TTQI 17

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

Behind him, Pym was following, calling out to him desperately. However, Aion was so consumed by rage that he could not even hear his words. Aion, clenching both fists fiercely, made his eyes flash.

‘The Prince, how dare you act this way? Did you think I would be frightened by a mere wound like that? What? See blood? As if I would let that happen!’

“Your Majesty!”

Pym barely managed to catch up to the queen. He panted for breath and, in his haste, snatched at the hem of the queen’s clothes.

“Your Majesty, what will you do if you just leave! You are, for all intents and purposes, the host. The royal family has already left as it is… What if unnecessary rumors start because the main figure storms out like this…”

At that moment, Pym stopped speaking. Aion violently shook off Pym’s arm and glared at him as if to kill him. Just as the startled Pym froze on the spot, Aion’s stinging palm came flying. Slap! As Queen Aion struck Pym’s cheek, a loud, sharp sound, seemingly loud enough to be heard outside the castle, echoed, and Pym let out a single scream as he fell on his bottom. Aion turned his body once more and roared in a chilling voice.

“How dare a lowly creature grab his master’s clothes!”

Leaving Pym, who had a red handprint on his cheek and was on the verge of tears, Aion walked away nonchalantly. His heartless master did not even once look back at his pitiful servant. Pym, his face pale as a sheet, remained collapsed on the spot, hiccuping for a long while. Eventually, he clenched his jaw so hard it seemed his molars would break, then ran off in a random direction, away from where the queen had gone.

Meanwhile, there was a prince leaving the garden in another direction, his steps feeble. His pale complexion looked so precarious that anyone who saw him would have been horrified. He kept ruminating on the humiliation he had suffered at the banquet and his unbecoming behavior. As he belatedly recalled his father’s expression while looking at him, the thought of how disappointed his father must have been in him made regret torment him relentlessly. Why couldn’t he have just closed his eyes and smiled thoughtlessly? Why did he have to get so worked up over something like that?

There was only one thing that had gone wrong in his life, yet it felt as if everything was collapsing because of it. His reputation, trust, even his family’s love…

It was right at that moment, as the prince let out a heavy sigh, that he heard someone calling his name loudly.

“Your Highness, the Prince!”

As Zizlon lifted his head and turned, he saw a slender man waving his hand and running towards him from the distance. Observing the man’s face carefully, Zizlon recognized him as Marquis Yngsen, one of the guests invited to the Rose Banquet.

Marquis Yngsen, a young nobleman who had succeeded his title not long ago and the grandson of the former Chief Justice, was a young and passionate politician, considered a strong candidate for a major government post in the future and treated as a spokesman for the young nobility. Zizlon, puzzled as to why such a person would suddenly and urgently call him to a halt, stopped walking. Although they had a slight acquaintance, it was merely a formal social connection; they were not close enough to meet privately. Soon, Marquis Yngsen ran up to Zizlon, placed his hands on his waist, and panted to catch his breath.

“Sir, what is the matter?”

As Zizlon stared at him and asked, Marquis Yngsen straightened up and first looked around his surroundings. He seemed worried about prying eyes. Although no one was watching them at that moment, he could not be at ease since the nobles were gathered at the banquet hall nearby. The marquis asked.

“Your Highness, the Prince, could you perhaps spare me a moment?”

“It is not impossible, but… is it an urgent matter?”

“Yes… it is, in a way. If that is the case, may we move to another place for a moment?”

“Let us do so.”

Zizlon, filled with questions, followed Yngsen as he led him to a secluded area. After leaving the garden and heading to the vicinity of a quiet warehouse, Yngsen brought up the topic in a rather serious voice.

“Your Highness, the Prince, why were you absent from the last nobles’ council meeting?”

“Pardon? Ah, I was feeling unwell that day, so I missed it. Why do you ask?”

As was known, the prince had been refraining from non-essential gatherings after a certain incident with the queen. It was for no other reason than that he was reluctant to face people, especially his father. Because of this, Zizlon felt a pang of guilt upon hearing the marquis’s question. But there was no need to be afraid. Strictly speaking, his attendance at various meetings until now had been because he was passionate about state affairs, not because he had any obligation to do so. Therefore, since there was nothing he could be officially reprimanded for, Zizlon was simply curious about Marquis Yngsen’s intentions.

Upon hearing his words, Yngsen looked around restlessly, as if he were frustrated and in a predicament. Then, as if being chased, he hurriedly continued.

“Then do you know that His Majesty, the Queen, participated in the meeting?”

“Pardon? The queen?”

As Zizlon’s voice grew louder without him realizing it, Yngsen urgently signaled for him to lower his voice. Zizlon fell silent, but he was confused. It was strictly against the law for the queen to interfere in state affairs. Even if the queen had tried to do so, the strict officials and his father would never have allowed it. Zizlon, doubting what he had just heard, asked.

“Was His Majesty, the King, also present?”

