Chapter 43
Raymond immediately informed the knights. One by one, the nobles, not knowing the reason, followed the guide towards the door. Now that he no longer heard the unpleasant noise, he felt much better.
“Your Majesty, the Pope of Arserion is expected to arrive tomorrow.”
He promptly conveyed the message he had received from the messenger. The emperor, seemingly pleased with the banquet, had a meaningful smile on his face. Raymond inwardly wished for this tense banquet to end quickly.
‘What kind of exchange, I’d be lucky if a war doesn’t break out.’
Raymond thought about the situation when the Pope arrived. An uncomfortable meeting of three people…
He hoped tomorrow wouldn’t come.
❖ ❖ ❖
Leticia, feeling considerably better, moved towards the window. The medicine that Verotin had given her last seemed to be quite effective, making her body feel lighter.
‘Since the chief physician has been replaced, there should be enough medicine for a while.’
Can I continue to stay here?
She recalled the touch on her forehead. Though her consciousness had been blurry, she clearly remembered his voice filled with concern for her.
Arden always confused her, both then and now. Even though she knew his feelings, she always wanted to hold on to hope in moments like these. Even though she knew it was a path to her own misery…
She closed her eyes tightly to hide the turmoil in her heart. If she closed her eyes, she wouldn’t see anything, and it felt like her feelings wouldn’t be exposed.
For now, she had to think about how to get out of here.
‘If I ask His Highness for help…’
Could she really trust him? She felt she needed to see the Pope herself to feel at ease. What she chose at this crossroads would determine her life. Hadn’t she already seen a bad outcome from making the wrong choice?
She was afraid of repeating the same mistake.
What should I do? What should I…
With so many unprecedented things happening in succession, she felt like a compass that had lost its direction. She had resolved not to love him when she returned. She vowed to escape and not repeat the same results, but the gods didn’t seem to pity her, placing her in a situation where she couldn’t make that choice.
Having returned to a time when she already loved him, the only option was to make him love her. By the time she realized she was solving a problem with no answer, it was too late.
-You said you weren’t feeling well, but you seem okay now.
“…Your Highness?”
Kavita, appearing in the form of a spirit, hovered around the window. Only then did she remember their promise and opened her eyes wide.
“Oh…! I’m sorry. I forgot we were supposed to meet.”
-It’s okay. Seeing as you’re not free to move around, I can come to you.
He quickly changed his form inside the room. Startled, Leticia closed the window and drew the curtains. She walked to the door, locked it, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“What are you doing, changing into a human form all of a sudden? What if someone saw you…”
-If it’s the king, don’t worry. He’s too busy contending with the emperor.
Contending with the emperor?
“It’s best not to upset him… What if it leads to a war?”
She muttered softly, biting her lip. Her golden eyes flickered with anxiety. She should have gone to the banquet even if she wasn’t feeling well.
Facing the emperor was difficult, but sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to.
Regretting past actions wouldn’t change anything. Her golden eyes, unlike before, now shone brightly.
Revising her thoughts made her feel more at ease. Despite the sun having set, the fact that the two were still together indicated that the meeting held after the banquet was not going smoothly. While Arden would likely steer things in his desired direction as usual, achieving a satisfactory outcome, if his opponent was Cadius, it would be a formidable task.
‘This might take quite a while.’
Perhaps tensions were running high. Cadius, like a snake, could smile while putting people on edge. On the other hand, Arden…
Leticia stopped herself from imagining unfavorable scenarios.
“Did the banquet end without any issues?”
“There was a small commotion, but it passed quietly.”
“A commotion?”
“The attending nobles left the banquet hall one by one as if they were being chased out.”
“That’s strange. They must have received invitations. Why would they be chased out?”
She showed a puzzled expression at Kavita’s words.
“I don’t know much, but I do know one thing.”
Leticia listened intently. She couldn’t predict what he would say next. What kind of commotion could there be at a banquet attended by the emperor? At most, there might be some scuffles to gain the emperor’s favor or some tactless nobles seeking investment.
