64. Like the fluttering of a butterfly's wings
"If we reunite, the people of Letzen will turn their backs, and then Bjorn will be able to reclaim his rightful place. I wanted to make that happen. After all, there's no one in this world more suited to wear the crown than Bjorn Dneister."
Gladys's gaze, staring at Erna, who had become lost in thought, was cold and calm.
"The people of Letzen desperately wanted that too. Their obsession with Bjorn's every move and their hatred for him meant, in other words, that they still loved him. They all secretly hoped Bjorn would return to his position as Crown Prince. That's why they so fervently desired our reunion."
“Why are you saying this to me?”
Erna's voice, barely able to speak, was trembling slightly. Her eyes, unable to conceal their confusion, were no different.
“It doesn’t really mean anything. It’s just a pointless story from the past.”
My precious wife.
Gladys was annoyed that Bjorn had hurt her by calling such a woman that.
If only you'd understood me a little more. You'd know that I've never, not even for a moment, deceived you. Then we wouldn't have been so ruined. We could still be shining brightly in our own places.
"Since you've married someone who's made all this a failure, the Grand Duchess can surely give Bjorn something far more wonderful than I can. Don't you think so?"
Gladys took a step closer to Erna. Seeing Erna's red eyes, blinking more frequently, she finally felt like she was emerging from the horrific quagmire.
“I believe you wouldn’t use such a great man for such trivial purposes as paying off your family’s debts and elevating your social status.”
Gladys hopes this woman gets hurt.
As much as she hated herself for having such a bad thought, Gladys's wish was fervent. Even if the seat next to Bjorn could never be hers again, she hoped it wouldn't belong to this woman.
“Then we’ll leave now...”
"Princess."
Erna, who had been looking down and deep in thought, called out to Gladys as she was about to turn around.
“I have a question.”
“Yes. Tell me. As much as you want.”
“I know that a proper lady should not call a man other than her husband by his first name, but is Lars’s etiquette different?”
Erna looked straight at Gladys.
She's still not sure what's best.
No matter how many times she agonized over it, it was the same. But one thing was clear: she couldn't live her entire life in the Princess's shadow.
She took a step into an unfamiliar world, a step she could not return from.
Today, here, Erna realized that. So, somehow, she had to find her own place in this unfamiliar world. She couldn't live, walled off from the world like she had when she dreamed of returning to Burford after enduring just one year.
“Even if Lars’s etiquette is different from Letzen’s, I hope the Princess follows Letzen’s etiquette.”
“What did you say?”
Gladys's eyes, which had always been relaxed, wavered slightly. Erna no longer avoided those eyes.
"And Princess, I actually don't know my husband well when he was Crown Prince. My hometown of Burford is a remote, rural area where news rarely reaches. I didn't come out into the world until this spring, and so my understanding of Bjorn Dneister dates from that day."
Erna straightened her neck and steadied her ragged breathing.
"I know full well that I lack the power to restore my husband to the glory he once enjoyed. Truthfully, I'm not sure. As the Princess said, I married him, burdened only by the family's debt. What could I possibly offer Bjorn? But he chose me, and I believe that means I have something to offer. Therefore, I will do my best for the Bjorn I know."
“Are you opposing me now, Grand Duchess?”
“No. I’m just telling you my honest feelings.”
Erna looked back at the white bell flower bed and caught Princess Gladys's eye again.
“I appreciate your offer of pink bellflowers, but I’ll have to decline. I prefer white.”
She felt her hands, wrapped in gloves, growing cold.
“And Princess, I don’t plan on reducing the decoration on my hat.”
Erna clasped her hands together tightly as if trying to control her wavering heart.
“It’s pretty enough as it is.”
Erna's voice, no longer trembling, was as clear as the pouring autumn sunlight.
“Grand Duchess.”
Gladys, who had been quietly watching Erna's back as she left after politely greeting her, exclaimed with a laugh.
"Do you think you know everything about your husband? Do you already know how terrifying and cruel Bjorn Dneister is?"