“Of course. In fact, His Majesty, the King, personally escorted the queen to the meeting hall. And that is not all! He even permitted the queen to speak freely under his supervision. I was trying to ask you, Your Highness, what on earth is going on. But seeing you now, it seems you know nothing about this.”

“……”

At such astonishing news, Zizlon’s mind went blank. He could not believe that a matter of such importance had not reached his ears until now. He was a prince who had been interested in state affairs since coming of age and had a thorough knowledge of news from both inside and outside the country.

But the prince knew better than anyone why he had become this way. It was because he had recently turned his back on all matters, big and small, under the pretext of doubting his own worth. Afraid of facing the king, he had been absent from various meetings, official events, and even meals where political views were exchanged.

Realizing this, Zizlon was quite shocked. The impact felt like a blow to the head, and Zizlon let out an unwitting groan.

“And you, Marquis, what made you decide to tell me this story?”

“It is because I felt a sense of crisis during the nobles’ council meeting that day. That day, a trial was held to decide the punishment for my cousin, Sir Jil, who is imprisoned on our estate. The charge was that he coveted family territory and stirred up trouble. It may be improper for me to say as the one who was attacked, but are territorial disputes among family members not a common occurrence? I captured him, but I expected a penalty of a fine at most. After all, there is also the justification they speak of, however absurd. But that day, unexpectedly, he was ordered to have his title revoked.”

“That certainly is an excessive punishment.”

“But in my opinion, His Majesty would never have made such a decision. I apologize if this is an excessive fantasy, but no matter how I think about it, I cannot shake the feeling that the queen was involved in some way.”

“Hmm…”

Zizlon groaned, lost in serious thought. Could it be? His father? He still could not believe it. The father Zizlon knew was not someone whose judgment could be swayed by another’s silver tongue. Was he not the adult he respected and looked up to more than anyone? But it was unlikely that Yngsen would concoct a lie that would be so easily exposed.

In the first place, the fact that his father had allowed the queen’s participation was not like him. A sense of foreboding made Zizlon feel a chill run down his spine. He felt a sense of duty to confirm the facts as soon as possible.

Yngsen said.

“To be honest, I have not suffered any disadvantages yet. But I am telling you this out of an abundance of caution. As one patriot who worries for the country, I felt a sense of duty to tell you about this, Your Highness. Protecting the honor of the royal family is the same as protecting Yonaras.”

“There will not be two men as loyal as you in this country, Yngsen.”

“You praise me too highly. I have been carefully watching how the situation unfolds since that day, and today, I noticed that the relationship between you, Your Highness, and the queen seemed somewhat significant. If His Majesty, the King, has been bewitched by his evil grasp, I believe you, Your Highness, are the only one we can trust.”

While the prince admired Yngsen’s character, he sternly rebuked him when he made a remark questioning the king’s judgment.

“Refrain from remarks that doubt His Majesty, the King, Sir. I, too, am His Majesty’s loyal subject. However, I understand your actions. In the future, if there are any such suspicious matters, please feel free to discuss them with me. I will, of course, guarantee your secrecy.”

Yngsen bowed deeply, greatly moved.

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

“Not at all. In any case, let us part ways now. It does us no good to talk for so long. Regardless of the truth, if we are seen by someone, it could lead to seditious rumors.”

“As you command. If there is any new information, please let me know.”

“I will. Now, you may return.”

“I understand. May God’s blessing be with Your Highness.”

The marquis, after a deep bow, disappeared with quick steps. After sending him off, Zizlon stood in place for a while, lost in thought.

‘Could it be? His Majesty? That cannot be. He is someone who has always rendered judgment with fairness and justice….’

Zizlon was confused. But even so, the prevailing thought was that it was probably nothing serious, because of what he had seen and heard as a family member who knew the king best. For now, he surmised that the king must have his own reasons.

But it was also true that he was bewildered. He had been so preoccupied with avoiding the king and hiding his own feelings from him that he had never thought the king might be hiding something from him. This was quite a disconcerting matter.

Since coming of age, Zizlon had been the king’s closest advisor and most trusted political partner. The king always asked for the prince’s opinion whenever he made a politically important decision and always respected his opinion. That he had not given him a single hint about a matter significant enough to bring the queen to a meeting was quite difficult to understand.

‘This will not do. I must have an audience with my father tonight.’

The prince, reminded anew of how negligent he had been, made a belated resolution. Instincts were sounding a loud alarm in his head. That sense of crisis, for the first time in a while, cooled and calmed the prince’s mind. He had already forgotten the sickening scent of roses and the illusion of blood. Ironically, the prince felt like he had returned to himself for the first time in a very long time.

It was that night. Zizlon went to his father’s room. Passing by the familiar stairs and corridors, he was soaked in an unexpected sentiment. He felt ashamed when he realized it had been a long time since he had come here. Although only a few months had passed, the entire scenery felt alien, as if he had come to a different place.

‘To think I have neglected my family this much, no matter how hard it was.’

