Side Story 03. A Couple Has the Same Dream in Different Circumstances
The capital of the kingdom, Swanton, could be divided into a new city centered around the Rose Castle and an old city around the old palace that had been transformed into a royal university. The new King reorganized the city because he judged that there were too many dangerous facilities in the old city. He began to clean up the pimps who were gambling and prostitution under the inn sign, but there was a limit to arresting all of those who were operating secretly.
In the dead of night, an old carriage stopped in front of an old red-roofed tavern that had closed down. A man got out, looked around, and hurried to the building. The door was closed, and there was no light inside, but the man knocked on the door familiarly. Three times, once, and twice. After the secret knock, heavy footsteps were heard from inside, and the door opened.
“What, why are you so late?”
“I’m sorry, the carriage never came.”
The fat man who came out clicked his tongue and handed over a bundle of freshly printed newspapers. When the coachman who had driven the carriage got off his horse and trudged over, the fat man frowned. He couldn’t understand why someone who was supposed to be waiting was approaching. Furthermore, his physique was completely different from the coachman they had contracted.
“Oh my, stupid...!”
Before he could scold his companion who had come with his tail between his legs, the door flew open, and the man who got out of the carriage was pushed in the buttocks by the coachman's shoe. The man fell into the building, holding the bundle of newspapers.
“Hey, it’s the police!”
“How did you not know?... Ugh!”
The fat man who had been running towards the coachman in confusion gasped and fell to his knees. He had only been lightly punched in the stomach, but he could not come to his senses.
“Please, save me.”
“I have no intention of killing you, so keep quiet.”
A calm tone of voice flowed through the darkness. He did not sound like a hoarse coachman, but he was not stiff like a policeman either. What was the identity of the strange leisureliness revealed in his voice? Could he be a secret policeman managed by the royal family?
Bam.
He picked up a match from the table in the hallway and lit the lamp. As the darkness cleared from the dark space, the interior of what looked like a bar came into view. In the space that was clearly used as a gambling table, there was an old table and an old machine.
“This is driving me crazy.”
The man's brow furrowed as he picked up a newspaper from his bundle.
A childless royal family! Is this okay?! The third installment of the series, the Queen's infertility?
The sensational headline, still with ink still dry, clearly offended him. He crumpled the newspaper and glared.
“Are you guys in your right mind now?”
“Please, spare my life. I have committed a sin worthy of death.”
The men, convinced that he was an undercover officer, knelt down and spoke one after another.
“Sir, I have no idea how to make a living...”
“You want to feed your family even if it means selling gossip...”
Squeak.
The unlocked door opened, and someone else appeared.
“Cromwell, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you at dawn.”
Cromwell, who was frowning while holding the newspaper with trembling hands, turned around with surprised eyes. The beautiful blond man took the crumpled newspaper out of Cromwell’s hands and placed it on the table. His hands, as if he were straightening the crumpled paper, were gentle and careful.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty...”
Cromwell's face showed a look of frustration as he tried to handle everything without Damien knowing as much as possible. Damien smiled at him.
“If you crush Chloe’s face, it will be bitter.”
Cromwell squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. He couldn't tell whether it was fortunate or unfortunate that dawn was coming soon.
***
Sunlight pierced through the thin curtains and brightly illuminated the room. Chloe blinked under the covers and cleared her throat.
“Your Majesty, I will get ready and leave the room soon, so please wait a moment.”
“It would be nice to have breakfast in bed for one day.”
“I’m not a patient, nor a child... I’m not.”
The blanket was swept away from her face as she fought to hold back her tears. His beautiful blue eyes, beneath his blond hair reflecting the sunlight, narrowed pleasantly as she looked at her.
“Are you telling me to just watch my lovely wife starve to death?”
Chloe wasn't stupid enough not to realize that Damien was joking to lighten her mood.
“You’re not so weak that you’ll die if you skip a meal.”
Again, a swell. Damien hugged Chloe as he watched her eyes turn red. Damien had a meeting scheduled for the morning. There was no time to waste here trying to comfort her. I have to get up. Chloe, steeling herself, blinked and tried to raise her voice.
“Your Majesty has not permitted me to be idle since I was a Duchess.”
“Did I do that? I should reflect on that.”
Damien dug deeper into her neck, as if to smell her flesh. Chloe turned her head to look at the silver cart full of food: dried apricots preserved in sweet syrup, fluffy breads filled with soft cream, golden-baked tarts that smelled fragrant, and cold lemon sorbet. Even the black tea for the palate was all in keeping with the Queen’s recent tastes.
“If you want to sleep more, you can. I’ll be by your side.”
Damien whispered, still holding her in his arms. Chloe took a deep breath and reconsidered her decision. She didn't want to use her frustration as a weapon to worry him. No matter what gossip bothered her today, she wouldn't waver.
“Thanks to you, I was able to sleep soundly.”
“Wouldn’t that be better?”
Damien's hand, smiling meaningfully, was about to touch her when Chloe tried to gently push him away. Damien, who was obediently pushed away by her hand, smiled while supporting his head with his hand. Chloe knew well that he was watching his wife's every action and condition closely.