Gladys's usually pale face flushed red with anger. Erna, who had been staring blankly at her, tilted her head slightly as if to say she didn't quite understand.
“If Bjorn is really that kind of man, why does the Princess want that scary and cruel man back?”
Gladys couldn't come up with an answer to that calm question.
Erna bowed her head once more and walked away, leaving her biting her trembling lips.
The flowers, ribbons, and delicate lace decorations surrounding her small body swayed with her neat gait, like the fluttering wings of a butterfly soaring through a greenhouse.
“Stop! Stop the carriage! Quickly!”
The excited maid's loud screams shook the quiet road.
The startled coachman stopped the carriage just as the door burst open, and the Grand Duchess and her maid poured out. In the blink of an eye, they ran into the dry, grassy path. Only when he heard the painful retching did the coachman understand what was happening.
“Water! Water! Water!”
The maid, whose voice could rival the train's whistle, began to pester him again.
The coachman, in a daze, grabbed a water bottle and rushed to the two. The Grand Duchess rinsed her mouth several times before finally rising, staggering. Her complexion, though already remarkably pale, was now so pale it was almost bluish.
As he approached to offer help, the maid who was supporting the Grand Duchess firmly opened her eyes wide.
Where are you trying to touch now? Do you want to stop living?
The coachman, startled by the threat conveyed by those fierce axe eyes, quickly retreated and opened the carriage door.
“Please drive slowly. It will feel like riding on clouds.”
The maid who helped the Grand Duchess into the carriage gave her some strong instructions.
Clouds? What kind of crazy talk is this?
The coachman nodded again, bewildered, though he had no idea why he was obeying the orders of this young, pale-faced maid. It wasn't until he had already grasped the reins that he realized something was off.
The carriage road, covered with falling leaves, began to be filled with the slow sound of horse hooves, like flowing clouds.
Erna lay back on the cushion Lisa had provided, gazing out the window at the scenery passing by. As warmth began to return to her once-icy hands and feet, reality finally dawned on her.
“Are you feeling better now?”
Lisa looked at Erna, her face slumped limply, eyes as if on the verge of tears. Ever since she'd shared tea with the ladies of the Lars royal family, her complexion had been bleak, and now she seemed to have finally broken out in a fit of rage.
“Lisa, I... I think I'm really crazy. I don't know what I've done.”
Erna, who had been quietly watching Lisa, muttered blankly.
"Well, what do you think? Everyone in high society, the royal family, and everywhere else is a little crazy. It's actually more comforting if we're all crazy together."
Lisa responded calmly and placed another cushion on top.
She doesn't know what happened in the greenhouse, but from Lisa's perspective, Erna was absolutely right. Even if she was wrong, she was right. Let Lars' dog take care of objectivity.
"Could it be that the head maid was in collusion with Princess Gladys? Otherwise, how could such a filthy... no, such a dirty coincidence happen?"
Lisa's eyes became sharp as she thought about today's work.
On the day the maid recommended the outing, the ladies of the Lars royal family were out horseback riding, and what were the odds of running into each other like that at that time?
“I really can’t stand it! Tell the Prince about this. Yes?”
A pillar of fire rose up in Lisa's chest, but Erna only shook her head firmly.
“Why are you so frustrated! You’ve already won the Prince’s favor, so now is the time to...”
“What happened at the lake today is a secret.”
Erna lifted her drooping hand and grabbed Lisa's hand.
“Please.”
“Aren’t you upset that something like this is happening to you?”
“I’m upset.”
“But why?”
“It’s so frustrating... so I want to keep it a secret. Yes?”
Lisa didn't understand Erna's constant ramblings at all. If you're upset, you have to fight. Even if it means rolling in the mud and pulling out all your hair, you have to fight and win.
But in the end, Lisa couldn't go against Erna's wishes this time either. Her heart inevitably weakened when she met those large, pleading eyes.
“Thank you, Lisa.”
Lisa, feeling a pang of guilt at the sight of his smiling face, cast her gaze out the car window. Across the road, she could just about see Lars's villa, from which she longed to leave.