Reaching the door to the king’s office, Zizlon had a servant announce his visit. The servant went inside for a moment, then returned with the king’s permission and opened the door. Zizlon entered the king’s office. Inside the room, brightly lit by candles, the king was looking over a document. After a brief exchange of greetings with his eyes with the chief chamberlain standing behind him, Zizlon politely bowed to the king.

“What is it?”

The king asked without taking his eyes off the document.

“It is nothing much, I have stopped by because there is something I wish to ask you.”

“Speak.”

“As for the nobles’ council meeting held the other day…”

At the prince’s words, the king, who had stopped his pen, set it down on the floor and raised his face. His expression was somewhat bleak. While the king clasped his hands together and stared at him with cold eyes, Zizlon continued to speak.

“Is it true that the queen was in attendance?”

The moment the queen was mentioned, the king’s wrinkled brow twitched, but it was such a fleeting moment that the prince did not see it. To his eyes, the king looked unexpectedly composed. The king retorted in a blunt voice.

“So, have you come to protest that?”

“Hearing you say that, it must be true that the queen attended.”

The prince could not hide his surprise.

“That is correct. Are you dissatisfied with that?”

“Rather than being dissatisfied… why did you do so? As you know… it is against the code for the queen to interfere in politics. Have you not always been sensitive about such things?”

The king spoke with a sigh, as if the prince was worrying over something unnecessary.

“Hah, I called him for a reason. The queen was a referent witness that day. I called him myself as there was something to ask.”

“A referent witness, you say? Are you talking about the trial that day?”

“That is correct.”

The prince’s expression grew even more quizzical.

“As I understand it, was it not a matter of the marquisate’s territory? Why was the queen, who does not have so much as a speck of land in Yonaras, let alone a single acquaintance with Sir Yngsen, a referent witness?”

“The trial held that day was to judge Jil, Yngsen’s cousin. I called him because a need arose to dispose of that man, and you do not need to know the details.”

“I… do not need to know?”

Zizlon’s expression became strange. He was surprised by the king’s phrasing.

The king sighed once more, as if he were annoyed and bothered.

The prince, hiding his bewilderment, glanced around and saw the chief chamberlain standing with an uncomfortable expression. In that moment, Zizlon found his presence awkward. A third party being present in a conversation between family members. With the thought of having a more intimate conversation between father and son, Zizlon suggested to his father.

“Your Majesty, would you not speak with me, your son, alone?”

The chief chamberlain, knowing this was a roundabout way of asking him to leave, prepared to move. But at that moment, the king clicked his tongue loudly, as if for him to hear.

“What conversation? Is there more to say?”

“I…”

For a moment, Zizlon stammered in his confusion. The chief chamberlain, who had been cautiously observing the situation between the stern father and the frozen son, took his leave with a bow, even though he had not been given a separate order. Using the judgment he had honed over his dozen or so years of service as a chamberlain, he took all the other chamberlains in the room with him as he left.

Zizlon was left alone with his father as he had intended, but the king’s displeased attitude was extremely uncomfortable. Had his father ever, in his entire life, refused an intimate conversation between father and son?

However, Zizlon asked again with patience. The king maintained his annoyed attitude.

“He was suspected of colluding with the royal family of Gerta, so I cut off the seditious sprout as soon as possible. A good pretext came up, so I used it. Make sure you are the only one who knows of this. Is that clear?”

“Are you saying that man and Gerta were plotting something?”

“That is correct.”

“What was it?”

“It is not known.”

“Pardon?”

Zizlon was so dumbfounded that he ended up asking back foolishly.

The more Zizlon heard of the king’s intentions, the more questions coiled in his mind. It was because he could not understand the flow of thought connecting one incident to another. Although it sounded preposterous at first, Zizlon still thought it must have stemmed from a lack of conversation. If they had talked enough, he would have been able to understand his father’s deep intentions. As he had been so negligent in his conversations with the king, it was only natural that everything was new to Zizlon’s ears. Zizlon could only blame himself for the gap in communication he was keenly feeling.

In any case, Zizlon soothed himself like this, because he had to believe that he simply did not understand the king’s deep meaning. If not, it would feel as if the king had punished an innocent man by presenting an absurd conspiracy theory.

Surely, that could not be. His father was the wise leader he respected most in the world. Zizlon blamed himself for not being able to grasp the king’s will and patiently continued the conversation with his father.

“When you say it is not known… surely there must have been something?”

“We have not determined what those men were plotting, but the circumstantial evidence was certain, so I made that decision.”

“Please tell me, your son, what that circumstantial evidence is. And how is the queen connected to it?”

“Do you know that the man’s maternal relatives are prestigious nobles of Gerta?”

“Certainly… that was the case.”

“Recently, intelligence was gathered that Gerta has forgotten its place and is watching for an opportunity to rebel. In the middle of that, that man suddenly started running around Vethren and causing trouble. I believed the two matters were definitely connected.”

“Then how did you know that Gerta was harboring other thoughts?”

“There were circumstances to suggest it.”

