When Erdene finished reading the letter, Arkan opened the bedroom door and came in.
His face was flushed red from how much he had suffered in that short time.
He looked at the paper in Erdene’s hand and turned his head toward the chair where Glucker was sitting.
Glucker met his eyes and let out a short cry with his yellow eyes sparkling.
“The letter has arrived.”
Erdene nodded, folding the paper with a complicated expression.
Arkan came up to her and sat down.
“What’s wrong? Is something bad happening?”
“No, it’s not like that. On the contrary, things are going well.”
“When I look at your expression, I don’t think things are going well at all.”
Erdene, who was staring blankly at the end of the letter holding Roelica in her hand, rested her forehead on Arkan’s shoulder.
Arkan was suddenly startled by the weight that had been placed on him. It was because Erdene rarely leaned forward on her own.
“What’s wrong?”
Arkan asked quietly, stretching out his arms and embracing Erdene. Erdene remained motionless for a while before frowning and letting out a long sigh.
Her expression when she raised her head seemed less complicated than before, but she didn’t look particularly happy either.
“I feel bad for Roelica. You might get angry if I say that.”
“You mean the Empress of Hirschsten? What happened?”
“No, I was worried something would happen, but fortunately it didn’t. It’s fortunate for us... I don’t know about Roelica herself.”
It was a confusing question, but Arkan didn’t ask anymore. In fact, there were more important matters to him than the Empress Roelica, whose face he had never even seen.
When Erdene tried to stand up to place the letter on the table, Arkan hugged her and sat her back down.
“Viscountess Wickes and Marchioness Fiddler gave me a really bad scolding.”
Erdene chuckled.
“Did they?”
Arkan muttered bluntly.
“They did. How could they just leave me in a place like that? This is a dereliction of duty.”
Erdene let out a short laugh as if she was wondering what kind of nonsense that was.
Dereliction of duty? Does the Queen of this country have a duty to risk her life to save the King when he is in danger?
Arkan’s brow furrowed again when Erdene asked that. He didn’t know for sure, but he seemed to dislike the question.
He slowly moved his arm to the other side of Erdene’s waist and pushed her back with his weight.
Although it wasn’t a strong force, Arkan’s shadow covered Erdene, who was lying down without resistance, like a veil.
“It’s not a matter between the Queen and the King.”
“Really?”
“You mean? I’m talking about the loyalty between a couple.”
“Oh, I see.”
Her answer was indifferent, but there was a smile on Erdene’s lips.
Her palm caressed Arkan’s cheek.
Arkan, who had been looking down at Erdene while pretending to be angry, turned his head and placed his lips on her palm.
Erdene said,
“Don’t be so pouty like a child. I will repay the debt you owe me today.”
“I will repay you?”
“Yes. When the day comes when you are surrounded by enemies, I will save you. You can run away and leave me.”
Arkan frowned for a moment as if he didn’t like her words, then leaned down and lightly bit the side of his lip.
“I won’t run away without you.”
“Your Highness, do you really intend to help with this?”
Damon remained silent and lost in thought as the carriage left the castle of King Vetor and ran for over an hour.
His aide Dilius, who couldn’t stand to watch, spoke as if he was frustrated, but Damon still didn’t respond.
“Your Highness, this is a serious matter. If even a single stone is disturbed...”
“Dilius.”
Damon spoke quietly, his gaze either out the window or somewhere beyond the blurred scenery.
Dilius sighed in relief at the mere fact that he had responded. However, that feeling didn’t last long.
“Go ahead, Your Highness.”
“You said this was a very serious matter. Isn’t it? The face in the portrait they gave me was definitely Count Trivi. Even after seeing it with my own eyes, I still can’t believe it... You can’t imagine how serious this is.”
Dilius nodded with a heavy expression.
“That’s why I’m telling you that there’s no need for Your Highness to interfere in this matter. Your Highness, the Queen dowager will handle the overthrow of the current King anyway. Your Highness...”
“Yes. But if I rely on my grandmother’s help and do nothing, she’ll be greatly disappointed, right?”
Dilius was speechless, only moving her eyes and sighing. Queen Dowager Helen was a strict and bold person.
She had the generosity to take care of her grandson who lost his mother and was looked down on even by his father, but she was also a cold-hearted person who would dismiss the affection she had raised as meaningless if the grandson she raised grew up to be a useless person. She had been hoping for Damon to push aside his father, Grax, and take the throne for several years, and she sometimes showed an attitude of not understanding why Damon was hesitating, since she could support him with all the necessary elements.
Damon said.
“If I had made up my mind, my grandmother would have deposed my father and put me in his place. However... That would be even less justifiable. Especially to those who do not know the internal affairs of Kensilom. The stiff atmosphere in the inland is not the problem. The fact that a son brought down his father, who is still alive, could be a problem in itself. Meanwhile, King Arkan of Vetor currently holds the real power among the inland countries. If I cannot bring that to Kensilom, at least I should have a solid foundation so that I can sit on the throne with dignity. Do you understand what I am saying?”
“Then, Your Highness, have you been ignoring the Queen Mother’s proposal for the sake of justification?”
