There is a limit to beauty. There is a limit to how much he can look upon something as lovely. He was a loving lover and a merciful husband. If she had complied, he could have been a more caring and affectionate husband than he was now. The same goes for his role as a father. So all of this was because Else was challenging him with her temper. Because Else rejected him. Because she did not acknowledge him. Because her eyes were sad, as if love had left them... He was going to do anything before those eyes completely emptied.
He recalled that summer, the summer that had finally driven him away. He was afraid that he would never be able to return after that. That slow fear slowly swallowed him up, as big as a house. What was it that had twisted her? What had dried her up? Sybil could not understand her at all.
In fact, it was the night she cut him off. Since that night, Sybil had been giving her endless opportunities. When Else repeatedly pushed him away and said she would leave the palace. While telling Liena to prepare for the national wedding with Grancel, she persuaded Else and advised her to change her attitude. Then, he thought she would stop working at any time. Until very recently, he had maintained the kindness of a husband. And yet...
'A woman who doesn't know how to reflect.'
He wanted to chew on Else, who was looking at Abelard with a stiff face. She was lovely, but angry. Sybil got up from his seat and walked towards Else. Else pretended not to notice him, even though she saw the shadow approaching. He wanted to grab her by the hair and throw her down right away.
‘In the end, you made me like this...’
"Your Majesty."
“I have something to say to you alone.”
At his word, the maids retreated. Else turned her head to look at the twins moving away. Without saying a word, she turned around and headed toward the balcony where her feet could not reach. Else was grabbed by his wrist and dragged by him.
“Your expression is so funny.”
The roughly stretched-out wrist was tingling. Else did not open her lips. Sibyl twisted his face. His distorted eyes were twitching with anger.
“Let’s see if I can spread that woman’s legs in front of you and still be fine.”
Her pale face, as if she had just experienced something, was pale. It was different from him, who was desperate to distort her.
“Else.”
He grabbed her shoulder. Else's red-painted lips finally opened.
“I am a mother.”
"So?"
“I can’t break down.”
"However?"
Else didn't respond any further. The hand holding her shoulder was tightening its grip. A tear fell from one of Else's eyes.
In fact, the world had collapsed. It was as if the ground beneath her feet had become empty, falling endlessly. She had been dressed up in a flashy way as if she had given everything away, and then she had been called to the center of the banquet hall, and everything had been taken away. It was an emotion that could not be called an insult. Unlike the usual heated up heat, her blood simply ran cold.
The words he had said during the day flooded her mind. The face he had shown her, the attitude he had shown her. The violent behavior in bed and their passionate entanglement... Else couldn’t tell what was a dream and what was reality.
So she just looked at the baby. She met the baby's eyes and gazed at the smiling lips. Else didn't want to break down. She didn't want to run away in tears. She could be shameless if she had to be. She felt like she could do anything for her babies.
It was okay without Sybil. Even if Sybil married another woman, or had children with her... Even if the things she had cherished... were eventually destroyed, Else seemed to be able to accept it. If the sins she had committed in the past were so heavy that they had come back to her in this way, then she should have accepted it.
So, she wanted to overcome it without collapsing. Else still had something to protect... Even though she couldn’t protect something as grand as her family, she at least wanted to protect her young children...
“Mother. Mother... So, have you forgotten who gave you your seed?”
The twisted face was fierce. Else did not avert her gaze. She did not even shake her shoulder. That face, which resembled Abelard, was terrifyingly cruel. It was always cruel and ferocious.
“You gave up on being my woman just because you're a mother?”
She couldn't understand what he was saying. Else wiped the tears from her eyes and stubbornly bit her lips. Seeing her unresponsive appearance, Sibyl became even more frustrated.
“You don’t care? My marriage means nothing to you?”
“...I just need babies. I decided to be a mother. Those kids are enough for me. I don’t ask for much. I’ve always been like that. I’m serious. All I ask for is...”