“Damien.”
"Yes."
"Sorry."
As if a ribbon had untied itself, her true feelings flowed out of her mouth without going through her head. Her eyes, which had grown wide, eventually shed tears that she could not hold back.
“Chloe. My love.”
Damien wiped her wet cheek and held her in his arms again, gently stroking her back. Knowing why she was so depressed made his heart burn even more. If that newspaper had been distributed to Swanton, just thinking about how Chloe would feel if she got her hands on it made him shiver.
“You have nothing to be sorry about.”
Chloe tried to regain her senses as she heard Damien's voice lowering. After sending him out of the room, who was still trying to stay by her side, she looked in the mirror. Her eyes were swollen and a mess since yesterday. Her period, which came after three months, had already ended. She couldn't stand the smell of lemon sherbet that kept irritating her as she put on new clothes without the help of a maid. Chloe eventually drank the melting sherbet in one go and wiped her hot eyes with her hands.
Imaginary pregnancy.
He felt like an unbearable fool. She opened the drawer and saw a gossip paper she had accidentally found during a visit to the Royal College a while ago. The article was subtly attacking the legitimacy of the Tisse dynasty, citing concerns about a royal family that had been married for several years but had no children. Damien had a history of publishing illegal gossip papers, so he was not particularly keen on regulating the press.
“Besides, it will be revealed that it is clearly not true, so wouldn’t it be wiser to leave it as is?”
After three months, she was supposed to announce her pregnancy to the nation. She was filled with anticipation that she would deliver the good news and receive blessings from the royal family, but it was all just a dream. When her period began, Chloe cried for a long time. The doctor who diagnosed her pregnancy said that it couldn't be true and wanted to examine the Queen again, but Chloe, who was discouraged, refused to be examined, and Damien understood her. He didn't make a big deal out of it because he knew how long Chloe had been waiting for a child.
[Is it okay for a royal family to be childless? Part 2 of the series! What is the one thing that the perfect Tisse lacks?]
They had a photo of Damien holding up the child who had given him flowers when he welcomed the diplomatic delegation as the cover. Chloe stared at Damien’s profile for a long time, smiling as she locked eyes with the child, before putting the photo back deep in the drawer. She held her breath as she stared at the ceiling, feeling the heat rushing to her eyes.
She knew that gossip was originally only targeting people's weak points. She could partially understand the desire of those who wanted to see the secret side of those who seemed perfect. However, this was a bit painful.
Lord Brown, the doctor who had been seeing her since the Birch Castle in Tisse, emphasized that the royal couple were still young and said there was no need to be discouraged. He was even more cautious in his words and actions because he knew Chloe's past of losing a child. How happy he must have been when he diagnosed her pregnancy with eyes filled with emotion.
The day he heard the news of her pregnancy, Damien visited the church for the first time in years. Chloe secretly wiped away tears as she watched him, who had never expressed any desire for children, bow his head to the priest to bless the unborn child.
But it was all just a dream that came true from her earnest wish. The morning sickness that was difficult but welcome, and the obvious abnormal symptoms, were all fake.
She knew better than anyone that there was nothing wrong with Damien. But she was afraid that if things continued this way, he would be branded a problematic King because of her. It was even more heartbreaking when she thought about how many Kings throughout history had been unfortunate enough to not have a son to inherit the throne.
Of course, she also knew that the gender of the child was not important to Damien. She also knew that she would not allow inequality to be inflicted on her child, even if it meant changing the law. But what good would all those promises be if she had no child at all?
Chloe stared straight at her haggard reflection in the mirror. The next gossip would most likely target the Queen, not the King. No, maybe she was the main target from the beginning. You have to face it, Chloe. You can’t let the country fall into chaos because of you. She rang the bell and called her maid. This was not the time to be so broken.
***
The Queen's visit to the monastery was a planned event. The monastery where Alice, the Queen's younger sister and current Queen of a neighboring country, studied as a child had a long history and boasted an old-fashioned appearance. Chloe dressed formally and spoke at length to the monastery officials. The young female students studying there waited in line for a chance to greet the revered Queen at least once. After giving each and every one of them a word of encouragement, when they left the monastery, it was late afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set.
Chloe, who had gotten into the high-roofed royal limousine, stared out the window with a slightly relaxed face. It had already been a week since the pregnancy scandal ended. During that time, she had carried out all her official duties without fail. After today's visit to the monastery, she was scheduled to be given three days of vacation.
“Please have some juice, Your Majesty.”
Sophie, who was quick-witted, took out a bottle of juice from the basket. She had been talking more than usual to hide her complicated feelings, and her throat was feeling sore at that moment.
“Let’s drink together, Sophie.”
“I drank a lot earlier.”
Sophie, who came to study at the Swanton Royal Court from the Duchy, has recently been working as Chloe's maid. This was because Sophie's mother, Stella, desperately wanted her to do so. Although Chloe was no longer her tutor, Sophie could still learn social skills and conversation skills from the Queen's closest confidant.
“It’s really delicious.”
