Jeanne's face, showing the tablecloth and cutlery, was filled with tension rather than joy. Normally, she would have smiled and babbled about where the silk tablecloth was airlifted from and what work it was made by an embroiderer favored by a certain Grand Duchess. But Jeanne, standing in front of Else, had a heavy and cold face, as if she had lead in her mouth.
Else looked at the tablecloths Jeanne had brought without asking why. The tablecloths were exquisitely embroidered with an exotic pattern depicting white hollyhocks, and the texture was soft and smooth to the touch. They were imported directly from a country famous for silk across the sea, so they were of the highest quality without needing any further explanation.
She carefully selected a purple tablecloth with the scent of Asrahan Manuka and handed it to Jeanne. Jeanne, who was staring blankly at Else’s fingers, pursed her lips and whispered, “You have good taste.”
Instead of silver cutlery, she planned to use gold cutlery and utensils. Else chose a knife and spoon with a nice shape. Jeanne closed her eyes again. But she wasn't really smiling.
Else began to imagine what the day would be like. The dinner in the dining room would be personally supervised by the King's knights, who would inspect all the food. Else did not care. Everything would be done according to procedure. They would also gladly bring the wines for tasting to the Count de Loper and his knights.
After Else had put away the tablecloth and cutlery, she also chose the napkins herself. The attendant came and showed her how to fold the napkins. The candidates were swans and boats. The napkin’s folded shape alone could change the mood of the table, so she had to choose carefully.
The servant folded the napkin into a rose shape and showed it to Else. It was too fancy. Although pretty, Else wanted to add a little more elegance to the meal. In the end, she chose a method that was easy to set the cutlery. A simple and safe method.
“Then I will prepare with this.”
The servant bowed. Else nodded. After leaving the servant and Jeanne, she sat down on the bed for a while. She was tired from the morning rush. She could have just asked the servants to prepare it themselves. It wouldn’t be her first time preparing dinner, so she could have foolishly done it herself. However, Else wanted to prepare each one with her own hands. It was their last dinner.
So, one tablecloth. One dish. She wanted to choose everything with her own hands, just like she was preparing poison with her own hands. Else turned her gaze to the elegant sky blue dress. It was the same color as Hermi's eyes.
There was a time when she had to order a dress. It was when Hermi and Abelard had just been born. At that time, Sybil was anxious to give Else a present. A crib, a cradle, even a mobile. How could there be such things for a baby in a bedroom where she didn't even have proper furniture?
To her who had no mobile, he casually gave her flowers and dresses. Some of them were things he had bought at a dress shop, while others were dresses he had ordered himself. The flowers changed every day, and the dresses came in every day.
He asked her, who was holding the babies in her arms, to tell him directly what kind of embroidery she wanted for the dress. Was it to get her attention? After much thought, Else asked for a dress with a sky blue color similar to Hermi's eyes, white sunken eyes like hers, star flowers, and a little butterfly embroidery.
Sybil nodded, and the finished dress was given to Else, embroidered with silver bells, the symbol of Roate, and irises and starflowers. And that was the dress she was looking at now. The butterfly-shaped ribbon on the deep chest, and the pink peonies in the center...
It was a dress that had passed her by once and revealed everything that had penetrated them. The shoulders and chest were deeply protruding, and the hem of the dress was voluminous below the waist, making it elegant and beautiful. A dress that would be stained with blood anyway... She turned her gaze and looked out the window. It was now four days away.
The Marquis of Aperato was the pillar and the great tree of the kingdom, succeeding the Duke of Touro. He was a yew tree rooted in the ground, a pillar that supported the country. So, six years would be enough. Abelard would succeed him...
He stared at the black letters that decorated the parchment. He put on his vest and jacket after neatly tying his cream-colored cravat. He finally put the seal and the will in a drawer and left the palace. It was late evening. There were more knights than usual stationed at the villa where Else was staying.
In fact, after Else made that fuss, she lived under constant surveillance. His will contained a detailed account of what had happened to her at the Princess's funeral. It was a record of his sins. So he would die as a sinner.
