Chapter 06
It was clearly not a favorable gaze, so Nadia flinched reflexively.
Just as she couldn’t decide what to do for a moment, Lev turned away from her with Albina and headed out of the reception hall with her.
Arons, seeing this, was greatly flustered. The groom leaving his wedding reception with a woman other than the bride could not be interpreted favorably in any way.
Arons thought that perhaps the one attending the king tonight might not be the queen.
So he looked at Nadia with worried eyes, but the person in question had already returned to an unaffected demeanor and wore a serene smile.
“Thank you for coming today. Thanks to you, I was able to have at least one conversation at the reception.”
“Your Highness…”
Those words only stirred his pity further. Nadia also belatedly regretted having added unnecessary words, but outwardly she ended the conversation as if nothing were wrong.
“I should be going now too. Then, Duke Rodgin, I wish you a peaceful night.”
Since the king had left the reception hall first with his mistress, there was no need for her to stay there any longer.
Having returned to the Queen’s Palace, Nadia took off the heavy reception dress and immersed herself in the bath.
But even when the maids poured rose oil into the steaming bath, she felt no particular emotion.
‘Perhaps His Majesty will not come tonight.’
Resolving herself to that, she actually felt more at ease.
Truthfully, even for her, consummating the marriage with the king tonight would have been a burden. She could not imagine performing the most intimate act with a man who hated her.
Still, as a matter of formality, Nadia sat on the bed in a milky-white slip dress and waited for the king. It was then.
-Dong, dong, dong
The sound of bells resounded through the spacious Queen’s Palace. It was the sound heard every midnight. By this point, she had sufficient grounds to give up.
As Nadia began to fumble her way into bed, the maids beside her wore baffled expressions.
“Would you put out the lights?”
The maids did so hesitantly. With only a single very faint candle left beside her, Nadia gave a goodnight greeting with an innocent smile.
“Everyone, sleep well.”
***
Dawn the next day. Lev’s bedroom had its curtains tightly drawn, so not a single ray of daylight came in.
Nevertheless, he opened his eyes at the same time as yesterday. The king’s close attendant Anton also entered the king’s bedroom at the usual precise time, even though it was the day after the wedding.
When he drew the curtains, deep blue light poured into the bedroom and illuminated Lev’s figure. The faint blue light mingled with the image of the man rising and slowly washing his face with cold water. It was a very strange and mysterious atmosphere.
Anton unknowingly stared blankly at the sight, then hurriedly shook his head and offered his morning greeting.
“Good morning, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, Anton.”
Lev stared blankly at the empty bed, then suddenly thought of a certain woman. The one who should have been beside him, originally.
“Countess Velevin is still sleeping. Her Highness the Queen went to bed as soon as it struck midnight.”
At the report that came just in time, Lev let out a hollow laugh. Meanwhile, Anton added.
“She seems to be a clever sort. She must have known well in advance that Your Majesty would not come.”
“No one else visited?”
“Pardon?”
Anton, who had briefly failed to understand the question, asked in a voice of disbelief.
“You’re not referring to Duke Rodgin the Younger, are you?”
No answer came. Good heavens, so it was true. Anton wore a dumbfounded expression.
“Surely Her Highness the Queen wouldn’t dare commit such a reckless act. Adultery is punishable by execution, Your Majesty.”
“Have you figured out what the relationship between those two is?”
“I hear the young Duke is a distant maternal relative of Her Highness the Queen. That’s why they often met since childhood. It seems the young Duke mostly visited the County of Turik.”
“Ha.”
Lev let out a hollow laugh at the unexpected blood relation he had learned of.
“That must be a shame for the queen. If not for her mother’s affair, she could have become the Duchess of Rodgin.”
“Ah, in fact, there were reportedly marriage talks between the two.”
What had been said as a joke came back as truth, and Lev’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“A very long time ago, when they were young. However, when the Countess Turik was mentioned as a candidate for queen, it was completely called off, they say.”
Since Arons was his cousin, if Agnes Turik became queen, his aunt by marriage would become his mother-in-law, which could tangle the family lines.
“Shall I keep watch?”
“I suppose I should.”
Lev replied while drinking the water on the nightstand.
“This isn’t Murk, so levirate marriage would be awkward, wouldn’t it?”