“So what exactly are those circumstances? And how is the queen involved? Please explain.”

Out of frustration, the prince’s voice momentarily rose. At the prince’s rudeness, the king’s eyebrows shot up, and Zizlon, unable to hold back, revealed his resentful feelings. He pleaded carefully in a lamenting tone.

“Have you not always confided in me, your son, without hiding anything? Why do you act as if talking to me is… a bother? Forgive my impudence, but… you do not seem like your usual self today, Father.”

“What did you say?”

At that moment, the king slammed his fist on the desk. Thump. The startled Zizlon’s shoulders flinched upwards.

The king placed his tightly clenched fist on the desk and, as if he had been waiting for this moment, began to glare at him murderously. At the sudden change in atmosphere, Zizlon’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit’s. A chilling voice followed from the king.

“Since when have you been raising your voice so carelessly to your superior? Lately, you have been neglecting your studies and have been busy running around outside the palace. Have you now forgotten your manners as well?”

“Th-that’s… that is not it.”

“I am the one who does not understand you lately. You always conducted yourself in an exemplary and proper manner. How could I have thought you would suddenly get a late taste for rebellion and be busy playing around? Did you think I did not know that you have been riding your horse out of the domain almost every day? What on earth have you been doing!”

Just as he was frozen, at a loss for words at the king’s accusation, a thought flashed through his mind as he quietly listened to the furiously angry king. The prince was momentarily captivated by that thought and, without realizing it, let it slip out of his mouth.

“Could it be… that the circumstances… were told to you by the queen?”

“……”

The king’s voice stopped abruptly.

When there was no answer, Zizlon’s expression hardened gravely. The king’s reaction turned what had been a suspicion into an established fact. Zizlon stared at his father’s serious face as if he could not believe it.

“To let the queen meddle in politics with his sly words like that… is this not a perfect case of interference in state affairs!”

“How dare you! How dare you speak of your mother that way!”

The king flew into a rage, kicking his chair and standing up. The pushed-back chair fell over with a thud. However, Zizlon, even with his face pale, did not back down and continued to press him.

“In that case, was the idea that Sir Jil’s actions were part of the Gerta royal family’s scheme also something the queen said?”

“The queen, the queen, how noisy you are. Instead of protecting your mother, you are desperate to find fault with him! Are you not afraid that the queen will gain my trust and have more power than you?”

“It is not finding fault, is it? Anyone would say this is wrong.”

“Anyone? And who is this anyone? Is it the faction that seeks to slander the queen?”

“Pardon?”

One thing after another. The prince’s mouth fell open at the utterly absurd outburst. Whether he knew what his son was thinking or not, the king, burning with rage, strode out from his seat. He confidently accused the prince, as if he had no awareness that he was spouting a preposterous conspiracy theory. The prince was confused. This person was not the father he knew. The father who always judged with cool-headedness and reason was expressing such an irrational anger.

“……”

The atmosphere was frigid. The king, who had stood up and was glaring at the prince as if he would grab him by the collar at any moment, maintained his silence for a long while, then at some point, murmured in a spine-chillingly low voice.

“Actually, I have heard stories, not infrequently, for some time now that you and the queen are excessively close.”

It was a gloomy and ominous voice he had never heard in his life. Zizlon, already overwhelmed by his father’s anger, was startled and blinked his eyes. An unbearably nauseating feeling churned in his stomach.

“…Suddenly, what are you…”

Zizlon stammered back a question. His solar plexus and cheeks were hot with bewilderment and tension. Could it be? Could his relationship with the queen have been discovered? The blood in his entire body felt as if it were turning to ice.

The king, watching him fluster, pressed him in a grim voice.

“Could it be that you… dare to covet your new mother?”

“Pardon…? Th-that is absurd!”

Zizlon was aghast at the king’s ridiculous suspicion. But it was clear the king had no intention of even listening to what he had to say. As soon as Zizlon refuted, the king began to roar as if the world were ending.

“Whenever people whispered that the relationship between you and the queen was suspicious, I always defended it, saying it was a strong friendship! But look at yourself today. You repay trust with betrayal. Since when did a subject dare to lay a hand on his lord’s consort? Brazenly exchanging glances in front of everyone, disgracefully rubbing skin against each other, and acting so insolently! I could no longer bear to watch you run wild! And then you come to me at night like this, whining that I should not treat the queen well! Does it bother you so much that he receives my favor? Does your own father mean nothing to you now?”

The enraged king grabbed a random object from his desk and threw it at him, and Zizlon was hit in the chest by a pen. So utterly shocked, Zizlon stood frozen as if overwhelmed. His mind could not process the situation correctly, and his understanding was slow.

‘What on earth is happening?’

—Could this man really be his father? The thorough and meticulous leader he had respected so much? The father he remembered had always been strict, but he had respect and trust for his family, and he loathed emotion and revered reason. He was a man who believed that all political decisions required cool-headed reason. But what was he now? He was like… a common, ugly man, blinded by love and mired in jealousy.