He wanted to be remembered in history as a shameless King and an irresponsible King who turned his back on the world because of a woman. There is nothing more important to a King than protecting his kingdom... To him, receiving punishment was a priority. He knew how his descendants would curse him in the future. Nevertheless, he...
“Come in.”
Else, in a sky-blue satin dress, greeted him. The woman with her full breasts flaunted an elegant and sensual figure. She was a captivating beauty. Her fresh expression added to the look, making it an indescribable sight.
“It's beautiful today, my wife.”
Else looked at the tablecloths Jeanne had brought without asking why. The tablecloths were exquisitely embroidered with an exotic pattern depicting white hollyhocks, and the texture was soft and smooth to the touch. They were imported directly from a country famous for silk across the sea, so they were of the highest quality without needing any further explanation.
She carefully selected a purple tablecloth with the scent of Asrahan Manuka and handed it to Jeanne. Jeanne, who was staring blankly at Else’s fingers, pursed her lips and whispered, “You have good taste.”
Instead of silver cutlery, she planned to use gold cutlery and utensils. Else chose a knife and spoon with a nice shape. Jeanne closed her eyes again. But she wasn't really smiling.
Else began to imagine what the day would be like. The dinner in the dining room would be personally supervised by the King's knights, who would inspect all the food. Else did not care. Everything would be done according to procedure. They would also gladly bring the wines for tasting to the Count de Loper and his knights.
After Else had put away the tablecloth and cutlery, she also chose the napkins herself. The attendant came and showed her how to fold the napkins. The candidates were swans and boats. The napkin’s folded shape alone could change the mood of the table, so she had to choose carefully.
The servant folded the napkin into a rose shape and showed it to Else. It was too fancy. Although pretty, Else wanted to add a little more elegance to the meal. In the end, she chose a method that was easy to set the cutlery. A simple and safe method.
“Then I will prepare with this.”
The servant bowed. Else nodded. After leaving the servant and Jeanne, she sat down on the bed for a while. She was tired from the morning rush. She could have just asked the servants to prepare it themselves. It wouldn’t be her first time preparing dinner, so she could have foolishly done it herself. However, Else wanted to prepare each one with her own hands. It was their last dinner.
So, one tablecloth. One dish. She wanted to choose everything with her own hands, just like she was preparing poison with her own hands. Else turned her gaze to the elegant sky blue dress. It was the same color as Hermi's eyes.
There was a time when she had to order a dress. It was when Hermi and Abelard had just been born. At that time, Sybil was anxious to give Else a present. A crib, a cradle, even a mobile. How could there be such things for a baby in a bedroom where she didn't even have proper furniture?
To her who had no mobile, he casually gave her flowers and dresses. Some of them were things he had bought at a dress shop, while others were dresses he had ordered himself. The flowers changed every day, and the dresses came in every day.
He asked her, who was holding the babies in her arms, to tell him directly what kind of embroidery she wanted for the dress. Was it to get her attention? After much thought, Else asked for a dress with a sky blue color similar to Hermi's eyes, white sunken eyes like hers, star flowers, and a little butterfly embroidery.
Sybil nodded, and the finished dress was given to Else, embroidered with silver bells, the symbol of Roate, and irises and starflowers. And that was the dress she was looking at now. The butterfly-shaped ribbon on the deep chest, and the pink peonies in the center...
It was a dress that had passed her by once and revealed everything that had penetrated them. The shoulders and chest were deeply protruding, and the hem of the dress was voluminous below the waist, making it elegant and beautiful. A dress that would be stained with blood anyway... She turned her gaze and looked out the window. It was now four days away.
***
The Marquis of Aperato was the pillar and the great tree of the kingdom, succeeding the Duke of Touro. He was a yew tree rooted in the ground, a pillar that supported the country. So, six years would be enough. Abelard would succeed him...
He stared at the black letters that decorated the parchment. He put on his vest and jacket after neatly tying his cream-colored cravat. He finally put the seal and the will in a drawer and left the palace. It was late evening. There were more knights than usual stationed at the villa where Else was staying.