“That could be seen as true. I indeed cringe when I see my father. Memories of childhood are hard to forget. However, that alone... is not the reason I have avoided him until now.”
Dilius thought about it again, trying to gauge Damon’s intentions.
If it was revealed that Count Trivi had been making illicit profits by using smugglers, he would naturally be overthrown.
However, Damon did not wish for Count Trivi’s overthrow.
It was clear that he wanted to link his crime to his father.
That was understandable. However, Dilius was worried about something else.
“Will the Queen of Vetor be able to finish her job well?”
Dilius only remembered Princess Erdene from the days of Hirschsten, and in fact, he knew little about her as Queen of Vetor.
Whether it was King Arkan’s good sense or a change in person after marriage, the fact that the castle of Vetor was peaceful was surprising in itself.
Dilius continued.
“There is no one who does not know the rumors of the Princess’s days. A woman with a rock in her head runs around the battlefield like an animal. And this kind of thing..."
Damon shook his head and laughed.
“Dilius, come to your senses. If you say something like that in the castle of Vetor, I won’t be able to save your neck either. Are you so narrow-minded that you believe such a shallow rumor? If she was as clueless as the rumors say, do you think it would have been possible for her to win every single one of those wars? The previous Emperor of Hirschsten was not a fool. He was a great man who would rather have a capable adopted son than an incompetent successor.”
“Then Your Highness trusts the Queen of Vetor?”
“What if I don’t? Even if I can’t, I have to pretend to. We’re the ones who have the weakness.”
The carriage, which had been running for a while, finally stopped.
Dilius looked out the window with a somewhat anxious expression. It was in the middle of a deep forest. It wouldn’t have been strange if a huge bear had jumped out at any moment.
“It seems we’ve arrived.”
Damon crossed his arms and licked his dry lips.
Erdene and Belen’s carriage stopped far ahead of theirs.
Bewls, Rusmov, and Ingrid, who had arrived at Maple Manor a day earlier disguised as smugglers, came running out, pretending to panic.
“Oh, my goodness. You really came. This, this is really something I don’t know what to say. This is an honor, an honor.”
Rusmov bowed and grinned like an idiot.
Belen looked back and forth between the three of them with an expression that seemed completely unfamiliar to him, even though he had known that he had a keen eye for private affairs. Erdene stood erect, her face almost completely hidden by her veil. Belen rebuked her in a stern voice.
“Your Highness is safe. Do you think she has enough free time to listen to the petty flattery of those bastards?”
At that moment, a rustling sound was heard from the forest, and someone came out, laughing and striding forward.
“Oh, of course, you’re busy. We know that. We know that.”
His face was flushed red from how much he had suffered in that short time.
He looked at the paper in Erdene’s hand and turned his head toward the chair where Glucker was sitting.
Glucker met his eyes and let out a short cry with his yellow eyes sparkling.
“The letter has arrived.”
Erdene nodded, folding the paper with a complicated expression.
Arkan came up to her and sat down.
“What’s wrong? Is something bad happening?”
“No, it’s not like that. On the contrary, things are going well.”
“When I look at your expression, I don’t think things are going well at all.”
Erdene, who was staring blankly at the end of the letter holding Roelica in her hand, rested her forehead on Arkan’s shoulder.
Arkan was suddenly startled by the weight that had been placed on him. It was because Erdene rarely leaned forward on her own.
“What’s wrong?”
Arkan asked quietly, stretching out his arms and embracing Erdene. Erdene remained motionless for a while before frowning and letting out a long sigh.
Her expression when she raised her head seemed less complicated than before, but she didn’t look particularly happy either.
“I feel bad for Roelica. You might get angry if I say that.”
“You mean the Empress of Hirschsten? What happened?”
“No, I was worried something would happen, but fortunately it didn’t. It’s fortunate for us... I don’t know about Roelica herself.”
It was a confusing question, but Arkan didn’t ask anymore. In fact, there were more important matters to him than the Empress Roelica, whose face he had never even seen.
When Erdene tried to stand up to place the letter on the table, Arkan hugged her and sat her back down.
“Viscountess Wickes and Marchioness Fiddler gave me a really bad scolding.”
Erdene chuckled.
“Did they?”
Arkan muttered bluntly.
“They did. How could they just leave me in a place like that? This is a dereliction of duty.”
Erdene let out a short laugh as if she was wondering what kind of nonsense that was.
Dereliction of duty? Does the Queen of this country have a duty to risk her life to save the King when he is in danger?
Arkan’s brow furrowed again when Erdene asked that. He didn’t know for sure, but he seemed to dislike the question.
He slowly moved his arm to the other side of Erdene’s waist and pushed her back with his weight.
Although it wasn’t a strong force, Arkan’s shadow covered Erdene, who was lying down without resistance, like a veil.
“It’s not a matter between the Queen and the King.”
“Really?”
“You mean? I’m talking about the loyalty between a couple.”
“Oh, I see.”
Her answer was indifferent, but there was a smile on Erdene’s lips.
Her palm caressed Arkan’s cheek.
Arkan, who had been looking down at Erdene while pretending to be angry, turned his head and placed his lips on her palm.
