85. Misplaced beads
The royal procession weaved through the vast crowds toward the exhibition halls. The cheers of the people filling the boulevards and squares seemed to shake heaven and earth.
Erna, overwhelmed by the momentum, peered over the railing of the open carriage. The crowds she'd seen during the wedding parade had been dizzying, but the crowd gathered today must have been several times that. The number of royal guards escorting her had also increased, adding to the solemnity of the atmosphere.
Erna's gaze, wandering through the cavalry marching in step with the carriage, the flags of all nations hanging in every street, and the clear spring sky, stopped on the face of her husband sitting beside her. He looked composed, as if he were out enjoying a leisurely stroll. Prince Christian and Princess Greta, sitting across from her, were no different. It was a moment when she suddenly remembered who she had married and what kind of world she was living in.
Erna forced herself to catch her breath and sat up straight. She tried to raise her hand, but she couldn't muster the courage to say hello.
A year at most. The Prince's mistake. A poor replacement for Princess Gladys.
The endless barrage of self-criticism, pouring out day after day, loomed over the gathered crowd. Even if she tried not to listen, she could hear it, and even if she tried not to hold it in, the words pierced deep into her heart.
Erna, who had been hesitating, finally lowered her hand, unable to offer a greeting. She knew that among the seemingly endless crowd, none of the cheers would be directed at her.
Just as Erna's stiff smile became more natural, the carriage arrived at the riverside exhibition hall. A massive building, covered in arches of steel and glass, glittered with a dazzling dazzle. Awestruck by its scale and majesty, Erna drifted around, dazed, until she found herself sitting on a platform set up in the center of the exhibition hall. She was seated behind the King, who was giving a congratulatory address.
Erna swallowed hard and glanced around the exhibition hall. A long central aisle, starting from a fountain and a tall elm tree that seemed to reach the glass arch, was flanked by a series of exhibition halls. The opening ceremony was reportedly attended only by invited guests, but the sheer number of attendees was staggering, making it dizzying.
As Erna inspected the two-story exhibition halls, each with its own unique structure, she found herself exclaiming in awe. At that very moment, her eyes met with Princess Louise's, who had inadvertently turned her head. When Erna smiled awkwardly, Louise quietly sighed and averted her gaze.
Erna, who was watching her whispering something to her husband, turned her head away, feeling a little embarrassed.
Bjorn turned to the Crown Prince beside him, sitting down and conversing. Erna, who had been quietly observing his profile, shifted her gaze, a hint of cautious curiosity, to Leonid.
Madame Fitz repeatedly urged her not to confuse the two. Crown Prince Leonid would most likely wear glasses, but it wouldn't be wise to assume the one without them was Bjorn.
Looking at them from this close, she felt like she understood why Mrs. Fitz had been so concerned. Their appearances were so strikingly similar that it would have been difficult to tell them apart at a casual glance. While Erns was marveling at this fact, Leonid suddenly looked away.
Erna, who had no time to look away, met his gaze and swallowed dryly. Meanwhile, Bjorn also turned his head. Faced with the twins' faces, Erna blinked slowly, her eyes wide.
She was nervous that she would be met with another round of contempt, but thankfully, Leonid smiled without a trace of displeasure. At the same time, a faint smile appeared on Bjorn's lips.
Same but different.
Bjorn's gaze and smile were uniquely his. Erna was confident she could tell the two apart even without her glasses. Just as she smiled in pride, the standing crowd erupted in applause.
Erna, who had hurriedly risen from her seat following Bjorn, joined in the applause, feeling a bit dazed. The King's opening speech was about to begin.
King Philip III, renowned for his gifted oratory, opened the Schwerin Exhibition with a speech that drew a rapturous response. With the largest number of participating nations ever showcasing innovative technologies, the invited guests were all filled with anticipation. The Grand Duchess of Schwerin was particularly elated.
Bjorn looked down at his wife with a smile. Even as he struggled to maintain his dignity as a Grand Duchess, Erna's eyes sparkled with intense curiosity.
“Erna.”
When it was time for the commemorative photo, Bjorn quietly called his wife's name. Erna, who had been craning her neck to survey the exhibition halls on the second floor, stared at him in surprise.
The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Schwerin were the last to join the group for a photo opportunity. The composition featured the five siblings lined up around the King and Queen, who sat in the center. Erna was seated behind the Queen, next to Bjorn.
