Beyond the debt, the mouth couldn't help but be noisy. The King brought a woman, and a woman with a belly as swollen as a gourd, to the palace. Whose seed was that blood clot in her belly? I couldn't help but wonder. In addition, the woman with a belly so young that it wouldn't be strange if she gave birth right away was a woman so beautiful and mysterious that there was none in the world. Hair dyed the color of flowers. Eyes that locked in greenery... It seemed as if her stuffed beauty would never rust.
So the beauty of that woman will be passed down unfading in the poet's verses and in the legends that children tell. Because there are not many people who can reject such beauty. And there are not many people who can denigrate such beauty.
No man could speak ill of her in front of him. She was a woman who was beyond beautiful, but also divine. No matter how many dirty rumors she had lived with in her hometown, her beauty was enough to steal people’s souls. It was a miracle that such a woman was born in that remote corner of the country. At any moment, her beauty was overwhelmingly more powerful than that of anyone in the palace.
A brief moment when she appeared on the balcony. An early summer morning when she went out for a walk with the King's young children. The moment when she appeared was literally just a moment, but countless people remembered her. A beauty that could not be forgotten.
So, even though the woman only came out of the bedroom twice, funny stories abounded in the palace. When she took a step, flower petals would fall on the hem of her dress. Someone said that when she blinked, birds would come down and chirp. The funny story that roses that bloomed just by stretching out her fingertips would be embarrassed and break their petals was spreading throughout the palace.
The King made her the Duchess of Montana, one of his many titles. It was not a formal declaration of marriage, but the brightest minds in the royal capital guessed why he had not broken off Henrietta's engagement.
The King had already been engaged for the 11th time. Originally, royal engagements were as easy and simple as breaking them off. The previous King, Pitroy, had broken off seven engagements before marrying Bonaparte. Therefore, there was no way the current King would marry Henrietta. However, he did not break off any engagements after his restoration.
'His Majesty will have the twins' biological mother in mind.'
'But aren't you the daughter of a fallen family? Above all, once already...'
'You nullified it. You completely destroyed the twins' maternal family with your own hands.'
'Then what about Lady Grancel? His Majesty didn't mention breaking off the engagement...'
'That's only natural. If you break off your engagement with Lady Grancel, Princess Gretchen won't stay still. She'll bring up the idea of a national wedding as soon as you break off the engagement. Her Highness won't be the one to leave you alone.'
It was a plausible story. Princess Gretchen actually supported Henrietta. If the engagement was broken off, Gretchen would want the King, not her fiancé, to choose a wife to fill the position of Queen. In any case, if the King wanted to make the twins' biological mother his Queen, he needed at least some time. He needed to build a power base within the court that would serve as a foundation for the Duchess of Montana and the twins. However, it was not known whether the Duchess would want him.
The concubine did not know the King's intentions. Even if she did, she might not agree. Either way, it was definitely a headache. Jules walked forward, looking at the woman waiting for her.
“Where did Her Highness go?”
“She's going inside complaining of a headache.”
“Well... Lady Grancel is a bit of a troublesome woman.”
“Her Highness the Duchess will not be able to handle it. To be exact, I mean Lady Grancel’s friends.”
“I see. It was pretty cool earlier.”
Jeanne smiled, pulling her lips together. Jules walked down the hall without expression. Louisa. The thought of dealing with that woman and Henrietta was already giving him a headache. Jeanne was having fun, the smile never leaving her face.
“I didn’t know you would volunteer to be Her Highness’ maid. Lady Grancel suits you quite well, my lady.”
“Is there anyone in the palace that I don’t get along with?”
Jeanne said, looking at Jules. Jules nodded. Indeed, Jeanne got along well with all the ladies of the court. She was always friendly and kind to everyone. Today was the first time that such a woman had stood up. Henrietta and Liena must have been quite surprised.
“What are you going to do?”
“What?”
“The position of maid to Her Highness the Duchess. She has many enemies. I have been close to her since I was young. Besides, if our family is like that... I will be the only one she can rely on in the palace. That is why I accepted the offer. However, the Marchioness...”
Jules, with a gloomy expression and unable to continue speaking, licked her lips. Jeanne, who was looking at her, stopped walking.
“Do you think, Countess, that Her Highness the Duchess is on the defensive?”
"Uh..."
“Do you think she has no one on her side in the palace?”
“Isn’t that obvious? I am the only person in this palace that Her Highness the Duchess knows.”
“Then, madam, you are mistaken.”
Jeanne laughed. She turned around and disappeared into the distance, leaving Jules behind. Jules stared blankly behind her.
At six o'clock, Sibyl returned from his office. Else watched the maid's careful hand touch Sibyl's. Their eyes met, and he motioned to Else. His eyes told her to come and help him take off his outer garment. Else put down the baby she was holding and approached him.