Karen paced the entrance hall with an uncharacteristically restless gait. There was nothing else she could do, but the thought of the Grand Duchess's imminent return made it difficult to stand still for even a moment.
Bjorn never raised his voice. He didn't show any emotion that could be called anger. But that only made his throat tighten.
'If you're not judging her rashly, then this is all the maid can do...'
After staring at her silently for a long time, Bjorn tilted his head slightly, caressing his wife's notebook. It was a moment when Karen's carefully maintained composure crumbled.
Karen knew full well what was in that note. She had been by the Grand Duchess's side the entire time she wrote it, so she knew it better than anyone. That's why she immediately recognized what Bjorn was pointing out.
It was undeniable that proper social interaction was difficult without Princess Gladys. However, even within this friendship, there were some differences. The family was close to Princess Gladys, but their mistresses had different personalities. While they maintained friendly relations with the Lars royal family, there were also lingering rifts. Karen, of course, excluded all these details because she hoped the displeased Grand Duchess would be relegated to isolation.
'Which one do you think is better?'
Bjorn put down the notebook and asked, his tone casual as if he were deciding on the dinner menu.
'I'm sorry, Your Highness. I, I was inadequate.'
Karen had only one choice anyway.
Bjorn, who had been leaning against the desk, slowly approached Karen. Unable to raise his head, Karen simply stared at the Prince's shadow at her feet.
'Can I have a cup of tea, please?'
After holding that position for a long time, Bjorn left his wife's bedroom with those words. Karen had to muster every ounce of strength she had to keep herself from collapsing on the spot.
Even though she barely escaped the predicament, what if the Grand Duchess returned and told her husband?
Just that assumption alone made her stomach churn again. If faced with such a situation, she resolved to pretend not to know, but she wasn't sure she could fool the Prince.
Just as the sunlight shining down alone began to cast a red glow, the carriage carrying the Grand Duchess.
Hearing the noise, Karen ran out the front door in a panic. Just then, the Grand Duchess, who had just gotten out of the carriage, caught her eye.
"If we reunite, the people of Letzen will turn their backs, and then Bjorn will be able to reclaim his rightful place. I wanted to make that happen. After all, there's no one in this world more suited to wear the crown than Bjorn Dneister."
Gladys's gaze, staring at Erna, who had become lost in thought, was cold and calm.
"The people of Letzen desperately wanted that too. Their obsession with Bjorn's every move and their hatred for him meant, in other words, that they still loved him. They all secretly hoped Bjorn would return to his position as Crown Prince. That's why they so fervently desired our reunion."
“Why are you saying this to me?”
Erna's voice, barely able to speak, was trembling slightly. Her eyes, unable to conceal their confusion, were no different.
“It doesn’t really mean anything. It’s just a pointless story from the past.”
My precious wife.
Gladys was annoyed that Bjorn had hurt her by calling such a woman that.
If only you'd understood me a little more. You'd know that I've never, not even for a moment, deceived you. Then we wouldn't have been so ruined. We could still be shining brightly in our own places.
"Since you've married someone who's made all this a failure, the Grand Duchess can surely give Bjorn something far more wonderful than I can. Don't you think so?"
Gladys took a step closer to Erna. Seeing Erna's red eyes, blinking more frequently, she finally felt like she was emerging from the horrific quagmire.
“I believe you wouldn’t use such a great man for such trivial purposes as paying off your family’s debts and elevating your social status.”
Gladys hopes this woman gets hurt.
As much as she hated herself for having such a bad thought, Gladys's wish was fervent. Even if the seat next to Bjorn could never be hers again, she hoped it wouldn't belong to this woman.
“Then we’ll leave now...”
"Princess."
Erna, who had been looking down and deep in thought, called out to Gladys as she was about to turn around.
“I have a question.”
“Yes. Tell me. As much as you want.”
“I know that a proper lady should not call a man other than her husband by his first name, but is Lars’s etiquette different?”
Erna looked straight at Gladys.
She's still not sure what's best.