Erna, catching her breath and looking around, realized that the entire royal family had platinum-blonde hair. Princess Louise's husband, Duke Heine, also had blond hair, though it was a bit darker.
Come to think of it, Princess Gladys was like that, too.
The memory of the servants of Schwerin Palace whispering that, to maintain the platinum blonde hair that was the symbol of the Dniester royal family, they had preferred brides with the same hair color for generations overlapped.
'How can even a single hair not be worthy of the title?'
Erna suddenly realized that the fragments of someone's disapproving words had been deeply embedded in her heart. It was pathetic. She promised herself not to do that. Like an idiot.
Struggling to calm her anxiously racing heart, Erna once again studied the royal family. They all stood so tall. It felt like a single weed surrounded by a sapling tree.
A single, poorly placed bead that stands out in many ways.
Suddenly, Erne felt a pang of shame, as if that were her. Princess Gladys would have blended into the royal family without a trace of awkwardness. She would have proudly assumed this position, receiving everyone's love.
“I’ll take the picture now!”
The photographer's loud voice woke up Erna, who was growing increasingly depressed.
Erna, who had tightly shut her eyes as if to erase Gladys's name, opened them and straightened her posture to face the camera. After much thought, she gently lifted her heel. Just as she thought this was enough, a large hand pressed firmly on her shoulder. It was Bjorn.
Erna tried to hold on, but it wasn't easy to overcome his power. It would be best if she just pretended not to notice. He was acting so rudely today.
Erna finally gave up and lowered her heels. Only then did Bjorn smile, a smile both annoying and captivating.
"One."
The photographer, who had entered the black cloth, counted the numbers. Erna held her breath and faced the camera.
"Two."
She smiled as she moved a little closer to her husband, whom she could not hate.
"Three!"
The moment she lifted her chin slightly instead of her heel, bang, a flash went off.
The vast exhibition hall began to ripple with the cheers of the crowd that followed the white smoke that was dispersing.
After the opening ceremony, the VIPs began to freely tour the exhibition.
Erna followed her husband to the machinery section. As they passed the massive steam engine that powered the exhibition, the whirring, autonomous industrial machines came into view.
It was bizarre to see a lump of metal create all sorts of things, but Bjorn seemed quite pleased. What was the machine for? How did it work? How would it change the world? Most of the words were incomprehensible, but Erna listened intently. Bjorn seemed pleased, and Erna was pleased with that.
“These days, people make everything with machines.”
Erna frowned and muttered as she saw the music-making machine. A small machine called a gramophone was imitating the sounds of a piano. It was both fascinating and eerie. Judging by his decision to buy it, Bjorn must have had other intentions.
After examining a few more small machines, Bjorn led Erna to a telephone. It was said to be a device capable of communicating with people from very far away, but this, too, was beyond Erna's comprehension.
“Then can I talk to my grandmother too?”
Erna, who had been staring at the phone for a long time, asked a serious question. It was the first expression of interest she had shown since entering the machinery building.
“It’ll probably take some time to get the phone line up there.”
“Is that line essential?”
In response to Erna's disappointed question, Bjorn gave a curt nod. "I see," Erna muttered sullenly, no longer showing interest in the phone. Despite being shown such a wonderful world, her mind was filled with thoughts of the countryside, and she seemed quite bored.
Just as the tour was starting to get tedious, the two arrived at a typewriter company's booth. They were showcasing a new typewriter developed using Letzen's technology. Unlike Bjorn, who passed by without a second thought, Erna stood frozen in place, seemingly transfixed.
“Why? Are you thinking of becoming a typist?”
Bjorn turned and walked towards his wife.
“What is that?”
Erna, who had been staring intently at the salesperson demonstrating the typewriter, tilted her head and asked a question. While Bjorn remained dazed, unsure of where to begin, Erna returned her attention to the typewriter.
“The machine writes. And it does so quickly!”
Erna looked genuinely moved. The Grand Duchess was obsessed with a typewriter. Bjorn's gaze, fixed on this unfamiliar woman, was filled with interest.
The salesperson, seemingly determined not to miss this opportunity, offered to type. Bjorn, expecting Erna to decline, cautiously approached the typewriter and tapped a key. As the words printed on the paper, Erna smiled, as if she had just discovered what interest meant.
“It’s written, Bjorn!”
A surrendering smile burst from Bjorn's lips as he watched his wife rejoice as if it were the discovery of the century.
Erna, who finally smiled, was beautiful.
That would have been the point.