As Else approached, the maid stepped back. Else took over what she had been doing and carefully removed his outer garment. Sybil leaned down to lightly kiss her lips. Else did not avoid those lips but received them, fearing the repercussions that resistance would cause.
"How have you been doing?"
Sybil asked. He nodded.
“I heard you went for a walk in the garden. It must have been hot.”
“I'll be back soon.”
“Let’s go boating next time. I’ll make time before summer deepens.”
Else didn't answer. The fiancee of Sybil that she had seen during the day would not leave her eyes. Even after she told Jules, "I'm Charlotte," she couldn't believe it. So this was the reality. Else didn't know why she was in the palace. She didn't understand what she was doing with Sybil.
“Else.”
“Why am I here?”
Sybil's eyes narrowed. The hand that had been reaching out to straighten her dress shirt also stopped moving.
“Why me...”
“Because I want to.”
"I am."
“You wanted it too. So you thought about having and raising my children.”
“That’s not it...”
“Be honest. You were the one who wanted me to be my only friend. You wanted to have children with me and raise them together.”
Else said nothing. She couldn't say no. But this isn't the way. Sibyl swallowed a sigh and muttered dryly.
“I’m tired of wasting my emotions like this with you, Elsie.”
"I..."
Else stopped talking. Fatigue was evident on Sibyl’s face. He was looking down at Else with a cold face. His dry eyes seemed to be gathering tears. She was tiring him out. Everything Else said... Everything she expressed as being distressing was tiring and exhausting to him. But the back of her head still hurt. Where her hair had been grabbed. It felt as if the skin on her head was going to peel off.
The same was true of the arms and calves he had grabbed to suppress her resistance. So Else sometimes felt suffocated just by seeing his shadow. Today was the same. When the servant opened the door and his silhouette appeared, her hair stood on end.
Even when he reached out and stroked her cheek, she held her breath in fear. She trembled, fearing that if Sybil made a big move, she would get hit again. In Lugdun, Sybil often treated her roughly. Grabbing her neck. Grabbing her wrist and pulling hard. For that reason, there were many times when Sybil raised his hand and she reflexively flinched.
Still, he wasn't afraid. Basically, Else was above him. He had faith that if she wanted, her servants would subdue Sibyl. But the palace... As he said, everything had changed now.
Now Else is his concubine. So she is looked down upon and treated coldly, just as Sybil was at Lugdun. Now she must get into bed when he wants her to. And when she doesn't want to, she must spread her legs for him.
'I wonder if it's my fault that's coming back to haunt me.'
Maybe that's it. Forcing herself on him. Doing whatever she wanted... Everything she did would come back to haunt her. So it's a punishment. A punishment for tormenting him.
“Else.”
So the beauty of that woman will be passed down unfading in the poet's verses and in the legends that children tell. Because there are not many people who can reject such beauty. And there are not many people who can denigrate such beauty.
No man could speak ill of her in front of him. She was a woman who was beyond beautiful, but also divine. No matter how many dirty rumors she had lived with in her hometown, her beauty was enough to steal people’s souls. It was a miracle that such a woman was born in that remote corner of the country. At any moment, her beauty was overwhelmingly more powerful than that of anyone in the palace.
A brief moment when she appeared on the balcony. An early summer morning when she went out for a walk with the King's young children. The moment when she appeared was literally just a moment, but countless people remembered her. A beauty that could not be forgotten.
So, even though the woman only came out of the bedroom twice, funny stories abounded in the palace. When she took a step, flower petals would fall on the hem of her dress. Someone said that when she blinked, birds would come down and chirp. The funny story that roses that bloomed just by stretching out her fingertips would be embarrassed and break their petals was spreading throughout the palace.
The King made her the Duchess of Montana, one of his many titles. It was not a formal declaration of marriage, but the brightest minds in the royal capital guessed why he had not broken off Henrietta's engagement.
The King had already been engaged for the 11th time. Originally, royal engagements were as easy and simple as breaking them off. The previous King, Pitroy, had broken off seven engagements before marrying Bonaparte. Therefore, there was no way the current King would marry Henrietta. However, he did not break off any engagements after his restoration.
'His Majesty will have the twins' biological mother in mind.'
'But aren't you the daughter of a fallen family? Above all, once already...'
'You nullified it. You completely destroyed the twins' maternal family with your own hands.'
'Then what about Lady Grancel? His Majesty didn't mention breaking off the engagement...'
'That's only natural. If you break off your engagement with Lady Grancel, Princess Gretchen won't stay still. She'll bring up the idea of a national wedding as soon as you break off the engagement. Her Highness won't be the one to leave you alone.'
It was a plausible story. Princess Gretchen actually supported Henrietta. If the engagement was broken off, Gretchen would want the King, not her fiancé, to choose a wife to fill the position of Queen. In any case, if the King wanted to make the twins' biological mother his Queen, he needed at least some time. He needed to build a power base within the court that would serve as a foundation for the Duchess of Montana and the twins. However, it was not known whether the Duchess would want him.