She calmed her trembling breathing. She chewed it over and over again as if making a promise. 'I'm enough if I just have the babies.' And she tried to erase Henrietta from her mind. However, the overflowing afterimages were squeezing her heart. In fact, the babies alone were not enough. But she didn't want to be greedy.
This was the result of being greedy for him since she was young. Her hunched shoulders trembled. In fact, she didn't want to be hurt by Sibyl anymore. She didn't want to be swayed and shaken by him like this, and she wanted to stop everything because she didn't want to love him. She was already a rag. She didn't have the strength left to make love to a man who was always going against her.
“...Is that so?”
“Don’t take anything away from me anymore. I really...”
“No, Else.”
His eyes lit up. Else finally furrowed her eyebrows. Sybil looked at the sobbing woman.
“I will take everything from you.”
He gently reached out the hand that had been holding her shoulder. Then he slowly wiped the tears flowing down her cheek with the back of his hand.
“Until I am the only one left for you. Until you want only me.”
"...please."
“I will return your love.”
Those days when you dug into my arms, begging for love. You were so lovely.
Four days later, Henrietta entered the palace. The Counts of Grancel once again began to squander their family fortune to marry their daughter into the royal family. Even if they squandered half of their family fortune, the royal gifts and bride price would be enormous, so they thought this was nothing and ordered new furniture and new dresses.
Henrietta stroked the furniture, which was all pure white, like swan feathers, except for the parts decorated with pure gold. The King gave Henrietta the Queen's bedroom when she entered the palace. It was very showy. He gave her the Queen's bedroom opposite the King's bedroom. The canopy bed, which was out of style, was also splendidly decorated, and the maids were also given the authority to choose it as they pleased.
Henrietta entered the bedroom, greeted politely by the courteous maids. She heard a cry from afar. The King's bedroom was opposite, and in that bedroom was the woman, the Duchess of Montana, so it must have been the King and her baby. A thin cry, like the meow of a small cat, began to come closer. Henrietta looked at the door with an anxious face. The door opened without warning. Henrietta looked at the King with a start.
“Take it.”
Before she could even stammer a polite gesture, he held out the child. The child, wrapped in a swaddling cloth and waving its arms and legs, was clearly his and the concubine’s child. Henrietta was surprised and held the child in her arms, but her tense face did not relax. The King’s face was so fierce that it felt crude.
“This baby...”
She couldn't tell how many years it had been since she'd held a baby. Aside from her cousin's birth a few years ago, when she visited the mansion, she'd only seen such a small child up close a few times. And it was the King's child. Henrietta had never expected to see the Princess, whom she'd only seen from a distance, up close like this. Gretchen had said that if she became Queen, she would have to raise the babies herself as the mother of the Prince and Princess.
'I can't help but feel maternal love for that vulgar woman's children, but I can't let her raise His Majesty's own children.'
The discipline of the royal family should be done by a royal woman of noble character. The younger the royal family, the more so the Prince. Henrietta stared at the baby.
“She is my daughter.”
She looked up and saw the King. It was something she knew without even saying it. However, when the King said that he was the father of this young baby, she felt strange. Such a handsome and manly man was the father of this bloody lump.
She lowered her gaze and looked closely at the baby. The baby was crying and wailing as if it were shocked by being separated from her mother. Anyone could tell that it had been forcibly removed. Henrietta patted the swaddle several times in panic, but the crying showed no sign of stopping.
He recalled that summer, the summer that had finally driven him away. He was afraid that he would never be able to return after that. That slow fear slowly swallowed him up, as big as a house. What was it that had twisted her? What had dried her up? Sybil could not understand her at all.
In fact, it was the night she cut him off. Since that night, Sybil had been giving her endless opportunities. When Else repeatedly pushed him away and said she would leave the palace. While telling Liena to prepare for the national wedding with Grancel, she persuaded Else and advised her to change her attitude. Then, he thought she would stop working at any time. Until very recently, he had maintained the kindness of a husband. And yet...