Her interest quickly waned. It was a story that had nothing to do with her.
“The commotion started because of you.”
Until she heard that.
“That’s odd. I wasn’t there. How could I be the cause of a commotion?”
“I don’t know about that. The Holy One will be here tomorrow. Perhaps receiving his blessing will help you endure a bit longer.”
Kavita reached out and placed his hand on her belly.
“You… my goodness!”
Startled by his sudden action, Leticia stepped back and wrapped her arms around her stomach. Seeing the tumultuous green eyes, it seemed he had realized the small life growing inside her.
“Please keep it a secret.”
“Is it Arden’s child?”
“…Yes.”
“It seems the king is unaware. What do you plan to do without telling him?”
“He wouldn’t believe it’s his child anyway.”
Kavita let out a sigh as he observed Leticia’s calm demeanor. He seemed to have much to say.
“I know what you’re thinking.”
“Bearing this burden alone is not a good choice. The expectations on you are immense.”
“…Expectations?”
“Yes, expectations. Have you ever thought about why you came back to life after dying?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
Kavita flicked her forehead with his finger. With a sharp sound, her golden eyes wavered.
“Ow…”
“You need to find a way to be happy. Living a different life without dying!”
Is there a way to be happy?
She couldn’t think of any at the moment. Leticia shook her head at Kavita’s words.
“His Majesty doesn’t love me. How can I be happy when I will die without being loved? One cannot obtain a person’s heart through effort alone.”
“The human heart is truly complicated.”
Kavita held her hand and infused it with strength.
“Still, find strength for the child’s sake. Just as your mother did for you.”
“My mother… did something for me?”
“…Oh! It seems someone is coming. Leticia, to receive strength, take walks in the garden. The spirits are there. They will give you strength.”
He changed the subject, transformed into a spirit, and flew out through the curtains before she could grab him.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Your Majesty, it’s Luena. May I come in?”
“…Come in.”
Leticia sat at the table and watched Luena enter. She seemed quite anxious.
‘What’s going on? Kavita said there was a commotion because of me. If even Luena is acting like this, something must have happened.’
“What’s the matter?”
“Well… several letters have arrived for Your Majesty.”
“Several letters?”
Other than her father, she had never received letters. Luena placed the letters on the table. It seemed that, given the timing, these letters were related to the incident at the banquet.
Seeing the names of the ladies on the envelopes, she frowned.
“They’re all familiar names.”
Leticia sighed deeply and began opening the envelopes with a letter opener.
[Honorable Queen of Brivent,
I had no intention of slandering Your Majesty. I was merely expressing concern as I heard you were unwell. Please, I implore you to forgive me.
Sincerely, Isabella.]
The other letters contained similar messages. Apparently, they had spoken ill of her in her absence, and someone had overheard. Had Arden intervened?
“That’s strange. It’s as if they feel they must receive my forgiveness.”
No one would send a letter to the person they had spoken ill of, admitting their gossip. This indicated a pressing reason to require her forgiveness.
“The truth is, His Majesty expelled many people. The nobles are quite dissatisfied. However, without Your Majesty’s forgiveness, they won’t be invited to any future banquets at the palace…”
“So they were told to seek my forgiveness?”
Luena nodded.
“I heard this from others gossiping. They all believe that Your Majesty will forgive them…”
“Luena.”
Leticia had no desire to give the answer the others wanted. She didn’t want to act like that. Why should she forgive those who had gossiped about her in her absence and now sought her forgiveness with insincere letters?
“What do you think I will do? Forgive the unfortunate ladies, or ignore them?”
“…How could I possibly know Your Majesty’s intentions?”
She told Luena.
“Send invitations to those who wrote to me. Invite them to a tea party I will host after the banquet.”
“What?”
“Tell them to ask for forgiveness in person.”
Though Arden had orchestrated this, she had no intention of letting it go quietly. She decided to take this opportunity to do something she wouldn’t normally do.