“I asked them to use oranges imported from the duchy.”
Sophie smiled, revealing her pretty fangs. The juice from the fresh, sweet oranges, ripened by the hot weather of the principality, clung to Chloe's mouth and whetted her appetite. Was this also a fake hunger? She felt her stomach growl again as she thought about the farce of the past few weeks.
“Are you alright... Your Majesty, the Queen?”
Sophie's eyes lit up with a hint of concern. Chloe looked at her and opened her mouth cautiously.
“Is there a new ‘royal scoop’?”
Sophie frowned and shook her head.
“No. There’s no way the police would have let such a ridiculous and low-quality article be written.”
Chloe felt a pang in her heart when she saw Sophie's expression as if she were a scholar. It seemed like she couldn't deny all of their articles.
“...It’s just gossip.”
“This time it’s different. His Majesty won’t just sit by and watch.”
Damien, who most effectively used the media warfare, left most of the gossip papers alone. No matter how much the big and small newspapers tried to find the King's weaknesses, they could not break the overwhelming approval rating of the people. That was him. When she thought that Damien was probably involved in the reason why the royal scoop was not published this time, Chloe's face darkened a little. This was because it was proof that the King was taking this matter seriously.
Rattling.
Chloe gripped her seat tightly as the car suddenly shook. Startled, Sophie frowned and raised her voice.
“What's going on?”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. There seems to be a slight problem with the car.”
The car suddenly got stuck in the mud, and the wheels kept spinning. The attendants who had been escorting the Queen in front and behind hurriedly got out of the car. The large men rushed to the car, but the car, which had gotten stuck at an odd angle, would not move, no matter how hard they tried.
“Call someone and bring the tools. I apologize, Your Majesty.”
“It’s not the secretary’s fault.”
Chloe shook her head quietly, but the secretary looked as if it was her fault for causing the quagmire on the road.
“It would be best to take the ceremonial vehicle and go to the palace first.”
As she walked to the car in front, a pleasant autumn breeze blew. Chloe suddenly stopped walking and looked at the wide grassland where the wheat harvest was over. A large old tree appeared at the end of the distant horizon, as if it were meeting the clouds.
“Your Majesty?”
“The weather is so nice, I don’t want to rush...”
Chloe continued, looking at the sky turning red with sunset. It was a half-impulsive decision.
“I don’t have any pressing plans, so I’ll just take a walk and come back until this issue is resolved.”
"Yes?"
“I don’t feel like leaving first while leaving the knights escorting me.”
To be honest, she really wanted to gather her thoughts by herself. The secretary, who had been looking a bit embarrassed by the Queen's confusing orders, kept his mouth shut for a while before finally opening up.
“Then I will serve you from behind.”
“If you care about escorts, you don’t need to do that.”
“Since all sides are open, isn’t Your Majesty the Queen’s words correct?”
The secretary and the guard hesitated as to how to reject the Queen's polite refusal, but when Sophie also chimed in, they had no choice but to follow the order.
“Yes, then I will quickly send another car to sort out the situation here.”
“Thank you for your hard work. I’ll be back soon, Sophie.”
“Hey, can I stay too?”
Sophie opened her pretty eyes wide. Chloe met her eyes and whispered quietly.
“Because I want to be alone. Do you understand, Teacher?”
Chloe finally nodded, leaving Sophie behind, holding onto the hem of her dress and slowly crossing the meadow. She walked carefully, stepping on the grass that grew as if it was brushing her calves, toward a large tree that seemed to be hundreds of years old. It was the first time that the back of her head felt prickly from the eyes watching her. When she got far enough away that she couldn’t see them properly, she felt a little relieved. Just like when she walked alone through Verdier’s forest as a child.
As her pace, which had started out slow, began to get faster, her limping also increased, but it didn't matter. Chloe just kept walking forward, looking straight ahead. She was very happy to find that the tree that she thought she could reach was much farther away than she had expected.
It was also reassuring that no one could see her flowing tears, and no one could hear her gasping breaths mixed with sobs. No matter how great the Queen’s authority was, it could not compare to her safety. The guards, who had not been able to dissuade her until the end, unlike usual, must have heard the gossip. It was one thing for them to guess the Queen’s heart in a broken mind, and another thing to break down in front of them.
***
Damien had just returned from hunting when he heard the news.
“The Queen?”
“It was about two hours ago that I received word that she had completed her scheduled schedule at the monastery.”
Damien walked down the long hall, glancing at the ornate wall clock.
“I'll be there soon.”
After taking off his dusty clothes and changing his boots, Damien picked up the wet towel on the tray and wiped his hands. He used more bullets than usual in the hunting grounds to relieve his anger. Although he caught those who published low-quality gossip called 'Royal Scoop', he was still angry because he couldn't clean up the mess.
“This problem won’t be solved by killing the authors now.”
“It doesn’t matter. Anyone who insults the Queen will be killed.”
“Will Her Majesty be pleased if this reaches Her Majesty’s ears?”
