"Your Majesty."
Sibyl looked up at the villa. It was a ten-minute walk from the bedroom. It wasn’t that far, but perhaps because the outer walls were old and shady, it seemed as if Else had made her nest far away.
He looked up and stared at the balcony of the bedroom where Else would be. The rusted outer walls and tangled fences of the villa were the temporary residences of Roxelana, the mistress of his grandfather, the King, in the past. She had been imprisoned in the tower before her execution, but she remained in the villa until the King completely cut her off.
So Sibyl didn't want to keep Else in the villa. It wasn't because of what people thought. It was because he was afraid that Else would think that he had cut her off in that way. In fact, he didn't know what Else would think of him.
But at least being in the villa would be better than staying in his bedroom. Wherever she was, it would be better than being with him.
"I get it."
“Let’s go back now.”
“I will wait for the concubine.”
“However...”
The wind was cold. Since the kingdom was located in the northern part of the continent, the temperature dropped sharply in the evening, even in summer. Therefore, summer banquets were often held during the height of summer. These days, the palace is in disarray, so banquets are not held often...
Alexander looked at the King's gaunt face. According to his wife, the concubine ate and slept well. However, she had not gained weight, and her pale face was still gaunt. For the woman, eating and sleeping seemed to be more of a repetitive act to keep her consciousness above the surface than a means of recovery.
On the other hand, the King...
“The wind is cold.”
The King could not eat or sleep. He ate and ate the minimum amount of food and sleep necessary for his duties, but the energy that moved him did not come from that short time.
“It’s summer.”
“Even so, the temperature has dropped considerably. It will get even colder as the evening deepens.”
The King thought of his concubine all the time he had left as a King. Sometimes it seemed as if he lived to cling to her.
“I will stay by Your Majesty’s side.”
“The guerrilla’s bedroom will be in disarray due to the presence of the guards.”
“Then I will leave some behind and stay by Your Majesty’s side.”
The King did not respond. He glanced at him as if he was annoyed, but soon closed his lips. Alexander stayed behind with two of his knights. Alexander slowly raised his head behind the King.
Jules, who had been shaking his head, came to mind. Only Jules and the Marchioness de Levante remained in the villa. The concubine had not a single hair on her head, and she had not been heard. Alexander stared at the closed bedroom and asked about her well-being. Jules did not give a long answer.
'It's like in a palace.'
She was more asleep than awake, and her meals were still limited to bird feed... Could the concubine survive? Alexander stared at the King, enduring the suffocating silence.
As the evening deepened, the wind blew as expected. He wondered if the King, who had not been eating or sleeping properly, could endure this cold. No matter how healthy the King was, he was not the same as before. If the King could not endure it...
“Your Majesty, please go back.”
Silent. Alexander could not say anything else. It was cold. He was worried about His Majesty's health. Even if he had added words of concern for his well-being, it seemed unlikely that he would listen.
Jeanne closed the window that she had opened. It was the window that she had left open, saying that since she was not going outside, she should at least breathe in the cool air. Jules closed the window and glanced outside. Her eyes met her husband's. The King was waiting under the balcony. Alexander, the attendant, was also with the King. If the King did not return, he would stay like that until dawn.
'Surely it won't really be an overnight stay.'
It was already past dinner time. It was not far until midnight, and the time the King had been waiting in front of the villa had also passed four hours.
'I'll go back once Else falls asleep.'
Yes, he might come back at exactly 12 o'clock. There was no reason to wait once Else fell asleep. Jules closed the window and came back to stand in front of Else. Her eyes, as dull as a dead fish, were looking at the balcony. Jules stared at the woman with one eye bulging out. Else drank the herbal tea that Jeanne had brought her and didn't eat anything.
Lately, Else has preferred drinking to eating. She thought it was because it was easier to swallow liquids than to chew and swallow with her teeth. However, when she heard that the King had come to the villa this afternoon, Else did not even swallow water. She just sat on her bed and looked out onto the balcony.
“Stop it.”
“...”
“When you fall asleep, the King will go too.”
When Else went to bed, she planned to tell Alexander that Else had fallen asleep. Then, wouldn’t they return to the bedroom without further strain? However, Else only clutched the blanket tightly and didn’t move an inch. Jules sighed and pushed Else’s slender body to lie down by pushing her shoulder.
“Alex is accompanying His Majesty. If His Majesty doesn’t return, my man will have to stay like that all night.”
Jules looked at Else indifferently. If she could break her stubbornness like this, she could tell her anything. Jules hated using the other person’s guilt, but she couldn’t help it. Jules pushed Else’s shoulder to lie her down again.
Else relaxed her body and threw the pillow away. Jules lifted the blanket and covered her neck with it, just as she did with her young daughter.
“Stop it.”