The royal procession weaved through the vast crowds toward the exhibition halls. The cheers of the people filling the boulevards and squares seemed to shake heaven and earth.
Erna, overwhelmed by the momentum, peered over the railing of the open carriage. The crowds she'd seen during the wedding parade had been dizzying, but the crowd gathered today must have been several times that. The number of royal guards escorting her had also increased, adding to the solemnity of the atmosphere.
Erna's gaze, wandering through the cavalry marching in step with the carriage, the flags of all nations hanging in every street, and the clear spring sky, stopped on the face of her husband sitting beside her. He looked composed, as if he were out enjoying a leisurely stroll. Prince Christian and Princess Greta, sitting across from her, were no different. It was a moment when she suddenly remembered who she had married and what kind of world she was living in.
Erna forced herself to catch her breath and sat up straight. She tried to raise her hand, but she couldn't muster the courage to say hello.
A year at most. The Prince's mistake. A poor replacement for Princess Gladys.
The endless barrage of self-criticism, pouring out day after day, loomed over the gathered crowd. Even if she tried not to listen, she could hear it, and even if she tried not to hold it in, the words pierced deep into her heart.
Erna, who had been hesitating, finally lowered her hand, unable to offer a greeting. She knew that among the seemingly endless crowd, none of the cheers would be directed at her.
Just as Erna's stiff smile became more natural, the carriage arrived at the riverside exhibition hall. A massive building, covered in arches of steel and glass, glittered with a dazzling dazzle. Awestruck by its scale and majesty, Erna drifted around, dazed, until she found herself sitting on a platform set up in the center of the exhibition hall. She was seated behind the King, who was giving a congratulatory address.
Erna swallowed hard and glanced around the exhibition hall. A long central aisle, starting from a fountain and a tall elm tree that seemed to reach the glass arch, was flanked by a series of exhibition halls. The opening ceremony was reportedly attended only by invited guests, but the sheer number of attendees was staggering, making it dizzying.
As Erna inspected the two-story exhibition halls, each with its own unique structure, she found herself exclaiming in awe. At that very moment, her eyes met with Princess Louise's, who had inadvertently turned her head. When Erna smiled awkwardly, Louise quietly sighed and averted her gaze.
Erna, who was watching her whispering something to her husband, turned her head away, feeling a little embarrassed.
Bjorn turned to the Crown Prince beside him, sitting down and conversing. Erna, who had been quietly observing his profile, shifted her gaze, a hint of cautious curiosity, to Leonid.
Madame Fitz repeatedly urged her not to confuse the two. Crown Prince Leonid would most likely wear glasses, but it wouldn't be wise to assume the one without them was Bjorn.
Looking at them from this close, she felt like she understood why Mrs. Fitz had been so concerned. Their appearances were so strikingly similar that it would have been difficult to tell them apart at a casual glance. While Erns was marveling at this fact, Leonid suddenly looked away.
Erna, who had no time to look away, met his gaze and swallowed dryly. Meanwhile, Bjorn also turned his head. Faced with the twins' faces, Erna blinked slowly, her eyes wide.
She was nervous that she would be met with another round of contempt, but thankfully, Leonid smiled without a trace of displeasure. At the same time, a faint smile appeared on Bjorn's lips.
Same but different.
Bjorn's gaze and smile were uniquely his. Erna was confident she could tell the two apart even without her glasses. Just as she smiled in pride, the standing crowd erupted in applause.
Erna, who had hurriedly risen from her seat following Bjorn, joined in the applause, feeling a bit dazed. The King's opening speech was about to begin.
***
King Philip III, renowned for his gifted oratory, opened the Schwerin Exhibition with a speech that drew a rapturous response. With the largest number of participating nations ever showcasing innovative technologies, the invited guests were all filled with anticipation. The Grand Duchess of Schwerin was particularly elated.
Bjorn looked down at his wife with a smile. Even as he struggled to maintain his dignity as a Grand Duchess, Erna's eyes sparkled with intense curiosity.
“Erna.”
When it was time for the commemorative photo, Bjorn quietly called his wife's name. Erna, who had been craning her neck to survey the exhibition halls on the second floor, stared at him in surprise.
The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Schwerin were the last to join the group for a photo opportunity. The composition featured the five siblings lined up around the King and Queen, who sat in the center. Erna was seated behind the Queen, next to Bjorn.