A few days ago, at dawn, when he had found a bundle of newspapers with Chloe’s face printed on them as large as a door, it was Cromwell’s urgent words that stopped Damien, who was standing by the window with his gun aimed at the bluish dawn. Damien, a few years ago, would have pulled the trigger right away.
Damien closed his eyes and looked at the picture of Chloe praying, catching his breath. Bang! Bang! A gunshot rang out. One bullet pierced the deliveryman’s black hat, and the other narrowly missed the printer and shattered the mirror behind him. Sobs and pleas escaped from the lips of the two men lying flat on the dirty floor, trembling.
“I can’t wait for the follow-up story. Next time, show me the Queen’s eyes. She’s much more beautiful with her eyes open.”
Several days had passed since that incident, but the newspapers with Chloe’s face on them had not been distributed to Swanton. His prediction that they had only intended to fill their own stomachs by selling newspapers with sensational royal gossip from the beginning was correct. They were not the ones who had the power to overturn the country. However, if the nobles who were dissatisfied with Damien’s powerful monarchy used this as an excuse to manipulate public opinion to their liking, the story would be different. For now, no one would dare to discuss the succession in front of the still-active King, but as time passed, their voices would surely grow louder.
Damien slowly gathered his thoughts as he drank the cold lemon water. He had a vague idea that Chloe wanted a child, but it was only recently that he realized that her desire was stronger than he had expected. When he remembered the day when she woke up and saw blood on the bed, a mixture of disappointment and sadness came over her face, and his hand twitched and veins stood out.
In fact, Damien didn't care what people around him said. He didn't feel particularly defeated when he saw articles mocking the perfect Tisse for not having children. If one of the abandoned children from the slums secretly received the best education and became King, it would be another revolution achieved by the Tisse monarchy. Secretly raising a child who could become his successor was also one of the methods Damien had thought of a long time ago. After he decided to become King, he had to prepare for the case where he didn't get married. Of course, this was when he didn't even consider the variable of falling in love.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty.”
“Come in.”
Damien continued to stare out the window, thinking. The biggest question now was whether or not his woman was unhappy.
“The meal will be prepared using ingredients that Your Majesty has hunted.”
“Good. I’ll get ready about an hour before Chloe arrives. I’ll take a bath with her.”
Even as Paul recited his schedule, his mind was full of thoughts about his wife. Would it be better to blame himself for the infertility? If he ordered his doctor to do it, he could easily get a diagnosis, but it was uncertain whether Chloe, who had already been pregnant once, would believe it.
“And Your Majesty, I have just received a report that Her Highness the Queen...”
Damien turned around and looked at Paul. There was no change in his expression, of course. But Paul, who could not help but see the intent in his eyes to demand an answer, quickly opened his mouth.
“I heard there was a minor problem with the car on the way back from work.”
“Is the Queen safe?”
“Yes, yes. Of course. It wasn’t an accident; it was just that the car got stuck in the mud and they needed a crowbar.”
"However?"
It was his job to report on even the smallest matters related to the Queen. Paul opened his mouth with a cautious expression, his hands clasped together.
“Her Majesty the Queen would like to take a walk alone...”
Before he could finish speaking, Damien began to sprint across the office. Paul, panicked, hurriedly followed him.
“Shall we prepare a ceremonial vehicle?”
“Right now. Go to the Esteia Monastery. I’ll tell you more about it as we go.”
The young King got into the driver's seat himself, despite the ministers' dissuasion. The moment he heard Chloe walk across the meadow toward the big tree, waving her shawl, his body moved on its own. It wasn't just his body that moved on its own. His thoughts, which had been stuck as if they were tightly stuck in a thin bottleneck, burst out, breaking the bottle. Of course, as the old butler had worried, the possibility that his wife would have the absurd idea of hanging herself from a tree was zero. However, since he could guess how Chloe felt, wanting to have some time alone, he couldn't leave her like that.
The old iron gates opened quickly on both sides. A forest road lined with beech trees swished past the car window. The wind ruffled Damien’s blond hair, revealing the wrinkles between his eyebrows. Even if he killed the being that made Chloe Verdier cringe, the fundamental problem would not be solved.
There was only one way. To use Chloe's heart that loved him in reverse. The fact that he hesitated with an inappropriate sense of guilt felt foolish because it was the result of overlooking Chloe Verdier's pride. He remembered her eyes whispering as if swearing that she would not become his weakness one summer on the banks of the Tisse River. The moment he imagined those beautiful eyes turning away from him and walking away, Damien's shoes put strength into them, and the engine roared loudly.
How long had she walked? Her body finally reached the shadow of the tree that had grown longer. Chloe leaned her back against the large tree that was too big for her to hold with both arms, and looked into the distance. Thinking of the people waiting anxiously, she had to go back without hesitation. But for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to go back. It wasn’t just because she had walked a longer distance than she had expected.
Chloe slowly turned around the tree and stood facing the other side. She could see the sun burning on the horizon. She was blankly staring at the clouds that were turning the blue sky purple when she heard an engine noise from somewhere. Was it the palace personnel who called to fix the broken car? Chloe blinked as she saw the car driving across the meadow, past the dirt hill, instead of following the road. The black car with the royal emblem sped up as if it was going to hit her, but she didn’t move because she could see the gorgeous blonde hair flying inside.
