Chapter 26
“If things become clearer, it won’t be too late to talk about it then.”
“…I understand.”
Verotin readily agreed.
With a sense of relief, another headache surged.
Though she sat nonchalantly, the shock halted her train of thought.
Was it okay to proceed with her plans like this? She wasn’t sure.
‘Suddenly, an unexpected child… when I already have so much on my mind…’
Yet, she didn’t resent the child in her womb.
It was undoubtedly something to be happy about, but why did her chest feel so tight? Since her return, there had been few instances where she felt genuinely happy.
No, upon reflection, she had been more inclined to despair before fully embracing happiness.
She gently rubbed her belly.
This caused everything to shake.
Was leaving here the right thing to do out of her own desires?
Perhaps there was a way to resolve things through conversation.
Letitia shivered all over.
Hadn’t she just lied to Arden to leave this place? Yet now, simply because she was pregnant, her feelings seemed to change.
It would be better to leave from an unhappy place than to raise a child in an unhappy environment. It would be better for the child, too.
“Make a pact with me. Promise me you won’t tell anyone.”
“I understand. Unless there’s a situation where I absolutely cannot keep silent, I won’t speak a word.”
Only now did Letitia feel reassured.
Verotin was not one to lie, so as long as she was here, he wouldn’t speak first.
***
Arden was troubled by Letitia’s peculiar smile.
Curious about her thoughts, he followed her lead, but the unease engulfing him didn’t easily dissipate.
“Your Majesty, Verotin has examined the Queen.”
Raymond’s words narrowed Arden’s brow.
She was always like this, creating things he didn’t know about behind the scenes.
“She seemed fine earlier.”
“It must have been quite a shock, considering it was one of her cherished maids.”
“Are you reprimanding me?”
“Would I dare?”
Raymond shook his head.
He had no intention of opposing the king or risking his life by giving unwelcome advice.
Raymond had realized something over the long time he had spent by Arden’s side.
He never interfered with matters concerning the queen. Whether it was advice or not didn’t matter.
“I should see this Karen for myself.”
“…You mean directly?”
“If I summon Duke Castane, I can learn about him as well.”
A man with silver hair.
It wouldn’t be common in Brevent. Perhaps he wasn’t even from this country; there was even a possibility he was from the Empire.
“…Interesting.”
Arden finally understood why the Emperor had said he would visit the kingdom.
If Letitia and the man with a face were from the Emperor’s side?
The issue was whether the Duke and the queen knew about this fact.
“Raymond, have you heard anything about the nobles of the Empire?”
“We haven’t had any interactions, so information is scarce. But if you command, I’ll gather what I can.”
“No need to go that far. Let’s just assume I haven’t heard anything.”
Raymond slowly nodded.
“But didn’t you trust the queen’s words?”
Arden chuckled softly, pressing his fingers against his temples.
“You seem to trust the queen quite a bit.”
“From what I’ve observed, Queen Consort hasn’t shown signs of having different thoughts. She’s always been curious about Your Majesty.”
“The queen?”
“Yes, I’ve heard from the maids that she was very pleased when things improved between you two. They say she used to secretly observe you from time to time.”
“She observed me secretly?”
Arden questioned with disbelief. Raymond nodded. He was someone who saw through all the palace’s stories.
Although it wasn’t a marriage they both desired, the queen had always tried her best to fulfill her duties. It was Arden who hadn’t reciprocated, seemingly unaware even of that fact.
“It’s quite fascinating how we always misunderstand each other.”
They could tell just by looking at each other’s eyes. They were never indifferent towards each other. In fact, they seemed to know each other well, perhaps from observing each other for so long.
“Queen Consort has no reason to meet anyone other than Your Majesty. In fact, if that were the case, she would have met them already.”
“It’s sad that others trust the queen more than me, someone who’s been by her side all this time.”
“…”
Now it didn’t make sense to turn a blind eye; her demeanor didn’t match. It was simple-minded to think she hadn’t met anyone else before.
From an objective standpoint, his words didn’t add up. It wasn’t about trusting the queen more than the king.
Arden trusted no one. Not even Raymond, who had been with him for quite some time.
He probably stopped trusting people after his brother died. When his healthy brother slowly succumbed to illness and died, many suspected foul play.
Before answers regarding the death of Lebther II came out, Arden had to take the throne, facing many scrutinizing gazes.
Some even suggested that he killed his brother for the throne. His brother had no children, and even his lovely wife was under suspicion.
Despite not being the one who killed him, Arden ascended to the throne solely because he was the only one who could. He didn’t refute the false rumors.
If people feared him because of baseless rumors, then they wouldn’t entertain foolish thoughts.
“I still have moments of confusion, wondering if I didn’t kill my brother.”
Everyone he loved was dead. Didn’t his brother say something like that? So maybe Arden’s brother died because Arden loved him.
Arden thought he was under a cruel curse. Nothing else explained everything.
So he wanted to believe that, even if it was true.
“You did not kill your brother, Your Majesty. He was swept away by other matters, wasn’t he?”
Recent discoveries indicated that his brother’s death was planned. Orchestrated by someone else. And the elves were involved in that death as well.
“Yeah, the elves.”
“Still, it’s fortunate that we’ve found something. We might uncover some leads.”
“Leads, huh…”
It was possible. But Arden didn’t cling to false hope. Expectations only bred greater disappointment.
“If we can just find out if there’s any connection to the empire, it would be a significant help.”
“Our intelligence sources are working hard, so we should have something soon.”
Arden nodded. Until concrete evidence presented itself, he wouldn’t believe anything.
But first, they had to address the immediate problem at hand.
“Look into this person named Karen among the imperial nobility.”
“Surely, you don’t mean someone from the empire?”
Raymond’s eyes widened. If there truly was a connection to the empire… it would be treason. Arden knew that even as he requested it.
“If… if what Your Majesty suspects is true, what will you do?”
“What do you think I should do?”
He didn’t want to imagine it. It felt like a storm was brewing in the palace, and he closed his eyes tightly, silently pleading.
‘Please. Let there be no connection to the empire.’
The Boart family had no reason to ally with the empire. Especially when their only daughter was not even the queen.
Duke Castane wouldn’t be foolish enough to choose a path that led to his own demise.
He wasn’t stupid enough to pick the wrong answer deliberately.
“If that’s the case, there must be a reason. Duke Castane would have no reason to raise a banner against the Brybant Kingdom. Especially when they’re still searching for his missing wife.”
Arden looked up at Raymond with a bewildered expression.
“If they haven’t found her, maybe his heart has changed.”
“…”
Raymond sighed inwardly and checked the time.
“Your Majesty, it might be best for you to rest for now. Queen Consort is already in her chambers.”
“Raymond, I certainly didn’t think I’d be sleeping soundly in the queen’s embrace.”
“Then why did you suggest sharing the room?”