'A woman who doesn't know how to reflect.'
He wanted to chew on Else, who was looking at Abelard with a stiff face. She was lovely, but angry. Sybil got up from his seat and walked towards Else. Else pretended not to notice him, even though she saw the shadow approaching. He wanted to grab her by the hair and throw her down right away.
‘In the end, you made me like this...’
"Your Majesty."
“I have something to say to you alone.”
At his word, the maids retreated. Else turned her head to look at the twins moving away. Without saying a word, she turned around and headed toward the balcony where her feet could not reach. Else was grabbed by his wrist and dragged by him.
“Your expression is so funny.”
The roughly stretched-out wrist was tingling. Else did not open her lips. Sibyl twisted his face. His distorted eyes were twitching with anger.
“Let’s see if I can spread that woman’s legs in front of you and still be fine.”
Her pale face, as if she had just experienced something, was pale. It was different from him, who was desperate to distort her.
“Else.”
He grabbed her shoulder. Else's red-painted lips finally opened.
“I am a mother.”
"So?"
“I can’t break down.”
"However?"
Else didn't respond any further. The hand holding her shoulder was tightening its grip. A tear fell from one of Else's eyes.
***
In fact, the world had collapsed. It was as if the ground beneath her feet had become empty, falling endlessly. She had been dressed up in a flashy way as if she had given everything away, and then she had been called to the center of the banquet hall, and everything had been taken away. It was an emotion that could not be called an insult. Unlike the usual heated up heat, her blood simply ran cold.
The words he had said during the day flooded her mind. The face he had shown her, the attitude he had shown her. The violent behavior in bed and their passionate entanglement... Else couldn’t tell what was a dream and what was reality.
So she just looked at the baby. She met the baby's eyes and gazed at the smiling lips. Else didn't want to break down. She didn't want to run away in tears. She could be shameless if she had to be. She felt like she could do anything for her babies.
It was okay without Sybil. Even if Sybil married another woman, or had children with her... Even if the things she had cherished... were eventually destroyed, Else seemed to be able to accept it. If the sins she had committed in the past were so heavy that they had come back to her in this way, then she should have accepted it.
So, she wanted to overcome it without collapsing. Else still had something to protect... Even though she couldn’t protect something as grand as her family, she at least wanted to protect her young children...
“Mother. Mother... So, have you forgotten who gave you your seed?”
The twisted face was fierce. Else did not avert her gaze. She did not even shake her shoulder. That face, which resembled Abelard, was terrifyingly cruel. It was always cruel and ferocious.
“You gave up on being my woman just because you're a mother?”
She couldn't understand what he was saying. Else wiped the tears from her eyes and stubbornly bit her lips. Seeing her unresponsive appearance, Sibyl became even more frustrated.
“You don’t care? My marriage means nothing to you?”
“...I just need babies. I decided to be a mother. Those kids are enough for me. I don’t ask for much. I’ve always been like that. I’m serious. All I ask for is...”
She calmed her trembling breathing. She chewed it over and over again as if making a promise. 'I'm enough if I just have the babies.' And she tried to erase Henrietta from her mind. However, the overflowing afterimages were squeezing her heart. In fact, the babies alone were not enough. But she didn't want to be greedy.
This was the result of being greedy for him since she was young. Her hunched shoulders trembled. In fact, she didn't want to be hurt by Sibyl anymore. She didn't want to be swayed and shaken by him like this, and she wanted to stop everything because she didn't want to love him. She was already a rag. She didn't have the strength left to make love to a man who was always going against her.
“...Is that so?”
“Don’t take anything away from me anymore. I really...”
“No, Else.”
His eyes lit up. Else finally furrowed her eyebrows. Sybil looked at the sobbing woman.
“I will take everything from you.”
He gently reached out the hand that had been holding her shoulder. Then he slowly wiped the tears flowing down her cheek with the back of his hand.