Bam.
Chloe was silent for a moment as she watched Damien get out of the driver's seat. It was a natural thing for the secretary to report the Queen's condition to the King upon arriving at the palace. However, the secretary probably didn't think that the King would drive to the Queen himself as soon as he heard that.
“Did you come here to fix the car yourself?”
"No way."
She tried to open her mouth calmly, but when she saw Damien’s smiling face, something hot surged in her chest again. Chloe bit her lips tightly and opened her eyes wide. She couldn’t burst into tears here. It felt like the day she had worked so hard to build up would come crashing down.
“The last stop for today is the monastery. How much did the monastery make you suffer for coming all the way here?”
Damien reached out his hand to her, who was standing with her back to the tree. Chloe took Damien’s hand lightly, and he knelt on one knee, folded his body, and kissed the back of her hand.
“Everyone was so friendly.”
“How much?”
Damien's eyes, with his lips covered, quietly shone. Chloe lifted her trembling lips and ended up blurting out what was on her mind as a joke.
“If I were to enter a monastery, would I be able to do so happily?”
It was a self-deprecating joke, citing the example of a country where marriages were annulled because they could not have children. Damien snickered and lightly bit the back of her hand.
“Wouldn’t it be better to burn down all the monasteries before that happens?”
Damien was also in on the joke. Chloe shook her head, trying to keep a smile on her face.
“...Arson is a serious crime.”
Damien gently kissed each of her fingers.
“Those are not the words that should come out of your mouth, my love.”
“I made a mistake, I’m going to go now. I’ve caused trouble for everyone.”
Chloe tried to hold back her tears and took a step forward. But she couldn’t move. Damien had gotten up and was standing right in front of her, so she had to face him with her back to the tree. The burning sunlight behind Damien blinded her eyes.
“Chloe.”
"... Your Majesty."
“Call me by my name. I didn’t come all the way here to play King.”
“Damien.”
Chloe realized that Damien was trying to tell her the truth now. His eyes, which held the abyss, were telling her to look straight at him instead of avoiding him.
“If all the things I have are weighing you down, I can throw them away, Chloe.”
Finally, tears fell. Chloe quickly raised her hand to wipe her face, but Damien didn’t even give her the chance. He held her hand tightly as he continued to speak.
“The old fools used to say, ‘A man who loves his wife too much is committing adultery.’”
Chloe also had the traditional idea that the most important duty of marriage was to have children. Damien caught her gaze and broke her common sense once again.
“Then I want to commit adultery with you for the rest of my life.”
A voice so clear it felt cruel pierced right into her ear.
“I never once thought of Chloe Verdier as a tool to propagate Tisse’s descendants.”
The wind blew, blowing Chloe's hair. Chloe swallowed dryly, her hair sticking to her wet face. Damien whispered, touching her cheek with his nose. His voice was low, as if he were telling a secret.
“A child can wait as long as he wants.”
“What if... He never comes?”
“That could be the case.”
Unlike the careful question, Damien's answer was short and concise. As a planned person, he was not one to deny all possibilities. Before Chloe's brown eyes filled with guilt again, Damien spoke clearly.
“That doesn’t mean my life with you was a failure.”
“...”
“No? Did I fail?”
“No way.”
Chloe's eyes widened. Something that had been tightly packed in a corner of her heart and that she had not been able to tell anyone about melted away in an instant. She finally noticed what she had been unable to see because she was too busy worrying about other things.
“...I love you, Damien.”
“I guess you can see me now.”
Damien smirked. He was a man who loved her enough to risk his life, but at the same time, he was also the kind of person who would rather despise his own pitiful appearance than die. The sight of Chloe desperately wanting a child might have been a burden to him. Damien was a man who would turn the world upside down for what she wanted. How could he feel defeated? It was natural that Chloe's confession would hurry up and continue from her lips.
“You are perfect for me.”
“I wish you would wipe away the tear stains and then lie.”
“I’m not lying, I... I...”
How can she express all her feelings? She has to explain that she wanted a child because she loved him, and that she was too foolish to imagine how he would feel around her because of that, but the words are not coming out well.
“You have plenty of time tonight, so gather your thoughts and speak clearly.”
“No, Damien. My heart...”
“Someone’s coming. Just a moment.”
Damien raised his hand as he watched the ceremonial vehicles rushing forward, worried about the royal couple who showed no signs of returning. Chloe blinked, not knowing what was going on, as she watched the car doors open and people getting out with luggage.
“The Queen would like to go camping alone with me.”
"Yes?"
A panicked voice came out of Chloe, but Damien just smiled and cupped her cheeks with his hands.
“I was so busy with work that I almost died, but thank you for giving me a breath of fresh air, my love.”
“Yes... As expected, Your Majesty, the Queen!”
In a situation where it was unclear what was great, the guards led by Damien drove in stakes and set up tents. In an instant, those who had created a place like a field camp suddenly left and disappeared.