Else closed her eyes. But she couldn't fall asleep. She heard Jules close the bedroom door and disappear. Dawn had come. The blue twilight slowly swallowed her. There was a commotion outside the balcony. Else got up and went out onto the balcony.
'Sibyl.'
The man who had been stuck in the ground like a cold tombstone was walking. Apparently, Jules had told him a few hours ago that Else had fallen asleep. However, he seemed to have stayed outside the villa until now.
Finally, Sibyl turned his back and tilted his head back. Their eyes met for a moment. Joy filled his blue eyes. Else bit her lips. Disgust. No. Disgust ran through her toes like an electric current. She turned around with her face wrinkled. Her lips were bitten in anger. The bitter taste of blood spread on the tip of her dry tongue.
Sibyl looked up at the villa. It was a ten-minute walk from the bedroom. It wasn’t that far, but perhaps because the outer walls were old and shady, it seemed as if Else had made her nest far away.
Whenever she disappeared and entered the bedroom, it was as if she had turned into vapor and dispersed in the wind. It couldn’t be... The thought that he had tied her up and forced her down made him choke. But it was true that he had tied her up from the beginning. He bit his lips.
“Request a meeting with the concubine.”
He thought of Else's closed bedroom. When he forced open the door to that bedroom and went in, Else's cold face was also vivid. Else had never looked at him like that. Not only when he was in Lugdun. Even when he had taken Hermi...
"Yes."
Count Loper bowed his head. Sibyl watched his back as he walked toward the villa. If Else refused to see him, he planned to wait. Here... Until she said she would see him. He planned to wait for her. Not only today, but tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow...
Until she gave him another chance. He wanted to believe that she would give him that chance someday. If she gave him even the smallest of a chance, he would stick to that spot like a mayfly and grow. Slowly... Sybil planned to ask for forgiveness. After all, they had a child. At least the remaining child...
"Your Majesty."
“What did she say?”
Not long after, Count Loper came out of the villa. Sibyl opened his lips to the man with the shady face. As always, the man lowered his head slightly. It was not difficult to read Else’s answer from his face. Even without hearing it, his heart already felt like it was being cut.
“Request a meeting with the concubine.”
He thought of Else's closed bedroom. When he forced open the door to that bedroom and went in, Else's cold face was also vivid. Else had never looked at him like that. Not only when he was in Lugdun. Even when he had taken Hermi...
"Yes."
Count Loper bowed his head. Sibyl watched his back as he walked toward the villa. If Else refused to see him, he planned to wait. Here... Until she said she would see him. He planned to wait for her. Not only today, but tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow...
Until she gave him another chance. He wanted to believe that she would give him that chance someday. If she gave him even the smallest of a chance, he would stick to that spot like a mayfly and grow. Slowly... Sybil planned to ask for forgiveness. After all, they had a child. At least the remaining child...
"Your Majesty."
“What did she say?”
Not long after, Count Loper came out of the villa. Sibyl opened his lips to the man with the shady face. As always, the man lowered his head slightly. It was not difficult to read Else’s answer from his face. Even without hearing it, his heart already felt like it was being cut.
When Else had left him and married, it had not been this cruel. He forced himself to hold back the strength from his knees.
“She said that she was very tired and exhausted both physically and mentally... so it would be difficult to welcome Your Majesty.”
“She said that she was very tired and exhausted both physically and mentally... so it would be difficult to welcome Your Majesty.”
He looked up and stared at the balcony of the bedroom where Else would be. The rusted outer walls and tangled fences of the villa were the temporary residences of Roxelana, the mistress of his grandfather, the King, in the past. She had been imprisoned in the tower before her execution, but she remained in the villa until the King completely cut her off.
So Sibyl didn't want to keep Else in the villa. It wasn't because of what people thought. It was because he was afraid that Else would think that he had cut her off in that way. In fact, he didn't know what Else would think of him.
But at least being in the villa would be better than staying in his bedroom. Wherever she was, it would be better than being with him.
His lips were bitten. Admitting it, admitting it...
"I get it."
“Let’s go back now.”
“I will wait for the concubine.”
“However...”
The wind was cold. Since the kingdom was located in the northern part of the continent, the temperature dropped sharply in the evening, even in summer. Therefore, summer banquets were often held during the height of summer. These days, the palace is in disarray, so banquets are not held often...
Alexander looked at the King's gaunt face. According to his wife, the concubine ate and slept well. However, she had not gained weight, and her pale face was still gaunt. For the woman, eating and sleeping seemed to be more of a repetitive act to keep her consciousness above the surface than a means of recovery.
On the other hand, the King...
“The wind is cold.”
The King could not eat or sleep. He ate and ate the minimum amount of food and sleep necessary for his duties, but the energy that moved him did not come from that short time.
“It’s summer.”