The concubine did not know the King's intentions. Even if she did, she might not agree. Either way, it was definitely a headache. Jules walked forward, looking at the woman waiting for her.
“Where did Her Highness go?”
“She's going inside complaining of a headache.”
“Well... Lady Grancel is a bit of a troublesome woman.”
“Her Highness the Duchess will not be able to handle it. To be exact, I mean Lady Grancel’s friends.”
“I see. It was pretty cool earlier.”
Jeanne smiled, pulling her lips together. Jules walked down the hall without expression. Louisa. The thought of dealing with that woman and Henrietta was already giving him a headache. Jeanne was having fun, the smile never leaving her face.
“I didn’t know you would volunteer to be Her Highness’ maid. Lady Grancel suits you quite well, my lady.”
“Is there anyone in the palace that I don’t get along with?”
Jeanne said, looking at Jules. Jules nodded. Indeed, Jeanne got along well with all the ladies of the court. She was always friendly and kind to everyone. Today was the first time that such a woman had stood up. Henrietta and Liena must have been quite surprised.
“What are you going to do?”
“What?”
“The position of maid to Her Highness the Duchess. She has many enemies. I have been close to her since I was young. Besides, if our family is like that... I will be the only one she can rely on in the palace. That is why I accepted the offer. However, the Marchioness...”
Jules, with a gloomy expression and unable to continue speaking, licked her lips. Jeanne, who was looking at her, stopped walking.
“Do you think, Countess, that Her Highness the Duchess is on the defensive?”
"Uh..."
“Do you think she has no one on her side in the palace?”
“Isn’t that obvious? I am the only person in this palace that Her Highness the Duchess knows.”
“Then, madam, you are mistaken.”
Jeanne laughed. She turned around and disappeared into the distance, leaving Jules behind. Jules stared blankly behind her.
***
At six o'clock, Sibyl returned from his office. Else watched the maid's careful hand touch Sibyl's. Their eyes met, and he motioned to Else. His eyes told her to come and help him take off his outer garment. Else put down the baby she was holding and approached him.
As Else approached, the maid stepped back. Else took over what she had been doing and carefully removed his outer garment. Sybil leaned down to lightly kiss her lips. Else did not avoid those lips but received them, fearing the repercussions that resistance would cause.
"How have you been doing?"
Sybil asked. He nodded.
“I heard you went for a walk in the garden. It must have been hot.”
“I'll be back soon.”
“Let’s go boating next time. I’ll make time before summer deepens.”
Else didn't answer. The fiancee of Sybil that she had seen during the day would not leave her eyes. Even after she told Jules, "I'm Charlotte," she couldn't believe it. So this was the reality. Else didn't know why she was in the palace. She didn't understand what she was doing with Sybil.
“Else.”
“Why am I here?”
Sybil's eyes narrowed. The hand that had been reaching out to straighten her dress shirt also stopped moving.
“Why me...”
“Because I want to.”
"I am."
“You wanted it too. So you thought about having and raising my children.”
“That’s not it...”
“Be honest. You were the one who wanted me to be my only friend. You wanted to have children with me and raise them together.”
Else said nothing. She couldn't say no. But this isn't the way. Sibyl swallowed a sigh and muttered dryly.
“I’m tired of wasting my emotions like this with you, Elsie.”
"I..."
Else stopped talking. Fatigue was evident on Sibyl’s face. He was looking down at Else with a cold face. His dry eyes seemed to be gathering tears. She was tiring him out. Everything Else said... Everything she expressed as being distressing was tiring and exhausting to him. But the back of her head still hurt. Where her hair had been grabbed. It felt as if the skin on her head was going to peel off.
The same was true of the arms and calves he had grabbed to suppress her resistance. So Else sometimes felt suffocated just by seeing his shadow. Today was the same. When the servant opened the door and his silhouette appeared, her hair stood on end.
Even when he reached out and stroked her cheek, she held her breath in fear. She trembled, fearing that if Sybil made a big move, she would get hit again. In Lugdun, Sybil often treated her roughly. Grabbing her neck. Grabbing her wrist and pulling hard. For that reason, there were many times when Sybil raised his hand and she reflexively flinched.
Still, he wasn't afraid. Basically, Else was above him. He had faith that if she wanted, her servants would subdue Sibyl. But the palace... As he said, everything had changed now.
Now Else is his concubine. So she is looked down upon and treated coldly, just as Sybil was at Lugdun. Now she must get into bed when he wants her to. And when she doesn't want to, she must spread her legs for him.
'I wonder if it's my fault that's coming back to haunt me.'
Maybe that's it. Forcing herself on him. Doing whatever she wanted... Everything she did would come back to haunt her. So it's a punishment. A punishment for tormenting him.
“Else.”
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