“What is all this?”
“I guess it would be right to say that this is a desperate struggle for a wife who is fed up with her husband.”
“Who said I was tired? And it’s not that bad. The guards did all the work.”
“I hope you don’t forget that I’m the one doing the cooking.”
A fire crackled and radiated heat from the high pile of firewood. At first, Chloe didn't know what to do, but soon she came over to him naturally, ate the food cooked on the campfire, and warmed her hands.
“When did you prepare all this?”
“Today’s schedule was hunting. I heard you might be leaving home, so I prepared you to sleep out.”
If the Queen leaves the house, it will be an escape from the palace, and it will be an emergency for the kingdom. Chloe opened her mouth with a frown.
“I’m not the kind of person who would have the guts to do that.”
“Could you wipe the soot off your nose and tell me a story? I can’t concentrate because you’re so cute.”
The couple's story continued as the sun set and the night deepened. The night was filled with stars. Chloe danced a waltz with him without music. They climbed onto the roof of the car and lay down, using Damien's jacket and blanket as a blanket, looking at each other.
“Why are you so good at homeless people?”
“Have you forgotten that I was a soldier? I slept in the mountains during the winter at the end of the war.”
“How cold it must have been.”
“I tried my best not to freeze to death. I remembered the broken cane in my hand, and the bold eyes warning me to come back and repay the cane.”
“That’s because I wanted you to win the war.”
It seemed like he and she were the only ones in this vast world. Chloe finally realized what was important. It was not the eyes of the world, but each other’s eyes. No matter how the world around him and her changed or didn’t change, as long as she was with him, everything would be okay. Even if she had to go to a monastery, he was the one who would restore her to her position as Queen. If she couldn’t meet a child who resembled him in this life, she could live only loving each other.
The night the meteor shower fell several times and enveloped his and her bodies, Chloe finally felt relieved as if a heavy burden had been lifted. It wasn't long before she started to experience severe morning sickness, and her stomach started to swell.
“Look! My eyes were not deceived, Your Majesty... Your Majesty!”
The attending doctor could not bear to say anything to the Queen, who was disheartened because she mistook her bleeding during pregnancy for menstruation, and could only exult in her joy.
“When you get older, you might make mistakes, but what’s the big deal?”
Chloe smiled as she faced Priscilla, who was trying to remain calm as if not to burden Chloe.
“I was the one who got fooled.”
Damien took her hand by the bedside. Chloe opened her mouth playfully.
“Seeing how my emotions are running wild like this, I think I might have a child who takes after his father and is a great liar.”
"Ha ha ha."
“Oh, my. The Queen really does have mood swings.”
Chloe met Damien's eyes and burst into a childish laugh. It didn't matter what kind of child was born. Whatever was in the gift box, it was certain that they would be happy.
“I can’t wait for the follow-up story. Next time, show me the Queen’s eyes. She’s much more beautiful with her eyes open.”
Several days had passed since that incident, but the newspapers with Chloe’s face on them had not been distributed to Swanton. His prediction that they had only intended to fill their own stomachs by selling newspapers with sensational royal gossip from the beginning was correct. They were not the ones who had the power to overturn the country. However, if the nobles who were dissatisfied with Damien’s powerful monarchy used this as an excuse to manipulate public opinion to their liking, the story would be different. For now, no one would dare to discuss the succession in front of the still-active King, but as time passed, their voices would surely grow louder.
Damien slowly gathered his thoughts as he drank the cold lemon water. He had a vague idea that Chloe wanted a child, but it was only recently that he realized that her desire was stronger than he had expected. When he remembered the day when she woke up and saw blood on the bed, a mixture of disappointment and sadness came over her face, and his hand twitched and veins stood out.
In fact, Damien didn't care what people around him said. He didn't feel particularly defeated when he saw articles mocking the perfect Tisse for not having children. If one of the abandoned children from the slums secretly received the best education and became King, it would be another revolution achieved by the Tisse monarchy. Secretly raising a child who could become his successor was also one of the methods Damien had thought of a long time ago. After he decided to become King, he had to prepare for the case where he didn't get married. Of course, this was when he didn't even consider the variable of falling in love.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty.”
“Come in.”
Damien continued to stare out the window, thinking. The biggest question now was whether or not his woman was unhappy.
“The meal will be prepared using ingredients that Your Majesty has hunted.”
“Good. I’ll get ready about an hour before Chloe arrives. I’ll take a bath with her.”
Even as Paul recited his schedule, his mind was full of thoughts about his wife. Would it be better to blame himself for the infertility? If he ordered his doctor to do it, he could easily get a diagnosis, but it was uncertain whether Chloe, who had already been pregnant once, would believe it.
“And Your Majesty, I have just received a report that Her Highness the Queen...”
Damien turned around and looked at Paul. There was no change in his expression, of course. But Paul, who could not help but see the intent in his eyes to demand an answer, quickly opened his mouth.
“I heard there was a minor problem with the car on the way back from work.”
“Is the Queen safe?”