“Even so, the temperature has dropped considerably. It will get even colder as the evening deepens.”
The King thought of his concubine all the time he had left as a King. Sometimes it seemed as if he lived to cling to her.
Alexander stared at the sunken eyes of the King. The protruding cheekbones and rough skin on his gaunt face. The King’s appearance had already changed a lot. He was still thick, but compared to his tall body, he had lost a lot of weight, giving him a more emaciated impression than a sharp impression.
Although he had grown to hide his weight loss and changed appearance, even those who were not close to him could tell how much stress he was under.
“It’s okay. Just go back.”
The King wished him well. He tilted his head and looked up at the balcony, but not a shadow moved, not a sound of human speech was heard. Alexander remained undisturbed by his well-wishers.
Although he had grown to hide his weight loss and changed appearance, even those who were not close to him could tell how much stress he was under.
“It’s okay. Just go back.”
The King wished him well. He tilted his head and looked up at the balcony, but not a shadow moved, not a sound of human speech was heard. Alexander remained undisturbed by his well-wishers.
“I will stay by Your Majesty’s side.”
“The guerrilla’s bedroom will be in disarray due to the presence of the guards.”
“Then I will leave some behind and stay by Your Majesty’s side.”
The King did not respond. He glanced at him as if he was annoyed, but soon closed his lips. Alexander stayed behind with two of his knights. Alexander slowly raised his head behind the King.
Jules, who had been shaking his head, came to mind. Only Jules and the Marchioness de Levante remained in the villa. The concubine had not a single hair on her head, and she had not been heard. Alexander stared at the closed bedroom and asked about her well-being. Jules did not give a long answer.
'It's like in a palace.'
She was more asleep than awake, and her meals were still limited to bird feed... Could the concubine survive? Alexander stared at the King, enduring the suffocating silence.
As the evening deepened, the wind blew as expected. He wondered if the King, who had not been eating or sleeping properly, could endure this cold. No matter how healthy the King was, he was not the same as before. If the King could not endure it...
“Your Majesty, please go back.”
Silent. Alexander could not say anything else. It was cold. He was worried about His Majesty's health. Even if he had added words of concern for his well-being, it seemed unlikely that he would listen.
***
Jeanne closed the window that she had opened. It was the window that she had left open, saying that since she was not going outside, she should at least breathe in the cool air. Jules closed the window and glanced outside. Her eyes met her husband's. The King was waiting under the balcony. Alexander, the attendant, was also with the King. If the King did not return, he would stay like that until dawn.
'Surely it won't really be an overnight stay.'
It was already past dinner time. It was not far until midnight, and the time the King had been waiting in front of the villa had also passed four hours.
'I'll go back once Else falls asleep.'
Yes, he might come back at exactly 12 o'clock. There was no reason to wait once Else fell asleep. Jules closed the window and came back to stand in front of Else. Her eyes, as dull as a dead fish, were looking at the balcony. Jules stared at the woman with one eye bulging out. Else drank the herbal tea that Jeanne had brought her and didn't eat anything.
Lately, Else has preferred drinking to eating. She thought it was because it was easier to swallow liquids than to chew and swallow with her teeth. However, when she heard that the King had come to the villa this afternoon, Else did not even swallow water. She just sat on her bed and looked out onto the balcony.
“Stop it.”
“...”
“When you fall asleep, the King will go too.”
When Else went to bed, she planned to tell Alexander that Else had fallen asleep. Then, wouldn’t they return to the bedroom without further strain? However, Else only clutched the blanket tightly and didn’t move an inch. Jules sighed and pushed Else’s slender body to lie down by pushing her shoulder.
“Alex is accompanying His Majesty. If His Majesty doesn’t return, my man will have to stay like that all night.”
Jules looked at Else indifferently. If she could break her stubbornness like this, she could tell her anything. Jules hated using the other person’s guilt, but she couldn’t help it. Jules pushed Else’s shoulder to lie her down again.
Else relaxed her body and threw the pillow away. Jules lifted the blanket and covered her neck with it, just as she did with her young daughter.
“Stop it.”
Else closed her eyes. But she couldn't fall asleep. She heard Jules close the bedroom door and disappear. Dawn had come. The blue twilight slowly swallowed her. There was a commotion outside the balcony. Else got up and went out onto the balcony.
'Sibyl.'
The man who had been stuck in the ground like a cold tombstone was walking. Apparently, Jules had told him a few hours ago that Else had fallen asleep. However, he seemed to have stayed outside the villa until now.
Finally, Sibyl turned his back and tilted his head back. Their eyes met for a moment. Joy filled his blue eyes. Else bit her lips. Disgust. No. Disgust ran through her toes like an electric current. She turned around with her face wrinkled. Her lips were bitten in anger. The bitter taste of blood spread on the tip of her dry tongue.
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