“Until I am the only one left for you. Until you want only me.”
"...please."
“I will return your love.”
Those days when you dug into my arms, begging for love. You were so lovely.
***
Four days later, Henrietta entered the palace. The Counts of Grancel once again began to squander their family fortune to marry their daughter into the royal family. Even if they squandered half of their family fortune, the royal gifts and bride price would be enormous, so they thought this was nothing and ordered new furniture and new dresses.
Henrietta stroked the furniture, which was all pure white, like swan feathers, except for the parts decorated with pure gold. The King gave Henrietta the Queen's bedroom when she entered the palace. It was very showy. He gave her the Queen's bedroom opposite the King's bedroom. The canopy bed, which was out of style, was also splendidly decorated, and the maids were also given the authority to choose it as they pleased.
Henrietta entered the bedroom, greeted politely by the courteous maids. She heard a cry from afar. The King's bedroom was opposite, and in that bedroom was the woman, the Duchess of Montana, so it must have been the King and her baby. A thin cry, like the meow of a small cat, began to come closer. Henrietta looked at the door with an anxious face. The door opened without warning. Henrietta looked at the King with a start.
“Take it.”
Before she could even stammer a polite gesture, he held out the child. The child, wrapped in a swaddling cloth and waving its arms and legs, was clearly his and the concubine’s child. Henrietta was surprised and held the child in her arms, but her tense face did not relax. The King’s face was so fierce that it felt crude.
“This baby...”
She couldn't tell how many years it had been since she'd held a baby. Aside from her cousin's birth a few years ago, when she visited the mansion, she'd only seen such a small child up close a few times. And it was the King's child. Henrietta had never expected to see the Princess, whom she'd only seen from a distance, up close like this. Gretchen had said that if she became Queen, she would have to raise the babies herself as the mother of the Prince and Princess.
'I can't help but feel maternal love for that vulgar woman's children, but I can't let her raise His Majesty's own children.'
The discipline of the royal family should be done by a royal woman of noble character. The younger the royal family, the more so the Prince. Henrietta stared at the baby.
“She is my daughter.”
She looked up and saw the King. It was something she knew without even saying it. However, when the King said that he was the father of this young baby, she felt strange. Such a handsome and manly man was the father of this bloody lump.
She lowered her gaze and looked closely at the baby. The baby was crying and wailing as if it were shocked by being separated from her mother. Anyone could tell that it had been forcibly removed. Henrietta patted the swaddle several times in panic, but the crying showed no sign of stopping.
She raised her head. The King had a calm face. Even Henrietta, who was seeing him for the first time, was disturbed by the baby’s wailing, but the King, who proudly called her his daughter, seemed dry as if he had not heard anything. That was why it did not seem like the face of a father.
“I will leave it in the Queen’s bedroom until I come to get it again.”
“If you do that..”
“Count Icalant’s wife will be here soon.”
The King turned around. Henrietta was licking her lips with an embarrassed expression.
“Come here!”
A small woman with disheveled hair jumped out of the King's bedroom opposite. She was wearing a negligee that revealed half an inch of her breast, as if she had stopped breastfeeding. The woman who ran out untidy slapped the King on the cheek and screamed.
It was a dirty curse that he had never heard before. However, the Duchess trembled as she cursed nonchalantly. It was surprising that the woman who dared to hit the King on the right cheek rushed to grab his collar.
“I will leave it in the Queen’s bedroom until I come to get it again.”
“If you do that..”
“Count Icalant’s wife will be here soon.”
The King turned around. Henrietta was licking her lips with an embarrassed expression.
“Come here!”
A small woman with disheveled hair jumped out of the King's bedroom opposite. She was wearing a negligee that revealed half an inch of her breast, as if she had stopped breastfeeding. The woman who ran out untidy slapped the King on the cheek and screamed.
“You son of a bitch!”
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