“Yes, yes. Of course. It wasn’t an accident; it was just that the car got stuck in the mud and they needed a crowbar.”
"However?"
It was his job to report on even the smallest matters related to the Queen. Paul opened his mouth with a cautious expression, his hands clasped together.
“Her Majesty the Queen would like to take a walk alone...”
Before he could finish speaking, Damien began to sprint across the office. Paul, panicked, hurriedly followed him.
“Shall we prepare a ceremonial vehicle?”
“Right now. Go to the Esteia Monastery. I’ll tell you more about it as we go.”
The young King got into the driver's seat himself, despite the ministers' dissuasion. The moment he heard Chloe walk across the meadow toward the big tree, waving her shawl, his body moved on its own. It wasn't just his body that moved on its own. His thoughts, which had been stuck as if they were tightly stuck in a thin bottleneck, burst out, breaking the bottle. Of course, as the old butler had worried, the possibility that his wife would have the absurd idea of hanging herself from a tree was zero. However, since he could guess how Chloe felt, wanting to have some time alone, he couldn't leave her like that.
The old iron gates opened quickly on both sides. A forest road lined with beech trees swished past the car window. The wind ruffled Damien’s blond hair, revealing the wrinkles between his eyebrows. Even if he killed the being that made Chloe Verdier cringe, the fundamental problem would not be solved.
There was only one way. To use Chloe's heart that loved him in reverse. The fact that he hesitated with an inappropriate sense of guilt felt foolish because it was the result of overlooking Chloe Verdier's pride. He remembered her eyes whispering as if swearing that she would not become his weakness one summer on the banks of the Tisse River. The moment he imagined those beautiful eyes turning away from him and walking away, Damien's shoes put strength into them, and the engine roared loudly.
***
How long had she walked? Her body finally reached the shadow of the tree that had grown longer. Chloe leaned her back against the large tree that was too big for her to hold with both arms, and looked into the distance. Thinking of the people waiting anxiously, she had to go back without hesitation. But for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to go back. It wasn’t just because she had walked a longer distance than she had expected.
Chloe slowly turned around the tree and stood facing the other side. She could see the sun burning on the horizon. She was blankly staring at the clouds that were turning the blue sky purple when she heard an engine noise from somewhere. Was it the palace personnel who called to fix the broken car? Chloe blinked as she saw the car driving across the meadow, past the dirt hill, instead of following the road. The black car with the royal emblem sped up as if it was going to hit her, but she didn’t move because she could see the gorgeous blonde hair flying inside.
Bam.
Chloe was silent for a moment as she watched Damien get out of the driver's seat. It was a natural thing for the secretary to report the Queen's condition to the King upon arriving at the palace. However, the secretary probably didn't think that the King would drive to the Queen himself as soon as he heard that.
“Did you come here to fix the car yourself?”
"No way."
She tried to open her mouth calmly, but when she saw Damien’s smiling face, something hot surged in her chest again. Chloe bit her lips tightly and opened her eyes wide. She couldn’t burst into tears here. It felt like the day she had worked so hard to build up would come crashing down.
“The last stop for today is the monastery. How much did the monastery make you suffer for coming all the way here?”
Damien reached out his hand to her, who was standing with her back to the tree. Chloe took Damien’s hand lightly, and he knelt on one knee, folded his body, and kissed the back of her hand.
“Everyone was so friendly.”
“How much?”
Damien's eyes, with his lips covered, quietly shone. Chloe lifted her trembling lips and ended up blurting out what was on her mind as a joke.
“If I were to enter a monastery, would I be able to do so happily?”
It was a self-deprecating joke, citing the example of a country where marriages were annulled because they could not have children. Damien snickered and lightly bit the back of her hand.
“Wouldn’t it be better to burn down all the monasteries before that happens?”
Damien was also in on the joke. Chloe shook her head, trying to keep a smile on her face.
“...Arson is a serious crime.”
Damien gently kissed each of her fingers.
“Those are not the words that should come out of your mouth, my love.”
“I made a mistake, I’m going to go now. I’ve caused trouble for everyone.”
Chloe tried to hold back her tears and took a step forward. But she couldn’t move. Damien had gotten up and was standing right in front of her, so she had to face him with her back to the tree. The burning sunlight behind Damien blinded her eyes.
“Chloe.”
"... Your Majesty."
“Call me by my name. I didn’t come all the way here to play King.”
“Damien.”
Chloe realized that Damien was trying to tell her the truth now. His eyes, which held the abyss, were telling her to look straight at him instead of avoiding him.
“If all the things I have are weighing you down, I can throw them away, Chloe.”
Finally, tears fell. Chloe quickly raised her hand to wipe her face, but Damien didn’t even give her the chance. He held her hand tightly as he continued to speak.
“The old fools used to say, ‘A man who loves his wife too much is committing adultery.’”
Chloe also had the traditional idea that the most important duty of marriage was to have children. Damien caught her gaze and broke her common sense once again.
“Then I want to commit adultery with you for the rest of my life.”
A voice so clear it felt cruel pierced right into her ear.
“I never once thought of Chloe Verdier as a tool to propagate Tisse’s descendants.”