Even while the prince was lost in confusion, the king continued to rage. It seemed as though the suspicions and resentment he had been suppressing had exploded all at once.

“To begin with, was it really because you were sick that you kept being absent from your schedule? To my eyes, you look perfectly fine. Is it not true that that was just a flimsy excuse, and you were chasing after the queen?”

“That is not true!”

“If that is the case, then how exactly were you sick? What kind of illness did you have that you could not move when it came to it, but you can walk around perfectly fine like this when you need to?”

“Th-that is…!”

“Bessang, Sir Bessang!”

The pitiful Zizlon could say nothing. Because although he was upright, he was not innocent. In the first place, even if he had confessed the truth as it was, it would have only worsened the situation.

Of course, the king did not know of his son’s miserable state. When the prince dragged his words and could not answer readily, the king’s suspicion and anger burned even more intensely. The king, his anger having reached its peak, shouted for his attendant indiscriminately. As the attendant, who had rushed over at the king’s roar, bowed his head, the king commanded in a shrill voice.

“Drag the prince to his room! And do not let him take a single step out for seven days! Give him only bread and water, and do not let any servants in!”

The horrified Zizlon cried out in a desperate voice.

“Your Majesty!”

“Be quiet! I am greatly disappointed in you today! I command you to be confined as punishment for daring to raise your voice to your sovereign! Cool your head in your room and reflect on what you have done wrong! Sir Bessang, drag him away at once!”

“Your Highness, follow me!”

Bessang, the captain of the royal guard, roughly grabbed his arm, and the dazed prince was dragged out without even a chance to resist. Even as he was being dragged away, he cried out pitifully, “Your Majesty, Your Majesty,” as if repeating the words, but his voice did not reach the king. Zizlon, dragged out like a piece of luggage, quickly disappeared behind the door.

After removing the prince, who had provoked his anger, from his sight, the king clutched his forehead and gasped for breath. Perhaps due to his sudden agitation, a wave of dizziness washed over him, and he hastily placed his hand on the desk to support himself. The king, who was leaning on the desk, raised a trembling hand a moment later. Rummaging through a drawer, what he took out was an scented candle the queen had made.

He personally lit the scented candle. Soon, as the fire blazed, the deep fragrance of the scented candle filled the room. The king, smelling the scent personally blended by the queen, gradually felt his heart calm down. He let out a sigh, stroking his chest. As he inhaled the sweet fragrance, he felt as if he could hear the queen’s soft voice in his head.

「Your Majesty, you may seem thorough and meticulous, but you are actually a very innocent person. That is why I worry about you, my kind and gentle one.」

It was something the queen had said once. Whether it was because of the scented candle or because he heard in his imagination the comfort he most wanted to hear right now, his heart became much more at ease. However, as a side effect, if you could call it that, he found himself missing his lovely queen desperately. The king called for Renard again in a listless voice. At that, Renard, who had been waiting outside the room, appeared quietly. To him, who was bowing his head politely, the king waved his hand limply. It was a sign to come closer. Renard went to the king and put his ear to his lips.

“Let us go to the queen,” he whispered in a voice that seemed as if it would go out.

Concern clouded Renard’s old face.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?”

“I am fine… let us go to the queen at once.”

“I understand.”

Several servants clung to him as he could barely hold himself up. Like a plant following the sun, the king continued to seek the queen desperately, and with the support of his servants, he decided on a procession in the middle of the night.

It was the same day, right after the ‘Aion Sisi Fiaga’ had ended. The banquet was over, and Ade, who had seen off the guests as they left one by one, was leaving the rose garden. Today, he had gone to great lengths all day to liven up the somehow gloomy atmosphere. The decorative armor that had earned him the nickname ‘Knight of the Roses’ now felt heavy and tiring. He was hurrying his steps with the sole thought of quickly returning, taking off his armor, and resting. It was at that moment. He stopped in his tracks upon hearing someone’s sobbing.

How could the Knight of Romance, Villeneuve, pass by someone’s weeping? He immediately followed the sound, parting the bushes to go to where the sound was coming from, and a scene with a strange sense of déjà vu unfolded. A servant in white clothes was curled up wretchedly in the bushes where people did not pass. The queen’s servant, who he thought was named Pym, had buried his face in his hands and was weeping sorrowfully, hiccup, hiccup.

“Pym?”

Ade called his name inadvertently, and Pym raised his head reflexively. Seeing Pym’s face, Ade could not help but be startled. A bright red handprint remained viciously on his fair cheek. Pym, noticing that Ade was looking at his cheek, was startled and quickly covered it. At that, Ade parted the grass and strode towards where he was.

“D-don’t come here.”

Pym was frightened as Ade’s presence, along with the clanking sound of his armor, drew near in an instant. He resisted pitifully, his voice still full of tears. Regardless, Ade, who had approached him as he pleased, knelt on one knee in front of him. Then, without hesitation, he reached out his hand to touch Pym’s cheek. At this, Pym hurriedly hid his cheek and refused.

“Don’t.”

Then Pym flinched. At some point, he realized that Villeneuve’s body was very close. In the splendid attire that the noble ladies praised so much, his handsome face, with his brow slightly furrowed, looked serious, unlike his usual self, and exuded a charm that was almost dangerous. Once he realized it, they were so close their faces could touch at any moment, and the surprised Pym felt his heart pound.

‘Oh my?’

Villeneuve asked with a rather serious face.

“What is this mark? Who hit you?”

Normally, he would have denied it, but perhaps bewitched by the man’s beauty, Pym answered feebly.

“My… my master…”

“If he is your master, is he not His Majesty, the Queen? He hit you so harshly like this?”

Ade’s expression, which had been surprised for a moment, hardened completely. Seeing that, the guilty Pym quickly shook his head.

“No, it’s because I did something wrong.”

“Even if you did something so wrong, would he slap you hard enough for it to swell up like this? Your master is much harsher than he looks.”

“Don’t talk like that!”

Pym snapped and raised his voice. Queen Aion was a frightening person, but still, he was the only master he could rely on in a distant foreign country. Hearing his master being criticized, he momentarily forgot his fear in a surge of emotion and talked back.

“What do you know to say such things! His Majesty is a good person. I’m the one who did something wrong!”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. Don’t insult my master in front of me.”

“Alright, I’m sorry. I misspoke.”

But unexpectedly, Villeneuve readily admitted his fault. As he apologized obediently with a serious expression, Pym, who had spoken out in a fit of anger, finally felt a pang of guilt. And he belatedly realized that he had fearlessly shouted and talked back to a high-ranking nobleman. For a moment, his heart sank. This is bad, what if he tries to cut off my head for being rude?

However, contrary to his worries, Villeneuve seemed to have no intention of punishing him. Villeneuve, who he thought would get angry right away, was merely looking at Pym quietly. Eventually, Pym inadvertently lowered his hand, fully revealing the red handprint.

Villeneuve looked at the mark for a moment and clicked his tongue softly. “Where is there to hit on this tiny little thing,” he muttered under his breath.

“—Since you say it was your fault, I won’t say anything, but it looks like it will swell badly, won’t it?”

“……”

“I can get you treatment if you want.”

Pym, now frightened, kept his mouth shut. Ade waited for him to answer, but when the other party showed no sign of opening his mouth, he spoke again.

“Well, if you don’t want it, do as you please. It’s none of my business. Still, it would be good to rub something cold on it. If you don’t want to walk around with an ugly mark for a while.”

“……”

“Hmm, you were shouting so fiercely just a moment ago, and now you’ve suddenly become mute.”

Ade chuckled. Only after seeing his smile did Pym answer in a barely audible voice.

“…I’m… I’m alright.”

“Alright.”

Perhaps his words about not interfering were not empty, as he immediately stood up as soon as he heard Pym’s answer. Leaving Pym, who was staring at him blankly, Ade roughly adjusted his scabbard and was ready to leave right away. Pym asked without realizing it.

“Are… are you leaving?”

“Didn’t you say you’d handle it yourself?”

At that moment, Villeneuve turned around with his handsome face and smiled playfully, and for some reason, Pym’s face turned beet red. Annoyingly, Villeneuve looked at that beet-red face as if he found it amusing. Then, he let out a soft “Ah” as if he had remembered something and searched his pockets. Soon, a luxurious handkerchief appeared in his hand. It had splendid embroidery on it, perhaps a gift from some lady.

“If you don’t want to show your cheek, I can help you cover it. It’s a handkerchief. It will be better if you put it under your eye.”

The frozen Pym did not hold out his hand, but Ade, who had walked up briskly, made a point of dropping it into Pym’s hand. Since it would be awkward to drop it on the ground, Pym reluctantly took the gently falling handkerchief in his hand.

“Well then, I wish you luck.”

And the knight unilaterally left his parting words and turned around abruptly. Then, the rustling sound of leaves being parted was heard, and by the time Pym raised his head, he was already gone.

Pym, left alone with a single handkerchief, sat there dazed for a while as if possessed. To suddenly approach and interfere in someone else’s business, and then to leave abruptly without either punishing or taking care of him. He was truly an incomprehensible person. He was dumbfounded, wondering what he was thinking.

‘Really, what kind of person is he?’

Pym, without even realizing he had stopped crying, stared at the handkerchief for a long time with a frown.

The prince, who had returned to his room as if chased out by the king, paced the room anxiously. He called out to the king from outside the door a few times, but only the cold voice of a soldier saying that the king had ordered his confinement returned. He tried pushing the door just in case, but it did not budge. It seemed something had been used to lock the handle from outside the room. The prince let out a bitter laugh.

Putting aside the futile attempt to escape the room and see the king, Zizlon decided to reflect calmly. For now, the king’s anger was fierce, so it would be better to sleep for the night and hope his mood would calm down the next day. Zizlon sat on the edge of the bed and recalled the conversation he had with Yngsen right before his audience with the king.

At the news that he was soon going to meet the king, Marquis Yngsen said with a rather solemn expression.

「Your Highness, the Prince, the queen is a witch.」

Contrary to his solemn expression, what came out was a statement almost like a child’s fantasy, so the prince was confused as to whether he should laugh or get angry.

「If you are being serious, I do not believe in such absurd superstitions. Things like witches, dragons, and sorcerers.」

「I know it sounds preposterous, but you must heed my words.」

Yngsen looked around once more, then put his hand to his mouth and whispered.

「When you speak with His Majesty, you may not be able to have a proper conversation.」

「What do you mean by that? Marquis, you had best watch your words.」

「I do not mean to criticize His Majesty! But, please do not misunderstand and listen. What I mean is that His Majesty may have already been brainwashed by that man’s wicked sorcery.」

「Absurd!」

Zizlon snorted loudly.

「Marquis, I did not take you for such a person. Were you someone who believed in such ridiculous superstitions?」

As he showed a blatantly displeased expression, Yngsen hurriedly made an excuse.

「I did not believe it at first either. Your Highness, I will not go into details as it could be considered an act of treason, but the rumors circulating these days are very ominous. Among them, there is a story that the queen performs secret Komnena sorcery within the castle. Would such words come out of nowhere? I, of course, also hope that these concerns are groundless rumors. But if by any chance you feel something is amiss, please try to be suspicious. Must we not always assume the worst?」

Zizlon reluctantly nodded, but until he parted with the marquis and entered the office, he did not consider his advice important in the slightest. On the contrary, he had only suspected Marquis Yngsen’s character, wondering if he lacked discernment and had been deceived by wicked fanatics.

However, after having a direct audience with the king, Zizlon’s attitude changed considerably. It was because he himself, and no one else, had witnessed the king’s bizarre behavior.

The ominous rumors circulating within the castle, the queen’s unknowable actions, the king’s changed appearance overnight, and the notorious Komnena sorcery.

‘Come to think of it… haven’t I also been strange in some way?’

Zizlon, sitting on the edge of the bed, placed a hand on his forehead quite seriously. Thinking back, had he not also experienced strange things lately that could not be explained logically? His body, which had changed to be like a woman’s, his overly sensitive senses. Zizlon had believed all of this was simply his own lewd nature. But which was more plausible? A monstrous body that changes simply because it has slept with a man, and a Komnena sorcerer who casts wicked spells on those around him.

“Haaaah…”

Zizlon hurriedly shook his head. He had almost been tempted by a foolish fantasy. At a glance, all the contexts seemed to fit, but it was not wise to blindly believe such a dangerous thought in an instant. He knew he was in a state of confusion, and at times like these, he could become emotional, so he thought he should refrain from making judgments.

The prince decided to focus only on the current situation for now and think about it slowly after a night’s sleep. If he had to be locked alone in his room for seven days, would he not have more than enough time to think? Furthermore, since the king himself had ordered that no one be let in, there would be no occasion to sleep with the queen.

‘Yes, that’s right. That is good news.’

The thought that he was liberated from the queen, who had tormented him every single day for the past dozens of days, momentarily made him feel good. Yes, let’s think positively. He did not know whether the king would withdraw the confinement order or not, but even if he did not, it could be a honey-like rest that had come to him after a long time.

One thing that bothered him was Collins and Mona, who would be waiting for his visit. If only he could send a note saying he could not visit for a while.

“I will have to ask a soldier tomorrow.”

Then, Zizlon prepared for bed with a much lighter heart. His heart was heavy and his mind was complicated, but just the fact that he did not have to see the queen for a day made him feel considerably better.

The next day. Ade, who had woken up as usual and was preparing to go to work, heard from his servant that the prince had incurred the king’s wrath the previous night and had been locked in his room.

Zizlon was usually so exemplary, and he had a blind tendency to go through fire and water to meet the king’s expectations, so at first, Ade treated the story as a rumor. But his servants clamored that the story was rampant within the castle. They insisted it could not be wrong because they had heard it directly from a servant who worked in the castle, and that his colleague had even seen the prince being dragged away.

Ade left his quarters half-believing, half-doubting, but the subordinate soldiers he met on the way told him that an order had been given last night to guard the front of the prince’s room. Although the order was given to the 1st Royal Guard, a soldier from the 2nd Royal Guard who was present had seen the order being given.

It was truly unexpected, but at this point, Ade had no choice but to believe it. Ade was quite bewildered, and also worried. He had no idea what had happened. But, one thing was certain for now: his stuffy friend must be very heartbroken. He was a guy who thought the sky was falling if he made even a small mistake and tried desperately with the sole determination not to disappoint his father’s expectations. How surprised must he have been to be scolded by the king to his face and receive such a punishment on top of that? Moreover, he was a guy who had literally ‘never’ been scolded by the king in his entire life. It would be a relief if he had not spent the night crying. Therefore, Ade felt a sense of duty as his closest friend to comfort him. After looking around the domain early in the morning, Ade took some time to write a note.