Erna, catching her breath and looking around, realized that the entire royal family had platinum-blonde hair. Princess Louise's husband, Duke Heine, also had blond hair, though it was a bit darker.
Come to think of it, Princess Gladys was like that, too.
The memory of the servants of Schwerin Palace whispering that, to maintain the platinum blonde hair that was the symbol of the Dniester royal family, they had preferred brides with the same hair color for generations overlapped.
'How can even a single hair not be worthy of the title?'
Erna suddenly realized that the fragments of someone's disapproving words had been deeply embedded in her heart. It was pathetic. She promised herself not to do that. Like an idiot.
Struggling to calm her anxiously racing heart, Erna once again studied the royal family. They all stood so tall. It felt like a single weed surrounded by a sapling tree.
A single, poorly placed bead that stands out in many ways.
Suddenly, Erne felt a pang of shame, as if that were her. Princess Gladys would have blended into the royal family without a trace of awkwardness. She would have proudly assumed this position, receiving everyone's love.
“I’ll take the picture now!”
The photographer's loud voice woke up Erna, who was growing increasingly depressed.
Erna, who had tightly shut her eyes as if to erase Gladys's name, opened them and straightened her posture to face the camera. After much thought, she gently lifted her heel. Just as she thought this was enough, a large hand pressed firmly on her shoulder. It was Bjorn.
Erna tried to hold on, but it wasn't easy to overcome his power. It would be best if she just pretended not to notice. He was acting so rudely today.
Erna finally gave up and lowered her heels. Only then did Bjorn smile, a smile both annoying and captivating.
"One."
The photographer, who had entered the black cloth, counted the numbers. Erna held her breath and faced the camera.
"Two."
She smiled as she moved a little closer to her husband, whom she could not hate.
"Three!"
The moment she lifted her chin slightly instead of her heel, bang, a flash went off.
The vast exhibition hall began to ripple with the cheers of the crowd that followed the white smoke that was dispersing.
***
After the opening ceremony, the VIPs began to freely tour the exhibition.
Erna followed her husband to the machinery section. As they passed the massive steam engine that powered the exhibition, the whirring, autonomous industrial machines came into view.
It was bizarre to see a lump of metal create all sorts of things, but Bjorn seemed quite pleased. What was the machine for? How did it work? How would it change the world? Most of the words were incomprehensible, but Erna listened intently. Bjorn seemed pleased, and Erna was pleased with that.
“These days, people make everything with machines.”
Erna frowned and muttered as she saw the music-making machine. A small machine called a gramophone was imitating the sounds of a piano. It was both fascinating and eerie. Judging by his decision to buy it, Bjorn must have had other intentions.
After examining a few more small machines, Bjorn led Erna to a telephone. It was said to be a device capable of communicating with people from very far away, but this, too, was beyond Erna's comprehension.
“Then can I talk to my grandmother too?”
Erna, who had been staring at the phone for a long time, asked a serious question. It was the first expression of interest she had shown since entering the machinery building.
“It’ll probably take some time to get the phone line up there.”
“Is that line essential?”
In response to Erna's disappointed question, Bjorn gave a curt nod. "I see," Erna muttered sullenly, no longer showing interest in the phone. Despite being shown such a wonderful world, her mind was filled with thoughts of the countryside, and she seemed quite bored.
Just as the tour was starting to get tedious, the two arrived at a typewriter company's booth. They were showcasing a new typewriter developed using Letzen's technology. Unlike Bjorn, who passed by without a second thought, Erna stood frozen in place, seemingly transfixed.
“Why? Are you thinking of becoming a typist?”
Bjorn turned and walked towards his wife.
“What is that?”
Erna, who had been staring intently at the salesperson demonstrating the typewriter, tilted her head and asked a question. While Bjorn remained dazed, unsure of where to begin, Erna returned her attention to the typewriter.
“The machine writes. And it does so quickly!”
Erna looked genuinely moved. The Grand Duchess was obsessed with a typewriter. Bjorn's gaze, fixed on this unfamiliar woman, was filled with interest.
The salesperson, seemingly determined not to miss this opportunity, offered to type. Bjorn, expecting Erna to decline, cautiously approached the typewriter and tapped a key. As the words printed on the paper, Erna smiled, as if she had just discovered what interest meant.
“It’s written, Bjorn!”
A surrendering smile burst from Bjorn's lips as he watched his wife rejoice as if it were the discovery of the century.
Erna, who finally smiled, was beautiful.
That would have been the point.
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