The wind blew, blowing Chloe's hair. Chloe swallowed dryly, her hair sticking to her wet face. Damien whispered, touching her cheek with his nose. His voice was low, as if he were telling a secret.
“A child can wait as long as he wants.”
“What if... He never comes?”
“That could be the case.”
Unlike the careful question, Damien's answer was short and concise. As a planned person, he was not one to deny all possibilities. Before Chloe's brown eyes filled with guilt again, Damien spoke clearly.
“That doesn’t mean my life with you was a failure.”
“...”
“No? Did I fail?”
“No way.”
Chloe's eyes widened. Something that had been tightly packed in a corner of her heart and that she had not been able to tell anyone about melted away in an instant. She finally noticed what she had been unable to see because she was too busy worrying about other things.
“...I love you, Damien.”
“I guess you can see me now.”
Damien smirked. He was a man who loved her enough to risk his life, but at the same time, he was also the kind of person who would rather despise his own pitiful appearance than die. The sight of Chloe desperately wanting a child might have been a burden to him. Damien was a man who would turn the world upside down for what she wanted. How could he feel defeated? It was natural that Chloe's confession would hurry up and continue from her lips.
“You are perfect for me.”
“I wish you would wipe away the tear stains and then lie.”
“I’m not lying, I... I...”
How can she express all her feelings? She has to explain that she wanted a child because she loved him, and that she was too foolish to imagine how he would feel around her because of that, but the words are not coming out well.
“You have plenty of time tonight, so gather your thoughts and speak clearly.”
“No, Damien. My heart...”
“Someone’s coming. Just a moment.”
Damien raised his hand as he watched the ceremonial vehicles rushing forward, worried about the royal couple who showed no signs of returning. Chloe blinked, not knowing what was going on, as she watched the car doors open and people getting out with luggage.
“The Queen would like to go camping alone with me.”
"Yes?"
A panicked voice came out of Chloe, but Damien just smiled and cupped her cheeks with his hands.
“I was so busy with work that I almost died, but thank you for giving me a breath of fresh air, my love.”
“Yes... As expected, Your Majesty, the Queen!”
In a situation where it was unclear what was great, the guards led by Damien drove in stakes and set up tents. In an instant, those who had created a place like a field camp suddenly left and disappeared.
“What is all this?”
“I guess it would be right to say that this is a desperate struggle for a wife who is fed up with her husband.”
“Who said I was tired? And it’s not that bad. The guards did all the work.”
“I hope you don’t forget that I’m the one doing the cooking.”
A fire crackled and radiated heat from the high pile of firewood. At first, Chloe didn't know what to do, but soon she came over to him naturally, ate the food cooked on the campfire, and warmed her hands.
“When did you prepare all this?”
“Today’s schedule was hunting. I heard you might be leaving home, so I prepared you to sleep out.”
If the Queen leaves the house, it will be an escape from the palace, and it will be an emergency for the kingdom. Chloe opened her mouth with a frown.
“I’m not the kind of person who would have the guts to do that.”
“Could you wipe the soot off your nose and tell me a story? I can’t concentrate because you’re so cute.”
The couple's story continued as the sun set and the night deepened. The night was filled with stars. Chloe danced a waltz with him without music. They climbed onto the roof of the car and lay down, using Damien's jacket and blanket as a blanket, looking at each other.
“Why are you so good at homeless people?”
“Have you forgotten that I was a soldier? I slept in the mountains during the winter at the end of the war.”
“How cold it must have been.”
“I tried my best not to freeze to death. I remembered the broken cane in my hand, and the bold eyes warning me to come back and repay the cane.”
“That’s because I wanted you to win the war.”
It seemed like he and she were the only ones in this vast world. Chloe finally realized what was important. It was not the eyes of the world, but each other’s eyes. No matter how the world around him and her changed or didn’t change, as long as she was with him, everything would be okay. Even if she had to go to a monastery, he was the one who would restore her to her position as Queen. If she couldn’t meet a child who resembled him in this life, she could live only loving each other.
The night the meteor shower fell several times and enveloped his and her bodies, Chloe finally felt relieved as if a heavy burden had been lifted. It wasn't long before she started to experience severe morning sickness, and her stomach started to swell.
“Look! My eyes were not deceived, Your Majesty... Your Majesty!”
The attending doctor could not bear to say anything to the Queen, who was disheartened because she mistook her bleeding during pregnancy for menstruation, and could only exult in her joy.
“When you get older, you might make mistakes, but what’s the big deal?”
Chloe smiled as she faced Priscilla, who was trying to remain calm as if not to burden Chloe.
“I was the one who got fooled.”
Damien took her hand by the bedside. Chloe opened her mouth playfully.
“Seeing how my emotions are running wild like this, I think I might have a child who takes after his father and is a great liar.”
"Ha ha ha."
“Oh, my. The Queen really does have mood swings.”
Chloe met Damien's eyes and burst into a childish laugh. It didn't matter what kind of child was born. Whatever was in the gift box, it was certain that they would be happy.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment