Jules swallowed a sigh and diligently fed Else the stew. Else didn't seem to taste it. She seemed to be swallowing the food mechanically, thinking that she would have to eat before she could leave the bedroom.
The bottom of the bowl was exposed. Else stopped mumbling and looked at Jules. Jules looked at her and stroked her head.
“Well done. I will ask His Majesty.”
Jules got up from her seat. Else grabbed her sleeve as she was about to turn around. She wondered what she was going to say. Else looked at her with wet eyes and whispered, 'Abel.'
“I'm doing well.”
'What about Abel?'
“He's eating better than you.”
Else let go of her sleeve. She turned her head as if she had nothing more to ask. Jules left the bedroom. Else thought about the warmth that had filled her arms. She felt how many days it had been since she had lost Hermi. How many days had passed since she had seen Abel? She thought it would be okay not to see him again for the rest of her life, but when she remembered Abel’s rounded outline and his babbling figure, sadness overflowed.
But didn't she tell Sibyl to do whatever he wanted with the child? She had shouted that because it was horrible that he was talking about the child. Else lowered her head, feeling as if her teeth were going to snap. It felt like everything she had eaten was turning upside down.
Sybil was staring at Alexander's wife. The woman was the only one she allowed to be Else's. From some point on, he didn't even want to let her or the maids he had attached into her sight. She was a woman who even tried to get rid of the maids who had ties to him out of the space she was in. There was no way she would allow Sybil. There was no way she would embrace Sybil again. And yet, she said that she could still turn back. Because she had Abel. There was still an unbreakable bond between him and Else, a child...
“I would like to ask Your Majesty to allow the Duchess to have a villa.”
Finally, Elze cut him down again. Facing her was painful and frightening, like sprinkling salt on an open wound. But he faced her anyway, because he wanted to make sure. That there was love left in her, that she could love him again. But...
The bottom of the bowl was exposed. Else stopped mumbling and looked at Jules. Jules looked at her and stroked her head.
“Well done. I will ask His Majesty.”
Jules got up from her seat. Else grabbed her sleeve as she was about to turn around. She wondered what she was going to say. Else looked at her with wet eyes and whispered, 'Abel.'
“I'm doing well.”
'What about Abel?'
“He's eating better than you.”
Else let go of her sleeve. She turned her head as if she had nothing more to ask. Jules left the bedroom. Else thought about the warmth that had filled her arms. She felt how many days it had been since she had lost Hermi. How many days had passed since she had seen Abel? She thought it would be okay not to see him again for the rest of her life, but when she remembered Abel’s rounded outline and his babbling figure, sadness overflowed.
But didn't she tell Sibyl to do whatever he wanted with the child? She had shouted that because it was horrible that he was talking about the child. Else lowered her head, feeling as if her teeth were going to snap. It felt like everything she had eaten was turning upside down.
Sybil was staring at Alexander's wife. The woman was the only one she allowed to be Else's. From some point on, he didn't even want to let her or the maids he had attached into her sight. She was a woman who even tried to get rid of the maids who had ties to him out of the space she was in. There was no way she would allow Sybil. There was no way she would embrace Sybil again. And yet, she said that she could still turn back. Because she had Abel. There was still an unbreakable bond between him and Else, a child...
“I would like to ask Your Majesty to allow the Duchess to have a villa.”
Finally, Elze cut him down again. Facing her was painful and frightening, like sprinkling salt on an open wound. But he faced her anyway, because he wanted to make sure. That there was love left in her, that she could love him again. But...
“That’s not what I wanted from her.”
“Your Majesty, the Duchess, must recover. Doesn’t Your Majesty wish for that as well?”
Sybil didn't answer. Jules looked at his tightly shut lips. Even if Else hadn't asked, Jules would have tried to get Else out of his bedroom. Far away, if possible. If the King hadn't allowed Lugdun, she would have asked for a villa.
“Love with an unhealthy person is unhealthy, Your Majesty.”
“...”
“And it is important for Her Highness the Duchess to recover her health. You must give Her Highness the Duchess time to recover. That is for the sake of His Highness the Prince.”
Jules bowed her head. Her hands were clasped together, and her face was neat and tidy, without a single misstep, but Sybil felt insulted. Else could never be healthy by his side. He could never heal Else. In fact, his love was eating away at her love. Could such love be love?
But Sibyl couldn't let her go. If he could, he wouldn't have come this far. If he could let it flow, he wouldn't have taken Else back. At some point, having Else became a priority for him over taking back the throne. The reason he was able to spend so long in Lugdun was that he had forgotten his status. Loving Else was more important than anything else. Sometimes, wasn't that all there was?
'That's stupid.'
Sibyl snickered. He clenched his fists and swallowed a laugh. Jules, who saw him, opened her lips.
“This is a request to help Your Majesty. My husband and I are all here in this palace to help Your Majesty and Her Royal Highness the Duchess. So please...”
Jules knelt down. Sybil looked down at her and nodded slowly. If Else wanted it, if she desperately wanted to turn her back on him... In fact, he couldn’t bear it any longer. He couldn’t let that woman decay like that. He couldn’t let her fester with his love.
***
The villa was not far from the bedchamber. If possible, Jules wanted to keep them far apart, but the furthest place from the bedchamber was the tower where the royal family was confined. It was a gloomy place with tangled undergrowth and dead trees. She could not place Else there, where even the servants who served her were not fit to sleep. In any case, it had to be a place where the King could look after her. That way, Jules could check on Else.
Among the maids she had, none of them, except for Jeanne, had set foot in the villa. It was common in the court for royal women close to power to show off their power through the maids they had. Especially for the King's women, the dignity of their favor stood out depending on the composition of the maids they had. And Else had only noble women personally selected by the King as maids.
Else kept the noblewomen, including Henrietta, now a criminal and imprisoned, as her handmaidens. But Else wanted to distance herself from power, for she did not want a crown.
“...And yet, the Marchioness of Levante is here.”
Jules hummed softly. The rain-soaked villa was gloomy and eerie. Jeanne looked at Jules, then over her shoulder. She thought of the woman sleeping in the bedroom at the end of the corridor.
“ I'm just a maid, serving the King and the Duchess.”
Jeanne murmured calmly. Jules did not reply. She turned around and walked down the hallway. She could hear the sound of a woman's low heels. Suddenly, facing the bedroom, Jeanne opened her lips.
“Do you think so too, ma’am?”
“What?”
“That Her Highness wishes to be Queen.”
"Well."
“Her Highness cannot live alone, and if she is to remain at court, she will have to remain a Queen.”
Jules didn't answer. She just looked at her with cold eyes. Jeanne pursed her lips.
“Even so..”
“Yes, I know. I must do my best to help Her Highness recover.”
Jeanne nodded. Jules narrowed her eyebrows and turned her head. Jeanne said before going into the bedroom.
“His Majesty will come to the villa in the evening.”
“...”
“Even though he is the most noble and dignified person in the kingdom, he is a man who has much to reflect on.”
***
It was evening. It had been a week since she had moved her bedroom to the villa. All Else did every day was eat and sleep. Jules sometimes tried to find something to do, but Else couldn't do anything. In fact, it was hard for her to even get out of bed. Even when she had a fever as a child, she hadn't been this tired. Her childhood days were boring and dull, even when she had a fever. On days like that, Else always missed Sybil.
“His Majesty said he would stop by in the evening.”
Jules, who was combing Else's long hair in front of the dressing table, said. Else, whose eyes were dry at the word 'Sybil', looked back at her. Jules, who had stopped combing, faced her with a stern face. It had been a week. It had been... that Sybil had not come looking for her.
“Else.”
To the King's favorite, the King's favor was her greatest weapon for surviving in the court. Especially to a woman like Else, whose family was so humble. No. Now that Roate had disappeared, it was impossible to say that her family even existed.
“You must think of Abel. If you reject His Majesty...”
She pursed her lips. She couldn't continue speaking. Her red, swollen eyes made her throat dry. But if Else didn't think of Abel, who would think of the poor child? Jules's head hurt. Suddenly, she heard the door open.
“The sun is shining, so would you like some herbal tea, Your Highness?”
Else’s gaze returned to Jeanne. Jules put down the comb and stared at Else. Else relaxed her eyes and sat up at the table. The teapot that Jeanne brought out was a jade-colored teapot inlaid with oriental patterns. The herbs, carefully brewed with an elegant color, were also precious herbal teas that had come from across the Silk Road across the continent. Perhaps the tea leaves were carefully selected by the King himself.
Even though he didn't show up at the villa for a week, the King personally took care of everything Else ate and wore. In the backyard beyond the villa, he pulled out the overgrown undergrowth, cut down the trees... He ordered that even the dark corners of the villa, where Else's eyes could not reach, be cleaned to the point of not a single speck of dust.
“If Your Highness does not wish to meet His Majesty, then it would be a good idea not to meet him at all.”
"Ma'am."
“His Majesty and Your Highness the Duchess are a married couple before they are King and subject.”
Jeanne, who had put the herbal tea in Else’s hand, spoke softly. Else stared at her at the word “couple.” She had never thought of them as a couple. It was natural, since she had never married him. She also thought that the title of Duchess was given to them in consideration of the status of their children.
But husband and wife. It was a familiar word, but it felt strange, like hearing a foreign language. Else looked at the setting sun. She didn't want to meet Sibyl. It was painful to even look at the man's face. It felt like her cornea was sharp. And yet...
The hand that held the tea tightened. Jeanne stared at her blankly. She thought about how the King would react. How the noblest man would kneel before the woman in front of him...
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