the letter whose hair it was.
A terrible, enormous sense of relief, sadness, and anger surged through her.
Eorshin.
When she closed her eyes, she could see his face, and when she listened, she could hear his voice. When she clenched her hands, she could feel his body heat. Still, still...
But she didn’t want him anymore.
She couldn’t. She had other plans.
***
“You should straighten your shoulders a little more, Your Majesty.”
Arkan, who had furrowed his brow at Erdene’s nagging, straightened his posture. To be exact...He tried to correct it.
Erdene, who had been looking at Arkan’s posture, which was no different from before as if she was dumbfounded, tapped his waist with the back of her hand and said.
“I told you to straighten your shoulders more. That way, you can pull the bowstring properly.”
I can’t do this anymore. Arkan thought. He released the bowstring that he had been pulling tightly and turned around to face her.
“How can I straighten my shoulders more, anyway? My shoulders aren’t some kind of frill! How can you straighten and fold human bones?”
“Oh, I can straighten and fold them as much as I want. Shall I show you?”
Erdene tilted her head and clenched and unclenched her fist repeatedly.
“I’ll straighten them myself.”
“No, that’s fine. I’ll straighten them... Aah!”
It seemed like there was a crunching sound.
Arkan thought Erdene had broken either his spine or his sternum... That—obviously—wasn’t the case.
However, the place where she was pulling and pressing hurt unbelievably.
“It hurts, it hurts!”
“Your Majesty, how bad is your posture? My goodness, straighten your back! I didn’t know it was like this when you were standing?”
Erdene no longer cared about the bow. She had always thought Arkan had a straight posture, but when she touched him, it wasn’t like that.
“Oh, it hurts! It really hurts!”
“Hold on for a bit. When you are old and don’t have the energy to scream in pain before you become so bent from your neck to your waist that you scream at the slightest wind.”
“What kind of swearing are you talking about?”
“Don’t bend your back!”
Erdene lifted her knees and supported the back of his waist as if she were pressing it. She then used her fingertips to push his back as if he was going to die, then she pushed down his tense shoulders, then stretched them to the side, and then turned them so that they were looking straight ahead.
Arkan grumbled.
“You’re treating me like some kind of puppet.”
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