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MWC Chapter 21

The King

Chapter 21

The King

 

Adelen breathed uncomfortably, catching her breath.

The master’s carriage was spacious and comfortable, incomparable to a common or luggage carriage.

The sound of the wheels rolling was so quiet that it was impossible to tell if they were gliding or just rolling, and there was no shaking. The seat cushion was so soft that it felt like sitting on cotton fluff.

Still, the unfamiliar dress and the tension made it uncomfortable no matter how she sat.

Occasionally, the master’s gaze that met hers added to her discomfort.

‘What does it mean to be pretty?’

Of course, the master’s “pretty” just meant what it literally meant.

Ugly, pretty, bright, dark, red, blue.

It had no deeper meaning, just an expression, but for the one hearing it, it was not so simple.

‘Am I pretty?’

She kept glancing at her face reflected in the window, and couldn’t help but touch it lightly.

She never realized how powerful the word “pretty” could be.

However, as the carriage drew closer to the palace, the thought of being pretty faded from her mind, replaced by various worries that filled her thoughts.

She was about to meet His Majesty.

His Majesty, the King of this country, Teplan. The highest authority in the land.

She could not afford to make even the slightest mistake in his presence. A real mistake could cost her her life for treason.

“You don’t need to be that nervous. You just have to stand beside me holding the baby,” Rakalt said.

By now, Rakalt knew that Adelen was the biggest coward in the world.

So, just by looking at her eyes, he could guess what thoughts were swirling in her mind.

“Bu-but… we’re going to meet His Majesty… What if I make a mistake?”

Rakalt’s guess was correct.

Adelen, as if waiting for the right moment, started unloading her bundle of anxiety that had been building up in her mind.

“What if I sneeze?”

“Do it.”

“What if my sneeze splashes His Majesty’s face with spit?”

“He’ll wipe it off.”

“What if he gets angry and says it’s disgusting?”

“He’s not the type to get angry over something like that.”

Most of Adelen’s worries were utterly nonsensical.

It was funny, even quite adorable.

“Th-th-then…”

Rakalt’s response didn’t provide much comfort.

Adelen became so terrified that, if she could, she would have jumped out of the carriage.

It felt like the gallows, not the palace, was drawing nearer.

“To be exact, you’re not going to meet His Majesty as a person, but rather you’re being moved as a piece of furniture—like a baby cradle.”

“……”

Adelen blinked.

Was that supposed to comfort her? Was she being dismissed as less than an ant?

Should she be grateful? Or should she be sad that she wasn’t even treated as a human being?

But the master, as usual, probably said it without any real meaning, just like when he said “pretty.”

“And sometimes, a maid follows her master into the palace, so you don’t have to worry. No one will force you to follow the noble etiquette.”

After hearing this, Adelen finally understood the master’s intention.

He was trying to comfort her in his own way.

But despite this, Adelen’s shoulders remained slumped in dejection, unwilling to straighten.

Rakalt’s brow furrowed deeply as well.

When he had seen her shrink in the room, he thought nothing of it and just passed by.

But now that she was dressed like a noblewoman and would be following him around, her drooping attitude started to bother him.

“His Majesty is a kind and good person. He won’t punish a maid for lacking manners.”

“Yes… But, is he kind to the maids too?”

“……”

Rakalt was momentarily speechless.

It was true that His Majesty was very kind to him, but he had never considered whether he was kind to others.

If His Majesty treated people differently, Adelen’s concern might be valid.

“He’s certainly a good person to me… so I must believe he’ll be good to those who belong to me as well.”

Belong to me.

Adelen blinked.

She had worked in many places before, but she had never felt a sense of belonging.

Sigelion had been the same.

Whenever her colleagues shouted “We are Sigelion!” she couldn’t relate, and it troubled her.

But now, for the first time, she felt what it meant to belong.

It wasn’t just the name of the family she worked for.

It meant being one of the people belonging to the master, the one who had a stake in her. It was like a fence around her.

“If anything happens to you, it’s my responsibility, so don’t worry too much.”

Rakalt spoke firmly. He led his knights in such a way that none of them could die without his say-so.

The same applied to the maid. She was his, so he would protect and take responsibility for her. That was the role of the head of the family.

“……Yes.”

No family ever protected or took responsibility for their maids.

But the master had said he would. As if everyone in the family was his own.

The master was a unique person.

Adelen was taken aback by his uniqueness. However, the effect of his words was undeniable; the intense trembling she had felt earlier began to subside.

 

When they arrived at the palace and got out of the carriage, a waiting servant greeted Rakalt.

“Welcome, Count Sigelion. His Majesty is waiting for you. This way.”

As Rakalt had mentioned, no greeting was offered to Adelen as she followed him out of the carriage. Not even a glance in her direction. She was treated like a piece of furniture.

Adelen, trying to ease her mind, followed Rakalt’s lead.

They passed through long corridors and hallways, moving past numerous doors and guards. The servant guiding Rakalt did not stop until they reached the door to the king’s chambers.

Along the way, everyone they encountered ignored Adelen, just as Rakalt had said.

By the time they were nearing the king, Adelen’s tension had completely faded, and she even felt at ease.

“Enter,” came the command from inside the door.

They hadn’t had to wait long at the final door. Upon informing the king of Rakalt’s arrival, they were immediately granted entry.

Adelen looked at Rakalt with respect.

Clearly, there were others waiting outside other doors. But Rakalt had direct access to His Majesty’s room.

It struck her anew just how remarkable the person she served was.

With the servant’s permission, the massive doors, guarded by four soldiers, opened to reveal the king’s chambers.

The tension that had dissipated earlier suddenly returned. It was now the time to meet the king.

“Ugh! Uhh!”

As Adelen walked forward, tense and hesitant, the baby in her arms began to babble.

“Ah, little one… Are you curious? Ah, no, no… Shh…”

The baby, unaware of the tension, reached out to touch the decorations of the grand room.

The servant ahead glanced back at Adelen.

She instinctively huddled close, pulling the baby tighter into her arms.

“Ah, boo! Uh-ai!”

The baby, thinking it was a game, increased its joyful noise.

Thinking back, the master had never referred to the baby as an object, so it might not have mattered if the focus was on the baby.

‘Hmm. Well, then…’

The baby became her shield. If anyone was looking, it was at the baby, not her.

With that thought, Adelen felt much more at ease. She even had the room to look around.

Since she had come all the way to the palace, she might as well take in the sights to boast about later.

The king’s chambers were truly magnificent.

Even Rakalt’s room, which was large enough for a house, was nothing compared to the king’s.

It felt like a completely different world, almost like the paradise one might enter after the hero who saved the world passes away.

Adelen continued to follow closely behind Rakalt, feeling as though she could get lost in the vastness of the room.

“Are you here?”

The king’s voice came from deeper within the room, after they had passed the door.

Turning toward the source of the voice, Adelen finally saw the king.

He was reclining halfway on a sofa in front of a large window that overlooked a forest and a lake, only turning his head to look at them.

‘Is that the king…?’

Adelen, stunned by his unexpected appearance, forgot to be respectful and stared at him, wide-eyed.

 

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