Erdene said,
“Don’t be so pouty like a child. I will repay the debt you owe me today.”
“I will repay you?”
“Yes. When the day comes when you are surrounded by enemies, I will save you. You can run away and leave me.”
Arkan frowned for a moment as if he didn’t like her words, then leaned down and lightly bit the side of his lip.
“I won’t run away without you.”
***
“Your Highness, do you really intend to help with this?”
Damon remained silent and lost in thought as the carriage left the castle of King Vetor and ran for over an hour.
His aide Dilius, who couldn’t stand to watch, spoke as if he was frustrated, but Damon still didn’t respond.
“Your Highness, this is a serious matter. If even a single stone is disturbed...”
“Dilius.”
Damon spoke quietly, his gaze either out the window or somewhere beyond the blurred scenery.
Dilius sighed in relief at the mere fact that he had responded. However, that feeling didn’t last long.
“Go ahead, Your Highness.”
“You said this was a very serious matter. Isn’t it? The face in the portrait they gave me was definitely Count Trivi. Even after seeing it with my own eyes, I still can’t believe it... You can’t imagine how serious this is.”
Dilius nodded with a heavy expression.
“That’s why I’m telling you that there’s no need for Your Highness to interfere in this matter. Your Highness, the Queen dowager will handle the overthrow of the current King anyway. Your Highness...”
“Yes. But if I rely on my grandmother’s help and do nothing, she’ll be greatly disappointed, right?”
Dilius was speechless, only moving her eyes and sighing. Queen Dowager Helen was a strict and bold person.
She had the generosity to take care of her grandson who lost his mother and was looked down on even by his father, but she was also a cold-hearted person who would dismiss the affection she had raised as meaningless if the grandson she raised grew up to be a useless person. She had been hoping for Damon to push aside his father, Grax, and take the throne for several years, and she sometimes showed an attitude of not understanding why Damon was hesitating, since she could support him with all the necessary elements.
Damon said.
“If I had made up my mind, my grandmother would have deposed my father and put me in his place. However... That would be even less justifiable. Especially to those who do not know the internal affairs of Kensilom. The stiff atmosphere in the inland is not the problem. The fact that a son brought down his father, who is still alive, could be a problem in itself. Meanwhile, King Arkan of Vetor currently holds the real power among the inland countries. If I cannot bring that to Kensilom, at least I should have a solid foundation so that I can sit on the throne with dignity. Do you understand what I am saying?”
“Then, Your Highness, have you been ignoring the Queen Mother’s proposal for the sake of justification?”
“That could be seen as true. I indeed cringe when I see my father. Memories of childhood are hard to forget. However, that alone... is not the reason I have avoided him until now.”
Dilius thought about it again, trying to gauge Damon’s intentions.
If it was revealed that Count Trivi had been making illicit profits by using smugglers, he would naturally be overthrown.
However, Damon did not wish for Count Trivi’s overthrow.
It was clear that he wanted to link his crime to his father.
That was understandable. However, Dilius was worried about something else.
“Will the Queen of Vetor be able to finish her job well?”
Dilius only remembered Princess Erdene from the days of Hirschsten, and in fact, he knew little about her as Queen of Vetor.
Whether it was King Arkan’s good sense or a change in person after marriage, the fact that the castle of Vetor was peaceful was surprising in itself.
Dilius continued.
“There is no one who does not know the rumors of the Princess’s days. A woman with a rock in her head runs around the battlefield like an animal. And this kind of thing..."
Damon shook his head and laughed.
“Dilius, come to your senses. If you say something like that in the castle of Vetor, I won’t be able to save your neck either. Are you so narrow-minded that you believe such a shallow rumor? If she was as clueless as the rumors say, do you think it would have been possible for her to win every single one of those wars? The previous Emperor of Hirschsten was not a fool. He was a great man who would rather have a capable adopted son than an incompetent successor.”
“Then Your Highness trusts the Queen of Vetor?”
“What if I don’t? Even if I can’t, I have to pretend to. We’re the ones who have the weakness.”
The carriage, which had been running for a while, finally stopped.
Dilius looked out the window with a somewhat anxious expression. It was in the middle of a deep forest. It wouldn’t have been strange if a huge bear had jumped out at any moment.
“It seems we’ve arrived.”
Damon crossed his arms and licked his dry lips.
Erdene and Belen’s carriage stopped far ahead of theirs.
Bewls, Rusmov, and Ingrid, who had arrived at Maple Manor a day earlier disguised as smugglers, came running out, pretending to panic.
“Oh, my goodness. You really came. This, this is really something I don’t know what to say. This is an honor, an honor.”
Rusmov bowed and grinned like an idiot.
Belen looked back and forth between the three of them with an expression that seemed completely unfamiliar to him, even though he had known that he had a keen eye for private affairs. Erdene stood erect, her face almost completely hidden by her veil. Belen rebuked her in a stern voice.
“Your Highness is safe. Do you think she has enough free time to listen to the petty flattery of those bastards?”
At that moment, a rustling sound was heard from the forest, and someone came out, laughing and striding forward.
“Oh, of course, you’re busy. We know that. We know that.”
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