The dowager queen made a grand entrance, not just dazzling but also majestic. Six royal carriages led by armored royal knights lined up before and after, driving the horses forward.
The carriages with the royal coat of arms woven with gold thread gleamed with gold, and even the horses ridden by the knights were adorned with precious tassels and knots.
It was a procession that showed the wealth and authority of the royal family. Most Silverglen people were either discouraged or their eyes were glistening, or they were all very surprised anyway.
Edith was able to remain mesmerized only because, after being startled at first sight, she had no time to properly examine the procession, because she was bouncing thoughts in her head. But, judging from the way her thoughts came out of her mouth, she wasn’t in her right mind either.
“Oh, my God, how much do those knights and horses eat?”
Fortunately, the marquis was the only one who heard her talk to herself.
With a wry smile, the marquis mumbled as if he was overwhelmed with amazement, expressing his needless concerns. His words, too, were only audible to Edith.
Edith was a little embarrassed, and she tried to refute the marquis, who was not aware of the seriousness of the problem. Knights were also human, but the hay to feed horses this winter was usually expensive.
The horses that pulled the carriage alone was twenty-four, and when the knights’ horses were added, it was at least forty-five! But before Edith could speak, the knight at the head of the procession raised his hand, and accordingly the procession began to slowly stop.
“Let’s go.”
The dowager queen’s carriage seemed to be the second from the front. It was the largest and most splendid, and she could tell because the attendant, who had jumped from the carriage at the end, had brought a footrest wrapped in velvet.
The door opened without a sound, and a middle-aged woman with her silver hair gracefully got off. The waiting knight extended his arms, not escorting but presenting himself with a courteous gesture. Gracefully accepting his gesture, Dowager Queen Griselda approached the welcoming party with an elegant stride.
“Lord Rodian.”
“Your Majesty the Dowager Queen.”
Looking closely, the dowager queen looked a lot like her nephew. The color of the eyes were the same. But if Alpheus Rodian’s eyes were fir trees in the north, Griselda Rodian’s eyes were emeralds in the south.The reason why they had such different textures even though they were from the same place of birth was, of course, due to the differences in the lives they had lived.
“You truly look splendid.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“Twelve years, it has been quite a long time. In my memories, my nephew was just a young boy, and now you appear as if you stepped out of the history, resembling the appearance from thirty years ago. I almost thought it was your father standing there.”
“Your Majesty, you remain just as I remember my aunt.”
“Haha, that’s quite unlikely.”
The dowager queen smiled broadly. Her wrinkled eyes showed signs of mischief.
“It was a moment right before being discarded, and I looked like I was about to die.”
It was entirely a prank to tease the marquis. There was no answer, and it was generally embarrassing no matter how you took it. Moreover, as someone who had never been fond of crafting flattering words for others’ ears and had a lifelong habit of being straightforward, it was quite challenging for the Marquis of Rodian to come up with a response.
As the sunlight seemed dazzling, Edith squinted her eyes. The dowager queen was more a perfect court noble than a member of the Rodian family.
She thought the appearance was unusual, but as she said, he was her nephew whom she met after twelve years, but she put him in a difficult situation as soon as she saw his face. She didn’t believe it at face value from the beginning, but the purpose of the dowager queen’s visit didn’t seem so pure either.
“You have gained higher honor and authority than then, so I think it’s even more brilliant now.”
Is it safe to say that it’s fortunate? Contrary to the pessimistic predictions that all the spirits would have simultaneously made, the marquis smoothly evaded the dowager queen’s mischief with a polished response. Edith widened her eyes and looked at the marquis. He had been acting strangely since last night, and today didn’t seem any different from the abnormality.
“Oh, is that so?”
Funny, the dowager queen seemed to have similar thoughts to Edith. She tilted her head with her eyebrows raised.
Like a woman who won a political battle in an unfavorable situation and put her daughter on the throne, she had the power to make people nervous even with minor movements.
“I didn’t believe my nephew was wild as a savage.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Honestly this is surprising, too.”
The dowager queen, who said something meaningful, looked at the marquis with curious eyes. The marquis caught the eyes of the dowager queen with an expressionless face like a frozen lake in the middle of winter.
“Hmm.”
The battle between the two was quite long, and it was uncomfortable just to watch, given that no one but the parties dared to intervene.
Thus, when the dowager queen suddenly turned her head and looked at Edith without a warning, she almost fainted. She did not jump up and stood upright with the strength on her back, which made her feel proud.
“So, is it this lady?”
“If you’re asking if she’s my fiancée, she is.”
“Of course it is. I heard it’s Lady Argyle.”
She felt like she was going to have an upset stomach just by breathing. Edith lowered her head, slightly lifting her skirt with her stiffened hand.
“Yes, Your Majesty the Dowager Queen. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too, Lady Argyle. What’s your first name?”
“Yes, I’m Edith.”
“Edith. That’s a pretty name.”
“Thank you.”
“Alpheus and Edith. The name suits you quite well.”
Edith suppressed a forced laugh. Typically, following such words, there would be phrases like “however,” “even so,” or “although,” and so on. Though she didn’t respond with a dignified royal manner, the dowager queen’s intention was evident.
The dowager queen came not to see her nephew’s fiancée, but to break his engagement! Edith’s judgment gained a more solid basis when those came off the back carriage one after another and waited for the call approached at the hand of the dowager queen.
“They’re my maids, Lady Spencer, Lady Russell, and Lady Derrick. I brought them because I felt uncomfortable without them.”
Even if the words didn’t say so, it was clear that they were brought to show to the marquis. The age from the late teens to the early twenties, who seem to be the right age for marriage, the lovely appearance like flowers dressed up with care, and the cheeks that quickly turned after glancing at the marquis. The girls who showed the same reaction as if they had practiced were candidates for the marquis’s fiancée.
To be more precise, the dowager queen’s heart was filled with them. Spencer and Russell were counts under the direct control of the king. This was the first time she had heard of Derrick, but they probably were not a family that lags behind the first two.
There must be a reason why the dowager queen wanted to treat them as the lady of her ancestral home. Surely, it must be a family with some exceptional qualities, not like Argyle’s insignificant household, and Edith couldn’t be mistaken about that.
Edith gave a sidelong glance at the marquis, who couldn’t possibly be unaware of what she had realized. He looked deeply furrowed and thoroughly displeased.
It was understandable. After all those long years, just when he thought he had finally rid himself of the troubles brought by his aunt, she suddenly appeared to interfere in his life. How could he endure such meddling? Edith had a strong feeling that challenging days laid ahead. Hopefully not, but that seemed unlikely.