[To get into a fight with your father at your age and be locked in your room, anyone who doesn’t know you would think you’re a ten-year-old kid. Well, just think of it as getting scolded now for what you didn’t get as a child. It’s something everyone goes through, so don’t take it seriously, baby. —From your life sunbae, Ade Villeneuve, who was once chased out naked in the middle of winter.]

The truth was that he had almost been kicked out naked in the middle of winter not when he was a snot-nosed kid, but only three or four years ago, and it was because he had gotten entangled in a love affair and had been caught by his father, but Ade decided to leave that part out.

He carefully folded the note, which anyone could see was more of a tease than a comfort, and headed towards the castle with the intention of slipping it under the crack of the door. With his privilege as a member of the Royal Guard, Ade was confident he could penetrate the tight security. Therefore, he climbed the stairs with light steps and without any particular thought, but as he entered the corridor where the prince’s room was, he saw a soldier standing at the entrance. He was a soldier belonging to the 1st Royal Guard, wearing a surcoat of red and white with silver embroidery. The soldier, with a stern expression befitting the king’s closest soldier, stopped Ade.

“Halt there, Sir Villeneuve. Where are you going?”

‘More of a fuss than I thought,’ Ade thought. Then he retorted with a straight face.

“Hmm, I’m just passing by. Why are you guarding an empty corridor?”

“The only thing inside here is His Highness, the Prince’s, bedroom. If you have come to see His Highness, the Prince, please turn back. By order of His Majesty, the King, no one may see the prince for a while.”

“So that news was true. He was ordered to be confined?”

“If you are going to see the prince, please turn back.”

“Hmm.”

Ade stood for a moment and pondered what to do. He had not expected them to be so strict. All he had to do was slip in the note in his hand, but it did not seem like this seemingly rigid soldier would obediently let him pass, and if he were to push past him, there were several more soldiers behind him. Since there was no other way, he would have to hope the soldier would permit it. Having come to that conclusion, Ade put on his kindest smile.

“You’re working really hard. But…”

“Do you have business?”

“Could you just do me one favor? It’s an urgent matter. I’m not asking for much, I just need to deliver this note to the prince.”

Ade waved the note for the soldier to see, and as soon as the soldier saw the note, he shook his head firmly.

“I cannot. It is His Majesty’s order.”

“I told you it’s nothing special. We’re comrades working in the same castle, can’t you overlook something like this?”

“Sir Villeneuve and we are of strictly different units. And even if our captain were to come, he would not permit it. It is a strict royal command.”

“……”

He had hoped, but it was a failure as expected. There was really no flexibility to be found. He was an opponent that seemed as if a needle would not even go in if you poked him. He did not know how the atmosphere could be so different when they were both in the Royal Guard. Ade smacked his lips with a smack and put the note back. Since there was no other way, it would be better to offer comfort after the confinement was over.

“Then I’ll just ask one thing. How long is the confinement?”

“It is for seven days. If you have business, please come after that.”

“That long? Anyway, I understand.”

“No notes before then either!”

“I said I got it! Keep up the good work!”

Ade gave the somehow annoying soldier a glare and turned his body. He felt disappointed, but he was not so childish as to throw a tantrum over something he could not do. He, too, as a vassal, knew very well how strict the king’s orders were.

But just as he was about to turn out of the corridor, Ade came face to face with an unexpected person. Ade, who recognized the other person first, stopped walking, and the other person, who was walking gracefully with his hands modestly folded as usual, also stopped upon seeing him. The person who had just entered the corridor was none other than Queen Aion. The attendant who always accompanied him was with him as well.

“Your Majesty.”

First, Ade politely bowed. Pym, who had spotted him, was startled as if he had seen a ghost and quickly hid behind the queen. The queen asked calmly.

“What brings Sir Villeneuve here?”

“I came to see His Highness, the Prince, but I am told he cannot see anyone.”

Ade pointed behind him for the queen, who was probably in the same situation as him. There, soldiers were controlling passersby with their eyes wide open. The queen also glanced at them. Ade jeered and whispered so the soldiers could not hear.

“They are so disciplined that they probably will not allow Your Majesty either. If you have come to see His Highness, the Prince, that is.”

Ade was being kind, but Aion did not seem to be paying much attention to his words. Instead, as soon as Ade finished speaking, he asked again what his business was. Since it was not something to hide, Ade took out the piece of paper he had in his sleeve and showed it to him.

“I was trying to deliver this.”

“Is it something important?”

“It is not. But they would not allow it, so I was just giving up and leaving.”

Ade shrugged. The queen, for some reason, stared intently at Ade. Then, he suddenly held out his hand. Ade looked down at the queen’s pale white palm with a bewildered expression. To him, who was puzzled, the queen said.

“Give it to me. I will deliver it for you.”

“…Do you have a way to deliver it?”