No matter how many times she agonized over it, it was the same. But one thing was clear: she couldn't live her entire life in the Princess's shadow.
She took a step into an unfamiliar world, a step she could not return from.
Today, here, Erna realized that. So, somehow, she had to find her own place in this unfamiliar world. She couldn't live, walled off from the world like she had when she dreamed of returning to Burford after enduring just one year.
“Even if Lars’s etiquette is different from Letzen’s, I hope the Princess follows Letzen’s etiquette.”
“What did you say?”
Gladys's eyes, which had always been relaxed, wavered slightly. Erna no longer avoided those eyes.
"And Princess, I actually don't know my husband well when he was Crown Prince. My hometown of Burford is a remote, rural area where news rarely reaches. I didn't come out into the world until this spring, and so my understanding of Bjorn Dneister dates from that day."
Erna straightened her neck and steadied her ragged breathing.
"I know full well that I lack the power to restore my husband to the glory he once enjoyed. Truthfully, I'm not sure. As the Princess said, I married him, burdened only by the family's debt. What could I possibly offer Bjorn? But he chose me, and I believe that means I have something to offer. Therefore, I will do my best for the Bjorn I know."
“Are you opposing me now, Grand Duchess?”
“No. I’m just telling you my honest feelings.”
Erna looked back at the white bell flower bed and caught Princess Gladys's eye again.
“I appreciate your offer of pink bellflowers, but I’ll have to decline. I prefer white.”
She felt her hands, wrapped in gloves, growing cold.
“And Princess, I don’t plan on reducing the decoration on my hat.”
Erna clasped her hands together tightly as if trying to control her wavering heart.
“It’s pretty enough as it is.”
Erna's voice, no longer trembling, was as clear as the pouring autumn sunlight.
“Grand Duchess.”
Gladys, who had been quietly watching Erna's back as she left after politely greeting her, exclaimed with a laugh.
"Do you think you know everything about your husband? Do you already know how terrifying and cruel Bjorn Dneister is?"
Gladys's usually pale face flushed red with anger. Erna, who had been staring blankly at her, tilted her head slightly as if to say she didn't quite understand.
“If Bjorn is really that kind of man, why does the Princess want that scary and cruel man back?”
Gladys couldn't come up with an answer to that calm question.
Erna bowed her head once more and walked away, leaving her biting her trembling lips.
The flowers, ribbons, and delicate lace decorations surrounding her small body swayed with her neat gait, like the fluttering wings of a butterfly soaring through a greenhouse.
***
“Stop! Stop the carriage! Quickly!”
The excited maid's loud screams shook the quiet road.
The startled coachman stopped the carriage just as the door burst open, and the Grand Duchess and her maid poured out. In the blink of an eye, they ran into the dry, grassy path. Only when he heard the painful retching did the coachman understand what was happening.
“Water! Water! Water!”
The maid, whose voice could rival the train's whistle, began to pester him again.
The coachman, in a daze, grabbed a water bottle and rushed to the two. The Grand Duchess rinsed her mouth several times before finally rising, staggering. Her complexion, though already remarkably pale, was now so pale it was almost bluish.
As he approached to offer help, the maid who was supporting the Grand Duchess firmly opened her eyes wide.
Where are you trying to touch now? Do you want to stop living?
The coachman, startled by the threat conveyed by those fierce axe eyes, quickly retreated and opened the carriage door.
“Please drive slowly. It will feel like riding on clouds.”
The maid who helped the Grand Duchess into the carriage gave her some strong instructions.
Clouds? What kind of crazy talk is this?
The coachman nodded again, bewildered, though he had no idea why he was obeying the orders of this young, pale-faced maid. It wasn't until he had already grasped the reins that he realized something was off.
The carriage road, covered with falling leaves, began to be filled with the slow sound of horse hooves, like flowing clouds.
Erna lay back on the cushion Lisa had provided, gazing out the window at the scenery passing by. As warmth began to return to her once-icy hands and feet, reality finally dawned on her.
“Are you feeling better now?”