Anton, having heard a biting joke first thing in the morning, momentarily failed to manage his expression and wore a blank face. Lev, seeing that, let out a low laugh.
“Relax your face, Anton.”
“You say such things and then expect the world of me.”
Anton said, giving Lev a light glare.
“Dr. Chekhov is scheduled to visit this morning. You have a council meeting in the afternoon.”
Lev nodded and rose from his seat.
He had held his wedding yesterday, but nothing had changed. His heart did not beat irregularly with excitement, nor was his mind unsettled with affection.
He quite liked that stillness and peace.
***
That yesterday and today were the same was not only true for Lev. Nadia rose from her seat as usual and had breakfast.
Her breakfast menu was potato soup she liked, two slices of warm white bread, roasted carrot pieces, and smoked ham.
“I hear His Majesty the King was with Countess Velevin last night.”
Even at Olga’s report-like words from beside her, Nadia only nodded as if she had expected it. At that calm attitude, Olga’s brow furrowed.
The breakfast suited Nadia’s taste perfectly. If she had crossed the vast sea to marry into a foreign land, she wouldn’t have been able to eat like this. Her gratitude toward the king remained greater still.
“Now that you have become the new mistress of the Queen’s Palace, you must invite figures from society and hold a tea gathering.”
At those words, Nadia set down the bread she had picked up. Suddenly her stomach felt a little heavy.
“As you know, I have never formally made my debut in society. So there is no one suitable for me to invite.”
“Are you saying you won’t hold a tea gathering?”
Would people come even if I did?
Nadia wanted to retort that way but soon realized it was a meaningless question. She could not entirely abandon her duties as queen.
For someone with a flawed lineage like herself to show further flaws here would not be wise conduct. All the more so because she did not know the king’s intentions in making her queen.
“Could you select suitable people for me to send invitations to?”
“I will do so.”
At Olga’s cooperative answer, Nadia felt a measure of relief. But her appetite had vanished completely, and she had no desire to touch her plate further.
“What is my schedule today?”
“There is nothing in particular. Since it’s the first day.”
“Then would it be alright if I looked around the royal palace a bit? Before the wedding I was confined to the Queen’s Palace the whole time, so I don’t know the palace layout at all.”
“If you wish.”
Olga nodded readily.
“But I wouldn’t particularly recommend it.”
***
Nadia learned why Olga had said that less than five minutes after leaving the Queen’s Palace.
“That person is the queen, isn’t she? The one they say is Agnes’s daughter.”
“That’s right. I heard His Majesty the King was with Countess Velevin last night.”
“Oh my, and she was alone like a wallflower at the reception too, I hear. If it were me, I’d truly want to die.”
Everyone passing by recognized Nadia and whispered. There were so many of them that if she were to punish each one, the entire staff of the royal palace would be punished.
Moreover, Nadia’s own maids, far from being angry at the slander of their mistress, smirked as if in agreement, so Nadia decided to simply pretend not to hear. That way everyone would be more comfortable.
‘It’s not so vast that I can’t memorize it.’
Learning the layout as she walked wherever her feet took her, she seemed to be getting a sense of it. When she had come to the royal palace before, perhaps because she was too young, this place had felt as vast as the open sea.
“Ah.”
Just then, an unfamiliar corner of a rear garden came into Nadia’s view. Even at a glance, it was so well tended that she grew curious.
As Nadia, as if entranced, approached it, one of the maids watching wore a flustered expression and whispered to Olga.
“Head lady-in-waiting, will it be alright? This place is…”
“What could possibly happen?”
Olga replied indifferently, and the other maids shrugged as if to say let it be. Nadia, completely unaware of this situation, went inside.
“Wow…”
Though it was still spring, the weather was a bit chilly. Nevertheless, perhaps because so many flowers had been planted, flowers with buds already forming could be seen here and there. Moreover, thanks to the lavender planted all over, a fresh fragrance filled the air.
In the center was a fountain with a cherub statue, and there was also a cozy tea table where one could have tea time.
The Queen’s Palace rear garden was also well maintained, but it was surprising that this place, though an independent garden, was so well tended.
It was while Nadia was strolling through the rear garden with curious eyes.
“Why is the queen here?”
At the displeased voice, Nadia startled and turned her head. From a distance, Lev was glaring this way with a cold expression.