In fact, after Else made that fuss, she lived under constant surveillance. His will contained a detailed account of what had happened to her at the Princess's funeral. It was a record of his sins. So he would die as a sinner.
He wanted to be remembered in history as a shameless King and an irresponsible King who turned his back on the world because of a woman. There is nothing more important to a King than protecting his kingdom... To him, receiving punishment was a priority. He knew how his descendants would curse him in the future. Nevertheless, he...
“Come in.”
Else, in a sky-blue satin dress, greeted him. The woman with her full breasts flaunted an elegant and sensual figure. She was a captivating beauty. Her fresh expression added to the look, making it an indescribable sight.
“It's beautiful today, my wife.”
He gently pulled her lips and wrapped his long arms around Else's waist. Else did not refuse, but gently hugged him and kissed his cheek. Even in the face of death, her heart pounded. Her eyelids trembled slightly. She could not tell how long it had been since they had kissed.
When she cut his wrist, he kissed Else on the lips. But it was his forced action, and this time it was Else's own will. Sibyl looked down at her. It was a poisonous flower. The look she was showing was not sincere.
It was just a matter of rolling her head to kill him.
'I'm going to die by your hand anyway.'
His heart throbbed. He swallowed the pain and smiled. He wanted to kiss her back. He was going to die anyway, so what was the point? He gently bit Else’s lips, which were painted with rose-colored lipstick, and kissed her for a long time.
Her lips, sweet and soft like fragrant fruit, were as soft as flower petals. He enjoyed the strange sensation while holding her white, round, pebble-like chin and then pulled away. Her flushed cheeks and neck were erotic. He gently stroked her slender neck and then pulled his hand away. Else had a pious expression as if she were standing before her husband's coffin. Sybil loosely pulled the right corner of his mouth.
“You were wearing the dress that I gave you as a gift to celebrate the birth.”
Else didn't respond. Her slender fingers caressed Sybil's chest. It was a touch that was both erotic and warm. He couldn't tell what she wanted. Else, who was rubbing his thick chest, glanced up at him.
“Else.”
“Do you love me?”
"Yes."
“Enough to give me everything I want?”
"of course."
Her hand fell from his chest. Sybil stared blankly at the woman standing before him. With her tightly braided hair tied back in half and decorated with flowers and ribbons, the woman looked as young and beautiful as a maiden. Like the brightly shining summer sunlight of Lugdun...
Else walked over to the table set for the formal dinner. In the center of the table was a golden candle holder and a beautiful bouquet of delphiniums. The skin under his eyes felt hot. He remembered a summer when the water scales sparkled in the sunlight.
Else took a bunch of carelessly cut flowers and dried them carefully, and stored them in a drawer. Perhaps... Perhaps to Else, he was like a bouquet dried in a drawer. She was a woman whose love was so precious.
“It’s the flower I picked for you last summer.”
"Yes."
Sibyl looked up from her idly staring at the bouquet of flowers that decorated the table. Her face, white as wax, was calm and composed without losing her composure. It seemed that he was the only one who was tied to the past and to that time.
“It’s my favorite flower.”
Suddenly, Else opened her lips. Sibyl's long gaze fell on her. It occurred to him that the flower, a mysterious mixture of pale purple and sky blue, resembled Else. Pure and innocent, a sorrowful beauty that hung in the fields.
“I’ve always liked it since you gave it to me.”
When walking in the fields, when strolling in the garden, Else always looked for small, blue flowers in bloom. Else raised her gaze. The shadows on her sharp, veil-like face were dark and gloomy. Whenever she saw them, she would pick a bunch and decorate the windowsill and the table.
Else, who decorated wherever her eyes fell. Thus, in Lugdun, her small garden, there was a flowerbed full of only delphiniums. If the maid had not offended her with her passing remarks. No. If the meaning of the flowers had not been cruel...
“Did you know that my hometown garden is full of delphiniums?”
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