Lisa looked at Erna, her face slumped limply, eyes as if on the verge of tears. Ever since she'd shared tea with the ladies of the Lars royal family, her complexion had been bleak, and now she seemed to have finally broken out in a fit of rage.
“Lisa, I... I think I'm really crazy. I don't know what I've done.”
Erna, who had been quietly watching Lisa, muttered blankly.
"Well, what do you think? Everyone in high society, the royal family, and everywhere else is a little crazy. It's actually more comforting if we're all crazy together."
Lisa responded calmly and placed another cushion on top.
She doesn't know what happened in the greenhouse, but from Lisa's perspective, Erna was absolutely right. Even if she was wrong, she was right. Let Lars' dog take care of objectivity.
"Could it be that the head maid was in collusion with Princess Gladys? Otherwise, how could such a filthy... no, such a dirty coincidence happen?"
Lisa's eyes became sharp as she thought about today's work.
On the day the maid recommended the outing, the ladies of the Lars royal family were out horseback riding, and what were the odds of running into each other like that at that time?
“I really can’t stand it! Tell the Prince about this. Yes?”
A pillar of fire rose up in Lisa's chest, but Erna only shook her head firmly.
“Why are you so frustrated! You’ve already won the Prince’s favor, so now is the time to...”
“What happened at the lake today is a secret.”
Erna lifted her drooping hand and grabbed Lisa's hand.
“Please.”
“Aren’t you upset that something like this is happening to you?”
“I’m upset.”
“But why?”
“It’s so frustrating... so I want to keep it a secret. Yes?”
Lisa didn't understand Erna's constant ramblings at all. If you're upset, you have to fight. Even if it means rolling in the mud and pulling out all your hair, you have to fight and win.
But in the end, Lisa couldn't go against Erna's wishes this time either. Her heart inevitably weakened when she met those large, pleading eyes.
“Thank you, Lisa.”
Lisa, feeling a pang of guilt at the sight of his smiling face, cast her gaze out the car window. Across the road, she could just about see Lars's villa, from which she longed to leave.
***
Karen paced the entrance hall with an uncharacteristically restless gait. There was nothing else she could do, but the thought of the Grand Duchess's imminent return made it difficult to stand still for even a moment.
Bjorn never raised his voice. He didn't show any emotion that could be called anger. But that only made his throat tighten.
'If you're not judging her rashly, then this is all the maid can do...'
After staring at her silently for a long time, Bjorn tilted his head slightly, caressing his wife's notebook. It was a moment when Karen's carefully maintained composure crumbled.
Karen knew full well what was in that note. She had been by the Grand Duchess's side the entire time she wrote it, so she knew it better than anyone. That's why she immediately recognized what Bjorn was pointing out.
It was undeniable that proper social interaction was difficult without Princess Gladys. However, even within this friendship, there were some differences. The family was close to Princess Gladys, but their mistresses had different personalities. While they maintained friendly relations with the Lars royal family, there were also lingering rifts. Karen, of course, excluded all these details because she hoped the displeased Grand Duchess would be relegated to isolation.
'Which one do you think is better?'
Bjorn put down the notebook and asked, his tone casual as if he were deciding on the dinner menu.
'I'm sorry, Your Highness. I, I was inadequate.'
Karen had only one choice anyway.
Bjorn, who had been leaning against the desk, slowly approached Karen. Unable to raise his head, Karen simply stared at the Prince's shadow at her feet.
'Can I have a cup of tea, please?'
After holding that position for a long time, Bjorn left his wife's bedroom with those words. Karen had to muster every ounce of strength she had to keep herself from collapsing on the spot.
Even though she barely escaped the predicament, what if the Grand Duchess returned and told her husband?
Just that assumption alone made her stomach churn again. If faced with such a situation, she resolved to pretend not to know, but she wasn't sure she could fool the Prince.
Just as the sunlight shining down alone began to cast a red glow, the carriage carrying the Grand Duchess.
Hearing the noise, Karen ran out the front door in a panic. Just then, the Grand Duchess, who had just gotten out of the carriage, caught her eye.
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